The Pennsylvania Game
Vaudeville, football & Ethelbert Nevin
Season 5 Episode 10 | 27m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Can you guess this vaudeville (and early TV) star? Play the Pennsylvania Game.
Can you guess this vaudeville (and early TV) star? Play the Pennsylvania Game. This program is from WPSU’s archives: Information impacting answers may have changed since its original airing. Promotional offers are no longer valid.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
The Pennsylvania Game is a local public television program presented by WPSU
The Pennsylvania Game
Vaudeville, football & Ethelbert Nevin
Season 5 Episode 10 | 27m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Can you guess this vaudeville (and early TV) star? Play the Pennsylvania Game. This program is from WPSU’s archives: Information impacting answers may have changed since its original airing. Promotional offers are no longer valid.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipANNOUNCER: Easton is at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers.
Thomas Penn donated the land and the city was laid out in 1752.
The women of Easton produced something in 1776 that's still in the library.
Do you know what it is?
[theme music] You're invited to play The Pennsylvania Game.
Test your knowledge of the Commonwealth's people, places, and products.
The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by Uni-Marts Incorporated.
With stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware.
Serving you with courtesy and convenience every day of the year.
And by the Pennsylvania Public Television Network.
[theme music] Now, let's get the game started.
Here's the host of The Pennsylvania Game, Lynn Hinds.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
We have got some great questions for you for today's Pennsylvania Game.
We've got a lively audience.
They're from the Walnut Grove Church of The Brethren in Johnstown Pennsylvania.
Give yourselves a hand.
[applause] Came up on a tour bus, and they're ready to play along with our panel.
In the number one chair, our number one game player.
Let's welcome Bernie Asbell.
[applause] Originally from Philadelphia.
She's now a broadcast journalist in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Gina Redmond.
Started out in State College.
He's been all around the United States.
He's back home.
He's Kevin Nelson.
Thank you.
[applause] And we'll talk more with our panel in a little bit, but right now, let's go over to Easton.
It's in the Eastern part of the state, and they've got a library there and something in that library they're proud of.
ANNOUNCER: The public library in Easton, Northampton County is home for something believed to have been produced by the women of Easton in 1776.
Is that something A.
A uniform worn by George Washington, B.
The first American flag, C. A liberty quilt, or D. The first handwritten copy of The Declaration of Independence?
OK.
They're very proud of what the women of Easton did or produced in 1776, and they still have it in the library.
The only question we want to know is what did the women of Easton produce in 1776, Bernie?
They wouldn't undermine Betsy Ross that way, would they?
LYNN HINDS: I don't know.
No.
Quilt, uniform.
Oh, gosh.
Well, I think-- LYNN HINDS: They don't get any easier tonight either.
They don't?
LYNN HINDS: No.
Well, it was a cold winter, and they made themselves a quilt.
LYNN HINDS: A liberty quilt.
Yeah.
LYNN HINDS: What is a liberty quilt?
Could you-- BERNIE ASBELL: It's a quilt that, if you throw it off to the winds, you're free.
LYNN HINDS: I see.
Gina Redmond, with that kind of logic, what do you think?
Well see, I was going to say the same thing that he said.
Can I do that?
LYNN HINDS: Oh, sure.
Yeah because the other ones to me just don't make sense.
LYNN HINDS: You think the women got together, had a quilting bee, and made a liberty quilt, and that's still hanging on the walls.
Quilts are certainly nice wall decorations.
I know Kevin has a couple on his living room wall.
Kevin?
Attempted to quilt while I'm ahead, but I'm not ahead yet.
LYNN HINDS: That's true.
I don't know why, I just want to say the first handwritten copy of The Declaration of Independence.
Although, I think I remember it was in German.
So this doesn't make any sense at all, but I'd rather be wrong alone than right with the crowd.
Is that one is that one where the S's look like F's?
Yeah.
The "Perfuit" of Happiness and like that?
