Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”? — Part 2

Karen Funk Blocher has written on her Outpost Mavarin blog the second and final installment about why George Maharis left the “Route 66” show at the height of its popularity in 1963.

In short, she reports that Maharis asked for a scaled-back shooting schedule that season because he was recovering from two bouts of hepatitis. Executive producer Herbert B. Leonard said Maharis was exaggerating his illness so he could break his contract and go into movies. Leonard also cited Maharis’ homosexuality and alleged run-ins with the law as why he couldn’t be trusted.

Funk Blocher, who interviewed the “Route 66” principals for a book project, concludes:

Personally, I think George Maharis was legitimately concerned that his health was suffering, due to the punishing working conditions he was expected to put up with when he returned to work. He was very angry about it, and did not handle the situation with tact or discretion. The producers were ticked off: he was badmouthing the show and costing them money, just another star behaving badly. I doubt that they ever seriously considered the possibility that George was telling the truth, and that 15 hours days and shooting for hours in winter-cold water really was too much to ask of a guy with hepatitis. Actors who gripe in public are typically assumed to be spoiled and greedy, and Leonard didn’t trust Maharis anyway after learning that the handsome young star was not the All-American heterosexual heartthrob the producer thought he’d hired. Aside from offering more money, which they assumed was the real issue behind the histrionics, the producers made no attempt to address Maharis’s concerns, so he left the show. It’s a tragedy in the classical sense, with hubris and a fatal flaw leading to the star’s downfall. Maharis never regained the popularity he had for the first year and a half of his Route 66 tenure. […]
I hesitate to say outright that Herbert B. Leonard was homophobic, and that this was a contributing factor to the misunderstandings surrounding Maharis’s departure from Route 66. But based on what we were told in those 1986 interviews, it’s a little hard to draw any other conclusion. It really is rather sad. Here was a rising young actor in the role of his life, and it all came crashing down for reasons that had very little to do with the reported ones.

On a related note, I think it would be cool if the organizers of the annual Route 66 Festival invited Maharis to next year’s gala in Clinton, Okla.

The other “Route 66” co-star, Martin Milner, is in poor health and unable to make personal appearances. I’m sure the show holds bitter memories for Maharis. But perhaps time and retirement have served as a balm to those wounds.

Personally, I think roadies would be thrilled to meet one of the stars of a classic television show that helped cement the popularity of Route 66. In turn, such an experience would be a healing experience for Maharis.

So what do you think?

UPDATE: You can can order all four seasons of “Route 66” on DVD from Shout! Factory:

Route 66: The Complete Series


Route 66: The Complete Series

110 thoughts on “Why did George Maharis leave “Route 66”? — Part 2

  1. I watched Route 66 religiously, back in the 60’s and thought both Martin Milner, and George Maharis were great in their roles.
    I missed the show very much when it went off the air, and would love to see pictures, or hear more about both stars now!! We’ve all aged, so obviously I don’t expect them to look the same, but would love to hear (and see) more of them in the present time.
    Fran, Fredericksburg, Virginia

  2. Route 66 mi favorita serie de la television, la veiamos en Peru mis hermanos y yo no nos perdiamos ninguna serie.
    Si queremos ver a George Maharis como luce actualmente, pienso que fue unos de los mas guapos actores de los anos sesenta, a Martin Milner lo vi hace como seis anos en la portada de PARADE y vemos como luce.
    Carinosamente,

  3. I WAS A DIE HARD MAHARIS FAN WHEN I WAS A TEEN .HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERSONALLY MEET GEORGE AND MUST SAY HE WAS GRACIOUS AND VERY KIND TO HIS FANS. I REMEMBER DROPPING A LETTER IN THE TV SHOW CORVETTE WHEN HE AND MARTIN MILNER FILMED A SEGMENT IN PITTSBURGH PA. WOULD YOU BELIEVE, MYSELF AND A FRIEND HAD INVITED HIM TO DINNER AND HE MADE A PERSONAL PHONE CALL TO BOTH OF US EXPLAINING WHY HE COULD NOT ATTEND. MY FRIEND SHARED A SEPT BIRTHDAY WITH HIM. I STILL HAVE AN AUTOGRAPHED PIC IN WHICH HE WROTE TO BETTY, HAPPY SWEET SIXTEEN”. TO THIS DAY I CAN ONLY HAVE WONDERFUL THOUGHTS OF MY ENCOUNTERS WITH HIM. I STILL REALLY APPRECIATE HIS KINDNESS………

  4. Here’s something really strange.
    I just finished reading the Wikipedia biography of Martin Milner, and it NEVER even MENTIONS Route 66! How bizarre.

    By the way, great job on your blog – I dig it!

  5. I don’t understand comment #4, because I did a lot of work on the Wikipedia articles on Milner and Maharis and Route 66. Milner’s bio article has a whole (albeit brief) section on Route 66, just as it has a brief section on Adam-12. There’s a link from the Route 66 paragraph to the Route 66 article, and also one to an article (which I did not write) on the Tod Stiles character.
    As for George Maharis and fans, and George Maharis making personal appearances, he was wonderful to John and myself when we set up that interview 20 years ago. I liked him very much. He has done at least one post-series appearance years ago in connection with the road, probably a number of them. I think it would be very nice to see him do something like that again.
    Is there any good source of info on Martin Milner in recent years? I know that he dropped out of that fishing radio show for health reasons, but details seem to be scarce on the ground.

  6. My wife and I were both fans of Route 66 in our teens and now, years later, we enjoy watching the series’ DVDs. It holds up. A great show. For my money Maharis’ acting was the best I’ve ever seen in a television drama.

    The series’ premise plus, I think, Maharis’ extroverted character fired my imagination to a greater degree than Kerouac’s On the Road. It inspired me to go on the road and explore America by working jobs of all descriptions across the country. I am a writer and much of my work consists in getting people from all walks of life into writing workshops to document their lives, an idea that probably owes much to Route 66. I am indebted to the show’s creators and to Milner and Maharis, but mostly Maharis.

    I want to second Betty Marion’s comment (#3) about Maharis’s kindliness. When I was a college student in Santa Fe and Maharis was filming “Covenant with Death,” I left him a note at his hotel, inviting him to dinner at the college. He actually called to say that he could not make it due to the filming schedule.

    I hope some day to be able to meet him.

