Hollywood Holidays — 1950

Crosby Christmas Follows Normal American Plan
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 23—(AP)—What’s the Crosby Christmas like? Probably the same as yours and mine.
“We do the same things most people do,” says Bing. “The routine has become traditional and rarely varies from year to year.”
Sometimes Bing, Dixie and the boys celebrate Christmas at their home on the Monterrey Peninsula up north. But this year Bing is working in “Here Comes the Groom,” so it will be a southern California Christmas for the family.
Prefer Big Tree
Preparations for the holiday are made several days before by Dixie, who is in charge of decorations. The Crosbys like lots of decorations and a big tree.
“We got the biggest tree that will fit in the room,” Bing remarked. “I’d say it’s about 15 feet.”
Christmas eve means carols by Bing and the boys—Gary, 17, Phillip and Dennis, 10, and Lindsay, 12. This is a tradition with them and they always visit the homes of Bob Hope, (if they can catch at him at home) Songwriter Johnny Burke, Larry Crosby and other relatives and close friends.
At six o’clock on Christmas morning, the entire family attends Catholic services at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. They return home for breakfast.
“We have a big farm breakfast with ham and eggs and all the trimmings,” said Bing. Then come the gifts. He wouldn’t divulge what he was giving the boys. But Lindsay may receive some additions to his collection of unusual toy soldiers. The older boys will probably get some new golf equipment. Like their father, they’re fiends for the game.
Calls In Afternoon
The afternoon is spent on family calls, Bing has three brothers and a sister in Hollywood and most of them have big families. They will probably converge on Bing’s home, since mother Crosby is spending the holidays with him. There will be a sad note to the gathering because of the absence of Bing’s father. He died this year,
“We have dinner late in the afternoon,” said Bing. “Turkey and everything, of course.”
The evening is spent quietly, either calling on or receiving friends. The day ends with an inevitable song session, with the famed Crosby baritone joining in.
That’s the Crosby Christmas. Hope you have a nice one, too.

Filmdom Celebrates Happy Yule Throughout Industry
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 25—(AP) — It was a happy holiday for the majority of movie workers this year. Film production is keeping on a normal basis, despite the forces facing the industry.
Twas not always so. Even in normal times, the studios used to slack down at Christmas time. The reason was that each day of production costs a great deal of money. Losing the Christmas and New Year holidays mean added expense to a picture’s budget, not to mention the loss of efficiency by pre-holiday celebrations.
But this year production was fairly high, and so are movie workers’ spirits. Next year—well, they’ll worry about that when it comes. . .
Judy Garland is carrying on the “Show Must Go On” tradition. She said she will act in “The Wizard of Oz” on Radio Theater tonight despite her marital break with Vincente Minnelli. . .
N.B.C. will pull a novel stunt on its telecast of the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena New Year’s Day. The picture and commentary by Don Wilson will be carried on the Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco TV stations. In addition a Pasadena station will carry commentary in Spanish. This is a service for the thousands of Spanish-speaking residents of this area.
Shirley Temple’s announcement of her film retirement seemed inevitable after the brush-off of news coverage on her marriage. Shirley was always the picture of co-operation with the press during her Hollywood career. Wanna bet the retirement doesn’t stick?. . .
June Allyson snagged the top spot in a movie popularity poll by a trade paper, nosing out Bing Crosby. Maybe that will change things at her studio, where she has long been treated like a stepchild taking roles that other actresses would refuse. I have been saying for five years that she is the most under-rated star in Hollywood. . .
My, Hollywood seems to be growing up. In two recent pictures, “The Magnificent Yankee” and “Halls of Montezuma,” characters actually use the word “hell.” And not in reference to the nether world either. Heavens to Betsy!
Since boyhood, I have heard the old saying “Nobody reads the paper on Christmas Day.” So I might as well give this up and join the festivities. And a merry one to you, too.


JACK BENNY CHRISTMAS SHOW, Dec. 17, 1950

Listen Doc, Can’t You Read?

A surprise appearance in Tex Avery’s ‘Who Killed Who?’





Don’t worry, detective. Only one day to go.

