The townsfolk of Dennis The Menace. Who's your favorite? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Jack Gomez · 09-02-2021, 03:22 AM

The townsfolk of Dennis The Menace are great! I put them with the townfolk of Mayberry as being a really excellent group of memorable characters.

Mrs. Elkins(neighbor), Miss Cathcart(spinster neighbor), Mr. Dorfman (postman), Mr. Finch(dime store clerk), Sgt. Mooney(police), Mr. Quigley (grocer), Mr. Krinkie(newspaper editor), Mrs. Schooner(neighbor), Charlie Brady(neighbor), Mrs. Holland(neighbor), Mr. Merrivale (florist), Opie Swanson (junkman), Grandma Mitchell (Henry's mom) and Uncle Ned (George's Uncle)

Who is your favorite? (You can vote for multiple characters)

Mine is Lucy Elkins. She was a great thorn in Mr. Wilson's side. She was really funny at showing her disgust and contempt for him. Irene Tedrow the actress would appear years later on my other favorite sitcom Three' s Company as Aunt Martha and again as Miss Arlington!

schmave · 09-02-2021, 01:51 PM

I voted for Miss Cathcart, Sgt. Mooney, Mr. Krinkie and Grandma Mitchell in that order.
Without looking, George Cisar as Mooney was in considerably more episodes than any of the other three but like Mary Wickes, both stole every one of their scenes.
I was never a fan of Mrs. Elkins. Outside her earliest appearances, she was nasty with no real reason to be. I never blamed either Wilson brother for disliking her.
And it's funny about Mr. Dorfman, Mrs. Holland, Opie and even Joey that they made semi-regular appearances in the first season and were never seen again but still mentioned after they last were seen. In Joey's case, he was mentioned all the way in the third-to-last episode even though we hadn't seen him in almost four years.

[ETA: Per IMDB, Mooney was in 31 episodes, Elkins 26, Cathcart 10, Krinkie 9 and Grandma Mitchell 8.]

Bonniegirl · 09-02-2021, 02:13 PM

I voted for Miss Cathcart ! She was a hoot !!

stevea · 09-03-2021, 09:33 PM

Yes! Esther Cathcart was hilarious.

I also voted for Finch and Sgt. Mooney.

Merry24 · 09-23-2021, 10:15 PM

I liked Cathcart! Mrs. Skooner was also one of my fav’s!

Even though she was in 1 episode but talked about in a couple episodes I loved Mrs.Porter!

AMackII · 09-24-2021, 03:27 AM

Miss Cathcart & Uncle Ned

schmave · 10-01-2021, 12:39 PM

Uncle Ned is an underrated character and a nice bit of continuity between the George and John Wilson eras. I think he was only in three episodes, but it felt like more.

stevea · 10-02-2021, 07:48 AM

I remember three and they were all really funny:

1. Dragging all the main characters into his exercise routines. George and Henry go so far as to get fake barbells to get out of his early morning exercises, but Dennis foils that plan.

2. Having others do his gardening work when his back goes out, and going as far as to send Fremont to dig up a neighbor's flowers, all so he can win a garden club contest. This was probably a Kearns script, modified for him: for instance, George would probably not do the bit with Fremont.

3. Walking down to John's house while John goes to his, so they can argue over his book dispute, and later conning grocer Quigley out of several jars of on-sale pickles.

schmave · 10-02-2021, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

I remember three and they were all really funny:

1. Dragging all the main characters into his exercise routines. George and Henry go so far as to get fake barbells to get out of his early morning exercises, but Dennis foils that plan.

2. Having others do his gardening work when his back goes out, and going as far as to send Fremont to dig up a neighbor's flowers, all so he can win a garden club contest. This was probably a Kearns script, modified for him: for instance, George would probably not do the bit with Fremont.

3. Walking down to John's house while John goes to his, so they can argue over his book dispute, and later conning grocer Quigley out of several jars of on-sale pickles.

That Mrs. Hawkins deserved it.

That was the second episode without George and yeah, I have no doubt that was a script quickly edited to suit the Uncle Ned character. They must have signed him for just that one episode, because the next was John's debut, or used him as a stopgap (or both). His line "I'm the man of this house" until George returns might have suggested they still expected Joseph Kearns to come back at some point, or thought they would keep Uncle Ned around for a few more episodes than just one.