  7. Dear Karen

    I’m a writer living in the Philadelphia area, and virtually a life long fan of Route 66. After forty seven years, the program remains my all time favorite television series. I read your articles on George Maharis with a good deal of sadness. He was a bolt of electricity exploding out of our television screens. There wasn’t a more exciting or gifted actor on television in the few brief years that Route 66 aired on CBS. What a terrible, terrible tragedy that his career was cut so tragically short. The indignities you wrote of, particularly the lady at the theatre who saw fit to heckle him, fills me with pain. George Maharis and Marty Milner influenced the young lives of my brother and I more than I can ever adequately recount. His was a rich, wondrous, and fertile talent that should have been mined for many years to come. That he retired in emotional suffering and bitterness is not only unfair, but tragic. I wish that I could tell him personally just how much his work meant to me, and filled us with happiness…a joy that has filled my heart for all these years. Exploring the country with Tod and Buzz awakened our senses as young boys, and meant the world to us. I wish that he might have shared at least a part of that meaning and joy.

    I’ve written a brief remembrance of our meeting George and Marty while they were in Philadelphia filming “The Thin White Line” in October, 1961. If you’d care to read them, my recollections can be found at http://www.classichorrorfilmboard.com/ in the tv section of their forum selections. Just enter the site, and scroll down to “tv terrors.” Click on “Route 66,” and look for my memories of the show.

    Steve Vertlieb

  8. Steve
    Route 66 was thought to be an inspiration from the popular book On The Road by Jack Kerouac.. I feel that without the popularity of that book …Route 66 wouldn’t be what it is today ..a classic…

  9. Rebecca, I think bigger reason “Route 66” became popular was because it was a well-written show. And the real-life Route 66 was already well into the public consciousness because of Bobby Troup’s popular song and “The Grapes of Wrath.” “On the Road” didn’t take place on Route 66 much at all.

  10. 10.Bob-August 29,2007
    As a young boy watching Rt.66 it beckoned me for adventure ! As soon as I become old enough to drive I set off searching for that endless highway .I traveled the west and in a strange sort of a way,I was living the next episode.Just like the show, each town held different faces and almost the same show like drama .
    Now that im older I dont have the wonder lust that I had when I was a young man. But everytime I watch an old episode with George Maharis,time seems to stand still.I feel like I’m suspended somewhere between reality and somewhere I would rather be … On Route 66 .

  11. any info as to Maharis whereabt Id appreciate
    George Maharis was a dead ringer for JACK KEROUAC
    this is the 50 th anniv ersary of ON THE ROAD
    where is George?
    he was also a great great singer
    I will attend Route 66 fest.more info??

  12. Route 66 was a classic slice of television americana. While some episodes are nothing more than a glorified travelogue, the better written offerings are some of TV’s finest moments. And make no mistake about it, the best Route 66 episodes featured a young, expertly casted George Maharis. I don’t know if many people realize how much of a positive spiritual overtone the show possessed, but how else are you going to have two prime of life men wanderlust while their peers are in the war or sweating exams? Yet each week, Tod & Buz went from town to town interfering with and bettering other people’s lives. The show had cutting edge topics for it’s time, such as identity theft, bigotry, and schizophrenia (episode 80). You got the feeling that the Lois Nettleton character was delusional based on some form of childhood molestation – but that’s neither here nor there. I also believe that Silliphant was toying with the idea of casting a black traveling buddy for Tod. Buz was as close to a Black as you can get. Tall, dark, handsome, had the broad nose, grew up in the ghetto, never knew his parents. Knew the Black jazz musicians, interacted well with the Blacks (show 33), had to adapt to every enviroment he was in. Just wanted fairness, but was ready to fight if threatened. With Maharis, Silliphant had the perfect exotic looking guy who could blur cultural lines. I know in my heart that the producers gave Maharis that workload as punishment for being gay. And Maharis had an ego because he KNEW he was the show. And that’s why the show died when he left. Martin Milner’s solo episodes were blase and the guest stars spoke dialogue intended for Maharis.
    If you watch the second and early third season shows, you’ll see where Maharis was just hitting his stride with the Buz character. He and Milner were only going to get better. George did a lot of his own stuntwork, as did Martin. So his ego didn’t seem to affect his performances. Buy the DVD product and you’ll see what I mean. I believe that George really loved that part…but the latter years caused him to appeciate it more. Glen Corbett was miscast and belonged on Adam 12 instead.

    Maharis departure from the series served as a terrible, terrible sunset to a career filled with great possibilities. I only hope that someday, somehow, I would either meet Mr. Maharis, or he gets this e-mail – so he would know how much I appreciated his work on Route 66.

    1. saludos cordiales desde peru (arequipa)
      Realmente la emocion es grande de tantos comentarios que demuestran que marcaron nuestra adolescencia con estos personajes al igual que todos adoro a george maharis, y que bueno me asonmra que aun este entre nosotros , pero tambien como se pudiera conseguir verlo personalmente en la actualidad y decirle lo mucho que le amamos y admiramos , y en el hay tantas cualidades espirituales.
      graciaas

  13. I have just stumbled upon this site, and I am truly in awe!
    It was 1960, and as a boy of 9 years old, I remember that series.
    An incredible series, I still remember it as the freedom those two had with a red hot ‘vette. At the time, Chevrolet was in it’s “See the USA in your Chevrolet” ad campaign, and the Corvette was it! My mother, in the latter part of 1960, purchased a Corvair.
    As for Maharis and Milner, they had the chemistry to make it work on screen, Glenn Corbett was a good actor, but could not pick up where Maharis left off. None of the retro TV channels carry this series, I suppose I will have to purchase the series on DVD.

  14. I have purchased the entire DVD set of Route 66 and have all episodes. If you want them back to back in sets of 6 or more you can see the standard formula of the scripts and the show. Just different subjects, locations, actors and conflicts. I was a great fan of the show in the 60’s as a young guy but when you see the cookie cutter formula you know if would not work today. I do enjoy seeing the unknown actors that beacuse noteable in latter years.

  15. I, too, was a regular viewer of the series. 4 years ago, I bought a 1960 Corvette that was, supposedly used in the show (they always trailored 4 of them to each episode site – new each year, unexplained in each season’s premier – but Chevrolet, being the sponsor, wanted to show off the new models. I don’t know how to prove it … it came with authentic, autographed pictures of George and Martin though. But I can certainly understand now why they needed 4 – so at least one was running during filming.

    I learned alot after talking with John Janis who produced “Return to the Road” with Martin Milner – A trip down the real Route 66 (or what’s left of it) with the aged “Todd” in a 1960 Corvette. Really not a bad video – google it. Milner, who lives in San Diego, has a fishing radio program on weekends (or did at the time). I wrote to him – with pictures of my Corvette – but never heard back. I’m just now seeing someone else saying he’s now in poor health. Didn’t know that. Besides being an old, portly guy (like me), he appeared pretty healthy.