The 1943 cartoon has a bunch of familiar bits Avery used at Warner Bros., including the silhouette of a patron in the theatre being projected onto the screen. But the pace is faster and Tex and his writer have crammed in more gag material.

Something different in this cartoon is the live-action open and close, and the solo organ like you’d hear on radio mystery shows back then. The score is by Scott Bradley and Bernard Katz, according to the U.S. Government Copyright Catalogue. Katz was related to Mel Blanc on his mother’s side.

There are no credits on the version of the cartoon I’ve seen, but John Canemaker’s book credits the animation to Ed Love, Preston Blair and Ray Abrams. It sounds like Billy Bletcher is the detective, with Sara Berner as the skeleton cuckoo bird and Kent Rogers as both the victim and Red Skeleton (animated by Love), with a voice that you’ll hear in the Woody Woodpecker cartoon ‘The Loan Stranger’ (1942). Is that Avery as St. Nick?

Incidentally, if you wonder where the phrase “Let’s not get nosey, bub!” heard in this cartoon, and over at Warners and Lantz, comes from, read this unbylined story from the Madison Capital Times of August 23, 1942.

Catch Phrases of Air Comics Catch Public
New Phrases Added Daily to Our American ‘Slanguage’
AMERICA’S modern language has been colored by radio particularly by those comedians whose joke factories are located in NBC studios.
When Little Johnny wants to contradict his mother nowadays he says, “That ain’t the way I heerd it,” patterned after Bill Thompson’s phrase as the Old Timer with Fibber McGee and Molly.
Thus does radio affect the language of the people of the United States. Catch-phrases from radio are the modern versions of “twenty-three skidoo” and “you tell ‘em, I stutter.” Radio’s comedians add new phrases to the American slanguage every day, and every hep-cat is judged by his knowledge of the latest radio line.
Skelton’s Classic
Red Skelton’s Classic “I Dood It,” besides making newspaper headlines, has become an everyday phrase in young America’s vocabulary, along with his “I would answer that, but it would only wead to bwoodshed,” “If I do, I det a whippin’” and “Now, don’t get nosey, bub.”
Jerry Colonna, on Bob Hope’s program, made “Greetings, gate” a synonym for “hello.”
Molly McGee says “’Tain’t funny, McGee,” and millions stop other millions cold by telling them, “Tain’t funny, McGee.”
Charlie McCarthy’s pet phrase has been a national byword for years—“I’ll clip ‘em. So help me, I’ll mow ‘em down.”
From Al Pearce comes Elmer Burt’s [sic] “I Hope I Hope I Hope,” and Baby Snooks’ contribution is “Why, Daddy?” Meredith Willson has millions of listeners copying his “Well, bend me over and call me stoopid.” Dennis Day says “Yes, please” to Jack Benny, and in every town there are kids from 8 to 80 who say “Yes, please” to every question that calls for an affirmative.

Hollywood Holidays — 1949

Tralfaz note: This post features more old Christmas-themed columns by Hollywood reporter Bob Thomas of the Associated Press.

