humor: sep 07 -- The Thing!

[Nick Brown <nbrown@polymail.cpunix.calpoly.edu>]

Comment from Nick -- I have changed a setting in my email program (Eudora Pro) to "send styled and plain text both".  I don't know if this means you will be getting two messages or what ... but I have put some color and some font styles in this message just to see what I get back.  If any of you have trouble reading this --- no, wait --- if your last name begins with A, you are between 30 and 40 years old, and have trouble reading this message, please email me.

And now ... more on Beany and Cecil (the BW TV show) ...
created by Bob Clampett ----

The song THE THING appears at the end of the email message.

Beany (who wore a beanie) and Captian Huff'n'puff (spelling?) sailed on the "Leaking Lena" (leaner, get it?), often accompanied by Beany's friend Cecil, the Seasick Sea Serpent.

An equally aged friend of mine also remembers "Mouthful of Teeth Keith" and 
"Knock Knock Hawk" --- but I don't.  However, other memories came flooding back when he mentioned the villain in the shows: "Dishonest John, the world's meanest crumb."  As I recall, the B in crumb was emphasized, as in "crum-buh".  DJ's sneering laugh was nyaaa-uh-uhaaaaa (slight upward pitch slide on the nyaa, then a downward slide on uh, followed by a long upward pitch on the uhaaaaa --- musically speaking, up a third, down a fifth, up an octave).

DJ also had a little (exit?) song: 
"You get a hammer, I'll get a saw, 
and we'll cut off the leg of my mother-in-law."


Subscriber KL writes that there is information 
about the Saturday AM cartoon series (years 
after the puppet show)by searching by title at 
http://www.moviesunlimited.com
Beany And Cecil   
Join Beany and his sea serpent pal, Cecil, in a variety of animated adventures that take them underwater, to outer space and other magical places. Bob Clampett's cartoon creations are considered classics, ideal for all ages. Each volume runs about 45 min.  There are 13 volumes available, including ..... [apparently they are out of print but some are availble if you click on that option] ....


Subscriber S. Ross writes
Well, I'm older than 45... and I AM 
older than dirt!  Before that black and
white TV there was a thing called radio, 
and the song you refer to which Beanie
and Cecil sang was originally a song 
recorded by Arthur Godfrey sometime in 
the late 40s or early 50s. Thought you 
would like to have the whole song (also 
from memory, so pardon any errors).

THE THING
By Arthur Godfrey

As I was walking down the beach one bright and sunny day
I saw a great big box a-floatin' in the bay.
I pulled it in and opened it up and much to my surprise
Oh, I discovered a (boom-boom-boom) right before me eyes.
Oh, I discovered a (boom-boom-boom) right before me eyes.

Well, I picked it up and I ran to town, as happy as a king.
I took it to a guy I knew who'd buy most anything.
But this is what he hollered at me as I walked into his shop:
"Get outta here with that (boom-boom-boom) before I call the cop!"
"Get outta here with that (boom-boom-boom) before I call the cop!"

I turned around and got right out, a runnin' for me life.
I thought I'd take it home with me and give it to me wife.
But this is that she hollered at me as I walked through the door:
"Get outta here with that (boom-boom-boom) and don't come back no more!"
"Get outta here with that (boom-boom-boom) and don't come back no more!"

So the moral of this story is:  If you're out on the beach
And you should spy a wooden box, and it's within your reach
Don't ever stop to open it up, that's my advice to you
Oh you'll never get rid of the (boom-boom-boom) no matter what you do.
Oh, you'll never get rid of the (boom-boom-boom) no matter what you do.

Thanks, S.R. for sending the lyrics  
They brought back lots of good memories.