This Day in Humor with Mike Durrett


Born 1832: Lewis Carroll, mathematician with a talent for authoring nonsense books and poems. His most famous volumes are "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and its follow-up, "Alice Through the Looking-Glass" (1872). Died 1898.

Born 1895: Harry Ruby, serious songwriter, but his tunes with partner Bert Kalmar often detoured into outrageousness, as is evident in Groucho Marx's theme, "Hooray for Captain Spalding." The team also wrote screenplays for Wheeler and Woolsey and Eddie Cantor, but Ruby, a personal friend of Marx, has the distinction of scripting several of the wildest Marx Bros. motion pictures, "Animal Crackers" (1930), "Horse Feathers" (1932), and "Duck Soup" (1933). Died 1974.

Born 1905: Howard McNear, character actor, in scores of films and television shows, but he couldn't have been more delightful or become more beloved than he was as Floyd Larson, the barber, on "The Andy Griffith Show" (1960-67). Died 1969.

Born 1918: Skitch Henderson, Steve Allen and Johnny Carson's genial band leader, sometimes comedy participant, in the early days of "The Tonight Show" (1954-57, 1962-66).

Born 1919: Ross Bagdasarian, musician, who had the bright idea to speed up audio tapes for comic effect. He changed his name to David Seville and became the "best friend" of Alvin and the Chipmunks on records and in TV cartoons. His hits include "Witch Doctor" and "The Chipmunk Song." Died 1972.

Born 1921: Donna Reed, Academy Award-winning actress, who could be luminous in comic settings (1946's "It's a Wonderful Life," 1954's "The Caddy"). Her most successful venture, "The Donna Reed Show" (1958-66), made her one of America's favorite moms. Died 1986.

Born 1964: Bridget Fonda, actress, whose best funny films may well be "Doc Hollywood" (1991) and "It Could Happen to You" (1994).

Born 1965: Alan Cumming, actor, whose highest profile comedy movies are kids-oriented: "The Flintstones in Viva Las Vegas" (2000) (as Gazoo), "Spy Kids" (2001), and "Josie and the Pussycats" (2001).

1976: "Laverne and Shirley" became a TV series. Penny Marshall and Cindy Williams starred in the "Happy Days" spin-off.

Opening in U.S. movie theatres on this date:

• "She Done Him Wrong" (1933) -- Mae West, Cary Grant
• "Draftee Daffy" (1945) -- Daffy Duck
• "How Green Is My Spinach" (1950) -- Popeye the Sailor, Bluto
• "The Court Jester" (1956) -- Danny Kaye, Angela Lansbury
• "Broadway Danny Rose" (1984) -- Woody Allen, Mia Farrow

Copyright ©2003 Mike Durrett. All rights reserved.