Chip's Girlfriends

[biffbronson]

Fun summaries of Chip's girlfriends over the years.

[biffbronson]

Season 7 - "Now In My Day" (3/67). Chip is going steady with lovely Debbie (Chrystine Jordan - b. 1950). The happy couple:



Things are a little complicated as Chip needs to have a mom for the upcoming dance, so it's arranged he'll go with the mother of Marcia (Susan Gordon - 1949-2011) - girlfriend of Chip's friend Frank. Things are to be sorted out at the dance, as Debbie will also be present. Here's lovely Marcia:



Chip and Marcia exchange compliments, and she falls for him.



Marcia continues to express her love for Chip. At a second dance (arranged by the parents), they are quickly becoming a couple:



It's clear as well that Chip is developing feelings for Marcia.

But surprisingly, Debbie & Frank also are now really hitting it off with each other. The result - they have switched permanently: Chip/Marcia and Frank/Debbie are now going steady.

Once again, good casting as Chip's love interests are age-appropriate. We see that Chip is drawing the interest of young women, as we find with the expressed compliments and of course the fact that they have agreed to go steady with him. Both girls are very attractive and appear dressed in cute outfits. Chip has grown and is now becoming a handsome young man as he matures.

The ages around late grade school (junior high) and early high school are interesting to examine for relationships, as the girls are approaching their full physical maturity while boys' bodies continue to grow for a few years. We see here that Chip is not much taller than his dates; with Stan Livingston around age 15.5 for the filming, he likely has a ways to go for his final height.

Robbie & The Greefs perform "A Good Man to Have Around the House" in this episode. Don Grady clearly enjoys giving the performance.

[stevea]

Some of the later girls and dates are interesting too. Like the probably season 9 episode where Don DeFore plays an work friend of Steve's, and Chip can't stand his daughter.

Then there's the girl (played, I think, by Angela Cartwright) he dates, and both parent worry that they're getting too serious.

In season 10 he studies with a girl and an annoying teacher accuses them of cheating. Barbara steals the show by telling off the old biddy.

[biffbronson]

Season 7 - "Grandma's Girl" (12/66) Chip is dating lovely Gail McGee (Terry Burnham 1949-2013), who lives with her decidedly old-fashioned grandmother. Grandma has Gail dressed like this for school, with her hair up:



Gail lets her hair down, raises the waist of her skirt, and rolls up her sleeves while at school, unbeknownst to Grandma. Gail (Abigail) returns to the conservative look after school, and Chip meets Grandma, who takes a liking to him:



Chip wants to take Gail to a party, but Grandma says she is too young. Charley helps Chip obtain a horse & buggy, since Grandma will not permit use of a car.

Here we see the home, where Grandma's decor, music & dance are from a different era. Things are now a go for the party, and Gail looks beautiful in her pink dress and cute flats:



A good look at the attractive couple:



Chip enlists the aid of Charley, as Grandma's sticky taffy pull was delaying their leaving for the party. So finally, off they go while Charley gets into it:



Chip later relates to Steve that he and Gail had a great time at the party.

Once more, an actress very close to Stan Livingston's age is chosen. Chip walks Gail home from school and goes to a LOT of trouble to make the party date. Not until Season 11 will we have a lasting relationship for Chip, but in the meantime we see that he is encountering really lovely young ladies and enjoying their company.

[biffbronson]

Let's go back to Season 6 to see Terry Burnham in an earlier episode, "Call Her Max," as new girl in school Georgie (2/66):



A very rough start, as she taunts Chip. There is much conflict, as Georgie will be going to try out for the boys track team and is appearing to be a better athlete than Chip:



Chip then goes on the girls field hockey team and has a tough time. Georgie goes as far as to administer first aid on Chip's bloodied knee, an injury she causes...!



