Transcripts For CSPAN3 Harry Truman And Celebrities 20170807

I have been here 16 years, working here. Over the years we have developed different programs and presentations for the public, i came across an idea of doing Harry S Truman and the rich and famous. After i started, i saw a number of documents and photos related to those people. I liked watching tv and movies of those growing up. When we were asked to do a presentation, i said this is something people might be interested in. This presentation has documents, photos, sound clips that i want you to enjoy. As we get to the photos, i like to have this interactive, i will point out people and say, let me know if you know who that is. As soon as people are wellknown, they may not have been well known in the 1940s and 1950s. There are different categories we will go through. Entertainers, athletes, politicians, military people. If you have questions or comments let me know. We will start. The first section is entertainers. Can anybody identify who is in the photo beside president truman . Jack benny. This is president truman and jack benny. He filmed one of his shows here in the Truman Library in 1959. This is a newspaper clipping from 1948s election. Somebody added comments to it. There is a collection here at the Truman Library. Many of the letters that are in our collection from truman, he expresses interest in their families. As well as people writing back to him express i hope they are doing well. This is a letter that talks about the clipping he is referring to. It brought back fond memories of our press club engagement. They have a corny joke, i like it. All good wishes and congratulations to your family. If you need anybody for entertainment purposes, let me know. President truman did not seek out entertainers, or wellknown people, yet, he cultivated relationships with them. He had a good friendship with jack benny. Here they are again at the Truman Library. This is, umm, at the library again. Then there is, uh, a clip. [happy birthday on violin] [laughter] [applause] i dont know, one night you are the star of a big hourlong coasttocoast television show, then the next night you are playing fiddle at a birthday party. [applause] sir, do you remember the time you florida me with one of your remarks floored me with one of your remarks . I am not making this up. It is when mr. Truman was president. I called on him, by appointment of course, as i left his office after a brief chat, i said something that sounded a little silly. I said, gee mr. President , i would give anything for in autographed picture of you. The president looked at me and said, jack, i have been listening to your programs and i wonder just how much would you give. [laughter] anyways, in my home in Beverly Hills i now have a very handsome autographed picture of president truman hanging in my den. During the hot weather, facing mr. Truman, i have a picture of General Macarthur. You would be surprised how much i save on airconditioning. [laughter] david this is the next picture. This is at the National Convention American Legion on october 10, 1962. Harry truman is on the left. Jimmy duranty, that is correct. Then we have a little bit of correspondence between Jimmy Duranty and president truman. I like the letterhead on this one with jimmy up here. It talks about some things that are going on. Jimmy and president trumans daughter did shows together an interesting things they talked about. He was hoping he would get to see him and mr. Truman again. Him and mrs. Truman. There is another letter from letter from jimmy that talks about being around for at least 100 years and mr. President , i want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your lovely letter. There is not a lot of correspondence between president truman, but they are fairly heartfelt letters that they send. Here is this is a telegram from Jimmy Durante wishing president truman happy birthday. It says, president truman sincerely, Jimmy Durante. Here is another one, anybody want to venture who is the one on the left . A couple of people over here. That is right, harpo marx. In the lefthand corner it is hard to see. It is said it says, i am just wild about you, harry. This is at the Fairfield Air force base in california. President truman was on his way to meet General Macarthur in 1950, he stopped there to visit some of the troops that were wounded during the korean war. Here is a letter, a couple of letters back and forth between the two. It was appropriate to write you after the election. He wanted to let him know he would be back in the seat again. My best to mrs. Truman and margaret mr. Truman and margaret. How are you in the key of d flat . They also have a good sense of humor relationship with the people. From the man who says nothing, to the man who always says the right thing, respectfully, harpo. And, this was gaucho marks, i am wild about you, old piano player. This is a letter sound by groucho marx, dear harry, talks about several different things. You remember me but i am that guy with the lack mustache, glasses and increasing list increasingly baldness. He goes on to say that i just want to join the thousands who are wishing you a speedy recovery and many years of our only living expresident. Oh, i forgot, hoover is still alive. I dont think he cared much for hoover. This is after president truman has appendix and gallbladder removed, after he was out of office. Anybody want to guess who the person is on the right . Right here. Bob hope. David yes, thank you. This is Harry S Truman and bob hope kicking off the American Red Cross Fundraising Campaign in 1948. And this is a Christmas Card from the bob hope family to president truman, 1967. A number of Christmas Cards from the whole family in the president ial papers after truman left office. This is written really colorful, just showing their friendship as it developed over the years. 