Will's Book Nook: Brothers In Law Scribblings

 

This BBC radio show is oddly not about brothers, rather it is about Roger Thursby, an idealistic young barrister (that British for lawyer) entering the legal profession. He gets stuck with the worst small claims cases, such as parking violations and neighbor disputes. What's funny is that he always gets stuck with the worst, scariest judges. He starts out struggling with each case, but he works it out in the end. He gets help from colleagues in his firm, a rag tag group of lawyers. I like it, because the cases are ridiculous, which adds to the humor. I give it 6 out of 5 scribbles, because I like it that much!

Top Ten: Little Known Facts About Petticoat Junction and Green Acres

 

 

Petticoat Junction (1963-1970) and Green Acres (1965-1971) both aired on CBS and were part of the same crossover "universe" set in Hooterville. 

 

1.  Kate Bradley had three beautiful daughters: blonde, Billie Jo (Jeannine Riley, 1963-1965, Gunilla Hutton, 1965-1966 and Meredith MacRae, 1966-1970); brunette, Bobbie Jo (Pat Woodell, 1963-1965 and Lori Saunders, 1965-1970) and redhead, Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning).

2.  The two-part episode "A Star Named Arnold is Born" aired on April 3 & 10, 1968 was ranked #59 on its list of TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes.

3.  Bea Benaderet who played Kate Bradley died on October 13, 1968 and was replaced by June Lockhart as Dr. Janet Craig from 1968-1970.

4.  Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor sang the Green Acres theme song which includes the words "You are my wife," "Goodbye city life" and "Green Acres we are there."

5.  Richard Arlen and Buddy Rogers appeared as themselves in an episode called "Wings" aired on November 9, 1968.

6.  Former ABC newscaster and What's My Line? host John Charles Daly appeared on the show's first episode "Oliver Buys a Farm" aired on September 15, 1965.

7.  Gene Autry's sidekick, Pat Buttram, played Mr. Haney.

8.  Betty Jo married crop duster, Steve Elliott (Mike Minor) on November 4, 1967 and gave birth to Kathy Jo on October 26, 1968.

9.  Sam Drucker (Frank Cady) was volunteer fireman, notary, constable, justice of the peace, postmaster and newspaper editor of the Hooterville World Guardian.

10.  Eva Gabor who played Lisa Douglas said the closing words, "This has been a Filmways Presentation, dahling."

Random Acts of Kindness

randomactsofkindess.org

 

Thursday, February 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. In honor of the day, we decided to come up with a list of possible Acts of Kindness that you can do for your community.

1. Getting coffee or food from a Drive-Thru? A popular act of kindness is to pay for the person behind you. This often starts a chain of kindness, with people continuing to pay for the person behind them on down the line.

2. Make hygiene kits with Ziploc bags containing toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, deodorant, soap, hand sanitizer, travel sized shampoo and conditioner, socks and other useful items to hand out to homeless people that you encounter on the street. Add a granola bar for nutrition.  

3. Volunteering at your local animal or homeless shelter, food bank, Meals on Wheels or other non profit is a great way to spread kindness in your community.

4. Do you have an elderly or disabled neighbor who could use some help with yard work? Offer to mow their lawn, pull weeds or shovel snow for free. Just make sure to ask first!

5. Carry around stickers or slips of paper with cheerful compliments on them and hand them out to people you pass on the street to brighten their day.

Even though it's great to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day every year, why keep it just to one day? You can spread kindness and joy every day.

Will's Book Nook: Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel Scribblings

 

If you are a fan of The Marx Brothers, like I am, you should check out Flywheel, Shyster, and Flywheel, a radio sit-com starring two of the Marx Brothers, Groucho and Chico. The style of comedy is similar to The Marx Brother's movies, with snappy one liners and physical comedy, like prat falls. The show aired from 1932 to 1933 on NBC's Blue Network. According to Wikipedia, "The program depicts the misadventures of a small New York law firm. with Groucho as attorney Waldorf T. Flywheel (a crooked lawyer) and Chico as Flywheel's assistant, Emmanuel Ravelli (a half-wit who Flywheel uses a a fall guy)." Most of Flywheel's problems are of his own making, but in order to get out of tricky situations, he finds it easier to blame Ravelli. One of my favorite lines, regarding a contract, is when Groucho says, "You can't fool me, there ain't no sanity clause!" Listening to this program made realize how funny Chico is. He is a good straight man to Groucho. For the humor and outright silliness, I give it 5 out of 5 scribbles. 

Top Ten: Little Known Facts About the Beverly Hillbillies

1. The episode "The Giant Jackrabbit" aired on January 8, 1964 and was the most watched prime-time telecast in U.S. television history at the time.

2. The Clampetts visit Hooterville from October 30, 1968-March 5,1969 and December 31, 1969-January 7, 1970.

3. John Wayne makes a cameo appearance in the episode "The Indians are Coming" aired on February 1, 1967.

4. Musicians Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs played the show's theme "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" with singer Jerry Scoggins.

5. The Clampetts visit England from September 6-27, 1967 and from September 25-October 23, 1968.

6. Frank Cady who played Hooterville General Store owner Sam Drucker appeared in three series:  The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction and Green Acres.

