Inner-View; Interview with Mary Healy and Peter Lind Hayes

You. Know what. You would say. Good really. That being. You. See. So please go. To. My. How do. You

get to see the screen. We didn't get any. Money. So you know I always said Mary Lee was prettier than people in Hayes. I'm like you know who was singing there was at the Lennon Sisters or John. John Lennon. Ladies and gentlemen the show is about Hollywood the old days what with the star days what was it like to really date Judy Garland and here is people in Hayes and Mary Healy. What an audience of that. Goodness in that if more people in my bedroom. It just occurred to me that a lot of people here know you in limited ways that is they know you from commercials for a bank they know you. Maybe on an occasional charity event but they don't know the fact that you have had a distinguished career in film

radio and I clubs television or my willing to actually. We made silent movies that we did silent television. Charles I'm amazed at those pictures they really are fun and they do date back to the early days of penitentiary foxed and that's when she was being courted by Senator Magnussen and financial tone. They were my chief rivals. Yeah look at what happened to them. Yeah that's right that's right. Charles you're a rarity. How how long have you been married. Are you going to admit this. Well of course our friend Jean Kurtz says we're Smithsonian. That's where we belong in the Smithsonian because we've invited 41 years for us to do it. I don't know why that should get applause. Right you know. Sure it would because in show business the cliche is that nobody stays American one of 30 seconds. Well that maybe that isn't true Jack Benny and Mary Livingston would have lasted 50 years Bob Hope and Dolores are close to that Ozzie and Harriet were married 38 years.

It's these youngsters that come along and can handle the emotional impact that get the quick divorces not the old timers right. Anybody who needs a heart anymore and I said well we're going to pick your brain a little bit about some of the people that you remember from the Hollywood days but first give us an idea of of the Hollywood period that we're talking about that when you let's start when did you first get there. Me just well it's I'm trying to make it brief but I went to New Orleans when I was about 18 and I was just young went from New Orleans. I went from New Orleans to Hollywood when I was a I went as I was discovered by a man named I haven't caught on in those days it was around the time that they made the movie Scala the Howrah. They look for Scarlett everywhere. Well the other stew that was MGM Well 20th Century Fox decided that would be a good idea too.

Send their talent scout out to the forty one you want. I was signed by Twentieth Century-Fox with Linda Donnelly and Doris Bowden on the story. And what are you doing behind my back. Another thing that I wouldn't do in front of you for better or worse. I'm going to get out of here so I can watch. I just wanted to make it brief because I did get to Hollywood and had the opportunity of appearing in a motion picture. That was the score was written by Irving Berlin. And produced it and I starred with Tyrone Power who was dear and I was overseas with it. He was good and he was dear. Anyway it was a great break for a youngster and I was quite a youngster and if I had the background I think I would have stayed in the movies a lot longer because I love the business.

But in those days I really didn't know what was going on I just went and had a great time and I was on the contract a fox for about a year when I met this one. And we went out on a tour together. You want to take over with a new NOVA Jimmy said look yes there's a curious thing about that because they were popular at the time Charles Ronald Reagan was then married to Jane Wyman That's right. And they went out on a tour and we hadn't seen President Reagan in 35 years. I did not know his new wife but we went to one of Sinatra's recent marriages and that he was there and I challenge him because he and Jane Wyman came to my mother's Grace's lodge in the valley and we talked them for a week a song and dance routine with the straw hat and a cane. You know I know it was a real corny thing you want to do it with but I was using star as we had by way of saying that this was Ronnie Reagan and Jane Wyman who granny Reagan doesn't sound right now does it. Well they don't seem like the same two people actually I mean he's the president and this was Ronnie Reagan. Anyway it it went like this.

He was just he had been the governor for two terms and he was it's not his wedding and I walked up to him and I said I have a challenge for you and he said what's that. And I said Now think real hard because we're going back 35 years. We just got back from the time we just got back today. In fact I love this song was speeding on our way. That's as far as we got. He picked it up and did her part and his part and he hadn't done it in 35 years. She is a good pretty good memory for an old man. But it was fun to be in Hollywood in those days you know the studios in those days they all seemed to have what they call a stable of stars where they kept them they kept teaching them how to act how to sing how to do this how to do that MGM had Judy Garland 20th Century Fox had Alice Faye Betty Grable. And I was an embryonic you know talent and they were giving me singing lessons and dancing lessons and then Julie ston Who is that marvelous composer he's written so many great songs Julie said I want you Irving to hear a young

kid who just came up from New Orleans Irving who Irving Berlin and so I went over to his office and I sat and and he coached me so that I would sing like Ethel Mermen and I do an impression of Norman to Diana because mermen they really wanted for this part and they couldn't get her because she was starring in a role on Broadway at any rate I was asked to go over to do this song and I sang like Marman for Irving Berlin. And he said she's got the part. So I got this wonderful role in a million dollar production. And then they started giving me a build up quote unquote. That meant that you had your picture taken all the time and you were sent out to all the openings and you were you were connected with this one and that one is a romance I barely knew the people I first fell in love with or when I was nine of a picture and so on. But I was just trying to say what it was like in Hollywood in those days you were trying to as I was trying to say this was one of the things Mary is that we hear about.

