Mrs. Ashford -Dunwoody and her Merry Troupe

In my formative years in metro Atlanta I learned the local celebrities  were Bert Parks, Bob Van Camp, Boots Woodall and the Peachtee Cowboys, Ruth Kent, Xavier Somebody, Officer Don & his co-star Woody Willow, and last but not least, the Merry Mutes:  Dick Vandyke, Nancy and Phil Erickson.

I had a pleasant surprise the morning when leaving the dog park.  Fellow dog owner Mike and his hairy friend Glen  were coming in and told me he had something for me.  It was some Wits' End*  (*Bring Money)   paraphernalia .

One was a CD of the Wits' End's high energized fast  pace rapid songs they were so good at.  And the other was a DVD of their 25 Year Old Anniversary in Atlanta.

I listened to the CD today and a few skits and thought flows of various members of the  Wits' End cabaret.

I have written  of the Wit's End show on chicken-fat  before - here, let me skate around roughly what I said then.  The leaders were husband and wife Phil and Nancy Erickson.   And there was a young tall gawky one that would not stay with them a long time.  His name was  Dick Vandyke.  They were the MERRY MUTES  on local TV.  It was before color TV.  I can only remember them in black and white and I don't remember any  more than three of them.  As the name implied, they did a lot of Mime.   In fact, that is all they did.  If I remember correctly the show was only 15 minutes long.

When I went to work for the Atlanta News Agency my territory  covered parts of rural DeKalb and Gwinnett County.  Some place out there in the country was a farm that looked different.   I recognized their mail box, it said something like "WITS' END* - *Bring Money."  I looked forward on seeing that country house once or twice a week.  I supposed Mr. and Mrs. Phil Erickson lived there.

I got out of the Navy in 1965, for about ten years up to about 1975 about six of us Navy friends would keep the roads fairly well traveled between Marietta, Chicago, Minneapolis,  and Harrisburg, Pa.  Every time it was time for me to host I saw to it that we went to a famous park or war site, such as Stone Mountain or Kennesaw Mountain, one time around on the merry-go-round (Polaris) atop the Regency Hyatt in downtown Atlanta, and while there go to the Wits' End Cabaret Club.

It was a little solitary single storied block shape building about on something like 5th Street where it came in on Spring Street, facing the Biltmore Hotel.

I was truly amazed at the fast paced skits... after the punch line was delivered, the stage, in the middle of the floor, it seemed, was vacated for a second then  and a new skit began.

One skit I really enjoyed, even after the 3 rd or 4th time I saw it was when they played the song "They are Tearing Up Peachtree Again."  It had one of the players (not Nancy) with a construction helmet and drilling the "air" pavement with an "air" air hammer.  It was the theatrics she used... the way the imaginary air hammer shook her whole body and the helmet jumped around on top of her head.  I bellowed each time I saw it.

The time we went there Atlanta   was having a hard time accepting court ordered integration.    The Wits' End Players had a black lady (Sally Street) who played her role out proudly.  I sometime worried about their safety, they made fun of backward southern traditions with a black lady.  As far as I know they never had any violence or threats.

It was not far from the Georgia Tech campus and I think the upper classmen  probably went there often.

They moved their little theater to  Underground Atlanta when it opened,  just down the row from a bar that the famous Piano Red played at.  We went to see them one time at their new location.  Shortly after that we had our first son and our whole way of life changed.

Back to present:   At the dog park a few weeks ago Joe Jenkins and I were bringing up  old local things we remembered in the area many years ago.  We lived in roughly the same areas and had roughly the same friends.  I mentioned the Wits' End* (*Bring Money) about the time Mike walked  by.

Mike said, "Wits' End?"

I first thought he had never heard of  Wits' End as a night club but as it turned out he knew more than we did.  In fact, he told us he is married to a descendent of the Ericksons.

He mentioned going up to the mountains several times.  I was curious, I asked where in north Georgia.  He said North Carolina, Macon County.

