Front cover of Rudy Vallee’s gag book, recovered by Michael Rohatyn
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Esopus 3 (Fall 2004)
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Tricks of the Trade
Recovered by Michael Rohatyn
This issue’s “Found Object,” recovered over a decade ago from a Santa Monica yard sale, is well-known entertainer Rudy Vallee’s “gag book” from 1957. We reproduce a sampling of its pages, filled with typewritten jokes categorized according to subject matter (from “Show Openers” to “Sex”).
Michael Rohatyn is a film composer and screenwriter. His film scores include The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, and Arctic Son. Rohatyn cowrote the script for the award-winning 2005 film 40 Shades of Blue with its director, Ira Sachs.