The Jack Benny Christmas Show MP3 – 1936

Jello Again!  This Jack Benny Show, “An Old Fashioned Christmas” aired on December 20, 1936 – Sponsored by Jello and featuring Jack Benny, Mary Livingstone, Don Wilson, Phil Harris, Kenny Baker and Andy Devine!

Personally, I love to listen to the Jello Years of Jack Benny. The comedy was not nearly as well-honed as it became in the 40’s & 50’s, but still quite entertaining!

Hace cosa de mes y medio analizábamos cierta película, Malditos Bastardos, con la que Quentin Tarantino volvía a demostrar que sus mejores días han pasado. El director de Pulp Fiction alardeaba de haber bastardizado la Segunda Guerra Mundial, el nazismo, Hitler y todo el/lo que le había venido en gana. Tremendo mérito el suyo en pleno 2009, más de 60 años después de acabada la guerra y con la mismísima Alemania parodiando al Führer. Cuando realmente tuvo mérito enfrentarse, mediante el finísimo estilete de la comedia, al Tercer Reich y sus atrocidades, fue en pleno auge de la locura nazi. ¿1942, por ejemplo? Pues ese es precisamente el año del estreno de Ser o no ser (To be or not to be).

He aquí la premisa argumental: Alemania invade Polonia y cambia para siempre la plácida existencia de los polacos; incluida la de una compañía teatral. Un admirador de la actriz más famosa de Varsovia, a la sazón aviador de la RAF, detecta un complot para terminar con la resistencia, personificado en un cierto profesor que lleva consigo una lista de nombres de mortales consecuencias. El aviador contacta con la actriz y esta, a su vez, con su marido, de tal forma que el plan acaba siendo conocido por la compañía en pleno. La comedia está servida. Disfraces, confusiones, equívocos, malentendidos y, sobre todo, mucho teatro, enredan una trama que avanza a golpe de sublimes líneas de guión y logradísimos gags, siempre con los nazis como objetivo de los dardos y siempre mediante humor del bueno, del fino, del inteligente; sí, de ese del que debería tomar buena nota Tarantino.

A Ernst Lubitsch podríamos estarle eternamente agradecidos por el mero hecho de haber servido de inspiración para el gran, grandísimo (parafraseando una línea de Ser o no ser) Billy Wilder, quien profesaba una admiración sin límites por el cineasta berlinés. Pero este se ganó con creces su lugar en el Olimpo con un puñado de películas estupendas, entre las cuales brilla esta que nos ocupa con luz propia. Parodiar el nazismo con tanta sabiduría y buen gusto está al alcance de pocos. En su propósito le ayudó un elenco de brillantes actores con dos por encima del resto. La legendaria Carole Lombard, que falleció poco después en un accidente de avión, pero tuvo tiempo de dejar uno de los sensuales e inteligentes despliegues con los que se merendaba la pantalla; y Jack Benny, una estrella en Estados Unidos por sus papeles en la televisión y la radio, pero que aquí demostró toneladas de talento a la hora de meterse en el pellejo del desconfiado, algo socarrón y un pelín acomplejado (sobre la tablas) Joseph Tura.

Ser o no ser es una de esas películas que se proyectan constantemente en las aulas, bien como ejemplo de hacer cine, bien para explicar la historia de nuestro tiempo, concretamente ese período tan execrable que fue el nazismo. Viva muestra del impacto de la película de Lubistch, que no debe medirse en premios (sólo una nominación al Oscar, que no fraguó, y por la música) sino en cómo, hoy en día, sigue conmoviendo, deleitando y, sobre todo, haciendo pensar. Pensar: exactamente lo que hacían el director alemán y otros hombres con talento que contribuyeron a levantar Hollywood…

Sí, lo que otros, ahora, tratan de derribar a base de mediocridad.

Okay, I’m admitting that I’m a really bad blogger.  I came on strong at the beginning, promising a whole lot of stuff and then fell way short.  My intentions were pure; I even added posting to the blog on my iPhone calendar for every Monday.  But whenever the reminder came up, I kinda, sorta ignored it.  One week turned into two and damn!  The summer ended!  So this is me on one knee (my good knee.  If I get down on both knees, I’d have to fight like hell to get back to a standing position) asking for…um…not your forgiveness, exactly.  More like…your understanding?  Tolerance?  Ah, the hell with it, mea culpa, okay?

I’ll be 40 in about three weeks.  And at first I was gonna do the Jack Benny thing and stop counting at 39.  But my 39th year on this planet has been plagued with misery so I say damn 39, bring on 40 and from there I’ll stop counting.  This summer especially has made me want to run to the 40-year hills and scream from the mountaintop “free at last!”  I’ve been exposed to selfishness and emotionally-crippled humans who can’t seem to pull themselves out of the quagmire of their inadequacies and flow on a sea of self-denial.  I’ve been dragged into a hell where Rush Limbaugh plays 24-7 and Sarah Palin’s book outsells Stephen King by 5-to-1.  But on the other end of that spectrum, I’ve received kindness and warmth from people who are in good places emotionally and mentally, who listened to my woes and reached out to me from an altruistic place deep within their solar plexus.  And when I think of these people collectively, how they circled the wagons around me, my heart murmurs a really deep sigh.  For every asshole there’s an angel waiting to heal and it makes me want to get down on my good knee and say, “Thank you, God for creating that asshole/angel balance.”

If you haven’t noticed, there’s a name change at the top.  So the soon-to-be-ex-husband can now be officially called the ex-husband (the ex, for short).  I have to say two things on that subject: 1) I never thought I’d have the “distinction” of calling anyone my ex-husband, and 2) next time, if there is a next time, I marry for money…lots of it.  The judge who resided over my divorce, who looked to be about 100, kept chatting me up and smiling at me during the court proceedings so he might be a prospect.

(channeling Eddie Izzard) So…um…yeah, yeah…my full-time employer made me redundant recently.  I’m using the British term redundant because it sounds much nicer than laid off.  Yes, I’m a victim of the economic downturn but I’m not a complete victim because I still teach part-time.  I could take you through the range of emotions that awashed over me when I got the axe, but you’re intelligent people so you can pretty much guess how I felt.  I have to admit, though, that I like sleeping late and rolling out of bed when I feel like it; doing errands during a weekday instead of a weekend.  However, I’ve become dangerously attached to this home rhythm I’ve developed, being able to stay on top of my sons and finding good tv programming that will carry me through the day.

The first week I was home, I rarely got out of bed except to wash my ass, put the dogs out and cart my older son to campus.  No…wait…I take that back, I did take a sojourn out of my rabbit hole for a Nathan’s experience of hot dogs and chilly cheese fries that gave me wicked gas for the evening.  The second week I found the right channels to watch and discovered the meager pittance I’ll receive in unemployment bennies.  This week…well…I said enough!  Damn it, this is the perfect time to sink into a bath of creativity!  I’ve got a pitch letter to rewrite, a manuscript to peddle, photos to take and ideas to put on paper.  Photoshop CS4 is waiting for me to unlock its secrets and my camera is ready-Freddy for action.  I have recipes to try and a new stove that’s begging to lose its virginity.  This is the time I should be regrouping, regenerating, rediscovering…all those damnable “re” words that signify a movement towards change and growth.  In short, it’s time to get on the good foot and do the bad thing.  Brothahs and sistahs, nobody can do the bad thing like I can.

Yesterday I went exploring with my camera and came across this outdoor chapel in the Rhododendron Garden at Wickham Park in Manchester.  No, I’m not Catholic…hell, I’m a stranger to my own christened religion of Episcopalian.  But when you come across something so peaceful and soothing, you cannot help but bow down to its’ magnificence regardless of religion.  I kneeled on the steel altar and said a small prayer to the Virgin Mary.

I was a bit rusty on the prayer thing so I had to wing it, but I’m pretty sure she got my message.  In thinking back, I should’ve asked her for clarity of mind, but the Virgin Mother is a busy woman, what with all those mysterious sightings on grilled cheese sandwiches and whatnot that always seems to happen somewhere in Florida.  Besides, there are some things I just have to do for myself.

Jack Benny

The television version of The Jack Benny Program (which never used the sponsor’s name) ran from October 28, 1950 to 1965. The show appeared infrequently during its first two years on TV, then ran every fourth week for the next two years. For the 1953-1954 season, half the episodes were live and half were filmed during the summer, to allow Benny to continue doing his radio show. From 1955 to 1960 it appeared every other week, and from 1960 to 1965 it was seen weekly. Jack Benny on DVD.

ISSUES AND HOW TO PICK THEM

EDITOR’S NOTE. We here reproduce the expurgated version of Miss Allen’s famous keyhole speech, in which she laid down the gauntlet to the major parties and defied them to pick it up without stooping. The complete version, including the juicy parts and printed on the best issue-paper, appears in the Congressional Record-Express, on sale by your local Congressman.

The speech follows.

Ladies and Gentlemen, and no corny cracks:

The splendid introduction of your Toastmaster, which was too glowing, I fear, for poor little me, reminds me of a story which I wish I could remember. But I couldn’t tell it in the dialect anyway, so I will just say that as I look out upon this sea of shiny faces I am uplifted, and also pinched in at the waist.

This is the greatest night of my life. How glorious it is to be here among my friends, for you are my friends, at least until election, in this fair city of _______, the garden spot of the great _______. (APPLAUSE.) I can say in all truthfulness that when last I tire of the mad whirl of modern life and want to find a place to die in, this is it.