    Can’t seem to find much on Maharis either. The scoop I got was that Milner and Maharis didn’t get along at all. They certainly hid it well. I had heard that Maharis was gay. I don’t know why anyone would care, but they probably did back then. I would like to know if he’s still alive – probably would’ve heard something if he weren’t. I thought both of them were equally as good on the show. Lots of overacting, but that was the norm then. What incredible guest stars too! They’ve just released the first 3 seasons on DVD (google that too). They’re great – better than I’d remembered. Original commercials too – what a hoot!

    I have another authentic, autographed picture that I got on ebay of Milner and Maharis in a Corvette. Circa? George is bearded, greying, but has his hands up in the air with a “free as a bird” adventerous look. Looks like it was probably taken around the Adam-12 eara. Milner looks like Maloy.

    Yeah, I would like to know more about George at present as well.

    1. I have heard what got George Maharis ‘shot out of the saddle’ on “Route 66” was being caught in a gas station bathroom with an underage male. That was a career killer back then.

      1. I’m pretty sure that’s wrong. The incident, if it happened at all, occurred years after “Route 66” was canceled.

      1. My contact was a publicist for the DVD company that re-released “Route 66.” Alas, she no longer works for that company, and the company itself was sold to another conglomerate about a year or so ago.

  16. Hey–love these posts on R’66 as a devoted fan. In retrospect though, I recently purchased a DVD set and must admit that half the shows, plots, blocking, and acting were a bit over the top or under the table! Still enjoyed the viewing.

    Also, does anyone remember the name of the show, running about the same time, of the 2-3? brother living on a houseboat and just trying to get on with their lives. (I seem to remember the title as “It’s a Man’s World” but can’t find info. I always thought it was the book end to R’66 for those of us in our teens.

  17. i found this site after flicking channels and came upon the satan bug with george playing on tcm. i started researching…i don’t remember but when i was an infant my parents told me i loved watching route 66. does anyone know where george maharis lives now?

  18. Ron: So glad you started this blog. I ran across the DVD’s of the first season of R66 and snapped them up. Looking at them through the eyes of a middle-aged adult, I see so much more than I did as the 12-year-old I was when I first watched the series. I still clearly remember the drek that was thrown at George by the powers that be when he left. Didn’t buy it then and don’t buy it now. I have no doubt that the main reason George left the show was because of his health–hepatitis is nothing to mess around with. If only Bert Leonard had compromised by lightening up on George while he convalesced until his health recovered this story might have had a better ending. It would have put more pressure temporarily on Marty Milner, but there are any number of ways they could have dealt with it. They caught lightening in a bottle with this show and Leonard should have done everything possible to hang onto it.

    I also don’t buy the line that Marty and George didn’t get along. I think they got along fine for most of the run of the show with trouble only coming at the end when George was not in top form and he seemed to indicate that to you, Ron, in your interview with him.

    George’s comment that he’s somehow too old to attend a Route 66 rendevous makes me laugh, since I have seen current photos of him and he looks doggone good to me for an “old guy.” Everyone who remembers watching that show is over 50 and none of us are as cute as we were 47 years ago either!

    Although I’m saddened about the way Route 66 ended after he left, George has worked steadily over the years (acting, singing and painting) and there is no guarantee that his career would have been vastly different if the show had run a few more years. I suppose I reject the idea that this is a great tragedy that ruined his life, since it might very well have killed him if he had continued on. That’s one of the unknowns in the equation.

    My one big wish for many years has been to see Marty and George together again in a tribute to the series. At this stage, with Marty’s health, it will probably never happen, but I think it would have been a good thing for George, especially, to do. He would see how fondly he is remembered across this country for a unique show and the special talent he had (and has) that helped make it so unique. I think it would have been a vindication, of sorts, for a man who has dealt with the backwash from this most of his adult life.

  19. Betty,

    I am not sure why I did a search for George Maharis this evening, but I did and came across this website and your post. You have to be the Betty I think you are!

    I am Joanne’s oldest daugher and I have many memories of George. She enjoyed telling the story of inviting George to dinner and how he and my father talked on the phone about his corvette! My mother cherished his friendship up to the day she died. George is my youngest sister’s godfather. He treated my parents and sister very well. I was lucky enough to visit his home in California in 1980 and saw several theater performances.

    My mother is the “Joanne” he dedicated a song to on his live album.

    He was nothing but gracious and was a true friend to my mother. Who would have thought? A dinner invite and pnut butter cookies!

  20. Mr. Maharis, I’d like you to e-mail me at jomarsi007@yahoo.com
    I am a longtime proponent of your Route 66 work. Surprised by your singing talents after hearing your recordings. I couldn’t stomach watching Route 66 after you left the show.

  21. I don’t know if George reads this blog. I just visited Poland Springs, PA., where the “route 66” episode titled “Burning for Burning” was filmed. The old mansion is still there, as are the apartments where they stayed. I have pictures, and would love to send them to George. It was episode #43 in the second season. Thought he would get a kick out of them.

  22. Anonymous, you are correct. Boiling Springs it was. My mistake. How could I forget we stayed in the Adams Family mansion.

  23. I loved Route 66, I was a teenage girl, and went no where on a Friday night till the show was over. George was my favorite, I had his albums and pictures all over my bedroom, he was my school girl crush and I have always wondered about him. I am so happy to hear he is doing well and is an artist! He always was. His acting was an art also, and his singing was wonderful. I saw a picture of him from 1996, and he was as handome as ever, those dark brown eyes are so expressive and beautiful. Thank you so much for a wonderful web cite.

  24. I absolutely loved the show “Route 66”. The casting of Buzz and Todd couldn’t have been more appropriate. It was a big disappointment when George was no longer with the show. I feel like it would have had a much longer run if the casting had been kept intact. Martin Milner and both George Maharis had roles on the “Murder She Wrote” series. I always looked forward to that show because so many of the stars of yesterday appeared on it at different times.
    One more great memory as time goes by – “Route 66”.

  25. GREAT TO HEAR COMMENTS FROM ALL THE OTHER BOOMERS! I JUST FINISHED WATCHING A DVD OF ROUTE 66 AND GOOGLED THE STARS AND FOUND THIS SITE WHICH IS WONDERFUL. HAPPY DAYS AS WE ALL KEEP CRUISING!
    RICK

  26. Like many other poster here I was a teenager when Route 66 first aired. The impression the show left on me still lasts.

    The story lines were were thought provoking and offbeat, different than the usual fare seen on TV at that times and besides what teenage boy wouldn’t want to take a spin through America’s heartland in that amazing Corvette?

    Well, we’re all a bit older now but that urge to travel cross country is still there.

