ASK THE GEATOR Hereâ€™s to 50! G By Jerry Blavat REETINGS AND SALUTATIONS for the new year and the new decade. And for you folks who were with us at the Taj to celebrate, it was outstanding. As usual it was done with class and style, and Iâ€™ve got to congratulate Mark Juliano, Steve Gietka, Bill Schmal, K.K., and the entire staff and crew who made it such a memorable event. Now that weâ€™re in 2010 weâ€™ll be celebrating 50 years of musical memories that you and I have shared, and a part of that 50-year run is as a writer for the Whoot!, now the Atlantic City Weekly. So now, letâ€™s ask the Geator. There is a movie about Calamity Jane starring Doris Day that I saw on TV. Do you know anything about the actor who did a dance dressed as a woman? In the credits he was listed as Dick Wesson. I donâ€™t recognize his name but I know I have seen him before. â€” Mimi Cushman Scene. As you know, back then we had two different dances: the Chez Vous at 69th Street on a Friday night, and Wagnerâ€™s at Broad and Olney on Sunday Dick Wesson (below) was a popular afternoon. So when the kids at Chez character actor and comedian in the Vous created the dance to â€œYou Canâ€™t 1950s and â€™60s who also produced the TV Hurry Loveâ€? by the Supremes, we named show Petticoat Junction. You may remem- it the Chez Vous Walk. And when the ber him from The Bob Cummings Show or kids at Wagnerâ€™s came up with a dance to The Peopleâ€™s Choice, in which he played â€œMine Exclusivelyâ€? by the Olympics, we Rollo the Marine and best friend of Jackie called it the Wagner Walk. Cooper, the star of the series. Great trivia A long time ago my father heard me singquestion: Remember the name of the talking dog on the show? Answer below. ing songs in the bathroom that I learned listening to your radio show. As time has gone by, the thing that stands out in my Does anyone know mind is that you never took the easy road. how the Wagner Walk You set standards that today we still honor as dance was invented? I the greatest music played. You gave us all a was at Wagnerâ€™s and special gift â€” â€œdignity,â€? which lasts forever. like most kids learned No words can describe those great times, past how to do the dance, but and present. Keep on rocking, Jerry. I would like to know if â€” Jim Smith, Absecon Firefighter #8178 any individual or group started it. â€” Pattie By the grace of God, I have been Actually those dances were created by blessed. This year marks 50 years of the kids on our TV show, The Discophonic playing music from my heart, not from a research chart. When I receive a letter like yours, it makes all those years worthwhile. Many people have criticized and even tried to change the way I have done my shows. But folks like you have always known the real Geator by my music. Answer to trivia question: Cleo was the name of the basset hound who used to talk to the audience on The Peopleâ€™s Choice. n J ERRY B LAVAT Got a question for Jerry? Send it to AskTheGeator@ acweekly.com or Geator Gold Radio, 626 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. For more info on Jerryâ€™s appearances, go to www.geator. net â€” and keep on rocking, â€™cause you only rock once! see more online @ Gi\j\ek\[ Yp 34 JMA O NN U TA H R Y0 1 ek 04 , ,2 2 001 8 0/ /A A CC WW E Ee K L Yl .yC. C OO MM 2010 N@EE