I stand before you tonight a simple, plain woman–(GROANS.) which is not my fault, but the Westmores can’t take me till tomorrow. And anyway, is this an election or a popularity contest? I’ve often wondered.

You are probably just as anxious as I am to find out what I stand for, but it isn’t so easy.

If I knew what the Republicans and Democrats are going to promise, everything they offer could go for me too. But a certain well-known bookie, whose name must remain confidential until I find it out, has written my that the other parties are holding off just so they can pattern their keyhold speeches after mine.

So I am awake to the danger of holding my convention first. I fully realize that every promise I make, the Republicans will double and the Democrats will redouble. They think this will make me vulnerable, but they don’t know I have some tricks up my sleeve, along with a box of raisins to munch on while I’m waiting for the returns to come in.

A keyhole speech is very simple, especially mine. First it states the issues. An issue is just a difference of opinion, which is why we put erasers on horse races. And as I always say, as long as we have issues, we can’t have everything. Second, the speech goes on to attack the present administration and show how it has ruined the country. Then it goes on to attack the other candidates and show how they’ll keep it ruined, and generally builds up a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Unfortunately, I don’t know exactally how the present administration has ruined the country or how the other candidates are going to keep it ruined–I hardly know how I’m going to handle it myself.

But we all realize that what this country needs is plenty (GIGGLES) and even though it’s impossible I’ll be glad to do it. Today we are facing many crises that are creasing our faces with worry. Today millions of people are living who will never do it again. Millions are being born for the first time–and millions are doing nothing because it’s the best offer they’ve had this week. (LAUGHTER. Miss Allen knocked over the water pitcher.)

It is for these people and many others that the Surprise Party is conceived and desecrated, founded upon the principle that everybody is just as good as anybody else, even though they aren’t quite so smart. My platform is a definite answer to the Republicans and Democrats, as well as the New dealers, before they say anything–and if they say it anyway, that will be time enough to think of a better answer.

My opponents (BOOS) ask for a sound government. What do they think they’ve got now, or don’t they listen to their radios? They ask me what I am doing about the two-dollar dollar, what am I doing about providing old age for people with pensions, and what am I doing next Friday night. They must think they’re Clifton Fadiman! (DEEP SILENCE. Drop the gag from the next speech.)

But I accept the challenge. I say without fear of contradiction that I not only stand four-square for free speech, but my brother is busy right now inventing a telephone that works with soap slugs. I stand for the conservation of wild life: when I am elected night clubs will close at ten o’clock. I stand for a cleaner administration: no Senator who can’t hit his spittoon on his first try truly represents the aims of my party, even if he does claim that he tried to bank his shot off the cracker barrel. I stand for a lot of other things, too, but what working girl doesn’t. (OVATION. Jack Benny just came in.)

This used to be a government of checks and balances. Now it’s all checks and no balances. But I have a cure for that. I’ll sign all checks with invisible ink, or better still, sign them “A Friend,” so nobody will be embarrassed. And if the deficit still seems too high, I’ll sign it again, starting a half-tone lower.

Do you know of anyone better qualified than me for this high office? If so, don’t delay. Write or print his name clearly on your cuff and send it, together with the tops of two ballot boxes, to the nearest laundry. I may make mistakes, for I am only human (PAUSE, while ten delegates scribbled notes and handed them to the ushers) but whenever one of my policies fails I will be the first to admit it, though perhaps not by much.

So wake up, America! Your country needs me and I can be had. Let’s all pull together and make these United States the grandest place in this whole country. I see a vision. A glorious vision. A united people, marching forward shoulder to shoulder, giving their all for the common good, working while I whistle. (WHISTLES.)

And in conclusion, let me say only that if I have overlooked anything that will make this country of ours a better place to live in–I thank you.

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

September 23, 1944
The Evening Independent

Radio Day by Day
By C. E. Butterfield

NEW YORK—The Voice of America program for N.B.C. at 7 o’clock this evening, in tribute to American broadcasters’ part in radio psychological warfare, also is being presented in connection with the dedication of new high-powered short wave transmitters built near Cincinnati for the Office of War information and the co-ordinator of inter-American affairs.

The transmitters use the calls WLWL, WLWR and WLWS, are located at Bethany, Ohio, and are described as having sufficient power to reach many parts of the world.  They were constructed by the broadcasting division of Crossley, which will participatein their operation.

The program will come both from Washington and Cincinnati, include a dramatization and a panel of four spearkers.  C. L. Durr of the FCC will replace the previously announced chairman, James L. Fly.  Others are Elmer Davis, Robert Sherwood and Nelson Rockefeller.

~ ~ ~

One of two premiers for Sunday is the return of the Shadow Mystery dramas to MBS at 5:30 o’clock to start the eighth year on that network.  The other is Dorothy Thompson’s Commentary, back on the Blue at 8:15 o’clock, an hour later than last year.

Fresh from his stint at entertaining G.I.s on the atolls and islands of the South Pacific comes vioilinist Jack Benny.  His new program starts Sunday, October 1, same time over your same NBC station, with Mary Livingstone, his sugar and spice—Phil Harris, his orchestra leader now up to the First Reader—Rochester, his valet known as the sentimental fellow with the mellow bellow—Don Wilson, who laughs loudest and sells hardest.

September 23, 1944

Celebrity Gossip

AA = The Afro American
DN = The Deseret News
EI = The Evening Independent
PEC = Prescott Evening Courier
SDC = Spokane Daily Chronicle
TB = Toledo Blade

Betty Grable’s baby is the spittin’ image of Betty.  The reasons Betty doesn’t want to keep on working:  She’s happy, she can’t keep the money she earns, and she loves home life.  Can you think of better reasons?  –TB: 09-23-1944

Butterfly McQueen, you remember her as Prissy in “Gone With the Wind,” and how you hated Scarlet O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) when she boxed Butterfly’s jaws, will appear with Dinah Shore when her program opens on NBC, October 5.  –AA: 09-23-1944

Deanna Durbin is casting limpid eyes at a young RCAF pilot.  She met him at the Hollywood Canteen.  –TB: 09-23-1944

Gene Krupa can predict the weather by his drums!  The degrees of moisture and dryness are easily discerned by the pitch of the tone.  A dull sound indicates rain—vibrant tone means fair weather.  He claims that he has never made a wrong prediction in 15 years.  –TB: 09-23-1944

LOS ANGELES:  (At a conference where Gov. Thomas E. Dewey outlined a five-point [Social] Security Program)  The Coliseum was movie-star decked.  In addition to Ginger Rogers, who introduced Gov. Earl Warren of California, and Jeanette MacDonald, who is chairman of the Hollywood Dewey committee, those among the crowd included Cary Grant, W. C. Fields, Don Ameche, Wallace Beery, John Charles Thomas, Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck, Rosalind Russell, Joel McCrea, Leo Carrillo, Edward Arnold, Adolphe Menjou, Mary Pickford, Walter Pidgeon, Walt Disney and Ray Milland.  –EI: 09-23-1944

J. Eddie Edwards, papa of the Edwards Sisters, tells me that “the girls are going great at the Strand (NY) and enjoying working with Charlie Barnet’s orchestra.” . . . . . These darlings of tap, like so many other artists, are overlooked because they are not hog-tied with white bookers.  Willie Bryant swells with pride when referred to as the colored Bob Hope.  I have the first time to hear of a white Bert Williams, or a white Joe Louis.  –AA: 09-23-1944

HONOLULU:  Comedian Jack Benny, concluding a tour of Pacific Island bases, told a navy audience here he is expecting to become a father. . . . . “My wife, Mary Livingston, wanted to make this trip with me but one of us had to stay home and have the baby,” Benny said.  “We tossed a couple of diapers to see who would go and I won.”  –DN: 09-23-1944

Kay Kyser isn’t well yet, but he can’t stay away from radio any longer, so he and his bride are returning to take over.  Phil Harris has done a great job for Kay.  –TB: 09-23-1944

Keye Luke, Chinese film actor widely known on the screen as “Charlie Chan’s No. 1 son,” applied today for United States citizenship, the second Chinese to do so in southern California since the repeal of the Chinese exclusion act.  –DN: 09-23-1944

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.:  Pretty Lorraine Kawatoski, aged seven, is the new pinup girl of some Yanks in New Guinea. . . . . A private wrote “most of our pinups are of Hollywood stars and we get tired of looking at them . . . we are wondering if you would be our pinup girl.” . . . . . Lorraine’s picture and acceptance are on the way.  –SDC: 09-23-1944

REYKJAVIK, Iceland—Actress Marlene Dietrich arrived here last night to entertain troops.  –DN: 09-23-1944

Paul Adams, radio script writer, is penning a biography of the late Fats Waller.  –AA: 09-23-1944

HOLLYWOOD:  Paulette Goddard came from the grand ballroom set of “Kitty” sagging under the weight of 40 pounds of lavish costume (including steel hoops) and a towering wig supported precariously by a wire frame. . . . . Paulette is taking ballet lessons now—”it helps with the minuet, and with acting, too,” she said. . . . . Connie Emerald, Ida Lupino’s mother, is coaching her in Cockney dialect, and in how a Cockney like Kitty trying not to talk Cockney would talk.  Her onetime drama teacher, England’s famed Constance Collier, is in the picture with her.  –PEC: 09-23-1944

