Jean Shepherd - Leopold Doppler and the Great Orpheum Gravy Boat Riot

Another classic Shep short-story about the Orpheum Theatre and how Leopold Doppler tried to get more attendees. Shep story won the Playboy Humor/Satire Award when it came out. This short Story was included in Shep's book "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash."
[Audio is public domain, Ban Frei © by ICE_CS, Photo © by Roy Schatt]

[@davidriedel9961]

Shep a genius with the vocabulary.

[@cwbrooks5329]

There are so many great sentences in this. If you enjoy Shepherd's childhood tales, you might like Jean Stafford's short story "Bad Characters." (Just a recommendation to anyone who might read this comment.)

[@shotgunshell80]

28:20

[@JohnKoroly]

When did this air?

[@draff1662]

The original story was published in Playboy in 1965, and included in Shepherd’s book ‘In God We Trust All Other’s Pay Cash’ in 1966. Shepherd started reading chapters from the book because of listener requests annually probably in the late 60’s. I’d guess this episode aired in the early 70’s as I could not find a date associated with it.

[@draff1662]

Re-listening to this I don’t believe it was a real Jean Shepherd program, but a recording of Shepherd that had his theme edited onto it. Shepherd sounds much older, the recording is off a board and doesn’t sound like an off the air recording. He references the 1994 film ‘It Runs Through The Family’ (though not by title) which had the gravy boat story in it. Shepherd also swears, something he never did on WOR. I don’t know where this is from, but it’s probably not a radio show. Maybe a books on tape type of program. Probably why I couldn’t find a WOR date reference. He sounds a little off on this so it is probably much later. He did read the Red Ryder chapter and the Ludlum Kissel chapter from his book annually for a number of years. I listened to those. Maybe someone else knows the origin of this recording.

[@bobaldo2339]

@@draff1662 I totally agree.

[@christopherwall2121]

@@draff1662 This is from a tape series he recorded in 1990, where he read 7 of his most popular short stories. He's not referencing _Our Summer Story_ outside of noting it's being made; he's actually referencing _The Phantom of the Open Hearth_ there, I think he saw his PBS films as equally worthy of being called major motion pictures as the two movies Bob Clark made.

[@525Lines]

@@christopherwall2121 I'd like the title of that tape.