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DECEMBER 2020

A "HAPPY DAYS" CHRISTMAS

The Original and Best

On December 17, 1974, ABC aired a Christmas themed program for Episode 11 in Season 2 of its eventual long-running Happy Days  situation comedy series (1974-1984) titled "Guess Who's Coming to Christmas."  In order to fully appreciate the magnitude of this milestone Christmas episode, full historic context is required.  Happy Days initially made its debut as an episode of the ABC sit-com Love American Style (February 25, 1972) -- appropriately titled "Love and the Happy Days" -- and then began its network TV run in January 1974 as a midseason replacement to capitalize on the enormous commercial success of the 1973 nostalgic motion picture "American Graffiti."  Ron Howard was the lead actor in all three variants of this 1950s nostalgic motif.  In its first season and a half, Happy Days was filmed with a single camera, featured a laugh track and had a movie-look instead of taping in front of a live studio audience (which began in Season 3).  During its early run, Henry Winkler, who starred as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli was largely a supporting character that was a fusion of the 1950s film star personas portrayed by Marlon Brando ("The Wild One") and James Dean ("Rebel Without a Cause") with a touch of the hot-rod racer persona portrayed by Paul Le Mat in "American Graffiti."  As such, Winkler's Fonzie character had an edgy air of mystery and danger that implied he would sometimes engage in activities that were outside the law.  At the time Happy Days began its network TV run, Winkler could also be seen portraying an identical if not very similar character in the 1974 motion picture "The Lords of Flatbush" (that featured Winkler playing alongside future "Rocky" star Sylvester Stallone and TV star Perry King as the lead actors).  This cult classic is still remembered for its famous group shot of the aforementioned actors in its publicity poster displayed in movie theaters (and included in this Blog).  The simultaneous big and small screen presence of Winkler's tough guy persona in a supporting but critical role added something extra special to this family TV show.

It is this context, and more, that is important to include if one is to fully appreciate the wonderment and poignancy of this Happy Days Christmas episode -- long before Winkler's Fonzie was made into a more central character that led to him becoming a TV icon.  Since Fonzie was a combination biker / high school dropout / expert auto mechanic, his presence gave various early Happy Days episodes an element of danger as well as cool since he often was shown giving advice to the squeaky clean teenagers -- especially the Richie Cunningham character played by Ron Howard -- who were seen on TV as approaching coming of age milestones.  Set in mid-1950s Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this Christmas episode reveals a very serious side by reminding the viewing audience on the true meaning of Christmas: when we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are reminded of God the Father's Love expressed through the person of His Son Jesus Christ sent forth into the world in the Holy Spirit.  It is the birth of Christ that gives each of us renewal as God's love fills our heart and soul so that we, in turn, can reflect and share that divine love with others.

It is in this spirit that Richie and his family are able to give Fonzie a true Christmas -- one that warms the heart and soul by dispelling darkness, loneliness and despair while affirming the virtues of faith, hope and love.  After Fonzie repairs the Cunningham family car, he claims to have plans of spending Christmas with relatives in nearby Waukesha to cover up the truth that he will be spending the Christmas Holiday Season by himself!  In a very sad, poignant moment, Fonzie is shown cooking a canned meal over a hot plate with a forlorn, tiny, tabletop Christmas tree nearby.  Having discovered the truth that Fonzie is all alone, Richie and his father (played by Tom Bosley) invite the Fonz to their home on the pretext that their mechanical Santa Claus (part of the outdoor Christmas display at the Cunningham residence) requires his mechanical expertise.  Thus Fonzie is able to join the Cunningham Christmas celebration while still maintaining his dignity and pride, if not his bravura.  Fonzie is welcomed by the Cunninghams, and he easily slips into the Christmas spirit by participating in various family activities including a reading of "A Visit from St Nicholas." In a most touching and fitting conclusion to this classic TV episode, Fonzie then leads the family in a Christmas prayer in which he bows his head and simply says "Hey God!  Thanks!" and then flashes that warm, friendly smile that would become part of his signature style in later years when Happy Days reached top-rated status.