HOLLYWOOD:  Phil Terry cut a finger on the movie set here, and at once 37 nurses leaped to be first “aide.” . . . . . The cut occurred accidentally—so Phil said later. . . . . It wasn’t for a scene in RKO Radio’s filmusical, “Pan-Americans,” in which Phil stars with Audrey Long, Robert Benchley and Eve Arden. . . . . No, the nurses just happened to be on hand—a delegation from the hospital ship, the U.S.S. Hope, visiting a movie set. . . . . As the nurses surrounded Terry, Benchley sighed:  “I wish I could think of things like that.”  –TB: 09-26-1944

LOS ANGELES:  Film Actor Rod Cameron has been ordered to pay Toni St. John, Hollywood secretary, $950 to cover medical and other expenses in connection with a baby she expects to have sometime in December. . . . . Judge Goodwin Knight, in making the order pending trial of her paternity suit against the actor, held that Cameron was “possibly responsible” for the baby. . . . . Miss St. John, who previously testified that her marriage to Cameron in Tijuana last May was later annulled, asks $600 monthly support for herself and the child and $2,500 medical expenses. –DN: 09-23-1944

HOLLYWOOD:  Film Actress Rosalind Russell was in a hospital today, suffering from physical exhaustion attributed by her physician to overwork in connection with a campaign to raise funds for Sister Elizabeth Kenny’s infantile paralysis activities. . . . . Dr. Eugene Armstrong said the actress would be unable to return to her studio “for another day or two.” –SDC: 09-23-1944

A monster from Memphis has arrived.  Expressmen, collecting $8.62 at the Hollywood Canteen, delivered a 137-pound watermelon.  –DN: 09-23-1944

September 22, 1939

Hollywood Gossip

AA = The Afro American
MAS = Mt. Adams Sun
MJ = The Milwaukee Journal

Benny Goodman’s chartered a plane to rush him from one one-night stand to the next; thinks it’s too warm on trains.  –MAS:  09-22-1939

NEW YORK—Cab Calloway celebrated “Minnie the Moocher’s*” tenth birthday with a party at the Cotton Club in New York for all the entertainers and guests, on Friday night, September 15. . . . .  This marks a decade of popularity for Cab’s radio theme song and also serves as a milestone in his own career, for his fame can be measured from the first show at the old Cotton Club in Harlem, where Minnie made her debut. . . . .  Calloway’s final broadcast from the Cotton Club over WABC and the Columbia network will feature a cavalcade of songs made famous during the ten years he has played at the mecca of Harlem entertainment. . . . .  The greatest honor ever paid to “Minnie the Moocher” was being chosen as the most typical piece of modern jazz for Grace Moore to sing in the Columbia picture, “When You’re in Love.” . . . . . Cab estimates that in the past ten years he has played the number over 25,000 times.  It was used in more than fifteen different feature films and Cab will never forget the time a finicky director made the band play the tune thirteen times in one day because he did not like the expression on the drummer’s face.  “Minnie the Moocher” will go down in history with other great women like “Dinah,” “Margie,” and “Sweet Sue.”  –AA:  09-23-1939

Charles Laughton proved himself a hero recently, and the cameras weren’t grinding either.  “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” company was on location, and hundreds of extras were milling about, staging festival scenes in Fifteenth century Paris.  Part of the atmosphere was a trained bear in a cage, who was placidly eating ice cream. . . . .  Somebody bumped into the cage, as the mob pushed and shoved about, and it was overturned.  The bear, ice cream dripping from his jaws, got out—and the panic would have been on, with people convinced that the bear was frothing at the mouth, if Laughton hadn’t stepped in. . . . .  Over the public address system he reassured the crowd, telling them it was ice cream on the bear’s mouth, and that, if they would stand still, the trainer would tie the bear up. . . . .  All in the day’s work for Laughton—but can’t you see the newspaper headlines if he hadn’t kept his head?  –MAS:  09-22-1939

Hartford, Conn.—Eddie (Rochester) Anderson and Betty Grable played at the State Theatre here during the week beginning September 1.  Frankie Masters’ orchestra supplied the music.  –AA:  09-23-1939

NEW YORK—Eddie (Rochester) Anderson, Jack Benny’s unpredictable valet, will do his best to antagonize his employer once again when the Benny gang returns to the NBC Red network on October 8. . . . . Appearing on the heels of “Man About Town”, the picture in which he lent such brilliant support to Benny, Rochester had an unprecedented two-week run at the Los Angeles Paramount and has been breaking records in several spots on his tour. . . . . On October 9, the day after the Benny troupe returns to the air, Rochester will begin a 35-week motion picture contract at Paramount.  His first assignment will be in Jack’s new picture, tentatively titled, “Buck Benny Rides Again.”  –AA: 09-23-1939

Dr. George Washington Carver, famous scientist, who, as a child in the Civil War, was traded for a racehorse, will appear on “Strange as It Seems,” Thursday.  –AA:  09-23-1939**

Ida Lupino has written 30 musical compositions including the notable “Aladdin Suite” that’s been played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic!  –MJ:  09-22-1939

Since her return to radio Jessica Dragonette*** is singing better than ever before—and she’s practically the only star of the air waves who could stay away for two years and return to find that she was just as popular as ever, according to what’s happened to others who tried it.  –MAS: 09-22-1939

Linda Darnell becomes a star in “Public Deb No. 1,” with the top men at Twentieth Century-Fox all set to send her straight to the top.  She was booked for “Drums Along the Mohawk,” but they felt that the role assigned her wasn’t important enough.  –MAS:  09-22-1939

In “Golden Boy” you’ll meet a new movie hero, William Holden—six feet tall, possessed of brown hair, blue eyes, a pleasant personality, and so much ability as an actor that he was picked from 4,500 candidates for the leading role in the picture.  And some of those other candidates were experienced actors. . . . . Holden wasn’t.  He’d gone to college, and been a member of Paramount’s stock company.  It was when he took part in a college play in Pasadena that a talent scout spotted him, and he was signed to a seven-year contract.  After that he didn’t do anything but report to the studio and exercise in the gymnasium, until he made a screen test with a girl who was being considered for a role in “Golden Boy.”  Director Mamoulian saw the test, spotted Holden, Columbia bought a half-interest in him—and you’ll see him in “Golden Boy.”  –MAS:  09-22-1939

* Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher”

** Although not the episode mentioned above, click here to listen to a 1930’s episode of “Strange as it Seems.”

*** 1939-12-21:  “Good News” Program – Guest:  Jessica Dragonette

September 18, 1954
The Milwaukee Sentinel

Radio Fluffs

A recent Lawrence Welk show began, “And now you will hear Lawrence Welk and his shampoo music.”

Not too long ago Mel Allen began his program with:  “It’s Smipe Poking Time, Gentlemen.”

Ralph Edwards:  “And here is one of radio’s most charming and lovely young sinners.”

And whether it was intentional or not, it sounded very funny over WMIL recently when the announcer said:  “Here’s the weather report:  Tomorrow rowdy, followed by clain.”

~ ~ ~

This little snippet of an article, (the rest of which dealt with miscellaneous topics) brought to mind all of the hilarious “fluffs” or bloopers from the Jack Benny Show, so I thought I’d share.  All of the shows below are full episodes, but for those who just want to hear the fluff/blooper, I’ve included the time of the “fluff” underneath each link.

While compiling all of these episodes, I ran across an interesting bit of trivia on jackbenny.org.  A page on the site is entitled, “The Longest Laugh,” and includes times for most of Jack Benny’s biggest laughs on radio.  Most people think that the “Your Money or Your Life” (March 28, 1948) episode contained the longest laugh, when in fact, there are “laugh durations” that lasted 5, 6 and 7 times longer than the laughter in that particular episode.  The longest laugh is credited to the September 16, 1951 episode wherein Frank Nelson says he got his suspenders unfastened.

But this post isn’t about the longest laugh, it’s about Jack Benny Show bloopers, so here are some of the best!

12-13-1936 – Buck Benny Rides Again
(27:54)  “New Jelly Series” fluff, made by Andy Devine

03-24-1946 – “I Stand Condemned” – Guest: Peter Lorre
(07:00)  Mary fluffs “Your darn one last near made it”

10-27-1946 – Jack & Mary go to the drug store to eat
(01:23) Mary’s “Chiss Sweeze Sandwich” flub

01-08-1950 – Drew Pearson / Drear Poosen
(00:23)  Don’s “Drear Poosen” blooper*

03-26-1950 – From Palm Springs
(03:32)  Mary’s blooper about Jack’s sun suit

05-04-1950 or 05-07-1950 – Jack buys a new suit for his publicity tour
(05:25) Mary’s blunder: “If a pigeon answer, hangs up”

12-03-1950 – How Jack Found Rochester
(28:05)  Mary’s “grass reek” fluff

12-10-1950 – “Murder at the Racquet Club”
In this episode, Jack gives Mary a hard time for the previous week’s blunder.  Much of the episode ties into the “grass reek” fluff, so it’s well worth listening to the entire show.

*An interesting note from jackbenny.org:

Frank Nelson maintained that the longest laugh was actually on the January 8, 1950 show.  Early in the show, Don does a spoonerism on the name of Drew Pearson to produce “Drear Pooson”.  Frank was summoned to the tech booth where the writers sat.  They knew that in the second half of the show, Jack was to ask Frank if he was the doorman, and Frank’s response was, “Well, who do you think I am in this uniform?  Nelson Eddy?”  (Eddy was well-known for playing a Canadian Mountie.)  Jack hadn’t liked the line in rehearsal, but it had been maintained into the air script.  The writers told Frank to substitute “Drear Pooson” for “Nelson Eddy”.  Frank was reluctant, as the cast stuck very much to the script on the Benny program.  Finally he was persuaded.

