On this Mother’s Day, any thoughts or memories of “MAMA,” a 1949-’57 Friday night CBS series featuring a mixture of humor and drama about a Norwegian American family residing in San Francisco, CA. in the early 20th century. The anchor of the clan was the warm, resourceful matriarch, Mama Marta Hansen (Peggy Wood), who held on to her old-world traditions, while adjusting to new ones. Hudson Laire portrayed her husband, Papa Lars Hansen, while their original family members consisted of son Nels (Dick Van Patten), middle daughter Marta (Rosemary Rice) and younger daughter, Dagmar (Robin Morgan). The series was based upon both the popular Broadway play and the very successful motion picture, “I Remember Mama.” This two-time nominated Emmy series was originally broadcast live from New York City and was sponsored by Maxwell House Coffee. The program held its own against the its weekly competition of “OZZIE & HARRIET” (ABC), “THE DAVE GARROWAY SHOW” (NBC) and “FRONT PAGE DETECTIVE (DUMONT).
Text Credit: Historical Stories
