The British know when something is funny. That’s why they edited old TV shows and rebroadcast them The George Goebel Show, The Bob Hope Show, The Sid Caesar Show and The Steve Allen Show.
According to http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/
articles/g/
georgegobelshowt_1299001248.shtml [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/g/georgegobelshowt_1299001248.shtml] they broadcast one after the other week after week.
We found on the referenced website and I quote:
“George Gobel (born George Goebel in Chicago on May 20, 1920) was a radio children’s singing star who became a major television hit in the US in the 1950s with his brand of comedy. from the point of view of a somewhat bewildered, female-dominated little man, and his catchphrase “Well, I’ll be a dirty bird” was famous throughout the U.S. The most popular sketches on his show featured Gobel and his wife on screen Alice (played by Phyllis Avery).
The British copied the 1957-1959 versions of the program.
George was in Hollywood squares.
The following are some excerpts from http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/quotes/hollywoodsq.html. You’ll want to go there to read the unscripted, unedited jokes from some of that show’s most famous stars.
Peter Marshall: What are “Do It”, “I Can Help” and “Can’t Get Enough”?
George Gobel: I don’t know, but it’s coming from the apartment next door.
Peter Marshall: If you find someone unconscious on the street, should you do something?
George Goebel: I guess I’d probably crawl around it.
Peter Marshall: True or false… a pea can last up to 5,000 years.
George Gobel: Wow, it sure seems that way sometimes.
Peter Marshall: True or false, George… experts say there are only seven or eight things in the world dumber than an ant.
George Gobel: Yes, and I think I voted for six of them.
Peter Marshall: During your visit to China, your tour guide starts yelling “Poo! Poo! Poo!” What does that mean?
George Goebel: Cattle Pass.
Peter Marshall: In the old days, when great-grandpa would put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
George Gobel: Put it in your mouth.
At http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/about.aspx?id=12267 we can read the transcript of Tom Smothers’ ‘Speaking Freely’ (recorded on May 29, 2001 in New York).
Ken Paulson: Welcome to “Speaking Freely,” a weekly conversation about free speech and America. I’m Ken Paulson. We’re joined today by a man whose witty comedy with the Smothers Brothers made us laugh and made us think. We are delighted to welcome Tom Smothers. It’s good to have you here.
Tom Smothers: Thank you.
Paulson: I loved reading your biography, which indicates that you were once a great admirer of George Goebel.
Smothers: I saw George Goebel when I was 15 years old on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” And I was like, “Gosh, that’s pretty cool! I’d like to do that!”
I remember his first routine that I saw was that he lost his bowling ball. And he explained it to the police, he reported it stolen or lost. And they told me: “Describe it.” He said, “Well, he’s round and black with three holes.”
They said, “Well, are the holes up or down?”
…It just went on and on with no real jokes. And I said, “I’d like to do that.”
Before I knew it, I wanted to go professional… and George Goebel played the guitar. He had a great big guitar. They took the guitar from him. Not many people know this, but he was pretty good.
George Goebel was very much like Jack Benny. He was laid back, great on the sitcom, and lovable.
I think I read that somewhere The George Goebel Show it was one of those that were not recorded or the recordings were destroyed or lost.
Too much!
Where are you, George?
Copyright©John T. Jones, Ph.D.2005