Help Me Out, here - - - -

Lawreston

Lawreston

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Georgetown, ME
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Harley Reich
- - - -and bring a smile to a funny man's face.

Today I received a Season's Greetings card from a long time, former customer, Bob Elliott. Those of you who are old enough will remember the famed comedy team of Bob and Ray(Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding). And those who aren't old enough will probably know the actor Chris Elliott(Bob's son). Many will remember Bob as being a fairly regular character on the Bob Newhart show, the one based around the inn in Vermont, with Suzanne Pleshette. He was the character, Wally Ballou - Cub Reporter.

His card's mailing label was, obviously, hand typed; probably on the same Underwood typewriter he years ago told me is the same one he used to write the Bob and Ray routines back in the 1940s and thereafter. "I never did get into the computer stuff," he had told me.

Bob is approaching 88 or 89 years old, and sharp as a tack. I think it would be an absolute hoot if many of you would send him a holiday greeting card. I don't know his religion status, so the generic Season's Greetings - Happy Holidays would cover the occasion.

Back in 2005 I was working(in retirement) at Shaw's Supermarket and got 67associates to sign a birthday card to him. Only a week or so after he had received it in New York city I received a note from him: "Thanks, Jerry and the Shaw's associates for the birthday wishes. I think there's enough signatures on it to get me on the next ballot." Typical dead-pan Bob, just a gem of a man. His address is Bob Elliott, 206 W. Cundy's Point Road, Harpswell, ME 04079.

I hope y'all will do it; and thanks.

http://www.radiohof.org/comedy/bobray.html

HR

EDIT: Oh; if you just reference Jerry Crute he'll know what instigated the arrival of cards.
 
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Thanks, Jeff. I hope others shall follow your lead. Bob is a fine artist(painter). One year he came into my camera store to have me select the best of several prints of one or more of his paintings. I didn't know who he was, just another summer-time customer. When we had agreed upon the best print he ordered around 200 reprints, one of each would be enclosed with his later to-be outgoing December holiday cards. Only when I needed his name for the order did it hit me; and I had slightly known him about 15 years before when I was a recording engineer at a Boston studio and he and Ray would come in to record commercials for various clients. It turned out that we had various similar contacts in the broadcasting field; and don't get two radio guys "going," if you get my drift.

The above scenario re reprints occurred every September or October for 20 years. By Thanksgiving he'd be gone from his decades-long summer home, back to NYC. Come the next late April, in he'd come to announce his seasonal arrival.

He and Ray had been friends for so long that one could start a sentence and the other one would finish it. That trait accounted for the incredible spontaneity of their improvisational routines. Their "bit" was to ask an audience member for a subject. When given a topic they would be off and running in a hilarious improvisation dialogue.

During the Fall of 2009 Bob and Mrs. Elliott packed up their NYC home and moved to Maine full-time. Son Chris also has a home near his parents house. Quaint little coastal town; the "locals" neighbors know where he lives. If an outsider happens to ask where he lives, damned if anybody knows. :o)

HR
 
That's great! My mother used to have his show on the radio every evening
when I was a kid.
Glad to hear that he's doing well!
 
OK, I'm in!

In high school, I used to love watching Late Night with David Letterman and Chris was the recurring character "the Guy Under the Seats." Dave, of course, also had Bob & Ray on the show and I was amazed to find out Bob was Chris' dad -- and that he was even funnier than Chris! (sorry Chris)

 
Thanks to those who have responded "to the call." I hope they -- and many more -- will send a card.

Dan Sorkin, with whom I've had prior communications, is a retired disk jockey(top rated) in California; and a pilot/CFI. He was the network TV announcer on the Bob Newhart Show(the Vermont Inn version). He's answered my "call" with, "Will do, Jerry; and thanks."

(The devil in me made me do it, but I know Bob will get a boot(kick?) out of it.

HR
 
Amongst today's postal delivery full of bills, ads and nastygrams from opposing counsel, was this delightful letter, obviously composed on an ancient manual typewriter:
"Dear Jeff:

"Any friend of Jerry Crute is a friend of mine; thus the swift reply and thanks for your Christmas card that came today.

"The bits we did on NBC's MONITOR those many years ago still sound good to me, and I'm glad you remember them too. --Not much place for this sort of thing, even if we could still produce it.

"Best of luck in the coming year. --And write, if you get work!

"Sincerely,
/s/Bob Elliott"

​
This letter is a piece of radio history and a real keepsake. Thanks to Jerry for making this contact possible.
 
Well, ain't that a hoot, Jeff? And I'm not surprised about Bob's personal response. I guess that means he's not upset that I published his snail mail address.
I'm madly curious about how many cards were the result of my request; and it wouldn't surprise me if Bob were to reveal same to me at some point.

I laughed at your reference to his typing; I, previously having noted that he once told me that he still uses the same old Underwood manual typewriter on which he wrote the Bob and Ray routines back in the 1940s and thereafter. His letter to you probably had the same holes in the paper, caused by the pick and poke method common to heavy fingers on those old machines.

One other time he had sent me a note, after I had sold my camera store, and the same closing note was on it: "Write, if you get work."

Incidentally, his birthday is March 26, if you want to put it in your Day-Planner.

Thanks for your post; and Happy New Year!

Harley Reich / Lawreston / Jerry Crute: Same horse, just different stalls.
 
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