Where Are Those Gaudy Clothes Today?

I was just watching “The Lawrence Welk Show.”

And although I come out of that era, I admit it’s not my favorite of all time. This particular segment of the series featured instrumentals, singing and dancing. (Ya think)?

At any rate, about half-way through the show a young couple performed some catchy little jig. The lovely little lady was wearing a two tone, white and lime Marilyn Monroe “Seven Year Itch” sorta gown, while the not quite as attractive young man wore an equally florescent lime-green coat and shirt, and white pair of slacks.

And two questions immediately occurred to me.

Did old Lawrence hire a host of tailors and seamtresses in order to create the myriad of colorful clothing his cast wore on a weekly basis?

(and)

“Where are that couple’s gaudy gown and suit today?”

I have surmised Mr. Welk might have sent some of the clothing home with his performers, re-used many of the tailor-made creations in future shows, or (God forbid) thrown them out like yesterday’s trash.

But, to be sure, the gown and suit are just the tip of the iceberg.

While treasures such as Judy Garland’s ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” and the Maltese Falcon from the movie of the same name, and such items from other Oscar-class movies have been relegated to museums, or high dollar auctions, there are literally millions of props, trinkets, shoes and clothing from lesser productions which have been irretrievably lost.

And for that matter, to get just a little more practical here, where are my great grandmother’s spectacles? And where is that sailor suit my father wore in that WWII photo, as he posed alongside the Hawaiian hula girl?

But to be fair, in terms of my interest in the treasures of yesteryear, I suppose my previous jargon represents little more than the words of a hypocrite since,

… my high school letter sweater and ring have been missing for decades.



By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 15. Copyright Volumes 1-15.

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