Don Hornsby
Encyclopedia
Don "Creesh" Hornsby was a comedian and novelty pianist who was slated to be the original host of Broadway Open House
, American network television's first late night program.
Hornsby was born in Cooper, Texas, and attended Harding Junior College in Wichita Falls for a short time before joining the Marines. Originally a straightforward pianist, eventually Hornsby's nightclub act, which Life Magazine described as "a five-hour marathon of surrealist madness", incorporated rubber alligators, magic tricks, acrobatics, dry ice, and a live donkey. Hornsby's performance, a continuous set during which he was served meals onstage, also featured custom-made props, including a "tickle-tickle" machine, which a United Press
article called "a Buck Rogers contraption with red lights, blue dials and green knobs" that fired "a bombardment of tiny rubber cones", which Hornsby would then scoop up with a butterfly net. One of his specialties was playing the Warsaw Concerto
while suspended by his heels above the piano.
His catchphrase "creesh", which he shouted at frequent intervals onstage, is a portmanteau word meaning "constructive escapism". As Hornsby explained it, "creeshism" in action meant that "anything can be funny in the proper situation." Among his fanbase were veteran comedians Fred Allen
, Phil Silvers
and Groucho Marx
.
On the strength of his act—and an endorsement from Bob Hope
—Hornsby was signed to a five-year contract with NBC
and was set to host the program that would become Broadway Open House, but was diagnosed with polio
the week before the series was originally scheduled to debut. The disease led to his death less than a week later at age 26.
Broadway Open House
Broadway Open House, network television's first late-night comedy-variety series, was telecast live on NBC from May 29, 1950 to August 24, 1951, airing weeknights from 11pm to midnight...
, American network television's first late night program.
Hornsby was born in Cooper, Texas, and attended Harding Junior College in Wichita Falls for a short time before joining the Marines. Originally a straightforward pianist, eventually Hornsby's nightclub act, which Life Magazine described as "a five-hour marathon of surrealist madness", incorporated rubber alligators, magic tricks, acrobatics, dry ice, and a live donkey. Hornsby's performance, a continuous set during which he was served meals onstage, also featured custom-made props, including a "tickle-tickle" machine, which a United Press
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
article called "a Buck Rogers contraption with red lights, blue dials and green knobs" that fired "a bombardment of tiny rubber cones", which Hornsby would then scoop up with a butterfly net. One of his specialties was playing the Warsaw Concerto
Warsaw Concerto
The Warsaw Concerto is a single-movement piano concerto written for the 1941 film Dangerous Moonlight . It was written by British composer Richard Addinsell...
while suspended by his heels above the piano.
His catchphrase "creesh", which he shouted at frequent intervals onstage, is a portmanteau word meaning "constructive escapism". As Hornsby explained it, "creeshism" in action meant that "anything can be funny in the proper situation." Among his fanbase were veteran comedians Fred Allen
Fred Allen
Fred Allen was an American comedian whose absurdist, topically pointed radio show made him one of the most popular and forward-looking humorists in the so-called classic era of American radio.His best-remembered gag was his long-running mock feud with friend and fellow comedian Jack Benny, but it...
, Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S...
and Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
.
On the strength of his act—and an endorsement from Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
—Hornsby was signed to a five-year contract with NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and was set to host the program that would become Broadway Open House, but was diagnosed with polio
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
the week before the series was originally scheduled to debut. The disease led to his death less than a week later at age 26.