Episode 140: Dogs Playing Poker, Ernest P. Worrell and Pitchmen Going Pop (Classic)
We’re still on summer vacation, so we’re sharing a classic episode.
Hey, Vern. In this episode we discuss how artwork advertising cigars became a cornerstone for kitsch and a character promoting local businesses became a movie star. What is the deal with dogs playing poker, anyway? And how did Ernest P. Worrell go from plugging local car lots in Nashville to saving Christmas in movie theaters across the country? We answer these questions and introduce you to what may be the coolest artist name in history.
E X T R A S :
Dogs Playing Poker
Dogs Playing Poker history (Wikipedia article)
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge online gallery
Sotheby’s auction page
“The Story Behind the Iconic ‘Dogs Playing Poker’ Painting” (My Modern Met article)
Ernest P. Worrell
Convenient Food Mart Commercial (YouTube)
Ernest TV Commercial Compendium (YouTube)
Hey Vern, It’s Ernest! Saturday morning TV show (Wikipedia article)
Ernest Goes to Camp trailer (YouTube)
“Jim Varney: The Original Viral Star” mini-documentary (YouTube)
The Importance of Being Ernest (Jim Varney biography) trailer
The Importance of Being Ernest: The Life of Actor Jim Varney (Stuff that Vern doesn't even know) by Justin Lloyd (book)
Keeper of the Clown: My Life with Ernest by John Cherry (book)
