John Ettline was born 117 years ago
on the 12th day of March, 1906.
I learned from John's
family that he once worked
as a music agent booking
bands for York area clubs.
He also managed several
local clubs including
The Valencia Ballroom,
the first air conditioned
dance hall in America,
the historic swing dance
music venue located
in downtown York.
For a time, John was
manager of Lehmeyer’s,
the classy men's clothing
store on North George St.
John himself was a dapper
John himself was a dapper
dresser, a great dancer and
a handsome gentleman,
a ladies' man, a man's
man and very much
his own man.
John loved music and dancing, and it's no stretch to understand
why he was inspired to buy the Shady Dell and turn it into
an ice cream parlor and juke joint for teenagers.
why he was inspired to buy the Shady Dell and turn it into
an ice cream parlor and juke joint for teenagers.
To celebrate John's birthday this year,
I picked four songs I think he'd like.
THE CRUISERS
Released before Christmas, 1980, the French film La Boum aka The Party
aka House Party aka Ready for Love was an international box-office hit.
La Boum was the film debut of actress Sophie Marceau who went on
to become an international star 15 years later in Braveheart. I believe
John would enjoy these scenes from the movie in which The Cruisers
perform and the young characters dance to-- "Swingin' Around."
"Swingin' Around" - The Cruisers
(scenes from Dec. 1980 French film La Boum aka The Party)
SUSAN MAUGHAN
Up next, a cute "Helen" song by Susan Maughan, a perky English singer
who had a string of pop hits in the 60s. This song was co-written by
American rock & roller Paul Evans who had a hit in 1959 with
the novelty ditty "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat"
featuring The Curls - Sue Singleton and Sue Terry.
This song waxed by Susan features backing by Wally Stott and his orchestra
and chorus. The single was released in the UK around Christmas, 1962,
and just missed the top 40 early the following year. Here now is the
beautiful Susan Maughan performing a song John might have
sung to tease his wife-- "Hand A Handkerchief To Helen!"
"Hand A Handkerchief To Helen" - Susan Maughan
(Feb./Mar. 1963, highest chart pos. #41 UK)
THE DELTEENS
In April of 1953, bandleader Ray Anthony And His Orchestra released a doublesider
dance record that my mother brought home and played often. The B side of the 45 is
"The Hokey Pokey," a campfire song and participation dance that dates back to 1826.
The A side of the platter is the novelty social mixer dance song "The Bunny Hop."
Ten years later, The Delteens, a group with the perfect name for a
John Ettline tribute, released both songs on a Federal single
of their own with the A & B sides reversed.
From March of 1963, getting us in the mood for Easter...
here are The Delteens with their version of-- "The Bunny Hop!"
"The Bunny Hop" - The Delteens
(Mar. 1963, B side of The Hokey-Pokey")
SHELLEY FABARES
Again this year on his birthday, I think John will enjoy being serenaded by
America's sweetheart, Miss Shelley Fabares aka Mary Stone, as she sings
her sig song "Johnny Angel" on the hit TV series The Donna Reed Show.
For the first time, the clip is available AI-restored 5K and colorized!
"Johnny Angel" - Shelley Fabares
(Mar./Apr. 1962, highest chart pos. #1,
scene from The Donna Reed Show)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN.
WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!
You're always so kind with your tributes and remembrances. A posthumous happy birthday to John Ettline! ~Kelly (and Pat)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly!
DeleteYou made a triumphant return to the Early Bird position this week, dear friend, and I thank you for coming to John Ettline's birthday party!
I'm pleased that you appreciate my annual tributes and remembrances to John, Helen and Margaret. I needed to do the math several times before I was able to accept the fact that John was born 117 years ago.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Kelly, and have a wonderful week with Pat and my other bow-wow buddies on your farm!
Happy birthday to John! He had quite the successful career. Seems like he excelled at anything he tried.
ReplyDeleteSophie Marceau must've played the princess in Braveheart?
Hi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for coming to the party, good buddy!
Yes, actress Sophie Marceau was only age 13/14 during the filming of her debut movie La Boum. In 1995, she was nearing age 30 when she appeared as Princess Isabella of France in Mel Gibson's Braveheart.
Thanks again for helping me wish John Ettline a happy birthday in heaven. Have a great week, good buddy Alex!
Hi Shady! Happy Birthday to John. He must really have been a great guy to have folks remember him for so long. The only one of these songs that I know is Johnny Angel. They don't make television like that anymore! Have a spectacular week my friend.
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet!
DeleteThanks for attending John's party, dear friend! Shady's clubhouse is dog friendly, so I hope you brought Benny along. :)
How about that colorized ultra-HD video of Mary Stone singing "Johnny Angel"? I couldn't believe my eyes when I noticed it available for the first time on YouTube.
