St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 45

He's Stringing Along With the Times St. Louis-Bom Actor Richard Eastham's Guitar Invention Is Selling Like Folk Music Stan Delaplane News You'll Never Get on Television SAN FRANCISCO, March 14 'GALVESTON, TEX. The highest wind velocity in the hurricane of 1900 is not known." That is an item at the bottom of the page in the morning Journal. It shows that television will never replace the newspaper. You don't get -f that kind of information on the 6-to-7 news program.

Such items are called filters. They are concocted by wire service desk men and sent to newspapers because type, as they say, is not made of rubber. When there's space left at the bottom of the column, we drop in a nugget of pure gold. "Eight Midwestern states produce 80 per cent of all The "Sidewinder" gadget. By Dorothy Gardner Of tht Poit-Ditpatch Staff RICHARD EASTHAM HAS BEEN a hit on Broadway, has seen his name in lights, has enjoyed long runs as an actor-singer in audi memorable shows as "South Pacific," "Annie Get Your Gun," and "The Sound of Music." But fortune is only now coming within his reach.

It looks as though the former St. Louisan may scone a big success, not from singing or acting, but from en incidental talent in working with his hands. Richard Eastham and Sandra Deel in "South Pacific." tended St. John's Methodist Church, and young Dickinson began his career singing in the church choir. A sister, Mrs.

Robert Bailey, 1445 Rankin drive, Richmond Heights, is a supervisor of social workers in the St. Louis division of the State Department of Welfare. "Dick was always ingenious and good at making things," she recalled. "When he and ing cheered. Eastham played the lead when the show went on tour, and starred in the St.

Louis Municipal Opera production in 1957. More recently he has hein seen on television in the "Perry Mason" dramas and in the movies in "That Darned Cat." the Walt Disney production. His next film will be in "Not With My Wife, You Don't" with Tony Curtis and Verna Lisi. Betty Jean lived in New York, they bought a lot of old furniture end refinished it themselves." Eastham made his first big hit in 1949 when he filled in for Ezio Pinza in "South Pacific." The Broadway audience groaned when it was announced that Pinza was ill and his understudy was replacing him, but before the evening was over the new Emile de Becque was be Betty Jean Van Allen, with whom he attended Soldan. Mrs.

Eastham, who once worked as an advertising copywriter, is her husband's partner in Veda Enterprises, the firm they started to market the Sidewinder. Eastham's parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Ernest K. Eastham, lived at 5565 Cabanne avenue when he was a schoolboy, and later at 4954 West Pine boulevard.

The family at In his role as Baron Von, Trapp an "The Sound of Music" Eastham was required to play the guitar. In common with guitarists the world over, he was annoyed by the nuisance of stringing the instrument. Some guitarists have made their own gadgets to simplify the stringing process, but when Eastham tried to buy one he learned that none was on the market. So he made one and it worked so well that he found himself irt business. His gadget, which has a tuning peg in a slot, strings and unstrings a guitar with the turn of a crank.

It is called a "Sidewinder," and is priced at $1. In its first three weeks on the market 31,000 were sold. The folk music craze has put guitars the hands of people in this country alone. And when one considers the number of Latin Americans, Spaniards end Italians who are strumming away, the financial potentialities of Eastham's gadget become apparent. EASTHAM, whose given name was Dickinson when he attended Hamilton and Clark elementary schools and Soldan High School he changed it to Richard for stage purposes is not only the inventor and manufacturer of the Sidewinder but its promoter and salesman.

He took a hand-carved model of his contrivance to model maker, who made 100 samples in plastic. Eastham exhibited these at a convention of the National Association of Music Merchants in Chicago. He returned to his home in Los Angeles with an attache case full of orders, convinced that he had a good thing. Then fortune did a quick about face. Production was halted first by the riot in Watts and then by a fire that burned his plant to the ground.

Eastham managed to salvage his expensive steel molds from the embers. He started all over in a new plant, airlifting shipments in an effort to meet promised delivery dates. WITH distributors selling out their first consignment and reordering, Eastham already has netted as much as he would derive from several seasons of residuals from "Tombstone Territory," a television series he made some years ago. The domestic market has only been scratched and orders for the Sidewinder are coming in from abroad. Actors dream of a solid income from a sideline providing the financial security that would enable them to pick their roles and keep them going between engagements.

The Sidewinder may make this dream come true for the 49-year-old Eastham. He is married to the former soybeans in the U.S." Soybeans are used to make a kind of custard you put in aukiyaki. I have no idea why the Japanese put it in. It has no taste at all. It is called tofu.

