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Michael McLeod

I'm getting really wrapped up in this Bonnie-Dave thing. I sure hope they work it out. I guess it's that role as Papa that instilled this fatherly instinct about it. Just have her home by 10:30, sonny boy.

Michael Hill

I am absolutely amazed at all the things I am learning about WHS and my classmates this late in my life. Then you have the bonus of Tim commenting and it does become addictive. I must admit I am jealous that I do not have all this free time but I catch the messages when I can.

Lawrence Foster

I have been out of the loop on this page because of computer problems.  But now I no longer have a desk top and instead have a MacBook.  Which means the learning curve has been going on and it has been long and steep.  

A while back there were some posts about Youth-in-Government Day and a photo of Dave and Joe as the party chairs.  Here is the follow-up article that incluses Dave's quote, "We held them to 20 elective offices." 

Lawrence Foster

Our graduation program.  Lot of good names on here that bring back a lot of good memories.

James Hamilton, M. D.

David Mitchell

Larry, 

Great news clip!  I couldn't remember how many "offices" I had said but it was nearly a clean sweep. I never realized my flip remark would get quoted in the paper. Oh well, we had fun anyway. Thanks for posting it.

And on the class graduation list of awards, I still think Elena and Millie cheated on the Spanish exam - (er sumpthin' )

Bonnie,

Who in the heck is Poppa anyway?  Was it Mike McLeod? I just saw an old picture of partial cast with him in it. I forgot that part too.

Bonnie Jonas (Jonas-Boggioni)

Larry...WOW brought back memories of Jonas for Judge!  AND, I received a sweet reply from my thanking my judge counterpart...when my Daddy read the letter out loud, he mis-read one line where the Judge called me a "lovely blonde;" he read it as "LONELY!!"

Michael McLeod

I was Papa in "I Remember Mama."  All I remember was having spray-on gray hair for the part and borrowing a pipe from my uncle as a prop. Some guys get to make out with the female cast members. Some guys get to go home and shampoo the crap out of their hair. An early lesson for me about how unfair life can be.

Timothy Lavelle

Larry...'computer problems'...yeah, I use that euphemism with my wife too...she says 'most men have that problem as they age'...BUT - Great Post.  I was sad to see that my awards did not get listed on the graduation ceremony handout. Sure, Yardbrough and Hodges get great billing, Bull and Holland show up with UK scholarships, 'Mary Hummmmmer' and other nerds get hurrahs for just keeping a 3.3 or better from birth but sadly my "Almost the best with English at a Mongolian village campfire somewhere outside Ulan Bator" doesn't even get a nod. Or how about "Physics award for skipping more classes senior year than possible while existing in a single dimension". Like Jim H's bud, Rodney, 'no respect man'.

I think that the time has come. Let's all just admit that we knew many people who tried to legallly change their names before graduation in order to get listed in column three...COLUMN THREE RULES!!...We lead off with Mike Hill. We got Mike Kaylor - a tough nut - Carla Kreamer - a looker. English royalty covered by Esquire William Kinkaid, not the one'th, or the deuce but the III'rd. We got Holland, Lavernia; we got Thomas Aquinas. We killed the other columns completely.

I'm huddled inside today, hiding from the cold and it was such a true treat to read every name on every list. Likely I'm not the only one trying to see back through the many years to come up with a face to match a name there. We just had such a great list of kids to be going through our mid-teens with.

Dave Mitchell got the Banana Man correct - such an amazing memory - who dates far back before Captain Kangaroo. I first saw him on that very best time of the week...Saturday morning...when we would watch cartoons - mid 50s thru early 60s - Buster Brown commercials, circus shows and the like. This guy was so completely different that his memory always stuck. He would pull huge stalks of bananas or horns out of the folds of a black coat  that hung almost to the floor. Check him out for a blast from the past: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banana_Man    OUT.

James Hamilton, M. D.

David Mitchell

Speaking of some of those  "great names" Tim mentions:

I'm curious to know if anyone is in touch with Steve Hodges - er, I mean "Father Robert"?  He and I stayed in touch for years but have lost track of one another. I have a great story about he and I and my family at the Disneyland hotel years ago.

And how about Carolyn and Dennis Winchester? Anybody talk with them lately? Carolyn and her husband Jim were at the 45th but suddenly disappeared when we all sat down to dinner. Carolyn and I stayed in touch for years and then eventually lost track of one another.

I should confess that Tom Litzinger and I are accessories to the crime reagarding the scar on Dennis' chin. I had taken Dennis and Tom Litzinger skiing at Snow Trails. I went in to get lunch a few minutes ahead of them and the next thing I know, Litzinger is walking up the steps inside the lodge pointing to Dennis, who was walking behind him. Dennis was holding some cloth to his chin and blood was everywhere. He got a bunch of stiches done by the ski patrol guys. He had lost his balance and gone over forward and planted his chin against the top of his ski pole handle so hard it ripped him open to the bone.  