At the feed line (“Are you the doorman?”), Frank recalled that a dull look came into Jack’s eyes.  When he gave his edited reply, Jack was taken completely by surprise and literally fell on the stage laughing.  He struggled to pull himself up on the curtain at the side of the stage, as the audience howled.  Finally, Jack regained his composure and went on with the skit.

RADIO NEWS
 

“Centerville Map to Macy’s for Aldrich Teen-Age Tie-Up”

NEW YORK, Sept. 2—Deal is currently cooking between Young & Rubicam and Macy’s department store here to use relief map of Centerville, locale of the Henry Aldrich show as part of a tie-up with teen-age clothes. . . . . Map, originally developed by Jim O’Bryon, former Y&R flack now heading up the press department at Mutual, was planted in Life mag last week by Les Gottleib, new radio publicity man at the agency. . . . . If the Macy deal goes thru, the gimmick will be toured around the country at other stores. –The Billboard: 09-09-1944
 

“No Benny Brass”

Click image to see all available merchandise with this design, from Our Krazy Kulture!

SOUTH PACIFIC, Sept. 2—During Jack Benny’s tour of the South Pacific the radio comedian and members of his show have been insistent that enlisted men have front seats.  Writing home about it, harmonica player Larry Adler says:  “Figure it out for yourself.  Some of these G.I.’s come in early in the morning and sit in the hot sun all day so that they’ll have good seats at night.  If there is a reserved officers’ section, that is marked off and remains vacant.  Then, just before show time, the brass march in.  How do you think that appeals to the G.I. who’s been sweating out the show for several hours?. . . . . “Anyway, this time we had to put our foot down.  To one officer who suggested that we should leave the handling of our show to the officers at the base, Jack replied: ‘How would you like us to say to you, we don’t like your going after the Japs in this direction; we think you ought to go in that direction?’”. . . . . Adler added that the policy brought its own reward “in the form of a letter from one company, signed by every G.I. in it.”  –The Billboard: 09-16-1944
 

“Philco May Get Groucho; Budget is Sliced Plenty”

NEW YORK, Sept. 9—Philco show, which is set for an early October preem over the Blue, may have Groucho Marx as emsee in place of Deems Taylor, who handled it last winter.  Justin Herman, who is with Paramount Pictures in New York, will probably get scripting chore, according to trade rumors. . . . . It’s understood that the program’s budget will be cut some from the lavish outlay of last year.  Cuts, it’s said, will reduce the number of acts and their importance considerably.  –The Billboard: 09-16-1944
 

“Bush Leaguers Yen for Radio Tix; Big-City GI’s Want Legit”

Click image to see all available merchandise with this design, from Our Krazy Kulture!

NEW YORK, Sept. 9—Servicemen from small towns who visit New York want to see radio shows in the flesh, but their big-city comrades-in-arms go in for the more sophisticated entertainment, according to an informal poll conducted by The Billboard among G.I.’s and civilian personnel who serve them at the 99 Park Avenue office of the New York City Defense Recreation Committee. . . . . An entirely more mature approach to entertainment seems to characterize the city boys when they request tickets.  They have definite preferences and lean to musicals, legit and good pix and stageshows.  The rustics want to see in the flesh the radio personalities they have listened to for many years.  It doesn’t seem to make much difference what program they see, as long as they see it in operation. . . . . Movies seem to be last in popularity, a significant point that is attributed to the fact that army camps and naval stations, at home and overseas, are adequately serviced by pix.  The service emphasis is on flesh shows, but definitely.  Musicals, legit drama, radio and movies—this is important—movies that have stageshows with them, are what the serviceman, whether he has been overseas or is stationed here, wants more for entertainment. . . . . Legit, the poll shows, becomes increasingly popular each week.  A new post-war audience of considerable size is being built by these latest theatergoers.  It is said that promotion gimmicks, like separate servicemen’s matinees, as well as the oaklies handed out at 99 Park, are helping to create good will for legit that will pay off in the years to come. . . . . There is little or no difference in taste between branches of the service.  What does count, as pointed out above, is where a guy hails from.  . . . . . You can’t beat it.  The hinterlands think differently than the cities.  –The Billboard: 09-16-1944
 

“Theater Wing to Continue GI Work Post-War”

NEW YORK, Sept. 9—American Theater Wing, in keeping with the policy already expressed by USO-CSI and other wartime entertainment, will step up its activity come peacetime. . . . . No change in policy is contemplated, with the Stage Door Canteen to continue operation as in the past, while a recent meeting of the executive board decided to form additional canteens for field work.  The latter decision came as a result of a request received by Col. Marvin Young, of Army Special Service, for additional entertainment and entertainers for the post-war set-up which includes shows for the army of occupation and continued amusement features for those troops still in combat areas. . . . . In relation to the Theater Wing’s canteen, the cease-firing order will have no effect on its radio airing of Stage Door Canteen, broadcasting of which the ATW hopes will continue for an indefinite period.  –The Billboard: 09-16-1944
 

“Morris Office Setting Pitts”

NEW YORK, Sept. 9—Zasu Pitts is being lined up by the William Morris Agency for a package dramatization of the Miss Market stories by Agatha Cristie. . . . . American Radio & Television Company wants the show, but it is understood that William Morris prefers to offer it to Pillsbury Flour thru McCann-Erickson ad agency. . . . . Actress has given her approval to the deal with either outfit.  –The Billboard: 09-16-1944

American Royalty: President John and Jackie Kennedy stroll the White House grounds.

It was a star-studded event. It was Saturday, May 19, 1962, and the young, dashing, and popular U.S. President John F. Kennedy was turning 45. The Democratic Party held a huge fundraiser at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The birthday salute was televised before a national audience and 15,000 people had paid for seats to catch the show live at the Garden. The cream of American show business turned out to pay homage to Kennedy - Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Jack Benny, Henry Fonda, Harry Belafonte. Greek opera diva Maria Callas was also there. Actor Peter Lawford, the president’s brother-in-law, served as master-of-ceremonies. But the pièce de résistance – the showstopper – was the performer who sang the finale – sexpot and film star Marilyn Monroe.

First Lady Jackie Kennedy riding horses with her children at their Middleburg, Virginia, retreat "Glen Ora." Jackie grew up surrounded by horses and was an accomplished equestrian. President John Kennedy did not share her passion for horse shows and riding. He was allergic to horse hair. November 19, 1962.

It seemed that everyone was there – except the honoree’s wife – Jackie Kennedy. The president attended the ceremony without the First Lady at his side. When Jackie had learned that Marilyn was to be performing at the benefit, she decided she was not about to attend. She instead became a last-minute participant in the Loudoun Hunt Horse Show at Glen Ora, her weekend home.  Jackie knew that her husband and Marilyn Monroe were lovers – and Jackie was not about to have her nose rubbed into it in front of a national audience.

Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) was wild for Jack Kennedy. She accepted the invitation to appear in New York in violation of her contract with Twentieth-Century Fox – and their relationship was already at its breaking point. Production on her latest film, “Something’s Got to Give,” had been on start/stop for months due to Marilyn’s chronic tardiness and absence.  Marilyn was in a narcotics and booze nosedive and living on impulse. She was in hot pursuit of Jack Kennedy and nothing would get in her way. She was scheduled to sing “Happy Birthday” to the president.

Marilyn Monroe in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" (1963)

“All weekend, the white-carpeted, unfurnished rooms at Fifth Helena echoed with Marilyn’s whispery voice. She lay in the tub singing “Happy Birthday.” She sat on the living room floor, endlessly tape recording and listening to herself….” (1)

Then, ignoring the studio’s stern warning, Marilyn flew from Hollywood to New York with Peter Lawford, singing on the airplane. She continued to practice once in her New York apartment. Those who listened said her interpretation grew sexier, more and more outrageous. Friend Paula Strasberg warned that it verged on self-parody.

Finally, the night of the performance arrived. Backstage, Marilyn got into her costume – a flesh-toned slip of a dress by Jean-Louis sewn with 2500 rhinestones. The gown was so snug Marilyn had to be sewn into it. Paralyzed with stage fright, Marilyn kept ignoring her cue to appear on stage. She hung back, drowning her fears in alcohol, before Milt Ebbins shoved her onto the stage.

“She walked like a geisha….” (1)

“The figure was famous and, for one breathless moment, the 15,000 people in Madison Square Garden thought they were going to see all of it. Onto the stage sashayed Marilyn Monroe, attired in a great bundle of white mink. Arriving at the lectern, she turned and swept the furs from her shoulders. A slight gasp rose from the audience before it was realized that she was really wearing a skintight flesh-toned gown.” (2)

Marilyn Monroe at the microphone singing "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," at President John F. Kennedy's birthday bash, May 19, 1962.

“When she came down in that flesh-colored dress, without any underwear on…” said Hugh Sidey of Time, “you could just smell lust. I mean, Kennedy went limp or something. We all were just stunned to see this woman.”

“What an ass…what an ass,” whispered Kennedy.

