That’s show business!

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 14

That’s show business!

NZPA-AAP San Francisco Two authors journeyed into the vast wasteland of television and found 1900 gems of wisdom, from Mr Ed’s horse sense to Archie Bunker’s religious theories. The 1900 quotations are in “Primetime Proverbs: The Book of TV Quotes,” written by John Javna and Jack Mingo and just published by Harmony Books of New York. Among the adages, preserved for literary posterity under 231 topics, are “All in the Family” Archie Bunker’s summation of the Divine: “God don’t make no mistakes. That’s how he got to be God.” Then there’s Ted Baxter of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”: “You know what makes this country great? You don’t have to be witty or clever, as long as you can hire someone who is.” And Whitey of “Leave it to Beaver”: “You don’t need any brains to grow up; it just happens to ya.”

Research for the book involved hundreds of hours of TV viewing by the two writers, plus 112 volunteer viewers.

Among the other quotaable quotes: • “If women dressed for men, the stores wouldn’t sell much. Just

an occasional sun visor.” — Groucho Marx, “You Bet Your Life.” • “There is nothing quite so good as a burial at sea. It is simple, tidy, and not very incriminating.” — Alfred Hitchcock, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents.” • “A cardinal rule of politics: Never get caught in bed with a live man or a dead woman.” — J. R. Ewing, "Dallas.” • “When you want something done, go to the busy man. He’s the one

who’ll find time to do it.” — Jim Anderson, “Father Knows best.” 9 "Love’s the only thing in life you’ve got to earn. Everything else you can steal.” — Pappy Maverick, “Maverick.” • “Just remember: things are always darkest just before they go pitch black.” — Kelly Robinson, “I Spy.” • “Artists are always ready to sacrifice for art, if the price is right.” — Gomez Addams, “The Addams Family.”