Norm Nathan's Vault of Silliness with Tony Nesbitt - Ep 240 - A Cozy Companion

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back to another episode of Norm Nathan's Vault of Silliness. Today's feature presentation is a couple of back to back hours of a Norm Nathan show from June 22, 1996. I have titled it A Cozy Companion, not just because we talk about rescuing animals, but because Norm, you know, he was like that to so many people during those weekend overnights. We begin with an excellent traffic report from Jack Hart sponsored by Acura. Our first guest was Robert Davenport, author of the Celebrity Birthday book. Now Norm left the book at home. It was only the second day in the new WBZ studios and the ensuing growing pains left Norm all discombobulated. Davenport was a great guest with lots of fun info and tidbits about celebrities. He also authored some other creative books on celebrity children's names, celeb pet names and more. The next guest was Sonia Di Tomasso, director of public relations for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. She talked about Morris the Cat making an appearance to support their efforts to raise funds for homeless animal shelters. Then it's on to all sorts of callers. Bob Sacco, who sounded like a guest but just called in. He hosts a big band show on WAZL in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Then an unknown caller. We have a lot of those. Ruth Clement, Norma from Boston and an unknown caller. Bill and Wister. An unknown caller followed up by an unknown caller. Dorothy. Oh look, an unknown caller. Charles and John. Episode 240 A cozy companion cuddles its way to your ears. [00:01:38] Speaker B: Now the problem to the south of the city right now. Route 1 northbound and southbound in the Wrentham area. Possible possibly hazardous chemical situation has both sides of that roadway shut down. And we will keep you updated the overnight otherwise on foggy and slightly damp roadways. Downtown Expressway northbound and southbound at East Milton Square. Ongoing construction in that area. Northbound and southbound getting in and out of the South Station tunnel. You're doing well. Mass pike heading eastbound coming out of the Alston Brighton Tolls heading down through and into the Prudential Tunnel. Overhead painting until about 5am possibly later. And that's going to cause delays. I'm Jack Hart, WBZ 24 Hour Traffic Network. Your participating Acura dealer introduces the new Acura Prefer pre owned program. Pre owned vehicles meet strict quality standards and come with an Acura backed warranty. Special lease and financing programs are available. [00:02:37] Speaker C: Every time I came on WBC in. [00:02:43] Speaker D: Boston. [00:02:50] Speaker B: That'S what this is. This is the fabled and legendary Norm Nathan showed. It's nice to have you with us. We're going to be talking With Robert Davenport just a little bit. He's the author of the celebrity birthday book. And as Tony Nesbitt, who is the chief booker of this swell show and a position that he holds with great pride, said the book is packed with thousands of famous personalities, their birth dates, places and little known tidbits about them. The kind of. Of an ultimate did you know book. Thank you just so darn much. Anyway, we'll be around through the night till, I don't know, either five o' clock in the morning or whenever you get tired of me. When you get really sick of me, then I'll take off, whichever comes first. Anyway, the. As you heard, the mass millions. Nobody won the mass millions lottery as Dave Donhoff mentioned. And the jackpot is now up to 763 trillion d billion d zillion d billion d million d dollars. The numbers were 16, 25, 29, 35, 41 and 42. WHO has written a book called the Celebrity Birthday Book. It packed with, as I mentioned, packed with thousands of famous personalities, their birthdays, places, little known tidbits about them and all that kind of stuff. Hey, so I call you Robert. Is that. Is that. Would that be okay? [00:04:18] Speaker D: Yeah, that'll be fine. [00:04:20] Speaker B: Okay. Bobby or something else would not be so good. Robert. I just want to be really official and everything about all this. Anyway, it's nice to have you on the program with us. [00:04:31] Speaker D: Well, thank you for having me. [00:04:33] Speaker B: Could I. Could I make a really terrible confession? This has been a kind of a wild week. We moved into new studios and at home things have been kind of wild and stuff and I don't have the book in front of me and I feel so guilty about that because I hate to interview somebody who's written a book not having read it. And that bothers me a lot. I think we can carry on anyway because you sound like a nice guy. [00:04:57] Speaker D: Oh, sure. [00:04:59] Speaker B: I'm so. [00:05:00] Speaker D: What am I gonna say? No, I'm not a nice guy? [00:05:02] Speaker B: No, I know. I can just tell by your response that you're okay. But I hate to interview authors not have not being familiar enough with their. With their material because I think that's really so stupid and, and I don't do that normally, but this has been. Been kind of wild. This is the only the second day I've been in these studios, these brand new ones. And there have been a lot of bugs that we've been trying to iron out. Now I won't, you know, belabor that and figure with our problems because your book sounds like a great Thing. Could you tell me about it? And I tell you what I have. We do later at night, like between 3 and 4 in the morning, Eastern time, we do a thing called the Dumb Birthday Game, in which I mention the names of people who are born on this day. We have a panel of people, listeners who call in and want to take part in that. And they try to guess the ages and we talk about the people and all that. And so I got to get your book is that that in the future will be an integral part of the Dumb Birthday Game. [00:06:08] Speaker D: You have my permission to mention it every time you have the show. [00:06:12] Speaker B: Now, who published the book, Robert? [00:06:15] Speaker D: General Publishing. [00:06:17] Speaker B: That's a nice big name. That's like General Electric or General Eisenhower, something like that, anyway. And it's available most places, I would assume. [00:06:28] Speaker D: Yes, it's available hopefully at your local bookstore because it's, you know, national, just nationally distributed. And if it's not, we have an 800 number as well. [00:06:39] Speaker B: I'm anxious for you to give that to us. [00:06:41] Speaker D: Oh, well, what a coincidence. I have it right here. [00:06:45] Speaker B: That's wonderful. 1-800-birthday book or something. [00:06:50] Speaker D: Anyway, I wish it was that easy. It's 800-937-5557. [00:07:01] Speaker B: Okay, 937555. So tell me about the book, if you would, Robert. I would appreciate that. And then I'll compare your birthday book with my birthday book. [00:07:12] Speaker D: Oh, the test arrives. [00:07:15] Speaker B: No, I have a feeling you're going to come out on top easily. Well, one. [00:07:18] Speaker D: One interesting thing about birthday books. If you find a famous person and their birthday, especially the year, doesn't match up with the other birthday book. It doesn't mean that either one of the books are necessarily wrong because especially back in the studio days, the studios would routinely lop a few years off the ages of their stars. [00:07:42] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. [00:07:43] Speaker D: To make them seem younger, I think James Cagney, they took a full five years off his age. [00:07:50] Speaker B: You know, I remember when I was a few years back, when I was sort of beginning in radio, a lot of the. A lot of the movie actresses and actors would come into town and they would list their birth date. The date itself, obviously, the day, the month, but they never put the year. And Barbara Stanwyck came along. I'm dropping names. I'm trying to impress you, Robert. I hope you're thrilled with all this. [00:08:13] Speaker D: Yeah. Ruby something is her real name. I can't remember what her real name is. [00:08:17] Speaker B: Yeah, Ruby Stevens. [00:08:19] Speaker D: Yeah, that's it. [00:08:19] Speaker B: Yeah, she came into town and on her biographical little biography, it had the Year. And it looked like it was quite accurate. It. And I said, you're the. You're the first person that I've interviewed from. From. From Hollywood that actually admitted the age. And she said, as long as you're breathing, who cares? You know, something like that. I mean, she was. She was really charming, and I loved her for that. But it. But it is. I guess it is. Well, it is not only true. I'm not. But you're saying that. And I would guess that's so that they would just assume. Be listed as a whole lot younger than they really are. [00:08:59] Speaker D: Right. In fact, with Cagney, I was just. I was looking up Barbara Stanwyck, who was July 16th, and I noticed that James Cagney was July 17th. And the studio always said it was 1904, but the real year is 1899. [00:09:16] Speaker B: Okay, let me look up. I'm looking up July 16th, you said Barbara Stanworth. I have her. Born in 1907. Is that what you have? [00:09:24] Speaker D: That's what I have. We have a match. [00:09:27] Speaker B: Okay. And she died in 1990. And you said Jimmy Cagney was what year? [00:09:36] Speaker D: 99. [00:09:37] Speaker B: What day? [00:09:37] Speaker D: I guess the next day. July 17th. [00:09:40] Speaker B: July 17th. Okay, I have him. 1899 to 1986. Is that what you've got? [00:09:47] Speaker D: Right, but the studio used to say 1904. [00:09:51] Speaker B: So you know what? I think we're right on target. [00:09:54] Speaker D: Right. [00:09:54] Speaker B: We're defying the studios. We're saying the heck with you. Studios. Yeah, we've. [00:09:58] Speaker D: We've got it. We've got the truth we want. [00:10:00] Speaker B: Yeah, that's right. We want the truth. Let's. Let's go to today. [00:10:04] Speaker D: I noticed Ginger Rogers was born the same day as Barbara Stanwyck. I think that's kind of interesting. [00:10:11] Speaker B: I think that's interesting, too. You know, one great coincidence, on June 22nd. Wait a minute. Let me see if that's correct. [00:10:21] Speaker D: Is that today? [00:10:23] Speaker B: Well, now, it's actually here in Boston now. Where are you? [00:10:26] Speaker D: I'm in Los Angeles. [00:10:27] Speaker B: Okay, so you're still yesterday and we're already today. I know that's silly of me to say that because that doesn't make any sense at all. [00:10:35] Speaker D: It's really cool here. I don't know how the weather is back there. [00:10:39] Speaker B: It is cool here. It's a little damp and raw. And this is a really dark night. I know everybody says nights are dark, and what do you expect? But some nights are darker than others. You know, when there's no moon or not even a half moon or a quarter moon or no Stars. And it's all cloudy and kind of foggy and everything. There was. There was one day where Meredith Baxter, this is June 21st, and Michael Gross, both born on exactly the same day. Now, they played the mother and the father in the movie in the sitcom Family Ties. I find that to be a kind of a hysterical coincidence. [00:11:21] Speaker D: Yeah. Not only is it they're both June 21st, but they're both 1947. [00:11:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Same year. And anyway, two bad TV shows are. [00:11:32] Speaker D: Normally done with production by that date every year. They probably never got a chance to have a birthday party on the set. Yeah, I suppose it's usually done by April or May. [00:11:44] Speaker B: You're a compassionate human being. Let's talk now. Okay. In Los Angeles. Let's go by your birthdays first because you're only June 22nd. We're already June 23rd because we're new England, very progressive. Meryl Streep was born June 22, for example. What would you say about her? [00:12:05] Speaker D: Well, they. When she entered show business, they thought that her. Her last name was too strange. You know how show business always wants to change your name? [00:12:16] Speaker B: Yes. [00:12:16] Speaker D: So they tried to get her to change it to street, but she s. [00:12:21] Speaker B: T R E E T like street, like road, like avenue. [00:12:25] Speaker D: Right. And she said, no, it's a perfectly good Dutch name, just like Rockefeller. [00:12:32] Speaker B: Okay. Incidentally, I'm giving wrong dates. It's June 22nd here. It's June 21st where you are. Okay. [00:12:40] Speaker D: Okay. [00:12:40] Speaker B: So she decided she would not change her name. [00:12:43] Speaker D: So it's still. It's still the Family Ties birthday twins here in Los Angeles. [00:12:49] Speaker B: Okay. In my book. And I. And I imagine you have probably more interesting stuff in yours. After winning the award for Kramer versus Kramer, the Oscar. The. She won an Oscar, I guess, for that and Sophie's Choice and nominated for some other things. Anyway, she realized that in all the excitement, she left her Oscar in the ladies room. See? Can you top that fella? [00:13:14] Speaker D: If only I had a friend in that ladies room, I'd have my own Oscar. [00:13:19] Speaker B: Now, wouldn't that be nice? [00:13:20] Speaker D: All you have to do is chisel the name off. You don't even have to do that because when they give them to them, they don't have the name on them. [00:13:28] Speaker B: Now, what happens? Are you supposed to bring them back and then they put