STARS RECALL THEIR FAVORITE CHRISTMASES
By BOB THOMAS
AP Movie Writer
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 23—What Christmas do you remember most?
This is a sentimental question. Being sentimentalists, movie stars were quick to respond to it. Here are their answers to the AP Hollywood forum question of the day:
GLENN FORD—“It was in 1938 and I had just opened and closed on Broadway in a flop called ‘Soliloquy.’ I was broke, but too proud to write home for money. I walked down Fifth avenue on Christmas Eve, listened to the chimes and looked at the windows. I walked into an automat and treated myself to coffee and pie a la mode with the last 15 cents to my name. That was my Christmas feast.”
BRODERICK CRAWFORD—“I’ll never forget Christmas in Germany in 1944. We had nothing by K rations to eat and no Christmas cards to cheer us up. Fortunately, we found three quarts of brandy so we got happy before we started crying.”
GINGER ROGERS—“I was six years old. My grandmother tagged me and put me on the train for New York where I spent my first Christmas with my mother in several years. I remember I got a tea set and made everybody have tea with me.”
MONTGOMERY CLIFT—“I remember the year the tree burned down. My mother wanted white candles on the tree and my father wanted electric lights. Mother cited an instance when a tree had burned because of a short circuit, so she won out. The tree burned down, and all our presents with it.”
JACK CARSON—“I was eight years old and wanted an electric train. Four days before Christmas, I found it. So on Christmas day I gave perhaps the greatest performance of my career—trying to act surprised.
JANET LEIGH—“The first Christmas I saw snow with 1945. My parents invited me up to a winter lodge. I had my picture taken there, and Norma Shearer saw it and sent it to Hollywood. That was the start of my career.”
JOHN WAYNE—“The Christmas I got my bicycle. That was the year I found out about Santa Claus—but my folks didn't know about it. I wrote a letter to Santa that if I didn’t get a bicycle, I didn’t want anything. My folks had to take back all the things they bought and get me the bicycle.
DANA ANDREWS—“I was on location in Connecticut two years ago at Christmas. I took the family up to Vermont for a real northern holiday. I rented a house, got a horse and sleigh and stayed two and a half months. It was the first time I had seen it snow.”
Linda Darnell — “My favorite was last year, the first Christmas with my daughter, Lola.”
IRENE DUNNE—“I remember when I was nine and had the mumps. The whole Christmas was held around my bed and I got a doll and doll buggy. Believe it or not, I still believe in Santa Claus.”
JOSEPH COTTEN—“I guess my favorite was the year I got my wagon. My cousin had a goat and I let it be known that I wouldn’t be happy unless I got a wagon.”

Wayne Gets Top Rating For Christmas
Number Two On Box-Office List
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 24.—(AP)—John Wayne isn’t looking for Santa Claus tonight; he already has his Christmas gift.
“Being nominated as number two on the boxoffice list is the best Christmas present I could get,” said the rangy star.
Wayne is philosophic about his success and attributes it to the fact that his films show “honest emotion.”
“The reason some pictures are so bad,” he declared, “is that the director or writer or actor is afraid to show sentiment. They’ll twist the plot around to avoid it. And they are wrong. The world loves sentiment.
“All my successful pictures were hits because they’re frankly sentimental. The women in the audience cried, and they loved it.
“There will be sentiment in my present picture, ‘Jet Pilot,’ too. I’ll play some scenes with a baby. People will be curious to see how a big bruiser handles a baby.”
Acting, he continued, doesn’t require any formal lessons. (Wayne received his dramatic training on the USC football team.)
“Of course, an actor has to acquire poise—either through dramatic schooling or by working in quickies. But lessons don’t make an actor.
“I’ve learned that what’s being said in a scene isn’t so important. It’s the reaction to what’s being said. The more natural the reaction, the better the actor. That’s why kids are so good on the screen—their reactions are completely natural.”
Without appearing so, Wayne is one of the smallest actors in the business. He is aware of his limitations and will not undertake anything that is over his depth. He is also not afraid of work.
“I have four pictures already lined up for next year, which means I’m not going to have any time off. But,” he added hastily, “I’m not complaining.”
Reflecting on his 20-year career in films, Wayne recalled that he was the screen’s first singing cowboy.
“I played a character who always sang when he got mad,” he recalled. “Soon the had me getting mad three times in every picture. That was too much. I’m not a singer, so I bowed out.”
A lad named Gene Autry inherited the job.



JACK BENNY CHRISTMAS SHOW, Dec. 18, 1949

Merry Christmas To Kitty

Nothing exemplifies the benevolent spirit of the holiday season better than beating a cat senseless, decorating it with colourful lights, then plugging its limp tail into a electrical socket to illumine them. All this, while wine-swilling mice join together in a quiet chorus of Winston Sharples’ holiday classic “Christmas is Here.” Makes you feel warmer than rum and egg nog, doesn’t it?



Poor Katnip. All he wants is a turkey dinner and some presents from Santa but he gets wincing violence from trespassing mice.

The credits were ripped off “Mice Meeting You” (1950) when it was released for television decades ago, so the artists may be known only to those who have a compulsion to closely examine the 1950s product of Famous Studios.

Since Herman and Katnip seem to have been influenced by Tom and Jerry, it should be no surprise this gag was likely influenced by one in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.



