Modern Screen (Jan-Dec 1960)

from what Dick said?" Myrna asked us. "I didn't only get postcards, hundreds and hundreds of them, from people all over the country. But I got fancy cards, bought and homemade. And I got things like bracelets and necklaces. And handkerchiefs, handkerchiefs, handkerchiefs — I don't know how many of those I got. "I was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. Then, on Christmas Eve, I was sent home. I was home, recuperating, for fourteen more weeks. I watched the show on TV every day. Boy, came 3:30 and you knew what I was doing — it was stop everything and turn on the set . . . All of the shows were great, I thought. But there was a best show for me, a special show. That was on February 25. It was after five o'clock and nearly the end of the show. All of a sudden — I'll never forget it — Dick stopped everything and reached for a cake somebody was holding. It was a beautiful cake, all lit with candles. 'Today,' Dick said, 'is Myrna Horowitz' birthday.' Then he looked straight into the camera and said, 'Happy Birthday, Myrna.' I felt kind of funny, lying there in my bed, having Dick talk to me. I even felt kind of funny crying in a room, all alone. But as I kept looking at that cake, and at Dick, I didn't care. I just sat up in my bed and, as if I were right there in the middle of the studio, I said, 'Thank you, Dick' — just like that. Dick's been wonderful "Another time I'll never forget," Myrna goes on, "was the party Dick and the kids gave for me the first day I was allowed to get out of bed. It was at Palumbo's restaurant. It was a surprise. There was dinner at Palumbo's. And then, later, Dick took us all to the movies, to see Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo ... At first, at Palumbo's, I thought it was just the kids who were giving the party for me. But then, through the main door, in walked Dick. He made believe he didn't see me at first. 'What's this all about,' he asked, keeping a straight face, 'who's here?' One of the girls said, 'Oh, you know — Myrna Horowitz.' 'Myrna Horowitz,' Dick said, 'who's that? There's no such person?' And then he looked over at me and he started to laugh and to say something like, 'Myrna, it's so good to see you again — .' And I started to cry — I cry very easily, you see; at the movies and on TV, in plays, I even cry at happy endings. And there was such emotion between us that night." Myrna paused for a moment as she remembered that night. "There are so many other things I can tell you about Dick," she said then. "Things he's done for me, reasons I love him so much ... I just wouldn't know where to begin." Her father walked into the sun -porch now. "Phone call, Myrna," he said. He watched his daughter as she rose to leave. "I tell you," he said, "just like the Telephone Exchange, this house." Then he turned to us and smiled. "Dick Clark, Dick Clark." he said. "He's become like another member of the family these past couple of years ... I guess you could tell by now that our daughter is crazy about him. And, you know. I like him, too, very much, very much. To me, he's what I'd call a moral therapist. He keeps morality in the kids. He speaks softly to them, kindly. But, from what I understand, he's a hard taskmaster when he doesn't like something the kids might do. I hear, for instance, that he won't put up with kids cutting school just to come to the show. Some of the kids tried to get away with this. But when he found out he banned them from the show, for good. He means business. He's like a good teacher. Well, you remember a good teacher long after you've graduated and grown up and got married and had kids of your own. And that's the way I feel it's going to be with Dick Clark and the children of the present generation who have got to know him . . . Like Myrna." Myrna returned to the sun-porch now. "That was Joyce Shafer, one of the girls I told you about, from the show," she said. "We're going to the movies together in a little while." She sat again. "You know," she said, "on the way to the phone, and back, I was thinking that everything I've been saying so far is to make people who read this story know what I think of Dick. "And I thought: There's Dick himself now, probably sitting at home and looking through some newspapers right now, reading more of the things they've been writing about him these past few days, and feeling just awful. "And I thought I'd like to say something to him, while I'm talking; something to maybe make him feel better. "I'd say it to him in person, at the studio, except I guess I'm too shy that way, still. "But, anyway, I'd like to tell him now that I, for one, am behind Dick Clark, no matter what. And I'd like to tell him the same thing he told me when I went to the hospital last December: I wish you all the luck in the world. I know you'll come through with everything all right. 1 have faith. I want you to have faith, too. "All right?" Myrna asked. "Would you please print that in your magazine?" We promised that we would. END Dick stars in Because They're Young. Columbia. GO fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with him I READ: (JJ all of their story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: GO super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 9. I LIKE ANNETTE FUNICELL0: GQ more than almost any star 00 a lot GO fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with her 1 READ: GO all of her story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: 00 super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 10. I LIKE SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: GO more than almost any star 00 a lot 00 fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with him 1 READ: 00 all of his story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: GO super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well GO very little GO not at all 11. I LIKE JAMES ARNESS: GO more than almost any star GO a lot GO fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with him I READ: GO all of his story 00 part GO none IT HELD MY INTEREST: GO super-completely [i] completely GO fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 12. I LIKE DICK CLARK: GO more than almost any star 00 a lot GO fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with him 1 READ: 00 all of his story 00 part Gil none IT HELD MY INTEREST: GO super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well GO very little GO not at all 13. I LIKE SANDRA DEE: 00 more than almost any star 00 a lot 00 fairly well GO very little GO not at all 00 am not very familiar with her I READ: GO all of her story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: 00 super-completely 00 completely GO fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 14. I LIKE EVELYN RUDIE: GO more than almost any star 00 a lot 00 fairly well GO very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with her 1 READ: 00 all of her story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: 00 super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 15. I LIKE TROY DONAHUE: GO more than almost any star 00 a lot GO fairly well 00 very little GO not at all GO am not very familiar with him I READ: GO all of his story 00 part 00 none IT HELD MY INTEREST: 00 super-completely 00 completely 00 fairly well 00 very little 00 not at all 16. The stars I most want to read about are: (3) (!) (2) . (3) . AGE NAME . ADDRESS CITY ZONE STATE .1