HAUREL & LARDY (PART 2)
Location(s)
Pencil rendering of Cory and Cooley portraying Laurel and Hardy. Arist Kathy Treleani of Pittsburgh, Pa
We are at the Logan Valley Mall in Altoona for the talent search of Dick Clark Productions' PUTTIN' ON THE HITS. Not to get confused with Ed McMahon's STAR SEARCH. POTH was a music lip sync game show whereas SS was anything your little talent desired. We did compete up on stage on a Saturday morning in the end of March 1987, and we didn't even place, rate or rank at the local level.
Erin had fun and my little brother Bret was happy to be in the act and he had a good time messing around with 2 screwballs on stage. I, on the other hand, was bummed. Totally bummed, fer sure. As we used to say in the 80's. Before we left the mall, someone from POTH got up to the mike and said, "thanks for coming today, and remember, even if you didn't win on today's show, you still may be getting a phone call from one of our producers inviting you to come to Tinsletown to perform on the show." I nearly collapsed into Cooley's arms. Oh, my there was light at the end of the tunnel. It was dim, but it was a light.
An eternity went by, realistically about one week, and every day after school I checked the phone machine in hopes of good news from Hollywood. Nothing and nada! Then one day mom told me I got a letter from Burbank California, and I asked her if that was anywhere near Hollywood and she chuckled and said, "YES!" I tore open that envelope so fast, I bet I had a million paper cuts but I couldn't feel a thing I was too nervous and numb. I was shaking like one of those vibrating beds you see in the hotels. I couldn't read it, so I asked mom to do it for me.
"Thank you very much for participating in the local Talent Search of Puttin' On the Hits. We've had so many wonderful acts and your act was one of them..." Before mom could finish, I interupted with a big 'PFFFT!' sound effect like they did at the end of the old Hee Haw episodes. You know, " and pffft you was gone!". A form letter? Bah! I hushed up, and mom continued reading, " ...there is still a chance that one of our producers could be giving you a personal phone call to invite you to come to Los Angeles". "Whoa!" I said. There was still a chance? I swiped the letter from mom and read the post script explaining that the call would be made by the end of a certain day by 5pm. I called Cooley and gave him all the details and he was excited for my enthusiasm.
COMING SOON: PART 3 LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE THE LOGAN VALLEY MALL
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Comments
Are you kidding about Allen F?
We had a guy at the Curve called the Amazing Christopher who does an incredible Village People act with life size puppets. He got his start on Puttin on the Hits. We just call him Christopher now, because after you've seen his act 3+ times, it's not so amazing anymore. But he does it full time and travels in Las Vegas. He told me last year that Allen Fawcett had his own talent agency. Wow! Riding the rapids, eh?
" I hate a dirty joke, I do. Unless it's told by someone who, knows how to tell it. " Groucho Marx as Captain Spalding
Fun but not a big deal
That was a great morning. We had a lot of fun. Cory was so nervous before we went on stage. Do we have the music? Where is Brett? Should we rehearse the act? When do we go on? He was nervous and of course so was I. We went onto the stage and the nerves slipped away. Cory could do a great impersonation of Stan Laurel and he really put on a show. We did not win but what a story to tell.
Cory was bummed out. I mean how much more creative can you get. Two Guys lip syncing Gloria Estefan's "Doing the Congo" while dressed up as Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Where is your humor ALTOONA! When we were told about going to Hollywood, I thought "Oh that will be fun" but never thought about it again until Cory called about the letter. I remember sitting, waiting to hear from Cory. What a long day but more to come on that topic.
What was most impressive about that day is that Cory and I worked together. We had fun and it is a memory I will never forget. For one brief moment on a stage in Altoona's Logan Valley Mall, we were entertainers. We were following in the footsteps of our comedic heros Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, and the Stooges. we loved every minute.
Its so hard being a child star. HA HA HA HA
On a side note.... this one is for Cory, Allen Fawcett, the host of the show is now a Class IV whitewater guide on the Kern River
To read the Part 1 Click here
Do you want to own a piece of Puttin On The Hits Click Here
Clay hardens by immobility – men's minds by standing pat. Both lose the power to take new impressions. (Pinchot 1910: 138)