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Come visit with Carl!
Carl is a passionate George
Reeves and Supe fan.
He is also, however, the self-designated
Noel Neill's
Number One Fan!
Just ask him!
But...He does have some interesting things
to share...
From
Carl's Corner
WINGED VICTORY—1944
TWENTIETH CENTURY—FOX
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCES
PRESENTS MOSS
HART’S
WINGED VICTORY
In This
Picture All the Boys in Uniform are Members of the U.S. Army/Air Forces
Are these the
characters I'm going to have to teach to fly?
Patriotism and service for country ride high in this
film of young men who have anticipated a letter of acceptance to train
as pilots in the Army/Air Corps. After arriving at basic training, much
of the naiveté of these future pilots comes to a stand still like wind
eluding the sail. Visions of glory are substituted with the reality of
the daily routine of K.P. and scrubbing floors. Even though this film is
set during World War II, many of you who have served in the armed forces
can relate to the daily duties that seem insignificant and mundane to
the training of a soldier.
The film reflects the patriotism of the times, and basic training is
intense, but what unfolds during this process is the camaraderie that
builds between the groups of men who are to become a working unit of
one. During the training period not all is rosy. Anticipation of failing
tests and "Dear John" letters will challenge the moral and high
ideals of the candidates, but letters from home become a precious
commodity.
Not all will stand the test as having trouble with depth perception
or slow reflexes as a pilot must make quick decisions based on certain
scenarios. As some are rejected from continued pilot training, they are
allowed to continue in other aspects that are significant to the
operation of a bomber plane. They are also allowed before a panel of
officers to protest a rejection. The film depicts one such incident of
an aspiring pilot who had such high scores previously explains the
circumstances of why he scored low in the final exams, and the panel
truly understands this and gives him a waiver, discerning how a Dear
John letter can affect study. He is restored. The film emphasizes
that the functioning of a bomber plane calls for a team effort.
Navigators and bombardiers are just as significant as the pilot to carry
out missions.
This film has its share of heart break, romances, fun and the building
of relationships, but training always takes precedent.
When one of the pilots does not return after night flight training
the whole unit is disturbed, and again, a unit officer demonstrates
compassion privately in the aftermath.
George Reeves is in excellent form as Lt. Thompson with both teasing and
edifying the pre-graduating group under his care at a party the night
before graduation exercises, and joins in with them in song. George
comes across as a real natural in this setting, as if he’s born for the
part of Lieutenant Thompson. In a line that’s somewhat ironic and
jokingly to the new graduating class, sounds distinctly amusing to the
George Reeves fan when he asks a question in a satirical manner, ‘Are
these the characters I’m going to teach to fly?’
The realities of war of course brings its casualties and scars both
literal and figuratively. However, occasional good news from home serves
as an inspiration and resolve for the continued war effort and make for
a better world for the next generation.
I find this film to not only be important as an addition to the George
Reeves collection, but also for the fan of World War II films. It's
right on the level of "So Proudly We Hail" and
Guadalcanal Canal Diary, filmed in 1943 with Preston Foster,
Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix, Richard Conte and Anthony Quinn.
Cast:
Sgt. Mark Daniels, Edmond O’Brien
Pvt. Lon McCallister
Cpl. Don Taylor, Lee
J. Cobb
T/Sgt. Peter Lind
Hayes
Cpl. Alan Baxter, Red
Buttons, Barry Nelson
Sgt. Rune Hultman
Cpl. Bernard J. Tyers,
Phillip Bournneuf, Gary Merrill, Whitner N. Bissell
Sgt. George Reeves
Pfc. George Petrie,
Alfred Ryder
Cpl. Karl Malden
Pfc. Martin Ritt
Cpl. Harry Lewis
S/Sgt. Fred A. Cotton
Lt. Gilbert Herman
S/Sgt. Sascha Brastoff
Cpl. Archie Robbins
Cpl. Jack Slate
Pfc. Henry Slate
Jeanne Crain
Jane Ball
Jo-Carroll Dennison
Judy Holliday
Geraldine Wall
Music: Sgt. David Rose
Produced by: Darryl F.
Zanuck
Directed by: George
Cuckor
March 2008
 ...and
George Slept Here
By Carl Glass
Don't it make you want to go home
All God's children get weary when they roam
Don't it make you want to go home – Joe South
You’ve heard the
sayings, Home is where the heart is, or where I hang
my hat is my home. To me they are expressions that emote
pleasant connotations in the center of one’s being. It’s more about the
heart and exceeds the place you live. Home can mean a place of love,
security, safety, well being and building memories that last a lifetime.
People can have a transitory life and find every dwelling to be truly a
home by definition. And then again, what some would call a person’s home
is nothing more than a house. It can be filled with people who are
dysfunctional, angry and demonstrate hostility towards one another.
Perhaps there was a time in your life when you said to yourself, “I
can’t wait to get out of this house!”
In my earliest
childhood memories, the place that was home for me sat at the corner of
Bullard and Pollasky in Clovis, California. The house no longer exists,
and neither does the thoroughfare of Bullard. Where my house once stood
is now a parking lot abandoned by the Department of Motor Vehicles which
is now located on Shaw Avenue, east of Fowler.
As I began to
explore my past, the whole thing made sense as to why I felt at home in
that location. It was the first home after my birth, and I was born in
the hospital down the street on Pollasky. Just one block north on the
corner of 5th and Pollasky with just a turn to the right was
‘Tiny’s Barber Shop’ my first memories of hair cuts and next door was
the local walk-in theater showing films like, Horror of Dracula
with the most sinister of all vampires Christopher Lee,
Kathy O’ casting Dan Duryea, Jan Sterling
and Patty McCormak in 1958, Have Rocket Will Travel,
featuring Larry, Moe and Curly Joe, The Fly Returns with
Vincent Price and that awful guinea pig with human hands
and feet. Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and The
Shaggy Dog made their debuts on the big screen there as
well in 1959. I loved going to the movies as a child. All we needed was
a quarter to see two features and buy popcorn. These were great times
and home was only a block away. Remember penny candy? You could get two
items for a penny, and grandpa put a big smile on my face when he’d give
me a dime and I would run to the market one block behind our house and
I’d load up with nearly 18 pieces of candy! The proprietor never cheated
me as my grandfather traded there.
 My
parents lived with my grandparents. Ray and Carla Glass struggled in their relationship
throughout the 50s and at times made attempts to move us to other places
to only again and again return to the big white house near the center of
my birth town. Any other place had a sense of insecurity and fear. In
1958, my grandfather put an end to all transitory, unhealthy moves by my
parents and got permanent custody of my siblings and me as my parents
went in different directions, and we had a home for good. However, in
1960 we would move to Fresno, but none of the principles had changed in
our new home. If you pause for a time, and think about the places you
have lived through your lifetime, and connect those memories of every
place you’ve lived, it shouldn’t be difficult to know what a home or
house is to you.
