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

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE


Wisconsin State Journal | Madison, Wisconsin | Wednesday, December 12,
1945 | Page 6 COL 1
" It is written that work never killed anyone but we know some fellows
who are too timid to take any chances."



> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Garson O'Toole
> Sent: Tuesday, August 23, 2011 1:12 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance -
> Question about old time radio
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance -
> Question
>               about old time radio
>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> 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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Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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