Off-Camera on Stage 10 and Beyond

Some backstage glimpses of the cast of My Favorite Martian

"Walston’s Gym" area on Sound Stage 10 at Desilu Gower during filming of "Uncle Martin’s Night Life" Fall 1964

The gym was a regular fixture on the sound stage where the cast and crew could take a break during filming .

BILL BIXBY: "As soon as I got on the Martian show, Ray got me interested in physical fitness. Now I’m really hooked on this daily workout routine."

PAMELA BRITTON: "That’s our form of coffee break. We used to get a lot of kidding but not any more. In fact, other members of the cast and crew now come over to use the equipment."

Chicago Tribune TV magazine May 16, 1964

Ray Walston regularly rode his bicycle around the Desilu lot. "It’s relaxing. I get here about 7 in the morning and ride around. It gets the blood bubbling." He gave Bill Bixby a bicycle for Christmas,1963.

Here is an account of an anecdote that Mr. Walston told at a 1991 Buena Park California convention:

A skilled horseback rider, Ray Walston would play polo on Sundays at the Polo Grounds in Pacific Palisades Park during the MFM spring hiatus. On one occasion Pamela Britton and her family and Bill Bixby sat with the spectators to view the match.*

Jean Udko, hair stylist for the series, adjusts the antennaed wig for Mr.Walston.

Early in the series production, back in his dressing room, Bill Bixby liked to play the ukulele.

In a photo taken at the beginning of the first season, Bill Bixby clowns with his stand-in,

former major league baseball umpire Art Pessarella, who would take Bill’s place while the crew set up the lighting for a scene.

The wheels of a dolly can be seen in the background of this photo taken on the set of "Go West Young Martian, Pt.II"

Bill Bixby took this photo of Ray Walston while they were on location on the MGM lot shooting the episode, "Pay The Man The $24."

Behind the scenes, during the filming of the medieval "Time Out For Martian".

Mr. Walston in his dressing room trailer on the MGM lot. (1965)

The fans knew who Bill was, but apparently the same could not be said for some of the staff at MGM: Bill Bixby told this anecdote about reporting to work at MGM studios in July 1965. ‘Martian’ had just relocated to MGM from Desilu and Bill drove onto the MGM parking lot where all the actors had their names posted on their parking spaces.

Bill said, "My name was spelled Bixbley. I told them my name was misspelled and the next day they corrected it—to Bixley. So then I said I don’t think they understood, and they apologized and fixed it-to Bixbey. Once again I complained and they found another way of spelling my name. This time it was Bixly.

"Then, one day, a new policeman at the gate didn’t want to let me in. But there were some fans hanging around the gate and THEY recognized me. So I got to work that day. It’s just that, for a while, I had a parking space with a sign with an awful lot of scratched out names."

In a 1965 interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr.Walston said, "More adults than kids come up and say, ‘Let me see your antennae’ or ‘Let me see you disappear,’ or, ‘Read my mind.’ It happens all the time—at bars, supermarkets, railroad stations. I try to explain to older kids, if they sound intelligent, that it’s just a television show. If they’re very young, I kid a little without trying to cause any disenchantment."

One such encounter happened during a lunchtime interview, where a line of children came up to his table to get autographs from Mr.Walston. A little 8 year old boy with a New England accent asked for an autograph. Ray said to him,"Where are you from, sonny? I’d say you came from Boston." Amazed, the child dropped his pencil. "How did you know?" "You forget," replied Mr.Walston, "We Martians can read your mind." The boy went away with the autograph, suitably impressed. "Man, he is something!"

Youngsters also had questions for Bill Bixby, who told of a time in December 1963 when he did a question and answer session with children in St. Paul, Minnesota. "After I introduced an invisible Uncle Martin, they asked the darnedest questions about atmosphere and pressure on Mars…I just make up things as I go along. Like when they ask how long it takes to get to Mars, I just quip, ‘It depends on what year and what model spaceship you’re driving…’"

Bill Bixby related this anecdote in an interview for TV Picture Life (July 1966) . He had gone to Orlando, Florida to film a local TV promo for the show. "CBS had sent a mobile unit along with me so we could record tapes to use later in plugging the show. I talked to a bunch of kids on the air and they were wonderful, crowding around me to have a chance before the mike. Then, when we were ready to wrap it up, I said to the crowd, ‘Okay, gang, what’s your favorite show?’ Of course they all started screaming, My Favorite Martian. All of them, that is, except one little tow-headed guy who stood right in front on the microphone and yelled, Combat! And to CBS’s credit, they were good enough sports about it that they put that tape on the air—complete!"

His first encounter with public recognition came from being on the series. Bill Bixby told TV STAR Parade magazine that he had gone to buy candy in the lobby of a movie theatre and the lady who worked at the counter reacted with a cry of surprise. Bill asked her "What’s the matter?" to which she said, "You!" Bill recalled, "It just didn’t occur to me it was a simple case of her recognizing me. I thought I had a bug crawling on me until she said real fast, running it all together, ’myfavoritemartian!’ Then I got it and smiled weakly in relief." After the movie Bill signed autographs for fans.

Reflecting about going on weekend promotional tours, Bill Bixby said, "There are many questions on how we make objects fly through space, but what people like most about the series is the teamwork between Ray and myself. The chemistry between us is right and it shows."

Here are links to 5 stills from a behind the scenes home movie on the MFM set. (Two screen captures are from the "Go West" episode.) They have been posted on a thread on the "sit-com on line" message board.

(Added 9/1/06)

STARLOG magazine, Sept. 1981 #50 and Aug. 1990 #157 Both issues contain interviews with Ray Walston.

text© 2002-2012 by JH Harison 

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