7. Sharon Tate who played secretary Janet Trego from 1963-1965 was later murdered by Charles Manson's "family."

8. The Clampetts visit Silver Dollar City from October 1-29, 1969; New York City from November 5-12, 1969 and Washington, D.C. from September 15-29, 1970.

9. Donna Douglas who played Elly Mae Clampett said the closing words "This has been a Filmways Presentation!"

10. The show was created by Paul Henning.

 

Our Favorite Romantic Comedies

 In honor of Valentine's Day, coming up next week, we are sharing our favorite romantic comedies:

 

Some Like It Hot (1959)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Harry Met Sally

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Runaway Bride (1999)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lovebirds (2020)

Will's Book Nook: My Favorite Husband Scribblings

My Favorite Husband starred Lucille Ball and Richard Denning as a married couple named Liz and George Cugat (later changed to Cooper). Each show featured George experiencing a problem, often caused by Liz trying to help. First on the radio, and later on television, the series eventually morphed into I Love Lucy, also starring Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz. Listening to My Favorite Husband really helped me understand Lucille Ball's comedic style. I haven't finished listening to it yet, but so far I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 scribbles.

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite Green Acres Episodes

 

1.  "The Ex-Secretary " (April 27, 1971).

2.  "Hawaiian Honeymoon " (March 16, 1971).

3.  "The Engagement Ring" (December 29, 1970).

4.  "The Case of the Hooterville Refund Fraud" (February 28, 1970).

5.  "How to Get From Hooverville to Pixley Without Moving" (December 25, 1968).

6.  "How Hooverville was Floundered" (December 11, 1968).

7.  "A Star Named Arnold is Born" Parts 1 & 2 (April 3 & 10, 1968).

8.  "Oliver vs the Phone Company" (September 27, 1967)/"Oliver Takes Over the Phone Company" (October 4, 1967) (tie).

9.  "Wings Over Hooverville" (September 14, 1966)/"The Hooverville Image" (November 16, 1966) (tie).

10.  "Oliver Buys a Farm" (September 15, 1965)

5 Amazing People in Honor of Black History Month

In honor of Black History Month, our class came up with a list of Black history-makers who we admire.

 Sidney Poitier 

Poitier, who passed away at age 94 last month, was a Bahmanian-American actor and the first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor for the 1963 film, Lilies of the Field. His many important performances include the role of Walter Lee Younger in both the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun, along with starring roles in To Sir, With Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. He is most well-known for bringing dignity to dramatic characters, but he was also a skilled comedic performer. His legacy lives on as more and more black actors are gaining recognition.

Etta James

An R&B singer with a beautiful voice, she lived from 1938 to 2012. She is most well known for her stirring rendition of "At Last." She was inducted into the Rock and ROll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Christopher Paul Curtis

An American children's book author, Curtis won the Newberry Medal for Bud, Not Buddy and The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963. His books feature historical events in Black history as seen through the eyes of children. Though written for children, his novels are also enjoyable for adults.

Barack Obama

Our first Black President, Obama was Commander in Chief for two terms, from 2009 to 2017. He was born in Hawaii and rose quickly in politics as a community organizer and later U.S. Senator in Chicago, Illinois. His presidency is known for the passage of the Affordable Healthcare Act and the recovery from The Great Recession (2007-2009). He is also known for being married to Michelle Obama, a smart and classy lady.  

Claudette Colvin

Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, 15 year old Claudette Colvin Did it first. While Parks became a civil rights icon, Colvin was branded a troublemaker and became an outcast. Speaking of the experience, she said, "History had me glued to the seat. Harriet Tubman's hands were pushing down on one shoulder and Sojourner Truth's hands were pushing down on the other shoulder. I was paralyzed between these two women, I couldn't move.

Will's Book Nook: The Six Shooter Scribblings

 

The Six Shooter was a radio western starring Jimmy Stewart that ran on NBC Radio from 1953-1954. Similar to CBS's Gunsmoke, I actually liked this series better, because of the humor. I describe it as a cross between The Andy Griffith Show and Bonanza. Jimmy Stewart played Britt Ponset, a drifting cowboy that reminded me of Clint Eastwood with a dry sense of humor. Other performers included Parley Baer, Virginia Gregg, Harry Bartell, Howard McNear, Jeanette Nolan, Dan O'Herlihy, Alan Reed, Marvin Miller and William Conrad. In one episode, Ponset is hiding during a shootout at a bank. He pops up from his hiding spot and the bank robber shoots a part in his hair. "Thanks for the free haircut, stranger," Ponset quips. The sound effects in the scene really make it come alive, which is one of the reasons I really like radio. I give it 5 out of 5 scribbles.  

Top Ten: Mark's Favorite Petticoat Junction Episodes

 

1.  "Betty Jo's Business" (April 4, 1970).

2.  "Last Train to Pixley" (March 7, 1970).

3.  "The Golden Spike Ceremony" (December 20, 1969).

4.  "A Cake from Granny" (December 21, 1968).

5.  "The Lady Doctor" (November 16, 1968).

6.  "Wings" (November 9, 1968). 

7.  "The Baffling Raffle" (September 21, 1965).

8.  "The Lost Patrol" (December 29, 1964).

9.  "The Ladybugs" (March 24, 1964).

10.  "Spur Line to Shady Rest" (September 24, 1963).