However, when we make tukiyaki at home, we put it in. Authentic if it kills us. "There are more cattle than people in Nevada." That is an interesting thing to know something to get the conversation going at the dinner table. JUST TO BE sure, I called up Walter Ramage, the Reno innkeeper, sage of the sagebrush country. I said: "Are there really more cattle than people in Nevada?" Ramage said: "Not on weekends, podner." On weekends, all California goes to Nevada to pan gold off the gaming tables.

The cattle take off for the hills. Many fillers last only through the first edition, which is made up in a hurry. If you don't get the first edition, you may miss vital facts. "A lacquerware factory on Okinawa uses brushes made only of the finest hair of unmarried girls." If they slipped in only one hair of a married girl, an Okinawa lacquerware expert would know immediately. "COLOGNE, Germany Eight per cent of West German men own a dinner jacket." The other 92 per cent, I imagine, sit around the kitchen In their shirtsleeves drinking beer, and they are a lot more comfortable.

I'VE OFTEN thought of going into this type of journalism myself. It looks mighty easy. "HOMETOWN, USA Most American women, asked why mey don't fill the gas tank, will reply: 'I did fill it It must have leaked "ANY BEDROOM, America-Small children never want a glass of water until the parent is already in bed." "OUR TOWN, U.S. The price charged by garages for tightening a few nuts and putting in a quart of popskull is outrageous." "GARDEN, Any State Weeds grow faster than you can weed them out." AU facts. All short.

All true. (Though truth is not really needed a filler. Just close is enough.) Each year the British journalists hark to the first cuckoo. "A cuckoo was reported calling in Wilts." No name of who reported the cuckoo. Or whom the cuckoo was calling collect or long distance.

It is simply reported. And all over England, people draw a deep breath of icy air and decide it is spring. Fulfilled by the filler. Ann Landers Too Much Family DEAR ANN LANDERS: I am losing respect for my husband because he can't break loose from his domineering mother. This woman is the classic matriarch.

She is a widow who manipulates her sons as if they were puppets. She also mm I arrY Syman Contract Bridge The Slymart Brothers, Harry anil Bob vould like to thank the many thousands of St. Louis ctiMomer that have made them one of the largest Zenith dealers in this arra. To how their appreciation they are offering quality Zenith portables and tereos at tremendous favinps, Come in Our low prices will amaze you! By B. Jay Becker PORTABLES and STEREOS LOW PRICES ARE BORN AT SLYMAN BROS.

AND RAISED ELSEWHERE I It does seem that North should have been somewhat more aggressive after South jump-shiited in spades and then leaped to four spades the next time around. Presumably South was announcing a suit independent of support as well as interest in a slam, and on that basis North had the values for at least one more bid. However, if North had carried on to six spades, South would have gone down one due to the unfortunate lie of the clubs. The odds against East's having both the ace and queen were about 3 to 1, and if South had been in a slam and gone down, he could well have attributed the result to bad luck. Actually, South made five spades for a score of 650 points.

When Priday and Truscott held the North-South cards for Britain, the bidding went: COME IN, OUR LOW PRICES WILL AMAZE YOU runs her sons-in-law. My husband'! sisters and brothers are lily-livered hypocrites. I know they don't like each other, yet they all hang together socially. If one tried to leave the other off a party list, the matriarch wouldn't stand for it. She demands that her children present a solid front of togetherness which is so phony that it FULL PRICE loir QQ95I If I At West dealer.

North-South rulnerable, NORTH AQ109 A 10 6 5 K93 WEST EAST 410 4J43 K74J fJ62 9732 4J84 8654 AQ107 SOUTH AKQ97652 85 J2 The bidding: West North East South Pass 1 Pass 2 4 Pass 3 4 Pass 4 Opening lead eight of clubs. ONE FACET of bridge not sufficiently emphasized is the problem of placing the declaration in the proper hand. Many contracts fail solely because the wrong hand becomes declarer, and at least some of them can be saved by anticipating this difficulty end dealing properly with it. For example, take this deal which occurred in the match between Great Britain and the United States in 1962. When the American pair held the North-South cards, the bidding went am.

a Come In for our LOW PRICE on Zenith COLOR TV nauseates me. I East Pass Pass Pass South 64 Genuint veneers end hardwood solids North 4 NT 6 NT West Pass Pass (Pass Pass Perma-set fine tuning; control Beautiful moulded cabinet Completely hand wired circuit Top carrying handle NO PRODUCTION SHORT CUTS HAND WIRED! 4 SPEAKERS M-SPEEOC Combination Loudness Stereo balance control BIG SCREEN This excellent contract could not be defeated when Priday, after utilizing Blackwood, contracted for six notrump. Played from his seat (North), the slam was unbeatable, and when East selected a spade as his opening lead, Priday made all the tricks for a score of 1470 points. The British team gained 820 points on the deal. Ann Landers the restmaybe worse.

