FReeper Canteen ~ Favorite Comedians, The 1950's ~ 27 NOV 2007

Serving The Best Troops And Veterans In The World | The Canteen Crew

[laurenmarlowe]

 

 

 

 

The FReeper Canteen Presents

~Favorite Comedians~

The 1950's, The TV Sitcom Is Born

Welcome to the FReeper Canteen! It's great to have you with us!!
Thank you to all of our Troops, Veterans, and their families for allowing us to entertain you!

The 50's decade was known for many things: post-war affluence and increased choice of leisure time activities, conformity, middle-class values, the rise of modern jazz, the rise of 'fast food' restaurants and drive-ins (Jack in the Box - founded in 1951; McDonalds - first franchised in 1955 in Des Plaines, IL; and A&W Root Beer Company - formed in 1950, although it had already established over 450 drive-ins throughout the country).

 Also, a baby boom, the all-electric home as the ideal, the advent of television and TV dinners, abstract art, the first credit card (Diners Club, in 1951), the rise of drive-in theaters to a peak number in the late 50's with over 4,000 outdoor screens, and a youth reaction to middle-aged cinema. Older viewers were prone to stay at home and watch television (about 10.5 million US homes had a TV set in 1950).

By the 1950s the television industry had become a serious competition for the movie industry. Despite the technological limitations of the TV medium at the time, more and more people chose to stay home to watch the television.  Several comedic forms that had previously been a staple of movie theaters transitioned to the TV. Both the short subject and the cartoon now appeared on the TV rather than in the theater, and the "B" movie also found its outlet on the television.

As TV became filled with family-oriented comedies, the 1950's saw a trend toward more adult social situations. Only the Walt Disney studios continued to steadily release family comedy movies. The release of comedy films also went into a decline during this decade. In 1947 almost one in five films had been comedic in nature, but by 1954 this was down to ten percent. Here are a few comedians that made films in the 1950's.

Pa (Franklin Kettle) (Percy Kilbride) was a gentle but slow-speaking, slow-thinking and lazy man in the "Ma And Pa Kettle" movies. His only talents appeared to be avoiding work and winning contests. Ma (Phoebe Kettle) (Marjorie Main) was larger, raucous, more ambitious and smarter than Pa, but not by much, and could easily be fooled. She was content with her role as mother to a small army of children on the Kettle's ramshackle farm. (Later in the series the Kettles moved into a modern home that Pa won.)

Much of the humor came from the preposterous situations the Kettles found themselves in, such as Pa being mistaken for a wealthy industrialist or being jailed after he accidentally set a series of events in motion that resulted in race horses at the fair eating feed laced with concrete.

Ma And Pa Kettle - Pa Does Math

"Some Like It Hot" tells the story of two struggling musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), who are on the run from a Chicago gang after witnessing the Saint Valentine's Day massacre of 1929. Spats Columbo (Raft), the gangster in charge, orders the execution of Jerry and Joe. They escape in the confusion and decide to leave town, but the only out-of-town job they can find is in an all-girl band.

The two disguise themselves as women and call themselves Josephine and Geraldine (later Jerry changes it to Daphne). They join the band and go to Florida by train. Joe and Jerry both fall for "Sugar Kane" Kowalczyk (Marilyn Monroe), the band's sexy Polish-American vocalist and ukulele player, and fight for her affection while maintaining their disguises.

"Some Like It Hot" also stars the beloved comedian Joe E. Brown.  Likable and gregarious, Joe traveled many thousands of miles visiting G.I.s in far sections of the globe during World War II, and in 1953,  became the first President of PONY League Baseball and Softball. He later traveled additional thousands of miles telling the story of PONY League hoping to interest adults in organizing baseball programs for young people.

Jack Lemmon & Tony Curtis in "Some Like It Hot"

Nothing short of a mirth quake, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis romped onto stages, into radios, televisions, and movies, grasping a joyous, adoring public by farce. Together for 10 years, they were one of the most successful comedy team ever.

A chance commingling, the kinetic duo exploded into fame, upping the ante on the term "overnight sensations." They were the Beatles AND Elvis of comedy, conquering stage, TV, and movies with ease and electricity, but friendship turned to feud, then the split. While the 16 films (in seven years) failed to fully harvest the team's manic, improvisational frenzy, they remain funny, breezy, and iconic.

Dean Martin And Jerry Lewis in "That's Amore"

With their birth in the 1950’s, situation comedies mean just what their name suggests. In the beginning, the basic recipe for the perfect sitcom was this: Take one nuclear family, stir in the funny antics of the children or neighbors, and add in a minor problem, which usually could be solved within the half hour. Simmer between commercials. Voila! Comedy and a new lesson learned every week. Wait another week and the characters are back to where they were the week before, only faced with a different, traditionally comical situation.