your name on it? [00:13:32] Speaker D: Right. You mail it back or you hand it back and then they put the name on it and then they send it back to you again. [00:13:40] Speaker B: Okay. [00:13:41] Speaker D: In fact, when. Here's a piece of trivia. When I think it was Marlon Brando turned down his Oscar. It got recycled in the Academy recycling bin and it later got reissued to some other guy for like, best photography or cinematography or something like that. Then that guy later sold it, and the person who got it checked the Academy records realized it was the original Marlon Brando Oscar, ripped the other guy's brass plate off of it, put the Marlon Brando plate on it, and then resold it. [00:14:23] Speaker B: That's great. [00:14:24] Speaker D: Saying this is the authentic Marlon Brando best actor Oscar. [00:14:29] Speaker B: That's beautiful. You can tell I'm stammering because I happen to be new at this game. I've only been in it for a half a century. [00:14:42] Speaker D: When they called me, they said you'd been in this business longer than I'd been on this planet. [00:14:46] Speaker B: Now, how old are you? [00:14:48] Speaker D: I was born in 1950. [00:14:50] Speaker B: So that would make you kindly a kid 46 years old this year. Yeah. And I've been in the business 52 years. Can you imagine that? And yet I sound so youthful and so. [00:15:01] Speaker D: So effervescence. [00:15:03] Speaker B: Yeah. So effervescent, so forgetful that I didn't even bring the book yet. That's what happens after 52 years. [00:15:09] Speaker D: Well, I must admit, I've never done this, this battling books before. This is kind of fun. [00:15:16] Speaker B: You probably. You probably never talked with anybody on ever again like, like this. [00:15:21] Speaker D: They will need dueling banjos in the background here. [00:15:24] Speaker B: Okay. Today, by. By today. It actually, again, it's today. I think of today as being Saturday, June 22. Now, who else do you have born on, say, on this date? [00:15:38] Speaker D: And this date would be June 22nd? [00:15:40] Speaker B: We'll call it June 22nd, even though I know it's June 21st where you are. [00:15:45] Speaker D: Well, let's see. Kris Kristofferson was born on June 22. [00:15:49] Speaker B: Yes. He was born in Brownsville, Texas, as I recall. I just. That came. Came across that off the top of my head. And also it's in my birthday book. [00:15:59] Speaker D: What I think is really interesting about Chris is that he's the son of an Air Force general and he was himself an army officer and a helicopter pilot. And believe it or not, he was also a road scholar. [00:16:13] Speaker B: I didn't know any. See, that's. None of that is in my book. People are going to have to get your book. That's what we would hope. Yes. Called Celebrity Birthday Book. Get a whole bunch of stuff in there. You know what's going to happen? People are going to buy your book and then they're going to take part in our legendary and Dumb Birthday Game, and they're going to know all the answers. So I think you're providing a total disservice. [00:16:38] Speaker D: I think every time someone answers something on your show, you should ask him if they got it from the Celebrity Birthday book by Robert Davenport. [00:16:47] Speaker B: Yeah, see, now, for the Dumb Birthday Game, we have a. We're on our second volume of Rules. See, the first one, we went a thousand pages, and we figured we better put out another volume. Rather continue it. And nowhere in there does it say, you can't cheat and look it up someplace so you're safe for now. Which means that after you sold about 17 billion copies, we're going to have to put you out of bounds somewhere. The only thing I have about Kris Kristofferson is the fact that his first name was Kristoffer Kristofferson. I think that's a dirty trick played by his parents. Christopher Christopherson. And he was married three times and has six children. See, I don't have interesting stuff like you and named Father of the year in 1988. Although how a guy who's married three times could be named father of the Year? Well, I suppose. Why not? [00:17:39] Speaker D: Well, yeah, maybe he gets a three part award. [00:17:42] Speaker B: Okay, today, when I say today again today, here. Tomorrow, where you are, Chris Lemon, who sort of acts a lot like his father, Jack Lemon. He has a birthday, too. But who else would you have on. Have in there? We don't have to stick with just this date. I'm just thinking of just some interesting. [00:18:02] Speaker D: Wagner was born on June 22. And of course, my book also has everybody's real name in it, and her real name is Lindsay Jean Ball. [00:18:14] Speaker B: B, A, U, G, H. No, B. [00:18:16] Speaker D: A, L, L, Like Lucille Ball. [00:18:18] Speaker B: Oh, Ball. Oh, I see. Okay. Lindsey Wagner. And you have her as being 47 today, right? [00:18:26] Speaker D: She was born in 1949, so that would make her older than me. [00:18:31] Speaker B: Oh, so you're gonna. You're gonna pull age on me, are you, fella? Am I gonna keep hearing about this for the rest of our chat? [00:18:38] Speaker D: Okay, I'm just so impressed. [00:18:41] Speaker B: Okay, what about. Let's go back to your date, though. You're. Because you're. You're still into Friday, June 21, and we mentioned Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross, who played the husband and wife on Family Ties. Both born not only on the same date, but the same day, same year, rather. Marion Hartley. Now, who else would you have for June 21st? [00:19:05] Speaker D: Let's see, I've also got Juliet Lewis, who's pretty. Been pretty hot, you know, in the Last couple of years. [00:19:12] Speaker B: Oh, Cape Fear and Husbands and Wives and received an Oscar nomination for Cape Fear, Natural Born killers. [00:19:19] Speaker D: Born in 1973. [00:19:22] Speaker B: See, I see. Fortunately they realized that I can't do math, so they just put the age in this book and not the year they were born. She was what? She was. She's now 20. She's 23 years old. Does that figure? [00:19:36] Speaker D: Yeah, that figures. Because you subtract a three from a six. [00:19:42] Speaker B: Hey, tell me before we go on to some other stuff, Robert Davenport. Is that your real name? Davenport? [00:19:48] Speaker D: Yes, it is. [00:19:49] Speaker B: Well, that's a silly name and just stop it. [00:19:52] Speaker D: Well, if you're ever down in New Haven, there's a little college down there that my ancestor founded. [00:20:01] Speaker B: It was your ancestor Maxwell Yale? [00:20:04] Speaker D: Close, close. It was John Davenport, but he and Elihu Yale did the old Yale college down there. [00:20:14] Speaker B: No kidding. So your roots really go deep into New England history? [00:20:18] Speaker D: Very deep into the soil up there. There's one of the colleges up there at Yale is named Davenport College. [00:20:28] Speaker B: Son of a gun. And the closest my ancestors ever came was the Nathan School of Plumbing, as I recall. And that went out of business after about the first six months. [00:20:38] Speaker D: I've got your typical American ancestry because on my mom's side it's her father that got off the boat. [00:20:44] Speaker B: Oh, really? Recently, like in the past hundred years or so? [00:20:48] Speaker D: Yeah, in the past. Like I think 1893. [00:20:51] Speaker B: Oh, wait, yeah, that's about 1890. No, my family came over well before that. They were here at least four years before that. 1899 is as far back as I can trace it. That's. That, that's fascinating. Tell me about you though, Robert, if you would. Are you, are you a newspaper person? What? What? [00:21:11] Speaker E: What? [00:21:11] Speaker B: Tell me about you. What kind of a person are you anyway? That was acting. [00:21:16] Speaker D: Ah, well, I used to be a lawyer, but I didn't like that, so I came out here to Los Angeles to be a screenwriter. [00:21:24] Speaker B: Oh, really? [00:21:25] Speaker D: Yeah, and then I got into writing these books and so I've turned out a few of these, you know, Hollywood based trivia books. I've also got a baby name book out there called the Rich and Famous Baby Name Book. [00:21:42] Speaker B: I wonder if I hadn't talked with you on that because I remember seeing that book. [00:21:47] Speaker D: Or did we talk on the pet names of the rich and famous? [00:21:51] Speaker B: We might have done that too. [00:21:53] Speaker D: I think that's the one. We were. I was on your show before. [00:21:56] Speaker B: I think we've met before. I can't remember where. Yeah, it might be in a past life. I'D say no. That's right. That's interesting. And you must have a million projects coming up, too, because I love what you do. I think it must be a great deal of fun. Is it? Besides the hard work that's involved. [00:22:15] Speaker D: Oh, yeah. I love the trivia and I love getting the nice notes and everything and the phone calls from the celebs when we come up with something interesting. [00:22:26] Speaker B: Do they call it now, for example? Give us an example, if you would have that. [00:22:30] Speaker D: Well, I've been working on a book called Roots of the Rich and Famous. It's going to be celebrities and their famous ancestors. And John Lithgow, I'm sure you're all familiar with him. He's got third Rock from the sun right now. [00:22:43] Speaker B: Yes, yes. [00:22:44] Speaker D: Well, his Lithgow ancestors come from Boston way, way back, all the way to the American Revolution. [00:22:50] Speaker B: Oh, that's interesting. I didn't know that. [00:22:52] Speaker D: And he's related to President Garfield. [00:22:56] Speaker B: Really? [00:22:56] Speaker D: And he didn't know that. And when I wrote him a note sending him the chart, he wrote back and he said, I've been toasting it all night. [00:23:08] Speaker B: It's kind of funny. Somebody had a routine about John Gar. Not John Garfield, President Garfield. Saying, you look up Garfield and it said, assassinated by a dispute. Dissatisfied office seeker. [00:23:23] Speaker D: Right. [00:23:24] Speaker B: Something like that. That seems like a terrible thing to put on your tombstone. Assassinated by a dissatisfied office seeker. Could we. Let's just take a break because I've got these really swell commercials. How did you go about getting up all these. These tidbits of information, all the trivia and stuff that's in your book, Robert Davenport. [00:23:46] Speaker D: Well, the trivia is really fun. I mean, we have a lot of really good libraries and resources out here in Los Angeles. And I just like to, you know, poke around in everybody's files and see what I can find. [00:24:01] Speaker B: Okay. Because that is always fun. Tell us. Again, I apologize because I don't have the book in front of me and I plan to memorize the entire book as soon as I get home, which is where the book is right now, which doesn't do me any good. I will, and I'll surprise you next time we talk. I'll quote page after. I'll say, on page 27 it says, you'll be amazed. But tell me some of the unusual things that you did come up with. [00:24:31] Speaker D: Well, I've got a couple of my favorite things. For example, Robert Stack. Remember the Untouchables? [00:24:38] Speaker B: Yes, I do. [00:24:39] Speaker D: His dad was the advertising executive that came up with the Praise the Beer that Made Milwaukee famous. [00:24:47] Speaker B: Oh, is that right? Isn't that interesting? That's really interesting. Just as a side issue, Robert Stack has the most boring voice of almost anybody. Next to. Next to the guy who does the Motel 6 commercials. I just thought I'd throw that in. You don't have to agree with me if you don't want to. [00:25:05] Speaker D: Well, I've never heard the Motel 6 commercials. Now, another interesting fact is the fact that Humphrey Bogart is the Gerber Baby. Gerber baby food. [00:25:17] Speaker B: I didn't know that. I'm sitting there chuckling, getting a big kick out of all these things you come up with. [00:25:23] Speaker D: Yeah. His mother was an advertising executive in New York. And they said they needed a baby. And she said, well, I've got one. So she brought them in and that was it. [00:25:34] Speaker B: I wonder if he's ever. Does he admit that or is he embarrassed by that? [00:25:38] Speaker D: No, it used to be in his studio publicity back, you know, when he was first starting out. You have to always watch what you put in your press releases when you start out because it'll always be there. [00:25:51] Speaker B: Okay. That's beautiful. Incidentally, on June 21, which is again your date, but we're. We're already ahead of you. [00:26:00] Speaker D: I think you pretty well established that. [00:26:02] Speaker B: Yeah, I guess I have. I happen to be one of these boring people who goes over the same thing over and over again till people listening say, why didn't he stop? What's the matter with that old man? He's so boring. I wait till it gets to that point and then. Anyway, Jane Russell. Did you have her in the book? [00:26:20] Speaker D: Yeah. 1921. [00:26:22] Speaker B: Okay, well, I have. [00:26:23] Speaker D: Born in an unpronounceable town in Minnesota. [00:26:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Bemidji, Minnesota. And she's. She was 75. This for this past day on June 21st. Anyway. Now what do you have about her? Do you have about. Was it Howard Hughes who developed the bra for her and things? [00:26:46] Speaker D: Right. It was rather a high tech bra, but I think he used some of his airplane technology to make sure that