    I’m fortunate in that I’ve become a world traveler and over the years have visited numerous places both foreign and in the US however there is still the 12 year old kid in me that envies those two cool, hip guys cruising around America in that Corvette. I believe it’s called the unattainable dream and I glad Route 66 planted that dream in my psyche.

    Thanks for the memories Route 66.

  27. I am half way through the second boxed set of the first season. I rented it at the library the second I saw it in the catalogue. It was eerie reading on this and other sites the EXACT same story of heart ripping LOVE for George Maharis. I did the math and I was 9 when the series premiered. I remember looking forward to Fridays, I remember leaving GRADE school skipping, rushing to get to that TV.
    As the real thing entered, I remember feeling my first REAL love and only remembering the gut feelings as a girl, watching Buz. I am also impressed that not only women, but men had similar reactions!
    The series shaped me.
    In the first few episodes I have seen (it is a marathon Fourth of July weekend for me…) I was amazed by the writing. The elegance of language, the intelligence, the HISTORY!
    Lake Meade in Page AZ was a construction site in the series! I wonder if the women’s movement of the 70’s was part of that hungering to be able to go to a place and earn some money, then move on…I had always whined to anyone who would listen, that I wanted to figure out how to find a job I could do like they did. It was impossible for a girl.
    The real sadness is in another sense, it is now just as hard for a man. The jobs they were doing are as interesting as watching the history channel. They harvested dates and hops. They worked in logging camps. The American work ethic is just as strong, but there was a real nobility to the work Buz did. So Todd may have lowered himself to sweating but there was that era where he was training to work with “Digital computing machines” Even the jobs are gone.
    More than a bit of memorabilia like Leave It to Beaver, or I Love Lucy, there is a lot more than a travelogue here, there is a real time capsule in a less polished and packaged “TVLand” look. Each episode is opening my eyes to an America that will never exist again.
    In my late life, I quit my income making career and am listening to my inner muses. I am a full time painter, without a safety net. If a woman in her late 50’s can take to her inner Route 66, start looking for the spiritual wanderlust that the series embodied, there is definitely more than year long commercial for Chevrolet…….(okay, I may have even bought into that: My love of my life showed me photos of the ’58 vette he has on blocks, on a second date which I had determined would be the last. 16 years later, it is still in storage, but man oh man, it is sure pretty to look at!)

  28. I am from Boiling Springs, PA. My father grew up there as did I, and he was in a episode of this TV series that they filmed in Carlisle, PA (6 miles away from Boiling Springs). He was a cop that escorded a woman to jail. From what I see, both episodes are in Season 2? Is it on DVD yet? I can only find the complete 1st season. Also, the mansion is the Bucher Mansion.

  29. Todd, not only did “route 66” film in Carlisle, (episode 40, Some of the people, some of the time), but they filmed a route 66 episode in Boiling Springs (episode 43, Burning for Burning). My wife and I visited Boiling Springs this Spring. The Bucher Apartments are still there. The Mansion, now called the Swan House, is there, but is very overgrown with foilage, and falling apart. The also filmed the end of the episode at the Allenberry Resort, which is still there, and active. It looks a little more built up than in 1961 (what isn’t ?), but you can still see where Buz and Inger Stevens were talking on the banks of the Yellow Breeches river. In the Carlisle episode, Tod and Buz stayed in the Molly Pitcher Inn in Carlisle. The building is still there, and the Dining Room sign inside is still there, but it is undergoing renovations. We couldn’t find the other stores in the episode, nor the bar and grill in the beginning of the episode. We are going to the Carlisle Corvette show in August, however, and will give it another shot then. We both love the show, and have been to many locations. Kind of a hobby of ours. As far as I know, episode 30 is the last episode released on DVD by Infinity Broadcasting. You can probably buy some DVDs on E-Bay, but beware of the quality. I have all 116 episodes on VHS and DVD. Bought them on E-Bay. Some episodes do not have film quality. The infinity ones, though, are excellent quality. I hope they continue with the whole set. I would imagine it depends on how much interest is shown.

  30. Nick, hope your visit to my hometown was enjoyable. The mansion used to be really nice when I was growing up there. I guess they don’t keep up with it that much. I live in Pittsburgh now, but I am back to see my father every other weekend. A lot has changed in Boiling Springs since I was a kid, and of course, since my Dad was a kid in the 50’s. I used to work at Allenberry as a teen. That whole area is beautiful. As far as the Molly Pitcher… ‘the roach motel’ LOL!! That place was a dump when I grew up in the 80’s. I guess now they are finally doing something with it… LOL!!

  31. Todd, funny that you grew up in Boiling Springs. Do you remember a ‘chicken house” or farm behind the mansion? It was used quite extensively in the Route 66 Boiling Springs episode. The local residents told us it had just been torn down last year. I hope you get to see the Boiling Springs episode You would probably get quite a kick out of it.

  32. Nick, I do remember that chicken house. When I was in high school, a few of my classmates used to work their for the Bucher’s. I really would love to see both the Boiling Springs and Carlisle episodes from Route 66. I don’t remember the show, but I love those kind of shows from that era. Although I’m into the 80’s (when I graduated), I am nostalgic for the time when girls and guys dressed up to go out and girls wore skirts and guys wore dress shirts. I would love to go back in time to see how my Dad grew up in the 50’s and 60’s. That’s why I really want to find the eposides on DVD of the local area filming of Route 66. I orderd the 1st complete season. I’ll give it to my Dad as a gift. I wish the Boiling Springs and Carlisle ones were in the 1st season. Hopefully, the 2nd season will be available soon!!

  33. Well, I FINALLY got all 116 episodes of Route 66! I was now able to see my father in Episode #40 (Some of the People, Some of the Time) which was filmed in Carlisle, PA (close to my hometown of Boiling Springs [where Episode #43 was filmed]). My fater was one of the police who escorted a mother and her daughter down the isle in the Carlisle High School Auditorium towards the end of the show. He is the guy to the left and behind the mother. It was great to see him on TV!! I also loved seeing Boiling Springs in Episode #43 (Burning for Burning). Since I grew up in the 80’s, I never knew what my hometown looked like in the 60’s. It was very interesting to see what has changed since then. I can’t wait to watch these two episodes with my Father!! I am giving the whole series set to him as a gift.

