OCR Text |
Show LTS CONN ELLS NLY married couples need apply I" No, It Isn't a want ad but a requirement for participating partici-pating on Mutual's newest marital-quiz marital-quiz program' "How's the Family." broadcast from Chicago each Sunday Sun-day . . Emcee Marshall Kent selects se-lects three couples from the studio audience and scrambles them so husbands and wives compete for the prizes. The man and woman who become be-come finalists conclude each broadcast broad-cast by acting In a two-minute skit that could occur In their home . . He or she who emotes best gets the chance to try for the $3,500 prize-laden jackpot . . . These humorous family incidents are based on actual events sent In by listeners who receive a gift if their story is used. Since all husbands and wives argue ar-gue and bicker, Kent has found people enjoy having a laugh on themselves which Is what makes this show so popular . . . There was a time though when he thought his knack of making people Jaugh was lost . . ."I was working as a straight man to a comedian and was tasked by the manager of the club to substitute sub-stitute for him one performance when he was ill ... He had a particular par-ticular routine that always brought down the house and I knew it perfectly per-fectly . . . After giving the punch line of the story, I waited confidently confi-dently for the laugh but there was just dead silence not even a smile ... It continued that way for the next 22 minutes (seemed like 22 years) ... I was ready to quit show business when the manager told me it was all a gag to celebrate cele-brate my birthday ... the audience audi-ence had been cued to give me only straight faces. What a feeling." It is very fitting Kent should be host of a show dealing with questions ques-tions on family life since he dislikes dis-likes night clubs and believes people peo-ple should entertain in the home more ... A grandfather three times, you'll get quite a spiel from him if you ask "How'i the Family?" |