"Leave It to Beaver" is an iconic American television situation comedy about an idealized American family of the 1950s. The show is built around young Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) and the trouble he gets himself into while navigating his way through an often-incomprehensible, sometimes-illogical world. When he was a baby, his older brother Wallace "Wally" (Tony Dow) mispronounced "Theodore" as "Tweedor". Their firm-but-loving parents, Ward (Hugh Beaumont) and June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley), felt "Beaver" sounded better.

Conversely, Mathers has said that the real reason for the name "Beaver" is that one of the show’s writers, Joe Connelly, had a shipmate named "The Beaver" in World War II. And, from that, came the family's name, "Cleaver."

Leave It To Beaver - "Beaver And Henry"

On its face, "Make Room for Daddy" (The Danny Thomas Show) doesn't sound like much of a series, especially for one that ran for 12 years, mostly because so much of what it introduced became standard to the sitcom genre. But it was actually more than a sitcom - it was a creative and business flashpoint in television history. Make Room for Daddy was a sincere effort at depicting family life on television, with rivalries between siblings, strains between husbands and wives, school woes, budget worries, and other little tribulations.

Danny Thomas in "Make Room For Daddy"

"Father Knows Best", the successful series about the life of an American family in the 1950s, starred Robert Young and Jane Wyatt as Jim and Margaret Anderson, with Elinor Donahue, Billy Gray, and Lauren Chapin as their children, Betty, Bud, and Kathy. The series lasted from 1954-1960 and produced 203 episodes.

The brainchild of series star Robert Young, who played insurance salesman Jim Anderson, and producer Eugene B. Rodney, Father Knows Best first debuted as a radio sitcom in 1949. In the audio version the title of the show ended with a question mark, suggesting that father's role as family leader and arbiter was dubious. The partner's production company, Rodney-Young Enterprises, transplanted the series to television in 1954--without the questioning marker--where it ran until 1963.

Father Knows Best - Bud And The Bongos

"The Phil Silvers Show", a half-hour comedy series, first ran from September 1955 to September 1959. Frequently, unforeseen obstacles to Sgt. Bilko's strategies arise out of a misunderstanding between the principal characters.

Much of the program's humor derives from Sgt. Bilko's incomplete knowledge of a situation--the audience watches as he unwittingly makes matters worse for himself, before realizing his error and having to employ his quick thinking in order to make amends. Sharp dialogue and tightly woven plot lines (involving absurd, but believable, situations), combined with a heavy emphasis on visual comedy, made The Phil Silvers Show one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed sitcoms of the 1950s.

Phil Silvers in "Doberman's Sister" - Part 1

Phil Silvers in "Doberman's Sister" - Part 2

Phil Silvers in "Doberman's Sister" - Part 3

Despite its relatively brief run, "The Honeymooners" is considered one of the premier examples of American television comedy. It has been referenced in numerous homages and parodies, and has inspired successful television comedies such as The Flintstones and The King of Queens.

"The Honeymooners" made its debut on October 5, 1951, as a six-minute sketch. Castmember Art Carney made a brief appearance as a police officer who gets hit with a pie Ralph had thrown out the window. The Kramdens' financial struggles mirrored those of Gleason's early life in Brooklyn, and he took pains to duplicate on set the interior of the apartment where he grew up (right down to his boyhood address of 328 Chauncey Street).

The Honeymooners in "The Man From Space" Part 1

The Honeymooners in "The Man From Space" Part 2

The Honeymooners in "The Man From Space" Part 3

"I Love Lucy" is a television situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley. The series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, (181 episodes, including the "lost" Christmas episode and original pilot). Then, the show introduced three more seasons, running from 1957 to 1960, known as The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour. In 2002, it was ranked #2 on TV Guide's top-50 greatest shows, behind Seinfeld and ahead of The Honeymooners. In 2007, it was placed on Time magazine's unranked list of the 100 best TV shows.

I Love Lucy was the most-watched show in the United States in four of its six seasons, and was the first to end its run at the top of the ratings (to be matched only by The Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld), although it did not have a formal series finale episode. Episodes of I Love Lucy are still syndicated in dozens of languages across the world.

I Love Lucy - "Vitameatavegamin"

I Love Lucy - "Bitter Grapes"

I Love Lucy - "Pioneer Women"

 

FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT~Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies military and the family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before. 

Please remember: The Canteen is a place to honor and entertain our troops. The Canteen is family friendly, and please leave politics at the door. Let's have fun!

 

We pray for your continued strength, to be strong in the face of adversity.
We pray for your safety, that you will return to your families and friends soon.
We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

 

[MEG33]

My favorite comedy moments..I watched a Carol Burnet salute on PBS and my ribs hurt from laughing so much..again.

