Says You!, the weekly comedy quiz show on National Public Radio, entered its 25th year on the air this spring.
Says You!, the weekly comedy quiz show on National Public Radio, entered its 25th year on the air this spring. Since its debut, my wife, Paula Lyons, and I have been regular panelists. After moving to the Vineyard in 2011, we’ve adapted to a busy schedule of Island retirement which means we’ve been appearing less often on this wonderful show that travels the country to play in front of live audiences. I’m at that time of life when a major trip is going from Vineyard Haven to Aquinnah — and back.
Of course, during this pandemic there has been no travel, no new program. What there have been are remixes of old shows and talk of possibly doing a Zoom “broadcast” this summer.
Says You! has taught me much over the years. Radio, in fact, has changed me. Appearing for all these years before audiences has given me confidence, acting chops and a knack for public speaking. I have a sense of comfort walking on stage as if I were entering a familiar living room. With an adequate amount of high-test coffee beforehand, I’m able to be spontaneous, unfiltered, myself.
This was definitely not the case with my first radio experience. I had just turned seven years old when my mother turned into Gypsy’s Mama Rose. We were living in Chicago, which fed quite a few radio programs to the national networks. One was Quiz Kids. As an only child, I killed many indoor hours reading a 26-volume encyclopedia, each book purchased for 99 cents with a $20 order of groceries from our local supermarket. My mother decided to share her pride with the country by putting me on radio. A pint-size nervous wreck, I passed the audition. But after a couple of teeth-chattering weeks, I became a retching advertisement for the show’s sponsor, Alka Seltzer, and took early retirement. Then I took up baseball.
I’m old enough to say I was brought up on radio, which as my then neighbor Sam Cowling would say, is better than being brought up on charges. While spending my first 10 years growing up in Chicago, there were many in my neighborhood making a living on radio. Sam was one of them. He was a regular comic presence on Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club, the longest-running morning variety show in U.S. history, from 1933 to 1968. Looking back on it, this daily feast for the ears was sort of a pioneer of Prairie Home Companion.
Every 15 minutes of the show, the genial host would shout his call for breakfast, stirring the sound of a march around the breakfast table. To young ears it sounded like this involved the studio audience. But there were enough performers to make all the sound effects. One of the most famous was a funny Midwestern storyteller named Aunt Fanny. She was played by Fran Allison, later known on TV as the only human in Kukla, Fran & Ollie.
Fran lived in an apartment downstairs of ours. I used to see her in our courtyard talking and laughing with Burr Tillstrom, the puppet master behind Kukla and Ollie. He lived in the next building.
Upstairs of us lived Roy Engel, a character actor who worked on radio, on TV and in movies. Radio suited him best because he had the voice of a strong hero. When you saw him, he looked more like a fire plug of a cop counting the days to retirement. When I knew him, he was radio’s Sky King, the celebrated rancher-pilot and uncle of Penny and Clipper, who would take to the air and the prairie to solve a problem or a mystery. The show was sponsored by Peter Pan peanut butter. Every so often, there would be a knock on our door in the late afternoon. My father or mother would open it, see nobody there, then look down to a case of Peter Pan peanut butter. Sky King had flown off but left his calling card. What a nice guy!
I listened to radio to hear my neighbors. Once there, I was hooked. There was comedy that played havoc with an impressionable mind. On sick days or times when I should be off to sleep, I learned from George Burns and Gracie Allen, Groucho Marx, Our Miss Brooks, Ozzie and Harriet. There was Jack Benny and his gang of actors with funny voices, including the marvelous Mel Blanc, also known as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Sylvester the Cat, Tweety Bird, and on and on. There was Fred Allen and his gang, including Alan Reed as poet Falstaff Openshaw. Later he’d be Fred Flintstone.
There was Edgar Bergen and his caustically funny dummies. As a child, I could never understand why a ventriloquist had a radio show. But when I actually saw him, I could see his lips move. So I closed my eyes and laughed. And there was Spike Jones and his City Slickers who could make you double up with giggles by showcasing inventive music shenanigans.
Radio was a little slice of heaven for me. It was a whole world without pictures, except for the pictures it created in my head. It could take your imagination into over-time — and make it vivid. I learned timing and tone, use of pauses, the importance of words. All of this led to the entertainment of Says You! and, I might add, the attraction of poetry.
Arnie Reisman and his wife, Paula Lyons, regularly appear on the weekly NPR comedy quiz show, Says You! He also writes for the Huffington Post.
Comments
Being brought up on radio is
Julie Jaffe ChilmarkBeing brought up on radio is “better than being brought up on charges“!!!! Arnie, you are the best.
Happy birthday, Says You.
Richard, we still miss you.
I enjoyed this from far away
Jane Lancellotti AquinnahI enjoyed this from far away Aquinnah— it’s a wonderful piece Arnie — says me.
I love this glimpse into a
Phyllis Segal West TisburyI love this glimpse into a part of your life I never heard about before. Thanks for sharing. And for you and Paula always wowing me on Says You!
What great memories, Arnie! “
Molly C OBWhat great memories, Arnie! “...a fire plug of a cop” LOL!! I am glad for all the many ways your early radio world (listening, & bonus neighbors) became a part of you, and grateful for how you channeled it into great writing, wit & confidence to share with us. What a treat! Thanks for your gift!
