MovieChat Forums > The Partridge Family (1970) Discussion > Who do you think Mr. Partridge was?

Who do you think Mr. Partridge was?


Hi,

I caught an episode the other day of "The Partridge Family" on Antenna TV and I got to thinking who the late Mr. Partridge was...Hypothetically, someone from the 1970s TV/Movie Land....

So, I'm thinking it could be Jim Rockford from "The Rockford Files" and he didn't actually die and leave Shirley Partridge a widow, but actually moved off to Malibu to get away from the family life and lived in a trailer...occasionally catching a Partridge hit when he flicks on the radio, but turning it right back off before he gets too curious about his past.

Silly, I know! Any other musings

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Let's do some deductive reasoning here:

1) The house was paid for. Shirley never seemed to worry about paying the mortgage.

2) She worked as a bank teller. Back then, banks were only open 4 hours a day. At most, she earned pay for 25-30 hours a week-utilities and groceries.

3) She didn't fret over the kid's possible college days. There must've been trust funds set up for the kids.

4) Shirley had a thing for military men.

So, Mister Partridge was in fact








wait for it....









it's coming.........









Captain Nemo !!

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I've often wondered myself. I know he was never referred to by first name, but how often was he mentioned in dailogue?

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He was mentioned, of course, in the pilot, describing the premise, how she was widowed, etc. Then, and I think the only other time, he was mentioned when one of the kids pointed him out in an old photograph while searching for baby pics of Danny (the one where he thinks he's adopted, from season 1). But, we don't see the pic of the man they're referring to as their father.

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Actually, I always pictured Mr. Partrige looking like Jack Cassidy. Not very imaganitive, (He was married to Shirley Jones at the time) but I could never shake the image. And as the kids never talk about him (I think it was a "rule" with shows with widowed parents from the 50's-60's and 70's) and neither does Shirley, past the pilot, I thought he was rather an ineffectual person. You know, not a drunk, a crook, or the guy who cheats on his wife, just kind of a nothing. Figured he died in a car accident.

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Me too. I mean David was his son, and he was married to Shirley Jones, so that was who I pictured as well.

je suis prest

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Glad I am not the only one who thought so!


How sad, that you were not born in my time, nor I, in yours.

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For my joke, I'd like to give it a modern spin - a wealthy guy who one day realized he was gay. THAT is why he was never mentioned. And his maternal side made sure the kids were well cared for.
Now if I could only think of someone from that era who later came out. But this rules out Jim Rockford!

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Banks may have only stayed open for 4-5 hours, but tellers back then usually worked a full 8 hours, sometimes even longer. My grandmother was a teller back then, and there were nights she wouldn't get off of work until 6-7pm. All of the tellers had to balance their cashouts, and if one didn't, they all had to stay until they did.

They were so worried about money problems, the kids took it upon themselves to work.

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mr partridge was a real bastard- really,except for chris and tracy all the kids were old enough to have known him. did they ever act like they mourned him or missed him? did shirley ever cry any tears over his loss? did the kids ever say i wish dad was still here? no , they never reflected back on his death at all! no pictures, no first name , nothing. PLEASE dont take this too seriously its something that goes on in tv. even bobby brady had a picture of his mother. as for me, i would like to think of him as a cheat, wife beater and child molester GOOD RIDDANCE !!!

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[deleted]

Let's see now....he was a military man huh? I think he was Sergeant Vince Carter. And then after Sgt. Carter met Miss Bunny, he left his family for her and ended up marrying Bunny. After he and Bunny got married, they adopted Gomer Pyle to be their son.

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Magnum from Magnum PI.

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I think he musta been a dark, debonair travelling salesman...a handsome loving man who was on the road more than at home so the impact of his death via car crash?? or whatever was overcome before we know them all, and Shirley began working at the bank for making ends meet money-but if you recall they started performing so that they could raise enough money to send all the kids through college.

THOSE WHO MATTER DON'T MIND...THOSE WHO MIND DON'T MATTER!!!

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he blew his mind out in a car,he didnt notice that the light had changed, a crowd of people stood and stared, they seen his face before, someone said his wife once played a whore, he loved to turn her ooooooooon

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I know this thread is all in fun, but your 'deductive reasoning' has some flaws:

1) The house was paid for. Shirley never seemed to worry about paying the mortgage.