You were saying earlier about Scarlett O'Hara. And we hear every once in a while things about a screen test and such but with a little more about what what that trauma must be like. Well it really was interesting and now that is hindsight it I look back so many years it was my daughter who is now having some heart are to our daughter. She had just had a small part in Mommy Dearest Mommy Dearest and she she was you Charles you remember you gave a glass menagerie of you and Glass Menagerie. She's a good actress. But you know in Hollywood today. Amanda your Lauren Amanda. Yes you know I'm Laura smarter than I am. It was Amanda writes The other teacher. At any rate Kathy Hayes will say to me Mom how did you ever get in the movies. And I say Kathy Honestly I don't know. I was singing in a hotel in New Orleans from 6:00 to 9:00 in the evening and I was trying to make enough money to live. You know I was not very wealthy but at any rate

in the daytime I was a secretary. And the set I was a secretary in the 20th Century Fox film exchange as if that weren't enough I sang in the hotel at night so when this talent scout Ivan Kahn went to New Orleans he was asked if there was anybody around the BAPS might be a possibility for a test and for the movies. And I've been caught and was sent to the Russell hotel to see me and the next day you came to the office of the Fox film exchange and there I was again. So that's it was like fate had planned this whole thing because for me to be in both places and for him to say I like that little girl. Anyway he sent to Hollywood made a screen test. OK what is a screen test. Well a screen test is just the way it sounds I mean you go before a camera. They prepare you with a song or a scene of some kind and. You learn of a scene or song and I remember I sang Jeepers Creepers

Where'd you get those great big birds. Well anyway I was looking for a singer and he thought I would give this kid a chance and I was groomed on that lot with acting lessons singing lessons dancing lessons. And at that time it was very exciting because Tyrone Power Don Ameche Alice Faye with the really big stars. So I was like Tombstone Fawley. And I was just wandering around there just Graw the law and you know with all these big stars. At any rate they kept training me and finally when I got this break in this movie I can't tell you what a what a unusual thing that was for me to get in this big production. I got in it. They liked it and I was second billing in a big million dollar production. Also she was a she was Miss New Orleans of an undisclosed era. Sure I think five years before Dorothy them or something like Do you remember the date which And of course that helps and you know I'd

seen the cumulative but if I had really tried. I'd never would have made it. I think those kinds of things it particularly in my case certainly was planned by somebody other than myself. And you met what's his name. Well what's his name was on his tour he wasn't telling you about it because Luella Parsons see was the big movie I mean she had a column you didn't say anything against the will of parsons in those days. I mean you didn't do everything was low while others will allow that. And the thing to be in those days was in the columns everybody had to be in the columns this one was seen in that place and at any rate Well it was very big and important to the major studios. And. She took a group out with one of the two of whom were brought Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman along with some others I've forgotten now and Twentieth Century Fox felt well they'll do the same thing that was worn as I just mentioned. Twenty is sent out. Yours truly. Paramount gave Peter then Hayes who

was under contract then with Betty Grable and Jackie Coogan he went through college at Goober beat me up in 79. Anyway we went on tour of this United States to promote movies on the tour. I see I've never been on the stage. I mean really stage before. And. People and Hayes close the show and I was dazzled because he really had the best act and he was so funny. And I have a lot of vaudeville. Nobody even here remembers void but he knew how to get off. He was marvelous. So I was impressed. Anyway we were on the road for about three four months and I kept seeing his act and I thought that was a very good act. And one day we were on a train it began to snow and he looked at me and he said let's neck. And I was insulted so I walked in my. You slap me I think I did yeah. And I went to my room and I was state run and I closed the door. Then we necked and

then we met and then we got to Chicago it was such fun going cross country on trains in those days I was at the covered wagon I've forgotten. And anyway we went on the straight and he got off in Chicago and he knew I love cheesecake and he came to the train as we were pulling out with a cheese cake for me from on the receiver's if any of you have ever been to Chicago nor Castro DND on receipt cheesecake I highly recommend that the building is down but maybe this is where all the buildings are down for your proposed from that's where the little Delfina Dotel in Chicago. No no in Washington. I hit a quarter slot machine in the Variety Club and I'm dutifully dropped all the quarters in. And I called Miss Healey and I said will you marry me and she said you're drunk. And I said I've never had a drink in my life and that was true. I made up for it since then and she said call me tomorrow and verify it so the next day I called her from the Erl Theater in Philadelphia and then torn that down that torn that's down that's going to we're still here.