20 years after the previous photo. Bob hope again. This is the truman home on may 11, 1968. President truman is looking a little older in the mid1960s, his health to client. He would come to the library to work after it was opened in 1957. By the mid1960s, he was 80 years old and his health started to decline. He was not able to did to come to the library as often. When he did come, he would greet people and give them tours of the library. He was happily he was happy to meet people and have them here at the library. Here is a letter from bob hope. It talks a little bit of making fun of jack benny in the second paragraph there. He says of course jack played the fiddle, i guess i will have to go back to my old papers. Anybody want how about this . The lady on the pno good gentleman in the back on the pno piano. Gentleman in the back. This is when harry truman was Vice President. This photo did not go over well. [laughter] david she did not like this photo, but it is a Fairly Famous photo. We like to include that. This one may be a little harder. The person on the right, anybody want to guess . Ok, right here. No, good guess. No, not shirley temple. Loretto young. David no. We will go ahead and told lula Tallulah Bankhead. It was a little harder to figure out who that was. This is when truman was camping in 1948. Here is a letter from Tallulah Bankhead president truman sent a message about her performance. He said, i was never so surprised in my life when it led to the assembled guests, your warm and generous telegram on my receiving of the award. He was appreciative and took time out of his schedule to send a note. The person on the right, anybody recognize that person . Thats right, danny thomas. Unfortunately, we do not have information about when and where this was. Over the years we received quite a number of different collections that were donated. Unfortunately, there are many that do not have dates, names, or places. I did recognize him, you are right, that is danny thomas. This might be tough. Lets see if you can recognize the person on the left. Yes, this gentleman here. It looks like jimmy carter. David no, it is not jimmy carter. Anybody else . Douglas fairbanks junior. This is during a visit to new york, president truman that is what is written, it is a little hard to see. That was a gift from douglas fairbanks. This was taken here at the Truman Library. He is a native of independence. Anybody want to venture a guess . On this side of president truman. You want to repeat that . Ginger rogers. David yes, thank you. This is here at the library in 1964. The next few some of the next few are multiple people. We will do some guessing. Does anybody want to see who the person in the middle is there . Lucille ball . David no. Marilyn monroe . David no, not marilyn monroe. This was march 1945. This was at the u. S. Capitol. Admiral halsey and senator buckley became senator trumans Vice President. Ok, the person on the right. Yes red skelton. Red skeltons wife was walking down the street and president truman stopped and greeted them and they took the picture. Unfortunately we do not have a lot of information other than that. This one is a little bit later. Two people, the one on the left, and the one in the middle. Any guesses . The one on the left is matt parker. David this gentleman right here. The one on the left is from gunsmoke. David yes, that is. It is mildred stone in the middle and tim curtis from gunsmoke. A similar picture, who is the one on the left . This lady back here. I think it is lucille ball. David no, it looks like her. Look who it is on the right and that will give you a hint. Miss kitty, from gunsmoke. This was october 1963 here at the Truman Library. This looks fairly young, the person on the right. Yes, very good, pat boone. This is another one of the photos, we do not have much information about other than it is pat boone and president truman is playing the piano. There are a number of people on here so we will do one at a time and go through. Not this one, anybody know the next person over . To the right. No, the next one over, to the right. You can either look at murder she wrote, she played mrs. Potts in yes, ok. Angela lansbury. The next gentleman with the mustache you might recognize. He was on batman. Yes, very good. He played the joker on the batman. I believe he was in a lot of other things, but that is what i recognize him from. Van johnson was in a lot of war movies. Then there is margaret truman, president trumans daughter. Then they were a child actor. Round to the next one, that last one was at the president ial ball in 1946. This is the white house news photographers ball. Anybody recognize any of the ones in the photos . This gentleman. Thats right, wally cox on the right. Anyone have an idea of who is next to him . Is that danny thomas . David no. Eddie fisher . David no. Liberace . David yes, very good, liberace. There is dorothy lamour. Liberace, young looking liberace and wally cox. This is a number of people, this is the 50th anniversary of american Movie Theater at the white house. There are two people that are interesting to me that they are in the same photo. The lady on the left and the lady on the right. Anybody want to guess who the two are. Elizabeth taylor and Debbie Fisher . David yes, debbie reynolds. Those are the two. Elizabeth taylor, truman, and debbie reynolds. This is a photo taken in front of the truman home, it is really hard to see, but you can see president truman in the back window. Anyone want to venture guess who is in the photo . Jackie cooper . Henry fonda. David jackie cooper, henry fonda, ok. Not a rush. Paul reiner, henry fonda, jackie cooper, tippi hendren. I tried but was not able to determine who that was. This is gilbert in los angeles. If