I really wish more of these were easier to find. I've dug up two of them, High Tor and the Cole Porter Aladdin, on YouTube, and found the soundtrack for On the Flip Side at Innergroove. Some of my favorites remain elusive, though. I love "One Hand Tied Behind My Back" from the western No Man Can Tame Me, the very sweet "Listen to Your Heart" from Pinocchio featuring Mickey Rooney in the title role, and the lovely "Ride On a Rainbow" from Ruggles of Red Gap. The most famous number here is probably "Love and Marriage," originally written for a musical version of Our Town but now best known as the theme from Married...With Children.
No trouble with Uber today. Got the ride there in 4 minutes. The ride home said 7, but I don't think it took anywhere near that long. No traffic anywhere.
It was all at the Acme. We were much busier today. I mainly pushed carts, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine, searingly blue sky, and windless mid-40's temperatures. I did get called to bring trash from the produce department to the compactor at one point, which didn't make me happy. The boxes of watermelon rinds and wilted lettuce leaves were huge, heavy, and made my bad wrist sore. One was so big and hard to lift, I finally gave up on it and asked a manager to find someone who could lift it. Grabbed soda and used an online coupon for macarons on the way out.
The Match Game marathon started early today. It had been going on for over 2 hours when I got home. Dick Martin was in the spotlight in honor of his birthday on January 30th. Martin started in early 1975 and quickly became one of the show's more popular semi-regulars. He wasn't the best at matching, but his quick wit and good nature made him a favorite with panelists and viewers alike.
He was also one of the few men to sit in all three seats. He usually turned up in the first seat, especially during the CBS run, but he occasionally could be found on Brett's other side when Charles was out appearing in or directing a play. Brett adored him and thought he was too cute for words. He was so popular, he was one of three men who replaced Richard Dawson in the fifth "smart guy" seat during the syndicated run.
Dick's goofy sense of humor could occasionally get a little too pointed. He was censored twice during the original show's run, the second time for an answer that would have overly offended a celebrity. He was there for Richard Dawson's last week before he finally quit in 1978. His wife Dolly happily joined in for a classic 1979 episode that saw an overly excited contestant chase Gene Rayburn around the room, before Nipsey Russell grabbed her for a squeeze! He was around during that week with Foster Brooks that was on last week, and the one with Barbara Rhodes that was just on Buzzr not long ago. Later in syndication, he sat in Charles' seat during that wild week with Sharon Farrell and Betty White and saw Eva Gabor and Elaine Joyce lean over McLean Stevenson and constantly shove their assets in his face.
He did a memorable week on Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, the first week of 1984. Got to admire Alison Arngrin's classy black suit and hat and see a very young Butch Hartman, later creator of The Fairly Oddparents, try for $30,000. He made his last Match Game appearance in 1991, sitting next to Dolly (who appeared more often on that version) one more time.
Say good-night Dick to one of Hollywood's party kings in this hilarious, extra-long marathon!
(I also heard from Jessa and Karen earlier in the evening. Jessa and I will be getting together to go shopping at the Blackwood Outlets tomorrow. Karen's going to see if she can help me with that cover letter I can't figure out before we get together again.)
Since the marathon began and ended early, I finished the night at Buzzr. Every weekend night this month, they'll be spotlighting great African-Americans who either played on a game show, or appeared as a guest or on a panel. Buzzr also honored tonight's Grammys with the Family Feud "All Star Grammy Greats" week from 1989. Among those playing for the "Sensational Sisters" were Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight (sans the pips). The Magnificent Males included Luther Vandross, Bobby McFarrin (whose "Don't Worry, Be Happy" was a massive hit that year), and rock legend Little Richard. The members of Manhattan Transfer split between the two groups.
Vandross and McFarrin tried hard, but they were no match for sisters working together. The ladies wiped the floor with the guys, winning four times to their one. They made it to the Fast Money twice in the episodes I watched and won once. The guys only made it once, but they did win that one time. Little Richard seemed kind of out of it and wasn't great at the game, but everyone else had a terrific time, and these episodes were a blast to watch.
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