Screenland Plus TV-Land (Nov 1953 - May 1955)

"There isn't much chance for relaxation at our place. My baby sister, Meg, is five years old and just at the stage where she likes to wear my best clothes and high heels for 'dress up.' My older sister, Tela, and her family live with us. Her youngest is just at the crawling age and exploring into everything. Her older girl is two and has discovered lipstick looks pretty on her forehead and nail polish can decorate the rugs. "I'm afraid those who think my private life is dull and listless are in for a jolt. I get a lot of well-meaning advice from friends which I listen to, but for the rest I let it go in one ear and out the other. I'm pretty set in my ways," she smiled. Then, rather thoughtfully, she said, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but once in a while when I'm the prime target, I have to blow off steam. That's for sure," she laughed. END BAD BOY MAKES GOOD [CONTINUED FROM PACE 41] his audiences for a month ahead, asking for their opinions. When thousands of letters told him that his viewers did not want a quiz or panel show from him, he balked the entire Columbia Broadcasting System to keep his show the way his audiences wanted it. It is quite obvious that Columbia expected Garry to be frightened into going their way when they fired him; but since Garry is not easily frightened and refused to go against his audience's expressed wishes, they naturally had to hire him back or lose a valuable property. I was just a bit amused by the conservative answer that was given by Mr. Hubbel Robinson (who is Vice President in Charge of Programming at CBS ) when asked for his opinion of Garry's behavior. Mr. Robinson said (and I quote), "Garry Moore's integrity oftentimes borders on sheer stubbornness." So even the people who find him so hard to handle always admit Garry's integrity. Today, twenty years after the high school experiences, Garry still refuses to conform. He still refuses to be told "what and how" to do his daily program, by either the advertising man or the Colum bia Broadcasting System. In Garry's own words, he sums it up this way— "I never underestimate my audience, especially their ability to understand and appreciate humor." He will not go along with the theory that audiences can be led. "I let the audience lead me. If the advertisers wish to consider the viewing audiences as children, let 'em. But they won't do it on my show!" The strange thing about this is that Garry has found out that this sort of horse sense pays off in the long run. Today he has a fully sponsored show, plus a waiting list — a record that perhaps is surpassed only by the fabulous Godfrey man. And speaking of Godfrey, Garry's success in replacing Arthur Godfrey for his "Talent Scout" show has been phenomenal. He seems to be the only single person that Godfrey fans will accept as a replacement. Certainly anyone who watches Garry's shows today notices that he is still the impetuous, fast-thinking, wise-cracking high school boy; and the reason for this is that he is the same Garry Moore who refused to fit into a pattern in his high school days. Now, just as then, he still Garry Moore gets double-earful from Arlene Whelan, Faye Emerson. A favorite comic entertainer for 20 years, he's the epitome of the little boy in all men. 62 asks that alarming question, "Why should I do it their way?" He doesn't do things because those in authority have said they should be done. Instead, he applies his own keen sense of fair play, sprinkled with his incomparable sense of humor. When Garry and I were trading memories of high school escapades, I reminded him of the school assembly that he had been asked to arrange. Garry and I had been partners in that prank, so the memory is equally vivid for both of us. Garry had been asked to take charge of the weekly assembly period and had told the faculty members that he would be glad to do a show if there were no speeches by the faculty and if no teachers were allowed to participate. He told them. "If you want an hour of fun, I'll give it to you, but it must be an hour of fun with no school propaganda interspersed." They agreed, and Garry began to plan for a real hour-of-fun fest. When the day arrived, a week later, and just ten minutes before the assembly was to begin, we found out that the principal was going to make an address. This was not according to the agreement, but of course, by that time the faculty evidently felt that there was nothing he could do about it. Well, they were right that there was nothing he could do about the address, but they certainly never expected what happened. I'll never forget the moment when Garry came over to me, as we were standing in the wings of the high school auditorium stage. I think for the first time in my life I saw him drooping — crew cut and all. Even the corners of his mouth, that usually went up in a broad grin, were hanging down. I thought that he was sick. "What's the matter?" I asked. "He's going to speak and he promised not to," he said. "Who's going to speak?" I asked. "Doc Edwards," he said. (Dr. Philip H. Edwards was principal of "City" at the time.) I think I drooped even more than Garry, then. I was really upset, and I practically moaned, "Well, what shall we do?" As quickly as the words were out of my mouth, an idea seemed to burst in Garry's head. Perhaps he needed me to be crushed before his fast-thinking could work to save the situation. And, perhaps if we had waited a few minutes and thought before we started, the sheer audacity of his idea would have overwhelmed us. But, we didn't wait to debate. I was wearing a tank swim suit. Garry quickly doffed his shoes, took off his socks, rolled them up, and stuffed them into the front of my bathing suit. He slammed a wig on my head, and though I was a pretty hideous one, I suddenly became a female bathing beauty! Dr. Edwards had begun his speech in front of the curtain. "Fellow members of the faculty and young gentlemen . . ." Garry said, as he gave me a push through the curtain, "Go out there, pause a minute, look back at the curtain and scream, then start to run. I'll be behind you." An impromptu chase began through the whole auditorium. We commandeered bicycles, roller skates, and finally a rope ladder thrown