And Now . . .All About Gig

was Gig. Sounds much like an almost-famous off-Broadway play. I said almost, which is the same as saying near Broadway. But the same first-name, Gig as could be there or really on Broadway, “ladies and gentlemen, receiving the Oscar for the Rouges, Gig Young!” See what a ring the name has? No wonder his mom, “Velma Gig,” named him Gig. (Just kidding about his mom’s name.) But not that famous, always-memorable moniker. It is not the same as “Hal Gig,” because it loses something in the fame department. “Now presenting, ‘Hal Gig!” Who would really say that? Certainly not ‘Hal Gig,’ and certainly not the real film and TV star as Gig Young.

Do you also recall that Young was one of the stars on NBC’s The Rogues? No kidding. Just who or what was The Rogues? TheRogues was first set as American television series appearing on NBC from September 13, 1964, to April 18, 1965, with stars David Niven, Charles Boyer, and Gig Young as a related trio of former sharp confidence men who could, for the right price, be persuaded to trick a very wealthy and unscrupulous mark. Although it won the 1964 Golden Globe award for Best Television Series, the show was canceled after one season consisting of thirty episodes.

As a kid I remember watching (this) show once. But I go not take a kick at the show because at that time I was eight and drama’s on TV with complicated plots always confused me. I was start watching the show, then in a minute or so, I would set-in asking the adults who were camped around me, what is that man doing? Is he stealing a car? Isn’t this wrong? Did he just light a cigarette? Mom! Dad! You told m that smoking was wrong! And the band played on. But Gig Young stood out as a suave, debonair, man-about-town with a smooth verbal manner of talking and with this eyebrows, (probably trained in some big summer stock theater company) the pretty girl who was playing a waitress was “putty in his hands.”

Still, as TV, film, and theater began to grow, so did Gig. But the amazing thing about him was he changed very little, except maybe growing a bit more classy, arrogant, and humorous. But all of these changes did not harm him, but helped him stay on the Hot List of Hollywood Actors and Gig was never without work or pretty girls to date.

By now you are a Gig Young enthusiast just like me. You and I should meet in Hollywood one summer day on a Saturday, have lunch, trade Gig Young facts and go on one of those bus tours of the Hollywood Stars Homes and then go home. I would be the first to start the ball rolling, but you see, I am a bit financially-strapped, so if you could lend me a few Pounds so I can buy my airline ticket, fly first-class and take a long nap—so I will be fully-refreshed so I will be on my game when I meet you in the Hollywood Airport, or whatever they have out there. What do you say?

Now back to Gig Young, his name. Did you ever in your many years of gazing at TV, wonder at the stars’ stage names? You know? Rock Hudson is NOT Rock Hudson, but Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., is. Long, yes? Rock Hudson does fit. That fact goes all the way back to Jackie Gleason aka/Herbert John Gleason and Dean Martin or Dino Paul Crocetti. All of these super-stars’ names were changed by their agents or managers for shortening their names to obtain more popularity. But on the other hand, I can see where Young, I mean, Gig, was the butt of bad jokes in his Pre-Celebrity Years.

Here Gig is, sitting underneath a full summer moon in June, sometime in June. Gig is sitting very stylish, sexually-attractive and smooth. Of course the young starlet, who is very pretty, but has no work in the Hollywood to get her a part in some movie, and Gig is not really a “007” like Sean Connery, but he will do as for the pretty starlet to brag to her friends in her local coffee house.

The pretty starlet leans over and says, “Ohhhh, what a sexy man you are, uhhhh, is it, uhhh, Digg?”

Gig’s head snaps toward her and his eyes blaze with anger.

He replies, “GIG! Please learn it! GIG! GIG! GIG! Now let me take you home!” And speeds away with a crying, torn-up pretty Hollywood starlet. NOTE: you will like this: in a few years, she will be the “talk of the town,” and with a few good breaks, she becomes Ann Margaret, and everyone should know whom she is. If you do not, then I am sorry for you.

Since we are (or I am) talking about Gig Young and The Perils of Popularity, (a lecture coming soon from yours truly from HubPages), I should let you in on the many names and things that will always rhyme with the name Gig. And if you put his real name here, you will see what an ignorant name this will be:

“Pig” Young *sounds more like a TV wrestler than a cool conman.

“Twig” Young

“Mig” Young

“Wig” Young

“Rig” Young”

“Big” Young

“Dig” Young *not to be confused with Gig’s name the pretty Hollywood starlet said it was “Digg.”

You should know that I love telling the truth. I need to reveal that there ARE a lot of people named “Gig,” and to prove it, here are just a few names . . .

Gig Gangel (born 1958), Playboy Playmate of the Month for January 1980.

Gig Morton (born 1996), Canadian actor.

Gig Ryan (born 1956), Australian poet born Elizabeth Anne Martina Ryan.

Gig Young (1913–1978), American actor born Byron Elsworth Barr.

There is this late-night event in the Bijou of Louisiana called Frog Gigging. It has been around for many years and the event is really quite easy to understand. You and a few friends hit a swamp or creek after dark and you can collect frogs by sticking them with a stick with a sharp end to it. Sure, this one is very horrible (to the frog), but it is a part of of our nation’s history, so I chose to include it on these basis.

And the word, “Gig,” can be used by one or two professional musicians.

Example: Tom: hey, Charlie. You working this weekend? Charlie: Yes. I have a ‘gig’ at the Cattle Call.”

You see? There are a lot of phrases, words, and titles with the word, gig. And it has been one tremendous time that I have had researching all about gigs starting with our buddy, Gig Young.

So with this ‘gig’ being over, I will bid you and yours a happy night.

March 4, 2020_______________________________________________________