December 8, 1955 in Lorain

There's plenty of things of interest on this 'Society' page from the December 8, 1955 Lorain Journal – 70 years ago today.

For starters, there's an article about the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show, which had taken place the night before. As usual, there was a celebrity emcee. "Bob McFadden, a new star in the entertainment profession, virtually wowed the audience with his impressions of Arthur Godfrey and his Talent Scouts program and other well known personalities," the article noted.

Bob McFadden

"Among the "scouts" was Winston Churchill. Other impressions were of Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe, Boris Karloff, Walter Brennan, "Lovable" Liberace, and others."

Bob McFadden would go on to have a long career in Hollywood. His specialty was providing voices for animated cartoons and commercials, including an impression of Boris Karloff for the voice of Franken Berry, the mascot of the same-named General Mills cereal; Milton the Monster; and Rory Raccoon and Lovable Truly the postman for Post Cereals.

(I wrote about Bob McFadden when he announced in November 1955 as the emcee for the upcoming MLT show here.)

Other entertainers at the show included young Ricky Zahnd, who performed his singing hit, "I'm Gettin' Nuttin' for Christmas."

Of interest to me is that Jimmy Dulio and his 12-piece big band performed, as well as providing musical accompaniment as needed to back up vocalists. The Jimmy Dulio band later became the Biz Grove Orchestra (of which my brother Ken and I were members).

Also of interest on the page is the story of the retirement of Captain William M. Ward of Lorain after 41 years of service with the Pittsburgh Steamship Division of U. S. Steel. As the article notes, "He also ended a 46-year career on the lakes, by laying up the freighter Enders M. Voorhees for the winter at Monroe, Mich. The Voorhees was the last ship of many in the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet he had commanded over the years."

Photo by Roger LeLievre and courtesy of
greatlakesships.wordpress.com 

In the article, Ward observed, "I'm sure going to miss being out on the lakes after all these years, but there are many things I would like to do as an ordinary land lubber. Mainly, I am thinking of doing a lot of traveling with my family."

Captain William Ward passed away on Sept. 21, 1972.

Pearl Harbor Day – 10 Years Later – Dec. 7, 1951

It's Pearl Harbor Day – the 84th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941 that launched our entry into World War II.

I've already posted the Lorain Journal front pages from December 6 through 11 (back here) so I thought I'd do something different. Above is the front page from the tenth anniversary on December 7, 1951. 

The lead story is quite poignant with the account of the death of Petty Officer Eugene Fuzi from Lorain who was onboard the U. S. S. Helena during the attack. The article also includes the impact of the news of the attack on the citizens of Lorain.

Here's the page 2 continuation of the article.

It's all quite interesting reading. 

Be sure to read the story of the Japanese admiral who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor. It's quite fascinating from his perspective as to why the attack happened when and where it did. The article includes his regrets, as well as his hopeful observation about the future. 

Santa at Dog 'N Suds – Dec. 1968

I'll close out the week here on the blog with a post about one of my favorite restaurants: Dog 'N Suds. It's been three months since it closed for the 2025 season, and I'm betting a lot of people besides me miss it. But it'll open up around April and then all will be right with the world. 

Back in 1968, however, Dog 'N Suds didn't close at the end of summer – it stayed open. So it's only natural that when it got close to Christmas, Santa Claus would stop by the drive-in for a visit. 

Above is the ad from the Saturday, December 20, 1968 Journal announcing the arrival of the jolly old elf the very next day. I wonder what the gift was that Santa had for the kiddies? I'm guessing it was the coloring book that was handed out the previous summer.

Anyway, the Santa ad doesn't exactly mention any food – so I got to wondering if it really was open and serving food. Sure enough, an ad appeared in the Journal on January 23rd, 1969, with a roast beef sandwich special.

Anyway, it's nice knowing that when winter's over, Dog 'N Suds will be back for what I believe will be a big anniversary year. The Grand Opening under the current ownership was back on July 1, 1966 so a 60th Birthday Celebration would certainly be in order. 