In the season 2 episode "Where Do Mermaids Go" the hippie girl, Jenny (Meredith Baxter) gave the Partridges one million dollars. Before she gave them the money, the bank called to tell Shirley that her mortgage payment was late.


2) She worked as a bank teller. Back then, banks were only open 4 hours a day. At most, she earned pay for 25-30 hours a week-utilities and groceries.

As someone else pointed out, the hours of operation to the public and the banks actual employee hours were not the same.


3) She didn't fret over the kid's possible college days. There must've been trust funds set up for the kids.

It was stated that the money they made as a musical group was to help pay for the college education of the five kids. In fact, it was the only reason Shirley agreed to both take part and allow the kids to take part.


4) Shirley had a thing for military men.

She did? The only military man I remember her going out with was in the last episode. And that was someone she knew from high school who just happened to join the military later on. Even if there were other dates that were military men, I don't remember, but she also dated two doctors, a politician, and an ambassador, so I wouldn't say she had a 'thing' for military men.


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banks were only open four hours a day....where? I was born in 1960. Banks were open at least til 3 or 4.

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I was born in 1963. I recall being about ten years old and banks being open from 10:00-3:00. Mom used to get most of her cash from cashing a check at the supermarket courtesy counter (you had to have a store "courtesy card" and I think they charged a quarter for each transaction.)

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1) The house was paid for. Shirley never seemed to worry about paying the mortgage.

3) She didn't fret over the kid's possible college days. There must've been trust funds set up for the kids.


Actually, both of these are debunked in the episode where Meredith Baxter guest stars as the "millionaire hippie."

I believe it was Danny who revealed that the reason Shirley let the kids start their band is so they can save up for college.

Also, Shirley talks to the bank twice in this episode about her mortgage payments, so she does indeed still pay it. It's just not talked about a lot, I guess.

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It's clear that all those kids had different fathers. The two redheads, Danny & Tracy, looked nothing like the older 2 and are probably the issue of Reuben Kincaid (watch any exchange between Danny & Reuben and the relationship is undeniable.) The little son was probably the result of a brief fling with some drifter, after Shirley rejected Reuben.

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I heard that in real-life Danny was the only redhead in his family. Everyone else had dark brown hair. Redheaded Danny and Tracy could have come from a recessive gene from one of the parents. On the other hand I don't think Screen Gems ever thought logically about anything. Remember when Shirley dated that Doctor Applebaum after he came over to treat Danny for a sore throat? Danny later on in the episode thought it could be a good idea to have Dr. Applebaum( a pediatrician) around for a good deal on five tonsilectomies. What happened? Did Danny's tonsils grow back after having them out the year before?

As far as the father goes, he could have had brown hair, like Keith and Laurie, maybe a little red in his hair to make it a shade of auburn. He was probably very attractive like the guys Shirley dated on the series.

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I have two brother's and one sister - my brothers were tow-heads when they were really young, but their darkened do something like a dishwater blonde by the time they hit their teens. My mom was also that same blonde until she started growing grey in her late 30's. My sister is a dark-eyed brunette - like my father was. And my hair is red. Not quite as brilliant carrot as Danny's, but very red nonetheless.

My aunt - my mother's sister produced a blonde girl, and two dishwater head sons and a dark haired boy. and my cousin (the girl) produced a redhead, and so did my sister.

I think it is quite possible that all those kids were offsprings of the same mother and dad.

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Exactly what I was thinking. Apparently, he was a nice man.

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There was an episode where Shirley was helping Laurie pick out a dress for a date. Shirley chose a dark color and Laurie got upset and said "Mom, that's the dress I wore to Daddy's funeral!".

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[deleted]

The State of California is supposed to have an excellent state university system. The in state tuition is supposed to be very low. I think it was next to nothing in the '70s. And student aid was more available back then. That would explain why no one sweated saving for college.

Shirley was sweating their finances in the first episode. One of the reasons her children formed the group was to make money.

Shirley was red hot smokin'. I would have dated her. But I don't know if I would have wanted to be Danny's step-father. When Shirley went to college a young man was interested in her. He had excellent taste. Shirley was O.M., Original MILF.