  34. Nick, I re-read one of your original posts. You stated the following “I have pictures, and would love to send them to George. It was episode #43 in the second season.” – What kind of pics do you have? Are they of Boiling Springs? Any chance I could get a copy? My address is riogrande@aol.com. Thanks! Todd

  35. Hi, Todd. Glad you got the Route 66 episodes. I think you and your father will both enjoy them. They are well written and well acted. Its unfortunate they weren’t filmed in color. The pictures we have are just regular camera pictures. Nothing digital or high-tech. They are just pics of the Bucher appts, the Mansion, and various other landmarks of Boiling Springs which were in the episode. We even found the SpringBrook cemetery, which is quite a ways from Boiling Springs. We were laughing as we took pics in the cemetery. We found the headstones that were in the cemetery, and figured if anyone was watching, they would think we were crazy. Maybe we are. Nick

  36. That scene in the movie at Springville Cemetary was very interesting. I immediatly recognized it when Inger walked under the arched entrance. I was like “hey, that’s Springville Cemetary!!” LOL!! – Behind George Maharis, is where the future site if my neighborhood was going to be! I remember walking to school through the cemetary. As Inger was walking through the cemetary, I remember every headstone she passed. Right down over the hill was the future site of my highschool. It was a trip to see how that whole area looked back in the 60’s before my neighborhood ever existed! My father grew up only houses away from the cemetary on Sprinville Road.

  37. Hi, Todd. We just came back from Carlisle. We went for the Corvettes at Carlisle show. We again made it to Boiling Springs. Also watched the Boiling Springs and Carlisle episodes of Route 66. Saw you father on the DVD. Amazing. Can you ask your father a question about the Carlisle episode (“Some of the People, Some of the time”)? Does he know where the Tavern and the gas station are in the beginning of that episode. The Tavern has a sign that says Tony’s west side tavern, and the gas station says Westminster Auto Repairs. We cannot find these two sites. I’m guessing there is a good possibility that they are not there anymore. Still, maybe your father can remember them if he grew up in the area. There is a gas station right past the Boiling springs tavern that looks like it, but the building just doesn’t have the right shape. Let me know what you find out, if not too much trouble. Thanks.
    Nick

    1. This is for Nick and Todd. Not only did I live in Boiling Springs when they filmed the episodes here, I was actually an ‘extra’. I am sitting here looking at my autographs from Marty Milner (Todd), Pat Hingle (Frank), Beulah Bondi (Agnes), Inger Stevens (Julie), and Lenka Peterson (Beth), but none of George and I can’t remember why.

  38. Nick, I will check with my father. I was in town this past weekend as well! I showed dad the Carlisle episode. He loved it! He knew every place shown and he even knew the muscle guys in the front row during the beauty contest.. LOL He said the guy with the sunglasses could not see well and that was why he was wearing them. I will definately ask about the garage and tavern. He said the tavern was still around. I’ll see where it is and see if he can place that garage. Todd

  39. A “Bird in Search of a Cage” was shot in 1964 in Golden and Denver. Golden still looks about the same but I could not find the “Broad Apartments” where the opening scene was shot. “El Rancho” restaurant is still there and looks much the same. Denver, however, is a totally dfferent story. Even the modern-looking buildings in “Bird” have been torn down and new ones put up. Of course, the US Mint and the Court house on Bannock Street are still there. And, of course, Colfax Avenue is still seedy.

    I truly loved this series ever since I first saw it in 1986 on Nick at Nite.

    I suppose I’m nostalgic for a time I was too young to remember, but it seemed to me, at least from the scripted Hollywood version seen on Route 66, that Americans had a bit more class and integrity. I love the esthetics of mid-century America too. There were bars and restaurants that were unpretentious, just American. Now, everything is yuppfied and trying to be something transplanted from a different culture. Yeah, I know, I’m romanticizing.

  40. I’m so glad I discovered this blog. I was a teenager when Route 66 was on tv, and I really had a bad crush on George Maharis. All my friends were crazy about Elvis, but my love was George Maharis. I was active in my school’s drama club, and I thought he was a wonderful actor. No Friday was complete unless I could watch Route 66. When I was eighteen, George came to New Orleans on a publicity tour for his latest album, “Where Can You Go For A Broken Heart?” IMy family lived in a town just to the east of New Orleans in the parish of St. Bernard. Louisiana is devided into “parishes” instead of “counties,” but it means the same thing. Anyway, he was signing his albums at Maison Blanch, one of the New Orleans’ main department stores at that time. I bought his latest album and went up to him with my hands shaking violently and barely able to speak as I asked him for his autograph. He smiled and wrote it on my album, and I cherished it. It had a beautiful melancholy picture of him on the front cover, and all the songs were about losing your love. He also appeared at our local amusement park, Pontchartrain Beach, the next night and sang “Teach Me tonight” on the beach stage. I remember screaming my lungs out and deafening the people around me as he came out on the stage. I went to college and became a speech and English teacher. In 1982, George appeared at a local theater, The Beverly Dinner Playhouse, as the star of the play “I Ought to Be in Pictures.” It was great, and he looked just as young as he did in 1963 when I bought that album and screamed as I heard him sing at the beach. I kept the playbill for that play for many years until 2005 when my home was flooded over the roof-top for three weeks in the dirty waters of the flood brought on by Hurricane Katrina.The fate of the album I bought when I was eighteen in 1963 disappeared in1965 when another storm, Hurricane Betsy flooded our home with five and one-half feet of dirty water for nine days. I have discovered Ebay and am on the lookout for someone who might have that playbill and George’s albums and is willing to sell them for a prices that are less that a mint. I don’t think I will have problems with the albums, but the playbill might be a problem. I have been able to purchase the new DVD of the first season of Route 66.It’s funny, but I remember many of the titles. This blog has certainly brought back many memories. If George Maharis reads this blog he will be very happy to know the positive impact his acting and singing and way of thinking has had on the people of this forum, especially me.

  41. It is astounding to see all those who still remember and admire Route 66 and George. I have recently discovered so much online of him and Route 66.
    I travelled that route in reality 1957 as a boy with my mother and stepfather driving from NYC to Las Vegas then Los Angeles. Then I travelled that route in part with George during the years my mother managed him 1960-64. He was a close friend and the greatest and single most positive presence in my life. He is a fine and caring human being.
    And mickey Lux, I had lunch with him last year and he still looks sensational.
    If there is anyone who would like to purchase an original oil painting of his, done circa 1962/3 it is listed on craigslist. My mother Mimi Weber died last year and it came to me. George doesn’t want it back and I cannot take it with me when I return to Europe. https://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/clt/883443295.html (collectibles)

    1. This may be a long shot since some of the messages on this subject are quite old, but I would like to contact Neil who posted above on October 24, 2008 (#45). I am in the process of obtaining photocopies of correspondence between his mother – Mimi Weber – and the Route 66 production company regarding George Maharis and would like to discuss this correspondence with him. Neil, are you watching this thread?