Thanks, Arnie. To think that
Bob Dutton OBThanks, Arnie. To think that Kukla, Fran and Ollie was developed mere feet away from you! And that Sky King was actually a peanut butter delivery service. Great memories!!!
"As a child, I could never
John Washbrook West Tisbury"As a child, I could never understand why a ventriloquist had a radio show." Arnie, you were no dummy! Loved your essay. Funny and memorable.
Wonderful trip down memory
John Merrow EdgartownWonderful trip down memory lane. I also recall “The Shadow,” (Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!). His name was Lamont Cranston, I believe.
“The Lone Ranger,” (HiHo Silver! Tonto. Kemo sabe.
“Gang Busters”
“Inner Sanctum” was a scary program that my sisters and I weren’t supposed to listen to, but did. Later on came “The Creaking Door”
Other programs we listened to included “Dragnet,” “Amos and Andy (two white guys! Who knew?),” “The Cisco Kid,” “Johnny Dollar,” Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and many more. Those were the days! I think those formative experiences made me gravitate to NPR, where I had a weekly program from 1974-1982.
And my mother's favorite was
Eileen Hamblin Melrose, MAAnd my mother's favorite was "Life Begins at Forty, with Helen Trent." I might have the program name wrong - it's from a very long time ago.
Hey Arnie - another great
David Schwartz EdgartownHey Arnie - another great piece. Thanks.
I listened to all those same
Glenn Ickler Oak BluffsI listened to all those same shows as a kid and wanted to be on radio as an adult. Turned out I had a newspaper voice, that's where I wound up. As Bob Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories."
Thank you all for tuning in.
Arnie Reisman Vineyard HavenThank you all for tuning in. Greatly appreciated. As we used to say on air: “More radios are tuned to Says You than any other appliance!”
Arn
Nancy aronie ChilmarkArn
You’re our renaissance man! We’re blessed to have your words!
I've been thinking about Don
Richard Adler CaliforniaI've been thinking about Don McNeill’s Breakfast Club lately and that this would be a good time to revive the tradition of marching around the breakfast table to keep us all in shape. Radio is surely the theater of the mind, much more conducive to cultivating the imagination than the literalness of television. Do you remember Bob and Ray, who conjured up a world of grand though surreal images with stories like "Mary Backstage, Noble WIfe" and the ongoing saga of the Bob and Ray Trophy Train as it travelled across America.
Wonderful Arnie! I missed
Robert Skydell Granada, NicaraguaWonderful Arnie! I missed those early days of radio but often fell asleep to the sound of Gene Shepherd's voice on my transistor radio back in the 60's when people could still captivate an audience with spoken words alone!
Great piece Arnie.
Harry Seymour Oak BluffsGreat piece Arnie.
Wonderful piece. Thanks for
Liz Redick San Rafael, CaliforniaWonderful piece. Thanks for reminding me how much I loved all those shows.
Between encyclopedias,baseball and that creative soup of a neighborhood how could you be anyone but who you are? And aren’t we the richer for it?
Arnie, your humor travels
Nat Segaloff Los Angeles, CAArnie, your humor travels well. Here I am in Los Angeles and I am laughing at everything you wrote, and I'm laughing three hours earlier. With the love...
Having been lucky enough to
Pamela Butterick Oak BluffsHaving been lucky enough to be in the audience a few times, for Says You, your piece makes me appreciate it even more than before. You and Paula both add such good humor and quality to our lives. THANK YOU.
Great article. i too grew up
James Pringle VINEYARD HAVENGreat article. i too grew up with radio. In grade school I'd come home for lunch (yes we did that back than) listen to Kate Smith. Sunday nights were my favorite, Jack Benny The Shadow. Radio made you use your imagination.
Boy, I miss our dog walks
Susan Ritchay Sarasota, FloridaBoy, I miss our dog walks along the Charles. These are stories I hadn’t heard before, and you had a bag full. I was allowed to sleep in on Saturday mornings to listen to “Let’s Pretend” and “The B Bar B Ranch. As a child I was so sad when “Baby Snooks” died, only to find out she was an old woman, named Frannie Brice.
Dear Arnie, what great memories!
Promise me you won’t die of the plague, which you scared me with the last time we spoke. Love to you and Paula from boring Florida, Susan PS We don’t get “Says You” in Sarasota.
Your internal hard drive of
Sid Levin ConcordYour internal hard drive of obscure knowledge has always kept me in awe... which is a lot better than keeping me 6’ away. And BTW, the SaysYou bell ... my idea. Great piece.
Thank you, Arnie, for loving
Nancy kingsley Vineyard havenThank you, Arnie, for loving radio and carrying so many of us to “back when”. And.thank you, James Pringle, for thinking of Jack Benny. You both made me remember my father who LOVED Jack Benny on Sunday nights. He sat in his”armchair”with his Lucky Strike and laughed more than he did all week. He died In 1948 when he was 47.
Growing up in Chicago I
Maureen Dailey Young Pittsburgh PAGrowing up in Chicago I listened to those same radio shows...but never met any of the "players." I loved the westerns best!
But I met Arnie (thank you Paula) right before Says You began...I was a test case if you recall...visiting you and Paula one spring before a college reunion...and listened to your show so many times. Hope I can visit you both in Martha's Vineyard again before too long. Love you both!!! Maureen
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