Mr. Novak - Moonlighting (1964)

Our problems with affordable healthcare in America are nothing new, as this excerpt from an episode of Mr. Novak, first aired in September, 1964, demonstrates. Idealistic young schoolteacher Mr. Novak (James Franciscus) must pay for his father's $4000 medical bill. That doesnt sound too bad but this is 1964, and Mr. Novak grosses $5800 a year. So his fathers bills are almost a full years take-home pay! And that's assuming his father doesn't require additional care (and later in the episode, he does). To pay the bills, Mr. Novak must work two full time jobs, teaching during the day and parking cars until 2 or 3 a.m. Thanks to his understanding principal, played by Academy Award winner Dean Jagger, Novak is able to make his hellish schedule work out. An interesting view of American families struggling with medical bills in the days immediately before Medicare. This series is not yet on DVD.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Mr. Novak
• James Franciscus
• Dean Jagger
• teachers
• education
• high school
• healthcare
• health insurance
• medical bills
• doctor bills
• Medicare
• 1964

[cypersurfer]

great post. what happened to the father. I forgot this one long time ago.; Do you have more? Thanks

[popteaches]

His father has "complications" but otherwise does okay. The episode ends with Novak still working two jobs to pay the bills, however. Kind of like some folks these days.

I have a few more episodes somewhere and can post some excerpts like this one.

[tooslimnc]

Remember that this was in the days before Medicare. If you were old and retired, you didn't have much for medical care thru pension alone. I'm sure it was shown to highlight that issue, as Medicare was signed into law the next year.

[Phoenix28562]

Thanks SO much for downloading the entire episode onto YouTube. MUCH appreciated :)

[SkeeterVT]

WOW! imagine if this 1964 clip had used in the campaign for health-care reform in 2010. This dramatically shows how the cost of health care could bankrupt Americans even way back in the '60s.

[Phoenix28562]

Can you possibly post the rest of this episode in a few more segments?

[Phoenix28562]

sorry.. my comment loaded three times.. had to delete it twice =o{