In the end, Georgie chooses a modelling class over track, and Chip drops hockey. At Charley's suggestion, she agrees to stay for dinner, and despite their tumultuous start, Chip is clearly now attracted to this cutie -- who is rocking a short hairstyle and wearing a nice sleeveless dress:



Now let's move forward a few years, to have a look at Terry Burnham on Family Affair in a 1969 episode. It's fun to imagine how she would appear on M3S if she were a character continuing to date Chip:





On FA, Cissy Davis decides to move into an apartment, and Terry's character is her less-than-ideal roommate.

Terry is now a nice-looking woman and perhaps would have been a good candidate to play the wife of Chip. She certainly had good acting experience.

[stevea]

It's interesting to see Chrystine Jordan a few years older than her two appearances in season 6 of Leave it to Beaver (a.k.a. Chrystie there).

[biffbronson]

Season 7 - "A Real Nice Time" (12/66) This is a date that Chip does not initiate. Ernie writes to lovely teen movie star Nan Summers (Sherry Alberoni, b. Dec. 1946) for an autographed photo as a birthday gift for Chip -- but her publicity team brings her to Bryant Park in person. Here's how Sherry looked on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. just 2 months earlier:



Here's Nan's arrival at the Douglas home. Her hair ends are curled in a manner popular in those years:



The PR team performs a re-do of Chip & Ernie's bedroom for publicity photos. Ernie takes a good look at the teen icon:



Chip will have a birthday date with Nan at a nice restaurant. Nan looks quite glamorous seated at the table:



Here we see Nan & Chip's fancy attire for their date, which of course is staged & photographed intrusively by the PR men -- to be published in a teen pop culture magazine. As a result, Chip does not really have a good time. Note Chip's ascot:



Nan later comes back to the Douglas home in an unofficial capacity, and is able to have an informal date with Chip. They rock out in their everyday clothes. This impromptu date proves fun for Chip, so all ends well after all:



Sherry Alberoni played Cissy Davis' best friend Sharon on many episodes of Family Affair. Here we see Sherry a little older, and she has matured beautifully. She looks quite pretty and nubile in this image, so lovely (with Kathy Garver):



While a few years older than Stan Livingston, approaching age 20 at the time of the M3S filming, Sherry is convincing as a teenager, so again a nice choice to appear alongside Stan.

[biffbronson]

Season 7 - "Melinda" (3/67) Chip asks lovely Geraldine (Ilana Dowding b. ?) to accompany him to the school dance. Meanwhile, as a favor to Steve, Chip agrees to double-date with him. Melinda (Suzanne Cupito / Morgan Brittany b. 12/51) is the lovely 13-year-old daughter of Steve's girlfriend. She is quite kooky, but Chip does state that he thinks she is pretty.

Here's a look at Melinda, who has attractive shoulder-length hair:



At school Melinda meets Geraldine, who begins to become very upset at how she's moving in on her man Chip, who carries Melinda's books. Melinda somehow talks Chip into becoming her steady. At the dance, Chip has taken Melinda and Geraldine is furious: "Chip Douglas I hate you!" Seen here in a very nice white dress, we can't see her hair length but Geraldine's is quite long & straight:



Another scene from the dance. Chip has commented that the two girls are equally pretty. Melinda wears a lovely blue dress:



Chip does not believe he can break up with Melinda, as Steve is still involved with her mother. But Melinda's mom does not want her to go steady with Chip, which pleases him as he regards the girl as "goofy" or "spooky." As soon as he finds that he no longer will be dating Melinda, the suddenly elated Chip states he will now pursue his relationship with Geraldine once more.

Very good casting. If anyone can determine Ilana Dowding's date of birth, please post it. Suzanne Cupito is almost exactly one year younger than Stan Livingston. She went on to a long acting career as beautiful Morgan Brittany, becoming a very well-known TV drama star.

Here is Morgan Brittany, easily one of the loveliest TV actors of her time:

[paul.austin]

Terry Burnham did not deserve her early death

Terry was pretty and beautiful. Even on the TZ, it is jarring how she is much more beautiful than the adult actress version of her character.

