The NBC Story

The Apple Machine....And Elvis...1966 was my first year as an NBC Page. After a year I got promoted to NBC and KNBC News. On the first floor, below our news room, stood the infamous Apple Machine. One night, in 1968 I was on my way to the KNBC News Studio with late script changes. Standing at the Apple Machine in a tight black leather outfit, trying to figure out where to deposit his dime was Elvis Presley. I showed Elvis where to deposit the coin, he bought me an apple, we walked to the News Studio where I introduced him to Tom Brokaw. A regular guy taping his one man show. Elvis wanted an apple during a rehearsal break. I was all "shook up!" The Pat Boone Show.... Second or third month as an NBC Page, got assigned as CB or head Page on the Boone Show. Lot's of laughs, that's when George Carlin was decked out in a suit, "The Hippy Dippy Weatherman" was his best skit. The daytime Boone Show lasted a few seasons. I would make sure the Boone Family got reserved seats, it's kind of funny remembering little Debby Boone, maybe 10 years old, now doing face lift commericals. Around Christmas, most of the stars that had shows would give the CB's a special present, Pat gave me a tin of caramel popcorn. Joe Spina, his agent, kinda embarrased slipped me a 100 Bill. "Merry Christmas." The Bob Hope Chrysler Comedy Special. Late 60's I was assigned to work the Hope Show. Every big time comedian, was booked. Jonathan Winters, Don Adams, Schecky Green, Phyliss Diller, and at least another 10 comics. I was in awe of just being in the same room (Studio B The Tonight Show) w/these comedic greats. During a rehearsal break, (no audience) I was standing nearby, I heard belly laughs. I look over to stage left, the comics were in a circle around one small, diminutive individual, laughing their "fanny's" off....the little guy kept peppering each comic w/a one liner insult, this went on for a least an hour. The comics were choking with laughter. This guy was king, he had them in palm of his hand. He was their idol. I'll never forget this moment and Don Rickles!

The Lone Ranger will be released this week. Memories of meeting Clayton Moore, when we were kids at Chicago's westside Goldblatt's, will never be forgotten. Still the Greatest Lone Ranger! On a 1969 episode of "The Johnny Carson Show, Johnny did a sketch in which he interviewed Jay Silverheels, Tonto, on the Lone Ranger TV series in character, for a new job at NBC. "I work 30 years as faithful sidekick for kemosabe,' Silverheels tells Carson, "Hunt, fish, make food sew clothes, sweep up, stay awake all night, listen for enemies for kemosabe. Risk life for kemosabe. Thirty lousy years." When Carson wonders why Tonto's former employer let him go, the once faithful sidekick replies, "Him find out what kemosabe mean." (Almost positive this episode was taped in Burbank) Milton Berle... As kids, growing up in Chicago, our favorite celebrities were Martin and Lewis, Abbot and Costello, Ed Sullivan. We loved, Milton's had a weekly Comedy Show, (In NY Greg Garrison was one of the shows directors.) The show would begin with the famous Texaco men singing "We're the men from Texaco......" Then Berle would come out and do his crazy "schitck" zany stuff. Before I entered "Pagedom" in Burbank, On a flight back to L.A., bumped into Uncle Miltie smoking cigar in the back of the plane. I told him about watching his show as a kid, told him my favorite line was, before it came out of my mouth, Berle hits me w/ "I'll kill (kewuu) you a (miwwilion) million times." He loved it. Years later working at the Artist Entrance, Uncle Miltie walks through the doors, comes up to the desk and asks where's his dressing room for the Bob Hope Special? "Mr. Berle, you don't remember me but I met you on a plane about 5 years ago," without skipping a beat he said "I'll kill you a million times." We laughed, I proceeded to tell him how to get to Studio 2. The Tonight Show Johnny Carson, a comedic genious, and Ed McMahon America's favorite pitchman dominated late television for decades. One night we were assigned different locations, making sure the audience, producers and talent received first class treatment. I was back stage, behind Carsons famous set. Johnny takes it to a commercial, Ed McMahon rushes back stage, prepares to greet Hernandez the Springer Spanial with a dog bowl filled w/Alpo. Turns out Hernandez, has been replaced. The new dog had stage fright, won't eat out of the bowl, Ed, doesn't miss a beat, still pitching away. Now the fun starts, Johnny, leaves his set, crawls into picture on all fours, starts eating out of the dog bowl. McMahon is in stiches, the audience is hysterical, Carson is wagging and panting. McMahon pets Johnny on the head, a wild end to an live commercial. Tags:alpo, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon, johnny carson, pitchman, the tonight show Another of my all-time favorite pitchmen also died recently: Ed McMahon. In various remembrances