[luvie]

Good thinkin’ Jinxy!

I wish I had been part of a “family” like this. I felt
all alone! She won’t—if she needs us, we are HERE for her
...and for you, CMS!

[MEG33]

;o)

[luvie]

LOL!

VERY cute!

[fatima]

Thanks laurenmarlowe for this great thread.:)

[Randy Larsen]

He was from Scotsdale...

[Randy Larsen]

I really don’t know, I haven’t seen him in 30 years. He was from Scotsdale is about all I know.

[fatima]

Hi Sonora,Happy birthday.I know I’m late.(((Hugs))),Fatima

[luvie]

?

[luvie]

?

[JFoxbear]

Thanks very much for your including my son in this awesome tribute to our fallen hero’s.
Check out the following...
Nov-23-07 Governor Corzine Orders Flags to Fly At Half-Staff to Honor United States Staff Sergeant John D. Linde
NEWS RELEASE
Governor Jon S. Corzine
November 23, 2007
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Press Office
609-777-2600

GOVERNOR CORZINE ORDERS FLAGS TO FLY AT HALF-STAFF TO HONOR UNITED STATES STAFF SERGEANT JOHN D. LINDE

TRENTON– In honor of United States Army Staff Sergeant John D. Linde, Governor Jon S. Corzine signed the following Executive Order calling for the United States and New Jersey flags to fly at half-staff on Wednesday, November 28.

The full text of the executive order is below.

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 88

WHEREAS, United States Army Staff Sergeant John D. Linde was born in Secaucus, New Jersey and lived in Weehawken, New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde volunteered for enlistment in the United States Army, after his graduation from Union Hill High School, Union City, New Jersey, where he starred as a wrestler; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde volunteered for re-enlistment in the United States Army following the September 11, 2001 attacks on this country; and

WHEREAS Sergeant Linde served with distinction as a proud member of the United States Army’s fabled 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York, and in dangerous and demanding overseas assignments in Korea, Bosnia, and Iraq; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde was a veteran soldier and an experienced non-commissioned officer; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde consistently demonstrated the finest values of the United States military, while leading the many soldiers who served under his command with honor, courage, and compassion; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde has earned some of our nation’s highest military honors, including the Purple Heart, Army Achievement Medal, the Combat Action Badge, and the Bronze Star; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde was killed in the vicinity of Kirkuk, Iraq, during a time of war while serving as a member of the United States Army’s 1st Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde was a dedicated soldier as well as a loving husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, and friend, whose memory lives in the hearts of his family and fellow soldiers; and

WHEREAS, Sergeant Linde’s patriotism and dedicated service to his country and his fellow soldiers make it appropriate and fitting for the State of New Jersey to remember him and his family, to mark his passing, and to honor his memory;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JON S. CORZINE, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

The flag of the United States of America and the flag of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments, offices, agencies, and instrumentalities during appropriate hours on Wednesday, November 28, 2007, in recognition and mourning of a brave and loyal American, United States Army Staff Sergeant John D. Linde.

This Order shall take effect immediately.
###

Photos and audio and video clips from Governor Corzine’s public events are available in the Governor’s Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/

[JFoxbear]

Don’t let me call that Gov. Corzine guy an egg sucking liberal dog anymore.

[JFoxbear]

Can you believe this ?
The libs won’t back us up or fund the effort...
But they step right up to honor our fallen hero’s !
See Corzine’s decree above...

Keep yer powder dry and stay safe out there !!!

[swmobuffalo]

Good evening! Alas I was too young for all those shows by about 10 years!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Wow!!! Don't be calling that Gov Corzine guy an egg sucking liberal dog, at least for a while. What a great tribute to SSgt John Linde, your son, who gave his all for his/our country. We will never forget him!

[Seadog Bytes]

Thanks to Susan from Toronto for this little gem...

  

Top this for a speeding ticket...

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. 

One of the officers used a hand-held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph!  Their radar then suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.

Just then, a deafening roar over the treetops revealed that the radar had, in fact, latched on to an RAF's 'Tornado' jet fighter, which was engaged in a low-flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.

Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint about the wrecked radar equipment to the "RAF Liaison" office.

Back came the reply in true laconic "RAF" style:

"Thank you for your message, which allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your radar equipment, and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it.  Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft also automatically locked onto your equipment.  Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation,  and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched. 

Have a good day."

[MS.BEHAVIN]

I am pretty ill..
I feel horrible.
The cold I caught just before Thanksgiving has come back with a vengeance..
Strict orders for bedrest from the Doc...
I’ll see you folks in a couple of days..
Take Care,
Ms.B

[mylife]

Get some rest.

[Jet Jaguar]

fr mail on the way.

[luvie]

I will miss you, Sis,
but you get to feeling better, you hear?
((((((((hugs))))))))