Choosing Favorite Comedies is No Laughing Matter

Laurel & Hardy in Saps at Sea (1940)

Would you be able to name your five favorite comedy movies?

Fox 8 News (which I'm partial to, since the station is very devoted to Vermilion) did a story on the all-time best screen comedies a few weeks ago. The report came about because Variety, the well-known entertainment magazine, did an article on "The 100 Best Comedy Movies of All Time (which you can read here).

The Fox 8 segment only mentioned the Variety top five, some of which had me scratching my head. Then the news anchors all named their favorites. It was fascinating because everyone's list was completely different. They all had their own idea of what's funny (although a few selected Anchorman).

It's a great topic for discussion.

My list of favorite comedies would have to include only those that I enjoy seeing and laughing at again and again, and never get tired of. That would eliminate a lot of movies that I've seen in the last 20 years, most of which I only saw once and promptly forgot. Thus my list is naturally steeped in nostalgia and hopelessly dated.

Here (in order of when they were first released) are my favorites:

Saps at Sea (1940) – Every list of great comedies should have at least one Laurel & Hardy movie on it. I watched Saps at Sea the other night (for about the 100th time) and still laughed out loud at Stan & Ollie. Besides, as a fan of the movie, I'm in good company – it was a favorite of Winston Churchill too! A close second L&H favorite would be A Chump at Oxford.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – I've devoted several posts to why I love this film. It's probably my favorite movie of all time.

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) – any family that trekked across the country by car on their vacation (like my family did, several times) can relate to this movie and find it hilarious. It has such a great cast too, with Chevy Chase, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Brian Doyle-Murray...

Groundhog Day (1993) – I'm a big Bill Murray fan, and he's great in this movie, which is hilarious and has a great message too. I watch it every year on – what else? – Groundhog Day.

But, Dan (you might say) – that's only four movies. Isn't there a fifth?

Well, I just couldn't decide. There are several comedies that I enjoy seeing over and over, even if I don't have a deep emotional connection with them: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), which I wrote about here; Support Your Local Sheriff (1969); Animal House (1978); The In-Laws (1979) with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin; Caddyshack (1980); Ghostbusters (1984); Back to the Future (1985); and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).

It's kind of funny that the most recent movie on my list is from 1993. I guess I really like the comedies of the 1980s, as that seemed to be the era in which the SNL and SCTV alumni did their best work.

Anyway, be sure to leave a comment about your favorite comedies.

Carling Black Label Ads – November & December 1955

Yesterday I noted that Johnny Risko had Carling Black Label Beer on tap in his Sheffield Lake tavern in 1940.

Well, seventy years ago this month, Carling rolled out a major marketing Schlitz, er blitz for Black Label Beer. Its popular "Hey Mabel – Black Label" campaign (featuring the lovely Jeanne Goodspeed as Mabel the waitress) was pushing sales of the beer to new heights. Consequently, a series of newspaper ads appeared in the pages of the Lorain Journal during November and December 1955 as part of the campaign.

Here are a few of them. All of them play up the catchy and fun "Hey Mabel" tagline.

Nov. 17, 1955

Dec. 1, 1955

Dec. 8, 1955

The last ad notes, "In 1949, Carling was 62nd in sales among the nation's brewers. Today it is in the top ten! And the enormous and ever growing popularity of Carling Black Label Beer tells you why."

The charming Mabel campaign – which worked well on radio but even better on TV – no doubt attracted new customers. But the taste and price must have been just right for sales to explode.

Of course these days tastes have changed. I always chuckle at how the arrival of Great Lakes Christmas Ale is a big event, with lines of people waiting. To each his own, I guess.

As for me, I'll stick with Mabel and the Hamms Bear.

In my fridge right now, purchased at the Brownhelm Store

Johnny Risko on the Comeback Trail – Dec. 1937

Johnny Risko has been a favorite topic on this blog. Why? Because the beloved heavyweight boxer owned a gas station and cottage in Sheffield Lake for many years, and some of his early fights took place in Lorain.

And back in December 1937, Risko was trying to make a comeback after a long career dating back to the early 1920s.

