Apparently, little Jeremy Gelbwaks was not working out. He was too young for his job with too many behavior issues, and the cast, crew, and producers had a problem with it. A long-running rumor left everyone assuming that he and his family had moved away.
Long story short, by the second season, he was replaced with Brian Forster. The biggest surprise was, not one fan letter to the studio complained about the switch. It was like no one even noticed!
Brian Forster
The youngest Partridge was Chris, the cute little brother drummer. This character was played by Brian Forster, but not until 1971, a year into the show. The former child actor was Jeremy Gelbwaks. Brian played Chris for the remainder of the series.
He’s the son of British film actor Peter Forster and step-grandson of British acting legend Alan Napier. And, are you ready for this? He’s the great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens.
‘The Partridge Family’ Shared a Studio With ‘The Monkees’
Another Screen Gems production was The Monkees. They played an imaginary band that wanted to be as successful as the Beatles but always failed on a TV show of the same name. The Monkees were a popular primetime show until 1968.
Ironically, the Monkees became one of the grooviest classic rock bands of the Sixties. When The Monkees’ TV show was canceled, The Partridge family moved in.
A Nod to ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Some observant fans probably caught on. A select few Partridge episodes harked back to that wonderful movie in the land of Oz. Guest stars Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) and Margaret Hamilton (The Wicked Witch) from the famous 1939 production joined The Partridge Family as guest stars.
Bolger played Shirley’s father, and Hamilton played Reuben’s mother. Other big-name stars like Johnny Cash and Richard Pryor surprised fans. Johnny Cash played himself opening for The Partridge Family at a Vegas show.
Shirley’s Husband Couldn't Handle Her Fame
In 1974, The Partridge Family went off the air for good while Shirley’s marriage to David Cassidy’s father Jack Cassidy went off the tracks. The years she played TV’s most popular mom on that Seventies show were rough on her husband. He was jealous and angry.
Shirley said, “His overriding sense of inferiority in the face of my success drove him into the arms of other women even more often than before.” Even David Cassidy admitted that his father had alcohol and anger issues due to the family’s sudden rise to fame.