Of course, women write well.
Of course, they quilt well too.
What's the answer?
ANNOUNCER: The answer is B.
The first American flag.
The flag was first displayed July 8, 1776, on the occasion of the public reading of The Declaration of Independence.
It was later carried in The War of 1812, and has been in the keeping of the Easton public library since 1821.
Its design is almost the exact reverse of the one that legend credits Betsy Ross with creating.
Now, it's tough to document things absolutely, but they firmly believe this, and there's pretty good evidence for it.
But isn't that interesting?
It's backwards.
The stars are the big part and the stripes are up there in the corner, and they think that's the first American flag.
You're looking dubious.
No, no.
I don't doubt it at all.
It's just that stood out as the one that had to be, except it couldn't be because we're all-- LYNN HINDS: I know you talk yourself out of it.
--Betsy Ross.
I mean, Betsy Ross.
She can't forsake us now.
Good.
Ethelbert Nevin is his name.
He's from near Pittsburgh-- or was-- what did he do?
ANNOUNCER: Ethelbert Nevin, born in 1862 in Edgewood, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh was a popular and renowned musician of his time.
Today Nevin is remembered for A.
Leading the effort to make The Star Spangled Banner the national anthem, B.
Writing the most popular song of the first quarter of this century, C. Introducing the practice of having bands play at sporting events, or D. Writing the first musical score for a motion picture.
OK. Edgeworth is up the river.
Or is it down the river?
It's up the Ohio River-- down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh.
Not too far away.
And Ethelbert Nevin, born in 1862, did one of these four things.
And, Gina, you get to go first this time.
Did he lead the effort to make The Star Spangled Banner the National anthem?
If so, I wish he had picked another song.
That's a personal opinion.
Did he write the most popular song of the first quarter of this century?
That is 1900 to 1925.
Did he introduce the practice of having bands play at sporting events-- I wonder how long that's been going on-- or did he write the first musical score for a motion picture?
Good choices, but which one, Gina.
Well, it's definitely not A.
Definitely don't think it's A.
It wouldn't be B because if it was going to be B, they would have say what song it was going-- LYNN HINDS: Aha.
OK --so you know it's not B. I think C's my lucky letter, even though-- LYNN HINDS: C is your lucky letter.
Yeah, even though that wasn't the winner last time.
LYNN HINDS: Even though it hadn't been lucky so far.
Yeah I think it's definitely C. LYNN HINDS: Stick with C. Yeah.
Kevin.
They're all great answers.
Can I put all four up?
LYNN HINDS: No, you have to pick one.
How about the first musical score for a motion picture.
LYNN HINDS: What was that score, Kevin?
3-2.
3-2, OK. Bernie we've got a C and a D. [laughter] Kevin sometimes gets partial baseball scores on his radio show.
Three, it's a partial score.
Yes.
He was a composer.
He may have also been a performer, but he was a composer.
LYNN HINDS: Yeah, he was well composed.
Yes, he was.
I'll say that I don't know the motion picture.
I doubt it was Birth of a Nation, but maybe it was.
LYNN HINDS: Now, he was born in 1862.
And they didn't start doing sound on pictures till 1927, of course.
BERNIE ASBELL: Oh, great.
You guys want to change your answer?
He may have written for the piano player.
He used to-- LYNN HINDS: Let's see ANNOUNCER: The answer is B. Ethelbert Nevin's composition, The Rosary, written in 1898, was the most popular song of the first 25 years of the century.
The only other Nevin composition remembered today is the once popular Mighty Like A Rose.
Now would you have guessed The Rosary to be the most popular song of the first quarter of this century, written by Ethelbert Nevin of Edgewood Pennsylvania?
Let's talk a little bit to Gina Redmond.
Gina, you're originally from Philadelphia.
OK. And you're now working for WRTA Radio in Altoona.
What are you doing for them?
Well, just for about a month, I was covering a murder trial.
