Sunday, September 5, 2010

Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity...




Ben Casey, Ben Casey, Calling Dr. Casey!

If I had to go to the hospital, it certainly would be County General Hospital. Ben Casey, the resident neuosurgeon, played by Vince Edwards, was gruff, demanding, and decisive. He was a rebel. In reality, he was discovered by Bing Crosby.
Dr. David Zorba, (Sam Jaffee) who was the chief of neurosurgery, had alot of respect for the doctor.
During the first seaon, just about every episode involved a patient with a brain tumor. The patients weren't the only ones with problems. During their work at County General, Casey and his colleagues came into contact with people from every level of society. Issues such as drug addiction, racial tension,
child abuse and euthanasia were brought to light.
The show had the assistance of the American Medical Association. More than $50,000 was tied up in medical equipment and each show cost  about $115,000.
Soon into the series, Vince even started directing the show. He was nicknamed, "The Image" on the set. The
show was such a hit that Ben Casey's face appeared in movie and teen magazines, T-shirts, magazines, puzzles, pins, comic books and anything else that could be marketed.
I even had a Ben Casey shirt! It was crisp and white. When I wore it, I felt so important! A true professional.
Joyce Casey, Joyce Casey, Calling Joyce Casey....

1 comment:

Joy said...

Hey, I remember Ben Casey. I used to park myself in front of the black and white and drool over him... Dr. Kildare, too. Watching the clip, I didn't realize I was so old!