brettsomers
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Found these two clips on YouTube. New to me. Mrs Kennedy's charm comes thru, even after all these years.
OT: Jacqueline Kennedy White House Tour
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brettsomers
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- Dec 30, 2005
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Part II. Wonder just how scripted these appearances were.
How neat!
You can tell she was nervous, which just adds to her charm.
Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dolly Madison were definitely the best first ladies. Real class acts.
You can tell she was nervous, which just adds to her charm.
Jackie Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dolly Madison were definitely the best first ladies. Real class acts.
I remember watching the tour on our black & white TV. Her voice and accent were a new thing to most Americans. In each room, she would tell what they had done, redone or left alone. I remember what a ball MAD Magazine had with it and then the Vaughn Meader(?) album The First Family had a go at her tour also. On the record, Jackie is conducting the tour of the White House and opens a door and there is President Kennedy. She makes some comment about this being the President and she has decided to leave him just as he is. I remember how popular that record was early in 1963 and how it was almost never heard after November 22, 1963.
Those of you who are closer to my age (born in '59) may recall a great comedy album by Vaughn Meader and his troupe called 'The First Family'. It was a monster hit in '63, then disappeared suddenly after the Kennedy assassination.
ANYWAY, there is a freakin' hilarious spoof of the Jackie Kennedy tour of the White House. The entire album is completely brilliant and highly recommended. I found it on E-bay and lovingly transferred it to my iPod, where it gets regular airings.
ANYWAY, there is a freakin' hilarious spoof of the Jackie Kennedy tour of the White House. The entire album is completely brilliant and highly recommended. I found it on E-bay and lovingly transferred it to my iPod, where it gets regular airings.
nurdlinger
Well-known member
OK, *strictly* from memory...
I watched the real tour (in B&W) at my uncle's house. Something about it that surprised me (at age 12 or thereabouts) was the many mentions of donated furniture items, paintings, and whatnot. "Here is a Monroe Pier Table, donated by Mr. & Mrs. *mumble*, etc." On the Meader record, a lot of jokes are made about this kind of thing, it was one of my first exposures to humor arising out of exaggeration. "Mr. & Mrs. *mumble* of Hollyhock Virginia" is the line I remember. What I can remember but may have imagined is that the woman portraying Jackie could not keep from cracking up delivering the line. I think I still have the album somewhere, I should look for it. I know there also was a followup album called "The Other Family" which was more or less the same thing for the Kruschevs. I have no recollection who recorded that, don't think it was Meader.
I watched the real tour (in B&W) at my uncle's house. Something about it that surprised me (at age 12 or thereabouts) was the many mentions of donated furniture items, paintings, and whatnot. "Here is a Monroe Pier Table, donated by Mr. & Mrs. *mumble*, etc." On the Meader record, a lot of jokes are made about this kind of thing, it was one of my first exposures to humor arising out of exaggeration. "Mr. & Mrs. *mumble* of Hollyhock Virginia" is the line I remember. What I can remember but may have imagined is that the woman portraying Jackie could not keep from cracking up delivering the line. I think I still have the album somewhere, I should look for it. I know there also was a followup album called "The Other Family" which was more or less the same thing for the Kruschevs. I have no recollection who recorded that, don't think it was Meader.
Tom-- Your recollections are quite accurate! In 'The Tour' skit from the Vaughn Meader album, the newsman asks her to 'show us the paintings' in the gallery. In a spot-on, breathy voice, the actress portraying Jackie O. says "Well, there's a great big one over there, and there's this little teeny one down here..." It's brilliant.
Try to find the album, if you can. It's remarkable and hasn't aged a bit.
The album sold millions---quite a feat in its day---and won the Grammy for Album Of The Year in '63; but when Kennedy was assassinated, stores pulled it from the shelves and no one would book Meader's act. He tried to work under his real name but everyone recognized his face and voice, which they--quite naturally--associated with the Kennedy tragedy. Meader became a heroin addict and slipped into obscurity, surfacing only a few times in films/recordings before his death in 2004.
Try to find the album, if you can. It's remarkable and hasn't aged a bit.
The album sold millions---quite a feat in its day---and won the Grammy for Album Of The Year in '63; but when Kennedy was assassinated, stores pulled it from the shelves and no one would book Meader's act. He tried to work under his real name but everyone recognized his face and voice, which they--quite naturally--associated with the Kennedy tragedy. Meader became a heroin addict and slipped into obscurity, surfacing only a few times in films/recordings before his death in 2004.
jamman_98
Well-known member
Info and Trivia
I found it on CD and download from AOL music. I love this album too. There is a version of it on YouTube too. Trivia: The album was recorded live in New York City while Kennedy was announcing the Cuban Missile Crissis on television on October 22, 1962. Chuck McCann (sp), who is on this album too, did a number of cartoon characters and was paired with Bob Denver (Gilligan) on a childrens Saturday morning show about 2 guys lost in space.
Joe
jamman_98
I found it on CD and download from AOL music. I love this album too. There is a version of it on YouTube too. Trivia: The album was recorded live in New York City while Kennedy was announcing the Cuban Missile Crissis on television on October 22, 1962. Chuck McCann (sp), who is on this album too, did a number of cartoon characters and was paired with Bob Denver (Gilligan) on a childrens Saturday morning show about 2 guys lost in space.
Joe
jamman_98