There are three
houses that most George Reeves admirers’ are familiar in connection with
his life. And the question is, ‘What was a home or just a house for
George?’
George
Keefer Brewer was born
on January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa at this two story three bedroom house to Don C.
Brewer and Helen (Lescher) Brewer. I define it as
a house because George had no memories of it. The Brewer’s rented two
rooms while waiting for another house to move to. This one is known as
the Pease Home. The house of course has been in a state of decay from
the mid 80s. Here is a photo of the larger room Don and Helen occupied
and the entry way door reveals the room baby George occupied. Some have
said it is the room George was delivered in, but it is my theory that
George was born in the larger room due to bed space. If the smaller room
was set up for just a baby room, I doubt a large bed would occupy it.
The Brewer’s didn’t stay there for a long period of time and occupied
another house for a short time.
Don Brewer worked
at the local pharmacy as shown upper right, which now serves as
Woolstock’s local post office. The marriage was doomed to fail,
so Helen, with baby George, moved back to Galesburg, Illinois, with a
later stop over in Ashland, Kentucky.
As of this
writing, there is no evidence that George returned to Woolstock, but
according to recently discovered records at “The Adventures Continue…”
web site, he knew that Woolstock was his birth place. A copy of his
birth certificate is found in Speeding Bullet, The Life and
Bizarre Death of George Reeves by Jan Alan Henderson on
page 159 in the January 1999 edition. I must also give Jim Beaver and
Jim Nolt credit for giving literary and photographic evidence that
George did not spend a whole lot of time in Illinois and Kentucky. Helen
and George vacationed in Ashland, Kentucky, but didn’t dwell there for
long periods of time. The Woolstock house in my estimation would be
classified as nothing more than a house, with no memories for George,
just a point of reference.
 As
a toddler, Helen and George made their way to Southern California. Helen
would meet and marry Frank Bessolo in 1917 when George was three and
move into the house on 1447 Michigan Avenue. There have been very few
additions to this house and it stands today in a beautiful dignified
manner. Here are some photos of the front and side of the house. It is
here where George grew up from his very early years through at least his
time at the Pasadena Playhouse and his appearance in Gone with the
Wind. His fellow actor and friend Fred Crane had
expressed to me that after an evening of heavy drinking, celebrating
their work on the movie and they miraculously found their way back to
George’s house and woke up feeling their navels in their throat.
However, it is here where George in his childhood years was subject to
being picked on being described as a ‘momma’s boy’ by a boyhood friend,
perhaps due to the way Helen dressed him, and his quiet shy manner. Dr.
Leonard C. Emery, a childhood friend said, “young people didn’t treat
him very well a lot of the time. They took exception to the fact that he
seemed pampered, and he was not forceful.” These years also entailed a
wonderful relationship between George and Frank, and Frank would
eventually adopt George in 1927 and giving him his name at
thirteen years of age.
After the stock
market crash, it wouldn’t be long before Helen and Frank divorced, and
it was a sad loss for George. But life went on. As he matured, he would
go on to finding sports as an outlet and became very athletic, growing
strong and handsome in stature. It was while living in this home and
attending high school where he met his long time loyal friend Nati
Vacio. He was a very popular student and played football,
performed in the school band and sang in the choir. At Pasadena
Community College he took interest in boxing and fencing. Music
and the theater became an increasing and dominant force in his life and
were the foundations for his career. I would say the Pasadena home years
were happy even with occasional set backs, but this was truly a home for
George.
George joined the
Pasadena Community Playhouse in 1935. Fast forward through the years
after George met and married Pasadena Playhouse actress Ellenora
Needles, his appearances in many movies, time in the military,
lack of success rebuilding a solid movie career and divorce. George
would meet Toni Mannix who would eventually secure this
house for George on 1579 Benedict Canyon Road in Beverly Hills. It can
be described as a home filled with a party atmosphere and social
engagements. It was a home filled with music, card playing, barbeques,
some socialized drinking and laughter. George used the home on ideas he
had for a different career possibility.
George filmed The Candid
Reporter
here giving “Kellogg’s” props with Sam, his trusty schnauzer as the
co-star. George spent time in
the home doing linguistic studies, honing guitar skills, reading and
writing for future projects. Gene LeBell spent many days
and hours in this home and felt comfortable enough after a training
session with George to shower and relax. Gene experienced the greatest
of hospitalities in this home as most everyone else did until of course
Lenore Lemmon came on the scene.
In the transitory
final months of his life, George made decisions that ultimately brought
him to his demise. Breaking off his relationship with Toni in 1958, and
taking on new girl friend
 Lenore
Lemmon brought into that home a major shift of it becoming a house that
would eventually alienate his old friends into a house of strangers.
Substantial tension was brought there by his own decisions as George
attempted to move through it all the best he could demonstrating a great
amount of patience and toleration. I believe he had considerable time to
ponder the existing circumstances surrounding him. It ultimately brought
to George the final tragic result. Not only did he lose his home, but
his life. We can all take comfort in knowing that George found his
eternal home and resting place.
January 2008
Tales Well Calculated to Keep You In…
The Lost Episodes, Collection 1 , Disc 2
A Running Commentary by Carl Glass
The Brush Off
Starring:
Leslie Nielsen, Mary Sinclair,
George Reeves,
Gene Lyons and Royal Dano
Original Broadcast Date: November 14,
1950
 CBS
Enterprises, Falcon Picture Group and Infinity Entertainment are to be
highly commended uncovering for fans of the early years of television
with their newly released Suspense series, sponsored by Auto-Lite.
It aired from 1949 to 1954 and was never rerun in syndication. 90 in all
have been discovered with the first 30 released in this collection. They
are from film kinescope masters. I personally enjoy the aura that
emanates from them. It gives a feel of nostalgia and sense of what LIVE
TV had to deal with shadow sound booms running along the prop walls as
the camera pans the stage setting, with an occasional crew member being
seen here and there behind the props and moving walls as doors are
opened and closed.
In one particular
scene of The Brush Off, when Leslie Nielsen walks into the entry
way of the movie agent’s front office you can see a director or floor
crew member clearly on the right side of the screen. I agree with others
that this is the charm of LIVE TV. However, if you are a blooper hunter,
you will have a field day with many of the episodes. On disc 2, the
episode “The Suicide Club” with Ralph Bell and Ralph Clanton, the second
half of the episode is missing and thus far has been the only
disappointment.