they defied gravity. You know, he was really big into aviation before he got into lifting women's private parts. [00:27:08] Speaker B: I know. That's right. He had the. What was it called? The Something Goose. [00:27:12] Speaker D: The Spruce Goose. [00:27:13] Speaker B: The Spruce Goose. The wooden plane. [00:27:15] Speaker D: We still have it out here in Los Angeles. It's like a Disneyland ride. [00:27:20] Speaker B: Okay, that's right, because you have. You have the. You have the Queen Elizabeth still down at Long Beach. [00:27:26] Speaker D: Right. It's parked right next to the Spruce Goose. If you can actually get a combo Ticket. [00:27:30] Speaker B: Is that right? That whole area is kind of strange. My father's family moved out to the west coast many years ago, back in the 20s, and my father, being not. Not much of a pioneer, stayed here. He was the only one who stayed here. That's why I'm still here. [00:27:48] Speaker D: You all have the constitution down there. You can. I guess. Oh, you know, I can go see. [00:27:54] Speaker B: You know, I like it, though. I like it here a lot. I'm kind of glad he's weird. My father was chicken and had no imagination about moving west. But I do get out there every now and then. I had some relatives at Long beach, and I remember the Queen Elizabeth and the spruce goose. And you look out in this beautiful setting, and there are oil wells out there at sea, it seems. Yep. [00:28:16] Speaker D: Any place there's oil, people will put an oil well. [00:28:19] Speaker B: I know. And it just. It seems so out of context, because the whole area is really quite. Quite lovely. [00:28:24] Speaker D: Well, you can even go to a high school here. And out in the schoolyard, there'll be an oil well. [00:28:29] Speaker B: Really? [00:28:30] Speaker D: Yeah. Right in the middle of the yard. [00:28:32] Speaker B: How long have you been out on the west coast? [00:28:35] Speaker D: I've been out here since 1984. [00:28:39] Speaker B: Okay, but you're from the east. I know. You said your family's from the east. [00:28:42] Speaker D: Yeah, my parents. My. My parents live on Cape Cod. [00:28:46] Speaker B: Oh, I see. Okay. [00:28:48] Speaker D: Yeah. And I. I went to the business school that you have there in Cambridge. [00:28:53] Speaker B: Oh, the Havid. Havid, I think it's called. [00:28:56] Speaker D: Yeah, but I can't talk like the Kennedys, unfortunately. I can't say Havid. [00:29:00] Speaker F: Yeah. [00:29:01] Speaker B: Okay, but now that's true. People from outside the area who try to imitate a Boston accent come up very short. Well, there are a lot of. There's no. There are a lot of different kinds of accents. The Kennedys have their own accent, and then we have the. The Beacon Hill group. You know, all this because you went to school here. But the Beacon Hill group, they have their lower jaw is. Is kind of welded in place. They can't move it. So the talk comes out like this a lot. That's not the way the paneries talk, but that's the way they talk. You know, on Beacon Hill, your name would be Robert Davenport. You know, and because you'd be. You. You could be a blue blood yourself. You. You go back. Way, way back. And ancestry with Yale University and all. [00:29:48] Speaker D: Of that, at least on my dad's side, but on my mom's side. It was interesting what they put on his occupation when he came into America was peasant. I didn't realize that was an occupation. [00:30:08] Speaker B: That's kind of funny because my grandfather, Arzak Nathan was his name. Blue blood, you know, came in from Poland. I wasn't one of the princes of that country. I wonder whatever they put on his occupation, I never knew him. But anyway, let's pick out some other people, if you would, Robert, that have some interesting backgrounds. That would be fun to hear. [00:30:35] Speaker D: Yeah, well, Clark Gable, I think it's kind of fun that on his birth certificate it says that he's a girl. [00:30:41] Speaker B: Is that right? [00:30:42] Speaker D: Yeah. They wrote the wrong thing. Or maybe they just. The doctor was a little nearsighted. [00:30:48] Speaker B: Yeah, he might have been a little, as we say in the. In medical circles for Schnorzkit, kind of hit the bottle a little too much. There was. There was a story about Clark Gable having bad. I. I don't want to really believe this, but I've heard this a few times. Clark Gable had bad breath. And a lot of the women who. These lovely women actresses who work with him kind of shied away from him when he was kissing. They. They didn't really enjoy it all that much because his breath smelled. Is there any. Do you know anything about that? [00:31:21] Speaker D: Well, that's a new one on me. But I know he had the big ears. [00:31:26] Speaker B: Yeah, his ears were kind of ugly, but they have big ears. And to have bad breath kind of spoils the whole illusion, doesn't it? [00:31:33] Speaker D: Yeah, you can pin back the ears, but I'm not sure what you do with the breath. [00:31:38] Speaker B: I guess use that very, very heavy mouthwash or something. That may not be true. It might have been something passed along by somebody who was very envious of him or something. [00:31:48] Speaker D: Now, we were talking about age earlier. It's interesting. You know Jennifer Grant, the actress, her dad was Cary Grant, and she was. He was 62 when she was born. [00:32:01] Speaker B: Oh, yes. [00:32:03] Speaker D: So it's never too late. [00:32:05] Speaker B: No, I guess it is never too late. Just fire away those things. You've got some great stuff. Yeah. [00:32:10] Speaker D: Now, Tony Curtis, his real name is George Bernard Schwartz. [00:32:15] Speaker B: Yeah. It's kind of funny because every now and then he talks about Bernard Bernie Schwartz. From what? From New York. [00:32:20] Speaker D: Brooklyn. That's his real name. And when he got into the business, his agent said, look, you know, I can't get you a job with the name Bernie Schwartz. Not even if your name were George Bernard Schwartz. [00:32:39] Speaker B: I thought there was either one movie, or maybe he was a guest on a radio, on a television show or something, and he kidded about the name Bernie Schwartz. I thought that was kind of nice. You know, most actors like him, who have played romantic leads in so many movies would shy away from even admitting that they had a name like Bernie Schwartz. [00:33:02] Speaker D: A lot of times actors like to memorialize their real name. For example, Redd Fox's real name is Fred Sanford. And when they did the show Sanford and Son. [00:33:14] Speaker B: Oh, isn't that interesting? I didn't realize that's where it came from. [00:33:17] Speaker D: The real name is the character's name. [00:33:19] Speaker B: Isn't that. That's funny. That's great. That's great. Okay, you're just intriguing. Let me pretend that now I'm just kind of sitting on the floor and you're holding forth with all this information. Hit us with a few more things, Robert, because I find this just absolutely fascinating. [00:33:36] Speaker D: Well, do you know Bonnie Bedelia? She's the actress who was the wife of Bruce Willis and Die Hard and has had a lot of other acting roles. [00:33:45] Speaker B: Yes. [00:33:45] Speaker D: Well, her maiden name is Culkin and she's the aunt of Macaulay Culkin. [00:33:49] Speaker B: Oh, really? [00:33:50] Speaker D: Yeah, the Home Alone Kid. [00:33:53] Speaker B: Son of a gun. Do you do columns? Cause this sounds like a, you know, a great kind of a column. Feature or TV feature, as well as a book. Do you have other areas that you. That you do besides books? [00:34:07] Speaker D: Well, not right now, but I'll tell you, if a syndicator were to contact my agent, a deal could be struck. You know, I wouldn't mind doing a column. [00:34:17] Speaker B: Okay. Well. Well, it's not going on over wbz, which is Clear Channel at night. And of course, it's owned by Westinghouse, which now owns every radio station in the entire world. I don't know whether you heard about our latest acquisition. Our latest acquisition? Though my money were involved. [00:34:33] Speaker D: Maybe you own a few newspapers as well. [00:34:36] Speaker B: Well, I don't know. We owned the Westinghouse, brought the CBS radio and television networks, and now is in the process of buying a gang of other radio stations in the affinity group, which includes Rallah. Heck with it. Let them tout their own horn. I'm not going to. [00:34:53] Speaker D: Yeah, let's get back to touting my book. [00:34:55] Speaker B: That's right. Let's tout your book. Tell us some more stuff. Robert Davenport. [00:35:01] Speaker D: You know, with Cloris Leachman. [00:35:03] Speaker B: I love her. Yes. [00:35:04] Speaker D: Yeah. Well, she was once asked if that was her real name, and she said, now, just think about it. When anybody in their right mind changed their name to Cloris Leachman. [00:35:16] Speaker B: I know, that's kind of interesting. Yeah. [00:35:18] Speaker D: Now, Dizzy Arnaz, you know who was Lucille Ball's husband. He went to school with Sonny Capone, who was Al Capone's son. And when he decided to do the TV show the Untouchables, you know, Desi Arnaz was the producer of that show. He called up Sonny to get him to be a technical advisor on the show. [00:35:41] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, okay. He was. I'm just looking him up, too. He's born March 2. I want to see if I have anything nearly as interesting as that. No, nothing. He co starred in the I Love Lucy TV series as Ricky Ricardo with the then wife, Lucille Ball. Before that, he was a band leader. See, if people really want to know about these characters and the fascinating things about them, they really have to get your book. [00:36:07] Speaker D: Oh, they definitely do. [00:36:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Because I think you become kind of a functional illiterate if you don't have Robert Davenport's book, the Celebrity Birthday Book. Packed with thousands of famous personalities, birth dates, places, little known tidbits, Kind of an ultimate did you know Book and His Orchestra for your Listening and dining Pleasure. [00:36:28] Speaker D: What was the name of that book again? [00:36:30] Speaker B: I think it's called the Celebrity Birthday Book. It's not a terribly imaginative title, actually, but it's not bad. [00:36:38] Speaker D: I like book titles that tell you what, what you're getting. [00:36:42] Speaker B: No, that's great. Hey, Robert Davenport, you're really fun. I really appreciate it. I felt so guilty. I came in tonight and, well, I won't go through that whole story again. And I thought, I'm gonna have to tell this Robert Davenport that I have. I don't have a copy of this book right in front of me. And I really. A lot of. A lot of people try to fake their way through. I come out clean. And most of the time I do read. I can't wait to get home and read some more stuff about, you know. [00:37:07] Speaker D: It makes it easier on me because this way you don't embarrass me by asking me stuff that I don't remember about my own book. [00:37:16] Speaker B: Okay. And I would think you said it's put up by General publishing. [00:37:22] Speaker D: Right. [00:37:22] Speaker B: Should be available most places. And if, if you. If you're wondering, the. The toll free number is 1-800-937-5557. It's called the Celebrity Birthday Book. Robert Davenport, is there any connection between you and the pieces of furniture of this town in Iowa or anything? [00:37:41] Speaker D: Well, the town in Iowa is a Sergeant George Davenport, who is an Englishman who got himself shot by a bunch of Indians and that's why they named the town after him. [00:37:52] Speaker B: Okay. Was he in a relation to you? No. [00:37:55] Speaker D: Then the furniture, the company, the Davenport Sofa Company is actually right there in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Massachusetts. Or it's either Cambridge or Somerville. I remember passing the faded. You know, I think they're out of business now. And that's not any relation either. [00:38:14] Speaker B: Okay. I remember Meredith Wilson, the great writer, the composer who did Music man and this sinking. What was the other one I read but the musical Molly Brown. The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Yeah. And who was on radio for a lot of years and used to kid about the fact that he spelled his name with two Ls. Wilson with two Ls, came from Iowa and he used to talk about his jokes. Always seen the center about this piece of furniture, the Davenport he used to sit on when he's lived in Iowa. Maybe it doesn't sound terribly funny anymore now that I think of it, but I. [00:38:56] Speaker D: Well, I'm laughing. [00:38:58] Speaker B: You sound like a terribly jovial guy. Anyway, hey, but thank you very, very much for coming on the show with us. I really appreciate it. I'd love to do this again if it's okay with you. [00:39:08] Speaker D: Oh, it'd be my pleasure. [00:39:09] Speaker B: You're a good person and good luck in the book and good luck on future endeavors. And I hope we'll meet next year at your bar mitzvah. [00:39:16] Speaker D: Oh, thank you. That shocked my mother. [00:39:21] Speaker B: I know. Take care of yourself. That would be the next Thursday. Morris the cat. I'm telling you this hoping that you'll celebrate in some manner. I don't know how you do that with Mars the cat. I won't mention it at home because I got two cats and they'll be very jealous of me making a whole big deal about some cat. Probably. They'll