That was 41 years ago. At any rate he did propose to me and and I did accept it. And we've been working together now for years right after that. Peter went in the Army he was in the Army for four years and then I became a camp follower and I'd go and do a show and on Broadway it would go plunk. I did a show with Orson Welles on Broadway called around the world in 80 days that was a wonderful show the last movie the last Cole Porter score and if we can find the score I'm going to try to revive it because it was a wonderful score and nobody ever heard the songs because Orson and the show went to Cain's warehouse within days and there was the news I just know we're going to be on the show today asking you we're going to sort of name drop and ask you what you felt about or what you think about certain people I'd like to start off with just to Austin Wells What what was it like working with Austin Well you're asking me. Yes yes your or your friend I will tell you that. During around the world Peter has some funny stories to tell you. But Orson was the writer. You

know Jules Verne wrote around the world in 80 days but Orson adapted it for the stage he wrote. He starred in it he did everything he did to many things is what he did. And opening night we opened in Boston and the first act was just ending it was 2:00 a.m. to give you some idea of the discipline and the sets and the grandeur and the oh the marvelous imagination of this man who was just great. But we it also happened that this was when Orson had just completed Citizen Kane and the newspapers were down. Mr. Wesley the Hearst newspapers you know they didn't give him any reviews at all. So at any rate the show lasted about three months. No I stayed at the Copa 14 weeks and I mean wow Meanwhile Peter open at the Copacabana and was the biggest with Desi Arnaz biggest hit ever. He

played 14 weeks of the Copa. He just come back from overseas. But that's jumping around a bit. I mean Lucille Ball is married to Desi Arnaz at the time. And I went over with Lucio. If you're going to name drop great name drop a biggie to pick up married and her leading man in around the world. Arthur markets and was sitting there and I said why don't you join us for the midnight show and he says I'd love to old chap but I can't stand that blighter with the damn tom tom and if that was the CEO standing in the building I tell you a wonderful story about Orson he lives here now in Las Vegas did you know that yes. And his lovely contested wife but there when he first became a huge success at the age of 34 I think in Citizen Kane the only person that he wanted to meet in Hollywood being lionized by everybody else he wanted to meet WC Fields. And finally he wangled an invitation and he goes up to this palatial mansion and feels a sitting there typically in a bathrobe with Romeo slippers and a cane in one

hand and a mint julep in the other and they're chatting for a while and Orson finally decides when it's time to leave I've overstayed my time. My my visit and he says Archon before you leave I want you to see my rose garden. Arsen says that they got up and they walked around the beautiful palace the fields was living in and there was a little pathway there and on the side of the pathway there were four wilted roses and fields took his cane and said Broom damn you not I'm sure we got that we have more stories about this people and Hayes and Mary here we will be right back. He was like hey wait can't be on course. And he died because of me. Oh that's ridiculous. How could a grown man possibly die because of what we know he while I knew railroad track and you know you. Had special delivery.

Oh and my mom a gruff the Crime Dog. This was Detroit two years ago John. But Ross was wounded. The crook got away and not crime business was born. I couldn't afford to leave and I didn't want to leave my one of the children Danielle So John and his neighbors fought back. So everyone understand you're signed up for this evening together with a cop stay formed a neighborhood watch program. That's Sergeant John and his neighbor Walter and today I see when I spot a suspect they call the cops and cops are on their way. That's pretty bad guys. So is this neighborhood program began crime in John's neighborhood dropped 50 percent and property values double the way made a difference and you can sure show find out more right to this address and help take a bite out of crime. We get them right back. Singing is a wonderful Mary Healy and and

what's his name people in Haiti is there this wonderful man. Welcome back to the Charles souping show incidentally Charles. But being old timers and television first of all you've got to get their attention like the old mule stage or mule story. So I would like to bring you now from my theatrical trunk a property that I haven't seen in 20 years. And there's two old codgers sitting on the front porch rocking back and forth and reminiscing about their 50 years of marriage where only 41 but I hope we'll get there and I hope I look like this when I get there. Now here he comes and he's very sentimental and he wants to tell her in no uncertain terms how happy he's been with her. Now can I turn around here and you can see my old friend. All I'm saying is I'm mad. I say I'm mad if I say that man is an anti you

that's what. I'm gonna do with you Mary I think you need a new partner and some names something we're going to we're going to throw some names at you and people that you might remember and and anything you want to say about them is OK. OK I'm sure you have something with the Edgar Bergen. There must have been some period. Yes I did know Edgar and I had a date maybe two dates with him in those days in Hollywood when it was you know you went everywhere the studio was saying oh you must go to such and such and such and such and Edgar was one and I remember Edgar when he had Charlie he invited me and he showed me Charlie and I had seen him on radio or heard him on radio and seen pictures and so on and Charlie had a whole conversation with me in that box it was eerie because he kept telling me things with Charlie using the voice you know. But it was a dear man and so talented and he has a beautiful wife today whom I know and I'm very fond of and of course

Candy is a big star. Yes I knew Edgar he was a very talented. Mascot back in here again I just took that only man off stage and shot it. I am you know any names pop up in your mind. And Sheridan. Yeah sure take it Peter. Oh I dated and Sheridan but it was a similar feeling that I had with Betty Grable when I worked with her I thought they were nice fellows I don't know How did not was not the only girl and the dance girl in the Betty Grable the pin up girl you know our friends laugh because Peter we play games sometime and say who's your favorite of all time on the screen and who is yours to tell them tell them see if they ever heard of it. I can't forget I can't forget her name and I can't remember it. And Lisa Landy nobody here nobody heard of all Wardle assumption Oh I thought you were in this movie I like the name he was lovely. YEAH YEAH SHE Well Virginia will remember her as she did the thing with William Paul I did a picture of William called that thing with William Powell called by candlelight and I swooned.