As stated on the
back of the four disc set, The TV version successfully created the
atmosphere of its radio predecessor by using that same identifiable
opening announcement, “And now, a tale well calculated to keep you
in…Suspense!” The familiar Hammond organ accompanies every episode. The
show which later ran concurrent with the CBS Radio Network had a twenty
year run beginning in 1942, and was the recipient of the Peabody award
and a special citation from the Mystery Writers of America. Suspense
is a TV historian’s delight. This series will appeal to the baby boomer
generation and those who are students or fans of early television
production. 
The box cover of
set one features a large photo of Hollywood legend Boris Karloff with
smaller photos on the bottom with stars Paul Newman, George Reeves, Eva
Gabor, Leslie Nielsen and Rod Steiger. Why the photo of George Reeves?
In my opinion it widens the potential purchasing audience with the
George Reeves fans with last years release of Hollywoodland and
the recent interest and inquiry into his life.
George Reeves
once referred to television as ‘the bottom of the barrel.’ In the
context of his career it is fully understood why he made that statement.
However, early television in its pioneer work was the medium and testing
ground for such fine actors as Jack Lemmon, Paul Newman, Richard Boone
and Ray Walston to fine tune their acting skills.
 The
potential of talent and skill of actors and actress’ assembled together
in this episode; The Brush Off with George Reeves is
extraordinary. Leslie Nielsen has a resume with over 234
television and movie credits which span from serious dramatic roles to
science fiction, police dramas, westerns and dead pan humor. Mary
Sinclair was the first female actress to sign a seven year contract
with
 CBS
and had become an accomplished painter.
I liken her to a queen of LIVE TV, and
she has other TV and movie credits. Gene Lyons cut his teeth in
the early days of television on The Philco Television
Playhouse, Kraft Theater and The Alcoa Hour just to
name a few. Royal Dano played Abe Lincoln early in his career and
made numerous appearances on LIVE television in The United States
Steel Hour, The Motorola TV Hour and Studio Hour with
over 171 television and movie appearances. And now…
The Brush Off Broadcast November 14, 1950:
Brought to you by Auto-Lite. “You’re
Always Right with Auto-Lite!”
With Your Host: Rex Marshall and the
96,000 Auto-Lite dealers everywhere!
 Our
episode begins with a suspicious looking character wearing a straw hat
(Gene Lyons) named Steve on the telephone writing on the wall what
appears to be an address, 2020 Sunset. While Steve is taking
instructions on the phone, Ralph Farley (Leslie Nielsen) enters the
background while the mystery man replies on the phone, “Okay, we’ll take
care of that.” After Steve exits, Ralph rushes over to use the phone.
Ralph Farley, an out of work actor in search of a gig, contacts Roger
Sherman’s (George Reeves) movie agency. While waiting for the other line
to answer he gets chastised for writing a number on the wall by the
landlord even though he defends himself by ratting out the previous user
for doing the same. It’s frustrating for Ralph, but this is just a taste
of what is to come.
The
phone is answered at Sherman’s office. You only hear Farley’s side of
the conversation where he replies in frustration, “You know, that guy’s
in a rut!” “Don’t get mad at me honey; I’m just an actor looking for
work!” He’s told to come to the office and bring along some pictures. As
he walks away from the phone, he hears a loud conversation between two
men about a prominent attorney’s wife death due to an overdose of
sleeping pills on account of some movie agent. Ralph stares puzzled at
the door and ponders what he is hearing. The conversation reveals that
these two men have been hired to bump off the movie agent. Royal Dano
(Lefty) then says, “Let’s get out of here; this place gives me the
creeps!” However, Ralph runs out of view before the two men exit their
room.
 In
the next scene we see large headlines of the Daily Express that says,
“Attorney’s Wife Commits Suicide Helen Nelson Takes Overdose of Sleeping
Tablets.” Roger Sherman enters his front office with large white hat and
overcoat draped over his shoulder and darts to the receptionist to
collect his mail. It immediately becomes an atmosphere of pandemonium.
While attempting to enter his private office an older bit player actor
confronts him for work, but he is brushed off by Sherman and calls for
his secretary Paula (Mary Sinclair) to come in his office. As they both
enter, Sherman demands of Paula that he is to receive no calls the rest
of the day. As Paula sits back at her desk she receives a phone call
from Frank Nelson the attorney. Paula has a worried look on her face
knowing Sherman has to take this call.
Sherman,
with his feet propped on the desk and reading the latest Variety issue,
Paula enters the office and gives him the news of Nelson’s call. He
reacts swiftly and answers the call. He speaks to Nelson with a series
of insincere condolences for the death of Helen. While Sherman is on the
phone and remarks that he and Helen were just casual acquaintances you
see a look on Paula’s face that is revealing of Sherman’s lie. Sherman
feigns ignorance when Nelson tells him that something was found by him
that he felt he should return. Sherman insists that he cannot meet with
him today and insincerely apologizes for the loss, hangs up the phone
with a truly worried and dour look.
 In
a panic, he immediately opens a drawer and removes a group of banded
letters and photos instructing Paula to burn them. “Do this yourself,
you understand?” Sherman then asks himself in front of Paula, “What
could he want to return to me?” He then becomes aware of a key. He asks
Paula in desperation if she remembered the key. Paula responded that she
hadn’t seen the key since the day Sherman had Paula send Helen the key
and two dozen roses. Sherman is sure that is it. Paula reminds Sherman
that he has never met Mr. Nelson and includes that Nelson is a big
criminal lawyer and might make things difficult. Sherman has a deep look
of worry, but then he says in a brush off response along with his hand,
“Oh, I’ll handle him alright!” On further orders by Sherman, Paula
responds, “I understand.” Sherman gets irate and says, “You seem to
understand everything!” In a stand up to the boss moment she fires back,
“It’s my job to understand!” Sherman then walks away and apologizes.
Before Paula leaves the private office she reminds Sherman of possible
police involvement, especially with a recent publicity stunt Sherman
pulled. He then says to her, “I wish the police would mind their own
business.”
As Paula
has sat back down at her desk in the front office, Ralph enters hoping
to see Sherman.
When Paula tells him that Sherman is busy he reacts with frustration and
goes so far as to say that he doubts that Sherman even exists. Paula
then suggests he try another agency and then Sherman at that moment
walks out of his office. Ralph attempts to talk to Sherman, but again,
he gives him the brush off and goes back into his office. Ralph then
asks Paula, “Is Hollywood really like this?” Paula, feeling sympathy
does tell of possible work in a new Hal Wallis picture. Before Paula
sees Sherman, a very grateful Ralph makes an offer to take Paula to
dinner and accepts. The receptionist reminds Paula that Ralph is an out
of work actor, so she better eat before they go out.
