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NBC's original 1954 Tonight Show was hosted by Steve Allen. My parents sometimes tuned it in after I was sent to bed. Ernie Kovacs took over in '56 before handing the reins to Jack Parr in '57, who then passed the baton to Johnny Carson in '62. Johnny maintained the top-rated late-night broadcast for the next thirty years. His occasional stand-in host, Jay Leno, brought a smooth transition that assured humorous programming until 2014. Fans in search of something to smile about seldom missed the show.
Learning in the late 1970s about American author, salesman, motivational speaker and humorist Zig Zigler's scheduled appearance in Bismarck, I bought tickets. In his opening monologue at the Belle Mehus Auditorium, he shared his pleasant conversation with a gentleman who sat next to him on the flight to North Dakota. Zig said he eventually felt comfortable enough to inquire about the metal band on a finger of his fellow-traveler's right hand. "Oh, that's my wedding ring," the gentleman explained.
"Why do you wear it on the wrong hand?" Zigler probed further.
"Because I married the wrong woman!" was the reply. There must have been an abundance of folks familiar with the concept in the audience -- considering an eruption of laughter.
For decades, thousands arrived in Minot this time of the year to celebrate Norwegian heritage. In addition to lefse, lutefisk, krumkake, pickled herring, Rommegrot and other delicacies, Hostfest offered handcrafted wares, traditional clothing, and much more -- including Red Skelton roaming the exhibit hall, chatting with folks and other topnotch entertainment. George Burns was one of the earliest entertainers at Hostfest. After a warmup act provided by two beautiful ladies who sang and danced to music provided by the Joe Alme Band, the applause welcomed Burns as he strolled onstage smoking a cigar and carrying a stool for his ashtray. "How about those gals, weren't they something?" calling them by name.
The crowd continued its applause while Burns did the same. He carried on when the audience quieted. "You know, while I was getting ready for tonight's show backstage, I noticed my dressing room was right next to theirs." Burns puffed his cigar, raised his eyebrows, then continued. "At some point, I noticed a hole in the wall between the two rooms." Folks in the auditorium looked at each other with their own eyebrows raised in anticipation of what might come next. "Well," Burns went on, "I thought about it, thought about it again, then thought about it some more. I finally decided, oh what the heck. They're young. Let 'em look." The crowd roared.
Another frequent Hostfest guest was legendary accordion player for the Lawrence Welk show, Myron Floren. Besides Hostfest activities, Floren also performed with the Minot Symphony Orchestra. When introduced at an MSO concert, Floren chose to chat with the audience before he began to play.
"It's always a pleasure to be back in Minot with so many good friends. I did have a bit of trouble on this trip, however. You see, I always travel with two smaller accordions in addition this one used with the orchestra tonight. I left the other two in my rental car parked in front of the auditorium this morning during the rehearsal. But, when I returned to the car afterwards, I found someone had broken into the car. There weren't two accordions on the back seat anymore. There were five." The house responded with laughter and ovation.
Today, in the absence of Hostfest, Zigler, Floren and late-night television comedy, the humor Mayo Clinic says benefits our mood, physical and mental health as well as longevity can be harder to find. While years slip by, perhaps insight George Burns mentioned after his 100th birthday can be reassuring. He explained, "Once you reach age 100, you've got it made. Very few people die past that age."
Sommers is a retired Minot orthodontist, violinist with the Minot Symphony and author of the book, "Retirement? You Can't HANDLE the Truth!"