This was animated by Ken Muse in the Oscar-winner “Quiet Please” (1945).

Hollywood Holidays — 1948

Tralfaz note: This post features more Christmas-themed columns by Hollywood reporter Bob Thomas of the Associated Press.
The first column is a bit humorous, considering Red Skelton treated his writers like crap. And Larry Parks needed some of that “courage” when he appeared before the odious, career-destroying U.S. House (so-called) Un-American Activities Committee in 1951. Read a bit about it HERE.

Stars Tell Santa Claus What to Bring Movieland
BY BOB THOMAS
AP Movie Writer
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21—(AP)—What should Santa Claus bring Hollywood for Christmas ?
The question is not as dreamy as it might first seem. This is the season when the whole nation is making wishes about what gifts would be welcomed. And—if you would listen to its inhabitants—Hollywood’s needs are considerable.
So I have wheeled out the AP Hollywood Forum to ask stars what they think the movie town needs from Santa. Some of them were stumped for an answer. But most of them came up with the fast replies. Such as these—
Eddie Cantor: “A book on ‘How to Act in Public’.”
Shirley Temple: “The ability to continue to entertain people.”
Dennis O'Keefe: “That the good things Hollywood is doing—such as benefits hospital tours—would be as highly publicized as the few bad things.”
Ava Gardner: “Good Pictures.”
Anne Baxter: “A five-day week.”
Dinah Shore: “A good public relations director who could let the public know that Hollywood is a pretty sane place, despite a few notables who make headlines.”
Gail Russell: “Rain.”
Bob Hope: “Take away the smog—so we can look at the scenery again.”
June Allyson: “Lower Taxes.”
Esther Williams: “Peace and good will. And make everybody love everybody—then we’ll make better pictures.”
Red Skelton: “A little personal kindness. It will go a long way.”
John Payne: “A more sober realization of the immense influence of the picture business and the responsibilities thereby. And a little less concentration on the dollar end—because if you make good pictures, the money will come in anyway.”
Ellen Drew: “Prosperity.”
Jimmy Stewart: “A little man—maybe an elf—who will go around the country and tell, everybody that movies are swell and film people are really fine folks.”
Edward Arnold: “He could bring less toys and more good will.”
Dorothy Lamour: “Better public relations.”
George Raft: “More realism before and behind the camera.”
Larry Parks: “A great deal of honest courage.”
Judy Garland: “A white Christmas.”
• • •
And there we have a good cross-section of what movie stars are thinking about in this Christmas season of 1948. Many of them are concerned about what the rest of the nation thinks about Hollywood. Others are worried about quality of product and working conditions. And some merely wonder about the weather, as who doesn’t.

Christmas In Hollywood Starts Early
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 23—(AP)—Listen closely, children, and you’ll hear how Christmas is celebrated in this strange land.
In Brazil, the children hang up their stockings and put out their shoes as well. In Sweden, the Christmas celebration lasts until Jan. 13. Hollywood too has its unusual customs,
Hollywood’s holiday starts in July when studio starlets pose in bathing suits or less before wintry scenes concocted on film stages, with scant regard to season, the curvy cuties hang their stockings in the summer heat—so their likenesses can appear in December magazines.
Christmas begins in earnest on the night before Thanksgiving. Hollywood boulevard is transformed by magic and $50,000 worth of lighted metal trees into Santa Claus lane. Hundreds of thousands of natives and tourists converge on filmtown’s main stem to watch radio and film stars slide past on floats.
The holiday season is declared open. Cautious early shoppers hasten to stores, which they find filled with others just as cautious. Stars mingle with script clerks at the counters as loudspeakers carol “Peace on Earth.”
A Pain to Some
To many stars, Christmas is a pain in the neck. Publicized as generous glamor creatures, they must live the part. They must be bountiful with their gifts, and overlook no one.
A star’s gift list runs into many hundreds. It must include everyone with whom he works from studio chauffeur to production boss. The gifts are according to rank, with the lower-paid workers getting money clips, pocket knives, etc. For the higher-ups, something like a gold cigarette case or a television set will do. Not all stars are so lavish, but many consider it inescapable.
Yes, it’s deductible in their income tax returns, but even so, they argue, it’s just another drain.
Film making is carried on during the morning before Christmas. Most companies do no shooting in the afternoon, possible because the nearness of holiday cheer makes some actors unphotogenic.
Usual Studio Parties
The afternoon of Christmas eve has been devoted to studio parties, but these will probably be scarce or lacking this year. Hollywood has less to celebrate than in previous years.
Christmas day in Hollywood is observed much the same as in any American home. Show business folks are a sentimental lot.
Those who are able see white Christmases in the east at Sun Valley or Lake Arrowhead. But to the native, a Hollywood Christmas can hold much charm.



