Page Gilman

["Robert Paine" <macandrew@prodigy.net>]

A book about the show - The One Man's Family Album or similar title,
possibly - says Page Gilman was in the Army during WW2, an artillery
lieutenant when he did his last performance before going to the Pacific.
(We're in the midst of moving so naturally it's one of the books I can't
find - until after this gets sent.)

As to the story line, LT Jack Barbour was also at the same camp as LT Gilman
and likewise was being sent to the Pacific as an artillery officer. (During
the war, the rank would have been written as "Lieut.". I use the modern
designation - 1LT or 2LT for First or Second Lieutenant. I don't recall if
the script said which rank he had so here I'm going with LT.)

That script, by the way, was very poignant. The storyline has Jack returning
home on 48 or 72-hour leave before shipping out. He says his farewells to
each of the family, ending of course with Betty, who is naturally close to
tears. I haven't heard the show, if it is extant, but I imagine it was
difficult for everyone involved.

As a side note, the announcer more or less steps out of character to explain
Gilman's appearance. The script seems to follow real life, and LT Gilman may
as well have had but a very short time to divide between two families - his
own and the OMF family. He was the son of NBC West Coast executive Don
Gilman. Perhaps Conrad Binyon can shed more light on the story.

I sometimes wonder what would have happened in the Barbour family since
1959. Probably into the seventh or eighth generation now, maybe farther.
Would there be a survivor or survivors of the original characters?
Interesting to speculate as the show went off when I was eight - and I was
wasting time watching the tube.

 Macandrew