I have noticed that the Partridge children seem to have at least three different hair colors. I think it might be possible because blond and red hair are recessive traits. It is hard to tell Shirley's natural hair color because many women dye their hair.

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[deleted]

Didn't Tracy also have red hair? It is possible none of Danny's ancestors had red hair. It is a recessive trait. Please click on
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair

Red hair can originate from several different changes on the MC1R-gene. If one of these changes is present on both chromosomes then the respective individual is likely to have red hair. This type of inheritance is described as an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Even if both parents do not have red hair themselves, both can be carriers for the gene and have a redheaded child.

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[deleted]

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I agree with the person who suggested Jack Cassidy.... "Jack Partridge"?
Maybe not very imaginative. Still.... he and Kieth resemble each other. The rest of the kids just take after other reletives.
Mr. Partridge was a bit of a drinker and a bit of a cad. He and Shirley separated. He moved into his own apartment. Not long after the move, he fell asleep while smoking and died in a fire. That is why they seldom talk about him....
Just my take on this.
What fun!

"Fasten your seat belts!
It's going to be a bumpy night!"

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I'd be surprised if they didn't resemble each other considering that David was Jack's son from his marriage to Evelyn Ward. Shaun, Ryan, and Patrick were his sons from his marriage to Shirley.

Ellen McNulty: Oh, go on, I've stepped on better things.

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"I'd be surprised if they didn't resemble each other considering that David was Jack's son from his marriage to Evelyn Ward. Shaun, Ryan, and Patrick were his sons from his marriage to Shirley."

ummm..... I know that. I read the movie mags and Tiger Beat back in the 70's too.....
Thank you for the info.


"Fasten your seat belts!
It's going to be a bumpy night!"

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That's amusing considering the second Darrin, Dick Sargent, was gay in real life. He came out a few years before his death.

Ellen McNulty: Oh, go on, I've stepped on better things.

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When I think of Mr. Partridge I think of the late Jack Cassidy. He was David Cassidy's father and was married to Shirley Jones.

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You forget that prolific Father-Mike Brady. Gay, but he knew how to keep the ladies happy.

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Reuban Kincaide! just kidding. By the look of the kids (blondes, brunettes, red heads), I am suspecting more than one former Mr. Patridge. At least with Danny. He really looks like the milk man's son.

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I think he was a corporate pilot and one day, while having fun flying his own little Pitts Special Acrobatic Plane, he attempted a loop, unsuccessfully - crashed and burned. However, he was a thoughtful and good husband and father and made sure that he had a good insurance policy, that took care of his wife and family.

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I always felt as if he died tragically in some way, the early years of Nam, cancer, or something like that. I did think it to be very smart that they never told us. I think that the kids pining for Keith or Laurie sorta felt their loss in some unsaid way.
Great show. And man was Laurie HOT

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He was Mike Brady's brother. How it happened was Mike's biological father died heroically fighting in World War II. His mother remarried a nice man whose last name was Partridge. She had a son by him, Mike's half-brother Richard. Richard Partridge grew up to be just like Mike in every way except instead of being an architect, he was a high school band instructor, proficient in several instruments as well as music composition and scoring. He and Shirley first met when they were in college and both involved in the university production of "Oklahoma", where Shirley was singing the female lead role. They fell in love and soon married. Shirley never finished her college degree, though, because she withdrew to become a full time homemaker and mother. Richard passed down his love of music to their children and taught them musical theory and how to play various instruments. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly from a brain hemorrhage, but his legacy lived on in his five brilliantly talented children and still golden-voiced widow.

This would mean, of course, that the three Brady boys were blood relatives of the Partridge Family. It accounts for the Brady children's occasional spirited, yet failed, attempts at pop music stardom. Performance was in their blood, but they lacked the discipline, training, and, let's face it, exceptional talent that their cousins enjoyed.

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A viable story would be that he was in the military (hence her penchant for military men), and was killed in Vietnam. She would then have received a number of benefits after his death.

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That is a viable story. Like others here, I always pictured Mr. Partridge looking like Jack Cassidy.


Mag, Darling, you're being a bore.

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