JACK BENNY CHRISTMAS SHOW, Dec. 19, 1948

Woody Plays Santa

Woody Woodpecker turns a moose into a reindeer and himself into a sleigh-riding Santa as he gets set to dupe Wally Walrus in "Ski For Two" (1944). The moose has a look of horror as he realises he’s going to slide face-first into a chimney on an icy roof. Woody, of course, doesn’t care. After all, he says, “I’m re-pulsive!”





Don Williams and Grim Natwick have the animation credits in this cartoon; Thad Komorowski points out Don did this scene. The best part of the cartoon isn’t the animation, which is pretty basic, but the camerawork. We see the approaching Swiss Chard Lodge from Woody’s perspective as he skis down the hill; the camera jigs to the right and left as it trucks in on the background drawing. And there’s another scene where the camera moves along with Wally’s hand as he grabs food to stuff himself.

Yuletide Bugs

Bugs Bunny tries to sell a Christmas tree at the last minute to Elmer and Filbert Fudd in this Sunday comic from December 24, 1961.



The comic strip Bugs took a bit of a different approach than the cartoons. Bugs seems to have had a variety of small businesses. Sylvester was a mooch who called everyone “Guv’nor” for some reason. Petunia Pig was a regular character, long after her film career ended. And new characters were invented, such as Filbert in this cartoon.

My knowledge of the comic strips is non-existent, but I believe Ralph Heimdahl drew this. The strips through part of the ‘40s actually bore the “signature” of Leon Schlesinger. About the only thing he could draw was Draw Poker.

Hollywood Holidays — 1946, 1947

Tralfaz note: Bob Thomas of the Associated Press was one of many wire service movie writers who put the tinsel in Tinseltown. We’ll be posting a number of his Christmas-themed columns until the 25th. For some reason, I cannot find a column dated Christmas Day for 1947.

The Peters story is full of hope, but her life remained sad with an unhappy, early end. See more HERE.

1946

Can’t Walk, But Actress Enjoys Yule
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 25—(AP)—It was a merry Christmas at Susan Peters’ today. The place rang with the laughter of children and the chuckles of grown folks. The fact that Susan cannot walk didn’t interfere with the fun.
Last night Susan and her husband, Richard Quine, entertained his family. Today was for her clan, the Carnahans. Their Beverly Hills apartment isn’t big enough to contain both groups, and besides—you know what happens when two-families of in-laws get together.
But both occasions were joyous even though the great dane, Butch, nosed into everything.
Two years ago New Year’s, Susan, a topflight MGM actress, was deprived of the use of her legs by a hunting accident. But after she pulled through it was apparent that no such handicap would hold her back. She had a variety of interests and activities that would exhaust a normal person.
DONE WRITING
She has done some magazine writing and performs on occasional dramatic radio shows. She and Dick adopted a child, Timmy. She has learned to drive a car by hand alone, and has even dabbled with flying. She often goes out to Birmingham Hospital where she and veteran Paraplegics bolster each other’s morale by discussing symptoms. And now she is getting ready for a return to the movies.
“Yes, the doctors say I will be able to make a picture soon,” she told me. Of course, I will have to arrange the schedule so it isn’t too tiring—perhaps work a five-day week. I’m terribly excited about it and a little bit frightened. It’s been so long.”
But her fear didn’t last long. Beautiful, long-haired Susan enthused as she described the part she has lined up “It’s a mean woman,” he explained, “and that’s the role I’d like to play. I couldn’t stand to play one of those starry-eyed, good little girls.”
Susan said she would like to do just one picture, or at the most, two or three and then quit and do radio work. “It would be hard to find roles for me—in my condition,” she said.
But what do you want to bet the movie public won’t let her quit? Her courage and pluck are gift enough for many people on this Christmas Day.

