September 2, 1954
Jack Paar Tries Hard, But Mother’s Skeptical
By Earl Wilson
NEW YORK—My Gorgeous Mother-in-Law and I each discovered Jack Paar about the same time. . . eight or nine years ago. . . when he was Jack Benny’s summer radio replacement.
“Poor Jack,” we’d say—we meant Jack Paar, not Jack Benny, who was doing all right—“if he could just get work the year ’round!”
Now that he’s doing CBS’ Morning Show in TV, this boy with all the home towns (Canton, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Hollywood and Hershey, Pa.) wakes up a Bronxville cab driver at 4:30. He starts to work while it’s still dark. For two weeks, he’s been on the air 15-1/2 hours a week—more ‘n Godfrey.
Jack’s extremely happy about it now—but his mother isn’t.
When the CBS brass decided to switch the Morning Show emphasis from news to comedy, and stuck Jack into the spot occupied by Walter Cronkite, who’s from Missouri and Texas, Jack phoned his mother in Indianapolis.
“What’s wrong, son?” she asked excitedly. “You sick—or have you been fired again?”
“Mother, think of all the money in the world—of $200,000!” he said. “That’s what I’m going to make in a year.”
“Don’t sign it, son! It can’t be honest. You’ll go to jail.”
“Mom, that’s what I’m going to get to do the Morning Show.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” she said. “And do get close to Walter Cronkite. That show just couldn’t get along without him.”
Paar now goes to bed about 8:15 p.m. so he can get the taxi driver up. His wfie, the former Miriam Hershey Wagner, is literally a “candy kid.” Her mother’s uncle, Milton Hershey, founded the chocolate business and the town of Hershey—and Jack is one of the community’s adopted sons.
CBS keeps a scoreboard of letters that show how Jack’s doing.
Letters objecting to “Kansas City Cronkite” being off the show are appropriately scored.
Recently the scoreboard gal asked:
“How do I score this letter?”
The letter didn’t mention Jack.
“We enjoyed Walter Cronkite so much and hated to see him leave the show for other assignments,” the letter said.
It was signed, “Mrs. H. A. Paar, Indianapolis.”
“It was from my mother,” sighs Jack. “That’s how she is. I wonder if she just prefers Walter Cronkite?”
The Milwaukee Sentinel
Leave a comment