I also had a kind of a far off thing for Bette Davis but I was terrified of her. Right. She's the eyes you know and I had it I had a feeling that like Mary from time to time she'd laugh in exactly the wrong place. Betty Grable Betty Grable was a good show when she was married to Jackie Coogan at the time we went through college together. Paramount. Million Dollar Legs. Somebody mean you went to college together we made all college pictures I never even got to high school. These pictures will of a great ensure that the studios and I was actually doing Cagney in the all women OK now we're going to throw some other names. I'd like to go back. To your experience with the picture with Tyrone Power who I was madly in love with. We saw him in a movie night before last and honestly he was prettier than Nancy Kelly. He really was and he was starring in a movie with Nancy KELLEY Did Jesse Jesse down just hurt me so badly when I read the book on him was a true oh my dear Peter and I it's a very sore point.

I don't know Peter can remember the play we don't know what you're talking about when you're talking about the books exposing the exposure is. Oh sure I object to the fact that they wait until people who have big stars die and then write these scurrilous books about it. I wouldn't give a nickel for those books because so much of it is just exploiting them when they're dead. And as far as I know Tyrone Power was a perfect gentleman. Peter can tell a story when he was overseas with high power in the Air Force. Yeah I was on he would Jima and we were trying to get back to Tinian because in the South Pacific because a huge team it was not a place you'd like to spend any time you know and you could take your helmet liner and put it in the sun come back later in 15 minutes and show it with boiling water. The All Blacks. And someone said if you want to get back I had a group with me Joe Bushman several entertainers call the wing pigeon's and said If you want to get back sight Pam is a lieutenant power a Marine POW Marine pilot in the challenge in the mess hall. So I walked up to him and when I got near I realized it was true own power. And I suddenly said hi there Lieutenant ready on the set.

Wrong wrong I should have said that because I had known him from the days of talks with Mary and my mother's place in the valley and he said he said I beg your pardon sergeant and I said Oh well so then I saluted and didn't Charleston and everything. Sure we'd like to get back to Sipe and he says have you given your man a twenty four hundred bucks about an X amount to see forty six. So we get up there now I'm mad that we're getting the ride back to Sipe and suddenly the copilot comes out of the cockpit and says Lieutenant par would like to see you. And I said yeah. Story wouldn't you know. So I wants in and he says shut the door and he got up and he embraced me and I said well why didn't you treat me like that back there and he said You'd be amazed what I went through in the Marines to just survive because in boot camp there was a fistfight every 15 minutes simply because he was to room power and some connect from George would say big movie star and boom there'd be a fight for that.

I'm going to Tyrone Power was a marvelous pilot during the war. Yes terrific record he was a fine sensitive man and it offends me terribly when I read things about him that I don't think are true. And I object to it because I think the folks who they say things about they can't defend themselves. Well like Errol Flynn in their own lands now Slim is in the house you know let's call him the other two were homosexuals that there's a famous thespian who was secretly a lesbian the punch line of the poem is this posthumous trash I can't abide their books are a bloody bore. So actors take care and really be where it's not safe to die anymore and you know it's one of my favorite movies of Mr Hayes's is when Hans can read and there will be any and all and where you were with us at the Meadows. No never. But if I could listen to the thing works here. But did you have that.

Was it in a big studio and all those keyboards and then all those children when they weren't really that many children have a source of it if you got to tell us about what do you remember the name of the film and the 5000 fingers of Dr T 5000 fingers of Dr T. Dr. Seuss wrote it in the first day on the set I was thrilled to meet him because I had read all of his books his children's books he specialized in that but he was a great philosopher and a great psychologist and I said boy you must be a riot around your house with all the children in the books that you he says I don't have any children. I said Really. He says no my my. My idea is you you make them you make them and I'll amuse them. Tell us about the movie. Making the movie was a spectacular hit it's in the snow it's in the Modern Museum of Art now is a classic. The 5000 fingers was a piano that took over two stages and Hans Khan Reed was the late Hans. Con Reed was the was the the villain doctor to Willock her and anybody that didn't play the piano was relegated to a subterranean basement in the ballet and that was nominated curiously

enough for the Academy Award in one thousand fifty two. And it was we have we can say that freely because we were not in the ballet but as one of the most brilliant valets I've ever seen was done by Jean Jean Loring Eugene artillery but the 5000 fingers where the title came from I was the mother of the little boy and I was practice the piano and his he hated his piano teacher and that was that he went to a dream sequence and this was fantasy land and a lot of children have seen this a lot of now grown up have remembered as children. It scared the hell out of me. And I did but that some stage took. Well you know the size of a sound stage I couldn't tell. Like his biggest Channel 10 there and well it was three of them. Norma's and this piano ran three sound stages and the day that they shot the film they had 500 little Muppets kurang and they are all good. You know all kinds of kids the cutest things you have at and they have these little beanies on with the five fingers and they were supposed to practice the piano. And they did play it but it literally was not of course a