probably say he, he makes too much money. He doesn't even have talent. It's in conjunction with the homeless pets program of Heinz which hopes to donate more than $250,000 to help shelters for animal shelters nationwide. And we'll talk about that with Sonia Di Tomaso a little bit later on as we have our exciting parade of guests that go marching through and throughout and the weekend. Be kind of funny. Sunday night we're going to be talking with James Swanson who's written a book on Bettie Page, the Life of a Pin up legend. She's 70 now. Somebody had tracked her down. She's been pretty much in exile, self imposed exile. And in other words, she'd been keeping out of the spotlight for a lot of years, but tremendously popular at one point and involved in at least the photographer involved in appearances before some congressional committee where they accused him of being dealing with obscene material and all that kind of crazy stuff. Anyway, we're not going to talk with Betty Page. I wish I could, but she says she's just not talking with anybody. But the Karen Essex who wrote the book along with James Swanson with some great pictures in it, will be talking with her. And also the photographer, some of the world's sexiest women, lots of Playboy covers to his credit, Stephen Wada. And we'll talk with him. That's on. That's coming up on Sunday night. The anyway, the time is about nine minutes after 1:00 clock. And your tune, of course, to WBZ, which indicates, in my mind, anyway, a really clear class act lives. Cat is coming to town. And if that's not cause for celebration and a lot of parties going on, then thank you very much. I guess I just don't know what is important. Sonia Di Tomaso is on the line with us. She's the director of public relations for the Animal Rescue League of Boston. I want to, first of all, Sonia, tell you that I'm delighted there is such a thing as the Animal Rescue League. One of the first dogs I ever had, a dog named Penny, who we got from the Animal Rescue League. And he was very, very satisfactory. And I want to thank you for that. How you doing? [00:42:11] Speaker E: I'm doing great. How are you? [00:42:13] Speaker B: I'm just fine, thank you. Morris the cat is coming to Boston. This is, I was going to say this is about the second or third or fourth Morris, I guess, but they all look so much alike. They're the beautiful animals. And he and his friend, Homeless Homer, and the idea is to raise funds for shelters for homeless animals. [00:42:39] Speaker E: That's absolutely correct. Homeless Homer was started back in 1981. And right now Morris is now joining forces with Homeless Homer and the American Humane association, and they're launching the Heinz Pet Products Homeless Pets program. And part of that they will be joining us at the Animal Rush Week of Boston on Thursday, June 27th at noon. And it'll be a very special visit for us. They're going to be coming and giving us they're donating to our shelter personally $1,000 worth of nine lives plus cat food. It'll help thousands of cats and kittens that pass through our doors each year. [00:43:13] Speaker B: Okay, that is kind of, that's kind of nice. They're talking in terms of raising what, something like $250,000 overall? Yeah, that isn't it. That is very, very nice. And they will be appearing not only at the Animal Rescue League, which is. I forgot now where that is. That's. [00:43:32] Speaker E: We have four locations, but they are coming to 10 Chandler street in the south end. Depending on which entrance you come into, it's either 10 Chandler or the corner of Tremont and Arlington. [00:43:43] Speaker B: Okay, Tremont, Arlington. And then of course, the. What kind of a cat is homeless Homer? We've all seen Morris, of course. [00:43:52] Speaker E: Well, actually, Homer's Homer is a dog. Oh, I see we're adding horse after all this time. We didn't want to leave the cats out. [00:43:59] Speaker B: Okay, that's kind of funny because I have a couple of cats and a couple of dogs and one hen left over from a flock of chickens we once had on a horse. And they all get along so well. Obviously, homeless Homer and Morris the cat get along well. Everybody talks about why they fight like dogs and cats. Dogs and cats don't necessarily fight. [00:44:21] Speaker E: No, they usually work it out. [00:44:23] Speaker B: That's right. You know, they. They test each other a little bit, and then everything's okay after that. [00:44:28] Speaker E: That's right. There's one who's going to be dominant and they'll lead the pack. [00:44:30] Speaker D: Right. [00:44:31] Speaker B: Okay, now a homeless Homer. Is this a. Is this a mixed breed dog? [00:44:36] Speaker E: Yes, he's basically a mutt. [00:44:39] Speaker B: A mutt. I was. I was trying to avoid mutt or mongrel or words of that nature. And. And I thought mixed breed was a polite way of saying, that's fine. [00:44:47] Speaker E: But you know what? There's nothing wrong with saying mutt either. Sometimes they're the best dogs. [00:44:50] Speaker B: No, listen, there's no question about that. [00:44:52] Speaker E: Right? [00:44:53] Speaker B: That's quite true. And then these, these two guys. I say guys. They're both males then, is that right? [00:44:59] Speaker E: Sure. [00:45:01] Speaker B: Okay. You don't call this guy Homeless Homer, do you? Call him? Because I think he'd be very self conscious. Just call me Homer. Does he ever say anything like that? I think I'm going crazy here. [00:45:12] Speaker E: I haven't met him yet, but I'll see him on the 27th in Alaska. [00:45:14] Speaker B: Okay, because. Because anyway, in addition to appearing at your place at the 10 Chandler or at the corner of Tremont, Arlington, Boston, then they make a grand tour for the next three days. They're going to be busy little guys. [00:45:28] Speaker E: Yes, they certainly will be. [00:45:29] Speaker B: Thursday afternoon, after they. They depart from your place, they'll be at Star Market in North Reading, which is up in my area. So I could go buy maybe. Maybe bring them something sweet. [00:45:43] Speaker E: I bet they'd love that. [00:45:45] Speaker B: Yes. I don't know now what do you bring for a homeless dog and a well renowned cat? I should know. I'll ask my own animals. [00:45:52] Speaker E: Well, if you're going for Hines, you want to bring them cycle or Nine Lives for Morris, although Morris is very finicky. [00:45:59] Speaker B: That's right. The whole idea is to buy some Heinz products so that you can contribute to the animals who do not have homes. But in North Reading it'll be at the Star Market, which is Main street, which is Route 28 I believe. Right in, Right in North Reading. Yeah. And that's, that's at 2:00. And then on Friday they got the day. They're at three different Star Markets. They're going to be busy little guys. [00:46:27] Speaker E: Very busy. [00:46:28] Speaker B: I imagine once they leave their day's task, they'll probably want to sit around, have a little cocktail to relax a little bit. [00:46:34] Speaker E: Yes. Or well earned naps. [00:46:36] Speaker B: Or well earned nap. Yeah. Okay, they'll be at the Three Star Markets on Friday the 20th. This next Friday, the one in Allston on Commonwealth Avenue at 10, 11, 30 they're going to be down at Franklin, which is down south of Boston and then Norwood, which is also south of Boston, at the Star Market on Manhattan street at one o' clock. And then I'm telling you this, and you already know this, I know this, but they don't. Okay, so why don't you pick up on Saturday, where will they be then? [00:47:09] Speaker E: All right, Saturday, June 29th, they'll start out at the Big Y at 10:00 clock in the morning at 50 Southwest Commons in Worcester. And then they'll be going at 11:30 to the big Y at the Fair Shopping center in Spencer. That's 70 West Main Street. And then finally they'll go at 1:00 clock to the Big Y Fair Shopping Center, 495 East Main street and Southbridge. [00:47:32] Speaker B: Okay, now you're suggesting that people can have pictures taken with these guys. [00:47:36] Speaker E: Yes, pictures can be taken. That's right. We open to the public, so please stop by. [00:47:40] Speaker B: Okay. Now should people bring their own cameras? Jenna, will you have cameras set up or shall they bring their own cameras? [00:47:46] Speaker E: I believe the cameras will be set up. [00:47:47] Speaker B: Oh, you'll have your own cameras. [00:47:49] Speaker E: Right. But certainly feel free to bring your own as well. [00:47:52] Speaker B: Okay, that's, that's kind of that way. [00:47:53] Speaker E: It's covered. You never know. You made the best laid plans. Right? [00:47:59] Speaker B: Okay, that's. How long have you been, how long have you been public relations director over the Animal Rescue League? [00:48:05] Speaker E: Oh, about a year. [00:48:06] Speaker B: It sounds like a fun kind of job. How did you. You mind if I talk. Talk about you just for a second? I have a daughter named Sonia, by the way. [00:48:14] Speaker E: I know you do. I'm a longtime fan. [00:48:16] Speaker B: Oh. Oh, really? Thank you. Because she spells it with a J and you spell it with an I. [00:48:19] Speaker E: Yes, I do. [00:48:20] Speaker B: Do people call you. How do you pronounce your first. Your name? I say Sonya, you say Sonia. [00:48:26] Speaker E: I say Sonia. My family calls me Sonny. [00:48:29] Speaker B: Some people say Sonya, I say Sonia, and most everybody calls it Sonya. Anybody listening really doesn't care what we're talking about. How do you pronounce Sonia? Because I think it's a beautiful name. [00:48:39] Speaker E: Well, thank you. Does your daughter have a nickname? [00:48:43] Speaker B: Sone. I guess people call her son for short. Son of a gun. Anyway, now, how did you. How did you happen to fall into this? I was. Fall into this. That's probably not a right way to describe it. How did you happen to be public relations for the Animal Rescue League? And does it interfere with dates that. Are you married? [00:49:03] Speaker E: Yes, I am. [00:49:03] Speaker B: Oh, you are married, so that eliminates the date possibility. [00:49:07] Speaker E: That's right. [00:49:07] Speaker B: Were you married when you got the job? [00:49:10] Speaker E: I married shortly after I got the job. [00:49:12] Speaker B: Okay. Did. Did your. Did your husband say, I'm. I'm married to. I'm. I'm going to marry a woman who does public relations for the Animal Rescue League? I think that's an exotic, interesting kind of job? [00:49:24] Speaker E: Well, I think it was fine until after we got married and I started bringing home the animals. Better for worse. But now the zoo is included as well. [00:49:33] Speaker B: Now, what do you bring home a lot of the animals from the Animal Rescue League? [00:49:36] Speaker E: Well, I'd say when you first start working there, you have to wait 60 days before you can adopt. So you don't get that impulse that people get when you want to adopt an animal. But on my 60th day, I brought home Daniel the rabbit, and I brought home a lizard. [00:49:52] Speaker B: I'll say. You brought what? A lizard. [00:49:54] Speaker E: Yes. And I also have a boxer. [00:49:56] Speaker B: Yeah, a boxer dog. [00:49:58] Speaker E: A boxer dog. And he came home with me as well. [00:50:01] Speaker B: And your husband is pretty agreeable. [00:50:03] Speaker E: Please don't. And then when I get home, he. He sees the animal, then it's just fine. [00:50:08] Speaker B: I assume that you don't live right in downtown Boston, then. [00:50:12] Speaker E: No, I don't. I live in Townsend. [00:50:13] Speaker B: Oh, Townsend. Oh, yeah. Well, that's quite a distance away. Near Fitchburg. [00:50:17] Speaker E: It sure is. Now, you know, I love my job for the commute. [00:50:20] Speaker B: Yeah. That is a. That is a long commute. Yeah. I have I keep mentioning I have relatives just north of there in Mason, New Hampshire, So I know the area pretty well. And what. What kind of a rabbit do you have? [00:50:33] Speaker E: He is a dwarf rabbit. [00:50:36] Speaker B: Okay. A little. Okay, dwarf. Because my. Both my kids, including Sonia, belonged to the. The. What do they call it? The 4H Rabbit Club. And they used to have little shows where they would. They would dress up the rabbits, you know, have little costume things. [00:50:57] Speaker E: Where animals come from in your family? [00:50:59] Speaker B: What's that? [00:51:00] Speaker E: Where does the love for animals come from in your family? It seems you have quite a number. [00:51:03] Speaker B: Yeah, you know, I've always had lots of animals. I think it's. I don't think there was any love. My folks never would let me have an animal. We had a cat once, but I had to keep it in the neighbor's shed secretly. And I think that's really why I have had tons of animals since it's sort of the strike back, because I've always loved them, but I never could own them. [00:51:26] Speaker E: Well, I can understand that. I have allergies and I'm allergic to animals. [00:51:30] Speaker B: Are you to cats? [00:51:31] Speaker E: To cats, Yes. [00:51:33] Speaker B: I am, too. [00:51:34] Speaker E: And dogs. [00:51:36] Speaker B: Dogs also. [00:51:37] Speaker E: Right. I wanted to be a vet when I was little and it just didn't work out. So this. This balances out for me. [00:51:42] Speaker B: So you have. But you have these animals. Do they bother you when you have them at home like this? [00:51:46] Speaker E: No, not anymore. I grew up with a poodle, and that was fine because she didn't shed. And