When the Fedora Was in Fashion (Published March, 2011)
While watching an old movie on TV recently I was reminded of a male fashion statement from my formative years. The film was a drama set in the 1940’s. The action took place in the summertime on the streets of New York and in every outdoor scene the actors wore hats. No man of that era would leave his home or place of business not wearing a hat. It was the protocol of the era that dictated proper attire. A gentleman always wore a hat, either an informal cap or a stylish fedora. This unwritten rule of acceptable dress applied to all four seasons of the year.
During our courtship and the early years of our marriage I always looked forward to receiving from my wife, Elaine, a miniature hat box as a birthday or Christmas gift. I would then take it to a haberdashery where I would be fitted with a rakish fedora with a jaunty feather in the hat band. My attachment to the fedora began in my early teen years as a student at a boy’s college. It was a visible declaration of approaching manhood.
A Golden TV Anniversary (Published February, 2011)
It has been within the life time of senior citizens that television has developed from “rabbit ears” antenna reception on heavy tube sets to cable-digital reception on sleek flat screen TV sets. During that period an Ottawa broadcasting institution has informed and entertained people of all ages. On March 12 CTV Ottawa, formerly CJOH-TV, will celebrateits 50th anniversary with its staff and countless viewers.
When the station began telecasting in 1961 it was after a lengthy competition had taken place for the capital’s first private English language signal. In the late 1950’s The Canadian Radio & Television Commission began accepting applications from interested groups.
In Remembrance (Published January, 2011)
As we begin a new year and a new decade, it is a time for thoughtful reflection. 2010 was a bittersweet year on the entertainment scene. Betty White (89) inspired healthy seniors to keep active and not to lose their sense of humour while at the same time we sadly said farewell to old favourite performers. Throughout the past 12 months several of our columns were tributes to these fallen personalities. Now, we fondly remember three additional names from the distant past, a musician, a program host and a prominent local raconteur.
Mitch Miller, the bearded maestro of the podium, kept the world singing for over 40 years. His sing along LP collections made him one of the best-selling recording artists of all time, while his TV appearances made him one of North America’s most recognizable figures.
A Nutcracker to Remember (Published December, 2010)
The holiday season conjures up images of fir trees ablaze with lights, candelabra glowing in the dark, garlands of yuletide decorations and the sounds of sleigh bells, familiar Christmas songs and carols and the music of Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s score from his sugarplum ballet, The Nutcracker.
The perennial yuletide theatrical treat has bedazzled children, their parents and grandparents since its premiere performance in 1892 at the Marrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. I was dazzled and beguiled one December evening in the 1970’s when I was an observer in “the wings” of the National Arts Centre and a participant on stage in the National Ballet of Canada’s stunning production of The Nutcracker.
Along with media personalities and parliamentarians I was one of the stretcher bearers who carried the wounded gingerbread dancers off stage during the dream sequence battle between the gingerbread soldiers and the army of the Mouse King.
Fond Memories of Al and the Aces (Published November, 2010)
2010 has been a sad year of farewells to old friends and colleagues. Just recently I became aware of the death of a long time musical friend and Ottawa fan favourite, Al Alberts. The lead vocalist of the popular quartet of the 1950’s and ‘60’s, The Four Aces, died a year ago this month of complications from kidney failure. He was at 88 still young at heart. I will long remember the Aces’ frequent visits to the Chaudiere Rose Room and the Gatineau Club on the old Aylmer Road.
Al’s gifted rapport with children and teenagers served him well when in 1962 he began hosting a weekly TV talent program in Philadelphia. It was “on the air” for a remarkable 32 years. He retired in 1994 and published a pictorial biography of The Four Aces. He thoughtfully dedicated one section of his book to our Ottawa days together.
A Fond Farewell (Published October, 2010)
The passing on August 19th of my old friend and fellow broadcaster, Dick Maloney, was like a “death in the family” for his colleagues and long time fans. For over 50 years he was a musical institution in his hometown of Ottawa. He sang at the capital’s popular nightclubs and restaurants and at our finest hotels and theatres. Anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions were celebrated as he crooned his romantic ballads and swung nice ‘n’ easy his favourite old songs. Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers were among his musical mentors. Albert Francis Sinatra was his musical inspiration. The stars of the golden age of popular music his sentimental favourites.