piano but they had 500 little children playing. That's where the $5000 to put each obsoleted but that was a great movie I thought and Peter and I had the great honor and pleasure of starring and Stanley Kramer saw us playing the Frontier Hotel we played Last Vegas. But 14 months steady. I mean that means five four weeks four weeks four weeks. Anyway we played many times the front of the sands the Flamingo and so on but the point was we were doing the front and Stanley Kramer who was a big producer at the time and a good friend of ours still came and he said I'd like you two guys to be in a movie. First tell him what you did you know I was trying to ignore him I didn't know who he was and we'd just come off the stage and I was having a glass of ice water from the bartender and he came up and said Hi there and I said hello and he said enjoy the show and I said thank you very much I want to get up stairs right. And he said you don't know me do you know I said No sure I do and he says I'm Stanley Kramer then after I kissed his hand

I and he got the part it was a marvelous picture to be in there when the score was excellent it was a really beautiful school. OK. Some other name out of it. John Payne I made a movie with John Paine called Stardust and which starred landed on Ellen John Payne and I had the second lead again and Stardust was written about Ivan Khan's wife wrote Stardust her name was Jesse and Jesse wrote this story about three girls being discovered in the south discovered quote unquote and taken to Hollywood. And this was written more about Linda's background than than any of the rest of us. But I got to sing that marvelous song in the picture and to this day Peter and I use it when we play things and so I have a lapse of memory. They go to the bump bump bump bump bump bump bump.

True but I asked you what are you when I'm out and out and Frank Loesser used to play that matter and I said play it just like that. I'm not really saying but I just for some crazy reason I kept. Well let me say that having having sung it in the movie we were playing a date in Texas one night and it was I won't go into all the details I keep trying to make these answers brief. But anyway as Peter was leaving and said Marriott saw this picture in a movie as he was leaving this song in the movie that's on this picture and then I talked like I said I know that I can I'm your interpreter here that I am. But I'm still listening to you. I'm thinking night Gracie. Anyway he stumbled down the steps going off and as he did he made a joke and people laughed and then he made another joke and it

is turned out to be the very best number we have I never sing it stright I mean I I pretend to the audience that I'm singing it straight I tell him this is what happens to a girl singer in a nightclub a man with a little bit too much libations sitting in the audience you know like she says just sing just one line. Sometimes times I wonder. Spend the lonely nights were the day I rather give Governor Wallace suddenly died and went to heaven and the first voice you heard said hello was the law I am. He haunts my writing goes like that anyway. Well you know you could go on. Oh that's one son son Yanni was really the big for the people who haven't seen her movies. It's too bad because she was the very first star of ice skating in this country and she came from Norway Oslo and Sanya actually one little

story was she was mad about Tyrone Power and and during that film. And I knew that it just wasn't going they were trying to build up a romance so it would enhance the picture you know and have more people come to see it and say look they really are sweet about it and you know he was a good you know fairy jewelry I don't know if it's my word but a son it was had a mother at the time who was very important in her career. And when her mother died she kind of withdrew a bit and then she married and has since died she died very few years ago and it was too bad she died of leukemia but she was a very first big superstar who brought in people all over this country for ice skating. She was the first. And I go way back. Everybody is approaching another something about. Oh that's Peter.

Well there again we go with Dan Sheridan and Betty Grable and who is the other girl. But they were chums and Judy was a chum of mine and I was struggling. He's going to make me believe that nobody mattered till I came along. That's right. That's right we're going to expose all. But Judy I introduced to David Rosen Unfortunately for both of them because David Rose was then married to Martha Raye. And I took a record over to Judy's house and I played it one night and David Rose was extremely good with strings and she said I have to meet him. And I said he's married to Martha Raye she says I don't care. But in our courtship she told me a story as a matter of fact Charles we have this on tape at home on the telephone. She told me a wonderful Hollywood story. She said that Kenyan women whom you still see. Pardon me I have to get a room tonight without you. Keenan Wynn was a motorcycle freak and he was in the middle of a multimillion dollar musical at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and he skidded out of control one Saturday night on his motorcycle and broke his nose at a bloody eye and the torn

scalp and naturally they couldn't continue on with him in that physical condition and he was called in by an assistant to THEN LOUIS be there named Benny thaw to have the riot act read to Keenan women for breaking his contract. But this is Judy telling the whole jury telling the whole story. So Judy says that Benny thought him to pieces and said you can't do this and Bob about and Keenan came out and everybody at Metro was waiting to hear the results to see a van he thought had fired Keenan wind and so he came morosely out of Benny thaws office and Judy saw him in the hall and he said you got fired. He says no you've been taken off the picture. No you're going to shoot around me and patch me up and put me but she says why are you so dejected. He said well after Benny Thor read the riot act to me for half an hour and bawled me out. We shook hands and as I was leaving I told him a joke. And he laughed. And dust came out of his mouth.

