102     September 22, 1954
Bill, Jayne, Henry, Laraine Day

First Lt Preston Maddocks from Newberg, New York:  “The man on my right saved my life”
Lieutenant Maddocks may have been a "Mr X" because his story had made headlines just days earlier.  On September 16, Maddocks was flying an Air Force jet trainer when he became disoriented in overcast conditions.  His generator was failing and his radio had already gone out.   He was about to bail when he encountered a commercial American Airlines flight with 19 passengers aboard.  Using hand signals, he was able to communicate his plight to Captain Lloyd Reinhard ("the man on my right") and Reinhard was able to guide him to a safe landing at LaGuardia Field.  After landing, Lieutenant Maddocks discovered he only had enough fuel for about five more minutes of flying.


Gloria Mosolino:  “I’m Marilyn Monroe’s understudy”
"Understudy" is a surprising word choice, since that refers to a theatrical performer who actually goes on and does the part when the lead is unavailable.  Mosolino is more accurately Monroe's stand-in, a far less glamorous job that involves literally standing in the star's place while tedious technical issues are worked out for a shoot. Mosolino's profile had risen considerably in the last few days as she was called upon to stand in for Miss Monroe in The Seven Year Itch (1954), and specifically the now-famous scene in which her white dress is blown up by the rush of air from a subway train.  In 1957, Mosolino would marry James Jones, an author best known for his novel From Here To Eternity (1951).  Thereafter, the two of them became the center of a post-war literati social circle.  Their daughter Kaylie Jones would write autobiographical works about the family, including the novel A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries (Bantam 1990) and the memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me (Morrow 2009).

Special guests Leo Durocher, Sal Maglie and Hoyt Wilhelm
Unlike other baseball episodes and segments that pay tribute to players of the past, these three are contemporary. Durocher is the manager, and Maglie and Wilhelm are star pitchers, for the New York Giants.  The Giants had just won the National League pennant and were about to face the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.   The Giants would sweep the Indians in four games, despite having a significantly worse regular season record.  Maglie started game three but did not pick up the win.  Wilhelm pitched in games three and four, getting a save in game three. This series is notable for a defensive play by center fielder Willie Mays which is so memorable that it is listed on Wikipedia simply as "The Catch".  The Giants would relocate to San Francisco in 1958 and would not win another World Series title until 2010.


This episode has not been reviewed.  ​ ​Information comes from alternate sources, including Gil Fates' handwritten notes.  Quoted secrets are based on those notes and are believed to be accurate.

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