And Mike Del Bianco was at the 45th, but not this one - anybody ??? 

Carol and Al Morse?  ----  Mary Motil?  ---- Brian Doyle?

And finally, for you "I.C.ers". My first friend in life was next door neighbor Susie Russeau. When more babies kept arriving, Jack and Betty moved down to North Broadway in that big white house a few doors down from your school. We stayed family friends with them almost forever, but my years in Denver let that (and many other Columbus contacts) get away. I saw her for one wonderful lunch when we moved back to Columbus, but nothing since. We played house together and Cowboys and Indians from about age 3, and I remember she asked me to her "Cherry Ball" at St. Joe's one year.   Anybody in contact with her? 

Tim,

I keep asking myself who in their right mind would remember the Bannana Man?  But then, in a moment of luciity it occurred to me, maybe if we both stay confined indoors "it" won't spread too far. 

Mike,

Are you sure it was "I Remember Mama" or was that photo from "Pride and Predjudice"? BTW, the list of the cast Larry posted right beneath that picture is not from that play. It appeared to be from "Tammy". But now I can't find that photo on this forum. Larry, did you take that page down?

David Mitchell

Jim,

Great question. But I am embarrassed to say I cannot remember the impressions left on me from very many of those teachers - other than the fact that Siser Cecily was awfully cute.  But two of my three favorites are in areas where I actually struggled with my reading comprehension issues - History and English. 

I think Sister Constantius (Junior or Sophmore English) was really good. She was demanding but always made you feel important. And Pat Manion was a fine man and pretty good History teacher. I still love History to this day.

And I cannot leave out Sister Norbertine. I liked math, and her funny mannerisms would never allow any possibility of becoming bored. 

And although he was never my teacher, I always liked Father Kenny Grimes. I considered him a buddy and I think he liked me. (maybe because Mom and Dad would have him over for dinner so often when he first came to OLP under Father Foley - lol.). He encouraged me, affirmed me, made me feel like I could do it. 

Speaking of History, here is a negative memory. Tess (Warrick) Mckeon and I sat front and center right under the podium in Father Riley's (or was it O'Reilly) junior history class. Not only did he forget to shave and flush the smell of alchohol from his breath every morning, but in addition, Tess and I would disagree with him (and interrupt him with our diagreement) constantly. He would actually sigh out loud and show his utter disgust with the two of us over and over. It was like a war of the wills every single day with that poor frustrated man.

Lawrence Foster

In Response to Dave Mitchel and Mike McLeod, 

The photo you are looking for is under the tab for "High School Memories" and I think that maybe it was Clare who posted it.   That photo does seem to be from "Pride and Prejudice" which may have been in our junior year. The posted playbill is from Tammy.  

In our senior year Mike, Joe Donahue, Mark Cantlon, Al Judy and myself along with a couple of guys from Hartley and Ready were in the St Mary's senior class play which was "I Remember Momma."  Mike that may be where your confusion is coming from.  You got to be the Poppa in that play also.  I may have some photos and the play script from that and I will try to find them and post them here.  While Mike was being the Poppa, I was the son, Mark was a shy courter of one of the sisters, Al was the hospital orderly, and Joe was the bombastic, fun loving uncle.  Joe did not enter from the wings but came in from the back of the theater and walked down the aisle.  Halfway down he shouted out his greeetings to us on stage and scared a lot of the audience memebers who were not aware he was there.  Joe also had a well-played, dramatic death scene too.     

Now here is another memory that just came back to me.  One of those nights when we were driving to or from St. Mary's for rehearsal we were playing a variation of the headlight game "padiddle" (spelling?) where the first person to see a car with only one headlight called it out and got to punch the other guy in the shoulder.  As we were crossing a railroad track another car came at us and one of its headlights went out as it crossed the tracks!  We were so stunned to see a padiddle actually happen that we forgot to call it out.

Padiddle was a stupid game to play amongst the guys.  It was much more fun to play it on a date with the girls. The variation was that if the guy saw and called it out first he got to kiss the girl.  If the girl saw it she got to slap the guy.  Fortunately the slaps were more like love pats that said "Keep your distance buddy."   Yeah, the girls were damn observant and good at that game.   

Timothy Lavelle

Bull: remember when Royer would mimic White Fang and Black Tooth and do his patented "Luh-uh-uh" routine. Even then that killed me. Well, the Banana Man I remember used that same kind of 'weird speech' which would sound like a very high pitched "Oooo-ahhhh" as he pulled another stalk of bananas out of his....

A n C...Abbott and Costello and their movies about The Mummy and such...."'Who's on First" is a classic among classics.

I sure agree with Dave M about more people writing in...whether current news or old memories it is great fun to hear the various voices through the print. I wish just naming people would get them to 'answer up'. Fred...Jonathon Winters was a favorite in the LaVelle household; the story was told that he was 'on loan' from an asylum and had to return there occasionally. His sound effects of arrows hitting their mark and off the wall humor fit our style at home very well. That reminds me of watching Ed Sullivan way before the Beatles showed up on the scene and the many ventriloquists. Or "My nae, Jose Jiminez" or the two brothers who always bickered...senior moment on their names here. Had their own show later...