It was very exciting, very tedious.
Every night I'd go to bed early.
It was just long hours.
It was just very time consuming.
We tried to warn you when you were in school about what it was like in the real world, and was did we overstate the case?
No, not at all.
I never thought stuff like that happened, but it does.
You're heading for television eventually.
If you'd like to.
OK.
But you like journalism?
Yeah, I love it.
Radio is tough though.
It's hard work.
LYNN HINDS: Kevin would agree with you.
Kevin does radio news in the morning among a number of other things on WRCA Radio.
RSC.
LYNN HINDS: RSC.
You were close.
I'm close.
Radio State College.
RSC.
You do talk-- Yeah, and some news.
You do news.
And some banter with my partner Wendell.
LYNN HINDS: You have been a disk jockey-- For more years than I'll admit.
LYNN HINDS: You have swept up around the station, and-- Painted lines on the parking lot.
And Bernie, of course, sits by his computer and writes.
It's much better to be able to sit by your computer and write than have to go to a station and work.
I'm in radio.
LYNN HINDS: Are you?
I tune in Kevin every morning.
LYNN HINDS: Do you?
Oh, yeah.
LYNN HINDS: OK. [laughter] OK.
I won't give the score yet before we do one more question in hopes that somebody can get one right.
This is about a couple of towns in Pennsylvania.
ANNOUNCER: Kinzua in Warren County and Summerfield in Somerset County have something in common.
What distinction do they share?
A.
They were the first cities in Pennsylvania to be wired for cable, B.
They are both under water, C. They have produced the most Miss Pennsylvanians, or D. They are both totally covered by railroad tracks.
OK.
There's two towns.
One in Warren County, Kinzua, and one in Somerset County, Summerfield.
They have something in common.
What distinction do they share?
And whatever it is true they're for both of these, but what is it?
Kevin, it's your turn to start.
Well, when you're doing as well as I'm doing, you can't do any worse.
So I think I'm just going to go for the odd one.
They must sell a lot of scuba gear, but (IMITATING BUBBLES) I think they're both under water.
[laughter] Very good.
Kinzua and Summerfield are distinguished because they are both underwater.
OK.
In the yellow pages, no doubt.
Bernie are you convinced?
No, I'm just trying to ponder them both being totally covered by railroad tracks.
I mean, how you find them.
You know, I'm going to-- LYNN HINDS: Will you take the train?
When there's an opportunity to say cable television in connection with Pennsylvania, it was invented here.
They called it community antennas.
LYNN HINDS: I heard that.
I will-- I'll go for that.
I heard that on The Pennsylvania Game I think as a matter of fact.
Gina, what's your answer?
What were the two cities again?
LYNN HINDS: Kinzua in Warren County and Summerfield in Somerset County have something in common.
What is it?
And-- BERNIE ASBELL: They don't have radio stations, either of them.
See, originally I would have agreed with your answer, but they don't strike a bell.
I remember I learned that, so I don't think it's A. LYNN HINDS: Unless bell rings, you don't go with the answer, right?
No, LYNN HINDS: What is the answer?
C. [laughs] LYNN HINDS: We're going with Miss Pennsylvanians.
And with C it's been lucky so far, why not stick with a loser-- a winner.
What do these two towns have in common?
What should you pick?
ANNOUNCER: The answer is B.
They are both underwater.
[applause] Kinzua was inundated to form the Kinzua Dam in 1965, which provides flood protection for the upper Allegheny.
While Summerfield was flooded in 1938 and is now part of the massive Youghiogheny River, Lake, and Dam Complex.
Follow up to that is, can anybody spell Youghiogheny, and the answer is no.
Nobody can.
I'm happy I waited until that last question to announce that Kevin has taken a slight lead.
He got one right.
Let's hear it for Kevin.
[applause] Boy, are we stumping you tonight.
We have a mystery Pennsylvanian for you again, of course.