So as
not to give away too much of the excellent dialogue performances of the
cast, Paula intercedes for Ralph with Sherman but to no avail. The
killers enter Sherman’s front office and confront the receptionist and
Paula demanding to see Sherman. When they force their way into his
private office, Sherman is gone.
Then in
a series of discovery of Sherman’s impending doom and confrontations
between Ralph and the killers, Ralph is rendered unconscious in a
struggle by one of the killers and locked up in Sherman’s office. As
Ralph is coming to, the phone rings. It’s Paula. As Ralph is attempting
to get information from Paula, one of the killers (Steve) enters back
into the front office and pulls the plug from the phone board.
 Ralph,
realizing he has been locked in, attempts to open Sherman’s locked desk
to find anything to open the office door. There is sound of a key
attempting to unlock the door, so Ralph places himself on the side of
the door to not be spotted. Sherman enters and a grateful Ralph begins
to explain the attempt on Sherman’s life. Sherman brushes him off and
believes that this is nothing more than an audition. In frustration
before Ralph leaves he says to Sherman; “I think these gangsters have a
point!”
Sherman
reconnects the phone board and calls his apartment. Unbeknown to him,
the killers are there as the phone continues to ring. Steve discovers
the suicide note on Sherman’s desk written by Helen Nelson. He reads
aloud, “I knew it couldn’t last forever, but when you brushed me off, I
just couldn’t take it.” The killers create a scenario of how they will
deal with Sherman by planting a bottle of whiskey, then tossing him out
the window with the note that makes Sherman look as if he took his own
life in despair. The killers hear someone at Sherman’s door and scramble
for cover behind the curtains each side of the window. Paula, not
finding Sherman, sits down and goes through a file of papers.
We next
see Ralph back at the hotel on the phone informing the police of
Sherman’s situation pleading for them to listen. However, the police are
wary of Sherman’s past publicity stunts and are wise to his ways. The
operator is contacted by Ralph to get his number but it comes up
unlisted. Hoping to find an address or any information on Sherman he
attempts to break into the killers’ apartment, but is caught by the
landlord. Even with pleas for help, his explanation falls on deaf ears
as she refuses to break policy. In desperation he’s on the phone again.
The operator answers, but then he slowly lowers the receiver and spots
on the wall, ‘Sunset 2020.’ It all makes sense now and concludes this is
Sherman’s address.
Back at
Sherman’s apartment, Paula stands up for a stretch. Unbeknown to her one
of the killers (Steve) behind the curtain raises a gun in her direction.
She then moves towards a bar to pour herself a drink as the gun follows
her direction. Suddenly she hears a noise at the window. Moving ever so
cautiously towards the window, her countenance changes to worry and
fear. It intensifies noting the ten story drop below the window. The
phone rings and its Sherman. You see a sense of relief on his face. She
is told to call it a day and that he is on his way home. Sherman smiles
with a false sense of security.
 Paula
has left. The killers have a short dialogue when they hear a noise at
the door. They scurry behind the curtains. Ralph is let in by a bell
boy. He then calls out for Paula as he makes his way through the room.
The killers emerge and Ralph is in for the fight of his life. While
being knocked down he bumps Lefty, who is scared to death of heights out
the window, plunging with a horrible scream of terror to his death.
Steve knocks the standing Ralph back to the floor and rushes to the
window calling out to Lefty. Paula enters the room with the police. The
killer is identified, handcuffed and charged by Ralph with attempted
murder. Paula had returned with the police for concern of the open
window and the possibility of an intruder.
 Ralph
and Paula are now alone in the room. Then enters Sherman with a big
smile greeting Paula but then turns to anger as he spots Ralph. Ralph
attempts to inform him of the plot to kill him, but then Sherman brushes
him off and in ‘Godfather” mode, jutting out his big jaw say’s, “Farley,
I’m going to give you some free advice.” “You won’t get anywhere in
Hollywood when you make a pest out of yourself.” “And one thing more,
I’m going to see you are blacklisted all over town for what you’ve
done!” Paula begins to plead with Sherman of the truth, but Sherman is
in brush off mode and won’t hear of it. Before Ralph and Paula leave,
he says to Sherman, “I won’t be around that long Mr.
Sherman.” As Sherman’s face is turned away from them both his
expressions display deceit and a hidden secret. This is one of Reeves
biggest strengths in his craft. He can detail emotion like a real pro.
Placing his hat and coat aside he discovers the suicide note of the
brushed off lover Helen. As he is set to burn the note, a voice and
figure appear with a gun pointed at Sherman and says, “Sit down
Sherman!” In a defiant tone he asks, “Who are you?” He blows out the
match, sits down with a look of fear. The figure moves towards the desk,
placing a call to the police. In a calm tone he then asks, “Will you
send someone over here right away?” “I’m going to commit a murder.” The
police respond, “Who is this calling?” He replies, “This is Frank
Nelson.” He lowers the phone, Sherman rises and then…
August
2007
 Evolution
of a Dream:
The Long and Winding Road
My lovely wife Leslie, co-web master of Glass
House Presents and inspiration for everything I do has asked me on
this occasion to tell the story of the events leading up to birth of the
web site, the building blocks of relationships and where we go from
here.
Listening to some Beatle tunes this morning there
was one song that hit me between the eyes entitled, The Long and
Winding Road. While listening, I thought about altering a lyric line
that truly captures the feel of what needs to be told. The Long and
Winding Road, That Leads to Your Internet Door.
The road begins in 1958 on the 13” Philco TV
set owned by my grandfather where George Reeves in The Adventures of
Superman made the indelible impression on my life. That would
continue with the series coming back into syndication in the early 60s.
I had the great fortune of sleeping on the couch in my grandparent’s
home as they watched not only classic television shows, but every now
and then, as they would watch The Late Show, I began discovering
George in other film. I can honestly say at the age of ten, I became a
fan of George Reeves. In 1964 there became this insatiable thirst to
know everything about George. Back in those day, I hopped the bus for
only a dime to downtown Fresno and searched the library, the card
catalogue on the old Dewey Decimal System, but to no avail. I must have
walked those aisles for hours every time I visited that library.
The winding road had a stop point twelve years
later by encountering on the shelf at a local bookstore Gary Grossman’s
Serial to Cereal. I hit pay dirt! Between TAOS marathons and
an occasional George movie here and there through the years up pops
Hollywood Kryptonite. Not content after that read, I remember saying
aloud to myself, “Certainly there has to be someone out there who cares
enough about the life of George Reeves to write about it in an objective
manner.”
