Did The Coswill Family Make The Biggest Mistake NOT Starring on The Partridge Family?

[Brian Damage]

....Or was it an honorable move?

The Cowsills were a singing family who’d hit the #2 spot on the pop charts twice, with “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things” and “Hair.” Unlike other family groups of that era (The Osmonds, The Jackson 5ive), mini-skirt-clad mom Barbara Cowsill was also a part of the band. The American Dairy Association signed the family to a million dollar contract and featured them drinking milk in commercials and print ads. It was the logical next step to have Hollywood come a-callin’. A proposed TV series about a musical family was pitched to the band’s manager, Bud Cowsill, ex-Navy officer and patriarch who ruled his family with an iron fist. The producers wanted the Cowsill kids for the show, since the older brothers were already getting extensive coverage in teen magazines, but they were leaning towards hiring an experienced “name” actress for the role of the mother. Bud held his ground and said it was Barb or nothing, and he ultimately got his wish. None of the Cowsill clan were used, and The Partridge Family not only made a star out of David Cassidy but also revived Shirley Jones’ flagging career.

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[caro]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

....Or was it an honorable move?

The Cowsills were a singing family who’d hit the #2 spot on the pop charts twice, with “The Rain, the Park, and Other Things” and “Hair.” Unlike other family groups of that era (The Osmonds, The Jackson 5ive), mini-skirt-clad mom Barbara Cowsill was also a part of the band. The American Dairy Association signed the family to a million dollar contract and featured them drinking milk in commercials and print ads. It was the logical next step to have Hollywood come a-callin’. A proposed TV series about a musical family was pitched to the band’s manager, Bud Cowsill, ex-Navy officer and patriarch who ruled his family with an iron fist. The producers wanted the Cowsill kids for the show, since the older brothers were already getting extensive coverage in teen magazines, but they were leaning towards hiring an experienced “name” actress for the role of the mother. Bud held his ground and said it was Barb or nothing, and he ultimately got his wish. None of the Cowsill clan were used, and The Partridge Family not only made a star out of David Cassidy but also revived Shirley Jones’ flagging career.

Read the full text here: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/arc...#ixzz1mVzSEw00
--brought to you by mental_floss!

I remember one of the Cowsills said that the writers were putting out scripts for younger kids and the Cowsills were too old for the parts. I don't know if the Partridge Family could have worked with older children.

[OH Nuts!]

Sadly the Cowsill's dad Bud made some really p*ss poor business and financial decisions regarding the family. While I could understand them wanting their "mini-mom" on the show, my thoughts would be hard practicality should rule. The show would have been a lucrative move AND even more expsosure for their singing - their career could have then skyrocketed evern more than it did. Also, a nice compromise might have been to have their real mom on the show as a guest or in a role less prominent - like being a next door neighbor or Reuben's sister or girlfriend. Actually, that would have given the show an interesting twist - their mom could have been on the show but not playing their mom. My understanding is that Bud Sr. could be rather pig-headed. Too bad too - cause it would have been FANTASTIC to have had the Cowsills on the show playing the Partridges.

As for Shirley's career flagging not so sure I agree with that. She had lots of great movies under her belt and survived being typecast when she played Lulu in Elmer Gantry. Anways, I've always had a thing for her so she was always a star to me no matter what.

[caro]

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

As for Shirley's career flagging not so sure I agree with that. She had lots of great movies under her belt and survived being typecast when she played Lulu in Elmer Gantry. Anways, I've always had a thing for her so she was always a star to me no matter what.

After a certain age as an actress, the roles disappear. Shirley was typecast when she played Laurie in Oklahoma!. She said she was that character at the time. Shirley got a chance to play against type in Elmer Gantry.
At the time Shirley was on the Partridge Family, she was over 35. A lot of film roles get scarce for women in this age group. Shirley even mentions now how she often goes head to head with Shirley McClaine for role and McClaine always gets them.