And we have three clues throughout the course of the show.
And we'll give you the three clues.
And panel, if you know it on the first clue, write it on line one.
Here is the first clue.
She followed her mother into vaudeville, but her fame came when vaudeville turned into TV.
She followed her mother into vaudeville, but her real fame came when vaudeville turned into television.
That's the first clue.
She was from Philadelphia if that helps anything.
I'll give you that additional clue, OK?
So you think about that at home.
It'll become clearer.
The second clue is going to be real clear for you.
Let's go now to a fellow named Tony Terlazzo, who was the first American to do something.
ANNOUNCER: In 1936, Tony Terlazzo of York County became the first American to do something.
Was he the first American to, A.
Win a motorcycle race, B. Prosecuted under the Lindbergh Law for kidnapping, C. Open an exercise salon, or D. Win a gold medal for weightlifting at the Olympics?
Those are some choices, aren't they?
Tony Terlazzo, York County in 1936 became the first American to do something.
What did he do first?
Bernie, we're back to you.
So you are.
LYNN HINDS: Aren't you glad?
Right.
Well, the question alone brings out the criminal in me.
Let's make him be a kidnapper or an alleged kidnapper.
The defendant as a kidnapper.
That's about the right time, isn't it?
Because the Lindbergh Kidnapping Law was right after the-- BERNIE ASBELL: Yeah, it was.
OK. All right.
Bruno-- BERNIE ASBELL: Richard Hauptmann.
LYNN HINDS: Bruno Richard Hauptmann, OK. Gina, are you convinced by Bernie's logic, vast knowledge of history, and the fact that he's 0 for 3?
Yeah, he has the same score as me now.
It can't be C because they didn't exercise that much back then, did they?
[laughs] No, they really didn't start to exercise until about 1962, Gina.
Before that nobody ever exercise.
You didn't have to because people worked back then.
You didn't need to go running around exercising.
Motorcycle-- all right, I'll go with D. LYNN HINDS: We're going with D. Win a gold medal at weightlifting at the Olympics.
OK. Actually, we had a kidnapping in the audience before we got started, but his mom woke him up.
LYNN HINDS: His mom woke him up.
Well.
Oh, they turn on you.
LYNN HINDS: Yeah.
I'm going to I'm going to go with D because I happen to know there's a weightlifting Hall of Fame or something near York, and that may be because the first American was-- LYNN HINDS: Sure.
You don't have this audience in the palm of your hand-- No, I got them eating out of my arms.
Tony Terlazzo, 1936, first American to do this.
ANNOUNCER: The answer is D. Win a gold medal for weightlifting.
As a featherweight, Tony Terlazzo lifted a total of 678 and 1/2 pounds including one lift of more than twice his weight, becoming the first American to win an Olympic weightlifting championship.
OK. Let's go to Philadelphia.
Gina, do you know where the Broad Street Methodist Church is?
The Methodist church on Broad Street?
Mm-hmm LYNN HINDS: OK.
There was a pastor there named Reverend Charles Tinley who wrote something back in 1900, just as the century was turning, and it turned out to be the basis for something more-- well, Wendy Williams will explain it.
ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years, the Reverend Charles Tinley of Philadelphia pastored one of the largest Methodist congregations in the world on Broad Street in Philadelphia.
A musician in his spare time, the Reverend Tinley wrote a piece of music in 1900 that inspired a song that would play a role in American history.
Was that song, A.
Brother Can You Spare a Dime, B.
Happy Days Are Here Again, C. We Shall Overcome, or D. America the Beautiful?
OK. 1900, Reverend Charles Tinley wrote this song, and it's almost identical with the song that we have today.
Brother Can You Spare a Dime, which of course, was from the depression.
Happy Days Are Here Again, the theme song for FDR.
We Shall Overcome, of course, the song of the 60s.
And America the Beautiful, which should be our national anthem.
Gina, which one did Charles Tinley write?
