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1 of 1- Richard Baker
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A Little scrap of History
A while ago I was sent this with an invitation to identify what it is and name the people who had signed it.
The first bit is quite easy. It is a page from the script of the Chesterfield show broadcast on 16 January 1952
The participants were Bing, Bob Hope and Monica Lewis.
Two of the signatures were fairly obviously of Bing and Bob, but the others are not so obvious. There's another Bob but the writing looks very much like Bob Hope again.
As to the rest??
It was Monica's last appearance on the show. The page includes participation by just her and Bing but includes the item relating to her song, and she does not seem to have signed it. but 'Good Luck' is being wished for someone.
A guess is that the 'Good Luck' was for Monica who might have been off to do other things. Wikipedia and the IMDB do not tell us enough to form any definite views but it seems she might yet be living.
Any other suggestions?
Last edited by Richard Baker (15/12/2010 4:46 pm)
- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
GregVB wrote:
The other "Bob" appears to be Bob Crosby.
Greg, Thank you for that. I was a bit hesitant in reaching that conclusion as the show was recorded at Fort Ord and Bob Crosby was not a participant, so far as I can establish. Possibly he was in the area for golf at Pebble Beach and dropped by.
As to the remaining signatures, I suppose we have the entire production and supporting team to consider but the bits that are decipherable don't match the most obvious possibilities.
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Thread Starter- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
One of the signatures looks suspiciously like 'Lassie' but even he/she was not that clever! And it's difficult to think of any connection.
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Thread Starter- Jim Determan
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Richard,
This is an old post, so I don't know if you've figured all these out or not. I agree that the other Bob looks like Bob Crosby.
Also, the signature under "good luck" looked like it might be Phil Harris, so I searched on line and found this link to his signature, and it seems to be a match, although signed more hastily:
Do you agree?
The others I'm stumped.
Lassie looks more like Dassie to me. I was thinking maybe Dixie, but it doesn't look like her signatures I found on-line, and she always seems to sign Dixie Lee.
Then there is a Rita or Nita Clairs, and a faint one that looks like maybe George L...
At any rate, I think I got one!
- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Jim, I think I do agree. It looks as if there was quite a gathering of people unconnected with the particular show, who signed an impromptu "Good Luck" message for Monica Lewis.
We have to speculate on reasons for Bob Crosby and Phil Harris (we think) being in or around the Fort Ord venue for this "live" session.
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Thread Starter- Jim Determan
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Richard,
I looked in Malcolm's Day by Day, and the show that was broadcast on Jan 16, 1952 was actually taped on Jan 11, which was during the Bing Crosby Pro-Am, which ran from Jan 11-13, so that would explain their being in town. As to why they were at the taping, perhaps they came by to go out for dinner afterward.
In the "Phil Harris" signature, the way the "Ph" in Phil and the "H" in Harris are made seem quite unusual and distinctive, it seems to me it must be him.
But I'm curious who the others are, if we knew who was there for the Pro-Am we might be able to figure them out.
- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Richard,
I looked in Malcolm's Day by Day,- - -
Kicking myself - HARD - Why didn't I think of that? Malcolm has recorded everything. If it's not in "Day By Day" it didn't happen.
We now have two obvious groups of potential candidates - the participants (musicians etc.) and production staff of the radio show, and the Crosby Golf fraternity. But presumably only those who knew Monica Lewis (assuming the note was a farewell to her) would have added their signatures. .
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Thread Starter- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Jeremy Rose has suggested that "Lassie/Dassie" could be "Dotty" as in Dottie Lamour and has produced this evidence.
The writing is not identical but differences could be explained by changes in writing over some years.
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Thread Starter- jeremyrose
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Firstly, many thanks to Richard for getting the image of Dottie onto the CFW web-site - something which was beyond my very limited computer skills!
The Fort Ord show is one of my all-time-favourite Crosby/Hope radio collaborations.
I'm away from home at the moment so can't re-listen to the show, but I seem to have a dim recollection - and I may be completely mistaken in this - that Dottie gets a mention at some point during the "schtick" between Bing and Bob. If this is the case, it might suggest that she was in the vicinity at the time of the taping.
Just a thought...
Last edited by jeremyrose (23/8/2013 10:36 pm)
- Richard Baker
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Re: A Little scrap of History
The Fort Ord show is one of my all-time-favourite Crosby/Hope radio collaborations.
.
A very entertaining show - the comedy with Bing and Bob always enlivens things, but here we have the very enthusiastic reactions of the service personnel on the base, some very effective "in" comments about life at Fort Ord (which get roars of approval), even a (possibly impromptu) incident of turning two pages of the script and the consequences. A sensible, legal and effective way must be found of preserving and distributing these shows. Not sure that one or two of the slightly sexist references would pass muster these days though.
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Thread Starter- Ron Field
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Re: A Little scrap of History
Slightly different but along the same lines.
Remember watching Eamon Andrews, probably 1967, and I think he was interviewing Bob (may have been Bing) but the other one turned up unannounced and from that moment poor Eamon couldn't get a word in. All off the cuff good stuff. Wonder if it has fouind its way to YouTube?
- jeremyrose
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Re: A Little scrap of History
If the "turning-two-pages-over-at-once" section is improvised, it's brilliantly improvised. If it's scripted, it's brilliantly rehearsed and delivered. You can't lose really, can you...?!