1947

HOLLYWOOD’S SANTA CLAUS HAS NO CHRISTMAS
By BOB THOMAS
HOLLWOOD, Dec. 24.—(AP)— Santa Claus leaned back folded his hands across his fat belly and said, “I won’t be having any Christmas; I’ll be working, you know.”
“Yes, I’ve got two radio shows this week,” he continued, “and that will keep me busy. Radio takes a lot more preparation than you’d think.
“Besides, I have no family here and in the past years I’ve lived mostly in hotels. What relatives I have left are in England, and my home in London was blitzed in the war.”
This was Edmund Gwenn, the bald, 70-year-old Briton whose performance as St. Nick in “Miracle on 34th Street” captured the nation’s fancy. He was in his small dressing room in the Featured Players’ Bldg. at MGM, thumbing through his mail.
“I must say that the Post Office Department has been very good about it,” he said. “I’ve received many, many letters addressed merely, ‘Santa Claus, Hollywood.’”
Gwenn said the nature of the letters varied with the age of the sender. Adults complimented him on his performance, while youngsters actually think of him as Santa.
“There are so many requests,” he sighed, “that one man can’t take care of them all.”
The actor finds the mail cheering. He has had a tough time of it this year, being laid up for the first nine months by a serious operation. Only recently did he return to film work, in “Master Of Lassie.”
A cautious man, he doesn’t say that his Santa role is his favorite, even though it brought him his greatest fame. “I think it’s a mistake to select one’s favorite role,” he said. “I always figure that the role I’m doing at the moment is my favorite.”
The interview over, Gwenn showed me to the door and wished a Merry Christmas. “I’m afraid I haven’t been much help to you,” he said. “I live alone and I don’t go out much. I’m rather a humdrum person.”



JACK BENNY CHRISTMAS SHOW, Dec. 21, 1947

Crazy Mixed Up Dog Fight

Of the four cartoons Tex Avery made at the Lantz studio, ‘The Legend of Rockabye Point’ is my favourite. Other Tex fans make a case for ‘Crazy Mixed Up Pup’ the second Avery cartoon released by the studio. It’s okay, but a couple of things spoil it for me. The character design is downright ugly in places. The facial features tend to be small and not helped by the thicker ink line at Lantz. And the crazy flag gag starts to become predictable.

Tex went for wild drawings like his team at MGM gave him and the most successful in ‘Pup’ is probably the fight between Sam (acting like a dog, thanks to a transfusion of dog plasma) and his pet Rover (who is acting like a dog again; the effects of human plasma having temporarily worn off). There is a cycle of 12 drawings on ones. Take a look at them in order.














Avery only had a team of three credited animators—Don Patterson, La Verne Harding and Ray Abrams—at Lantz. Reader M. Yorston informs me the scene is by Abrams.

After Avery left the studio, Walter Lantz brought back Alex Lovy to direct. Lovy was handed all of Avery’s characters, and there weren’t many. There was Chilly Willy and his dog/polar bear antagonist, and there were Sam and Maggie. Lantz wanted continuing characters so he could see them in merchandise, so Lovy turned Sam and Maggie into a series. It limped along with three uninteresting cartoons. Sam and Maggie, like almost all of Avery’s characters after leaving Warners, existed solely to accommodate Avery’s gags, which were the real stars of his cartoons. Without Tex Avery, there was no need for a Maggie or Sam.

An Old Time Radio Christmas

How well do you know your Old Time Radio?

John Crosby, radio columnist of The New York Herald Tribune crafted this lovely Christmas poem for 1947, rhyming the names (as best he could) of the network stars. Yet there are probably names that may leave even the most diehard OTR fan wondering who he’s talking about.

Maybe you’ve heard of Pegeen Fitzgerald (and her husband Ed) on WOR New York. But “R. Schmohopper”? And Syd Eiges? (Jack Eigen, yes, but ... who?)

Read along and see how many of these radio personalities, industry bosses and sponsor products you recognise. And consider how many managed to make the jump to television not long after.

