Senator Claghorn
Encyclopedia
Senator Beauregard Claghorn of Charleston, South Carolina
, was a popular radio
character on the "Allen's Alley" segment of The Fred Allen
Show beginning in 1945. Succeeding the vaguely similar but not nearly as popular Senator Bloat from the earliest "Allen's Alley" routines, Senator Claghorn—portrayed by Allen's announcer, Kenny Delmar
—was a blustery Southern
politician whose home was usually the first at which Allen would knock. Claghorn would typically answer the door with, "Somebody, ah say, somebody knocked! Claghorn's the name, Senator Claghorn, that is. I'm from the South. Suh."
Claghorn had an unshakable obsession with the South, and would proudly voice his disdain for the North in humorous ways. For instance, the Senator refused to ever wear a "Union suit
" or drive through the Lincoln Tunnel
when he visited New York City
, and he claimed to drink only out of Dixie cups. The Senator even rebuked Allen for saying the word "no" in his presence, saying "N-O.. That's North abbreviated!!"
Some of the Senator's other anti-Northisms included (but were not limited to) these:
When Allen was finally able to get a word in edgewise on the Senator, he would ask him a topical question, to which Claghorn would respond with a rapid stream of talk, shouting, repetition and punnery. After a quip, the senator would laugh uproariously, and utter one of his two catchphrases: "That's a joke, son!" or "Pay attention now, boy!"
Claghorn would also make frequent jabs at Allen, using analogies which would astonish the audience in their ability to paint a picture. After a tirade of invective from Allen, Claghorn responded by advising Allen that "Your tongue's waggin' like a blind dogs tail at a meat market." A torrent of laughter from the studio audience followed such exchanges.
Delmar debuted Claghorn on the Allen broadcast of October 5, 1945, and the character stayed through the show's end in 1949, when the series transitioned from "Allen's Alley" to a "Main Street" segment to accommodate Allen's final sponsor, Ford Motor Company
. In one episode, Allen asked the Senator what he was doing to remedy his sleep problem; the Senator said he crooned himself to sleep with his southern lullaby, which went thus:
In another well remembered exchange, Claghorn responded to an inquiry by Allen as to whether Washington had done anything to aid in reducing an epidemic of colds currently afflicting the country. Claghorn responded that "The senate, I say the senate reconvened just in time. I was glad to see Senator Aiken back. Achin' back! That's a joke, son." The reference of course to George Aiken
, R-VT, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1941 to 1975. Further discussion regarding cold remedies resulted in this exchange:
Allen's interview with Claghorn generally ended with his bellowing "So long! So long, that is!!" (usually over laughter and applause from the audience)
At the height of popularity, the character was often mentioned or parodied on other programs, especially that of Jack Benny
, with fellow Southerner
Phil Harris
usually playing the part (and Delmar himself guesting in the role on February 12, 1950, months after Allen's show had left the airwaves). The most famous parody, which ironically has outlasted its source in public memory, is the Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes
classic animation character, Foghorn Leghorn.
The senator had a life outside of radio, however. Delmar played the character in commercials, in two records (I Love You, That Is and That's a Joke, Son), and a theatrical film. The film, titled It's a Joke, Son (1947), co-starred Una Merkel
as Mrs. Claghorn, and the plot involved the senator running for office against his wife. Delmar even played a thinly veiled version of Claghorn, retitled Senator Hominy Smith, in the Broadway musical Texas Li'l Darlin. Ironically, however, Delmar recalled that after Warner Bros.
copyrighted Foghorn Leghorn, he had to ask their permission to play the character elsewhere. In the 1960s, Delmar took his characterization and catchphrases back as the voice of The Hunter, a character on the animated series King Leonardo and his Short Subjects
.
Dave Sim
adopted the same speech patterns for Elrod the Albino, a character in his independent comic book
Cerebus the Aardvark
; whether these were derived directly from Claghorn or from the cartoon rooster is unknown.
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, was a popular radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
character on the "Allen's Alley" segment of The 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...
Show beginning in 1945. Succeeding the vaguely similar but not nearly as popular Senator Bloat from the earliest "Allen's Alley" routines, Senator Claghorn—portrayed by Allen's announcer, Kenny Delmar
Kenny Delmar
Kenneth Howard "Kenny" Delmar was an American actor active in radio, films, and animation.-Radio:...
—was a blustery Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
politician whose home was usually the first at which Allen would knock. Claghorn would typically answer the door with, "Somebody, ah say, somebody knocked! Claghorn's the name, Senator Claghorn, that is. I'm from the South. Suh."
Claghorn had an unshakable obsession with the South, and would proudly voice his disdain for the North in humorous ways. For instance, the Senator refused to ever wear a "Union suit
Union suit
A union suit is a type of one-piece long underwear. Created in Utica, New York, United States, it originated as women's wear during the 19th-century United States clothing reform efforts, as an alternative to constricting garments, and soon gained popularity among men as well...
" or drive through the Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
when he visited New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and he claimed to drink only out of Dixie cups. The Senator even rebuked Allen for saying the word "no" in his presence, saying "N-O.. That's North abbreviated!!"
Some of the Senator's other anti-Northisms included (but were not limited to) these:
- "When I'm in New York I'll never go the Yankee Stadium!"
