Friday, April 16, 2010

Look Who's Laughing

A movie I loved watching growing up, in rerun of course, was "Look Who's Laughing."

It stars Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Fibber McGee and Molly, the Great Gildersleeve, and even Lucille Ball plays a straight role.

I would listen to records of the old radio shows, then watch the movie.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the premier of Fibber McGee and Molly on the radio. The golden age of radio comedy may be long over, but the memories remain. If you want a good laugh for the day, without having to worry about who else is listening, look up some of those old radio characters on YouTube.

In honor of national humor month:

On the first day, she sadly packed her belongings into boxes, crates and
suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining-room table, by candle-light; she put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she'd finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimps dipped in caviar into the hollow center of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

On the fourth day, the husband came back with his new girlfriend, and at first
all was bliss.

Then, slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping, and airing-out the place.

Vents were checked for dead rodents, and carpets were steam cleaned. Air fresheners were hung everywhere.

Exterminators were brought in to set off gas canisters, during which time the two had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting.

Nothing worked!

People stopped coming over to visit.
Repairmen refused to work in the house.

The maid quit.

Finally, they couldn't take the stench any longer, and decided they had to move, but a month later - even though they'd cut their price in half - they couldn't find a buyer for such a stinky house.

Word got out, and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, unable to wait any longer for a purchaser, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

Then the ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going.

He told her the saga of the rotting house.

She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would
be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for having the house.

Knowing she could have no idea how bad the smell really was, he agreed on a price that was only 1/10th of what the house had been worth ... but only if she would sign the papers that very day.

She agreed, and within two hours his lawyers delivered the completed paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving
company
pack everything to take to their new home.. and to spite the ex-wife,

they even took the curtain rods!

I LOVE A HAPPY ENDING, DON'T YOU?






Today is

Carnegie Foundation Day

Day of Mushroom Encouragement -- Fairy Calendar

De Diego's Birthday, Puerto Rico (Dr. Jose de Diego, the "Father of the Puerto Rican Independence Movement)

Education and Sharing Day USA

Jim Thorpe Day

National Eggs Benedict Day

National Librarian Day

National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day

National Stress Awareness Day (appropriate for the day after paying taxes, if you ask me)

St. Bernadette's Day

St. Padarn's Day

Royalty Day

World Hemophilia Day


Birthdays Today:

Lilliana Mumy, 1994
Selena Quintanilla, 1971
Martin Lawrence, 1965
Ellen Barkin, 1955
Kareem Adbud-Jabbar, 1947
Dusty Springfield, 1939
Bobby Vinton, 1935
Herbie Mann, 1930
Edie Adams, 1929
Pope Benedict XVI, 1927
Henry Mancini, 1924
Peter Ustinov, 1921
Barry Nelson, 1920
Merce Cunningham, 1919
Charlie Chaplin, 1889
Wilbur Wright, 1867
Anatole France, 1844


Today in History:

Calculated date of the return of Odysseus from the Trojan War, BC1178
The Jewish fortress of Masada falls to the Roman Army, ending the Jewish revolt, 73
Martin Luther is called before the Diet of Worms, 1521
The first passenger rail opens in India, 1853
Ebenezer Bassett, the first African-American diplomat, begins his service in Haiti, 1869
US Marshal Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle, in Dodge City, 1881
Harriet Quimby becomes the first female pilot to cross the English Channel, 1912
Annie Oakley shoots a record 100 clay targets in a row, 1922
Dr. Albert Hofmann first ingests LSD, thus discovering its effects, 1943
The Queen Mary II embarks on her first transatlantic voyage, 2004

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