According to John Forsythe, the Bentley Gregg character was based on two well-known Beverly Hills bachelors at the time. He combined their names and used them for the characters in the program. Because of the implication in the program of Gregg's aversion to marriage, no serious thought was given to casting a 'regular' or steady woman for him. Instead, Gregg is forever dating different women with only a handful ever getting a 'second' date with him. Forsythe noted that casting the main characters took considerable effort. Then actor (and future
California governor and
United States president)
Ronald Reagan, who hosted
General Electric Theater from 1954 to 1962, suggested Corcoran for the role, believing her to be a 'typical teenager' and closer to what a normal 13-year-old was like, and Forsythe agreed. Corcoran was already an experienced actress with film and television roles to her credit. She was 18 years old when the program left the air and had virtually 'grown up' into a young woman during the show's five-year run. Casting Bentley Gregg's houseboy was difficult as well. Sammee Tong was cast based primarily on his experience as a stand-up comedian. Forsythe believed much of the program's success resulted from the interaction between Tong and himself and that Tong had great comic timing. He also stated that Tong's character was unique for the time and that he was not the "typical" Asian house servant. Forsythe insisted on Tong being a major character on the program. Several of the program plots center around Tong, many dealing with his attempts to improve his position in life. Although none ever pan out (much like Bentley or Kelly) he does develop as a character through the life of the program. Kelly's (
Noreen Corcoran) best friend was Ginger, played by
Bernadette Withers.
Guest stars Among the series guest stars were
Edgar Bergen,
Bill Bixby,
Billy Gray,
Ryan O'Neal,
Frankie Laine,
Mary Tyler Moore and singer
Patti Page.
Eddie Anderson, who portrayed "Rochester" on
The Jack Benny Program, reprised his role in the Season 5 episode, "Pinch That Penny". Besides the 'Benny' link, the series had connections to
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show as
Harry Von Zell appeared in five season three episodes as Bentley Gregg's friend and next-door neighbor. The Burns' son,
Ronnie Burns, appeared in two episodes, as well. Fifteen-year-old
Linda Evans also appeared in a guest spot on the series as one of Kelly's friends. Evans and Forsythe later starred in the primetime soap opera
Dynasty together. Other guest stars include: •
Jack Albertson •
Eddie "Rochester" Anderson •
Frank Bank •
Jack Benny •
June Blair •
Whitney Blake •
Jean Carson •
Donna Douglas •
Barbara Eden •
Cheryl Holdridge •
Arlene Howell •
Charles Lane •
Sue Ane Langdon •
Cherylene Lee •
Jenny Maxwell •
Gisele MacKenzie •
Ann McCrea •
Howard McNear •
Joyce Meadows •
Joanna Moore •
Leslie Parrish •
Dean Reed •
Evelyn Scott •
Vito Scotti •
Olan Soule •
Charlotte Stewart ==Broadcast history==