It's one of the greatest Hollywood stories. There'll be more stories when we return. Extra. EXTRA EXTRA. The Small Business Administration sponsors free seminars each month featuring experts in advertising marketing publicity and management free self-help

seminars and counseling for business owners. For those thinking of going into business for reservations at free seminars or offer free counseling call 3 6 6 1 1 3 6 6 1 1. Since 19. Another might come through. Please join us in America. By making your own. We're talking about the wonders of the star system in Hollywood with people in Hayes and Mary Healy and Mary Haley. I've always known you as a glamorous lady and all of a

sudden I just saw a couple of minutes ago some symbols. Now you've got to explain that one. Well I thought that was pretty shocking to my mother in law taught us about all of a sudden. But Peter would do anything to get a laugh and he'd have me do anything to get a laugh. When did this occur. We this was on the Godfrey he had a ASA Godfrey had a 29 shows united with a letter in his young life and his friends. And when Arthur went away Peter had the job at CBS to take over and what I thought was a way this time. PETA did this show and he and I were on it with some other people and that's when we did it I couldn't. But I have more people tell me my dear when you lifted your skirts and did the symbol. Lovely lovely. Peter wrote all of our stuff is that right. I'm a writer that's why I have this pencil and I want to I want to show can we get a closeup of this for just a moment anybody that hasn't seen my pencil. Where can we get a pleasure talking real problem that you're trying to get when it doesn't work unless we get a close up of it. Right now we don't. Can you see the eyes.

OK you want to have my mother on the show Grace hey she's a town character around here been here for 40 some odd years and she's rather well-to-do and the other day I asked her if I could borrow $5000 would you like to see her reaction Charles. Oh God I never leave home without it. There are so much for mother love. Their names were going to throw some more names that you know I like to know the name of the first movie that you were in or that that was called Second fiddle. Well that's when we talked about early second fiddle you know it was a series of top Sunday any movies. Oh. Yes. Yes I was in Birth of a nation of. John Barrymore. Oh that's mine. That is mine and he was my idol. I was raising Carol in oil and I was an usher at the Jim theater and every intermission I would always pull my nose trying to get the classical Barrymore profile and I overdid it and I now look like an anteater. But I was in the

last movie The John Barrymore ever made it was called Play maids with Kay Kaiser and John Barrymore Lou people as I'm a rope's and and the picture was so dreadful that John Barrymore made roads and Whoopi Velez died deliberately rather than to get you out of it. That's what a preview but I wrote a I wrote a poem about him it's called the actor and I'll try to sound like John Barrymore if any of you remember him. An actor is the strangers ma'am. His son lamp always keeps him past him. To help out nature he has added the shoulders that are nicely padded. Is trench coat has that certain flair. That makes him seem so definite. His shoes have heels that make him tall as a surgeon made his nose too small. A girdle holds his belly in and porcelain caps and hands his grin. His hair turned gray and so he dyed it. Now it's gone but toupees hided his eyes grew dim and this was tragic but the contact lenses worked like

magic. Yet to his art he'll ever cling sonnes hair Sanzar dishonesty sonnes everything. Is a darling story and I am trying to just get it in here Barrymore told me this shortly after I got to know him rather well and he had a daughter out of Michael Strange a poet a sea biscuit or some early marriage and she was ensconced in a very famous and ultra sophisticated girls school outside of Baltimore and Michael Strange coerced Barrymore into going down and appearing in front of about fifteen hundred little girls 15 16 year old girls. And he was baffled he was sated and jaded and sort of over the hill already and he started off by saying Be or Not To Be That is the question of whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles. And it was a staring contest these little girls were baffled they just kept looking at him. Finally he gave up threw in the sponge and said ladies on behalf of my daughter Diana I would

subject myself to an interview if you have any questions. And it was another staring contest and finally one little girl with her hair up in the bun and the horn rimmed glasses and a pencil stuck down stood up and said Mr. Barrymore in your considered opinion in spite of their tender youth do you feel that Shakespeare was intimating that Romeo and Juliet had been intimate physically with you in the Chicago company they were. We got another name wrong. Coleman Oh yes I like him very much. Peter Peter doing it as a matter of fact when I met when I decided that a kata like him see he was at his mother's nightclub which is very big and I was days North Hollywood California called Gracie's lodge and all the big stars used to go out there. He was doing this impression of

Ronald Colman when I met him. Tis a far far better thing I do. Than I've ever done before. He sang he was a singer Yes yes your Shangri-La. Yeah. What about Shangri-La. Well the shining Well I tell you what we did get to know him though and he was terrified of the advent of this new medium television. And it's really him. We had been in television so he kind of was asking us what we know we've been in television from from the beginning since the 50s we've been on CBS and ABC and NBC. We went to his house and I said What about television. And I said you will adore it if you think the recognition that you had with all the successful films it won't compare with television if you remember Charles they went on for a whole season with his wife and they did the halls of IAB where he was the assessor yesterday and he saw me on the street in New York one day on Fifth Avenue and he said you were right.