Yessum, I will strive to make sure people remember John Ettline year after year through tributes like this one. Thanks again for coming and have a wonderful week ahead, dear friend Janet!
Happy Birthday John! I learned some new things about John today. He sounds like he led an interesting life and with his dear wife near him influenced many young teens and gave them a place to dance, learn to love music of the day, and to this day is not forgotten. I know in the last years of the Dell it wasn't the same without Helen and also the attitude and actions of kids changed over the years. I enjoyed the songs picked but I don't think I could listen to that Bunny Hop song for long! However, Miss Fabares was fabulous! I just always loved her and as I've said before she looks like her TV mom. I think if I was a teenager during her Donna Reed days I would love to mimic her looks! So pretty! Nice birthday party this year Tom and I bet the Ettlines are celebrating right along with you and us. Have a good rest of this Spring ahead weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you very much for being on hand again this year (as you have for many years running) as I salute John Ettline, King of the Dell Rats, on his birthday.
John did indeed live an interesting life and held a greater number of jobs along the way than most people. Yessum, John deserved better than to spend his final years being disrespected by the young people he welcomed onto his property. To top it off, he was hit by a car while getting the mail and needed to leave behind the Dell, the place he loved, and go elsewhere for treatment and convalescence. His Shady Dell story should have had a happier ending.
I was thrilled to come upon that brilliantly restored clip of Shelley Fabares introducing the biggest hit of her career while playing the role of daughter Mary on Donna Reed. I agree. With their hair color and style so similar, the two actresses made those of us in the TV audience believe they were mother and daughter. When watching old family-oriented series like Donna Reed, Ozzie & Harriet, Beaver and Father Knows Best, I often wish I could walk right through the TV screen and find a new home among those fictional families and friends.
I'm so glad you appreciated this year's tribute to John. I also hope you aren't experiencing any "jet lag" today due to the time change. Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend YaYa. Take care and have a terrific week in Ohio!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteAnother year remembering the man who meant so much to you and the other Dell Rats. I haven't heard of most of your songs. "Johnny Angel" is the only one I know. Shelley Fabares had that the girl next door look, didn't she? I bet she was a real sweetheart in real life, too. "The Bunny Hop" I recognize the title but this is the first time for me to hear it. I remember "Hokey Pokey" quite well, which continued to get played a lot in the mid to late 60s when I was just a little girl. Sending birthday wishes up to him today. I'm sure he's listening to the voices of real angels on his special day. :) Great tribute to John!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you, dear friend! Thanks for coming to the party held every year on this date for Shady Dell owner John Ettline. Yessum, John meant a great deal to thousands of young people in Central PA, and his legend lives on here at Shady's Place.
I agree that Shelley Fabares, like Mousketeer Annette and a few other teenage TV and movie stars of the period that we could name, was a quintessential girl next door. It was inspired casting to give Shelley the leading lady role in three Elvis Presley movies. I saw her in interviews with Dick Clark and others and she was very sweet and humble - totally likeable.
Along with "The Hokey Pokey," the "Bunny Hop" tune by Ray Anthony and his Orchestra was very big when I was a boy. My folks bought that record and I remember watching people dance to both songs on it at parties and social functions. I got a kick out of the group name "The Delteens" and jumped (hopped?) at the chance to use it here because the name implies a bunch of Dell rats recorded the song. I used the "Helen Handkerchief" song for a similar reason, because it seems related to John, Helen and the story of their romance.
Thank you again for coming by and paying respects to John on his 117th birthday in heaven. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend Cathy. I'll be over to see you on Wednesday for your mid month band battle at CAAC!
Tom,
DeleteI suspected the reason you went with "Helen Handkerchief" for John's birthday tribute because of his wife. You mentioned how likeable Shelley was in interviews. I don't know that I ever saw one of her interviews but generally if a girl looks sweet then she has a sweet heart. It just shines from the inside out when it's genuine. Thanks for dropping by for a visit today, my friend. Have a good rest of the week!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for returning to follow-up, dear friend!
Please take a couple of minutes and watch this video of Dick Clark interviewing Shelley Fabares on a 1965 episode of American Bandstand. You will see how quiet, polite, respectful, generous and charming she was:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhycqJ2LAY
Thanks again for dropping by, dear friend Cathy, and enjoy the rest of your week!
That's a very nice tribute.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteYour comment went right thru, dear friend! I hope it stays put. :) Thanks for coming to my annual birthday party for the leader of the rat pack, Shady Dell owner John Ettline. I'm glad to have you here.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Mary. I hope your block has quieted down by now and that your week is off to a great start!