What can I do to get him to issue a declaration of independence? FURIOUS Dear Furious: You are not going to change your husband, so forget that. The ideal solution would be to get him to move to another city. If this is not practical for business reasons, take hold of the social reins and fill up the calendar with interesting friends so there will be precious little time left for boring relatives. DEAR ANN: My son belongs to a club. A good many weeks ago I told the president of the club that I would like to have an open house for the members.

I made it clear that it would be very informal. He said he would pass the word to the 20 members. He seemed certain that all the members would come. I prepared refreshments for that number. Only two members showed up the president and another fellow.

My son made three. No explanation or apologies were given. We just sat there looking at one another and at all that food. These people are not teen-agers. They are all in their late 20s and early 30s.

I am very hurt about this and wonder if I should call the members and find out what happened. My husband gays to forget it. What is your advice? L.L. as shown. ZENITH SOLID STATE STEREO 1 PAY 8 Speakers S-S5Q NO PRODUCTION SHORT CUTS COMPLETELY HAND WIRED Zenith quality Iront speaker Lightweight just 28 pounds 16,500 volts picture power Paper Cutting Toot Save the cutting edge from boxes of aluminum foil or waxed paper, and use them for cutting paper to wrap packages or gifts.

Cut the entire side of the carton where the metal edge is AM r-M stereo roaiw Exclusive Micro-Touch 1 WEEKLY tone orm I 111 '1 St. I 'rrWlt DELUXE I GIANT SCREEN 3 ill Dear L.L.: You should not have left it up to the president to "pass the word." You should have phoned each member yourself and extended a personal invitation. Forget about trying to find out what happened. Just don't make the same mistake again. VAC CLEANER HOSE BRING IN OLD $C95 HOSE EXCHANGE PARTS SERVICE All MAKES BRING IN YOUR CLEANER SAVE N0RDMAN ZZX 1215 MERAMEC FL 3-7 1 55 2 qiant 12" woofers 2 Horns 4 Hi 0 SHOULD GOOD NURSING CARE BE COSTLY? Surveys Indicate Pricti Out of Reach lor Most Families Recent news articles Indicate the inability of most families to afford the average $300.00 per month rates quoted by the approved professional nursing homes in the area.

In only one case was there an indication of such services being offered on a professional basis for less than $200.00 per month. The Hamilton Medical Center, Hamilton and Maple avenues, is one of the few homes in the area approved as an extended care facility by the American Hospital Association. This means that a team of inspectors has surveyed every phase of The Hamilton and has found its staff, care, meals and facility to meet or exceed the rigid standards set by the American Hospital Association. The Hamilton rate for complete care starts at $185.00 per month. For further in-formation and accommodations call PA.

1-6166. Look fidelity tweeters 140 watt amplifier AM FM stereo radio Record Storage HAND WIRED ZENITH PRICED LOWER THAN OFF-BRANDS WEEKLY "I QUALITY LOW PRICE I I SELECTION I tcovirr TO Try and Stop Me IN A CHICAGO saloon a bouncer threw a drink-cadger out on his ear four times running, but the undaunted victim always kept coming back for more. An enthralled bystander finally solved the bouncer's difficuiky. "You're putting too much backspin on him," he observed. "MY POOR husband simply cannot resist a bargain," a worried wife told an analyst.

"He'll buy any piece of junk if tie thinks he's putting something over on the seller. Our apartment looks like an auction room on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Can't you do something to cure him?" "I think I can," the analyst assured her. "How much will you charge him?" she asked. The analyst answered, "$24.98 a visit." A GUEST at an old English house in the Lake Country woke up his host at 3 a.m.

to gasp, "I just encountered your family ghost upstairs." The host, not too surprised, chuckled, "Did it give you a i "Frankly," said the guest, "I didn't need one." BENNETT CERF I ounger Remarkable, improvements in complexion beauty are attained by akin vitalizing. Wrinkles are moothrd and the ikin texture take on glorious refined bloom and an English country-tide look. Before retiring, smooth on a film of isotonic Olay vitalising night cream using upward and outward massaging strokes. Drug stores are CftESTWOOtll i shop ctr.) Y0. 4-8282 J' iiiiihw nm Mil.

IM I l.tj. li MOV 10206-03 HIGHWAY 66 Vz Mile East of Lindbergh able to supply this special vital ising cream. Margaret Merril A. i mm-iIiiihi tim ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH March 14, 1966 3.