The All-Purpose "Explain a Reference" Thread

[Hank the All-Nite DJ]

1946-01-20 | State Fair

Phil makes one of his distinctive entrances

"Hiya folks, your future looks bright because Harris is here and thar's good news tonight! Awwww yes, thar's good news tonight!"

And the crowd goes nuts

Apparently "Ah, there's good news tonight" was the sign-on phrase of WOR news reporter Gabriel Heatter

[Maxwell]

Heatter was heard nationally on the Mutual network.

[Yhtapmys]

Apparently "Ah, there's good news tonight" was the sign-on phrase of WOR news reporter Gabriel Heatter

It sure was. Heatter was still on the air long after the Golden Days had ended. Both he and Westbrook Van Voorhis were on Mutual in the early '60s; Heatter carved out a large career for the network which was picked up by all kinds of small stations in America's small towns. But he was really part of radio's first wave of well-known newscasters and commentators whose career pretty faded as television came in.

I don't believe he started using the "There's good news tonight!" greeting until the war.

Yhtapmys

[scottp]

The Bergen-McCarthy show where Charlie is set to marry Marilyn Monroe has a Heatter-imitator saying "Ahh, there's bad news tonight..."

[TheSportsmenQuartet]

At the end of "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" sung by Snooky Lanson and The Sportsmen on Columbia records, Bill Days says (in his best Gabriel Heatter voice), "Ah yes, she's getting kissed tonight!"

[scottp]

I just heard a 1951 You Bet Your Life where Groucho asks the (apparently very attractive) female contestant if she's married, and when she answers No, he says, "There's good news tonight...."

[Hank the All-Nite DJ]

1952-12-21 | Setting up the Christmas Tree

Jack has just accepted an autographed bed sheet from the boys at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Long Beach. Mel Blanc is a hospital representative.

Jack: Well, isn't that wonderful! Gee, look at all the names of the boys here. Wait a minute, what's this name here? It looks like Robert Smith, but the "Robert" is scratched out and it says "Louise."
Mel: Well yes, the doctors here are as good as the ones in Denmark.

A reference to Christine Jorgensen who made the front page of the New York Daily News in December 1952 for undergoing a sex change operation (in Denmark)

[zimmerly]

Lots of references to this in 1945. Does anybody know what they are referring to?
Thanks.

[zimmerly]

The reference is "Greensberg on third".
Thanks.

[Hank the All-Nite DJ]

What's the earliest reference to it that you can find?

I'd say it probably started on the October 7, 1945 show where Jack is talking to his sponsor on the phone, but the man is distracted by the World Series on the radio. Googling the phrase reveals nothing and there's nothing about it in the Wikipedia articles about the '45 World Series or Greenberg's MLB career, so I don't think it was a reference to a real-life event.

Jack: Mr. Jones, when you hired me, we had an understanding that-
Mr. Jones: Wait a minute, Jack. Hold it a minute.
Radio Announcer: It's the start of the seventh inning, the count is three and two. Here comes the pitch - Greenberg drives one deep into left field! He's rounded first, he's pulling up at second, it's another clean double for Greenberg.
Jack: Hmm.
Mr. Jones: What were you saying, Jack?
Jack: Well, uh...Mr. Jones, I said that when you hired me, we had an understanding that-
Radio announcer: Cullenbine is now at bat, here comes the pitch...it's a single! And Greenberg goes to third!
Jack: Hmm.
Mr. Jones: What were you saying, Jack?
Jack: Now, Mr. Greenberg...I mean Mr. Jones!

Mabel and Gertrude make reference to it later when they're eavesdropping on the conversation

Mabel: What's happening now?
Gertrude: Greenberg's on third.

[zimmerly]

RE: Greensberg on third.
Thanks Hank!
Yes, that conversation w/Jones was the one I first noticed.
Glad to know that it is a fictional reference and my googling skills aren't failing me! Many Thanks, MZ

[Moose Hatrack]

Maybe it's the spelling that's throwing you off. Hank Greenberg was a real baseball playerl! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Greenberg

[Yhtapmys]

Radio Announcer: It's the start of the seventh inning, the count is three and two. Here comes the pitch - Greenberg drives one deep into left field! He's rounded first, he's pulling up at second, it's another clean double for Greenberg.
Radio announcer: Cullenbine is now at bat, here comes the pitch...it's a single! And Greenberg goes to third!

Here's what's eerie. Life imitated art the very next day.

In the fifth game of the World Series on Oct. 8, 1945, Greenberg had life at the plate in the sixth inning after an error by Andy Pafko. He doubled. Then Roy Cullenbine barely beat out an infield hit and Greenberg went to third. The inning was a disaster for the Cubs and the Tigers scored four to come from behind and win the game.

Benny's writers must have been dumbstruck.

Yhtapmys

[epeterd]

I don't have my copy handy, but Laura has an explanation for the Greenberg on third stuff in #9 Forever.

peter

[Moose Hatrack]

Something is slightly askew here. On Monday, October 8, 1945 at Wrigley Field Cubs drove in the winning run to end the 12th inning and force the 7th game. Greenberg hit a homer in the 8th. Cubs had an "M Livingston" on their staff. This is fascinating stuff. Wish I had more time to poke around at it.