Beyond the earlier background information shared,  the additional context that makes this early Happy Days Christmas episode unique is that it is very rarely if ever shown in syndication in the manner it was originally aired in 1974.  Typically it is seen as a flashback episode in two different variants (1975 and 1976) in which Fonzie is recounting this magical Christmas first with Arnold (Pat Morita) and later with Al (Al Molinaro).  The original version marked the first Happy Days episode in which the Fonzie character was completely featured.  As such, his concise manner of expression along with his street gang style of dress was given a touch of humanity but without being overly sentimental.  This rather thoughtful, somewhat reflective tough guy Fonzie seemed far more genuine and real than the superstar icon he later became in which he was shown repeatedly saying the one word catch phrase "Aaay" to convey reaction to everything from humor to seriousness.  This is not to denigrate either the popular Fonzie character nor the 11-season commercial success enjoyed by the Happy Days series (plus its many spin-offs) but rather a reminder that often the most touching episodes from classic TV come when a series is either struggling for ratings or trying to secure its niche in the early going while its principal characters are not caricatures but real people growing and becoming more relatable to the audience.  The original, and in my opinion, the best Happy Days Christmas episode still resonates more than 45 years after its network TV debut.

In this season of Holy Advent, please take time to view this very special Happy Days Christmas episode that reminds us all that family is that which makes you feel loved.  Please share your thoughts and memories of the Holiday Season via posting on to the Galaxy FACEBOOK page (and be sure to "like" us when doing so) or via e-mail to the GNN web site.  Likewise, I am always receptive to hearing from our wonderful Galaxy audience and/or connecting via LinkedIn.

View my LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-protodn-george-haloulakos-cfa-bab6b43  

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Best Wishes This Holiday Season From Smitty and MIke!

Thanks for Making Us #1 This Year,
According to San Diego Press Club,
(and listener feedback!)

We wanted to take this moment to thank all the Galaxy Good Guys and Good Gals that have supported our shows for the past three years. Your e-mail feedback, Facebook "Friending", and word-of-mouth referrals to new listeners humbles us, but at the same time energizes and inspires us to continue on in 2014, to produce more shows that bring back those rich memories of growing up in the 1950s-1960s-1970s, and yes, even the 1980s. As we steam ahead toward 2014, we continue to ask for your ideas and input. With listeners on local San Diego FM radio, to those from around the country, and around the world who download our podcasts via Apple iTunes, we are eager to serve each and every one of you with the best in talk radio about nostalgia, and Baby Boomer memories.

Warmly,

Smitty and Mike
Galaxy Nostalgia Network

Galaxy Good Guys at San Diego Fair

A gorgeous day at the San Diego County Fair, during our 2 hour live broadcast on KOPA FM 91.3 (Pala Rez Radio). L to R: Mike Bragg, Mike Zuccaro, John Fox (Rez Radio) and Gilbert Smith.

Let George Do It - Our Spotlight Radio Show Oldie

Let George Do It was a radio drama series produced by Owen and Pauline Vinson from 1946 to 1954. It starred Bob Bailey as detective-for-hire George Valentine (with Olan Soule stepping into the role in 1954).

Clients came to Valentine's office after reading a newspaper carrying his classified ad:

Personal notice: Danger's my stock in trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you've got a job for me. George Valentine.


The few earliest episodes were more sitcom than private eye shows, with a studio audience providing scattered laughter at the not-so-funny scripts. Soon the audience was banished, and George went from stumbling comedic hero to tough guy private eye and the music from wah-wah-wah to suspenseful. Valentine's secretary was Claire Brooks, aka Brooksie (Frances Robinson, Virginia Gregg, Lillian Buyeff). As Valentine made his rounds in search of the bad guys, he usually encountered Brooksie's kid brother, Sonny (Eddie Firestone), Lieutenant Riley (Wally Maher) and elevator man Caleb (Joseph Kearns). For the first few shows, Sonny was George's assistant, but he was soon relegated to an occasional character.

Sponsored by Standard Oil, the program was broadcast on the West Cast Mutual Broadcasting System from October 18, 1946 to September 27, 1954, first on Friday evenings and then on Mondays. In its last season, transcriptions were aired in New York, Wednesdays at 9:30pm, from January 20, 1954 to January 12, 1955.

John Hiestand was the program's announcer. Don Clark directed the scripts by David Victor and Jackson Gillis. The background music was supplied by Eddie Dunstedter, initially with a full orchestra. When television supplanted radio as the country's primary home entertainment, radio budgets got skimpier and skimpier and Dunstedter's orchestra was replaced by an organ.

Listen to free episodes of Let George Do It by Clicking Here
LET GEORGE DO IT

Radio Jingle Production-Behind the Scenes

Here's a grat piece of radio history, an actual 1997 studio session of the Shotgun Tom, KRTH 101 jingle by the Johnny Mann Singers. They did the majority of radio jingles in L.A. radio for the past 45 years. Shotgun Tom will be a guest on an upcoming segment of Galaxy Moonbeam Nightsite. He's a great guy, and the true "DJ Emeritus of Southern California AM/FM msic radio---Stay Tuned!

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