Oh.
Well, you know I'd like to say We Shall Overcome, but I don't think it was that because I know that didn't start-- he couldn't-- Well, he wrote this song that inspired the song.
It was changed a little bit, but not much.
So I can tell you, it could be any of these four.
It really could.
I'm going to say A. LYNN HINDS: OK.
Brother Can You Spare a Dime.
Kevin, can you spare a dime?
No I think I will overcome.
I like the sound of that.
LYNN HINDS: You're going to go with a lucky letter C?
Yeah.
LYNN HINDS: Bernie, do you know this one?
We Shall Overcome was an old song at the time of the Civil Rights Movement, and Pete Seager with his banjo began playing it as an old hymn and introduced it and it slowly became the hymn of the Civil Rights-- LYNN HINDS: You think that the Reverend Charles Tinley of Philadelphia in 1900 wrote We Shall Overcome?
Well, it could be.
Let's see.
ANNOUNCER: The answer is C. We Shall Overcome.
Charles Tinley wrote a song called I'll Overcome Some Day.
Activists in the labor movement changed the lyrics slightly and combined them with the music of an old slave song to create what became the moving anthem of the Civil Rights movement.
The Reverend Tinley also wrote a song called Stand By Me, which later inspired the hit tune by Ben E. King.
However, Mr. Tinley was doing all right.
Gina, you should have stuck with your lucky letter C that time.
The score?
Well, Kevin's ahead with three, but Bernie and Gina are creeping up with one each.
Let's encourage our panel.
They're doing all right.
[applause] You're right though.
We shall overcome has a long and venerable history.
Clue number two for our mystery Pennsylvanian, she worked in the Poconos and the '30s and '40s where she met a social director named Max Liebman.
He remembered her when he became a TV producer.
She worked in the Poconos in the '30s and '40s, met a social director named Max Liebman.
He became a television producer, and he said, hey, I remember-- The first clue was, she followed her mom into vaudeville, but fame came later, when vaudeville became television.
By the way, if you've got a question for us, a comment, just want to write and say hi, our address is The Pennsylvania Game Wagner Annex, University Park, 16802.
You guys are thinking.
Think some more, and we'll give you another one.
Max Liebman is a heavy clue there.
OK. Let's go to Pittsburgh again, on the afternoon of December 5, 1908 for a football game.
ANNOUNCER: On the afternoon of December 5, 1908, the University of Pittsburgh football team met Washington & Jefferson.
The game was especially memorable because A.
It was the first time players wore numbers on their uniforms, B.
It was the highest scoring game in collegiate football history, C. It was the only time a female played in a college football game, or D. It was the first game played at Pitt Stadium?
OK.
There are your four choices.
By the way, thanks to Tony Tierney of Mount Lebanon in Pittsburgh for sending this in.
And also, I want to say that Arthur Forsyth of Perryopolis sent in the question about Kinzua, and both of them, courtesy of WPSX and the publishers of Pennsylvania Magazine, will get a year's free subscription to Pennsylvania Magazine for sending in those questions.
And we really, really appreciate that.
Afternoon, December 5.
You don't write on this one, you just pick a-- oh, you're thinking of.
Bernie's still thinking of that.
1908, The University of Pittsburgh and W&J played.
Why was that game memorable?
And where are we?
Gina, I believe we're up to you to start this time.
Was it the first time they wore numbers, was it the highest scoring game, was it the only time a female played, or was it the first game played at Pitt Stadium?
This is tough.
I don't know that much about football, but D seems logical.
LYNN HINDS: Knowing a lot about football wouldn't help on this question.
Kevin, would it?
No it doesn't really.
How about the highest scoring?
LYNN HINDS: Highest scoring?
For no particular reason.
LYNN HINDS: Well, it's because they scored the most points.
Well, yeah that would be a reason.
LYNN HINDS: Bernie, what was this game memorable for?
