Quasit's Daily Book Recommendations: "Write If You Get Work (and Hang By Your Thumbs): The Best of Bob & Ray" (1975) by Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
Age Range: 11 to adult
Genre: Humor, Radio
When I was a kid I looked forward to being sick. Why? Because my mother would set up a vaporizer, bring me tea and toast, and bring the kitchen radio up into my room. And I'd listen to WOR NY all day.
It was incredible. So many wonderful shows. Jean Shepherd. The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, hosted by E.G. Marshall. The Coffee Express. And best of all, Bob & Ray.
If you don't know Bob and Ray...well, this is your chance. They were two quirky guys from the Boston area who broadcast (separately) from WHDH radio. They started visiting each other on the air during each other's shows, and discovered that they shared the same unique type of humor. Their banter was so funny that the station gave them their own show in 1946. And that, as they say, is that.
They mostly parodied the medium of radio. Brilliantly offbeat takeoffs on popular soap operas, mystery shows, quiz shows, contests...you name it. It was perfect. They kept performing together until 1988, not only on radio but on TV as well. They appeared in a few movies and Broadway shows. And they did a few books...including this one.
[(Dramatic theme music. Establish and under for)
Announcer: And now the makers of Tingle—the long-wearing dental floss created from spun glass fiber—invite you to join us for another exciting adventure of Elmer W. Litzinger, Spy.
(Theme music up briefly and then out)
Litzinger: My name is Elmer W. Litzinger, Spy. I work with quiet efficiency on some of the toughest espionage assignments our government can hand out. Recently, we got word that a hostile foreign power was trying to crack the secret code that our Navy uses in the Pacific. It was my job to find out if the enemy had been successful. So I went to an island near the Philippines where foreign ships refuel—and made my way to a tavern that I knew was a favorite hangout for visiting sailors...
(Sound: General crowd noise under and hold for)
Bartender: What'll it be, Mac? Beer?
Litzinger: A blue moon over salmon-pink mountains.
Bartender: Sorry. I don't know much about making those fancy cocktails. What's in it?
Litzinger: Oh, that's not a drink, my good man. I thought you were one of our agents, so I gave you the secret greeting. You see, I'm Elmer W. Litzinger, Spy. Here's my business card.]
Even if I had a sore throat, I laughed my ass off. Radio was so much more fun back then.
The book's out of print (of course!), but I've found copies online, on the high seas, in used book shops, and in libraries. You can also borrow it for free from the Internet Archive.
https://archive.org/details/writeifyougetwor00elli
Incidentally, you can listen to old Bob & Ray shows on the Internet Archive. They're wonderful!
https://archive.org/details/bob-and-ray-1948-08-26-roving-reporter-ray-goulding
One last thing to mention: Bob Elliott had a son who worked on "Late Night With David Letterman", named Chris Elliott. He did a lot of great comedy bits there, and had several TV series later on–including the incredibly funny "Get A Life". Bob played Chris' father on the show.
Happy reading (and listening)! 🤓📖
Here's a complete spreadsheet of all the books I've recommended on Mastodon to date (along with links to each post):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSzubtaPojvprNwZCeR6N4xzCpZzMeb4xrrEHPtk6Bvx3RGj1Bxdg2KWY0CcjHjxUfMTGTF1eYpyoFn/pubhtml
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