Happy belated birthday, John! Both David and I want to wish you a happy 117th.
ReplyDeleteI love the song selection, dear friend. You have got me doing the Bunny Hop and I haven't done the Bunny Hop since elementary school! Thanks for the laughs and good fun. Definitely a wonderful celebration!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteWelcome to the party, dear friend! I thank you for dropping in again this year for my birthday tribute to John Ettline. Tell David I thank him for adding his birthday greetings and wishes to yours.
I'm happy to know that you remember doing the "Bunny Hop" in your younger years at school. I was beginning to think that I was the only one familiar with it. Maybe it's a Pennsylvania thing and not well known in other parts of the country.
Thanks again for coming to honor John Ettline 117 years after his birth. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around that staggering number.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
Hiya,
DeleteMaybe you're right. I told David's friend I'd make an Easter basket for her 3 year old daughter and now I want to find the Bunny Hop for her. She might enjoy it. Myranda doesn't want to give her daughter candy, so my thoughts are stuffed animals, toys, books, and maybe music.
Nan would have been 100 on 4 May and Great Grandma Mary would have been 113 on 3 May. It's crazy to think of the ages.
Have a great day, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteOver the years, many artists have recorded "The Bunny Hop." It shouldn't be hard for you to find the version that's just right for a three year old. Another good bunny (and Easter) song that I was exposed to as a young child is "(Here Comes) Peter Cottontail." Listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERBNVtUvJ6I
Yessum, the years roll by. This May 4 will be an especially significant anniversary as you remember Nan on her 100th birthday and wish she were a living centenarian. Mrs. Shady's b-day is 2 May and our granddaughter's is 5 May, Cinco de Mayo.
Thanks for returning to chat and enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
John sounds like a guy I'd love to meet and be neighbors with. I enjoy walking down memory lane here. Women of the past are so classy, aren't they? I wonder what they think of the women today who seem to not think twice before posting inappropriate pics and videos online.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lux!
DeleteI'm delighted to see you again, dear friend! Thanks for attending this year's celebration for John Ettline, observing the date of his birth 117 years ago and saluting him for a life well lived. I'm proud to spread the story of John, Helen and their Shady Dell to your part of the world, and pleased that you take an interest in their saga.
Yessum, compared to women today, those of the mid 20th century had class and style. You can see evidence in that rare restored video of English pop singer Susan Maughan performing her "Helen" song. Susan will soon be age 85!
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Lux. Enjoy the rest of your week on the other side of the world!
I am late and my apologies. The Oscars and cleaning, work etc... I fell down on my blogging. I love this tribute and I bet John was laughing at the Hankercheif song which is quite good. That lady can sing. I always love hearing Johnny Angel and seeing wholesome Donna Reed. It was cool to read about John's life and what he manages. I wonder what bands he booked. My dad's birthday was yesterday and he would have been 110. He did love the swing bands and the music from the 30s and 40s. He also liked the Bunny Hop so that made me smile.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteThank you very much for accepting my invitation to John's birthday party, dear friend! Oh my gosh! You fell down on your blogging? I hope you didn't hurt yourself. :) Did you bark your shin? :)
I'm glad you appreciate English warbler Susan Maughan's ditty about handing a hanky to Helen. It's a brand new HQ/HD upload, one that I have looked forward to finding for years. How about actress Sophie Marceau in her debut film? I'm sure you know who she is.
Yessum, I was tickled pink to find that colorized and brilliantly upscaled video of Mary Stone singing what became Shelley Fabares' biggest hIt and signature song on The Donna Reed Show.
Yessum, I agree it would be exciting to know precisely which bands John booked at various area venues.
Happy birthday in heaven to your dad. As I told you before, my dad was born the same year, 1913, and would have been 110 this coming October. It's good to know that your dad liked the "Bunny Hop." My folks introduced me to the song and dance as a boy.
Thanks again for joining this year's birthday celebration for John. Enjoy the rest of your day, dear friend BB. I'll see you tomorrow at BBC!
A belated happy birthday to your mentor John. "Swingin' Around" seems to be a 1980 1950s-retro song. Odd seeing those kids dressed in the teen fashions of the time (which 40 decades later don't look much different to my eyes than the teen fashions of today) dancing to that music, but of course they're not going to change clothing just because a song is retro. Nice hearing "Johnny Angel" again, though I don't particularly care for colorized film no matter how striking the images. When I watch something vintage, I like it to be as close as possible to how the original audience members would have viewed it. Also, the Donna Reeds Show's art director would have to have figured out how best to make the image look watchable in black-and-white. I hate to see that person's efforts go to waste.