On a sunny afternoon in the summer of 2006 Dick suffered a near fatal accident. While walking on a downtown Ottawa street on his way to meet his wife, Carrie, he stumbled on a section of broken sidewalk and fell to the ground. The impact of his fall broke his neck and caused a devastating spinal cord injury. He was rendered helpless and speechless. Passers-by called paramedics and he was quickly transported to the General campus of the Ottawa Hospital. His life was in jeopardy for some time.
In Remembrance (Published August, 2010)
The recent death of a gracious lady of song, Joan Fairfax, has re-kindled warm memories of another time and another era. As one of the featured headliners of the early years of Canadian television, she will be fondly remembered by people of her generation. After a lengthy illness she passed away June 19, two days before her 84th birthday, at her home in Port Orange, FL. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, developed-contractor, Tom Higgins. She is also survived by two sisters and a brother who live in the Toronto area.
There was a close connection between our families. Joan’s maiden name was Pickup and her brother, Ron, is the former husband of my cousin, Lois, who was Joan’s best friend.
Long before colour TV and cable TV a repertory company of performers and broadcasters were Canada’s video pioneers and the country’s first TV household names. Joan Fairfax was a prominent member of that elite, talented group. She was also an accomplished accordionist, pianist, arranger and musical conductor.
A Brief Encounter at the Chateau (Published February, 2010)
On a 2009 episode of the popular British TV mystery series, Midsomer Murders, an elderly actor, who I met many years ago, had a supporting role. His appearance triggered two personal memories of his only visit to Ottawa during the movies’ golden age.
Richard Todd, the handsome Irish born actor of English parents, was a popular star of both memorable British and American films. His career on the stage and the screen spanned eight decades. His father was a British army doctor in India where young Richard spent his early years. When he returned home with his family they settled in Devon. The veteran performer/dairy farmer was 90 years old when late last year he succumbed to cancer at his home in central England.
It was in 1949 that the critics and the public took note of the dour young actor in the screen version of John Patrick’s World War II drama The Hasty Heart. Set in a field hospital in Burma it also featured Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal. In the role of a dying Scottish soldier, Todd was nominated for an Academy Award.
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Bing and Bob – A Fond Remembrance (Published December, 2011)
Crosby and Hope, Hope and Crosby, their names were synonymous. They were two of Hollywood’s most popular and enduring stars. Together they were the screen’s most successful comedy team. Their comedy exchanges and self-deprecating humour seemed timeless. Their popularity in movies and on radio and TV was unprecedented. Their Christmas specials were holiday traditions.
Bing was the “voice of the season” with his treasure trove of yuletide songs. His timeless rendition of “White Christmas”, which he introduced in the 1942 film, “Holiday Inn”, is still the best selling single record of all time. His comedy sparring partner, Bob, introduced his own seasonal standard, “Silver Bells”, in his 1951 comedy, “The Lemon Drop Kid”. I have been one of their countless fans since my formative years when I listened faithfully to their weekly radio shows.
Over the years I was fortunate to interview and socialize with them on a number of occasions. In fact, one time while visiting Bob’s home with Rich Little he surprised me by telling Rich that he not only knew me, but that we had “worked together.” He obviously meant that I had interviewed him several times. However, I reveled in the thought that we had actually “worked together.”
The Velvet Side of Elvis Presley (Published August, 1997)
Elvis Presley left the world behind August 16, 1977, but lives on in a way that no one could have predicted. As an icon of pop culture, his followers revere his memory with visits to his Graceland mansion, which is one of the top tourist attractions in the US. They flock to performances by his many impersonators, continue to purchase his recordings and perpetuate his persona with frequent “Elvis Sightings”.
The 22 year old rising star that I interviewed and introduced at his Ottawa concert in 1957 hardly seemed destined for a brush with immortality. As I wrote about him in a chapter from my “Showbill!” book, he was “friendly, unpretentious and quite charming in a simple down-to-earth way.
The soft and gentle side of his personality was never more in evidence than when he featured one of his most popular ballads, “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. The story behind the song is a fascinating show business tale.
George David Weiss was one of the few composers who successfully bridged the gap from traditional popular music to rock ‘n’ roll. In the summer of 1982 I met with him at his New York studio. A musician, publisher, producer and author his credits include two great romantic songs from two different eras. His first hit was a collaboration with Frankie Carle in 1945, which he demonstrated personally for Frank Sinatra, “Oh, What It Seemed To Be”. Seventeen years later he wrote “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for Presley.
