Charlie Chaplin lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest

As silent screen actor Charlie Chaplin became famous, Charlie Chaplin look-alike contests became a popular form of entertainment and continued for several years.

The contests selected the one who best imitated the "tramp" character popularized by Chaplin.

Legend has it that Chaplin himself once entered -- and lost -- one of these competitions.

It is usually said the contest was held in Monte Carlo or Switzerland, and that he came in second or third.

In another such competition, Chaplin did indeed do poorly. It was a Chaplin look-alike contest that took place in a San Francisco theater. His final standing is not recorded, although it was noted that he "failed even to make the finals."

Chaplin told a reporter at this time that he was "tempted to give lessons in the Chaplin walk, out of pity as well as in the desire to see the thing done correctly."

It is interesting to note that, unlike film stars of today, Chaplin was seldom recognized without his makeup, fake mustache and derby hat used in his portrayal of “The Tramp” as shown above.

It is also said that a rising young actor/comedian named Bob Hope took first prize in a Chaplin look-alike contest in Cleveland.

Link

The old Don McNeill Breakfast Club radio show

Don McNeill (pictured) hosted the Breakfast Club radio show from 1933, when he was only 25, until the final broadcast on December 27, 1968.

Two years into the show, McNeill brought in live audiences. At the same time he threw away the stiff and stuffy scripts and from then on everything on the program was adlib.

People connected with the show over the years included Jim and Marian Jordan, later known as "Fibber McGee and Molly," Fran Allison, who later starred in the "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie" puppet show, appeared regularly as the gossipy character, "Aunt Fanny."

In 1949, singer Johnny Desmond debuted on "The Breakfast Club."

In McNeills absence, guest emcee’s included Jack Paar and Don Amichi.

Sam Cowling was the longtime show clown. Ladies in the audience lined up to take turns in the “dance with Sam” segment.

Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Gary Cooper, Ginger Rogers, and James Stewart were featured guests.

One of the shows most popular features was "calls to breakfast" every 15 minutes—wake-up calls when the audience marched around the table.

McNeill didn’t resent that his humor was called "corny." He had a special ability to talk to anyone, from foreign heads of state to humble day laborers.

The show's success stemmed from McNeil's ability to project a folksy personality. The broadcast began with a singing welcome: “Good morning Breakfast Clubbers, good morning to ya, we woke up bright and early just to howdy-do ya.”

Link here and here.

Controversial nude X-ray camera scheme in Britain

Nude X-ray cameras started at London’s Heathrow airport and was tried here in the United States on a test basis at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix as we reported here.

There was an article in the Sun last week about nude X-ray cameras in England. The Sun is Britain’s equivalent to the supermarket gossip tabloids in the U.S. such as National Enquirer.

Link here to the Sun article.