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Posted: |
Nov 13, 2018 - 7:36 AM
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By: |
Eric Paddon
(Member)
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It is stated that when women commit suicide, they often "dress their best." Is there a possibility that Kilgallen took her own life? I would lean toward thinking it was all just a tragic accident. I'm more interested in learning more about this rather than nursing any conspiracy theories, which I do not.
There were a few rough things in her personal life at the time. Her husband, Richard Kollmar was a heavy drinker and his drinking had resulted in the cancellation of the "Breakfast With Dorothy And Dick" radio program on WOR that they did every morning for 15 plus years (where to the faux sound effects of coffee cups clattering would dish on celebs and events), and he was by this point not really gainfully employed. She was having an affair with a younger man (after previously having an affair with Johnnie Ray). But for the most part things were still quite good for her professionally with WML, her column, her upcoming book and she also had an eleven year old son she adored so I just don't see her as suicidal. She was just too prone to drinking and looking for other quick-fix things that it just ended up with lethal results after she'd been abusing herself a bit over the course of the previous decade.
The tribute program they did to her on WML after her death was heartfelt but also a bit of a letdown. WML had gone through this sort of thing once before when Fred Allen, who was a regular panelist, died in 1956. The tribute program to Dorothy was literally a copycat of the one they did for Fred. It opened cold with John Daly (wearing a straight necktie instead of the bow tie that created the illusion of faux formality) delivering a sad tribute and then saying that they were going to play the program regularly and then the panelists said nothing until the final segment. For Dorothy's death, it was the same with John coming out with the heartfelt remarks, then everyone plays as if its normal (with the panel intros and walkouts dispensed with) and then everyone makes their only comments about her in the final segment. Frankly, she deserved better than a form letter type of "tribute" show.
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Posted: |
Nov 13, 2018 - 7:51 AM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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There were a few rough things in her personal life at the time. Her husband, Richard Kollmar was a heavy drinker and his drinking had resulted in the cancellation of the "Breakfast With Dorothy And Dick" radio program on WOR that they did every morning for 15 plus years (where to the faux sound effects of coffee cups clattering would dish on celebs and events), and he was by this point not really gainfully employed. She was having an affair with a younger man (after previously having an affair with Johnnie Ray). But for the most part things were still quite good for her professionally with WML, her column, her upcoming book and she also had an eleven year old son she adored so I just don't see her as suicidal. She was just too prone to drinking and looking for other quick-fix things that it just ended up with lethal results after she'd been abusing herself a bit over the course of the previous decade.
The film "Radio Days" takes a poke at the "breakfast" program, which was no doubt a jab at "Breakfast with Dorothy and Dick." It's also covered in "Celebrity", which includes a cameo by a future POTUS. 
One thing about these celebrity deaths is that many people smoked heavily, drank heavily, and used lots of those "Mother's Little Helpers." Showbiz, then as well as now, has had this problem. It sounds as if DK was sadly just another casualty of that.
The tribute program they did to her on WML after her death was heartfelt but also a bit of a letdown. WML had gone through this sort of thing once before when Fred Allen, who was a regular panelist, died in 1956. The tribute program to Dorothy was literally a copycat of the one they did for Fred. It opened cold with John Daly (wearing a straight necktie instead of the bow tie that created the illusion of faux formality) delivering a sad tribute and then saying that they were going to play the program regularly and then the panelists said nothing until the final segment. For Dorothy's death, it was the same with John coming out with the heartfelt remarks, then everyone plays as if its normal (with the panel intros and walkouts dispensed with) and then everyone makes their only comments about her in the final segment. Frankly, she deserved better than a form letter type of "tribute" show.
I'll have to look for this on YouTube.
Did tributes then tend to be more understated and less maudlin than they would later become? I'm all for public remembrances and expressing grief in one's own way, but at the same time I take a dim view of those who "cry on cue for the cameras", or otherwise provide a big display of emotion for those not family and close friends. I also think people then tended not to be so outwardly emotional...publicly, anyway.
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Posted: |
Nov 15, 2018 - 3:46 AM
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By: |
Jim Phelps
(Member)
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Watched my first episode of I've Got a Secret--this one from 1961 with Keenan Wynn as a guest--and I can't say I'm enamored with Garry Moore despite a small degree of interest I had in him when reading about the guy when I was a kid.
Which reminds me:
A few years back I bought one of those cassette-to-mp3 converters, but the only tapes I had worth saving were the goofy "variety show" sketches my best pal and I made when we were 11 years old. Among these were the "Rod Serling Interviews", which took place on the fictitious Tom Sullivan Show, an early sixties talk show akin to the Beeb's Frost or Dick Cavett Show. My buddy was Serling and I was Tom Sullivan. Someday I may end the internet by uploading them.
I can claim further dislike by virtue of his having fostered Carol Burnett's career; I've never been a fan of hers, though her supporting cast on her show were often good.
I'm also watching some episodes of Moore's show, also from 1961, and while it's fascinating for the quality of guest stars, the April 18, 1961 show has his sidekick Durwood Kirby making a crack at Jack Paar's expense when he lists Fidel Castro as one of Paar's guests. I also enjoy all the then-curent references to President Kennedy and the space program.
Thank goodness for YouTube, because I have known about these shows since childhood, but have never watched them until now.
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