Hello, Markie...

[Tankeryanker]

Have you done one for Earnie's dates?

[paul.austin]

Originally Posted by Tankeryanker

Have you done one for Earnie's dates?

Wouldn't it just be Bert, so not much of a thread - oh, *that* Ernie!

[stevea]

One of Ernie's dates was played by a really young Maureen McCormick, in season 8.

[biffbronson]

Let's try a few more for Chip. Ernie does have some intriguing interests, he becomes decidedly hot for Margaret Crookshank (Julia Benjamin, Season 9) - so that will be fun. (Of course there is great emphasis on Robbie's life in Seasons 8 & 9, but we can still document some relationships for Chip & Ernie.)

Out in California, in "The Chaperones" (Season 8 - 12/67), Chip dates lovely Shirley (Diane Mountford b. 1947):



He wants to go up to the lake with Shirley and 4 of his high school friends, so we have 3 couples. Noted actress Annette O'Toole is seen at left wearing a burnt orange blouse. Chip is at far right with girlfriend Shirley, who's wearing a cute outfit with a white belt:



Chip gets Robbie & Katie to agree to act as chaperones, so the outing is on, and they drive up. Troubles ensue, as the teens are partying at 3:45 a.m. ...!



The teens get out and about, feeling that Robbie is being to restrictive - Chip especially makes comments in dissatisfaction.



At one point they even try to sneak away to a roadhouse, late at night. To their disappointment the station wagon won't run - Rob has removed an engine part to ensure it goes nowere.

But in the end, Chip appreciates that Rob & Katie protected them. Shirley later at the Douglas home says to Chip, "Call me." So Chip finds himself in good graces with her. He must be so happy...!

Here's Diane Mountford in one of her several Family Affair episodes; the one below predates her M3S "Chaperones" appearance. She is quite pretty, and Cissy Davis becomes upset that her character is attracting undue attention from Cissy's boyfriend:



As we're seeing, right up to and including the lady Chip will marry, many of the young women playing his girlfriends also worked on Family Affair.

Diane goes on to 2 more M3S appearances, and she has direct involvement with Chip in both of those. She is a few years older than Stan Livingston. As we'll see later, her other M3S roles prove pretty feisty.

[paul.austin]

Chip's long hair in later seasons would get Mayfair or one of the other lads magazines interested

Sorry I'm under COVID isolation, and like the character Doctor Who, the worse the situation, the worse my jokes get.

[biffbronson]

Let's go back to Ilana Dowding, who played Chip's girlfriend in Season 7 but now is in a new role -- her final M3S appearance.

Season 8 - "The Computer Picnic" (11/67): Chip and his school friends have been paired up for dates by a computer, via interest-based questionnaires, to attend a picnic with girls from another school (so they are not familiar with these girls).

Chip's computer-selected date is lovely Marlene Hendrix (Eva Ein - b. 1952):



There's a slight problem: When he goes to meet her, Marlene towers over Chip in height:



Via some trading, Chip's tall friend Marv is then paired with Marlene. Chip is shown the photo of Angela Mason (Ilana Dowding), and he is elated when he sees her beautiful face. Chip goes to meet Angela as his replacement date. Only to find that Angela had broken her leg in a skiing accident. That will limit what she can do at the picnic. We see that Ilana Dowding still has lovely long hair (small image):



Chip states that his main picnic focus is on food. Angela is very pleased that Chip still wants to attend the event with her:



Chip has commented that Angela is even more attractive in person than her pretty appearance in the photo. And while they have few interests in common, they enjoy "a great time" at the picnic.

Ilana Dowding is maturing beautifully as we see her here, quite pretty. And her new character is free from the anger expressed by her previous one, really delightful. Eva Ein also portrays a pleasant character -- the tall boy who has "traded" for her is played by Ed Begley Jr. ...!