“By George, she got it!” Those are the immortal words of Professor Henry Higgins in response to Eliza Doolittle finally saying “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the lane.” But who the blazes is George? My good friend Wiki says it is a bowdlerization of By Jove, which is the gentlemanly way of saying By God. Now that we know that, let George do it.
1. He was a close friend of Bugsy Siegel and one of Hollywood’s worse actors. His main schtick was flipping a coin in the original movie Scarface. Who was he?
2. The most famous George in baseball history was George Herman Ruth, better known as Babe Ruth. With what team did he end his career?
3. “Well I’ll be a dirty bird” was his catchphrase and he was one of TV’ s most popular stars in the 1950s. Who was he?
4. His first popular song was Swanee, written for Al Jolson. Who was this musical genius?
5. He wrote Paper Lion, which depicted his experience trying out with the Detroit Lions in a1960s training camp. Who was he?
6. He was the straight man to his wife on radio and early TV. After her death, he staked his claim to being one of the most loved men in Show Business until his death at age 99. Who was he?