“Happy…Birthday…to you,” Marilyn began to sing [whisper]. (3)

Her rendition of “Happy Birthday, Mister President” – was soft, seductive, and pathetic. The 35-year-old Marilyn was high as a kite (and wearing a wig that was slipping). Columnist Dorothy Kilgallen called it nothing less than:

 “…making love to the President in the direct view of forty million Americans.”

President John F. Kennedy speaks to the audience at Madison Square Garden at his 45th birthday bash, May 19, 1962.

At the end of the performance, a noticeably-embarrassed President Kennedy took to the stage and announced disingenuously:

“I can now retire from politics after having had Happy Birthday sung to me in such a sweet wholesome way.”  (2)

At an after-party, a photographer caught President Kennedy and brother Robert Kennedy hovering over Marilyn in the library, still wearing the see-through dress Marilyn called “skin and beads.”  

Bobby Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, and President John Kennedy gather following Monroe's iconic performance of "Happy Birthday, Mr. President," at Madison Square Garden, May 19, 1962. Marilyn is still wearing the gown she wore in the performance which she referred to as "skin and beads." The auction house Christie's later sold this dress for $1.2 million, the most money ever paid for a dress.

Kennedy’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Adlai Stevenson, was at the party and saw Marilyn’s “skin and beads” dress. He later wrote to Mary Lasker:

“I didn’t see the beads!”

Greek opera diva Maria Callas (1923-1977) laughs it up with blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe at President Kennedy's 45th birthday bash at Madison Square Garden, May 19, 1962. First Lady Jackie Kennedy did not attend the celebration. Marilyn Monroe was President Kennedy's lover when Jackie was Mrs. Kennedy. Maria Callas was the clandestine lover of Aristotle Onassis when Jackie was Mrs. Onassis.

Jackie Kennedy watched Marilyn’s performance on TV the next day. She was livid. The rumors about Jack and Marilyn were flying. Jackie called up sister-in-law Ethel Kennedy and complained that she just knew Bobby had staged the prank. Jackie ordered Jack to stop seeing Marilyn. (4) Jack also sent word to the press that there was nothing to the rumors of an extramarital affair between him and Marilyn Monroe, which, we know, was a lie.

President Kennedy broke off the relationship with Marilyn. Her performance at Madison Square Garden became her last public appearance. Marilyn became profoundly affected by the break-up with the President and her loss of  other men, including ex-husband Arthur Miller, who had recently remarried.

As a result, the summer following the Madison Square Garden show,  Marilyn dove deeper and deeper into a downward spiral of drugs and alcohol, storm and stress, and depressed isolation. Out of necessity, the production of her film, “Something’s Got to Give” came to a halt, because the star was a “no-show” on the set.

 The movie was never finished. On August 5, Marilyn Monroe – born Norma Jeane Baker - was found dead in her home from a drug overdose – an apparent suicide – and the world was shocked.

Goodbye, Norma Jeane

(1) Leaming, Barbara. Marilyn Monroe. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1998.

(2) Smith, Sally Bedell.Grace and Power: The Private World of the Kennedy White House. New York: Random House, Inc., 2004. (excerpted from a Time magazine article)

(3) Klein, Edward. All Too Human: The Love Story of Jack and Jackie Kennedy. New York: Pocket Books, 1996.

(4) Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Jackie Ethel Joan. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 2000.

*Readers: I’ve written many posts on Jackie O and the Kennedys. Please look in the right sidebar – Categories – People – the Kennedys. Enjoy!

ABC CHANGES THREE TITLES

NEW YORK, Sept. 4—ABC-TV is changing the titles of three of its upcoming fall shows. . . . . It’s Jimmy Nelson comedy-quiz stanza, up to now called “Take My Word” has been re-named “Come Closer.”  The Sterling Drug Friday night mystery film series, “Action” has been re-dubbed “The Vise.”  No final decision has been reached on a new name for “Postal Inspector,” the Thursday night Prockter package.  (Billboard, Sep. 11, 1954)

AMOS ‘N’ ANDY SIGNED FOR TV COLOR COMMERCIALS

The Amos ‘n’ Andy television package, starring Alvin Childress, Spencer Williams and Tim Moore, was signed by CBS television to help showcase a new line of color TV sets.  The show will be used on alternate weeks in Columbia’s $2 million program to push color TV.  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN MERCHANDISING PROMOTION

NEW YORK, Sept. 4—Magic tricks will make their way into the TV film merchandising field as part of the array of promotion material being lined up by ABC Film Syndication for its new “Mandrake, the Magician” series.  The firm’s merchandising-promotion chief, Lee Francis, is preparing merchandising material to offer sponsors of the series. . . . . Among the items being set are Mandrake comic books, which can be imprinted with the sponsor’s name.  King Features reportedly has offered to help sponsors of the series tie in with newspapers carrying the Mandrake strip.  Envisioned is a cross-plug tie-in whereby the sponsor and station carrying the show get a “Watch Mandrake” line over the comic strip in return for a “Read Mandrake” plug on the air.  (Billboard, Sep. 11, 1954)

Mandrake the Magician Comic Strip - September 12, 1954

NAT KING COLE TO STAR ON SUMMER COMEDY HOUR

Singer Nat (King) Cole will guest star on NBC-TV’s Colgate Summer Comedy Hour (Sun., September 5, 8 p.m. EDT).  It will be Cole’s last television appearance before he begins a 30-stop one-nighter tour.  Cole has also signed to sing the theme song in the 20th Century Fox CinemaScope movie, The Adventures of Hajai Baba.  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

THE WHISTLER

NEW YORK, Sept. 4—Lindsley Parsons Productions, Inc., will produce 26 half hours of “The Whistler” for CBS-TV Film Sales.  Producing the show for Parsons will be Joel Malone.  Parsons produced “Files of Jeffrey Jones” for CBS-TV Film Sales. . . . . The show has been sold to Signal Oil on an alternate week basis on the West Coast.  Lipton Tea has bought the property in some markets on alternate weeks.  (Billboard, Sep. 11, 1954)

ROY ROGERS AND DALE EVANS will present Trigger Jr. in his stage debut when the two NBC Western stars appear at the 76th Annual Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto August 27 to September 11  (Billboard, Sep. 11, 1954)

Bobby Jones vs. Jimmy Martinez in 10-round middleweight bout (Mon., September 13, 10 p.m. EDT) on Dumont TV.  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

Eartha Kitt on Person to Person (Fri., September 10, 10:30 p.m. EDT) on CBS-TV  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

Louis Armstrong’s “half-fast” remark on the Tommy Dorsey TV show caused station officials to warn him to cut out jokes and just play his horn on future appearances.  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

P. Jay Sidney on U.S. Steel Hour in “Notebook Warrior” (Tues., September 14, 9:30 p.m. EDT) on ABC-TV  (Jet Magazine, September, 1954)

Today’s TV Highlights
(Sep. 12, 1954)

Preston Foster and Patricia Ellis are starred in the 11 a.m. movie today over WCAN-TV, “Lady in the Morgue.”

Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell is the “Man of the Week” on the program of the same name on WCAN-TV at 3 p.m.

“Lassie” debuts on WCAN-TV at 5 p.m.  The famous Hollywood canine will be featured in a series of dramatic stories starring Tommy Rettig as his master.

Betty Hutton stars in an original musical comedy, “Satins and Spurs,” at 5:30 tonight over WTMJ-TV, Gene Raymond is also cast.

At 6 p.m. Ed Sullivan will present “live” from Hollywood the “Darryl F. Zanuck Story,” and among the stars to salute the veteran producer will be Jack Benny, Tyrone Power, Clifton Webb, Dick Powell, Tony Martin, Shirley Temple, Dan Dailey and others.

A Note from Vicki:  I was able to find two of the shows mentioned in this post, both of which aired on tomorrow’s date, sixty years ago!  You can listen to them both via the below links.

The first is The Jack Benny Program, first show of the new season. (09-11-1949)  The second show is Our Miss Brooks, starring Eve Arden.

Happy listening & happy reading!

~ ~ ~

Many Name Shows Return to Air This Weekend After Summer Vacation

New Program, Family Close-Up, Scheduled;
Theater Guild Opens Fifth Season
With Broadway Hit, ‘Dream Girl’

September 10, 1949

The big news in radio this weekend is the return of many popular programs from their summer vacations.  Jack Benny, Eve Arden, the Quiz Kids, Theater Guild on the Air—are all returning to spots tomorrow.

. . . Family Close-up is the new series of “living dramas” presented tomorrow (6:30 p.m., WTOL), which will portray the conflicts existing in most average families, and isolate causes of tension in modern family life.  The first program will deal with the unwilling scholar on her first day back at school, and will be followed by successive shows ranging from the unemployed father to unwelcome grandparents.

VARIETY

Jack Benny will return tomorrow (7 p.m., WJR) with the whole gang:  Mary Livingstone, Rochester, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, Don Wilson and the Sportsmen.  The theme will be “back to work,” with tales by members of the cast on how they spent their vacations.

The Quiz Kids also are returning tomorrow (3:30 p.m., WSPD) with genial Joe Kelly as chief quizzer.  Joel Kupperman, now 13, and Ruthie Duskin, 15, are among those who will participate.

Another quiz show of a different type, Take It or Leave It, has a new quizmaster:  Eddie Cantor.  The show, which will be heard tomorrow (10 p.m., WSPD), remains the same format with the $64 question.