I gave Mike a "chicken-fat" card and asked him to search for Wits' End if he got a chance.  He did and shared with his kin and they gave me the gifts I mentioned in the second paragraph of this.

All I can say is "WOW!  And thank you very much!"

Click here for Nancy Erickson's Obituary

On This Date Aug 6,....

Lucille Ball was born.   HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!!   The funniest lady, as far as skits go, that has ever been in show business.....so far.

Note - Looking for a good example of skits by Lucy was an interesting hunt:  First I googled Lucille Ball and all the images were show business glamour shots.  However, googling I LOVE LUCY displayed lots and lot of action shots to pick from.

She died in 1989.

Today In History April the 17th

April 17th, 1937 Cartoon characters Daffy Duck, Elmer J Fudd ; Petunia Pig, debut .

Loony Tunes Folks!

Take My Wife, Please!

On this date, February 19, 1934, Bob Hope married Delores in Pennsyvania, who became his lifelong companion. 

What About Oscar the Grouch?

I haven't paid that much attention to the Muppets on SESEME STREET since my kids grew into adulthood.  Is Oscar the Grouch still around?  I see other Seseme Street characters keep popping up but not Oscar.  Did he die with Jim Henson?


Well, if he is still around or not, Big Bird has everybody's attention now - from NEWSY.COM:

On Thlis Date in History, May 17:

1893 – Buffalo Bill Cody’s WILD WEST SHOW premiered in Omaha. 

I don’t know if Buffalo Bill was the first to cash in on romanticizing and advertureizing the west or not.  It might have been Buffalo Bob.

One thing the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West  Show did do, in a way, and was to point out that women could be skilled people too  Marksperson  Annie Oakley proved that.

Girly Shows

Yesterday while talking about entertainment in the park I spoke of a concentrated play of ROMEO AND JULIET which was a taste of the full length play at Kennesaw College put on by the students.

I called that a tease.

That reminded of another kind of tease which I said something about. Strip – tease shows!

This is a blend of several strip shows at carnivals friends and I went into as young men and teenagers:

The come-ons were all the same. A smooth talking man would have his dancer or dancers on the stage out front. He would tell quick one-line jokes with sexual innuendos. The girl or girls had on loud flash glittering robes, with just some knee showing or maybe a couple of buttons on the bottom were unbuttoned to exposed a thigh.

Sometimes the slick male talker would have the girl stripper to pick someone standing out front for free admission. This must have created a crowd… who would not want something free from a stripper?

I always wondered what the girls’ parents and the smooth talking man’s parents thought about their children’s chosen occupation – or did they even know?

Inside the tent the star dancer would either take it all off or wouldn’t. Sometimes the fast-smooth talking man would come out and announced she needed a little encouragement… one time clapping was all the encouragement she needed. Other times it was money tossed up on the stage was all the inspirational encouragement the lady needed.

Once, I remember, a bunch of friends hollered “Put it back on!!”

Another time I remember, an old friend, one that I see weekly at the GOBAG meetings shouted saying they were going to tear the tent down unless the lady stripped completely naked. I forgot the outcome, but I don’t think the tent was torn down.

I think the one that stands in my memory is a lady that stripped completely nude in her dance number, then lit a cigar, placed the cigar on the stage, I’m sure in a non-flammable tray or something, and squatted down and picked up the cigar without the use of any arms or feet. Amazing! She also made the cigar puff little clouds of smoke. That was a God given talent!

Have you ever heard it is a sin to waste a God-Given Talent?

I wonder if she ever auditioned for The Ted Mack Amateur Hour Show?

Lenny Bruce Died On this Date

On this date, August 3, 1996, 43 years ago, comedian Lenny Bruce (1925 – 1966) died of a morphine overdose.