      1. Hello RD,
        I don’t know if you will ever receive this but I will try.
        Only today 24 Nov. 2010 have I seen your message. I never thought to look back at this thread and only by sheer coincidence did I see this today. I am in Cologne and a friend wanted to google my mother on his iPhone. When I saw a part of my comment at the main page I was a bit uneasy as I had forgotten about this comment.
        Hope to hear from you and hope all goes well wherever you are. Cheers

      2. Hello Neil,

        What a coincidence that I just happened to check this blog a day after you posted. I now have photocopies of much of your mother’s correspondence, primarily with Bert Leonard, concerning George Maharis and I can tell you that it is quite interesting. Can we correspond outside this blog? Please e-mail me ( crefract at yahoo dot com ) or leave other contact info here.

        Rick

  42. Yes, I’m watching episodes of Route 66 that I haven’t seen since I was a kid,,,and loving it. George and Marty were great and most of the stories held valuable lessons.

  43. George Maharis was fantastic in Route 66 and in everything he did, sad that Hollywood didn’t appreciate a good actor.

  44. Ive recently become a fan of route 66 having heard about it for years but never seeing it ,so I went out and bought season 1 and season 2 on DVD. I was pleasantly surprised in season one with Jack Lord guesting in the episode ” Play it Glissando”. It was exciting to see my old home area to be the main location in the film. Im talking about the hotel/apartment/swiming pool ect that Todd and Buz stayed at called the “Holliday House”. I lived in Malibu from 1982- 1993 and lived a few hundred feet from this location. Mellisa Sue Anderson from LIttle House on the Prarie was my neighbor also. I was in and out of the holliday house on a daily basis and everything looked pretty much the same in the 80s except by then the main building where they checked in was already torn down.The pool was still there as was the main building on the beach where they stayed, although the interior shots ( where Buz and Todd were ready to vacation at) had to be at another location because those apartments on the beach were shoeboxes. If you are ever on the west cost the adress for the Holliday House is directly across from 27335 Pacific Coast Highway, hopefully the Holliday House is still there.The location where Jack Lord was playing his sax is/was Alices Restuarnt on the Malibu pier. They also filmed the last scene of the Flamingo Kid there in the eighties. I lived in Malibu for many years and regularly ran into Roy Orbison eating there to standing in line in a checkout counter behind Johhny Carson. Just another day for me not a biggie, ever asked anyone for an autograph cause they were my neighbors. Another next door neighbor was Martin Sheen and Charly Sheen,On a sad note I would allwasy run into Jan Michael Vincent who was the town drunk at Trancas Bar. Sad to see that.Ive got hundreds of stories of knowing /seeing/meeting many cool people in Malibu and La, but these days prefer a lower key living in Destin Fl.

  45. I know that in the First Season they filmed an episode in Port Hueneme, CA. I am wondering if in fact portions of ” A Lance Of Straw” was that episode? Certain locales look familiar in the DVD recording.

  46. After watchin several episodes of Route 66, I forgot how talented an actor George Maharis was, and I’m sure many thought he would be a “big office” star in the ranks of Burt Reynolds Steve McQueen. He certainly had the equipment-looks, acting ability, and charisma. Maybe he just had lousy luck with that “launcing role”, or maybe it just wasn’t to be. But thank you George, you still left a mark in acting that we still enjoy-thanks so much!

  47. Do you fans of Maharis know that when he was a young man he was a very rough indiviual who got in many fights. He was a student at Flushing High School NY and had a reputation of being a tough guy.
    He was one very angry person, although well liked, he also was feered by his peers.
    A

  48. Does anyone remeber the episodes filmed in Ft Myers, Florida? I believe it was in 63 since I remember that truck with the Corvettes on it. One show involved the Lee County Courthouse.

  49. I do remember that George Maharis got in a lot of fights, and he was still a fighter at the time of the Route 66 show. I thought Martin Milner was not much without George Maharis. Too bad George couldn’t curb his anger enough to stay on the show, but it’s certainly understandable if he had hepetitis that he wouldn’t want to work the long long hours required on a weekly series. Didn’t know he was a homo, but don’t really care.

    I too have done the ‘route 66’ journey (in a sports car, decades ago, and on a bicycle about 10 years ago). Much more fun in the sports car, and I could actually drive most of the route. Would never have thought to do that if not for the Route 66 show.

  50. My Mom worked for George Maharis for 1 week back in 1962 while they filmed a Route 66 episode in the St. Louis area. She said he was a gentleman, caring and very kind. She typed letters for him during the eveing hours because he couldnt handle the work load of mail. He even had her bring my Dad downtown to meet him to make sure everything was on the up and up. 16yrs later he came back to St. Louis to sing at a night club. George knew my Mom was in the audience and called her on stage to sing her a song. I would bet that doesnt happen in Hollywood know days. Does anybody know of an e-mail address for us to get in touch with him.

  51. My brother is the above mentioned and yes, our Mom worked for George way back when. He met my Dad and older brother in 1962 and we all got to meet him in 1977 when he came to the Chase Park Plaza for a telethon with Jerry Lewis and Monty Hall. He was very good to my mom and she said he always had women hanging around his hotel room. He was very sweet and always courteous to them and respectful, a true gentlemen. My mom has all his albums and they are all signed personally by him. She even kept all her short hand notes when she worked for him.I would love to get his email address as well and see how he is doing and have my mom ttalk with him once again.

    1. When I talked to him, Patti, he indicated to me that he didn’t even have a computer. So George Maharis having e-mail is unlikely.

      1. Is there an address for him? I don’t expect a direct address but is there one where it is assured he will get the letter? How did you get to talk to him? I am abig fan even now at 62. When I was a teen My crush on him was overwhelming. My brother had cancer then and wanted to get me something special for my 16th birthday. He had a Grenwich Village artist do a black and white charcoal on gray paper of him from a photo. It is a precious item to me. My brother passed away soon after and told me to complete the picture and get him to sign it. Unfortunately as hard as I tried It never happened.It is now a thing to accomplish and is on my Bucket List. Any help out there?

  52. I’m almost finished watching Season Three the Complete Set. I saw the shows when they were originally broadcast ages ago. I love being able to indulge in the nostalgia the DVDs afford me. Life seemed so much simpler then. People seemed much more concerned with right and wrong and moral choices they had to make. I wish I had appreciated that era more when I was a child living through it.

    George was a wonderful actor in these episodes, quite naturalistic and very sincere in his work. I’m also enjoying seeing the early starting careers of a lot of actors who went on to fame and fortune, a lot of them lucky enough to have their own series.

    Another thing I find amazing is the car. This was one of Chevrolet’s ultimate class acts. A classic look, instantly familiar even decades later (much in the way of the early Ford Mustang), the 1960’s Corvette looks as modern today as it did when new. The fact that it was such a beautifully designed auto made it stand out from the ordinary cars of its day so much, it looks in the series to be a time-traveler sent back to those years from the future.