School returns to the air, too, as Our Miss Brooks, starring Eve Arden as the witty schoolmarm, turns to a new time tomorrow (6:30 p.m., WJR).

DRAMA

John Lund and Betty Field will be heard on the opening program of the fifth season of Theater Guild on the Air tomorrow (8:30 p.m., WSPD).  The first attraction will be a dramatization of the hit broadway play, “Dream Girl,” in which Miss Field played the original role.

Bela Lugosi and Basil Rathbone team up on Tales of Fatima tonight (9:30, WJR).  Set in London, the drama relates the story of the son of a prominent family who follows a bizarre career of crime.

Here’s something different in radio mysteries:  two horses die of fright.  They’re bothered by the ghost of another horse, Muggy Doone, on House of Mystery today (4 p.m., CKLW).

MUSIC VARIETY

Tony Martin will by Kay Arman’s guest tomorrow (10:30 p.m., WSPD).  Tony will sing “Some Enchanted Evening”; Kay will offer “Let’s Take an Old Fashioned Walk,” and the choir will present “The Whiffenpoof Song.”

Guy Lombardo’s last program before Phil Harris and Alice Faye take over next week will feature songs Lombardo predicts will become hits of tomorrow.  The show is heard tomorrow (7:30 p.m., WSPD).

The concert pianist guest on Piano Playhouse tomorrow (12:30 p.m., WTOL) is Jesus Maria Sanroma, who will appear with jazz artist Teddy Wilson and regulars Stand Freeman and Cy Walter.

MUSIC

The NBC Symphony Orchestra returns to its regular Saturday spot today (6:30 p.m., WSPD) in a program conducted by Walter Ducloux, music authority on the State Departments Voice of America programs.  The program will include the overture to Weber’s “Oberon,” Suk’s “Serenade for Strings” and a selection from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Le Coq d’Or.”

Bernard Herrmann, directing the CBS Symphony Orchestra tomorrow (3 p.m., WJR) will present a concert of all-British music.  Included will be “A London Symphony” by Vaughan-Williams and “In a Summer Garden.”

The Symphonette tomorrow (5:30 p.m., WJR) will offer “Song Without Words,” “Turkish March” and “Two Guitars.”

Toledo Blade

A Note from Vicki:  Alternative titles to this post could have been “P.M.M.F.T.” (Pall Mall’s Mean Fine Tobacco), “Pall Mall’s taste better, cleaner, fresher, smoother,” or “Light a Pall Mall, and feel your level best!”

To hear the show referred to in this post (Jack Benny’s first show of the 1944 season) click here.

It May Be Luckies for Benny this Fall
September 2, 1944

HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 26—Jack Benny may switch over to Lucky Strike ciggies instead of making the pitch for Pall Mall, as was originally intended on his new contract.  Reason given for change was scarcity of product.

Bob Ballin has been named as producer for the new series by Ruthrauff & Ryan.  He trains in next week to start lining up material for starter which tees off October 8.

The Billboard

Dear Diary,

I had a holiday today, so I had a lot of fun (?) by getting my hair washed. That old March wind was really cutting up all day, so just to be foolish, I left the beauty shop and went right down town. Boy, if my hair wasn’t a mess! It was worth it though, because I saw Bob Hope in the newsreel. It was made at the Academy Award banquet and it showed Bob presenting the special cigar-smoking Oscar to Jack Benny. The two of them looked so chummy with their arms around each other. I expected one of them to suddenly kiss the other or some silly thing almost as ridiculous, but they didn’t. They just shook hands like old friends instead of like two long lost buddies. I wonder if they really felt as chummy as they looked. If not, they’re both good actors.

August 30, 1939

Washington Too Far From Rochester

Eddie Anderson, who is Jack Benny’s famous negro stooge, “Rochester,” on the radio, plays the role of “Washington,” Robert Young’s valet in “Honolulu,” now at the State theater.  When Director Eddie Buzzell called him for his first scene he addressed him as Washington.  “Couldn’t you make that name Syracuse or Elmira, Mr Buzzell?” queried Eddie.  “They’re a little closer to Rochester.”

Eugene Register-Guard

August 31, 1944

Little Things About the Stars
by George Lilley

New York, N.Y.—That genial gentleman, Tommy Dorsey, learned to use his dukes early.  It seems he and brother Jimmy when kids were locked in the cellar by Tommy Dorsey, Sr., leader of the Shenandoah (Pa.) brass band, with one saxophone and let fight to see who would toot it.  But Abe Lyman and Phil Harris are rated the most formidable guys with their fists in show business.  Bing Crosby, until his Thursday night radio program made him too big a proposition to risk, once averaged a street fight a month and usually won.

Newest entry in the swooner sweepstakes is Andy Russell, talented 23-year-old Mexican.  He’s now singing Sunday nights on a program over NBC with comedian Jackie Gleason.  He’s rated in the Sinatra league, although not as experienced.  Russell got sick when he came East by train.  Said he never had been on a train before.

Comedians Never End

The comedy field is the hardest to break into, especially on the radio, but once started there seems no end.  Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Bob Hope, Eddie Cantor and Ed Wynn, the latter back Sept. 8 on the Blue network, all have been before the microphones since radio’s infancy days and always making more money.  On the other hand successful newcomers have been few.  Jackie Gleason, the roly-poly 250-pounder from Brooklyn (28 years old), and a young Canadian, Alan Young, performing Tuesday nights on the Blue network, are the best hopes of ‘44.

Gorgeous Georgia Caroll, the Kay Kyser vocalist (and Mrs. Kyser).  With a name like that, she’d sound sweet if she couldn’t sing at all.  Incidentally, a young songstress by the name of Fredda Bibson batted around a long while and never got anywhere until she changed her name to Georgia Gibbs.

Sidelights

Rudy Vallee’s brother, William Lynch Vallee, is an ace magazine writer.  Lynch is the family name.  Rudy, who after a spell in the Coast Guard goes back to broadcasting Sept. 9 on NBC, was born Hubert Pryor Lynch.

Kate Smith is an avid baseball fan and has a financial interest in several small clubs.  Her manager, Ted Collins, owns the Boston Yanks football team.  Al Jolson once backed fighter Henry Armstrong.  Colonel Stoopnagle owned a fighter, Lee Q. Murray.  Frank Sinatra, the Wednesday night vitamin vocalist, had a big slice of heavyweight Tami Mauriello, but recently sold out.

Very Little Things

Jane Froman lisps off the air but you would never know it from her singing.  Bob Ripley conquers a similar impediment.  Kay Francis has trouble with her “r’s.”  Scripts for her are re-written around them. 

After his Wednesday night broadcast on CBS Alan Jones treats himself to a big dinner of ham and eggs at a corner drug store.  No appetite before that.

Don McNeill, the Breakfast Club funster eats lunch at 9:30 a.m.  He gets up at 5 a.m. to make the show from his country home.

The draft already has gotten two Henry Aldrichs.  The third, 18-year-old Dick Jones, hopes to be around for the show’s early September start on CBS.

Ed (Archie) Gardner’s real name is Ed Poggenburg, Dutch-Irish.  That’s why he uses the name “Poggenburg Funeral Parlors” occasionally in comedy on the “Duffy’s Tavern” program (resuming Sept. 15 on NBC).  Nobody can sue him for use of the name!

Morton Downey hates to be called a crooner.  Says he just sings.

The Sherbrooke Telegram

From the same paper:

Picture star, radio favorite and hailed as “King of the Juke Boxes,” Dick Haymes has zoomed to top rank in less than 24 months.

Something of a frustrated song writer, Dick Haymes’ songs failed to click with Harry James—but his voice got him a job.  Dick left to start his own orchestra, only to see his hopes dissolve in thin air when the draft took his key men.

Tommy Dorsey next asked Haymes to come with him to Hollywood, and Haymes, his beautiful wife Joanne, and Skipper, his infant son, trekked West.  He played in “DuBarry Was a Lady,” disguised in a powdered wig and knee breeches, and found that he was just another costume left on the cutting room floor.  Discouraged, he went back to New York.

But it was when Haymes put himself under the able managerial wing of shrewd Bill Burton that his fortune really changed.  Within a short time Burton had the brilliant young baritone booked into La Martinique in New York, had him record “You’ll Never Know” with a vocal background—the orchestra recording ban was on—and with the record selling well past the million mark, took Haymes to Hollywood.  There, Twentieth Century Fox signed him to a seven-year film contract and laid plans to groom him for stardom.

From Wikipedia

I Love to Singa is both the title of a song written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg and a later Merrie Melodies animated short subject based on that song. Arlen and Harburg originally wrote the tune for the 1936 Warner Bros. feature-length film The Singing Kid. It is performed three times in the film: first by Al Jolson and Cab Calloway, then by the Yacht Club Boys and Jolson, and finally again by Calloway and Jolson.

During this period, it was customary for Warners to have their animation production partner, Leon Schlesinger Productions, make Merrie Melodies cartoons based upon songs from their features. One of the resulting short subjects, I Love to Singa, was directed by Tex Avery and released by Warners on July 18, 1936. The cartoon, one of the earliest Merrie Melodies produced in Technicolor’s 3-strip process, is recognized[by whom?] as one of Avery’s early masterpieces.

Plot
I Love to Singa depicts the story of a young owlet who wants to sing jazz, instead of the classical music that his German parents wish him to perform. The plot is a light-hearted tribute to that of Al Jolson’s film The Jazz Singer.