On the road of life through many of its twists and
turns, I end up back in California in 1999. In 2001, it was pure
blessing to meet up again with the love of my life, Leslie. During our
burgeoning relationship, Leslie stopped by the house on her way to
Bakersfield to store her computer. Leslie set it up at my house so I
could play. I was not too familiar with the Internet, just computer
programs I used at work. Wired up and ready to go with some instruction,
her last words before she left was, “You can type in any subject you
want, after all Al Gore invented it, so you have nothing to fear.” After
a hearty laugh, she left and so I sat there for several minutes thinking
about what I always wanted to know. Bingo! George Reeves. The first two
sites that stood out to me were Jim Nolt’s The Adventures
Continue…and Mary Spooner’s George Reeves site. I was up for
hours every evening going through reams of paper and cartridges that
Leslie left behind. On the TAC site, I began to discover all the
sources for things I had looked for most of my life on the subject of
George Reeves like TAC issues and Speeding Bullet by Jan Alan
Henderson.
On the TAC website, I discovered a link to what is
now known as The Friendly Adventures of Superman Discussion
Board. When I got comfortable, I placed my first post and
introducing myself. Lou Koza was the first person to welcome me. We
continue a strong relationship to this day. He assisted me in acquiring
the educational sources that had eluded me for so many years. Lou, as
many of the old timer’s on the Schutz board can tell you, I exhibited a
lot of enthusiasm. It was sincere and I was so happy to find out that
others shared a common bond with George Reeves and TAOS. During the
period of 2001-2003, I visited the board primarily to gain knowledge and
develop relationships with those who were open to do so. It was in
August of 2003 that I felt there was more for me in relationship with
the George Reeves community after meeting Larry Ward, Noel Neill and Jan
Alan Henderson. On the way home after the TV Land Convention, Leslie had
said to me, “You know Carl, you should start a website.” My reply was
“What could I possibly contribute other than what is already effectively
accomplished and done? I’ll never have one.” I dropped that thought for
quite a while until the latter part of 2004 when I started considering
certain people on the board I had built relationships with and the
talents they displayed. The thought or question occurred to me,
“Wouldn’t it be great to assemble all these great people in one place to
showcase their talents?” Then immediately the words that came to my mind
were “Friendship and Camaraderie” because this love for “TAOS” is what
draws us together in spite of our diversity or belief systems. It was in
this spirit, I wanted to convey to any potential readers of the site. I
also felt it was an expression of the personalities belonging to Leslie
and me. It was just too talented of a group to neglect.
The foundation stones of Glass House Presents
is personal relationships. In many cases with those who contribute, we
have shared and walked through personal struggles and triumphs both
large or small. The remaining question for me in seriously considering a
web site to launch was “Where do I begin and what do I want to present?”
In early 2005, I received and email from Don
Holmes, the original Mr. Bloopers. He had conveyed to me he had
that other priorities in his life and that he needed someone to take
over. This was amazing to me because I told him we were in the process
of considering a website and should it become a reality, the Bloopers
page would have a home. With much time and understanding, Don and I had
worked together to see the Bloopers page make a safe transition. Don had
been talking with some people about maintaining the page and Lou Koza
had recommended me.
The
development of GHP was not necessarily smooth on the technical end
because we were learning as we went along, and still are, but because we
had relationship with these good folks that took a few years, many were
willing to help, then the rest fell into place. On a few occasions, some
of the people we contacted were surprised that we would even want them
to contribute. They would discover that we were tapping into talents or
gifts even they were not aware of. I see it as humility on their part.
The site has enabled us to meet some very wonderful people and we have
had experiences that we never dreamed possible.
In those early days, our first contributors were Don
Holmes, Lou Koza, Alfred Walker, Bruce Dettman and Eddie Caro. Color
scheme changes, new additions, new link partners came aboard quite
rapidly. We tried a few ideas, but they did not work, so we dropped
them. However, we started getting emails from around the country and
eventually from around the world. As we were being sought out by other
websites, we felt the need to accommodate a rising audience by visual
improvements, but worked diligently to not get too high-tech to maintain
our original vision.
Our pride and joy is The George Reeves Hall of
Fame, which came by way of inspiration through Lou Koza, current
editor of The Adventures Continue web site. I wish I could recall
for you the wording of the post Lou presented that day, but the first
time the hint went over my head. He emailed me and wanted me to look at
his post again. It clicked, and thus, on August 17, 2005, the George
Reeves Hall of Fame was born thanks to the friendship and
camaraderie of all the fine people who have been inducted as well as
other fine contributors.
The seal for the GR:HOF was especially designed by
Randy Garrett and is becoming recognized worldwide. Now just recently
birthed is the Oh George website (by Richard Potter) that
maintains the tradition of continuing the life and legacy of George
Reeves.
In conclusion, I would like to thank Colete Morlock
who has given that added dimension of a woman’s perspective to the
George Reeves legacy at GHP. Colete, along with Gail McIntyre, Susan
Schnitzer, Stargazer, Louise and Janet (and ladies, if I’ve forgotten
you please forgive me) has let us know emphatically, that The
Adventures of Superman is not exclusively a boys club.
Where does GHP go from here? Upward and onward…on
that long and winding road.
Thanks for all your support and may GHP continue to
find its way to your Internet door.
April 2007
 Carl
Loves Lucy
& Superman
By
Carl Glass
Several years ago, Joe Garner, a New York Times
best selling author came out with a book with DVD’s included entitled:
Stay Tuned, Televisions Unforgettable Moments. Television moments
will take us back to a time and place resurrecting thoughts, feelings
and experiences that could stir the imagination, or become thought
provoking, bring laughter, or result in genuine grief and sorrow. The
book covers a wide array of those special moments in the history of
television from entertainment like the Elvis debut on The Ed Sullivan
Show. Enter in the news with the Kennedy-Nixon Debate, or Walter
Cronkite denouncing the Viet Nam War. Who will ever forget The Rescue of
Baby Jessica, The Fall of The Berlin Wall, or that horrible tension
associated with the 1972 Olympics in Munich? That incident elicits a
very tense feeling for me as I was stationed in Wuerzburg Germany. I was
on guard duty that evening with only three rounds of ammunition in my
M16 rifle. Sports had its great moments to with the protest of Tommie
Smith and John Carlos who raised their fists in protest to signify
“Black Power” at the 1968 Mexico City Games. And of course, we are never
to forget when the U.S. and Soviet Olympic Hockey teams faced off in
Lake Placid for the Olympic gold series! “Do You Believe in Miracles?”