Lenny was a trailblazer for Freedom of Expression for all sides, not just one side. His constant run-ins with the law and his legal battles finally opened the doors for modern comedians to be, well, more adult style humor instead of keeping it on a Disney movie level. He used the F word often, not to mention the other naughty words - the kind if you said in the 3rd grade somebody would go, "Aammmm, you said a bad word!"

Lenny Bruce was born Leonard Alfred Schneider and of changed his name for something more show-biz. I remember years ago was a movie at the Cobb Theater staring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The marquee said, “Staring Lenny Bruce”. I think he a had small part in it, but everybody knew Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis but hardly anybody in Marietta had heard of Lenny Bruce. I wonder why he made the marquee and Dean & Jerry didn’t?

From what I have heard and saw he was a good comedian. He knew how to bring out the double standards and the ironies in our world and present them punch line stories.

I admired him for his social expressions but frown on him for overdosing on morphine. * But to my double standards it would be acceptable to glutton yourself to death.

Here is a You-Tube of Lenny doing his stand-up act just days before he died, click below:

Lenny Bruce's Standup


*I think the morphine Lenny Bruce died from was prescribed. But I bet to abuse it wasn’t prescribed. Evidently, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson probably went down the same path of self-destruction.

June the 1st History

On this date in 1926 Normal Jean Baker (aka Marilyn Monroe) was born. She died August 5, 1962. If she was still alive she would be 83 years old this coming August. She got to keep her image.

Also on this date in 1938 SUPERMAN comics was released in ACTION COMICS number one. SUPERMAN was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Unfortunately, the creators got gypped in a contract, which cause others to make fortunes over Superman but the two creators didn’t.



Joe Shuster was having hard making ends meet so he illustrated some kinky type of comics with titles such as The Flesh Merchants and The Bride Wore Leather. It might even be considered soft porn.



Money wins again!

Have You Ever...

Have you ever wanted to jump up on a table and start tap dancing and then gracefully leap to the next table to continue your performance – then maybe take a run across the room and leap, then, landing in a sliding motion on a knee you have thrust out just for that… and as you slide have both arms out to receive the applause?

Sliding a few feet on your knee is the last thing before the teacher snatches you up by the ear and marches you to the principal’s office. It happens.

On this date in 1929, at age 18, Ginger Rogers makes her Broadway musical debut in Top Speed.

Tonight, Tonight, is Westside's Birthday

Tonight, Tonight, will be the 51st birthday for the musical Westside Story. It opened this date in 1957 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theater.*

And believe it or not, one of the musical's songs (One Heart**) was played in our wedding ceremony ten years later in 1967 (really). You should have seen me and the ushers leap over the pews while the bridesmaids shashayed towards us clicking their fingers. And then us, high stepping and clicking our fingers in unionson marching up the aisle... The people at Noonday Baptist Church are still talking about it (not really).


*The History Channel ON THIS DAY page-a-day calendar
** "Our hearts are one hearts" - or something like that.

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

No you can’t!
Yes I can!

I believe that song came from the musical “Annie, Get Your Gun!”

Markswoman Annie Oakley (1860-1926) was born yesterday’s date in 1860. Annie was known for her sharp shooting instinct, and unlike other female markswomen, she played up her feminine traits. This is belated announcement.

Phil'er Up!

Doctor Phil decided to take on Britney Spears. It is undecided if her mother lined up the session for her daughter’s well being or for the bucks. Of course, it goes without saying that Dr. Phil was trying to look out for Britney’s mental stability. The fact that his rating would surely take a leap upward, of course, is immaterial.

It has been reported on the news during their session (first of more?) Britney ordered Doctor Phil out of the room and when he refused she left.

Why should Doctor Phil have the exclusive franchise of curing Britney. Maybe Jerry Springer could get it on it too, to help heal, of course… maybe bring in Britney’s ex-husband for a few days (Jason Alexander) and maybe Kevin Ferderline – and have plenty of light weight folding chairs – for the folks to sit on of course – and hey! There is always Family Feud.