The young owl, voiced by Tommy Bond, best known as “Butch” of the Our Gang (Little Rascals) films, is unjustly kicked out of his family’s house by his disciplinarian violinist father (voiced by Billy Bletcher) after he is caught singing jazz instead of “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes” to the reed (pump) organ accompaniment of his mother (voiced by Martha Wentworth). While wandering, he comes across a radio amateur contest, hosted by “Jack Bunny” (a pun on Jack Benny), and billing himself as “Owl Jolson” (a pun on Al Jolson), wins the contest, but not before his father has finally seen his son’s potential and allowed him to freely sing jazz.

Cultural influence
The I Love to Singa cartoon has taken on something of a cult following in recent years. In the “Cartman Gets an Anal Probe” episode of the cartoon South Park, characters Eric Cartman and Officer Barbrady lapse into Owl Jolson’s odd song-and-dance routine whenever they get hit with an alien beam. In Warners’ 2003 film Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Owl Jolson’s dance sequence from I Love to Singa repeatedly appears on the video screen of the ACME Corp. Chairman (played by Steve Martin), since he cannot properly operate his remote control. He also shows up in the Looney Tunes: Back in Action game, in the France, Las Vegas, and Africa levels. He can be turned on and shut off by being hit by either character. When approached, Bugs and Daffy will make comments.

I Love to Singa was reissued in the Blue Ribbon series in the early 1940s, but was restored with original titles. This version was included in the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol. 2 DVD box set, released in 2004. It is also included as a special feature on the Warner Bros. DVD releases of the 1927 Al Jolson film The Jazz Singer and the 2006 CGI animated film Happy Feet.

Television airings
This was one of many WB cartoons released prior to August 1, 1948 that was sold to Associated Artists Productions (a.a.p.) in 1956. That company’s library would change hands several times over the years, ending up with Turner Entertainment in 1986, and years later became a staple of Cartoon Network’s programming. This cartoon (among a select few such as Nasty Quacks) continued to show the a.a.p. logo into the 2000s (Nasty Quacks still carries it), even as other cartoons in the a.a.p. package were remastered as “dubbed versions” without the a.a.p. logo (although a “dubbed version” of this cartoon was also made, and has aired a few times).
Edits
When this cartoon aired on TNT’s short-lived children’s program, “The Rudy and Go-Go Show,” the part where Owl Jolson is forced to sing “To Cilia” and some scenes of the auditions for Jack Bunny’s radio show were cut for time compression.

From Wikipedia

Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur is a 1939 Merrie Melodies animated cartoon short directed by Chuck Jones and produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions for Warner Bros. Pictures. The cartoon is notable as being the first Daffy Duck cartoon directed by Jones. Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur is set in the Stone Age and features Daffy Duck, a caveman named Casper (a caricature of Jack Benny), and his pet dinosaur, Fido. As usual, Mel Blanc provides the voice of Daffy here, while Casper was performed by Jack Lescoulie.

The film is in the public domain and is available on several low-budget home video releases in an unrestored form (Associated Artists Productions and later United Artists acquired the rights to many of the pre-August 1948 WB cartoons and let the colors of the prints fade with age). A restored and remastered version is available on DVD as part of disc 4 of Volume 3 of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection.

Plot
The Cartoon opens with a note from the director:

For no particular reason, this story is set in the stone age, millions and billions and trillions of years ago, probably before some of you were even born

Casper (a caveman) and Fido (a brontosaurus) go duck hunting and find Daffy. Casper slingshots a rock at Daffy, but Daffy manages to avoid it by disguising himself as a traffic cop. When the rock realizes that it has been tricked, it backtracks towards Daffy but ends up hitting Fido. Fido proceeds to perform a dazed dance.

Daffy snatches Casper’s slingshot and tricks Casper into thinking that swimming is not allowed (to prevent him from pursuing him). Subsequently, Casper and Fido leave, but Daffy, knowing that Casper won’t give up, paints himself on a nearby stone. Casper, holding a stone club, sees the painting and bashes it, but the force backfires and makes Casper dizzy. Daffy gives Casper a glass of water, which cures the dizziness and earns Daffy Casper’s trust. Daffy, however, gives Casper a card advertising a rare, gigantic duck living nearby, which Casper and Fido begin to hunt, following signs planted by Daffy. They eventually reach the duck (actually an inflatable balloon pumped up by Daffy), terrifying Casper until Daffy gives Casper a knife with which to stab the duck. Casper does so, and the ensuing explosion destroys the whole place.

The episode ends showing Daffy, Casper and Fido in Heaven, sitting on clouds, Fido playing a harp while Daffy and Casper lament their mistakes.

Jones’ direction
Most of Chuck Jones-directed cartoons from this era (such as the ones featuring Sniffles the Mouse), were very heavily inspired by Walt Disney’s cartoon shorts, placing more emphasis on story and animation than gags. Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur shows the faintest hints of deviation from such cartoons, which would eventually lead to the fast-paced Jones cartoons of the 1940s, such as The Dover Boys and The Draft Horse.

This is also an important milestone in the evolution of Daffy Duck’s personality. While Tex Avery and Bob Clampett had depicted Daffy as completely insane, irrational, and uncontrollable in their previous cartoons with the character, Jones depicted Daffy here as somewhat more thoughtful and calculating. Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng would continue to develop Daffy’s personality in this direction throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Movie connection
A scene from this cartoon appeared in the movie Hide and Seek, starring Robert DeNiro and Dakota Fanning.
A scene from this short also appeared in a dinosaur educational film.
A few clips from the cartoon are played on the TV seen in the the music video of “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was Not Was.
A short clip from this cartoon also appeared on an episode of the educational television program, Bill Nye the Science Guy.
A couple short clips from this cartoon appeared on the Star Trek Voyager episode “Memorial”.

WARNING
This cartoon contains racially offensive scenes.

Goofy Groceries contains another appearance by Jack Bunny…..and Rochester, at the end.  Several OTR references are made, but the one that stands out the most to me is the reference to “The Aldrich Family,” when mother gorilla cries, “Hen-reee!”

Dear Diary,

I got the best golfing picture of Bob Hope today that I ever got. He has on white pants and a dark sweater, and the most determined look on his face I ever saw on anyone. Standing beside Bob, watching the flight of the ball, is Bill Stern, who also hain’t no slouch when it comes to looks. At the time, Bill was getting the low-down on some of Hollywood’s better sportsmen. He said that Bob astonished him by hitting the ball so far the caddies couldn’t even find it.

At the Academy Award banquet last night, Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her work in “Suspicion” and Gary Cooper received one for “Sergeant York.” Bob Hope was m.c., as usual. He didn’t get any special award, but he gave an Oscar in skirts, with a cigar in its moth, to Jack Benny for being the year’s outstanding cigar-smoking sweater girl. (Charlie’s Aunt.)

Dear Diary,

Linda Darnell visited Sunset today. She came in my Latin class during the last period. I sit on the front row, so I got a very close view. I actually believe she’s got everything they say she has, because even at that close range she was a dream, and I never saw such a complexion. Wow! This was the second time I have seen her, because I saw her on the Majestic stage in connection with her first picture, “Hotel for Women.”

Hedda Hopper said today that in “The Road to Morocco” Bob Hope again dresses as a woman—his own aunt. She said that she, for one, was tired of seeing comedians dressed as women. Jack Benny did it in “Charley’s Aunt,” Bob did it “Nothing But the Truth,” William Powell did it in “Love Crazy,” Joe E. Brown will do it in his forthcoming picture, “Shut My Big Mouth,” and not Bob does it again! I can’t say that I blame Hedda one bit.

One of my all-time favorite films is Annie Hall.  I like many things about it – it’s a Romantic Comedy that, unlike most current examples of that genre, actually manages to be both romantic and funny.  Woody’s love interest is even age-appropriate.  But one thing that I really enjoy about it is Woody Allen’s use of classic old jokes to frame and explicate the story. 

The movie begins with Woody’s character, Alvy Singer, talking directly into the camera: 

“There’s an old joke – um… two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ‘em says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’  The other one says, ‘Yeah, I know; and such small portions.’  Well, that’s essentially how I feel about life – full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it’s all over much too quickly.  The… the other important joke, for me, is one that’s usually attributed to Groucho Marx; but, I think it appears originally in Freud’s ‘Wit and Its Relation to the Unconscious,’ and it goes like this – I’m paraphrasing – um, ‘I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.’  That’s the key joke of my adult life, in terms of my relationships with women.¹” 

In a perfect bookend, the film concludes with a voice-over by Alvy: 

“After that it got pretty late, and we both had to go, but it was great seeing Annie again.  I… I realized what a terrific person she was, and… and how much fun it was just knowing her; and I… I, I thought of that old joke, y’know, the, this… this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, ‘Doc, uh, my brother’s crazy; he thinks he’s a chicken.’  And, uh, the doctor says, ‘Well, why don’t you turn him in?’  The guy says, ‘I would, but I need the eggs.’  Well, I guess that’s pretty much now how I feel about relationships; y’know, they’re totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and… but, uh, I guess we keep goin’ through it because, uh, most of us… need the eggs.²”

I still think it’s a brilliant narrative device.  So much so, that today I’m going to “borrow” it for my blog. 