 One
of television's finest and most memorable moments, which I believe was a
stroke of genius, occurred on the evening of January 14, 1957 when CBS
showcased two of televisions greatest icons, Lucille Ball and George
Reeves in the classic episode from I Love Lucy (Lucy Meets
Superman). Unfortunately, I don’t remember this episode in its debut,
but I have certainly seen it multiplied times. And what a thrill it was
for me, just as it was for families gathered around their sets across
the nation in mid January of 1957 when George Reeves entered feet first
and made his way through those kitchen swing doors in a perfect landing.
He did not miss a beat and was greeted by genuinely happy, excited
children. I still get chills over that scene.
The episode begins as Little Ricky and Big Ricky
are enamored in a scene of Superman in a back shot descending upon the
city. Interestingly enough you can see one of the wires supporting his
descent. This particular scene has never been shown on The Adventures
of Superman.” I am not sure if it was specially done for I Love
Lucy or some stored away footage from George’s show that never got
used.
 Lucy
walks in from the kitchen, over to the television and shuts it off,
because it is time for Little Ricky to go to bed. Just a slight protest, then Lucy removes the Superman costume from Little Ricky and just
before he heads to bed, he asks his mom if Superman can come to his
birthday party? She tells him that Superman will be at Macy’s and she
would take him there. “Oh Boy!” is the reply. Side note: It was mentioned in the
audio commentary by Steve Kay (aka Stevie Appleby) that George Reeves
gave every child on the set a Superman costume that day, just like the
one Keith Thibodeaux wore.
That evening the Appleby’s arrive, and the issue of
Little Ricky and Stevie’s birthday parties become a tension point
between Caroline and Lucy. Both had made plans for their boys for
Saturday (even though Stevie was born two days before and Little Ricky
two days after). Obviously an impasse and both ladies won’t budge. After
prodding Ricky to get Superman to come to Little Ricky’s party, Lucy
becomes over confident, and in a phone call to Caroline uses the bait of
Superman attending the party. When Lucy over hears Stevie’s insistence
that he wants to go to Little Ricky’s party, the debate is over. Just a
little while later, Lucy learns from Ricky that Superman will not be
able to attend due to the fact that he has to catch a plane to “Terry
Hoot” Indiana. A Ricky Ricardo lingo for…Terre Haute. It doesn’t make
any sense to Lucy, “If he’s Superman, why does he need a plane?”
 Lucy,
as always, has a solution. She tells Ethel that she will dress up as
Superman, run around the room real fast and no one will notice that
she's not Superman. The
party begins with Fred and Ethel playing “London Bridge” with the
children as Caroline and Lucy are placing party items on the table.
Caroline asks Lucy of Superman’s arrival and she replies “very soon.” It
is her cue to leave. Lucy and Ethel go into an empty apartment for Lucy
to change. Lucy then carefully exits the window in Superman attire
including headgear, plaid shorts, tights with the Superman emblem and
that beautiful cape. Meanwhile, Ethel returns back to the Ricardo’s
apartment. There is a knock on the door, and two potential renters (one
is Madge Blake) who want to see the available apartment. Ethel takes
over for Fred, and tries to do a rush job while the husband makes
inquires about decorating. Lucy on the other hand is on the ledge making
her way through a flock of pigeons. If you notice in this episode she is
careful not to step on them, but they surely give her a difficult time
with a few making themselves home on her head and shoulder.
 Meanwhile
back at the party, Ricky arrives with the news to Fred that Superman
decided to come when he heard it was a birthday party and he was in the
kitchen. Ricky inquires of the whereabouts of Lucy. Fred says she went
out for more ice cream, but Ricky can not hold Superman too long. Ricky
groups the kids together, making sure their eyes are closed and then
introduces to them the arrival of their favorite television
star…Superman!
In spectacular fashion, Superman enters through
those swinging doors. It was a good thing he had Thol (Si) Simonson his
special effects man from “TAOS” to make sure the stunt was done
correctly! And what was so impressive to me…he didn’t miss a beat …he
landed and walked right over to the enthralled group of kids.
Superman asks, “Which one of you is Little Ricky?”
Proudly, pointing to himself, the reply is, “That’s me!” And how many of
us envied Little Ricky as Superman hoisted him on up on his right
shoulder? Superman, “Any of you fellas want to wrestle?” Now Lucy of
course has made it to the window of her apartment observing that the party
is a success and says to the pigeon on her shoulder, “We’re not needed
here anymore.” Making her way back to the empty apartment, she turns a
corner and reaches out to a drain
 pipe
that gives way! But she is able to hold on for dear life! As Lucy makes
her way to the window, in eye shot, Madge Blake goes into hysterics as
she sees Lucy outside the window. She declares she saw something
strange. Her husband replies,
 “Something
strange from three flights up? Was it a bird? Was it a plane?” Her
reply, “It’s a Super Man!”
Now the rain begins to pour heavily with Lucy on
the ledge, and the man inside decides to close and lock the window
before Lucy can get back inside. It is the beginning of quite a fiasco
as Lucy gets her cape caught on something in the corner where the
outside walls join (a screw?). As the party is coming to an end with
waves and goodbyes to Superman, it is discovered through Ethel that Lucy
is on the ledge.
 Ricky
opens the window, asks her what she’s doing out there, and then says he
is on the way to get her. However, he is having a difficult time moving
the piano out of the way. But Little Ricky knows the solution and says,
“No Daddy, let Superman do it!” After setting down little Ricky and
moving toward the piano he says, “Allow me” and with ease moves the
piano out of the way and gracefully moves through the window onto the
ledge making his way with no effort towards Lucy. The dialogue is great
as the rain continues to pour down on them. Superman frees the caught
end of the cape, and makes his way with Lucy in hand towards the window
with Ricky totally irate over the situation demanding an explanation
(along with Fred, Ethel, and Little Ricky) as to why she is on the
ledge…for 15 years he’s never understood how she can get into such
situations!
 Then
came that famous exchange between George and Desi...
“Wait a minute, Ricardo, you mean to say that
you’ve been married to her for fifteen years?”
“Yeah! Fifteen years!”
“And they call me Superman!”
Yes, Carl still loves Lucy & Superman.
Painting by Randy Garrett for Carl's
50th Birthday
August 2006
WOW...look at
me now! I am officially an EXPERT!
I was a phone guest on Planet
Access on WPAA in Connecticut.
Thanks Joe and Bill! I had a GREAT
time!
Warner/TAOS Season 2 Review
by Mr. X
I've viewed Season 2 and these are my
observations:
The packaging is identical to Season
1. The box is a little awkward to deal with, but certainly not
objectionable. I've seen better and worse. The design of the packaging
is such that if one doesn't use proper care, a scratched disc may
result.
The artwork for the five discs is way
cool. It's difficult to produce artwork for a DVD, with the big hole in
the middle, I know, I've tried. Two thumbs up to Warner for this.
