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A crucial "Tattletales" question--Who was that "guest host"?

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ALockh13

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May 9, 2001, 3:43:03 AM5/9/01
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Seeing the thread about Sammy Davis, Jr. "guest hosting" the beginning of a
"Family Feud" episode caused me to remember a similar incident on a 70's
"Tattletales" episode. My memory of this episode is very foggy (I should have
taped it), so here's the situation surrounding it: Bert Convy was late for the
shooting of the episode, so another man who (I think) was a staff member of
Dinah Shore's show hosted the first half of "Tattletales" until Bert showed up
and took over. The man had a portly build, had strawberry-blond hair that was
curly or wavy, and he wore a green jacket with the "Tattletales" logo on the
back. If anyone remembers this episode, I sure would appreciate any
information about it and the name of that "Dinah Shore" staff member (I believe
he said that Dinah's show was next door or down the hall).

Andrea

Jake Tanner

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May 10, 2001, 5:31:25 PM5/10/01
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That was Mr. Patti Deutsch himself, Donald Ross but the
strawberry-blond hair is definitely a foggy part of the memory...:)

Jake

chris319

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May 11, 2001, 4:24:52 AM5/11/01
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>The man had a portly build, had strawberry-blond hair that was
>curly or wavy, and he wore a green jacket with the "Tattletales" logo on the
>back.

I've never seen the episode but this fits the description of Joel Hecht, a Match
Game writer who was Gene Rayburn's stand-in during rehearsals. With Ira and
Bobby doing Tattletales, Match Game would not have been taping that day so Joel
might have been around. He just may have been Bert's rehearsal stand-in on
Tattletales at the time.

Joel also did some writing for TPIR and happens to be Jay Wolpert's cousin.

Jake Tanner

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May 12, 2001, 2:43:51 AM5/12/01
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Nope...definitely was Donald Ross. I have the episode on tape. One
of the details that the original poster mentioned that you're missing
here is that the phantom sub-host mentioned that he actually worked on
Dinah Shore's show that taped down the hall.

To be more specific, it was a 1975 episode featuring Dick Gautier &
Barbara Stuart, Mr. & Mrs. Henry Darrow and Bob & Dorothy Jo Barker.

And Dick & Barbara won the game...:)

Jake

chris319

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May 12, 2001, 6:37:53 AM5/12/01
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>Nope...definitely was Donald Ross. I have the episode on tape.

I've met Donald Ross and he definitely wasn't portly and didn't have strawberry
blond hair. Joel Hecht does (did). Perhaps there we're talking about two
different eps. Whatever.

Jake Tanner

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May 12, 2001, 10:19:10 AM5/12/01
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But Chris, you seem to want to ignore that the original poster
admitted that the memory was foggy so things such as hair color and
body type could be easily confused over a number of years. Granted,
Donald doesn't have strawberry blond hair. Easy mistake to make.
However, although I'd agree with you that Donald Ross isn't exactly
portly, he did look a bit larger than normal while wearing his
"Tattletales" jacket that simply appeared to be a bit too big for him.


As for Joel Hecht, was Joel working on the Dinah show down the hall?
The original poster did mention that the mystery sub-host stated that
he worked on the Dinah show. I believe that Donald Ross was Dinah's
head writer during that time and it was mentioned frequently during
his and Patti's TT appearances that he worked just down the hall from
the TT studio.

Chris, I value your vast knowledge and memories but since you've gone
as far to say that you never even saw the episode in question and the
original poster clearly stated that the memory is "very foggy", why
are you so determined that it had to be Joel Hecht and not Donald
Ross, even when I have the actual episode in question on video?

Jake

Spoiler #4, Dr. Chuck Donegan, Gs.D

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May 12, 2001, 1:01:35 PM5/12/01
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<chris319> wrote in message
news:dq7nft032jsdrvc1n...@4ax.com...

> I've never seen the episode but this fits the description of Joel Hecht, a
Match
> Game writer who was Gene Rayburn's stand-in during rehearsals. With Ira
and
> Bobby doing Tattletales, Match Game would not have been taping that day so
Joel
> might have been around. He just may have been Bert's rehearsal stand-in on
> Tattletales at the time.
>
> Joel also did some writing for TPIR and happens to be Jay Wolpert's
cousin.

That explains why he later became AP of Hit Man. :-)

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")


Randy Amasia

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May 12, 2001, 3:50:13 PM5/12/01
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"Spoiler #4, Dr. Chuck Donegan, Gs.D"
<Cyber...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:P%dL6.2228$he5.1...@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

Long before that, he was a writer on Whew!


Shoot Up My High School

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May 14, 2001, 4:13:42 PM5/14/01
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"Jake Tanner" <jata...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3afd43d9...@news.pacbell.net...

...shall I puncture your balloon now and suggest that Convy was tardy to
more than one episode over the run of the show and that both men may at one
time have stood in?


Jake Tanner

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May 15, 2001, 1:03:39 AM5/15/01
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You can feel free to puncture all you like but all the "suggestions"
in the world won't make something true if it didn't actually happen.

How appropriate...a prick offers to puncture my balloon.

Jake

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