Critic Hard
Turns Bard
In Yule Card
By JOHN CROSBY

Now Ivory! Now Lifebuoy! Now Lava and Veto!
On Toni! On Jergens! On Arrid and Rinso!
Away to the heavens! We’ve gifts to bestow
On Everyone in radio!

To all, good health and gifts galore!
We’ve nothing but hosannahs for
Ginny Simms and Dinah Shore,
The indestructible Barrymore,
All the clerks in The Village Store
And the FBI in Peace and War.
A great big bag of sponsored goodies
For Paley, Trammell, Kobak, Woodies.
Here’s a potent Christmas stogie
For Frankie, Perry, Andy, Hoagy.
A merry cap with all the felt on for
Eddie Cantor, Happy Felton,
Tiny Ruffner and Red Skelton,
Lassie, Hildegarde and Melton.

All the best, young Doc Malone! A
Little kiss for McElhone.
Hail to Candid Microphone and
How are you, Vic Damone!
Here’s a toast to put our heart in—
To Frances Langford, Tony Martin,
Lum ‘n’ Abner, Superman,
Dr. Christian, Charlie Chan,
The Thin, The Fat, The Answer Man.
To suffering Portia long, long life;
Same to you, Backstage Wife.
Lots of heartbreak, tears and strife.

Connubial bliss and all that’s merry
To the working wives—Portland, Mary.
Dorothy, Pegeen, Jinx McCrary.
Open a bottle, share a bird
With Jimmy Durante, Mortimer Snerd.
A handful of bellylaughs wild and hearty
For Allen and Benny and Charlie McCarthy.

A bottle of grog and long hay hay
for Duffy’s Tavern and Alice Faye,
For Gildersleeve and Dennis Day
For Kaltenborn and RCA,
For Breneman and Sammy Kaye
For Blanche and Moon and Dorothy Shay.
And while we’re running down the roster,
Don’t forget Judy Foster,
Louella Parsons, Hedda Hopper,
Jimmy Fidler, R. Schmohopper,
Groucho Marx, Nancy Craig,
Don Ameche, Vera Vague,
Walter Winchell, Jessica Tandy,
Studio One, Amos ‘n’ Andy,
Blondie, Bergen, both McGees,
Jolson, Information Please,
Parkyakarkus, Tommy Nix.
Arthur Godfrey, Georgie Hicks
George and Gracie, Meet the Press,
And the Right to Happiness.
Naturally we mustn’t rob—
The other Crosbys, Bing and Bob.
Here’s to this Your FBI
And David Harding—Counterspy.
A Christmas Carol round the organ
For Robin, Frank and Henry Morgan,
A very hearty Christmas wessel
To perennial guest star, Georgie Jessel.
And we’ll pin a Christmas star on
Lucky Strike if it keeps Jack Paar on.
Big hello to March and Sweeney;
A reverent bow to Toscanini,
Cheerfuller news and headlines sweeter
To Edward Murrow and Gabriel Heatter.
Swing, Leseuer, Sevareid;
Lowell Thomas, Margo McBride.

A football cheer, rackety rax!
For Barber, Stern, Stan Lomax.
A long and heartfelt Christmas rave
For Ozzie, Harriet, Ricky, Dave.
A hey nonny nonny, a la di di
For all vice-presidents of NBC.
A special bit of midnight erl
For Garry Moore and Milton Berle
Another sponsor for Billy Rose
A special garland for Bob Hope’s nose
A bit of holly for Abe Burrows,
And don’t forget the Leland Stowes.

Get moving, my lovelies. Away we go
To lay a little mistletoe
On Whiteman, Waring, Mark Warnow,
Carson, Gardiner, Vaughn Monroe,
Abbott and Cos-tell-o
We haven’t space and haven’t rhymes
For Kate and Sammy Smith, Dave Taylor,
Syd Eiges, Phil Harris,
Rochester, Joan and Jack Sullivan,
Pete and Mary Hayes,
Bob Saudek and Art Linkletter.
But we’d like to offer a small apology to Frank Sullivan,
Who does this every Christmas and does it much better.
Copyright, 1947, for the Tribune