ReplyDeleteThat's all I got.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for making another midweek pit stop at Shady's Place, good buddy! I appreciate you being here to say a few kind words about John Ettline, our Dell rat leader and, as you so nicely put it, our mentor.
Yes, It seems certain that the song "Swingin' Around" was written and recorded specifically for this 1980 film "The Party." The song does have a retro feel, but the movie is set in present day (1980). Keep in mind that it is a French film. In all, there were five different shooting locations around France. Therefore, the clothing styles reflect how the French teenagers dressed at the end of the disco era and start of the new wave 80s. Sophie Marceau's is a rags to riches story that seems ripped from a work of fiction. She was 13 years old with no acting experience. Indeed, she had only attended modeling school for a few days when, on a lark, she auditioned for a part in La Boum and, to her surprise, landed the starring role, catapulting her to international fame.
It fascinates me to learn that you are not a fan of the colorizing trend. When it comes to black & white film noir or the Universal horror classics of the 1930s, for instance, I couldn't agree more. However, I love to see clips from black & white TV series transformed to living color, and was happy to see Shelley Fabares in her youthful glory. Good point, though, that the art director's expertise in lighting a set for black & white filming goes out the window when the scene is colorized. Hey, if you have time, watch Shelley's brief 1965 interview with Dick Clark. I mentioned it today in my reply to friend Cathy (above). I shared the link with her. In that interview, Shelley came across as a sweet, sincere, soft-spoken, humble young woman, a far cry from the bold, brazen and even vulgar female entertainers you often see today. It was refreshing to see and hear!
Thanks again for showing support for this annual tribute to John Ettline, King of the Dell rats. Enjoy the rest of your week, good buddy Kirk, and look for my next post this Saturday.
This is Belle, Shady. I can't seem to log in on Google. I've been having trouble with a lot of sites I go to. A big Happy Birthday to John. You wrote how he loved music and dancing and that has always been one of my greatest loves too. I believe we will all be singing and dancing in heaven. God loves music too.
ReplyDeleteThe first dancing on the "Swingin' Around" video reminded me of how my sister and I used to dance together. We sure didn't have much room in my bedroom, but we tried. She used to swing me around. Lol I couldn't have lifted her. I loved Sophie Marceau in "Braveheart." I'll never forget how lovely she looked and how much Braveheart's first wife looked like her. I found that film one of the most deeply moving movies I have ever seen.
Susan Maughan had quite a voice! Loved the song and I think it would have been a big hit in the States if she had lived there. Shelly Fabres was one of my favorite people. "Johnny Angel," was such a huge hit and when it came on the radio when my mom and dad drove us around, we would beg them and they would turn the volume way up for us. I loved seeing her on the TV series, "Coach." It was a good show and she did a bang-up job.
Well, I hope I can sort out my computer woes. See you next week.
Hi, Belle!
DeleteI'm delighted that you could be on hand for this year's birthday tribute to John. Thanks for coming to the party!
I'm sorry you had difficulty logging on. The internet gremlins seem to be working overtime lately. Yessum, knowing you like I do, I am aware that music and dance have brought you joy all your life. Same with me. Thank you for sharing memories of dancing with your sister in the bedroom. I suspect Beatles songs were playing on many of those happy occasions.
I am also pleased that you know the actress Sophie Marceau seen here at age 13/14 in her very first film. I remember watching Braveheart with Mrs. Shady in the late 1990s and was struck by her beauty.
Thanks for singling out English sparrow Susan Maughan. Hers was a name that I never heard in my youth. Susan released two EPs and more than two dozen singles during her singing career, but only one of her records was released in the U.S. - the 1974 single "Time (Is Such A Funny Thing)." It failed to make the chart. I'm happy to know you appreciated her cute "Helen" song.
Thanks for reminding us that Shelley Fabares went on to co-star in another successful TV series, namely Coach. I remember her three appearances on Love, American Style She also played Gwyneth Paltrow's mother in the 1993 crime movie Deadly Relations which is based on a true story. It is available to watch free on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSp0LiYKDuc
If you have time, watch Shelly in this brief 1965 interview with Dick Clark on American Bandstand. She came across as a sweet, polite respectful, soft-spoken young woman as she discussed her life as a newlywed (having married record executive Lou Adler the previous year) and her work with Elvis Presley in his upcoming movie Girl Happy, the first of three in which she would co-star as his leading lady:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFhycqJ2LAY
Thank you again for battling computer problems to come to Shady's Place. I very much appreciate your visits. Stay tuned, because I have a new post starting dark and early tomorrow morning. I wish you a wonderful Friday and a safe and happy weekend, dear friend Belle!