The Vegas Voice 3-21

Editor’s Note: We couldn’t do a “pet
edition” without discussing one of the
most famous dogs in our time. We asked our
Beverly to reminisce about her time with “Old Yeller.”
The year was 1956 and I was asked to audition for the part of
“Lisbeth” in the Walt Disney film “Old Yeller.”
I was thrilled as animals are my passion. However, I really didn’t think
I would get the role since they were also filming the famous Mickey
Mouse Club at the same time. And, of course, any of the Mouseketeers
would have been wonderful in the role.
After meeting
and reading for
the role before
Walt Disney
and the director
Robert Stevenson,
and much to my
surprise, I got the
call saying I had
been cast. It was a
dream come true
for me.
We filmed for
three months and
it is definitely
one of my fondest
Best Dog in the World
By: Beverly Washburn / Hollywood Memories
memories. What
some of you
animal lovers might be interested to know, is that Old Yeller, whose real
name was “Spike” was a rescue dog!
They found him in a shelter and trained him. Unlike “Lassie”
and “Rin Tin Tin” where they had numerous Collies and German
Shepherds all playing the same role, there was only One Old Yeller. He
did every scene.
He was an amazing dog who did an amazing job. If I remember
right, his dressing room was even bigger than mine!
While the movie was supposed to have taken place in Texas, we never
went on location other than to Iverson Ranch which is about 50 miles
outside of LA. The majority of the filming was done on the stage at the
Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
After all these year, I remain truly grateful and proud to have been a
part of what has been considered a “Classic Film.”
Another highlight for me was that I was able to go to school every day
in the big red trailer with all of the Mouseketeers. I’m still friends with
many of them today.
Until next time, remember: “Love is like a flower. If you don’t nurture
it, it will die.”
Beverly Washburn graced the silver screen as a child actress and
is the author of Reel Tears. You can contact Beverly at: bjradell@
hotmail.com.
6
March 2021
You Gotta Laugh
By: Bill Caserta / Bill’s Blurbs
While waiting for my first appointment
in the reception room of a new dentist,
I noticed his certificate, which bore his name.
Suddenly, I remembered that a boy with the same
name had been in my high school class some 50
years ago.
Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought.
This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was too old to
have been my classmate.
After he had examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended the
local high school. “Yes,” he replied.
“When did you graduate?” I asked. He
answered, “In 1970.”
“Why, you were in my class!” I
exclaimed. He looked at me closely and
then asked, “What did you teach?”
* My wife didn’t order anything
from Amazon yesterday, so the UPS guy
knocked on our door to see if we’re okay.
* You know when you buy a bag of
salad and it gets all brown and soggy?
Cookies don’t do that.
And finally: Who would have
thought one day we’d be smoking weed
at a family gathering but the illegal part
would be the family gathering?
Bill & Buster
Bill Caserta is the Project Director for The Vegas Voice and
has a very “unique” sense of humor. He welcomes all funny
submissions at: bill@thevegasvoice.net.