linda ellerbee

I have always admired Linda Ellerbee, who will be 65 years old Aug. 15. I wrote this 21 years ago in advance of her 45th birthday.


An open letter to Linda Ellerbee
By Henry David Rosso


In the worst of times-best of times department,
1944 was not one of our better years.
It was the year of the monkey.
Maybe that says something. Maybe it doesn't.

It was a year when Facts on File noted the birth of quadruplets
To Abon Jaramillo, August 9, in Bogotá, Colombia.
It was noted not just to report the birth of quadruplets,
But to point out that Jaramillo, at 75, was already the father of 43 children.
We can point out now that Facts on File made no mention of the mother
Or mothers.

But things were like that the year you were born.
The New York Times had many job listings for "males" and "girls."
A "small-sized" girl could earn $35 for five days as a model.
Another ad looked for girls to model brassieres,
Size 34, average. Contact Peter Pan.
Another wanted girls, "white-colored, $26 start. 5 days."

Thank god for vegetable compound. At least if you believed newspaper ads
Women back then should have thanked god for vegetable compound.
"Women in your 40s," read one ad, "is your age betrayed by hot flashes?"
Vegetable compound would take care of the problem.
Another: "Do you suffer distress from monthly female weakness
With its nervous, tired feelings?"

While the vegetable compound was working its miracles,
Women and the rest of the population could turn to the comic pages
For comic relief from the hot war flashes
With Donald Duck, Superman, Joe Palooka,
Winnie Winkle, Dixie Dugan, Mickey Finn,
Terry and the Pirates, Mary Worth's family and Mr. and Mrs.

Perhaps the "girls" enjoyed curling up next to the radio
To listen to "Gossip for Girls,"
"War Journal," "The Breakfast Club,"
And "Salvation Army."
There also was "Texas Rangers," and "Lum 'n' Abner"
And a familiar name today -- "Martin Agronsky."

In 1944, The Washington Post sold for a nickel
The Saturday Evening Post cost a dime,
The same as a can
Of Red Heart dog food.
A copy of Somerset Maughan's "The Razor's Edge"
Sold for $2.75.

A headline on August 15, 1944:
"Joseph P. Kennedy killed in action."
The torch was passed on.
Inside the Post were Drew Pearson,
Marquis Childs
And Walter Lippmann.

It must have been hard
For the girls working as models for $35 a week
To save their wages.
Or the men to woo them.
The cost of living
Went up 30 percent in 1944.

A young man with his eye
On one of those girls could spend
$16.50 for an all-wool sports coat, $18.95 for alligator shoes,
$1.75 for dinner at New York’s Olney Inn,
$1.50 for a moonlight cruise up the Hudson River,
$2.58 for a pint of Four Roses whiskey.

If he was really serious,
He could spend $6 for a double room
In New York’s Hotel Chesterfield
With bath and radio
$36 would have bought an 18-carat gold wedding band.
Or, he could have blown 11 cents on a pint of ice cream.

For less ambitious entertainment,
The theaters offered Olivier in "Henry V"
And Hitchcock’s "Lifeboat."
At the annual Oscar orgy, "Going My Way" went away
With best picture.
Leo McCrary was best director.

Bing Crosby won best actor,
Barry Fitzgerald was honored with best supporting actor.
Ingrid Bergman shone as best actress
In "Gaslight"
Ethel Barrymore won best supporting actress
For "None But The Lonely Heart."

For a quiet evening at home
Under the reading light there was
Stephen Vincent Benet's "Western Star,"
John Hersey's "A Bell for Adano,"
Ernie Pyle’s "Brave Men,"
Tennessee Williams' "The Glass Menagerie."

Martha Graham danced to Aaron Copland’s
“Appalachian Spring" in Washington, D.C.
Leonard Bernstein gave us "On The Town,"
While in Moscow, Prokoviev presented
His "War and Peace"
At a time of more war than peace.

Americans danced to
"Don't Fence Me In,"
"Rum and Coca-Cola,"
"Swinging On A Star,"
"Sentimental Journey" and
"Accentuate The Positive."

In sports, Pensive won the Preakness and the Kentucky Derby,
Bounding Home bounded home first in the Belmont.
St. Louis had a double-header in the World Series
With the American League St.Louis
Beating the National League St. Louis.
Southern Cal trounced Washington in the Rose Bowl, 29-0.

In an event of dubious distinction,
Then as now,
A young lady named Venus Ramey
Of Washington, D.C.,
Was crowned
Miss America.

We know now that 1944 was a good year for births.
Making their initial appearances were
Jill Clayburgh, Joe Cocker and a guy named Michael Philip,
Aka Mick Jagger.
Gladys Knight was born without the Pips and
David Letterman made his debut keeping someone awake all night.

There also was Rita Coolidge,
Marvin Hamlish and Joey Heatherton.
Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis was born in 1944.
His parents must have been proud of his name,
But he changed it to
Tony Orlando.

And Bernadette Peters made her first entrance
Center stage.
You have still more great company:
Jacqueline Bisset, Lauren Hutton,
Diana Ross, Sly Stone, Johnny Winter
And Michael Tilson Thomas.

Tom Okker was little known when he was born
And after years on the international tennis circuit,
Still endures relative anonymity.
But, Tom Seaver, Rusty Staub
And Joe Frazier who entered the world in 1944
Fared better in the sports world.

Journalist William Allen White
Died in 1944.
Journalist Linda Ellerbee
Was born in 1944.
I’m glad you were, and are.
Happy birthday and many more to come.