Ed Sullivan was a real piece of work.

The way I got the story was this:—

First, a bit of background: In 1962, Seattle put on "Century 21," also known as the Seattle World's Fair. It was one of the most successful world fairs ever, and the only world's fair in history that finished in the black. The former fairgrounds is now the Seattle Center, a complex of concert halls, exhibition halls, and theaters that provided homes for the development of a world-class symphony orchestra, ballet company, opera company, and several repertory theater companies, not to mention the Pacific Science Center and the new Experience Music Project. It's also the location of such huge annual gatherings as the Bumbershoot Arts Festival and the Northwest Folklife Festival. Seattle's two most recognizable icons, the Space Needle and the monorail were built for the fair. Not a bad return for a six-month bash.

Century 21 was an official world's fair. The international commission that decided such things had a rule that says there will be no more than one world's fair in a four year period, sort of like the Olympics. Part of the idea is to keep one city's world's fair from stealing the thunder of another's. International expositions are another matter. A city can put one on any time it wants. But to put on an international exposition and call it a "world's fair" would be like a city putting on an international sports tournament in an off-year and calling it an "Olympic Games" without bothering to consult with the International Olympic Committee. It just ain't kosher.

About a year or so after Century 21, New York had an international exposition out by Flushing Meadows. This was not an official, sanctioned world's fair.

Early in 1962, Ed Sullivan contacted the Powers That Be at Century 21 and said that he would like to do his Sunday night broadcasts from the Seattle Center fairgrounds for the duration of the fair, showcasing the fair's acts and exhibits. It would give Sullivan's show a great boost, and it would be good publicity for the Seattle World's Fair as well. The Powers That Be said "Fine! Come ahead!" Then Sullivan told the Powers That Be how much he would charge for condescending to come out to this God-forsaken outpost in the wilderness and help this primitive clump of log cabins and igloos with its cute little fair. The Powers That Be said, "Sorry, Ed, but for that price, we could buy NBC, ABC, and CBS and put on our own television shows. Thanks, but no thanks!"

Sullivan got nasty. Very nasty. From that point on, at every opportunity, both on his TV show and in his newspaper column, he trashed Seattle's Century 21, referring to it as "the Seattle exposition," and trumpeted the up-coming New York exposition (not sanctioned by the committee) as "the New York World's Fair." Didn't hurt Century 21 any, but it kinda made him look like a ass.

Gotta give The Great Stone Face his due, though. He did introduce a lot of pretty good people to a much wider audience.

Re Senior Wences: I thought Topo Gigio was kinda cute until Ed butted into the act. All the "I lahve you, Eddie! Kees me, Eddie!" got a bit sickening. But I really liked the head in the box. "'S all right?" "'S all right!"

Don Firth