Ronald Howard (Sherlock Holmes), son of Leslie Howard (Scarlet Pimpernel)

My wife and I are big fans of the old British TV series, Sherlock Holmes, which starred Ronald Howard in the title role. Tonight she commented, "He looks a lot like Leslie Howard." I had not thought about it, but he did. Leslie Howard, of course, was a big name actor who was nominated for two Oscars and had a prominent role in Gone With the Wind. I looked it up and, sure enough, Ronald was the son of Leslie. (No, American actor Ron Howard was of no close relationship to them.)


Leslie


Ronald

More HERE about Ronald Howard.

Sam Spade on the Jack Carson radio show

When I listened to the Carson program, I noticed at once how much he sounded like Howard Duff from the Sam Spade show. And lo and behold, in this episode, Carson hires Spade to help him with threatening letters he has been receiving. Judge for yourself how much their voices resemble.

HERE is the link.


Duff

Why this contestant never got married

"I could never see giving away half my food to get the other half cooked."
(from You Bet Your Life radio show)

Mary Carr on You Bet Your Life

On the 26 May 1954 episode of the radio show. It turns out that Mary Carr was one of the contestants. It turns out that she was a movie actor with a long list of credits. Though 80 years old, she was an excellent contestant, answering questions quickly.

HERE is a list of her credits.



More HERE about You Bet Your Life.

Collectives for Washington, D.C.

I saw this years ago, and cannot remember where. I would give credit if I could, but at this late date I cannot.
You know all the different collectives that are in the animal world, e.g., a gaggle of geese, a pride of lions, etc. Some wag came up with his own list, which included a senility of Senators and an incompetence of Congressmen.

Charlie says notice the small things

Insignificant molehill sometime more important than conspicuous mountain.

(from Charlie Chan in Egypt)

Mantan gets the short end of the stick

"Any time nobody gets hurt around here, it's always me." - Mantan Moreland in Let's Go Collegiate.

Preston Foster - actor and musician

Foster played a lot of tough guy roles, usually with a softer side to him. He served in the Coast Guard during World War II and rose to the rank of Captain. He was a singer with his own trio, and wrote the tune, "Got My Mojo Working," which is performed HERE by Muddy Waters.



More HERE about Preson Foster.

Pavlov's V's

For whatever reason, psychologist Ivan Pavlov (he of the salivating dog), was in a rut in naming his children: Vladimir, Victor, Vsevolod, and Vera.

Stiff upper lip, Lord Emsworth

          "You remember Daphne Winkworth who used to be Daphne Littlewood?"
          "Oh, quite. Yes, quite," said Lord Emsworth. He spoke with splendid fortitude. There was nothing in his manner or his voice to show that the sight of this woman was making him feel like the hero of a novel of suspense trapped in an underground den by the personnel of the Black Moustache gang. Your English aristocrat learns to wear the mask.

(from Galahad at Blandings, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)

The downward spiral of filth

In the entertainment you have to get in the public’s eye. In order to do that you have to do something that catches the public’s attention. Scandalous behavior is always helpful to that end these days, of course, since there really is no negative effect to moral scandal. The problem for the stars is that there is so much that is scandalous that in order to garner any attention, you have to do something even more scandalous than all the rest of the scandal. And so we have a downward spiral of immoral behavior as the stars claw to stay at the bottom of the scumheap.

The cars with class

Every generation has automobiles that are "the" cars - the ones with pizzazz, with class, with style, or just the ones that cost the most. Back in the good ol' days, one of those cars was the Thunderbird (or T-bird). None of us could ever afford one, of course, but it was the car we all wished we had. Below is a 1971 Thunderbird, from the year I graduated from high school.

Persona non grata

My dear boy, have you no spirit, no enterprise? You must take the first train to Market Blandings. I say Market Blandings because I am unfortunately not in a position to invite you to the castle. My sister Hermione is in charge there, and for some reason all my sisters have got the idea that if someone's a friend of mine, he must be a rat of the underworld.

(from Galahad at Blandings, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)

The ultimate in courtesy

Gally pursed his lips. He was a chivalrous man. In his time he had said things equally or even more offensive to silver ring bookmakers and their like, but these had invariably been of the male sex. To women from youth upward he had always prided himself on being scrupulously polite. Even on the occasion in his early days when a ballet dancer of mixed Spanish and Italian parentage had stabbed him in the leg with a hatpin, his manner had remained suave and his language guarded.

(from Galahad at Blandings, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)

Oh, my aching back!

As we get older, that is not just a theoretical expression.

Butlers with "stature"

As is so often the case with butlers, there was a good deal of Beach. Julius Caesar, who liked to have men about him that were fat, would have taken to him at once. He was a man who had made two chins grow where only one had been before, and his waistcoat swelled like the sail of a racing yacht.

(from Galahad at Blandings, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)

Martin Kosleck - busy "enemy" actor

If you have seen a World War II vintage movie with very many Germans portrayed, it is very likely you saw Kosleck, at least in a minor role. One of our favorites of his roles was as the assassin Mirko in the Sherlock Holmes movie Pursuit to Algiers.

Movie stars do get older

Just like all the rest of us.

Not a lovely cop

The policeman was a long, stringy policeman, who flowed out of his uniform at odd spots. His face was gnarled, his wrists knobbly and of a geranium hue, and he had those three or four extra inches of neck which disqualify a man for high honours in a beauty competition.

(from Galahad at Blandings, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)



More HERE about Wodehousean policemen.

"I would trust him with my life"

But for that statement to be wise, he must have the character to be trustworthy, the diligence to be faithful, and the ability to get the job done. Not a light statement to make.

More HERE about trust.