I really love the colorized graphic of
George on the box cover. Warner chose a wonderful still and did a
superb job with it. The Empire State and the Chrysler building are in
the background. As a fifth generation New Yorker, I heartily approve.
Other then one line descriptions of
each episode, there are no liner notes. I love detailed liner notes. I
think they add a great deal. It would have been nice if Gary Grossman,
Michael Hayde, or Jim Nolt were retained to contribute their written
observations. The episode descriptions used in Columbia House's
release, written by Allan Asherman, Michael Hayde's episode commentary
for Fred Berney's collection, and Jim Nolt's comments for our collection
are all outstanding, and far superior to Warner's lackluster effort.
The DVD menus are the same as those
used in Season 1, except different footage and audio were used.
Personally, I find the menus cumbersome and unintuitive to navigate.
And the new theme music is banal. Using original TAOS theme music would
have made a world of difference, but I guess Warner didn't care to pop
for the royalties.
The video quality of each episode is
exquisite. The 1953 film stock is in good condition by and large, and
the high resolution Warner employed didn't magnify flaws as it did the
1951 episodes. Without a doubt, these episodes are visually the best
ever produced. Unlike the syndicated versions, no electronic
compression was employed. Average running time is more than twenty six
minutes per episode. There are no hackneyed edits inserted to
accommodate commercials, a welcome relief. The audio no longer suffers
from the effects of slipshod electronic compression. Many syndicated
episodes were badly off pitch. Returning to the uncompressed originals
has eliminated the problem. Other than that, the audio quality is
unimproved and mediocre. I have to think it could have been tinkered
with. I know I've done so with good results.
The Season 1 episodes have various
running lengths. This is because the previews were cut. The previews
were originally added to give each episode uniform running time. This
is not the case for Season 2. Each episode should run about 26 minutes
and 16 seconds, plus or minus a few seconds.
I checked the running time of all 26
episodes. "My Friend Superman" runs 25 minutes 23 seconds, and "Around
the World" runs 25 minutes 17 seconds. Their missing scenes would bring
both to about 26 minutes 16 seconds. The other 24 episodes all run 26
minutes 16 seconds, give or take a second or two, indicating that they
are complete and uncut.
The two episodes mentioned above run
short because they each are missing a scene. The box cover says, "The
Complete Second Season featuring Every Thrilling Episode." I find this
irksome. Maybe Warner included every episode, but every episode is
certainly not complete. The scene from MFS is not important, but the
one from ATWWS is integral to the plot, and perhaps Superman's most
tender moment in 104 episodes. It's a shame the scene was cut. I have
no explanation other then Warner's indifference that prevented its
restoration. An uncut, 16 millimeter print, reportedly in pristine
condition was auctioned on EBay recently for $220. Too bad Warner
didn't win the auction.
The running time of these two episodes
being significantly shorter than the other 24 should have been
completely obvious to Warner. They certainly can't claim that they
didn't realize that these two episodes were incomplete.
There is no mention of Kellogg's in
any of the openings or closings. It would have been nice if one episode
tipped its hat to Battle Creek with original audio. I guess legal hocus
pocus got in the way. The openings themselves seem pieced together, the
edits are obvious, and the audio spikes noticeably at some edit points.
But, truth be told, I didn't buy the collection to watch the openings,
so this doesn't unduly bother me.
There is virtually no restoration of
any type, audio, video, or missing footage. Warner used current
technology to produce high resolution versions of the twenty six 1953
episodes in syndication, and other than that, did nothing of note to
improve on them. There are a number of elements which could have been
easily restored to perfect condition. Warner chose to ignore them.
Two episodes included commentaries by
Jack and Noel, and they were a joy to hear. Jack is a first class
raconteur and I love listening to him. Kudos to Warner for preserving
his comments for posterity!
"Stamp Day for Superman" is included,
with a brief introduction by Gary Grossman and Jack. For those of you
who have seen John Field's print, its condition is approximately the
same.
The other bonus feature is "Noel
Neill, the First Lady of Metropolis". It's a very nice feature, but it
runs only seven minutes. I would have liked to have seen a whole lot
more.
The going price for the five disc set
is $26, a great bargain for the price.
I think most TAOS fans will be
enormously pleased with Season 2. Perhaps I'm overly critical, but I
wish Warner had made some restorative effort, to fix poor audio and
video, and to replace missing footage. They can't plead ignorance, at
my behest a personal friend of Allan Asherman wrote him to apprise him
of missing scenes from ATWWS and MFS. When Jim, Randy, and I were
working on our TAOS DVD collection, we agreed that complete episodes,
even those patched with inferior footage, were preferable to pristine
but incomplete episodes. I wish Warner shared our philosophy.
In conclusion, I recommend Season 2
highly. Run to your video store and snap up a copy. The collection
scores on what I think is most important for a vintage television
series, video quality. I give it eight out of a possible ten “S”
emblems.
Mister X
February 2006
When
I Met Superman’s Girl Friend: Noel Neill
By Carl
Glass
 There
is perhaps no greater feeling in the world than when your dreams come
true. That happened for me on August 17, 2003 when Leslie and I had the
opportunity to meet the lovely Noel Neill for the first time. I had been
previously corresponding with Larry Ward through Dave Schutz’
Friendly Adventures of Superman Discussion Board.
When Leslie
and I arrived at the autograph table, I immediately walked up to where
Ms. Neill was sitting and introduced myself. She was a little startled
and then pointed to Larry Ward and said, “That’s the man you want to
see!” Obviously, we were expected, and she knew it, but Larry was
expected to take care of the encounter. After exchanging pleasantries,
Larry asked me a question. “How big is your car?” I thought to myself,
“Does Larry need a ride home?” Then he pointed to a large poster sized
photo of George and Ms. Neill. He said, “After the convention this is
yours and I’ll make sure Noel autographs it before you leave.” I asked
Ms. Neill if Leslie and I could take photos with her after the
convention and she happily agreed. I was very impressed with how
graciously Larry treated Leslie and me.
I must
mention that it was at this convention that I also met Jan Alan
Henderson, author of Speeding Bullet: The Life And Bizarre Death of
George Reeves, and Behind The Crimson Cape: The Cinema of George
Reeves. Leslie and I continue to have a great relationship
with Jan to this day.
We attended
just about every interview session at the convention that afternoon with
the many stars of the past, but we were really there for the session
with Jack Larson and Noel Neill. Jack was not feeling well that
afternoon, but he came through like a trooper.
