Ian Rose's Essays

We are very pleased to present transcripts of Ian Rose's Essays. Ian offers us interesting and memorable essays on each of our shows. If you missed listening to one of his essays, or you would like to read it at your leisure, just look here!

(ESSAY ONE)

(INTRO:) Let's pause right now in the proceedings. And we go to this segment
where Captain Video answers Ian Rose's question, Son (sun).


(IAN:) On radio he appeared as the Green Hornet. You probably remember him better as the title character in "Captain Video and his Video Rangers" on the Dumont Network.

Al Hodge.

Later that decade in the 1950's, he hosted a local show on a New York TV station.
Here he presented episodes of the "Flash Gordon" serials. Flash Gordon himself, Buster Crabbe, had hosted the same type of show earlier in the decade on another New York station.

Back to Al Hodge.

His show included a segment where he answered space-type questions from viewers
by postcard. I sent in my postcard with a question -- it was one I don't believe anyone had asked.

Question: How much would you weigh on the sun?

I don't remember the specific answer, but it would be many times more than you would
weigh here on terra firma, planet earth. There were no prizes, giveaways, or discounts for those whose postcards were read. Just the thrill of hearing your name announced on TV by Al Hodge, Captain Video.

I was so excited I called a friend. He had heard the broadcast, but he didn't care.

There is one obvious conclusion to how much you would weigh on the sun. The fact is that you would be burned to a crisp or worse long before you got there!

I'm Ian Rose.


(ESSAY TWO)

(INTRO:) Disc-like objects were flying at various locations in New York City. Ian Rose explains that you could say that they were out of this world!

(IAN:) No, I'm not talking about unidentified-flying-objects. And the taste was out of this world, if you used the right ingredients. However, those ingredients were limited.

Have you guessed it, yet?

I'm talking pizza.

In the late 1950's in New York City, pizza parlors were popping up. These were parlors where you also got a show at no extra cost!

Pizza was made right before your eyes as you watched thru a glass window outside. The pizza-maker would start with a load of dough about the size of a loaf of bread.
The maker would pound it, sprinkle flour on it, and pound it again.
When the maker flattened it sufficiently, he threw it into the air in a circular fashion and then he caught it with his knuckles. With each throwing the pizza's diameter would grow. If the maker was well-practiced, he made it look as if he would miss grabing it -- and then catch it at the last second before it hit the floor!

Then when the circular dough reached the right size, he'd lay it down, apply tomato
sauce, and sprinkle cheese pieces over it. That's all! Then he'd shovel it into an oven.

Price per slice? -- 25 cents. And that included the show.

Today you can get pizza at various storefront locations or in the frozen food case.
And those pizzas are topped with more than just tomato sauce and cheese. But today there's not more show.

(Groan!)

I'm Ian Rose