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Bennett CerfBennett Cerf
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began telling him the reason that the show was a flop was that the songs were terrible. Without further ado, George, who smoked big long cigars (which he later gave up) walked stark naked up to the piano and, sitting naked with the cigar in his mouth, played the entire score for us. After each song he'd say, “What's the matter with that song?” We'd all say, “It's terrible.” Without any further ado he'd go on playing. Some of the songs were wonderful. It was the show that was no good. But I can still remember him sitting naked at the piano, playing through the whole score of the show to prove to three of his old friends that it was a good score. He wouldn't let us tell him that it was terrible. That was George.

At the same time down in Florida there was a very famous girl, a very rich girl, who was an absolute tramp, and was known to have had affairs with almost everybody in Miami Beach. We made a deal with her, and then we bet George a $100 that he couldn't make her. For a week, George was trying to get this girl, who was absolutely the tramp of the town, to go to bed with him. Of course it was a game with her, too. He would come back every evening to report to us. We'd say, “Well, how did you make out with so and so today?” He'd say, “Would you believe it? She won't even let me kiss her.” All week this went on. When we told him, I've never seen anybody angrier in my life. I'm telling you these stories with love.





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