It was now
nearing the end of the day. As I was waiting for Ms. Neill’s autograph
session to wind down, Larry took my camera and said, “Well, now we’re
ready for some photos.” I sat down next to Ms. Neill, I put my arm
around her and said, “Ms. Neill, I have waited for this moment for over
forty years!” She returned a beautiful smile at me. We then both looked
into the camera and…click! I proudly display this photo along with the
autographed poster in a frame that says, “Carl & Leslie, Best Wishes,
Noel Neill, Lois Lane” in my bedroom. I acquired another poster from
the Valencia Showstopper’s in April of 2004 and display that one
on the other wall in my bedroom. Leslie says it’s so I can wake up every
morning with my heroes!
This indeed
was a childhood dream come true! I believe that if you dream hard
enough, and believe with all your heart, your dreams can come true.
Little did I
realize on that day, that there would be several more events to meet
with Larry and Ms. Neill. There was breakfast in Hollywood in February
of 2004 along with Jan Alan Henderson, the Valencia Showstopper’s,
Metropolis, and the Hollywood Celebrities and Collector’s Show.
The next
great event that Leslie and I are looking forward to meeting Noel will
be at her appearance in Lone Pine this October. I’ll get plenty of
photos and write of the events.
July's contributor to "the
Corner" is none other than John "JFOK" O'Keefe...our good friend
from the Cape Cod area...about as far away from Bakersfield, California
as you can get! John has his own version of life--in the 60's and
the impact of TAOS.
Memories, Music, and
TAOS
by John O'Keefe
When I look back on my childhood, a
few things pop into my mind almost immediately.
The first thing I think of is my
family life. I am the oldest of eight ( 6 boys, 2 girls ) and life
in our Connecticut home always had a bit of a circus atmosphere about
it...always something going on...a whirlwind of activity. In spite of
all this, it was a loving and secure home and my parents did a
remarkable job in raising us. Added to the mix for good measure, was a
beagle named Princess, born in May of 1964. Sadly, Princess was not to
be with us very long, meeting her demise in the spring of 1966
after chasing one too many vehicles...a habit we
unfortunately, could never break her of. An eternally youthful chocolate
lab named Candy arrived on the scene as a pup in the late fall of 1967.
She would spend 16 wonderful years with us before old age finally caught
up with her.
 During
the Easter and Thanksgiving holidays, we'd load up our faithful Dodge
station wagon and make our annual trek to visit my grandparents in
Massachusetts. They spoiled us rotten, much to the chagrin of my parents
and to our delight. Then there was Christmas morning and all the
surprises it held. For years, my brother Rick and I would wake up
real early and sneak downstairs to see who Santa left the biggest pile
of gifts for. You can imagine the clean up involved after 8 kids opened
up all their goodies.
We spent our summers on ole' Cape
Cod...a place I now call home. It's not quite as quaint today as it was
during the 1960's, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The
summers here are breath-taking.
The next childhood memory I have
involves music. The British Invasion had just started when I began
listening to top 40 radio and there always seemed to be fresh music and
innovative groups to listen to. It seemed as if the Beatles had a new
song out every other week. They dominated the airwaves back then and I
never grew tired of them. The Motown sound was also growing in
popularity during this time. For one reason or another, I remember three
Motown gems as especially popular in my area. The Supremes, Martha and
The Vandellas, and Mary Wells. WMCA and WABC, ( known back then
as W...A...BEATLE...C ), ruled the airwaves and DJs like Cousin Brucie
and Dan Ingram, were always whacky and fun to listen to. I captured it
all on my red Sears Silvertone pocket radio which I had received as a
"First Communion" gift in May of 1964. I even remember the first thing I
heard on it..."Chapel Of Love" by the Dixie Cups.
Then there are my television
memories. For a good part of the 1960's we watched TV on a 1955 DuMont
which was a wedding gift to my parents. My earliest TV memories are of
"The Mickey Mouse Club", "Romper Room" and "Captain Kangaroo." I also
had some local TV favorites thru the 1960's. They included Sandy Becker,
Capt. Jack McCarthy, Officer Joe Bolton, and "Wonderama", hosted by
Sonny Fox.
On that DuMont I also watched the
news coverage of both Kennedy assassinations, John Glenn's first trip
around the earth, the first appearance of the Beatles on the "Ed
Sullivan Show", "Mr. Ed", "Batman", "My Favorite Martian", "Lost In
Space", the annual showings of "The Wizard Of Oz" and of course, every
weekday afternoon on WPIX-TV, "The Adventures Of Superman."
 My TAOS
viewing actually goes back to an earlier time when it aired on WABC-TV.
I don't remember watching it then, but I was reminded of this when in
moving to the Cape in 1999, I found an envelope addressed by me to
Superman in care of WABC-TV. As a child watching Superman, I was
frequently perplexed with the TAOS openings that didn't show Superman's
or Clark Kent's entire body. Their legs just seemed to fade out from the
knees down. It's silly when I think of it now, but I didn't realize back
then, that this was most likely caused by the technology at hand in the
early 1950's. The first time I saw TAOS in color was at my friend,
Johnny Haines' house. They had just bought a Philco color TV and one
afternoon low and behold, there it was in all it's full color
glory..."The Adventures Of Superman."
Now, Johnny and I made it a point to
watch TAOS almost every afternoon back in the black and white days, but
now that it was in color, it was a whole new show to us. The vibrant
colors of Superman's outfit, the color of Lois' hair and even the color
of George's eyes when an "x-ray vision moment" was called for, were all
an awesome sight to behold.
Now, as I close in on the
magic number of 50, I think back and say to myself, as we all do, "where
did the time go ?" Those carefree times are now so long ago and far
away. So much has happened in the ensuing years. We no longer live in
Connecticut. Dad passed away, as did my grandparents. All my brother and
sisters have married. We no longer have that Dodge station wagon. Two
more dogs have come and gone since Candy. I've unfortunately, lost
contact with Johnny Haines and I no longer have those carefree summers
to goof off with. The music pillars of my youth, WABC and WMCA no longer
play music and now...only two Beatles are left, but fear not, all is not
lost.
I got married after a long
bachelor-hood, to an awesome woman named Paula who is the light of my
life. I've also enjoyed a rewarding career, ( thanks to my late Uncle
Everett ), working with the mentally disabled for over 20 years
now. Last but not least, I now live where I've always wanted to...Cape
Cod.
There is however, a part of
my childhood still very much alive and well to this day, "The Adventures
Of Superman." I've seen each episode countless times yet I'm still drawn
to it. I never tire watching the "man of steel" in action.
One of the highlights of my life was
meeting Noel Neill last fall in Boston. Here was the woman I watched so
many years ago on that DuMont in Stamford, Connecticut...still looking
beautiful and still sounding exactly the same. Oh yes, that 1955 DuMont,
I still have that too.
|
LIFE FOR ME