Jeremy Gelbwaks' "Chris" was noticeably different from Brian Forster's "Chris" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

um · 06-25-2017, 06:46 AM

Sure they looked very different. But if you watch the episodes in which "The first ''Chris' " has some lines, he is very much a wise-cracking kid like Danny.
In one episode (The Sound Of Money) Chris tries to fool his mom into thinking he injured his knee so she can give him a quarter, but though Shirley at first seems to be a bit worried about Chris getting hurt, she eventually threatens to spank him. In another episode in which the family are shown at the breakfast table, Keith and Lori are expressing their annoyance with Chris and when Shirley makes a remark that she has to sew Chris' pants so soon again Keith and Lori say something to the effect that Chris' drumming is as if he drums with his butt. In "Old Srapmouth" Chris asks a dumb annoying question to Lori asking if he could listen to her teeth after Lori claims she can hear music through her braces. There were a few other incidents in which Chris was almost as wisecracking as Danny, except that he was not featured as much being a wisecracking kid.

"The second 'Chris,'" by comparison at least, was very passive and never said anything "smart." The closest examples that I can recall was in"Swiss Family Partridge" when he came up to Mr Kinkaid and said "Me too" in a sarcastic way after Danny first said to Mr Kinkaid in a very sardonic manner "Your generosity and thoughtfulness has deeply touched me."
The only other incident I can think of is in "I Can Get It For You Retail" in which Chris was persuaded by Danny to steal Keith's possessions to sell at school and after being confronted by Shirley, Chris says to her "Danny says we are only giving the public what it wants."
Perhaps two other incidents were in "I am a Curious Partridge" and naturally "Home Is Where The Heart Was" and yet these scenes just don't present the second Chris as smart-alecky as the first Chris . The second Chris just was more obscure and quiet.

Donthe2nd · 07-10-2017, 03:48 PM

As was mentioned in the other thread, the original "Chris" actor was dismissed due to behavior problems on the set. But it puzzles me why they didn't find someone who was closer in appearance - they went from brunette to blonde! The producers apparently wanted the youngest kids to have a subdued role due to their young age and limiting acting ability, and they didn't need another kid acting like Danny, that would have been redundant. Like most TV shows the first season is where they did some experimenting with each character's roles, trying to figure out where they fit in. By Season 2 they had it figured out, placing Chris along with his counterpart Tracy in the background.

Marvo301 · 07-11-2017, 07:41 PM

Also the first Chris was a big baseball fan. He was often seen wearing a baseball glove and a Dodgers cap. He even once daydreamed of owning the L.A.Dodgers. When Brian Forster took over the role this aspect of the Chris character disappeared.

um · 07-11-2017, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Also the first Chris was a big baseball fan. He was often seen wearing a baseball glove and a Dodgers cap. He even once daydreamed of owning the L.A.Dodgers. When Brian Forster took over the role this aspect of the Chris character disappeared.

It did not exactly disappear. In "Home Is Where The Heart Was" Chris and Tracy decide to run away from home and Chris takes his baseball cap and baseball glove and baseball jacket. It is obvious that Chris is into baseball.
But of course, the second Chris was not shown in any significant way as having hobbies or interests. Chris and Tracy, when any scenes were given to them were usually shown interacting as if they were twins, like Buffy and Jody (Family Affair) , or even like Trevor and Tracy Nash (Please Don't Eat The Daises), but Chris and Tracy were actually backdrops together.

Yes, as "Donteh2nd" said, it would have been redundant to have two of the youngest Partridge boys acting the same way to the same extent, especially since there was a relevant age difference between Danny and Chris.

Babalu · 07-23-2017, 04:43 PM

If they acted differently it was because the scripts were different. They didn't choose what to say or do on their own.

glickmam · 07-23-2017, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donthe2nd

As was mentioned in the other thread, the original "Chris" actor was dismissed due to behavior problems on the set. But it puzzles me why they didn't find someone who was closer in appearance - they went from brunette to blonde! The producers apparently wanted the youngest kids to have a subdued role due to their young age and limiting acting ability, and they didn't need another kid acting like Danny, that would have been redundant. Like most TV shows the first season is where they did some experimenting with each character's roles, trying to figure out where they fit in. By Season 2 they had it figured out, placing Chris along with his counterpart Tracy in the background.