  53. I would love to know where I can purchase all episodes that George Maharis appeared in. The DVD sets of season I and II do not contain nearly as many episodes as were made. I would also like to purchase all episodes in season III where George appeared. How many episodes of season III did he appear in? I have been a fan of his since the series began. I would also like to purchase all movies he appeared in that have been made into DVDs. I have Land Raiders and Murder on Flight 502. I can’t seem to find any others. Would someone please e-mail me this information? I would love to contact him and let him know how much I have enjoyed seeing his work. I hope he is able to look back on his career with a feeling of success and I hope he realizes how much enjoyment he brought to his many fans. I hope he is enjoying good health and is enjoying life to the fullest. I still regret that he did not reach the career level he deserved because of “politics” and bigotry of the era.

  54. This is for Todd in Boiling Springs.
    I just purchased the Route 66 series and just finished watching the episodes filmed in Carlisle & Boiling Springs. I moved to this area from baltimore in 1978 so I kinda consider myself a native. I now live in Monroe township. Boiling Springs is one of my favorite places. I usually do a bicycle ride every morning before work and sit by the lake and drink my coffee. When Jim & Mary’s little cafe was open on the corner, I used to stop there.

    I never realized that they did an episode in either Boiling Springs or Carlisle until I just watched them this week. It was great seeing what those towns looked like back in 1961 (I was 14 years old then). I NEVER watched those back in the days when they were made … they are all new to me. I love movies & TV series from that era however. Route 66 was a fantastic series!

  55. We have so enjoyed watching the 2 seasons of Route 66. They are fantastic!!!! When are they going to release Season 3? Also, being that I was 10 years old, and my brother was 7 years older, we identified with the show as brothers. If memory serves m,e correctly, there was an episode involving George Maharis surfing through the lower pier structures. Where is the episode in terms of season 1-2 or 3? Are we certain that all of the episodes as created were released complete on the seasons 1 and 2. We agree with all of George Maharis”s fans that he was and is still our “hero”. We never missed watching an episode!!!! We wish him the best in life.

  56. Mary – # 58, Maharis appeared in 13 of the 32 episodes during Season 3. His last full episode was # 79 “Gift For A Warrior”.

    Mark

  57. What a great blog. I too wish I could write to George Maharis – I was a poor kid growing up on an Iowa farm in 1960 – and the show literally lit up my life.. I hope George knows the effect that he had on at least one lonely kid in Iowa.

  58. Route 66 was one of the two best TV shows ever – The other one was the Twilight Zone. I live in San Diego and invited Martin Milner to do an inteview show on our local cable station about ten years ago and got back a nice note decling the request. I had spliced scenes from his early movies, Life with Father (1947) with Elizabeth Taylor to the Sands of Iwo Jima with John Wayne to his TV shows of the 1960’s and 70’s. And was going to do a filmography and talk about the great actors he work with. I have all the DVD’s of Route 66 and wistfully think about the simpler and better times of that era kind of wishing I was still back there. Glen Corbett died in 1993 of cancer at the age of 63. He is buried in San Antonio, Texas.

  59. I don’t know what made me look up George Maharis tonight but here I am with a story. When I was twelve years and never missed the show I found out they would be filming in our area. I wrote George a letter wanting to meet him. He called my house while I was in school and my mother talked to him. The next day we went where they were filming( Kinsman, Ohio) and met him. He was very gracious and wonderful to us. I am glad to hear he is doing well. Later that month he sent me a letter and an autographed picture. What a great actor and human being he is.

  60. Just watched another episode, the one about teaching the surfer a lesson-George Maharis, and realized it is one of my favorites. I love the travel and scenery the show affords.

  61. Hey, really great to see all of these nice words about “Route 66”, my favorite program of all time…and I’m 79 (gasp). I’m also on my third time of watching all 116 episodes which my wife got me for Christmas.
    At this time I am creating a 3-panel humorous comic strip feature series for newspapers. “Route 66” but with Toad and Fuz just to change the names. By the way I’ve been a pro-cartoonist for over 35 years so the BIG job is for me to “newspaper customers” who would take on the weekly strip, enough at least where I could make $50 per strip. Normal is twice that so I’m sure not looking for riches. What do you guys think of such an idea? THANKS, God bless.

  62. Does anyone know if George Maharis is still around and if so how to contact him, via either snail mail, e mail or yes even phone.
    It has been many many years since we were in touch and I would like to try and reconnect.

  63. I have a question for “Route 66” fans…I recently watched the first episode of the show, “Black November” ..It was a great episode and I’m hooked…George Kennedy and Patty Mccormack were in the episode…

    My question is: the are four young men in the episode — they hang out together and threaten Buz and Todd — one of the four looks exactly like Harvey Keitel, but there is no credit to him anywhere that I have found… Keitel would have been about 20 at the time, so that fits..does anyone know whether Keitel got a bit part in this first ever ROute 66 episode?

    Thanks

  64. I am also a fan of Rout66 because of George Maharis.
    Does anyone know if there is a fan club or ANYWHERE one can write to Mr. Maharis. He is not listed with the Actors Guild/Sag, nor does he have a listed Agent.
    Any help would be appreciated.
    thanks
    Drew

  65. Thanks delta6, but I have really tried public records in L.A. There are actually two. One is a Bridal Shop and the other is the Getty Bldg. which is an office comples, not a residence. really I have tried.
    Any fan clubs maybe?
    This is a hard man to re-find.
    And one superb Actor.
    Thanks

    1. I saw your older message with the new email about Route 66 that was just sent to me. George Maharis’ mailing address is:

      9401 Wilshire Blvd., suite 700
      Beverly Hills, Ca 90212.

      He has a home on Mullholland Drive and it is in public records. He has lived there for almost 30 years. However, if you’re going to contact him it would be best to send your letter to the Wilshore Blvd., address. Otherwise, you might be seen as a stalker. And why I didn’t want to give you his home address.

      If you send some correspondence, let him know there still is a large fan base from the 60’s that enjoyed his performances. And let us know what he says if you get a reply.

      Good luck,

      delta6

  66. Route 66 was the greatest tv series ever! I was thrilled to see the Corvette parked outside the Hilton when they were filming in Pittsburgh. Being just a kid, I’m sure I couldn’t realize the importance of some of the issues and situations presented in the series, but, to me, the idea of being able to travel around the US in a great car with a friend, looking for adventure, was so incredible! This was the greatest of classic tv.

