Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance - Question about old time radio

Garson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Tue Aug 23 18:11:34 UTC 2011


The Yale Book of Quotations lists this important maxim as a
catchphrase of Edgar Bergen's wooden partner Charlie McCarthy. The
citation is indirect via the 1984 book "The Other 637 Best Things
Anybody Ever Said" by Robert Byrne.

This phrase may have been derived from the following script fragment
reprinted in "Joe Franklin's Encyclopedia of Comedians":

Charlie McCarthy: I can't take this schoolwork any more, it's driving me crazy.
Edgar Bergen: Well, Charlie, I'm sorry, but hard work never killed anybody.
Charlie: Still, there's no use taking chances.
Edgar: You have a test tomorrow, am I right?
Charlie: Well, yes, in a way.
Edgar: All right, now, I see what brought this on. You're scared you
won't pass. Suppose you tell me what you know about the brain.
Charlie: It's made from cereal, the silly- belly, and the muddled alligator.
Edgar: No, no, that's the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the medulla
oblongata! Didn't you read books on the subject?
Charlie: To tell you the truth, I didn't read all the books on the
subject. Perhaps one book. …

Does any list member have experience tracing old-time radio scripts? I
do not know of any script databases. I sent an email to an old time
radio expert who compiled an episode guide for The Edgar Bergen and
Charlie McCarthy Show to ask if he recognized the episode and
broadcast date based in the script fragment.

The other interesting match for the phrase that I have found is in
Walter Winchell's syndicated column in 1956.

Cite: 1956 June 22, Daily Times-News, Walter Winchell of New York,
Page 4, Column 3, Burlington, North Carolina. (NewspaperArchive)

Florian ZaBach's query: "Hard work never killed anyone, but why take a
chance on being the first victim?" (Hoomee?)

Garson O'Toole

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