There’s a classic joke, attributed to Jack Benny (who built much of his comic persona around being a cheapskate), that goes something like this:

Jack Benny went to his doctor for a physical.  The doctor took x-rays and, after looking at them said, “Mr. Benny, you need an operation, and it is going to cost you $400.”  And Jack Benny responded by saying, “Doctor, for $25 can’t you just touch up the x-rays?” 

This joke applies in so many situations… how many times have we seen people avoid dealing with the underlying cause of a problem and opt instead to do something (pick your adjective: quick, easy, cheap…) that temporarily disguises it?  How often have we done it ourselves? 

I don’t want to get too political in this blog, but one obvious resonance of this joke is the current effort at healthcare reform.  I suspect that  any legislation we’re likely to get will only “touch up the x-rays.” 

Additionally, this joke illuminates far too many business situations. 

[Sidebar:  In my very first post I mocked the idea that I might discuss training in this blog.  Well, I promise that I won’t make a habit of it, honest!] 

I’ve been working in the training profession for 25+ years… I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people in positions of authority ask me, essentially, to “touch up the x-rays.”  In the corporate environment, when it comes to employee learning and development, you often are in situations where there isn’t enough money or resources or management support to actually address performance issues.  What management inevitably wants is for you to do something – specifically something cheap – that appears to make things better. 

Of course, spending any money on something you know is worthless doesn’t seem like much of a bargain to me.  Here’s an example of a situation where I declined to “touch up the x-rays”: 

In the early ‘90s, I was the senior instructional designer at a large Savings & Loan (remember those?).  As part of a big push to get tellers and new accounts staff to cross-sell³products to our customers, they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars developing a computer application called CSI (in this case the acronym stood for “Customer Sales Information”) that would show employees all the products a customer had.  It was launched with great fanfare (and a small training effort orchestrated by the Regional Operations Supervisors).  The  IT (Information Technology) folks tracked the application and found it wasn’t being used much at most branches.  My boss was contacted because IT wanted our department to “design a training program.”

I asked, “But, weren’t the branch employees already trained?”

IT replied, “Yes, but it must not have been enough.”  Immediately, my B.S. detector went off.  

I looked at the usage reports and found 1 local branch that was using CSI and 1 that wasn’t.  I called and scheduled visits.  As I suspected, the employees knew how to use the system.  What I learned was that CSI required a supervisor override for a teller or new accounts person to access it.  To top it off, the branch that wasusing CSI was, in fact, technically violating company policy, by having the supervisor enter the override for each teller and new accounts person before the branch opened.

I recommended that:
a)   IT should eliminate the supervisor override and
b)   I would develop a job aid (a.k.a. a “cheat sheet”) for quick reference by the branch employees. 

If you’d never actually worked in a corporate environment, you might think that management would have been happy with my plan.  Wrong!  I got a lot of pushback.  They wanted training damn it– how dare the training people tell them to change their application. 

Fortunately, my boss backed me up and in a couple of weeks the problem was solved – faster and cheaper than a training program that wouldn’t have worked (how’s that for an ironic twist on the cheapskate aspect of the joke).  CSI usage increased by over 250%, which lead to improved cross-selling ratios and retention of maturing CDs. 

For my efforts, the Senior VP of IT gave me a clock imbedded in a Lucite triangle emblazoned with the words “Excellence in Service.”   

I wonder what I would have gotten if I’d just developed the training like they asked. 

There’s a variation of the joke that goes: 

A guy thinks he’s broken his leg and goes to see a doctor.  The doctor takes x-rays and says, “Yes, your leg is broken, but don’t worry.  I can fix it for $1,000.”  The patient says, “But doc, I don’t have $1,000.”  To which the doctor replies, “Well, for $50 I can touch-up the x-rays.” 

In this version, the control point has shifted from the patient to the doctor.  The doctor is either:
a)   telling the patient what he wants to hear, even though it’s clearly idiotic or
b)   pointing out the absurdity of quibbling over the price of a necessary procedure.   

Going with the latter interpretation, now that I’m a training consultant – an outsider and not on staff – I like to tell this version of the joke when talking to clients.  It doesn’t always get them to make the right choices, but at least it forces them to examine what they’re doing.

And there’s actually another version – Henny Youngman did it, naturally, as a one-liner:

“I’ve got a great doctor.  If you can’t afford the operation, he touches up your X-rays.” 

Frankly, I prefer the longer versions.

So… what can we learn from this?

• The doctor always gets paid… even when he does bubkes.
• Medical procedures were much cheaper in the past.

Okay readers… now I want to hear your stories – either a situation when you had to “touch up the x-rays” or when you refused to do it.  Please respond via the “Comment” function, so we can all feel your pain and/or admire your principled stance. 

Later…

1.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075686/quotes
2. Ibid.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-selling

August 26, 1934

Beatrice Lillie, famous English actress, turned down a fortune when she said no to a coffee sponsor and sailed for England because she believed it impossible to get enough material for a weekly broadcast.  The sponsor is probably just as well off, since her radio efforts never created much of a furor throughout the country even if New York did applaud.

Joe on the Ball

Joe Cook wasn’t kidding about broadcasting from a rolling ball at N.B.C. for his House Party tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. (WTMJ).  He will do an act on a three-foot ball in front of a microphone. . . . Wonder who’ll hold the ball? . . . A tobacco firm is dickering for Jane Freman for a second commercial.  She’s already signed to work for an auto sponsor with Frank Black and Don McNeill. . . . Eddie Duchin’s orchestra will accompany Ed Wynn when the “Fire Chief” returns Oct. 2.  Somehow, the contrast between Duchin’s style of music and Wynn’s brand of humor seems too great.  Something like pickles and ice cream.  Wynn should have a brass band—of the type Don Voorhees used last season. . . . Young Barry McKinley is being swamped with offers for personal appearances on New York stages.  If he’s smart he’ll stay with radio for another four months and then collect twice what they’re offering now.

Music publishers used to work their heads off trying to get exclusive rights on Broadway musical comedies.  Now they’re spending that effort in trying to land rights for the first “written exclusively for radio” musical comedy numbers by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz on that new soap show, “The Gibson Family.”

Phil Duey Signed

That cigaret show starring Phil Duey and Leo Reisman’s orchestra has been renewed for another 26 weeks. . . . Tim Ryan and Irene Noblette (Mr. and Mrs. to you) will audition for three sponsors during the coming two weeks.  Peter Van Steeden’s orchestra has been assigned as musical talent. . . .  When Lud Gluskin signed for that laxative show it was for one-third more money than he received for his summer series. . . .

George Gershwin returns for the chewing gum laxative sponsor the first week of October.  Present plans call for a chorus of seven voices to do musical comedy tabloids before his piano work. . . .  Don’t be surprised if the three famous New York football coaches, Chick Meehan, Jimmy Crowley and Lou Little, come to the air this fall with a sponsored program of their own.  Two sponsors are talking business.

And, speaking of football and coaches, we’ve seen Red Dunn in several visits to WTMJ and in conferences with Russ Winnie.  Wonder if they’ll be heard together in some sort of football program when the season opens?

Parker and Hollywood

Frank Parker, star of the Jack Benny and Harry Horlick programs, screened so well when he was on the coast with the Benny’s that he may be flying back to Hollywood for more film work. . . .  Frank Black will have two commercials this fall—one for a radio tube client and the other for an  auto sponsor.  He’s not satisfied, however, since he’s still trying to land those Viennese operettas on a commercial. . . . It looks as though all night time spots will be sold out on the three networks by Sept. 10.  Salesmen are now disposing of daytime periods.  The same thing is true of WTMJ, which will have to cancel some chain shows to make way for local commercials. . . . . A sponsor, reported to be the non-cough cigaret manufacturer, is trying to land Damon Runyan for a fall commercial.  His price, however, is $3,600 and he has had no takers.

The beautiful Fay Wray will be heard on N.B.C.’s “Hollywood on the Air” program at 10:30 tonight (WMAQ) in a short drama depicting her life.  She will also be interviewed by Jack Grant, Hollywood reporter.  Miss Wray will be assisted by Eddie Kay’s orchestra.

‘Cross of Fire’ on New Choral Feature

Max Bruch’s “Cross of Fire” will be sung as the highlight of the first broadcast of the new “Temple of Song” series of one-hour programs featuring the Chicago A Capella choir and soloists to be heard weekly starting today at 1:30 p.m. over WMAZ-N.B.C.

Well known oratorios and cantatas will be presented each Sunday by the famous choral group which will be led by Noble Cain, N.B.C. central division choral director.

On the first “Temple of Song” program, in addition to the cantata, Eugene Dressler, tenor, will sing “When Rooks Fly Homeward,” and Ruth Lyon, soprano, and Eulah Corner, contralto, will be heard in the duet from “Lakme.”

Arthur Dunham, organist, and William Russell, baritone, will also be featured with the choir.

Guest of Explorers’ Club

Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews, acting director of the American Museum of Natural History, will be interviewed on his experiences in the Gobi desert of Mongolia when he appears as guest of the Radio Explorer’s club Sunday at 3:30 p.m. over WENR and an N.B.C. network.  With Dr. Andrews will appear Capt. James P. Barker, veteran skipper, who will recall, exciting tales of the Asiatic coast.

Back on the Air

Larry Lawrence returns to the air at 10:15 a.m. Monday for a daily except Sunday series of informal chats with WTMJ women listeners.  Although Larry is advertised as giving town topics he is expected to broadcast many of the “Jazzistory” lectures which made him popular.

The Milwaukee Journal