“Rat Packer” Joey Bishop teaches Harry a few Tricks!







When I first performed in Atlantic City, I was appearing at Bally’s Park Place with Joey Bishop, Allen Jones, Jackie Vernon and a bunch of other “name” performers.
We had started the show five months earlier traveling across the Northeast United States in a “Bus-and-Truck Tour” going from town to town presenting our shows nightly in some amazing theaters around the country. Some of those theaters were former “Vaudeville” houses from the early 1900’s where Houdini himself used to perform!
I had a great time performing in that show and Joey Bishop (one of the original “Rat Pack” members), took me under his wing and taught me a lot about entertainment. Can you imagine being tutored in show business by someone who used to perform regularly with Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin?
It was fun — He would give me lots of tips on delivery and timing. He taught me to try a routine or joke on stage at least three times and if it does not get the reaction I wanted — drop it! He would even periodically toss out an idea for a joke and I would come up with a punchline! He was a gracious entertainer, an amazing performer and a stickler for detail. I never saw him do a show where he did not get a standing ovation.
A proud moment for me was the time I walked on stage to do a routine with Joey Bishop right on stage next to me.
Joey had asked me to add an additional routine that night to fill time, so I added a comedy routine with a long needle and a clear balloon and we designed the routine to include the drummer.
I would blow up a balloon as the orchestra played and I would say, “A needle and a balloon….watch…”, and as I started bringing the needle toward the balloon, the drummer would suddenly start a LOUD drumroll causing me to “accidentally” pop the balloon and Joey would apologize and playfully “yell” at the drummer and I would have to compose myself and begin the routine again by blowing up another balloon as the band played.
Once again I said, “A needle, and a balloon…” and then I suddenly I pointed with the needle to the watch on my wrist as I said “…watch! ”
The audience cracked up, the band cracked up and Joey leaned over to me and said “…that’s good!”
High praise from a great entertainer!

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