In 1908 or "19 aught 8" as we used to say.
A is not on the screen there.
Could you tell me what was again?
LYNN HINDS: A was, "the first time players wore numbers on their uniforms."
I like that.
LYNN HINDS: Do you?
I do like that.
[laughter] LYNN HINDS: And if you like something, you just jump right on it.
Well, he likes it.
What did you like at home?
I hope you're playing along with us.
ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, The University of Pittsburgh team had numbers sewn on their uniforms to enable spectators to identify the players.
Well, that's helped the fans.
It didn't do much for the team since Pitt lost to Washington & Jefferson 14 to 0.
OK. We got that.
Bernie just went ahead-- no, Bernie just almost caught up with Kevin's what almost happened.
Let's go to Philadelphia again.
Philadelphia in 1793 this time.
It's before your time, Gina.
You weren't around then, but something that happened there.
ANNOUNCER: In 1793, a Frenchman named Sam Merci was so intrigued by something he saw in Philadelphia that he introduced it in European cities when he returned.
Did he introduce A. Mailboxes, B. Odd-even house numbering, C, front porches, or D, streetlights.
OK. Name was Sam Merci.
We have a lot of French questions on this series of Pennsylvania Games.
1793, saw something in Philadelphia, he said, boy, let's take that home.
What was it, Kevin?
I thought it was going to be a cracked bell, but of course that's-- No.
No, no, no, no, no.
That's not up there.
LYNN HINDS: It's too early.
Well, I know Franklin was the first postmaster by golly, and he probably invented mailboxes.
He invented everything else, and they probably didn't have those in France.
LYNN HINDS: So we're going with A. KEVIN NELSON: Yeah.
LYNN HINDS: Bernie?
BERNIE ASBELL: 1793.
LYNN HINDS: 1793, yes.
Well as I vote for A, I realize that's 50 years-- about 50 years before the first postage stamp.
LYNN HINDS: That's right.
And you know how you mailed a letter?
You dropped it in one of those boxes, and then the person at the other end paid.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
You learned that on The Pennsylvania Game, I'll bet.
BERNIE ASBELL: Did I?
No.
No, I learned it as a boy stamp collector.
You got that question wrong on The Pennsylvania Game.
[laughs] LYNN HINDS: Gina?
Philadelphia, your hometown.
I know.
I don't know any of the questions about Philadelphia.
Should I just go with the-- LYNN HINDS: Go with whatever you think is right.
Oh.
OK, where was he from?
LYNN HINDS: He was from France.
He was from France.
LYNN HINDS: Sam Merci.
He saw this in Philadelphia and took it back home with him.
What was "a great idea," he said.
(IN FRENCH ACCENT) This is a great idea, he said.
BERNIE ASBELL: Just how he said it.
LYNN HINDS: That's how he said it, yeah.
Uh-huh.
I'll be weird and go with D. You're going with streetlights.
OK.
It was a real good idea, and we still do it today.
ANNOUNCER: The answer is B.
The Philadelphia practice that impressed the French visitor in 1793 was placing even numbers on one side of the street and odd numbers on the opposite side.
Essential services such as mail delivery would be next to impossible in today's modern cities if such a system had not been invented.
And that's how you know which side of the street it's on.
Even on one side, and odd-- it's just a great idea.
GINA REDMOND: I was going to say that.
Belleville.
Belleville is in Mifflin County, and Belleville has a product that they make that makes them kind of famous in Belleville.
ANNOUNCER: Belleville in Mifflin County holds a distinction for something made there, making it the world capital for this product.
Is Belleville known as A.
The rake capital of the world, B. Bubblegum capital of the world, C. Skateboard capital of the world, or D. Milking machine capital of the world.
[laughter] I love those choices.
James Yoder of McVeytown sent that in.
And from PSX and the publishers of Pennsylvania Magazine, a free year's subscription, Mr. Yoder to Pennsylvania Magazine.