The Early Stars of Rock ‘N’ Roll (Published March, 2009)
A 50th anniversary concert in memory of three of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll took place recently in Clear Lake, Iowa. It was in that western town that they performed for the last time.
The morning after their engagement, Feb. 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “the Big Bopper” Richardson were killed. The small chartered aircraft taking them to the next stop on their tour, crashed in a cornfield.
Half a century later they are well remembered by their generation as popular, timeless and tragic personalities. Buddy Holly and his group The Crickets were an inspiration to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Another popular rock group paid tribute to Holly with their inspired name The Hollies.
Within a relatively short span of time all three young men had topped the record charts. Valens had a golden hit serenading Donna, Richardson’s novelty Chantilly Lace was a million-seller and Holly, who is remembered as a recording icon, had a string of best sellers including That’ll Be the Day, Peggy Sue and Every Day.
It was four years earlier that rock ‘n’ roll arrived on the popular music scene, when Bill Haley and his comets recorded Rock Around the Clock. It was written in 1953, but became a world-wide hit two years later when Haley introduced it on the sound track of the film, The Blackboard Jungle. The dark drama about troubled teens starred Glenn Ford and Sydney Poitier. It was the first major motion picture that featured rock music. With its roots in rhythm and blues the “new sound” exploded on the popular music scene.
The “FR” in CFRA (Published April, 2010)
Frank Ryan’s name was synonymous with his beloved Ottawa Valley. His initials are permanently linked to the radio station he founded which went on the air for the first time 63 years ago this May. He was a successful businessman, a gentleman farmer and a born showman. His tangible legacy is evident throughout Canada’s capital.
A generous benefactor, Algonquin College of Applied Arts & Technology is located on land that was one of his prime properties. The housing and commercial area adjacent is known as Ryan Farm and its recreational area as Ryan Farm
Park. To the west, north of Baseline Road is another parkland location named in his honour as Frank Ryan Park. This former agricultural site also includes Kilreen Park. East of Merivale Road on Chesterton Drive, Frank Ryan Senior Elementary School was built on land that was donated by the Ryans to the Ottawa Catholic District School Board. As an avid supporter of harness racing, his own horses ran under the banner of his Kilreen stable. The most prestigious race that takes place at Rideau Carleton Raceway is the Annual Frank Ryan Memorial Trot.
A proud valley boy, born in Arnprior, he was a graduate of Queen’s University in economics and helped in the development of their campus radio station. His early career was in advertising, which took him to Toronto and Winnipeg before he returned to Ottawa where he worked for the Federal government at the Wartime Prices and Trade Board.
Rich Little’s Homecoming (Published July, 2012)
Rich Little was back in his home town in the Summer of 2012 for back-to-back visits to two Ottawa entertainment centres. The brilliant impressionist from Bytown honed his amazing skill for mimicry as a student cut-up at Lisgar Collegiate, imitating his teachers’ voices. As he remembers with tongue-in-cheek, “There was a concentrated campaign among faculty staff to graduate me early – with or without a diploma”. All was forgiven, however, when he returned to his alma mater for the school`s 140th anniversary with a fellow Lisgarite, the late Lorne Greene in 1986.
Ottawa`s ambassador of good humour was the star headliner for the Canada Retirement Information Centre`s annual barbecue and private party at the Ottawa Hellenic Banquet Centre. As their spokesman he welcomed members and their guests. Two days later, Sat. Sept. 1st he was back on the stage of his theatrical roots, The Ottawa Little Theatre, performing his greatly acclaimed tribute to his boyhood hero and close friend, James Stewart. Written, directed and performed by Rich, “Jimmy Stewart and Friends” is an amazing tribute to the iconic actor featuring a Little tour de force of the “voices” of 25 famous Hollywood stars.
One summer during his teen years Rich worked as a movie usher at Ottawa’s old Elgin Theatre. He often recorded the dialogue from the films on view and memorized favourite lines by his favourite stars. “My employment, however, was terminated abruptly”, he recalls, “when one evening I accidentally rewound my tape recorder and its high speed whining sound was heard throughout a packed theatre”. All that summer he perfected one of his most famous voices by asking his mother at every opportunity, in the familiar drawl of James Stewart, for “a piece of apple pie”.
Gord Atkinson's Showbill! 