McMahon has received lots of well-deserved praise for his skill in understanding what made a second-banana top dog. But it was McMahon’s skill as a pitchman, particularly for Alpo dog food, that I’ll most fondly remember about him. What made the Alpo commercials that he did on the ”Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" special is that they were done live…and later, live-on-tape. Here’s my favorite one. I don’t’ recall if I saw it live or in highlight reel. But I do remember seeing it. My memory is enhanced by Ed’s recounting of this particular live commercial in his 1998 memoir “For Laughing Out Loud.” One day, for a reason no one recalls, the dog that usually appeared in the commercial with McMahon had the night off. A substitute dog, a beagle named Hernandez, was filling in. As was his wont, when the commercial began McMahon was sitting on a chair on a raised platform, holding a can of Alpo and said: “Alpo is the only one of the leading dog foods that has real beef…..” That was the cue for Hernandez to walk out on stage. But, as McMahon quickly surmised, Hernandez had stage fright. He’d take a few steps toward Ed and turn away. No amount of coxing by McMahon could convince the dog to make it out to where Ed was sitting and the bowl of Alpo next to him I’ll let Ed tell it from here: “And then I saw Johnny come into my little commercial area. He got down on his hands and knees and came over to me. “Come right up, nice Hernandez,” I said as I started to pet Johnny. Nice boss, I was thinking as I pet him on the head, nice boss. By this point the audience was hysterical. Carson wagged his rump to show how much he loved Alpo. I just kept going. I was going to get my commercial done. “The next time you’re looking at canned dog food …” –he rubbed his cheek against my leg --- “…… nice Hernandez ….reach for the can that contains real beef….” Johnny got up on his knees and started begging for more. I started petting him again … and then he licked my hand. Good boss, good. "And I still managed to conclude, gratefully, “And doesn’t your dog deserve Alpo?”# www.BellagioBlog.com www.MikesMunchies.com www.SizzleFlix.com www.InstantMLS.com DRE#00407190 Kezy Beans Reardon Whitey Matteo Attorney Montreal Lighter Monte Carlo Wuersteiner Sinatra Concerts Barbara Car Mom Train Caboose Colgate Comedy Hour revival (pre-empting The Dean Martin Show, which Colgate sponsored at the time), with guests Nanette Fabray, Kaye Ballard, Edie Adams, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks [performing one of their "2000 Year Old Man" routines], Phyllis Diller, Bob Newhart, Nipsey Russell, and Dan Rowan & Dick Martin. The special also served as a television pilot for a possible revival of the series, which never happened. (Courtesy of Wikepedia) I was the CB on that show....during rehearsals, sitting under the phone in the small hallway( studio D), I had slipped in to watch Brooks and Reiner's "2000 Year Old Man" sketch. Went back to my station, sat down, Reiner and Brooks enter my space, one on each side of me, and refine their "ad libs" using me as a soundboard. Didn't know wether to laugh, cry, or wet my shorts, but what an experience. Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner. The late great Whitey Littlefield was Frank Sinatra's right hand man. He managed Frank's Budweiser Distributorship in Long Beach, arranged for contractors to work on Frank's Beverly Hills and Rancho Mirage home, a jack of all trades. I met Whitey, after leaving NBC, during the early days of the Sinatra Budweiser ownership we became great friends. Together with Johnny Morris, owner of Legends Sports Bar in Long Beach we lunched often with Sinatra's attorney's Sonny Golden, and Mickey Ruden. "Schmoozing" in the Legends back booth BS'ing about Sinatra, Dino, Sammy, "broads" and "booze." Living Franks life vicariously through Whitey. Needless to say, Whitey made sure we had front row seats for all of Sinatra's SoCal concerts. Lot's of stories to post. Hopefully, we don't get to boring. Joey Bishop was one of my favorite "Rat Pack" guys. Met him, before he passed away, at a Charity Golf Tournament for St. Bonaventure Grammar School. The post game dinner at Seacliff CC in Huntington Beach was packed. I looked around the room and there was Joey sitting at a table, not sure if the guys sitting w/ him new the charisma this guy had, my first reaction was to meet him. I went to his table sat next to this legend and reminisced about his days with the Rat Pack. It was like talking to a family member. He loved Frank, Dean, and Sammy. As we all do. A Jew at a Catholic Golf Tournament, go figure! One of my favorite gumba's is one of my Facebook buddies, Vic Damone. Not sure how he's doing but I've always loved his demeanor and voice. Plus he's Italian. One Sunday he and Allen Sherman did the Dean Martin Show. It was a funny sketch. Hope you like it. Eddie Fisher Joey Heatherton Les Brown Greg Garrison Rowan and Martin Andy Williams