you look closely, above that railing, you could see there are three wellknown people. Ronald reagan in the middle. David ok, Ronald Reagan. Anybody want to guess the other two . They are a little hard to see because you dont get the tops of their heads. Nancy davis, next to Ronald Reagan . David no, that is a good guess because it is hard to tell who it is. Ronald reagan, Humphrey Bogart. It is a little hard to see. Youre right. Then george jessel. It is a little hard to see, this is Ronald Reagan before he became republican. There is some correspondence this is the only letter we have between harry truman and Humphrey Bogart. There is a bet with someone i made a few years ago, then president truman writes back. In the second paragraph, Humphrey Bogart would appreciate to have it to frame it if i may say, my son who may run for democrat and that democratic ticket in 1999, unless you still hold office. [laughter] david this one is at a theater in new york on april 22, 1964. Any guesses who is in the middle on the right . On the right it is dewey. David yes, thomas dewey. We have a gentleman in the back. George montgomery . David no. Any other guesses . Robert preston . David yes, very good, robert preston. This one is in 1964 year at the library. The first the person on the right. Glen campbell. David no, good guess. Jack lord. David yes. This is jack lord. He played stony burke in a western that ran in 1962 and 1963. He was here visiting at the library. This one is at a performance at that the theater in new york in 1959. We recognize the person on the right. Over here. Andy griffith. David yes. Scott brady endorsed gray. And doris grade. Truman with a prop gun, then andy griffith. This is correspondence with Howard Hughes. This is at the time that Howard Hughes crashed his xf11 plain, crushed his collarbone, damage to his lung and burned his hand. He says, hope you feel he is talking about how he hopes he feels better. Howard writes back, thank you for your concern and caring enough to write. The person you will probably recognizes the one on the right. Anybody want to guess who that might be . This gentleman right here. Jimmy stewart. David yes, correct. I was not sure if someone would recognize him or not. This is at the air force association in 1946. You have general doolittle. All right. This is the book signed by audie murphy who was a hero in world war ii. It is interesting seeing the address, 753 and a half. I never heard of in address that is a half. It is a book that he signed. Audie murphy played himself in the movie he would that was made with that title. This was the inaugural party on january 19, 1949. See if there is anyone you recognize. They are not as wellknown known, but we will go through the names. An davis, lenajon horne, margaret obrien, there are some people that are unidentified. Harry truman, reagan, and gene kelly. This is a letter signed by walt disney. In the 60s. In the 1960s. This is the few that we have. President truman gave him what gave him memoirs. We will have a video clip. [jazz singer] i am just wild about harry harry is wild about me i am just wild about harry and he is just wild about what can i do about he is just wild about meeeeeee [applause] david this would have been 1959 at harry truman 75th bird they party. Lets go to the next one, the next section is about athletes. All of these are about baseball. It is interesting, as we go through the photos, best truman was a lot more interested in the baseball games than harry was. We have baseball passes with the president so he could attend the games in washington each year. This is opening game at griffith stadium on april 18, 1950. Recognize margaret, president truman, guess who that is next to harry . Yes, very good, very good. Here is another one. This is april 20, 1951. Very good. All right. Yes, very good. This is out of in berkeley out of in berkeley, Vice President. Looks a little terrifying. If you see the ball way up at the top in the middle. Not sure where that is going, but harris, Clark Griffith and casey. This will be a little bit tougher unless you are a real baseball fan, i think. 1940 six, he played for the detroit tigers. Repeat that. Yes, thank you. How about this . This is at the kansas city athletic in 1961. Anybody want to say who that person is on the right . Charles finley . David yes, thats exactly why i understand why they are booing because he moves them to oakland. Best is keeping score bess is keeping score. He is not a wellliked man here in kansas city. This is 1961, i have a guest back here a guess back here. Ok, mickey mantle. Who is the other person. Yes, very good. This is when they were in the home run race, see who could get the most home runs that year. Yes, there was. The Baseball Players the one on the right. Yep, that is sam usual. This is october 3, 1952, the democratic rally in jefferson city. This is in correspondence, we have this signed by babe ruth, which is im sure is not i dont know how common it was for letters to be sent from babe ruth, but he is trying to raise money for the Babe Ruth Foundation. The next letter is signed by dizzy dean, the picture for the cardinals. Part of the Babe Ruth Foundation as well. This next one is one of my favorite photos. There is a fellow archivist here who does not like this photo. [laughter] david you can see why. This is the way the photo was when we got it from the papers. He was a friend of his. At some point they doctored the photo and put president truman there. I like it, i think it is entertaining. [laughter] politicians and military leaders. I think these ones will be easy to recognize. Anybody want to guess . One on the left and the one on the right. Yes, that is exactly who it is. Fdr, Vice President truman returning to the capital capital. I start by saying the character of my friend was proved