I mean I love the media. And a lot of the media charming beautiful man was named number the wonderful leader is the great romantic lead her last I remember the wonderful Jack Benny had him on his radio show which makes this better because it's empathy. I used to have to do better at an early radio and then you do Fred Allen when they had the big feud you know what I'm talking about. OK Ronnie Coleman. Yes OK well you know we women now have a little digression here. Peter used to do the voice of Fred out right Allen on the on the national radio that's right when they had to make you you know they had right and they have they do that before. But Fred Allen was always my favorite picture joke maker he always used to make pictures. He said Yes thank you thank you and welcome to town hall tonight where I'll share as I leave and try to drool to the deaf so I can sprinkle this gardenia in my palate isn't Portie Hanaud Porty. Yes I played a town in Maine so small that one day the tide went out and it never came back. He said yes the mosquitoes are so big in New Jersey that one of them stung a Greyhound bus and it

couldn't get through the Holland Tunnel. Yes I had an uncle that took card as the delivery pills he took them for 40 years he lived to be 90 years old and two hours after he died they had to dig him up and beat the liver to death with a stick. We're getting examples of how before you go on is the fact that you're one of the great impressionist in the business. Oh not anymore not the first thing I wanted to have yes I used to satirize people on here but we interrupted you when you were I do Cooper and already he was my hero because I figured Gary Cooper was from Maine to California and every small town leaning against a lampost that he was always slim you know and he also had trouble on clinching his teeth. Now the impression that I do he says an hour ago McCollum I would have shot you. But No here here's 50 cents go buy yourself a drink. Now I'm going to stick this knife through the back of your hand. And when I take it out if there isn't an ace of spades under there I'm willing to apologize.

One anecdote about Cooper I've never met him and when I was in the Air Force at Santa Ana Bill or was there with me a very good impressionist and I taught him the impression because lo and behold we were going to have my hero. I was going to get to meet him I was a tech sergeant Bill was a corporal so I wrote a little sketch and Cooper naturally showed up late and I was afraid because it was a live radio the whole blue network and I said Mr. Cooper would you be kind enough to please just read over this little sketch that I wrote. Before we go on the air sort of a rehearsal he says I'd be very happy to. So he's reading now and he says My name is Gary Cooper. It's a great pleasure to appear on behalf of the United States Air Corps. It was the corps that not the force. And I want I want Bill or walked up and said hey coop How are you. And Cooper looked at the script and he says I'm fine Corporal how are you. And I tapped him on the other shoulder and I said hey coop we do pretty good with the girls don't we. He looked back at the script and he says I guess so sorry didn't I.

What the hell do I really sound like that kind of brother sister names other names. Well there is the vent off Scott reminds me of in these times I have when you're Randolph Scott Well we saw him in a movie just two nights ago it's just a giant done Nunnally Johnson production he was a very beautiful looking man and a hell of a golfer and also the studio arranged a date with him so I had my picture taken at a premiere with. Randolph Scott but I wouldn't say I knew him very well he was a charming man. This was something that the studios would do they think sort of pick for you know yes that is what you where you were going to go next weekend. Oh yeah that's what that's why when Judy Garland found out that that was his name how. You know she thought he would really be fired because MGM was very strict with their people they told him where to go what to eat what not to eat. Lose weight don't lose weight and 20 years did the same thing. We have since met Cary Grant but I want to tell a story about there's not a prop here. He is the most beautiful man in the world and recognizable wouldn't you say Lady Yes. Thank you Brad all

right but we had never met him and Gordon Mac re-opened and I do I do and he had a big party at the home and as we walked through the door I said There he is. And Mary still being a big fan said Hoo hoo hoo. And I said look it's Cary Grant. See how we went over and we sat down I was sitting next to Bob Considine wife who is taller than I am standing up sitting down and I say yes Millie whatever you say yes and I was right. And I hear a little rustling right and I turn around and Cary Grant My wife is sitting in his lap not on balance tactically. Well I want him to explain why he was so I suddenly rared back and gave them the evil eye. And he looked up and said the most pompous thing I've ever heard he says Hello I'm Kerry Grant. Oh and what else could even if you like I was like why when we first came to town we were at the. My wife got a phone call from someone at the MGM saying Miss Cary Grant's having a party

after Lola Falana is opening debut here and like to know if you and your husband could attend up in the penthouse and. And my wife stop pause and everything. You mean the. Yeah and the girl who must've been calling a few people was waiting for. Yeah. We all got up there and that night and I had her meet him and I was his God guard and I said one of here I was trying to be so suave so sophisticated and I said he looks just like Cherry grew up. Oh he's a darling man and his name is Archie Leach and he was right he was a stilt walker from England and yes you know it's strange even he transcends age I have a daughter who is now 35 with children around and she looks at all the movie sets in and goes absolutely crazy. Falls off the floor swoons. I I think he's charming but what does a younger woman. I don't know about your daughter but I love him to me. Well that could