then it's been much better. I don't know if it's working at the league. I'm building up a resistance or what, but it's been much better. [00:51:57] Speaker B: I think it's. You sound like a very lovely person, Sonia DiTomaso. I appreciate that. So we'll mention again that starting Thursday at noon, they'll be at the Animal Rescue League in Boston and then at all these other places, Star Markets and the Y Market out in the central part of the state and all of that. And a lot around the Boston area and Franklin and Norwood. And the idea, basically. Tell us once again about the Heinz people and what they're doing for homeless animals. [00:52:31] Speaker E: I certainly will. It's the Homeless Pets program, and consumers are urged to collect program symbols from all the Heinz pet food products. Homeless Homer symbols include Cycle Kibbles and Bits and Meaty Bones. And then on the cat products, Nine Lives plus and Pounce, we have UPC labels. And if consumers will submit the symbols to their local animal shelter, the shelters collect the symbols and send Them in. And we in turn get cash put towards food for our animals. [00:52:59] Speaker B: When you're talking the local animal shelters, you're not just talking Animal Rescue League, then you're talking, for example, up around our way. There are some in. I guess there's an Animal Rescue League shelter in Salem and there's also a Humane Society shelter that's nearby. [00:53:17] Speaker E: Yes, it's right down the road. We have four locations. We're in Boston, Brewster, Salem and Dedham. [00:53:26] Speaker B: But these can be submitted to other shelters, even those not run by the Animal Rescue League, Is that what you're saying? [00:53:31] Speaker E: That's correct. As long as they participate in the program, you certainly just clip your symbols and send them to your favorite or your local Humane Society and they can send those symbols in. [00:53:40] Speaker B: Hey, it's very nice to talk with you, Sonia. I hope a lot of people turn out at these various places. [00:53:46] Speaker E: Shelter. [00:53:47] Speaker B: As a matter of fact, he did. He did come from a shelter. [00:53:49] Speaker E: And number two, came from a New England shelter. [00:53:52] Speaker B: Oh, really? [00:53:53] Speaker E: Word has it might have been our Brewster shelter. [00:53:56] Speaker B: Oh, wild. Great, great. Anyway, thanks a lot for coming and good luck. You hope. Hope this turns out to be great success. And I know that the shelters are. I'm trying to say this without getting too sloppy, but the people. People do not fix their cats and dogs as they ought to. And so they begin to multiply. And a lot of them then turned out and they're wandering around the streets and it's not right to treat living creatures like this. So it's a delight that there are places like the Animal Rescue where you can take care of animals and give them a home and try to find homes for them and all of that. I'm starting to slobbery. [00:54:40] Speaker E: Well, I thank you very much for bringing that up. And people, we do encourage people. You certainly spaying new to your pets for that exact reason. [00:54:45] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. It's cruel not to do that. Sonia Di Tomaso, thanks a million. [00:54:51] Speaker E: Thank you so much, sir. [00:54:52] Speaker B: Take care. [00:54:52] Speaker E: Bye bye. [00:54:53] Speaker G: Bye. [00:54:54] Speaker B: Did you hear that? She called me sir Ohman soon. And that you completely recover. It's good to have you listening to us. I really appreciate that a lot. Thank you very much. Marge, Champagne. You're okay. Okay. 2, 5, 4, 10:30. We'll take some calls in just a couple of minutes. You know, I do that the same imitation. Maybe we can have two. We have two Arthur Godfrey. What about in the Blue Ridge Mountains on the shade of the. [00:55:28] Speaker G: Love it. Love it. Same vintage. [00:55:31] Speaker B: You know, we're both getting really sickening. Do you Do a big band show on radio. [00:55:36] Speaker G: Everything. Sunday morning, four hours from nine to one. Wa. [00:55:42] Speaker B: Hold on a minute. [00:55:43] Speaker G: Excuse me. [00:55:43] Speaker B: Yes? Your. Your addiction has to be a little clearer. Did you say W A Z, L? [00:55:49] Speaker G: Right. In Hazelton, Pennsylvania. [00:55:51] Speaker B: Hazelton, Pennsylvania. [00:55:52] Speaker G: You know where that is? [00:55:54] Speaker B: No, I have no idea where that is. But I'll bet it's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful town. [00:56:00] Speaker G: It is indeed. We had a property up in your neck of the woods many moons ago. We broadcast from the hotel Bradford Hotel. Is that still. [00:56:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Yes, well, it's not called the Bradford anymore, but it's. The building is there and it's a hotel. [00:56:15] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:56:15] Speaker B: And as a matter of fact, the WBZ studios used to be in the Hotel Bradford, Boston. [00:56:21] Speaker G: There you go. We had a fellow by the name of Sherm Feller. Remember Sherm Feller? [00:56:25] Speaker B: I certainly do remember Sherm Feller. [00:56:27] Speaker G: Sherm still around? [00:56:28] Speaker B: No, he's not. Sherm died within a past couple. Couple of years, I guess. Is that right? His last job was. He was public address announcer for the Boston Red Sox. [00:56:37] Speaker G: I didn't know that his wife was in showbiz too. [00:56:41] Speaker B: Yes, her name. Her name was. Is Norma. That isn't the name she. She used to. Judy. Judy. Judy. Judy was her. Yeah. [00:56:48] Speaker G: And, you know, my hero was. [00:56:50] Speaker B: And you. [00:56:50] Speaker G: You remind me a lot of him because you don't take yourself too seriously. That's why I like to listen to you. [00:56:57] Speaker B: Larry Glick. Oh, yeah, Larry. Larry's a fun guy. I wish he was still on radio. I enjoyed listening to him. [00:57:02] Speaker G: Do you know where he is? [00:57:04] Speaker B: Yes. Larry now is an advisor to the Indonesian president with butress. [00:57:09] Speaker G: But I knew he was up there. [00:57:14] Speaker B: No, he's retired from the business. But is. Well, and. And you know. And I'm sure it's very, very active. [00:57:22] Speaker G: Oh. [00:57:23] Speaker B: Something or other. I don't know. [00:57:24] Speaker G: What a gem. I did want to make a correction. That fella who wrote the book, you know, what's, what's the name? Birthdays or things. [00:57:32] Speaker B: Oh, the celebrity birthday. [00:57:33] Speaker G: Yeah. Humphrey Bogart was not the Gerber baby. He actually was the Melons baby. [00:57:39] Speaker B: Oh, is that right? [00:57:40] Speaker G: Yeah, the Melons baby. [00:57:43] Speaker B: The Melons baby. [00:57:44] Speaker G: Yeah. [00:57:44] Speaker B: Yeah. Now, what is. What is Melons? [00:57:47] Speaker G: I don't know. Probably another food like baby Gerber. But he wasn't. Wasn't a Gerber. That's misnomer. And. And I thought I'd clear that up for him. But he was interesting. I'm going to try to get his book too. [00:57:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm gonna have to read it next time. I felt like a fool. I. I thought he was. I thought he was coming on another day, and I never did kind of prepare for it, but he was a nice man, so it didn't really matter. [00:58:08] Speaker G: Keep up the good work, Norm. Enjoy listening to you. [00:58:12] Speaker B: You talk like you sound. You talk like Arthur Godfrey. 1. You don't mean to talk like him. [00:58:16] Speaker G: No, I don't, but they accused me of that sometime, and I. I used to enjoy listening to Arthur Godfrey. I enjoyed listening to. [00:58:24] Speaker B: Remember Don McNeil and the breakfast Club? He just died recently. [00:58:28] Speaker G: Passed away, I think, the last six. Six months. Yeah. Yeah. [00:58:32] Speaker B: You know what's really awful at you? Get to a certain stage in life where you say, remember him? He just died. Remember her? She just died. And you like the. You're absolutely like the voice of gloom. I stopped trying. I've tried not to say that. I say that to my kids, and they say, oh, dad, come on, stop it. [00:58:52] Speaker G: How long you been in the business? [00:58:54] Speaker B: I've been in the business now for 52 years. [00:58:57] Speaker G: I started June of 1944. [00:59:01] Speaker B: Did you? [00:59:01] Speaker G: Yeah, I did. [00:59:02] Speaker B: I. I started in May. Why am I talking this way? I started May.May of 1944. [00:59:08] Speaker G: Is that right? [00:59:09] Speaker B: We both started the same time, right? [00:59:12] Speaker G: Yeah. And I. I was with Armed Forces Radio. [00:59:15] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:59:15] Speaker G: And we're in Japan, over in Korea. We had a property up in Maine for a while. [00:59:20] Speaker B: W, I, D, E. Oh, in Biddeford. [00:59:23] Speaker G: That's right. Biddeford Saco. [00:59:25] Speaker B: Like my name? That's right. The Biddeford Saco area. [00:59:28] Speaker G: That's only one C, S, A, C, O, my S, A, C, CO but that. [00:59:32] Speaker B: That. That's your name. Bob Sacco. Right. And your family owned the station in Biddeford? [00:59:38] Speaker G: No, it was a family with a corporation. Started out in Wazl and Hazleton, then we went up to Boston, went up to Maine, and we thought it was a good buy of both places, but didn't fare out too well. [00:59:50] Speaker B: So. Do you own wazl? [00:59:52] Speaker G: I wish I did. No, no, I just. I did one time some time ago, but I come back to do big, bad, and big bands are going strong. Strong. [01:00:02] Speaker B: We have a lot of them around here. [01:00:03] Speaker G: We get 40 bucks a minute, and then in a market our size, we're only 27,000. [01:00:09] Speaker B: And isn't that amazing? [01:00:10] Speaker G: That's pretty. That's good bucks. [01:00:12] Speaker B: Excellent. [01:00:12] Speaker G: Yeah. [01:00:13] Speaker B: Yes. [01:00:14] Speaker G: Hey, I enjoyed talking to you. [01:00:16] Speaker B: Hey, good luck to you, Big Bob. [01:00:18] Speaker G: Yeah. Tell Larry Glick, that Italian guy from. From Hazelton, sends his best. [01:00:26] Speaker B: Bob Sacco. [01:00:27] Speaker G: Right. [01:00:28] Speaker B: With bz. [01:00:30] Speaker C: I mean, I heard you prior to you, you know, years ago. [01:00:34] Speaker B: I've been here at bz. You know, I'm not really sure I could tell you about my earlier part of my career, if you call it that, in radio. I seem to know every year where I was. The last years are kind of, kind of blended together. I think I've been here about 10 or 11 years. I think so. [01:00:55] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:00:56] Speaker B: I was just thinking it would be. [01:00:57] Speaker D: Six or eight, but my gosh, you may be right. [01:01:00] Speaker B: I'm not really sure about that, but I think it's closer to. I think it's closer to 10, I think, I think so. [01:01:07] Speaker C: Well, see how fast the time goes. [01:01:09] Speaker B: When you're having fun, when you're whipping it up like this? I tell you, the years just float by. [01:01:14] Speaker C: Well, you sure, you sure make these. [01:01:17] Speaker B: This is Norm. Yes. Does it sound differently? [01:01:19] Speaker C: I am still sitting in the same chair that I was in last night holding this line. [01:01:25] Speaker B: What happened though? I saw your name on the screen here. So one of the potential people, but we didn't get to you. [01:01:32] Speaker C: I thought, well, how did Robert get through when we're having all those technical difficulties? You got Robert. I was there and there. I'm still sitting here. I'm not even. [01:01:44] Speaker B: Well, we're at. Let me explain about the technical difficulties because I know a lot of people are listening and saying, oh, technical difficulties. I wish he'd go on for hours about them. Now. What, what, what the situation is, we're in new studios now in the same building in same WBC broadcast city. We're on the 73rd floor now, as you know, right across from the WBZ granary and, and fancy gift shop and perfumes from foreign countries would be working. [01:02:14] Speaker C: In the gift shop. [01:02:15] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I hope so because we, we're recruiting people now. [01:02:18] Speaker C: I got a part time job. [01:02:20] Speaker B: Okay. Did you get fitted for your uniform? [01:02:22] Speaker C: I did. [01:02:22] Speaker B: Okay. [01:02:23] Speaker C: And a badge. [01:02:24] Speaker B: Okay. But anyway, we're in the new place. You know something? I don't feel I'm worthy of this building. This building is so huge. It's getting bigger. Incredible. Incredible. And this company is buying everything in the entire world. They were just out in Middleton and they just bought my hometown. [01:02:43] Speaker C: Well, you know, I was thinking, actually I have something that I really called to talk to you about after this. But you said you wanted something named after you, remember? So I was thinking when we talked about Norm Nathan Lane, that was kind of funny because we didn't think that Norm Nathan Lane, you could be related to him. [01:03:03] Speaker B: Nathan Lane, the actor? Yes. [01:03:05] Speaker C: But now, why don't you ask the management if you could get a station and we could call it the Norm Nathan Broadcasting Company. [01:03:13] Speaker B: They have so many, I suppose they wouldn't even miss giving up one, would they? They wouldn't even