View Poll Results: Who are your favorite townfolk characters?
Mrs. Elkins (neighbor)	1	10.00%
Miss Cathcart (spinster neighbor)	7	70.00%
Mr. Quigley (grocer)	1	10.00%
Mr. Krinkie (newspaper editor)	2	20.00%
Mrs. Schooner (neighbor, garden judge)	2	20.00%
Mr. Finch (dime store clerk)	3	30.00%
Mr. Brady (neighbor)	1	10.00%
Mr. Dorfman (postman)	0	0%
Mrs. Holland (neighbor)	0	0%
Mr. Merrivale (florist)	0	0%
Opie Swanson (junkman)	1	10.00%
Grandma Mitchell (Henry's mom)	1	10.00%
Uncle Ned (George's uncle)	1	10.00%
Sgt. Mooney (police)	4	40.00%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

09-02-2021, 03:22 AM	#1
Jack Gomez Felipe's son Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 18, 2003 Posts: 614	The townsfolk of Dennis The Menace. Who's your favorite? The townsfolk of Dennis The Menace are great! I put them with the townfolk of Mayberry as being a really excellent group of memorable characters. Mrs. Elkins(neighbor), Miss Cathcart(spinster neighbor), Mr. Dorfman (postman), Mr. Finch(dime store clerk), Sgt. Mooney(police), Mr. Quigley (grocer), Mr. Krinkie(newspaper editor), Mrs. Schooner(neighbor), Charlie Brady(neighbor), Mrs. Holland(neighbor), Mr. Merrivale (florist), Opie Swanson (junkman), Grandma Mitchell (Henry's mom) and Uncle Ned (George's Uncle) Who is your favorite? (You can vote for multiple characters) Mine is Lucy Elkins. She was a great thorn in Mr. Wilson's side. She was really funny at showing her disgust and contempt for him. Irene Tedrow the actress would appear years later on my other favorite sitcom Three' s Company as Aunt Martha and again as Miss Arlington!
	Last edited by Jack Gomez; 09-02-2021 at 10:17 AM.

09-02-2021, 01:51 PM	#2
schmave Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 23, 2013 Location: Reynoldsburg, Ohio Posts: 653	I voted for Miss Cathcart, Sgt. Mooney, Mr. Krinkie and Grandma Mitchell in that order. Without looking, George Cisar as Mooney was in considerably more episodes than any of the other three but like Mary Wickes, both stole every one of their scenes. I was never a fan of Mrs. Elkins. Outside her earliest appearances, she was nasty with no real reason to be. I never blamed either Wilson brother for disliking her. And it's funny about Mr. Dorfman, Mrs. Holland, Opie and even Joey that they made semi-regular appearances in the first season and were never seen again but still mentioned after they last were seen. In Joey's case, he was mentioned all the way in the third-to-last episode even though we hadn't seen him in almost four years. [ETA: Per IMDB, Mooney was in 31 episodes, Elkins 26, Cathcart 10, Krinkie 9 and Grandma Mitchell 8.]
	__________________ "hey when you're in the desert you don't complain that the champagne's not Korbel if you get my drift." - RightOnDude

09-02-2021, 02:13 PM	#3
Bonniegirl AKA Hazel Horvath Forum Addict Join Date: Jul 10, 2014 Posts: 65,399	I voted for Miss Cathcart ! She was a hoot !!

09-03-2021, 09:33 PM	#4
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,178	Yes! Esther Cathcart was hilarious. I also voted for Finch and Sgt. Mooney.

09-23-2021, 10:15 PM	#5
Merry24 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 10, 2017 Location: beach Posts: 2,035	I liked Cathcart! Mrs. Skooner was also one of my fav’s! Even though she was in 1 episode but talked about in a couple episodes I loved Mrs.Porter!

09-24-2021, 03:27 AM	#6
AMackII Member Forum Star Join Date: Oct 23, 2015 Location: St. Louis Posts: 17,198	Miss Cathcart & Uncle Ned

10-01-2021, 12:39 PM	#7
schmave Member Forum Regular Join Date: Mar 23, 2013 Location: Reynoldsburg, Ohio Posts: 653	Uncle Ned is an underrated character and a nice bit of continuity between the George and John Wilson eras. I think he was only in three episodes, but it felt like more.

10-02-2021, 07:48 AM	#8
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,178	I remember three and they were all really funny: 1. Dragging all the main characters into his exercise routines. George and Henry go so far as to get fake barbells to get out of his early morning exercises, but Dennis foils that plan. 2. Having others do his gardening work when his back goes out, and going as far as to send Fremont to dig up a neighbor's flowers, all so he can win a garden club contest. This was probably a Kearns script, modified for him: for instance, George would probably not do the bit with Fremont. 3. Walking down to John's house while John goes to his, so they can argue over his book dispute, and later conning grocer Quigley out of several jars of on-sale pickles.