  67. Great show, the writing awesome (Stirling Silliphant), stands up today as well as yesterday. Maharis and Milner were in rare form together Corbett was . . . Hated when Maharis left the show

  68. From what I’ve read elsewhere, Blocher’s account of Maharis’ departure was nowhere near as simple as she describes. Maharis had made more than a few rather childish demands and I can visualize the producers reaching for Excedrin No 2 everytime they heard the name Maharis. Blocher’s claim that
    “homophobic” actions ruined Maharis’ career are not attested to by Maharis’ later behavior. No one’s career is “ruined” simply by being fired or leaving a show as a result of a dispute – plenty of Hollywood stars have done so (de Havilland, etc) and not suffered in the slightest. Producers are businessmen, not upholders of any ethical standards – they want the best actor they can find and don’t really care much about either their personal life or past problems. In the end, talent will out, and the fact is that the only role that Maharis seemed suited to play was Buzz. But in my opinion, a little Buzz goes a long way – it’s difficult to watch someone who’s so eternally morose and emotional. It was obvious that Maharis just wasn’t your normal guy. As we found out later. Much later. What a complete waste his life was.

    1. A complete waste? I interviewed him a few years ago, when he was nearly 80 years old, retired and quite happy. If he had died at a young age because of alcohol and drug abuse, I’d buy the “complete waste.” But that’s not how it turned out for him.

  69. I ASK THE SAME QUESTION IF IS THEIR AN ADDRESS TO WRITE TO GEORGE MAHARIS, I HOPE FOR ANY ANSWER THANKS

  70. I always thought that route 66 was just a song, one
    day I was looking for a movie to watch on Netflix and I came across this movie called “Sylvia” and was blown away about how fine, fine, and I say again fine amd sexy George Maharis was. Now I was barely a year old when Route 66 was a TV show but, I’m sure and his old age that he still maintains some of that sexiness that made him popular on that show..anyone have an email address for this man?

  71. It’s a shame that George Maharis left the TV series “Route 66” prematurely because of differences with Executive Producer Herbert B. Leonard. Without Mr. Maharis, this TV series went down hill. Had Mr. Leonard appreciated Mr. Maharis’ proven talent, the show would certainly have had a much longer run. I hope Mr. Maharis is well and is enjoying his retirement, and there are a lot of people (like me) who still remember him with great fondness and wish him well.

  72. Retro TV shows the series on a regular basis through a Bridgeport Ct cable outlet. What was great about the shows was the enormous amount of talent that appeared on the show..when they were just starting to get traction.. such as Ed ASner, Redford, etc.. A classic TV show that should be studied in college as a true reflection of what America was all about.. thanks Les

  73. I purchased the entire Route 66 TV show – DVDs for about $50 a year ago. You can probably find the seller of old TV shows by doing a Google search. The drama, stories and acting still hold up today. Watching them made me wish I still lived back in the 60’s – A lot simplier and better times in my view.

  74. I too am a fan of the series. A lot of people have asked if they (Maharis & Milner) did a reunion after the series ended. The answer is yes, in 1987, due to the popularity of reruns on Nick at Night, they both were at the last filming location (Tampa) for an annual Corvette show held there at the time. That location is now the Westin Tampa Bay. They also did a photo shoot for (I believe) People magazine in the early 90’s (they were featured on the cover sittiing in a corvette, both looked great). I worked at Nick At Night back when the series aired there and remember when we first aired it, we aired them in chronological order with the original CBS “Next On’s” intact. It’s too bad those promos weren’t included in the later-issued DVD’s.

  75. i remember quite vividly as a young boy watching an insanely goofy tv show in the mid-1960’s that starred george maharis and which was called something like “chicken man” or “super chicken.” he owned a gas station and was best friends with this clown/superhero of the title. does anyone know the name of that show? it’s driving me nuts because i can’t find any trace of it on the internet or anywhere else for that matter. thanks.

  76. I remember watching Route 66 when I was a little kid. Now here I am, much older, and watching it again with more intelligent and experienced eyes. I just read about George and learned he’s from Astoria, N.Y. I was just commenting the other day how many people came from Astoria which is where I come from as well. I would like him to know I am proud of a fellow Astorian and that I hope he is in good health. He was a wonderful actor and singer, probably before his time. Happy New Year neighbor!

  77. I was 9 years old in 1962 when I first started watching the show on Friday nights. There was just something so cool about 2 good buddies traveling throughout the USA in a new Corvette! I do have the DVD videos of all the shows that were taped when the series was on Nick at Nite in the ’80’s.
    The show really brings back fond memories of my youth and got me hooked on Corvettes. I have owned many Corvettes throghout my life I now own a 2012 red Corvette GS convertible…very much like what Tod and Buzz was driving in 1962! 50 years later and some things stay the same!

  78. I never had the opportunity to watch Route 66 in it’s heyday, but now I never miss an episode when it runs regularly on one of the retro programming stations. What a neat show. Loved seeing them in Cleveland.

    1. I, too, like ReginaM hadn’t had an opportunity to see Route 66 in it’s heyday but thanks to two retro stations airing the series locally in Akron, I’ve become HOOKED. The comraderie between the two fellows resonates with respect. It’s neat to see the different guest stars and check what they’re doing now. Also, I just LOVE Nelson Riddle’s theme to the show and have to listen to the very last ending note

  79. glad i found this site,i,am 53, never saw the show in 60,s but just happend 2 see ad 4 producer,s picks,11ep. loved them. now buying all seasons from amazon,

  80. I watched Route 66 when I was a kid growing up back in the 1960’s era and it was my favorite show. A great show and a classic.

  81. I found this blog trying to gleen SOME info on my main man Marty Milner. He and George will always be the finest and most hansome duo on classic tv. Competing only with Marty and Kent McCord of Adam 12 fame. How is Marty’s health. You all are wonderful for posting all these great sentiments for our heroes of Route 66. George, I will always love you and Marty.Happy Trails to all of their fans.

  82. I love Maharis and it was greatly due to his realism why 66 was and continues to be a riveting show. Once he departed, the series was dreadful. The actor who played Linc was a stiff.

  83. I wasn’t a teener in 1960 nor I was a teenager in 1964 I was only 12 years old at the time the show ended but I love watching the show when it came on TV if we had good reception if I didn’t have to hang on to the rabbit ears to make the TV come in clear Martin Milner was a badass the car was even better always wanted to Corvette still can’t afford one but they just started playing Route 66 again on TV and it brings back memories when I was 8 years old such a cool show the actors were bitching God Rest Martin Milner Thanks for the Memories

  84. Why are you taking off Route 66 on Folk channel andZLVNG you show it’s on then when it comes time for it to be on it shows a different show I love that show.

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