Home Contact Information Photo Galleries   • 2000-2009   • 1990-1999   • 1980-1989   • 1970-1979   • 1960-1969   • 1959   • 1958   • 1957   • 1956   • 1955   • 1954   • 1953   • 1952   • 1951   • 1950   • 1949   • 1948   1956 FATHERS’ FOLLIES OF 1956 The Ninth Year: April 18, 19, and 20, 1956 Producer: Gordon Heard Director: Joe Sauers Writer: Larry Clemmons Music: Huff Allen, Art Holt and The Verdugo Woodlands “Pops” Orchestra Choreograpy: Beth Allen Poster Art: Al Taliaferro By Jill Benone: A clever publicity campaign heralded the 1956 show, with consecutive stories in the Glendale News-Press concerned with mysterious happenings in the Follies group. On March 24, looking for a location to shoot the 15 minute show prologue, News-Press photographs showed the men being turned away by City Manager James Perkins and VW Principal Ruth Cain. On April 13, the News-Press stated that twelve prominent cast members had disappeared. The men’s wives were worried, fearing that although their husbands might abandon their families, they would "never walk out on their roles in Fathers’ Follies". By April 18, it was suggested "another elementary school" might be behind the disappearances. "Private Eye" Stan Green and the “Vigilantes of the Verdugos” investigated, hospitals were alerted to possible amnesia cases, with “special attention urged to any who assume an air of reverence when the words "Fathers’ Follies" were uttered. The only show to have no program, this one opened with a (lost) 16mm film depicting the "lost" cast and listing the credits The production sheet indicates the show was set in a night club/restaurant. There were twelve musicians in the orchestra, supporting singing and dancing choruses. The cast apparently included a maitre’d, an emcee, spaghetti and pastry chefs (visualize the skits!), and various specialty numbers. Cast members were seated at four tables, attended by various waiters and servers. Reported by Mrs. Doris McKentley, Historian: For three nights, Gordon Heard and crew of behind-scenes-talent-and footlight-stars did it again! It’s hard to tell which is better, the wonderful fun for cast and audience, or the shining $1,073.54 profit, of which $573.54 went to the Verdugo Woodlands Dads’ Club for the soon-to-be-realized dream of a Youth Center.