Last evening I time traveled...part of my award for physics...just by looking at the photo of "Saint Agatha" from our reunion...Debbie, Colleen, Kathy and the gang...I was immediately back in the sixth grade trying to make new friends. Sixth grade was just before kids got really good at sports or formed cliques. We accepted each other and just played. I know it is boring pap to you all for me to say but truthfully...what a great period of time we have lived in...our parents also (mine born 1908) got to witness mankind leaping off the earth on what looked like motorized-mosquito wings and later land on the moon. How flipping awesome is that? PARTY ON TESTA!!

James Hamilton, M. D.

Linda Weiner (Bennett)

Re: Childhood Fave Comedians.  (I thought I posted this already—whatever!)

Always loved Lucy while enjoying 1/2 bottle of RC, the weekly pop allowance. 

So many great ones on Ed Sullivan Show: Stiller & Meara; George Carlin. Loved Smothers Brothers; Red Skelton; Jonathan Winters; Imogene Cocoa; the entire cast of Laugh-In & of course Johnny Carson. I liked that bald insult guy. don't think he ever smiled...can't remember name. Always wished I could be so spontaneous! 

Learned to appreciate George & Gracie much later with TV reruns. My mother loved Betty White; dad loved Jack Benny. 

Here it comes: At WHS it was Joe Donahue, Tim Lavelle, Gus DeNova & Jim Schultheis!

Timothy Lavelle

Thanks Jim, Yeah. The Smo Bros.

Linda...Don Rickles and thanks for including me in a special list.

John Maxwell

John Maxwell

David Mitchell

Linda, 

Very well chosen list, but should we add Mike McLeod and Dennis Winchester to the group.

And I also loved Don Rickles, he is still at it a 90 - hurling insults at Kirk Douglas' recent 100th birthday party. I recall a time where he was on Carson and just took over the show. Jonny couldn't interrupt him and sort of gave up trying. Wow he was funny when he got cranked up.

And Tim, 

I think Jonathan Winters was in and out of a mental institution a couple of times. One news story caught my family's  attention years ago because of the location. We had once visited an old ship in San Francisco harbor that was the last ship to sail the "Horn" on a regular commercial basis. It was called the "Balaclutha" and had become a floating museum. We saw an article years later where Jonathan had climbed way up in the riggging of the Balaclutha and was barking out orders to an imaginary sailing crew. After some period of  laughter, some tourists on board became alarmed and called police. When it became obvious he was not okay, and would not come down, they had to call in rescue people to climb up and get him down. He was placed somewhere in a "home" for a while and I don't think it was the last time.

And I loved that old "Who's On First routine - pure genius!  So happens I just posted what I think is their first version of that routine on my Facebook page not long ago - as something to counter all the political "noise" going on at the time. Sometimes we forget to just step back and laugh - especailly at ourselves. 

And Mike B.   

I loved Flippo too, but who was Dan Immel?   And weren't we cool when we got older and we began to understand the "other" side of his jokes?

Hi John, I would have thought a weird fact like that would come from Fred. I think you stole it from him didn't you?       Fred????

* And OMG, how could we forget Martin and Lewis?  As a team they were magic - after they split up,,,, not so much? 

Alan Standish

Always thought Ernie Kovacs was hilarious- that little music riff he used still is an ear worm for me sometimes!  Liked Jonathon Winters and later Robin Williams, but they were a little off!  Always loved Gilda Radnor and Gene Wilder- probably my favorite couple!  Always enjoyed Laurel and Hardy also. 

Fred Clem

Dan Immel had many roles at WBNS-TV.  He hosted a local show "High Road to Adventure" and was a frequent straight man to Flippo.  He left the station in the mid 70's and started a travel agency.

Fred Clem

Back to comedians, my dad (also a Fred) and I were big fans of Red Skelton.

After all, two of his best known skit characters were "Freddie the Freeloader" and "Clem Kadiddlehopper".

Fred Clem

Here's a video of Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) visiting with Flippo (Bob Marvin) at Channel 10.  The intoduction is by Chet Long, WBNS-TV news anchor.  You may have to copy and paste into your browser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3V_eA5pDt8

Janie Albright (Blank)

This is from Bill Lehner:

I had the pleasure of going to lunch last month with Fred Clem, Chuck Kaps, Brian McNamara and Larry Wood.  We discussed getting together occasionally (maybe Bi-monthly possibly) for lunch.  The next get together is scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday 12/13/16), Villa Nova (High St. Worthington at 11:30.  Other future possible locations are La Scala, or OSU Golf Course.

Sorry for the late notice I thought it was posted a week ago but my tech skills are minimal – Thanks Janie for the assist.

Bill