Back in the days of radio, the comedy team of Bob and Ray provided hours of low-key comedy. Ray Goulding has been gone for some time, but Bob Elliott’s obituary just appeared in the NY Times this morning. It noted that the team was famous for:
debunking gasbags, political airheads, no-talent entrepreneurs and Madison Avenue hypemasters…A typical bit of theirs was called “The Bob and Ray Overstocked Warehouse,” in which Mr. Elliott announced, deadpan: “We have 124 full cases of canned corned beef, which are clearly stamped ‘San Juan Hill, 1898.’ If you do not find this corned beef all you had hoped it would be, just leave word with the executor of your estate to return the remaining unopened cans to us.”
My favorite Bob and Ray bit was the Great Lakes Paper Clip Company. I must not be alone in this, because it’s on youtube and mentioned in the obituary. I don’t know of any contemporary version of their brand of humor, though we could certainly use it. Even their radio signoffs were charming:
“This is Ray Goulding, reminding you to write if you get work.”
“And Bob Elliott, reminding you to hang by your thumbs.”
Don’t deny yourself for another minute the pleasure of going on Youtube and hearing Bob and Ray do their classic: “Slow Talkers of America.”
Another great one!