You'll enjoy it, I know.
Bernie, what is Belleville known as?
[scoffs] The last one was?
LYNN HINDS: Milking-- Was the milking machine.
Let's try that.
LYNN HINDS: --machine capital of the world.
All right?
GINA REDMOND: Belleville-- LYNN HINDS: They've got some pull there in Belleville, you think?
Gina?
GINA REDMOND: Does the date matter?
LYNN HINDS: No, date doesn't matter.
They've been known for this for a long time.
Belleville.
LYNN HINDS: Belleville, uh-huh.
Rakes.
LYNN HINDS: Mifflin County, uh-huh.
Let's say A. LYNN HINDS: Let's say the rake capital.
OK. She says A. Kevin, we got a rake and a milking machine.
Bubble gum and skateboard have not been covered for some reason.
I've got it down to rake and milking machine and well, it's an utter stretch but-- LYNN HINDS: An utter stretch and we're going with it.
We have two milking machines-- two milking machines and one rake.
What's the correct answer?
ANNOUNCER: The answer is A. Rake capital of the world.
As part of Ford New Holland, The Belleville Plant supplies specialized rakes to farmers around the world, selling more than all other brands combined.
A far cry from the original Belleville Plant, which was founded more than 100 years ago as a buggy repair shop.
Yeah, rakes of all kinds.
Here's clue number three.
She won an Emmy as half of a great comedic acting team in the golden age of television.
Oh, Gina said, I know who she is.
She won an Emmy as half of a great comedic acting team.
Followed her mother into vaudeville.
She worked in the Poconos, and a social director named Max Liebman remembered her when he got to TV.
Kevin, you've written something down there?
What is it?
Imogene Coca.
LYNN HINDS: Imogene Coca on line three.
Gina?
George Burns' wife.
LYNN HINDS: George Burns wife Gracie Allen you say.
Sid Caesar's partner.
Gina sitting here kept making me think "Gina."
LYNN HINDS: Gina something.
Imogene Coca.
Imogene Coca, they say.
BERNIE ASBELL: I don't know if I get credit or not.
ANNOUNCER: Born in Philadelphia, Imogene Coca's father was an orchestra leader.
Her mother, a vaudevillian who was regularly sawed in half by Thurstan the magician.
With piano lessons at age five, singing lessons at six, and dancing lessons at seven, Imogene Coca was a vaudeville trooper herself by age 14.
In the 1930s and '40s, she worked the Pocono Circuit, where she met social director Max Liebman.
When he became producer of Your Show of Shows in TV's golden age, she teamed with Sid Caesar to become half of the television's most famous comedic acting team.
She won an Emmy as Best Actress in 1951.
Imogene Coca always suffered severe stage fright.
She always gave a masterful performance.
Imogene Coca, a famous Pennsylvanian.
It is very difficult when you're sitting here to pull a name like that out of the air, but I guess we've got to give the show to Kevin because he got three questions right and the mystery Pennsylvanian on number.
Three so let's have a little round of applause for Kevin.
[applause] Goodness knows Kevin doesn't have much applause in his life and he'll take every bit.
I play some old time television for my students, and some of the shows we're pretty bad, but when you watch Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, what great, great talents they were and she still is.
She's still acting.
She's still around.
She was here at Penn State just not too long ago.
Imogene Coca from Philadelphia.
Gina, did you have a good time?
GINA REDMOND: I had a great time.
We had a great time having you here.
Come back and see us again.
Thank you.
LYNN HINDS: Good luck with your broadcast career.
Oh, thank you very much.
And good luck to you and thanks for joining us.
And we hope you'll gather right here next time to play The Pennsylvania Game.
See you then.
[applause] [ending theme] ANNOUNCER: The Pennsylvania Game has been made possible in part by Uni-Marts Incorporated.
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And by the Pennsylvania Public Television Network.
[applause] [ending theme]
Support for PBS provided by:
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