notice it. [01:03:20] Speaker C: Yeah, so I thought that over last night while I was holding the line. Wasn't that wonderful? [01:03:25] Speaker B: Do you realize I'm now for the same company that, that has contracts with, with Imus and Howard Stern and David Letterman. And David. Well, David Letterman. Yeah. That's nice. And, and, and Imus is good too. [01:03:39] Speaker C: Yeah. [01:03:40] Speaker B: That other fellow, I was thinking of resigning in a hunt saying if you're gonna have him, you know that this, this, this company isn't big enough for both of us, fella. [01:03:50] Speaker C: Well, anyway, the real reason I started this call last night was I want, I was gonna call you at your house yesterday because Donna Murphy and Lou Diamond Phillips were on the Rosie o' Donnell Show. [01:04:01] Speaker B: I saw them. [01:04:02] Speaker C: You did? [01:04:03] Speaker B: I did see them. [01:04:04] Speaker C: Good. [01:04:05] Speaker B: 10 o' clock yesterday morning. Saw them. Yes. [01:04:07] Speaker C: And the good best thing about the Rosie o' Donnell show is she. There's no Jerry Springer. She's taken over. [01:04:14] Speaker B: Well, I think, I think some of those talks, a lot of the talk shows are going anywhere. A lot have already gone. And some of those who have remained are trying to upgrade their shows, although the hosts are so greasy that I think there's no way they can do it except by dumping them and I'll name names at a future time. [01:04:33] Speaker C: Well, I'm glad that you saw her. She looked great, didn't she? [01:04:36] Speaker B: She looked good and he looked good. He looked like a very decent guy. Yeah, yeah, I thought. And Rosie o' Donnell. So I haven't seen too much of the show. I saw a little bit of that. [01:04:45] Speaker C: Not bad actually. [01:04:46] Speaker B: But, but you know, it's, it's gotten some pretty decent comments and I think if replacing some of these awful talk shows, I, I think that's, you know, that's uplifting just by itself. What does that mean? It's uplifting just by itself. I don't have any idea what that means. [01:05:03] Speaker C: Now to P.S. there's A. [01:05:07] Speaker B: I'm sorry, what did you just say? [01:05:08] Speaker C: To P.S. this Donna Murphy thing, because we know she's from Topsfield. [01:05:14] Speaker B: Yes. [01:05:15] Speaker C: I read in the paper the other day young lady named Tara o' Brien from Milton who actually was on that television show I used to do, also is the understudy to Julie Andrews and Victor Victoria and she's going to, to take her place this Sunday for the first time. And she's from Milton, Massachusetts, and her. [01:05:37] Speaker B: Name is Tara o' Brien. [01:05:38] Speaker C: O' Brien. And she was on Community auditions. And then when 42nd street was here last week, the young lady, whoever she was, who had the lead was ill at the beginning. And another young lady, because I heard Joyce Kohawitz talk about this, came out of the chorus to take the pot. And she was on Community auditions and her name was Sherry Condon from Quincy. We have all these people doing well on Broadway, etc. [01:06:09] Speaker B: And you gave them their start. [01:06:11] Speaker C: And you know what else I wanted to tell you? I heard the lady talking to you last night about Neil diamond going to the concert. [01:06:17] Speaker B: Yes. [01:06:18] Speaker C: There's a gentleman who listens to your show a lot. He's not 25 and he happens to be. To be a big muck at the company that one of your daughters works for. And he is a Neil diamond groupie. He has seen Neil diamond at every single show that's ever been. He's probably listening right now. So I'm not going to say his name, but he goes with his wife to every Neil concert. Go. Neil diamond concert going. And I read the other day that he hasn't had a hit record since either 1983 or 1984 and he's still drawing 20,000 people every time he does a concert. That's. Barry Manilow does the same thing. [01:06:57] Speaker B: Yeah, one of them had. Was. Was in. Was in concert like three nights in a row and packing the place each night. [01:07:03] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah. I think Neil diamond actually see a couple tonight and whatever. It's amazing though. I mean, they have this big following and you know. Well, whatever. Still good. [01:07:15] Speaker B: I think that's very good. I think that was phrased very beautifully the way you said that. [01:07:20] Speaker C: Seen any movies, honey? [01:07:21] Speaker B: No, I haven't been to the movies at all. I have not seen any movies except they keep rerunning Murphy's Romance, which is still one of my all time favorites, but that's on television. I haven't been to the. To a movie theater. And that's. That's too bad because I really like going. [01:07:37] Speaker C: Yeah. And there's a lot of stuff. I guess Arnold Schwarzenegger's new movies got some pretty good reviews, if you like. Action packed. [01:07:45] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, no, it has. I guess it has gotten some. Some decent reviews. What's it called? Not the Terminator. That's the other one. [01:07:53] Speaker C: Eraser. [01:07:54] Speaker B: Eraser. [01:07:56] Speaker D: Vanessa Williams. [01:07:57] Speaker C: They say she does a very good job. [01:07:59] Speaker B: Esther Williams is in there. [01:08:00] Speaker C: Vanessa Williams, Yes. [01:08:01] Speaker B: Oh, Vanessa Williams. [01:08:02] Speaker C: Vanessa Williams. [01:08:04] Speaker B: I thought you said Esther Williams. I. I thought that's an interesting pairing. [01:08:10] Speaker C: Okay, well, all right. I'll be talking to you again soon. [01:08:15] Speaker B: Well, I certainly would be looking forward to that. [01:08:17] Speaker C: Don't forget to start plugging September 21st. [01:08:22] Speaker B: Will you get out of here? Go away. That company, another baby food company. [01:08:28] Speaker C: And his picture was on that. Yeah. [01:08:31] Speaker B: Oh, okay. [01:08:33] Speaker C: Now I just want to ask you one question. [01:08:35] Speaker B: Sure. [01:08:36] Speaker C: Am I. Am I allowed to have this roof's last name so I can write her a note, you know? [01:08:43] Speaker B: Yeah, but I don't. I. I don't. Yeah, well, no, I can tell you on the air because she. We've mentioned it on the issue, but I can't give you the address on the air. [01:08:51] Speaker C: No, no, I just want. I'd write to wbz. You know what? It was just after the timestamp last year, I suggested on the Bob Raleigh show that it would be nice if we had name tags because not only go to spend money and everything, but we look for different people that we hear on the radio. [01:09:09] Speaker B: Yes. [01:09:10] Speaker C: And you don't know them. It would be nice if we had name tags like I'm so and so from so and so. [01:09:15] Speaker B: You know, I tell you what, why don't you. Why don't you hear. [01:09:18] Speaker C: I'd just like to remind her. [01:09:19] Speaker B: Why don't you? Okay. Well, she's probably listening right this minute, so she can hear you anyway. But if you want, you can send. Send it just right, right to me and say, could you pass this note along to Ruth and I'll mail it to you and I'll send it to her? [01:09:33] Speaker C: All right. [01:09:34] Speaker B: Okay, we'll do that. But anyway, that again, I'm sure she, she. She's hearing you now, and that's not a bad idea. [01:09:42] Speaker C: Yeah, she mentioned it before. I'm just sort of a little reminder. [01:09:46] Speaker B: Okay. [01:09:47] Speaker C: Okay. [01:09:48] Speaker B: Okay. Thank you. [01:09:49] Speaker H: The dandelion, they did the calendar. They use it as a green like lettuce with oil and salt and pepper. [01:09:58] Speaker B: Is that what you used it for in your family? [01:10:00] Speaker H: Well, that's what she did. And you know, that was kind of an all purpose thing, a dandelion. And the springtime was very good tonic value or something. [01:10:11] Speaker B: Okay. Oh, that sounds like dandelion wine. [01:10:15] Speaker H: No, they made the wine. I don't think my father did that. But no, this was another thing. You know, elderberry wine and all those things the old people did. [01:10:24] Speaker B: Yes, yes. My grandfather used to make wine. [01:10:28] Speaker H: Oh, yeah. [01:10:28] Speaker B: His house used to smell from wine and his pipe smoking. [01:10:32] Speaker H: Is that right? [01:10:33] Speaker B: He used to use the probably the ugliest smelling pipe tobacco in the world. And that would mix with it, with the fragrance from the wine, the big wine barrels, the grapes and stuff. [01:10:44] Speaker H: Well, you know, another thing we used to do, asparagus time is about this time of year. That's another thing. You take a sharp knife and you go out and you chop it off down to the, you know, the tough path. [01:10:56] Speaker B: Yes. [01:10:57] Speaker H: We always had a great big asparagus bed. And that's one of the most wonderful things. You don't go down to the supermarkets. [01:11:03] Speaker B: You know, I love asparagus. And if you can, you know. Well, of course, any vegetable or fruit that you, that you eat fresh right from the vines or the stalks or whatever, I think is just great. [01:11:16] Speaker H: And the wonderful thing about it, you know, every year it grows and every year you get a lot more of it. And then at the end of the growing season, it becomes about a 2, 3 foot. It looks like, you know, asparagus fern like you get from a florist. [01:11:32] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:11:32] Speaker H: And this, of course, this whole line is garden. [01:11:36] Speaker C: You know. [01:11:36] Speaker H: Another thing we were thinking about, you had one of the ladies who had written some kind of a book about. Oh, I don't know what it was, things that she smelled or something like that. I don't know if I'm correct. And the other day someone was around, he was putting in, oh, a driveway. You know, we smell the hot tar. And it was. I think we were back with this about 50, 60 years. Did you ever run down the street in a hot, hot summer, maybe a hundred degrees. [01:12:09] Speaker B: Yes. And smell the tar? [01:12:11] Speaker H: Yeah. And you've got those big tar bubbles. And we'd run down and do your stamp on them. [01:12:17] Speaker E: Those are. [01:12:17] Speaker H: Yeah, it was real lizard, you know that. [01:12:19] Speaker B: No, as a matter of fact, we were talking the other day. I'm trying to think of some other smells and things that remind you of when you were a kid. I remember that it seemed to me spring, early spring, had a smell of its own. The smell is kind of a bad. Not the words. Fragrance, I suppose, is the word. It just. There was just something so sweet about the air as the, as the weather began to warm and the bud started to burst, or at least to be formed. The spring, it seems to me spring had a particularly good fragrance to it. And I remember the first, one of the first jobs I've ever had in radio. I was 18. And we had these, these news machines, news wires, you know, the tickers. [01:13:08] Speaker H: Oh, yeah. [01:13:08] Speaker B: And that they're. They're made much differently now. They're they don't have the same fragrance that they did then, but they, they. They had ribbons on them and all that. And there was a smell of ink that I have never forgotten. And I remember going close to the machine, you know, to pull off some news stories on the machine and that had a fragrance of its own. I suspect people in general have some of the fragrances maybe that they've even forgotten about that were very prominent when they were kids growing up. But you seem to have a sharper sense of smell back then and everything. And you notice things much more often. Much more than that. And so. And so everything was sharper in your own mind. And certainly the fragrances were really sharp. They do bring back a lot of memories. Some somehow somewhere along the line you'll catch a. You'll catch a whiff of it and it'll bring you back to your childhood all over again. [01:14:02] Speaker H: It certainly does. And you know. Oh yes. You also, I think talked one night to one of your. The ladies who talked about merry grounds was interested in merry grounds. [01:14:14] Speaker B: Yes. [01:14:15] Speaker H: And I was wondering if she knows that there is a Merry Go Round Association. [01:14:20] Speaker B: Yes. [01:14:21] Speaker H: So there are many of us who love Merry Go rounds. [01:14:24] Speaker B: Oh yeah. We've had a few programs through the years on Merry Go Rounds. There's a place down south we talk with them where they're making. They still carve horses for Merry Go Rounds. You think that would have been a lost art. But there aren't as many Merry Go rounds as there used to be. But there's still a summer on. There's still one down in Nantasket Beach. Oh yes. [01:14:47] Speaker H: Yeah. There's one over here. They used to. Over to. What was it to eat a. I think they were trying to give that away one year. [01:14:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. [01:14:55] Speaker H: Not too long ago. [01:14:56] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:14:56] Speaker H: And of course there's a Merry Go Round music on cassettes that you could get. So I'm an old Merry Go Round fan too. So it was very interesting. And I think I didn't know if they were still copying them. I think I thought they looked like plastic down the last one I saw. [01:15:14] Speaker B: So I, I don't think so. I think, you know, there