The Facebook friend, who said that people wouldn’t want to read my novel, said it would only appeal to “geeks” who like “obscure references.” This is the same person who said nobody would want to read about radio (see the previous post).
I realize there are names that appear in the story that younger people would not recognize. Some those are names of Missouri public officials, that would only be remembered by Missourians. Some are people who were in the news at the time, but seem to be forgotten now. I some of these because of their relationship to the story.
WARREN E. HEARNES – Governor of Missouri from 1965 – 1973. Democrat. STORY REFERENCE: He criticizes Spring Valley mayoral candidate Malcom Derpy, who says that if elected he will close Spring Valley State College. Governor Hearnes says that is the “craziest campaign promise he has ever heard.”
DURWARD HALL – Congressman from Missouri from 1961 – 1973. Republican. STORY REFERENCE: He also criticizes Malcom Derpy’s campaign promise to close Spring Valley State College. Both he and Hearnes say that Derpy would not have the authority to close the college.
STUART SYMINGTON – Senator from Missouri from 1953 – 1976. Democrat. STORY REFERENCE: Okay, at the moment, there isn’t a mention of Symington in the story. I just found this good picture of him and wanted to use it. However, he was President Kennedy’s first choice for a running mate, but turned it down, paving the way for Lyndon Johnson to be Vice President and eventually President after President Kennedy was assassinated. He was also a supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and refused to speak to segregated “all-white” audiences.
EVERETT DIRKSON – Senator from Illinois from 1951 – 1969 (his death). Republican. Won a Grammy for his spoken word record, Gallant Men, which was also a Top 40 hit. STORY REFERENCE: Jamie, who runs the snack bar in the Student Union tells Mykel that Professor Plowright talks “like LBJ at Everett Dirksen speed.” Dirksen spoke very slow, similar to Eeyore from the Winnie the Poo cartoons.
GEORGE LINCOLN ROCKWELL – Presidential candidate & commander of the American Nazi Party from 1959 – 1967 (His death. He was shot by a disgruntled former member of the American Nazi Party) . STORY REFERENCE: Mr. Ketner helps his rabbi contact the FCC, when rival radio station K-M-W-H runs allows a supporter of Rockwell’s to host a radio show. K-M-W-H wouldn’t allow the rabbi to speak on the radio station against Rockwell. This was a violation of the Fairness Doctrine.
BARRY GOLDWATER – Senator from Arizona from 1953 – 1965 & 1969 – 1987. Republican Presidential candidate in 1964. Defeated by President Lyndon Johnson. STORY REFERENCE: The K-M-W-H host says he supports Rockwell because Goldwater was “too Liberal.” T. R. McGuilicuddy tells Lovable Lance that he thinks the John Birch Society is secretly a tool for the Communist and are tried to get Goldwater elected president “to screw are country up.” A snooty lady informs Mykel that 95 percent of Spring Valley and Browne County voted for Goldwater in the 1964 election.
CHET HUNTLY & DAVID BRINKLEY – Anchors of the NBC Nightly News – then known as The Huntly – Brinkley Report. STORY REFERENCE: Mykel went to sleep during a kiddie show, showing the Looney Tunes cartoon Don’t Give Up the Sheep, featuring the catchphrase “Morning Sam! Morning Ralph”. He woke up at the end of The Huntly – Brinkley Report, who ended their show with “Good night, Chet. Good night, David.”
TELEGOONS – Short lived puppet version of The Goon Show, which was a radio show on the BBC & NBC in the 50s, staring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Seacomb. It was syndicated in this country and sometimes appeared on local kiddie TV shows. STORY REFERENCE: Mykel is watching one of the local kiddie shows, when Sherry comes to his dorm room to study.
THE PRETTY THINGS – R & B influenced British rock bands. STORY REFERENCE: When local newspaper columnist, Nellie Sheraton, mentions the Pretty Things being “worst than the Rolling Stones,” Lovable Lance calls their record company (Fontana) to get some of their records to play on K-I-L-L.
PETER BROWN – Actor 1935 – 2016. Star in The Lawman 1958 – 1962, Laredo 1965 – 1967, Days of Our Lives 1972 -1979, The Young & the Restless 1981 -1991, The Bold & the Beautiful 1991 -1992. STORY REFERENCE: Sherry has a photo of him and his Laredo co-star, William Smith, on the wall in the dorm suite. She says she likes his character, Texas Ranger Chad Cooper, because he has thick hair and is sarcastic and funny, the same things she likes about Mykel. After they lose touch, Mykel sees Sherry on playing a nurse on a soap opera. The doctor on the show is played by Peter Brown. That soap would be Days of Our Lives.
INGER STEVENS – Actress 1934 – 1970. Star of the TV series Famer’s Daughter 1963 -1966. In the movies, Hang ‘Em High with Clint Eastwood & The Guide for The Married Man with Walter Matthau, Robert Morse & everyone else in Hollywood. Committed suicide in 1970. STORY REFERENCE: Mykel tells Sherry that he thinks she looks like Inger Stevens.
TWA or TRANS WORLD AIRLINES – Company based in Kansas City. STORY REFERENCE: Lovable Lance’s girlfriend, Sharron, is a stewardess for TWA (that might be her in the ad). She gets records for the radio station on stops in London.
OZARK AIRLINES – Company based in St. Louis. STORY REFERENCE: They advertise on K-I-L-L. Their spokesman at the time was up & coming comedian George Carlin.
I may do another post like this, if I feel it is necessary.
WIP: DYNAMIC DUO OF THE OZARKS 