Indeed, in television and other entertainment, that phenomenon is called "growing the beard."

TMC · 04-23-2019, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donthe2nd

As was mentioned in the other thread, the original "Chris" actor was dismissed due to behavior problems on the set. But it puzzles me why they didn't find someone who was closer in appearance - they went from brunette to blonde! The producers apparently wanted the youngest kids to have a subdued role due to their young age and limiting acting ability, and they didn't need another kid acting like Danny, that would have been redundant. Like most TV shows the first season is where they did some experimenting with each character's roles, trying to figure out where they fit in. By Season 2 they had it figured out, placing Chris along with his counterpart Tracy in the background.

According to David Cassidy, Jeremy Gelbwaks was a hyperactive horror show who got along with absolutely no one. The entire show wanted him gone so they cooked up the "parents moving" story and fired him.

jets4life · 10-20-2019, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

According to David Cassidy, Jeremy Gelbwaks was a hyperactive horror show who got along with absolutely no one. The entire show wanted him gone so they cooked up the "parents moving" story and fired him.

You do realize that Gelbwaks is talking in character. This is a satire. It is not real.

hifijohn · 07-09-2021, 02:58 AM

You can never get away with something like this today,I think the odd couple was the last show to pull this.

warp9p65 · 10-14-2021, 10:24 PM

The producers liked to say that the viewers paid no attention to swapping one Chris with another because he was such a minor character. I beg to differ.

Cocoa8 · 10-15-2021, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

According to David Cassidy, Jeremy Gelbwaks was a hyperactive horror show who got along with absolutely no one. The entire show wanted him gone so they cooked up the "parents moving" story and fired him.

In the biopic, he was a handful, you would think his padents would have reprimended him better. Has Jeremy ever spoken about it?

PracTz · 10-18-2021, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cocoa8

In the biopic, he was a handful, you would think his padents would have reprimended him better. Has Jeremy ever spoken about it?

I've never heard of Mr. Gelbwaks saying anything about WHY he was gone after Season One but just has seemed to cosign on the 'parents' job got moved ' story.

Still, it seems odd that Miss Jones, Mr. Bonaduce and the late Mr. Cassidy ALL claimed that he wasn't the most professional nor well-behaved of child performers during his time on the show and that all three of them could be lying through their teeth about how he was back then.

Cori aka ChrisSCrush · 01-09-2022, 10:04 PM

Not only Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and Danny Bonaduce said that Jeremy was a kicking, biting menace, but in a chat on the C'Mon Get Happy Site, Suzanne Crough said Jeremy was disrespectful, threw a soaking wet sponge at a director and Danny appointed himself disciplinarian. If Jeremy did something, for instance to Suzanne, Danny threw him against a wall. Very informative.

TMC · 02-11-2024, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

I've never heard of Mr. Gelbwaks saying anything about WHY he was gone after Season One but just has seemed to cosign on the 'parents' job got moved ' story.

Still, it seems odd that Miss Jones, Mr. Bonaduce and the late Mr. Cassidy ALL claimed that he wasn't the most professional nor well-behaved of child performers during his time on the show and that all three of them could be lying through their teeth about how he was back then.

My Exclusive Interview with the Sad, Tragic Jeremy Gelbwaks

Quote:

MI: So you’re riding high and after the first year what happened?

JG: Reuben called me and asked me to meet him in his office. I thought I was going to get a raise, being the most popular member you know. Instead he says “Jeremy the family has spoken. They want you out and Brian Forster in.”

I was devastated. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. How could they do this to me. I’m a better drummer than Brian. Everybody knows that.

MI: Did the other members of the Partridge family ever give you any explanation?

JG: No. I never heard from any of them again.

Mr. Television · 02-11-2024, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

My Exclusive Interview with the Sad, Tragic Jeremy Gelbwaks

I don't even think that's a real interview. It sounds like satire.