are obviously the. The genuine ones are made out of wood and I know this, this the. The factory. I, I should. You call it a factory and you think of things being mass produced. This is. They're carved by hand. [01:15:30] Speaker H: Oh yeah. [01:15:30] Speaker B: And as a matter of fact, you can go down there and take a course on how to make your own horses. You know, that kind of stuff. And they do. They do make them for commercial purposes, but they are made out of wood, and you learn how to paint them and all that. And they're real, real merry goron horses. [01:15:47] Speaker H: I know the, the first ones came from Germany, and that was one of the things that, you know, that they did very, very well, like most of the wood carvings in the old days. [01:15:59] Speaker B: Are you, are you talking directly into the phone right along. [01:16:01] Speaker H: Well, we have phone problems. [01:16:03] Speaker B: Oh, I see. Okay. [01:16:05] Speaker H: I think, I think the other day somebody said we should buy a new telephone. [01:16:09] Speaker B: Okay, now you sound good. You sound good. Now, the reason I, I get a little panicky when you start to drift off because we're in a new, new studio and everything and we haven't ironed out all the bugs. [01:16:21] Speaker H: Yeah. [01:16:22] Speaker B: And as a result, when, when you start to fade off, I think it's probably something wrong with us, but obviously. [01:16:28] Speaker H: It'S not something wrong with us, too. [01:16:30] Speaker B: Okay. [01:16:31] Speaker H: We've had, you know, you call a telephone company, maybe they'll come 52 times a year. And it's never anything with a phone company. It's always my phone, you know, so, yeah, you can't win. It's. It's one of those battles we've had for years. [01:16:47] Speaker B: Hey, it's good to talk with you. I appreciate the call. [01:16:50] Speaker H: Well, we thank you again, so it's good to hear you. [01:16:52] Speaker B: Thanks a lot. Okay, let's go to Bill in Worcester. Hi, Bill. [01:16:58] Speaker I: Good morning, Norman. [01:17:00] Speaker B: Good morning to you, sir. [01:17:01] Speaker I: Long time listener, first time caller. [01:17:04] Speaker B: Well, thank you for calling. [01:17:05] Speaker I: I, I just, I'm sitting here copying the mail, and I'm saying, you know, it's funny because you were talking about smells that you remember from when you were a kid. [01:17:14] Speaker B: Yes. [01:17:14] Speaker I: And, you know, my family's talked about it many, many times. We could always remember after church on a Sunday morning, go to Nana's house and smelling the fried meat. [01:17:25] Speaker B: Meatball. [01:17:27] Speaker I: You're making me hungry. The Italian people have been eating the dandelion for years. It's got a flavor very similar to chicory. Like chicory lettuce. [01:17:39] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:17:39] Speaker I: On the bitter side. And they're great. It's just, it's just, it's funny. I don't know whether it's an ethnic food that, you know, some of the Mediterranean people have eaten over the years. [01:17:52] Speaker B: Years. [01:17:52] Speaker I: But I had a laugh when you, when you were talking about smells, because, boy, I tell you, I could still smell nonage meatballs, and I don't think. [01:18:02] Speaker B: Anybody would duplicate them. No, it is kind of interesting. I think that kind of stuff makes a very big impression on you when you were a kid and suddenly you come across that fragrance when you were older and it just, it just reminds you so much and brings you back probably sharper than most anything you can think of. [01:18:22] Speaker I: Right? I know what you mean. You know, it's funny because I'm sitting here listening now I'm around, I'm, I'm 51 and I can remember back before FM radio, frequency modulation radio. The only thing we could get was AM and I was stationed in Boston on a Coast Guard cut. Of course we used to go out to sea quite often and the only station that was really strong enough to get was double. Oh yeah, pipe it in through the ship. And boy, I'll tell you, it's a treat when you're away from home for that long to hear something in the Boston area and especially be able to copy the, you know, be able to listen to the news and weather and see what's going on back home. [01:19:03] Speaker B: But yeah, it's kind of interesting because, because we do get out to a good chunk of the country. I still get calls now every now and then from somebody who's living in, you know, Illinois or Indiana or West Virginia who's from here originally. And we're kind of like the voice back home, which brings back memories to them too, now that they're in some new location. So that's really nice. And I know that was true, as you point out, during, for the military forces as well. [01:19:33] Speaker I: It's a big thing when you're out on a ship, especially since you don't have any communications, you don't have any newspaper. But when you can turn on a radio station and hear what's going on, even, even in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean when you're out there for 30 days, it makes a big difference. But I tell you, you're doing a bang up job and I do enjoy listening to you. I listen quite often and it's, it's a relaxing station. [01:20:03] Speaker D: Keep up the good work. [01:20:04] Speaker B: I appreciate that very much. Thanks a million. Yesterday we heard we, we really had had some severe problems to the point we had to get our, our chief engineer, Mark. I forgot his last name. That's right. We, we got him out of bed and he did, he had the, he had his job. He's still on with the, with the feet and the, the little hatch in the back killed me. [01:20:30] Speaker H: Yeah, I was in a rather grouchy mood. You know, not grouchy but blah. And you kept me up all night. [01:20:40] Speaker B: And I laughed so hard I had. [01:20:42] Speaker C: To shut my door. [01:20:44] Speaker H: You know, they take comedians, I don't know how many million a year when. [01:20:48] Speaker B: You listen to their show and you. [01:20:50] Speaker H: Don'T ever crack a smile. See where I give it all this comedy stuff for nothing. [01:20:57] Speaker B: I'm just too good. I'm too good to. To be. To be true. [01:21:02] Speaker C: Stories were coming back to me. I remember people cooking grapes, making grape jelly in the fall, making. What was the other thing? Practical Lily. Oh, my God. And my grandmother making ginger. Yeah, that's ginger ale. We used to love to go over her house. And we have Root Pierce. [01:21:25] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. You know what else you just reminded? You said ginger. Gingerbread. People used to. Oh, God. Is there someplace somebody is making gingerbread right this minute? Because I haven't seen any of that. [01:21:38] Speaker C: I used to make it all the time for my kids when they were growing up. I really did. [01:21:42] Speaker B: You were a little whipped cream on top. Oh, doesn't that sound nice? [01:21:49] Speaker E: It was funny. [01:21:50] Speaker C: You're talking about the countries I lived up in dead when I was a kid. And I remember this kid when I was in sixth grade, two farms used to be able to go on. We had a ball, all the kids in the neighbor. We could go all next time, pick strawberries in May and blueberries in July. And our mothers would always make us. [01:22:07] Speaker E: Take our shoes off. [01:22:09] Speaker C: People come in the house because the cows went into the. Where the blueberries were. But the funny thing is this boy's name is Morland. And he came in and apparently a skunk had met him on the way to school. It was around this time of year. And the teacher could say, warren, you've got to go home. He kept denying the skunk had touched him. And we had all our windows up and we were dying from the smell of it. Warren had to get up and go home. [01:22:39] Speaker B: Poor, poor Warren. I remember what time I had lost. [01:22:43] Speaker C: My mental up in denim for four years before I moved to West Roxbury. And believe me, I loved Dedham. And when I was taking care of my kids and being with them morning, noon or night, when I had to work, no second job. I'd be thinking of those days. And I felt very, really hemmed in because I had a girlfriend who used to take me off of the fields up there. She knew all the wildflowers, you know, the herbs and everything. [01:23:04] Speaker B: And she was a dog. [01:23:05] Speaker C: She turned out to be a gemologist. And her name is Emma Smith. And I often wanted to talk about old friends. She was a. [01:23:13] Speaker E: She was a beautiful person. [01:23:14] Speaker C: And I lost touch with her quite a few many years. I'd say about 40 years ago. But I never forgot her. She really made me appreciate nature in all the ways. [01:23:25] Speaker B: Mention. What was her name again? [01:23:27] Speaker C: Emma Smith. Emma. [01:23:29] Speaker B: Emma Smith. That sounds like a made up name, doesn't it? [01:23:32] Speaker C: Yeah, I know, but she was, you know, she. Her mother was Swedish and her father was English. English. And her mother used to try to get me to eat the Swedish meatballs and drink the goat's milk and all that stuff because they had. That was funny. But you know, I've happy times up there. I really enjoyed it and I'm so glad I did because my kids and my son that lives with me, he has a garden outside. We get everything out in the backyard. We've got grapevine, we've got. I'm looking at the cherries. I'm wondering who's going to get them first. The birds, the. The squirrels are us, they, you know, the lightning. [01:24:06] Speaker E: Really. [01:24:06] Speaker C: Hey, listen, that's what, that's what makes you such a good fellow. Honey, with you I'm sure you're a good fellow anyway, but you start off with the way you bring on the old times. The old, the old good times. They're the happy times. Absolutely. They are wonderful. They're loaded with iron and they fight anemia. [01:24:28] Speaker B: Most, most people, I think, agree that they do. Good for you. It's just that most people, you don't. [01:24:32] Speaker C: Even buy them in cans. If you look around. [01:24:35] Speaker B: Yeah. [01:24:36] Speaker C: No, you take them when they're young and the only thing that's bitter in them is that little bud where the blossom comes up. You pick that out, wash them good and cook them in. I usually take some new potatoes and you boil them together until the potatoes. By the time the potatoes are cooked, your greens are cooked, and then you put some butter and salt and pepper. [01:25:02] Speaker G: And vinegar on them. [01:25:03] Speaker B: Sounds good? It sounds very good. How come we call fresh potatoes potatoes? Just picked. We call them new potatoes, but we call tomatoes we just picked fresh. All the other fruits and vegetables we call fresh. But we never say fresh potatoes. Why is that, do you suppose? That's your quiz. [01:25:25] Speaker C: A lot of the potatoes aren't fresh. They have been harvested and they're kept in bins or they're bagged or what have you. [01:25:33] Speaker B: Yeah, but if they're new, I'm not. [01:25:34] Speaker C: Talking about the ones you pick. Right, out you go. You sneak out under your potato plants and pick out the little ones that are about the size of a hen's egg. [01:25:43] Speaker B: Wash them good. [01:25:43] Speaker C: You don't peel them, you eat them peelings and all, and cook them right in with your greens, like fiddleheads and mustard greens and different ones like that. [01:25:56] Speaker B: I'm gonna do that as soon as I get home. [01:25:59] Speaker C: People think that they're. They're weeds, but they're not. Even when I was out in California, I said, oh, I saw all these dandelion blossoms. [01:26:09] Speaker D: I said, I wish I had seen. [01:26:11] Speaker C: Those before they got into blossoms. So my aunt says, well, I picked them and she took them and just took the little leaves off, you know, and didn't take the big plant and cook it. And I was surprised. You just had to cook them a little longer because they were tough if you didn't. [01:26:31] Speaker B: Makes sense to me there, Dorothy. [01:26:33] Speaker G: The God Gospel Truth. Back in the mid-50s, I was a young machinist for the George downwind, the Riverworks Building 32. And this particular day the authorities, the bosses came around and they allowed us that they were going to have this dignitary in and they were going to have his picture taken up against this particular lathe. And they'd hand them the supercharger part, which they made at the time, and. And they'd have the pictures taken and then they'd continue on their walk on their tour. Well, lo and behold, sure enough, the next day or two, the dignitary came by with the big shots and the ge and there's three or four of us that had gotten wind of this thing. And one of us, I believe it was a fellow named Tommy o' Brien. I won't get him in trouble now because they can't fire him. He's probably retired. But we gathered around this one particular lathe where they had backed up to presenting the dignitary, this supercharger part. And Tommy is underneath with the. With a broom handle attached to which was a one inch brush. And he's painting this guy's heels yellow. The yellow that they put on the floor to strike the ears. Okay. And off they went. And that fellow eventually became President United States. It was Ronald Reagan. And if you recall, back in the 50s, he used to do, I believe was 20 Mule Team Borax. [01:28:16] Speaker