I was still a youngster a couple or three years or so into grade school when this commercial came out. The concept of travel didn't grab me so much as the man in the conductor's uniform. I didn't know who he was, but that completely over-the-top "nnnnyyyeeeesss!" thing fascinated me. And, it turned out, it also fascinated a schoolmate who carpooled home with us. Every afternoon in the back seat of the car, it would be like a comedy routine. I must have annoyed my mother no end imitating the man I called "Mr. Passport." (I didn't know enough to know he was dressed as a conductor.)
A couple years later, when I discovered Jack Benny, I came to find out this was the great Frank Nelson. He put in appearances on all kinds of radio and television programs, and stayed active in television and voice-over work into the mid-1980s. But he's well-remembered for his work with Jack Benny, as a guy who would show up in various places to torment our blue-eyed protagonist. So it was a delight to discover him in another context I already loved. (I've long felt like Jack Benny's world was much like my own, with its little defeats and put-downs. It's why I've always loved that kind of humor, the kind with just a bit of an edge to it.)
Ever since I saw that commercial in 1981, I've been working on my own "nnnyyyeeesss?" And, I have to say, I've pretty much figured it out. Every once in a while, the stars align and I get a chance to use it, too. It's a real hit in the classroom!
As an aside, here's a neat little essay by someone who worked with Frank Nelson in his later years. (I hope that Frank, wherever he is now, looks down and realizes my imitation of him is done with love. Although, if he likes, I'll donate whatever royalties to a charity of his choosing, of course. That will happen as soon as I get royalties from my classes.)
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