be using the name from already Dolly. Oh Rudy Vallee room or old time as we did a roast on the road a valley here several months you know. But we did the roast and I was a master of ceremonies and I didn't want to offend Rudy because my mother and I had worked with him in 1032 at the Paramount Theatre and I said how can you roast Rudy Vallee he's already too well done. What do you mean you worked with him what were you doing he was a band leader had Fleischmann use program in my mother and I assisted him along with when they were over it in five shows a day at the Paramount Theater doing what we were doing we had a big paper machine a mask and I was the voice of radio and my mother was saying that she didn't need the microphone and I would get all the big green light came on it was a satirical take on radio of the day and he did all those impressions he was only 16 then he opened at the palace with your father and it was when he was out of the valley race chain when you opened at the palace everybody's now seen on his 16th birthday.

Well you know that's too exciting. Any other names Rudy Vallee. Well I just want they try to cook up a romance with you and Rudy today while he was in the picture as I say whenever somebody is in the movie where you they always say a new item scene at some restaurant because you half the time you would never have been looking at the monitor what he had or I'm starting to look like Carl Sandburg's nice. What do you have or what would really ever allow you to sing with him. More of what I actually used province during the film he was playing at the Coconut Grove when we were filming second fiddle and he invited me down one night and had me get up and sing with the band and said I was in the movie with him and so on and he really was a big star when I was a little kid you know and yes go on he was a star for many many years. I saw Peter's mother was a big star in vaudeville and he was as he came in at age 16 when Rudy Vallee was a big name in those days. My mother now wants Mr. Shanker the dunes to book George Burns and she wants to work with him called

George and Gracie. And there he is and so you have it. Yeah. You mentioned WC Fields I've seen you on television. Well you mentioned WC Fields what about any other comedy greats like the Marx Brothers or Steve Allen or did you work with any of them. Most divas here know in Las Vegas or was currently just a few weeks ago macho brothers Mike's brothers we knew Groucho quite well but we knew him at a bad time because he was aging and not aging very well. Most comics toward the end I don't consider myself a comic I'm an entertainer but most comedians toward the end of their lives get relatively bitter and. And Groucho laid out Lucille Ball one night in Chasen's restaurant for no particular reason at all just told her that she was no good she had no talent. This is after all of her success in the early days you see it was different this is toward the end but Peter had some fun. People that I don't know whether you would not like Teddy Lee. Peter knew him very well there's a very funny. And Joe first go. I mean he knows more Frisco stories than Peter you said I'm not a comic I'm an

entertainer What do you mean what's the difference a vast difference for instance of Danny Kaye whom I consider an entertainer and an expert one. If Danny K of his wife calls him from the other room and he says coming my dear. That's not funny. But if W.C. Fields wife calls in from the other room and he says coming my dear Coming coming. There's so much preoccupation with what's going on in that rattle brained head of W.C. Fields an alcoholic so it's a drug that it's already a comedic expression without having any funny dialogue feels could say a straight line like he did as macabre carbon Dickens. You know where a plane with a high collar. He was reading straight lines there but they were funny because everybody knew Field's personality they knew that he was a rapscallion. They knew that he was a cheat and a liar and a swindler. Well the same thing with Groucho too then. Well Groucho was with you. Yeah all those little funny little Groucho was there with us in the car one day and we were driving down to see

something at the downtown Los Angeles and there was a big neon sign and there are many of them in Los Angeles a big neon sign through the fog you could say. You could see the sign it said Jesus saves. And Groucho looked at it and said but not like Cantor. So he was very young was there when he really was. Well we have time for maybe one one more and then he named Frederick Mark. Oh Fred MacMurray is a dying man. We see him when we go on the golf of the tournaments we just saw him not too long ago at the Jackie Gleason golf tournament down in Florida and he was there and he's a dear man that's all you can say about him he's had a wonderful career. Somebody that wonderful television series where my shoulders relax my three sons you know how they shot that this is interesting. They couldn't get him to sign on the dotted line because he's extremely prosperous owns half of Beverly Hills Jack Haley on the other hand I have him and he did my three sons and they would shoot that whole series and he would do his entire 39 weeks in two weeks. They were right

around him so that he would just step in the camera and say the lines and say the lines. I would like I would like people though to do one of the first go things to give you some idea of what this man was like. People tell him the one about the little fellow and unfortunately Peter we only have about a minute for you to do it. Well it was like a little door step too and he was always putting the bight on actors in the first go was having breakfast in Chiles restaurant in Columbus Circle the little fella so I'm fit to be a soft touch he had a big black beard a bald head he scooted in one of the tables up to the table. When he got to the table on the first go could see was the bald head and a black beard and he says Hi Joe you got a dollar and frisk go turn to the waitress and he says I ordered a good grapefruit who ordered Who did you did John the Baptist. You are a delight. People in Hayes married early you say that all the go you all know that you are wonderful. Thank you so much. I hope you had a good time with people and it's a very healing. I had a good time I don't know about her I never.