B: That's right. He was the narrator. Yeah. [01:28:19] Speaker G: And he made a tour of all the GE plants. And we often wondered if he ever recalled that in it. [01:28:28] Speaker B: That's funny. [01:28:29] Speaker G: That is interesting. [01:28:31] Speaker B: That's. I've forgotten about the 20 Mule Team Borax. Do they still make. They still make borax. I haven't heard that mentioned since then. [01:28:39] Speaker G: I don't brush my teeth with it. Norman, what was that, a detergent or what? [01:28:45] Speaker B: Yeah, I think it was. I. I don't know. Was it like a. Like a powdery version of Brillo or something like that to clear stuff, you know, junk off, you know, I don't really know. There was Borax and Boraxo. There were two different products, both obviously made by the same company, but, you know, I'm not really sure. There were so many products back there. I was thinking about Ipana for the smile of beauty and salt Hepatica for the smile of health. You remember that? Fred. They sponsored Fred Allen. They're both out of business now. I wonder. Oxidol. Yeah, do they still make Oxydol? I remember, you know, Oxidol Zone Ma Perkins. Or there was Italian Bomb and Campana. They sponsored First Night. The First Nighter program. So many things have come and gone. Because I was kidding about Postum earlier. But I guess they still make Postum. [01:29:47] Speaker G: Well, they still make Oval teams. [01:29:49] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, they're making a whole revival of Ovalty. They're advertising it all over the place now. [01:29:55] Speaker G: Remember Father John's medicine? [01:29:56] Speaker B: Father John's medicine, That's right. But you know Lydia Pinkham. Remember Lydia Pinkham? She could. That could. That stuff could cure any. Any woman's ailment, as I recall. I mean, that's what they said, you know. That was made out of Lynn. [01:30:11] Speaker G: That's right. It was made right very close to the Marshmallow Fluff plant. [01:30:16] Speaker B: That's right. That's right. [01:30:18] Speaker G: Marshmallow Fluff is right down the street. [01:30:20] Speaker B: Dirky Mowers. Marshmallow Fluff. It's kind of funny all the things we remember, I'm telling you. [01:30:25] Speaker G: But you know, you listen to the. You'd listen to these advertisements on the radio and the games and the kickback. [01:30:31] Speaker B: And open up your package of Wings Winged cigarettes. Yes, yes, yes. There were a lot of funny name cigarettes back then. To a lot of cereals, too. There was one called Force. I can still picture the guy caricature on the. On the, on the front of the box of Force. Tons of cereals that no longer exist. [01:30:54] Speaker G: But you know, some of that is planned obsolescence, don't you think? [01:30:58] Speaker B: By the manufacturer, you mean they, they just put it out for a while? They plan to go out of business with it? [01:31:03] Speaker G: Well, no, I think it's the same. Essentially the same product. But they, they. They cycle the name through the process. [01:31:10] Speaker B: Maybe they put out the same product under another name. Like here's a New. New. Newer than new. 1 and they give it a different name, trying to inject new life into it, that could be. [01:31:19] Speaker G: Sure. [01:31:21] Speaker F: So I don't know whether to go to Wakefield to now go dancing because my doctor said dancing is the best exercise for diabetics. Did you know that? [01:31:30] Speaker B: I didn't know that, no. [01:31:31] Speaker F: Yeah, it was $101 they paid for this 5 acre piece of property, you know. How do you keep your voice so resonant all these hours in the morning? [01:31:45] Speaker B: I never noticed whether my voice was resonant. I just talk. [01:31:49] Speaker F: I'm going to tell you this every now and then. I come up with a bright idea early in the morning, you know. But the brain fizzles out as we go through the day. Jimmy Foxx left the Grove. Remember that? [01:32:00] Speaker B: I sure do. [01:32:01] Speaker F: They're sitting in the dugout, you know, in their waning years, as we say, and they're discussing baseball. All their lives have been baseball fans. So now they're in the twilight of their career and they're getting up there in years, you know. And the Lefty Grove says to, well, Jimmy Foxx, hey, Jimmy, you think there's baseball in heaven? And Jimmy says, I don't know. I never thought about it, but I got a rusty grove. Well, Jimmy says, I got a pretty good idea. I tell you what, the first one who goes, you are me, Lefty, he goes up to heaven, you know. And the next night he comes down and appears to be the one surviving in a dream. And he lets the survivor know if there's baseball in heaven. And Lufty says, yeah, that's a pretty good idea. So Jimmy Foxx, God rest his soul, he goes first. And Lefty's sleeping the next night. And Jimmy appears to him in a dream. And he says, hey, Lefty, wake up, wake up. It's me, Jimmy. I'm up in heaven. I found out I got some good news and some bad news. The good news is, yes, there was baseball in heaven. There is. Everybody gets a hit. [01:33:15] Speaker B: Everybody hits a home run. [01:33:17] Speaker F: It's wonderful, fantastic. You can't miss. Everybody gets a home run every time they're up. That's the good news. The bad news is, Lefty, you're pitching Thursday. [01:33:28] Speaker B: Okay? Oh, Charles, you ought to do stand up at The Comedy Connection. 500 boxes. Ashley, little Ashley Braddock did. But the award went to another girl who sold about 200 fewer boxes. And the reason that she got the award was because local officials say Ashley, the one who sold the most, broke the rules because she sold the cookies at a 25% 25 cent per box discount. I mean, she wanted to win so badly and her mother wanted. Her mother must have come up with a scheme. I would think, maybe. I don't think an 8 year old would come up with that kind of an idea. I can sell more cookies and win the prize if I offer a discount. So she took 25 cents off each box. Ashley's mom wants the Justice Department. This is over. Girl Scout cookies. What is this woman going to do when it comes to really serious issues, really moral issues, she wants the Justice Department to investigate. And she promises the battle over the thin mints and the dosy, those will be anything but sweet. As she put it. They are not going to cheat my 8 year old. You find. You find something totally disgusting about that kind of a story. [01:34:58] Speaker G: Well, actually, the beginning of the week, I was talking to some neighbors to. [01:35:03] Speaker B: Give you a point of reference. [01:35:04] Speaker G: I'm 39. [01:35:06] Speaker B: That famous number you say, John, you're John. You're 39. You know, that's a wonderful, you know, age, you see. [01:35:17] Speaker G: See, that's why. Actually, that's why I called up. [01:35:20] Speaker B: I had to hear you say that you see it. And you knew that I'm ham enough to want to stop everything cold, even your wonderful story, just to throw that in. [01:35:28] Speaker G: Absolutely. [01:35:28] Speaker B: I'll be quiet now so we can hear the rest of it. And the. [01:35:31] Speaker G: The woman was in her mid-70s, and there was another young woman in her mid-20s. So, you know, a fairly diverse age group there. And we were all. I happened to mention. [01:35:45] Speaker B: Did you put on the radio the. [01:35:46] Speaker G: Other night and guess what was on the baseball game. And every single one of us was so sad. [01:35:53] Speaker B: Oh, thank you very much. [01:35:54] Speaker G: Just to show you how much we all love you. [01:35:57] Speaker B: You know something, John? You're okay in my book. Hey, I heard you went out somewhere. [01:36:03] Speaker G: Around here in the North Shore to. [01:36:06] Speaker B: Some kind of event. There was an outdoor event. [01:36:09] Speaker G: Is this this past week? [01:36:11] Speaker B: This past week. Let's see. I probably did, but you know, my life is such a whirl of social things I may have forgotten. Also, my mind is turning to ashes. Also. I. I kind of forget along those lines as well. [01:36:27] Speaker G: Oh, you're not 39, Norman. [01:36:29] Speaker B: No, I'm not. I haven't. I haven't been 39 for. [01:36:31] Speaker G: For a while. [01:36:32] Speaker B: Where in Lynn do you live, by the way? [01:36:33] Speaker F: I live down around north of Eastern Ave. [01:36:39] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah, because I. I lived on Baker street off North Common there for about six years. I used to live there. On Baker Street. Yes, I did. No kidding. [01:36:48] Speaker G: Yeah. [01:36:48] Speaker D: When I was a little pup. [01:36:50] Speaker B: Oh, son of a. Selling Girl Scout cookies at a discount and then arguing with them and with the Justice Department and the antitrust division. I can't believe any mother would get. Would get that wrapped up. No, no. My wife was from Lynn and when we first got married, the first six years we lived in Lynn before we moved out to the country, you know. [01:37:13] Speaker G: Oh, I know. You live up in the vast country of Middleton. [01:37:16] Speaker B: Vast country of Middleton. Out there. We moved there, yeah. Quite a lot. Lot of years ago. [01:37:21] Speaker G: But. [01:37:22] Speaker B: But Lynn was kind of fun. I remember on the comedies. Didn't have band concerts there. [01:37:27] Speaker G: Yes. [01:37:28] Speaker B: Every week. And that kind. That was kind of festive. I thought that was kind of nice. Yes, I kind of like that. You know, that Girl Scout story brings to mind the. [01:37:38] Speaker G: The family suing the other family for the young kids playing in the playground. And one was, I guess was a bit rough on the other one. That happened within the past month or two. It shows you how far we've really gone. [01:37:51] Speaker B: I know it. I know we become so. So. I don't know, lawsuit happy or something that we're ready to sue about everything and we get angry about everything. That's. That's really kind of sad. [01:38:03] Speaker G: Yeah. [01:38:05] Speaker B: And anyway, you know, you're very good to talk with. I'm going to think of what did I do over the past week. [01:38:11] Speaker G: I could be wrong though. [01:38:12] Speaker B: You know, I had spoken to the young woman about. She said she was going to see you. Maybe it was next week. I know, I did. I did. I did have a couple of talks. [01:38:21] Speaker G: She said something about there'd be vendors there and all that kind of stuff. [01:38:25] Speaker B: I don't know whether that might be the thing we're doing today in Wakefield, but she said she'd already been there. [01:38:31] Speaker G: She said Wakefield. [01:38:32] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, that's. Yeah, we haven't done that. That's today. Starting at 4 o' clock in the afternoon. Yeah, they'll be all kinds of things going on. [01:38:39] Speaker A: Ah, that left me all warm and fuzzy inside. Oh, wait. Maybe that was what I ate last night. Nope, nope, it's definitely from the show. Now, there was a mention of Norm, Nathan Lane. After Norm passed across from where his home was in Middleton, there was a development that was built across the street. And sure enough, the street name is Nathan Lane. Please give some thought to supporting my efforts here by checking out the ways to do so below. Thank you just so darn much. Closing the vault and leaving this world a little sillier than we found it. Having been a two hour show. There's quite a lot of credit. So get ready. 4 Acura Massive Lottery jackpots in the billion d zillion dies General publishing Ruby Stephens matching birthdays with battling books the Nathan School of Plumbing Yesterday and today Family ties Dark Knights Meryl Streep, John Davenport and Elihu Yale Dissatisfied office seekers poking around in the files. Boring voices unpronounceable towns in Minnesota Howard Hughes's high tech bras. The Spruce Goose Blue bloods with welded lower jaws Prince Isaac Nathan big ears and bad breath Gerber baby food melons Baby food Bernie Schwartz, Redd Fox and Fred Sanford the Westinghouse purchases of CBS radio and TV Infinity and the town of Middleton, Massachusetts Functional illiterates the Davenport Sofa company class acts and animal lovers Morris the Cat and homeless Homer the Animal Rescue League of Boston the Hinds Pet Products Homeless Pets program Mutts, mongrels and mixed breeds Star market well earned naps Big Y stores dwarf rabbits the 4H Rabbit Club secret animals hidden in sheds Kibble Dueling Godfrey's, Wazl Wide Bob Sacco technical difficulties WBZ Broadcast City Granary Fancy gift shop and perfumes from Country's Place Resigning in a huff Greasy daytime TV talk show hosts Tara o' Brien, Sherry Condon Community auditions using name tags at the farm stand. Ruth Clennet Dandelion wine, asparagus the smells of hot tar, ribbon ink, meatballs and other olfactory induced memories. The Merry Go Round Association Classic products of yesteryear Borax, Boraxo Ipana, Salapatica, Oxydol Campana Italian Bomb Postum Father John's medicine Lydia Pinkham Wings, cigarettes and Force cereal. Girl Scout cookie selling schemes. Jack Benny the celebrity Birthday Book Robert Davenport, Sonya Di Tomaso, Penny the Dog Jack Hart and the man who's Uplifting just by himself the resonant voiced fabled and legendary Norm Nathan. I'm just Tony Nesbitt. [01:41:52] Speaker D: I think he used some of his airplane technology to make sure that they defied gravity. [01:42:14] Speaker B: Sam.