What follows are some clippings about Risko, from his fights in the fall of 1937 to his last fight in 1940, followed by a short Army career and a wartime job in Lorain.

Nov. 13, 1937

Nov. 18, 1937

Dec. 10, 1937

Dec. 18, 1937

Feb. 1, 1938

July 26, 1939

Aug. 17, 1939

Dec. 15, 1939

Jan. 30, 1940

The fight against Tony Musto would be Risko's last.

Feb. 20, 1940

Well, we now know Carling's Black Label was on tap at Johnny Risko's Sheffield Lake Bar.

Aug. 8, 1940

Aug. 13, 1942

Sept. 1, 1942

Sept. 1, 1942

March 27, 1943

March 31, 1943

June 12, 1943

Sept. 15, 1943

Dec. 16, 1943

Jan. 19, 1944

Dec. 20, 1946

First Church in Oberlin

A 1971 View

For just about four years now, I've been commuting to Oberlin, and it's always interesting to drive through the campus area. I've passed the First Church in Oberlin many times and wondered about its history, and whether it ever had a steeple (or spire, if you want to get picky).

Thus I was pleased to see that the Lorain Journal featured a photo of it in its December 21, 1939 edition, along with a capsule history. 

The caption reads, "This red brick building, the First church at Oberlin, was once the largest church in Ohio. It is the oldest public building in use on the campus at the present time, and was built in 1842."

Two websites provide more detailed information. The Architecture of Oberlin College website notes, "First Church in Oberlin, originally First Congregational Church, was built from plans by Richard Bond, a prominent New England architect whom Charles Grandison Finney met while recruiting faculty in Boston. 

"Building the church was a massive community effort, directed by Deacon Thomas P. Turner, a Vermont-born craftsman. The construction of First Church was begun in 1842, and the building was enclosed that year. The commencement exercises were held in it in August 1843, although it was still unfinished. It was completed in August 1844, and at that time it was the largest building west of the Allegheny mountains. It was built of brick and was characterized by rare simplicity and proportion. 

"The tower, taken from an Asher Benjamin pattern book, was added in 1845. 

"The audience room furnished seating capacity for 1400 people, and upon many occasions more than 2000 people have been crowded into it to hear the famed sermons by Charles Grandison Finney, the church's pastor and professor, then president, of Oberlin College. It was used for church services, the Commencement and other public exercises of the Institute and College, and for town meetings. It was the church home for all Oberlin people from 1843 to 1860. 

"In 1860 a membership of 1545 seemed to make necessary a division, resulting in the organization of a second church, called the Second Congregational Church. In 1908, and again in 1927, extensive repairs, alterations, and replacements were made. First Church was listed as an Oberlin City Landmark in 1975, and on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Oberlin College thematic nomination in 1978.

The National Fund for Sacred Places website provides a well-written history as well. "Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1833 as a utopian, racially integrated community in which the church, college, and town were jointly governed with a commitment to abolition, women’s rights, and universal suffrage," it notes. "The town attracted notable preacher Charles Grandison Finney, who called for the construction of a meetinghouse for the growing community in 1841. Finney commissioned architect Richard Fifield Bond, whom he met in Boston while recruiting faculty for Oberlin College, to design the Greek Revival church. 

"At the time of its completion in 1844, the meetinghouse was the largest building west of the Alleghenies. Defining events in the history of abolition occurred at First Church, including debates with Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. A century later, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church following the success of the Montgomery bus boycott. 

"First Church in Oberlin continues to be a major cultural center for its community. The church shares space with more than 75 groups, including interfaith coalitions, low-income family support, health initiatives, continuing education classes, community theater, and music groups. The church led the formation of the Coalition for Oberlin History, which pulled together members of Black history groups, leaders of the local African American community, and other community leaders to explore opportunities to further cultivate the city’s understanding of its own history and illuminate difficult narratives."

First Church in Oberlin has been featured on a few postcards over the years.

Postmarked 1953

Postmarked 1955

Here's an October 2025 view, courtesy of Google Maps.