06-25-2017, 06:46 AM	#1
um Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 26, 2015 Posts: 907	Jeremy Gelbwaks' "Chris" was noticeably different from Brian Forster's "Chris" Sure they looked very different. But if you watch the episodes in which "The first ''Chris' " has some lines, he is very much a wise-cracking kid like Danny. In one episode (The Sound Of Money) Chris tries to fool his mom into thinking he injured his knee so she can give him a quarter, but though Shirley at first seems to be a bit worried about Chris getting hurt, she eventually threatens to spank him. In another episode in which the family are shown at the breakfast table, Keith and Lori are expressing their annoyance with Chris and when Shirley makes a remark that she has to sew Chris' pants so soon again Keith and Lori say something to the effect that Chris' drumming is as if he drums with his butt. In "Old Srapmouth" Chris asks a dumb annoying question to Lori asking if he could listen to her teeth after Lori claims she can hear music through her braces. There were a few other incidents in which Chris was almost as wisecracking as Danny, except that he was not featured as much being a wisecracking kid. "The second 'Chris,'" by comparison at least, was very passive and never said anything "smart." The closest examples that I can recall was in"Swiss Family Partridge" when he came up to Mr Kinkaid and said "Me too" in a sarcastic way after Danny first said to Mr Kinkaid in a very sardonic manner "Your generosity and thoughtfulness has deeply touched me." The only other incident I can think of is in "I Can Get It For You Retail" in which Chris was persuaded by Danny to steal Keith's possessions to sell at school and after being confronted by Shirley, Chris says to her "Danny says we are only giving the public what it wants." Perhaps two other incidents were in "I am a Curious Partridge" and naturally "Home Is Where The Heart Was" and yet these scenes just don't present the second Chris as smart-alecky as the first Chris . The second Chris just was more obscure and quiet.

07-11-2017, 07:41 PM	#3
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	Also the first Chris was a big baseball fan. He was often seen wearing a baseball glove and a Dodgers cap. He even once daydreamed of owning the L.A.Dodgers. When Brian Forster took over the role this aspect of the Chris character disappeared.
	__________________ Only a life lived for others is worth living. Albert Einstein A life isn't worth living unless it has impact on other lives. Jackie Robinson Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. Benjamin Franklin

07-23-2017, 04:43 PM	#5
Babalu Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 22, 2014 Posts: 4,779	If they acted differently it was because the scripts were different. They didn't choose what to say or do on their own.
	__________________ . I just nailed Mrs. Trumbull

07-10-2017, 03:48 PM	#2
Donthe2nd Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 19, 2017 Location: Scranton PA Posts: 57	As was mentioned in the other thread, the original "Chris" actor was dismissed due to behavior problems on the set. But it puzzles me why they didn't find someone who was closer in appearance - they went from brunette to blonde! The producers apparently wanted the youngest kids to have a subdued role due to their young age and limiting acting ability, and they didn't need another kid acting like Danny, that would have been redundant. Like most TV shows the first season is where they did some experimenting with each character's roles, trying to figure out where they fit in. By Season 2 they had it figured out, placing Chris along with his counterpart Tracy in the background.

07-09-2021, 02:58 AM	#9
hifijohn Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 07, 2013 Posts: 209	You can never get away with something like this today,I think the odd couple was the last show to pull this.

10-14-2021, 10:24 PM	#10
warp9p65 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 15, 2019 Location: AR Posts: 49	The producers liked to say that the viewers paid no attention to swapping one Chris with another because he was such a minor character. I beg to differ.

01-09-2022, 10:04 PM	#13
Cori aka ChrisSCrush Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 30, 2001 Location: USA and still trying to be proud of it! Posts: 2,068	Not only Shirley Jones, David Cassidy, and Danny Bonaduce said that Jeremy was a kicking, biting menace, but in a chat on the C'Mon Get Happy Site, Suzanne Crough said Jeremy was disrespectful, threw a soaking wet sponge at a director and Danny appointed himself disciplinarian. If Jeremy did something, for instance to Suzanne, Danny threw him against a wall. Very informative.