Comedy
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By Garrison.phillips May 4, 2010, 6:21 pm |
Dear Gracie! Gracie Allen, that is, of that famous comedy team, ‘George Burns and Gracie Allen’ of vaudeville and then TV. Towards the close of their act, Gracie would begin one of her famous tales, perhaps an incident of her cousin Bill’s sister-in-law’s neighbor’s uncle’s dog...she would go on for a bit, not getting to the dog story at all, when George would interrupt her with “Say goodnight, Gracie.” Gracie would give that wonderful, loving, shy smile of hers and looking straight into the camera, she would sing out “Goodnight,” and then I would fall off my chair, laughing, along with most of America who would be viewing the great, comedic act of ‘Burns and Allen.’
Oh, how I miss her. I miss them both, George and Gracie, along with Jack Benny, Martha Raye, Edgar Burgen and Charlie McCarthy, Monty Python, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, the Carol Burnett Show and everyone on it, the great Bob Hope and not to forget my favorite team when I was in knickers, Abbott and Costello. I wrote my only fan letter in my entire life to Bob Hope. I did not have the pleasure of seeing Mr. Hope during my Korean War tour of duty but I watched him many times on TV. Then in the late 1960s at the height of the Vietnam War he gave a terrific performance which was taped and shown later on TV. And it was this knock-out comedic show which prompted my fan letter. I thanked him as a veteran and for all the wonderful performances he had given over the years for servicemen and women through too many wars. I explained that I was not going to sign my letter of thanks because I didn’t want a reply or to possibly imply that I just wanted his autograph or a response from his staff. My fan letter went off to Mr. Hope with no signature. It was written from my heart.
So...now we have today’s comedy. Or what passes for comedy which all too often is a performance which I would be embarrassed to watch with a young child in the same room. Nowadays, the funny folks scatter four letter words and sexual innuendoes throughout their performances. And, frankly, they are not always funny. Even the Press Association’s tribute to President Obama just this past week was, to me at least, often not in good taste - and, yes, not always funny.
I miss those wonderful, funny folks of the past - every single one of them so very much. ‘Say goodnight, Gracie.’
‘Goodnight.’
Oh, how I miss her. I miss them both, George and Gracie, along with Jack Benny, Martha Raye, Edgar Burgen and Charlie McCarthy, Monty Python, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, the Carol Burnett Show and everyone on it, the great Bob Hope and not to forget my favorite team when I was in knickers, Abbott and Costello. I wrote my only fan letter in my entire life to Bob Hope. I did not have the pleasure of seeing Mr. Hope during my Korean War tour of duty but I watched him many times on TV. Then in the late 1960s at the height of the Vietnam War he gave a terrific performance which was taped and shown later on TV. And it was this knock-out comedic show which prompted my fan letter. I thanked him as a veteran and for all the wonderful performances he had given over the years for servicemen and women through too many wars. I explained that I was not going to sign my letter of thanks because I didn’t want a reply or to possibly imply that I just wanted his autograph or a response from his staff. My fan letter went off to Mr. Hope with no signature. It was written from my heart.
So...now we have today’s comedy. Or what passes for comedy which all too often is a performance which I would be embarrassed to watch with a young child in the same room. Nowadays, the funny folks scatter four letter words and sexual innuendoes throughout their performances. And, frankly, they are not always funny. Even the Press Association’s tribute to President Obama just this past week was, to me at least, often not in good taste - and, yes, not always funny.
I miss those wonderful, funny folks of the past - every single one of them so very much. ‘Say goodnight, Gracie.’
‘Goodnight.’