- "I won't even go to see the GiantsHistory of the New York Giants (NL)The history of the New York Giants, before the franchise moved to San Francisco, lasted from 1883 to 1957. It featured five of the franchise's six World Series wins and 17 of its 21 National League pennants...
unless a Southpaw's pitchin'PitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
!" - "I refuse to watch the DodgersHistory of the Brooklyn Dodgers-Early Brooklyn baseball:Brooklyn was home to numerous baseball clubs in the mid-1850s. Eight of 16 participants in the first convention were from Brooklyn, including the Atlantic, Eckford, and Excelsior clubs that combined to dominate play for most of the 1860s...
unless Dixie WalkerDixie WalkerFred E. "Dixie" Walker was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates...
's playin!" - "I won't go into a room unless it's got Southern Exposure!"
- "When I got the Chicken Pox, they were Southern fried!"
- "The only plant life I have around my house is a Virginia Creeper!"
- "Son, bend down and kiss my Jefferson Davis button!"
When Allen was finally able to get a word in edgewise on the Senator, he would ask him a topical question, to which Claghorn would respond with a rapid stream of talk, shouting, repetition and punnery. After a quip, the senator would laugh uproariously, and utter one of his two catchphrases: "That's a joke, son!" or "Pay attention now, boy!"
Claghorn would also make frequent jabs at Allen, using analogies which would astonish the audience in their ability to paint a picture. After a tirade of invective from Allen, Claghorn responded by advising Allen that "Your tongue's waggin' like a blind dogs tail at a meat market." A torrent of laughter from the studio audience followed such exchanges.
Delmar debuted Claghorn on the Allen broadcast of October 5, 1945, and the character stayed through the show's end in 1949, when the series transitioned from "Allen's Alley" to a "Main Street" segment to accommodate Allen's final sponsor, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. In one episode, Allen asked the Senator what he was doing to remedy his sleep problem; the Senator said he crooned himself to sleep with his southern lullaby, which went thus:
-
- "Rock-A-Bye Small Fry, on the cotton tree top,
- when the Southern wind blows, your cradle will rock,
- when the wind's from the North, I say, baby you'll bawl,
- for down will come cradle, tree and you all!"
In another well remembered exchange, Claghorn responded to an inquiry by Allen as to whether Washington had done anything to aid in reducing an epidemic of colds currently afflicting the country. Claghorn responded that "The senate, I say the senate reconvened just in time. I was glad to see Senator Aiken back. Achin' back! That's a joke, son." The reference of course to George Aiken
George Aiken
George David Aiken was an American politician from Vermont. A Republican, he served as the 64th Governor of Vermont from 1937 to 1941 and as a U.S. Senator from 1941 to 1975...
, R-VT, who served in the U.S. Senate from 1941 to 1975. Further discussion regarding cold remedies resulted in this exchange:
- Claghorn: I had a cold last week like to ruin my filibusterFilibusterA filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
. - Allen: Ruin your filibuster? Well what did- (chuckling) what did you do?
- Claghorn: I took an old Southern remedy, son. I drank down two buckets of hot mint julepMint JulepThe mint julep is a mixed alcoholic drink, or cocktail, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States.- Preparation :A mint julep is traditionally made with four ingredients: mint leaf, bourbon, sugar, and water. Traditionally, spearmint is the mint of choiceused in Southern states, and...
. - Allen: (astonished) You drank two buckets of hot mint julep and you still held the floor?
- Claghorn: Held the floor?! Son, I couldn't get up off'n it!
Allen's interview with Claghorn generally ended with his bellowing "So long! So long, that is!!" (usually over laughter and applause from the audience)
At the height of popularity, the character was often mentioned or parodied on other programs, especially that of Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
, with fellow Southerner
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
Phil Harris
Phil Harris
Harris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic...
usually playing the part (and Delmar himself guesting in the role on February 12, 1950, months after Allen's show had left the airwaves). The most famous parody, which ironically has outlasted its source in public memory, is the Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
classic animation character, Foghorn Leghorn.
The senator had a life outside of radio, however. Delmar played the character in commercials, in two records (I Love You, That Is and That's a Joke, Son), and a theatrical film. The film, titled It's a Joke, Son (1947), co-starred Una Merkel
Una Merkel
Una Merkel was an American Tony Award-winning stage and film actress.-Life and career:Una Merkel was born in Covington, Kentucky, and grew up in Philadelphia and New York City. She bore a resemblance to actress Lillian Gish and began her career as a stand-in for Gish, most notably in the 1928...
as Mrs. Claghorn, and the plot involved the senator running for office against his wife. Delmar even played a thinly veiled version of Claghorn, retitled Senator Hominy Smith, in the Broadway musical Texas Li'l Darlin. Ironically, however, Delmar recalled that after Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
copyrighted Foghorn Leghorn, he had to ask their permission to play the character elsewhere. In the 1960s, Delmar took his characterization and catchphrases back as the voice of The Hunter, a character on the animated series King Leonardo and his Short Subjects
King Leonardo and his Short Subjects
King Leonardo and his Short Subjects was an animated cartoon series released in 1960 by Total Television , sponsored by General Mills.-Characters and story:...
.
Dave Sim
Dave Sim
David Victor Sim is an award-winning Canadian comic book writer and artist.A pioneer of self-published comics and creators' rights, Sim is best known as the creator of Cerebus the Aardvark, a comic book published from 1977 to 2004, which chronicles its main character in a 6,000-page self-contained...
adopted the same speech patterns for Elrod the Albino, a character in his independent comic book
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark
Cerebus the Aardvark, or simply Cerebus , is an independent comic book, written and illustrated by Canadian artist Dave Sim, with backgrounds by fellow Canadian Gerhard. Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to 2004, and was over 6000 pages long, the longest-running original...
; whether these were derived directly from Claghorn or from the cartoon rooster is unknown.
Sources
- Dunning, John. On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-19-507678-8