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“We had the same friends; we knew the same people,” Arlene says. So
they mutually decided they “should do something about this.” The two of
them went to Santa Barbara County Courthouse and applied for and received
a marriage license. But they didn’t get married right away. “We took some
trips together, then a cruise,” Arlene recounts.
“We were afraid of ruining a good friendship,” she admits. At the time,
she was shuttling between jobs in Seattle and in Hollywood at Universal
Studios. “Besides,” Arlene says, “I used to oversee flower arrangements for
weddings, and I didn’t want to go through all that.” At first, they thought they
could just go off together, but instead decided on a party idea; they’d invite all
their friends and announce a wedding date.
But, instead of merely announcing their wedding date, Milt had decided
they would actually get married that day. He also planned to arrange it all in
secret.
“I didn’t tell anyone. Not a soul, not even my best man,” Milt says.
“Being an old
Truth or Consequences
writer,” Milt says, laughing, “I
couldn’t help myself. Practical jokes and surprises are part of that game.
Ralph Edwards, who produced
This Is Your Life
, never told anyone who he
had in mind as the subject for his show. If he had, there would be no secrets
anywhere.”
He didn’t even tell Arlene that they would wed the day of the party.
Not telling anyone of his plans, however, turned out to be problematic.
The “Best Man” – Milt’s brother – arrived four hours late.
The person Milt figured would perform the ceremony called to say he
couldn’t make the party because he had a wedding to officiate on that same
day. When Milt explained that he needed him there in order to marry Arlene,
at first the man was skeptical. “I know you,” he chided. “So, tell me you are
serious and I’ll cancel the other wedding.”
In the end, and a day before the big day, Milt had to tell his mother, who
was living at Casa Dorinda at the time.
“When I told her I was going to marry Arlene,” Milt says, again laughing,
“she said ‘Oh, that’s great. When is the wedding going to be?’ When I said,
‘Tomorrow, at the party,’ she said, ‘Oh, well, that’s nice.’ At that point it was
as if I had taken a harpoon and put it into her heart. She didn’t think it was as
funny as I did.”
When the party got going and there was still no announcement
concerning their wedding date, Arlene began to think something was up.
“Is there anything you’re not telling me?” she asked.
Milt reluctantly divulged his plan to Arlene.
“The party began at noon but I think we finally got married at six,” she
says.
“My brother never did make it,” Milt says. “Dick Sherman did though,
so he became the best man.” Richard (Dick) and Robert (Bob) Sherman made
up the Sherman Brothers songwriting team that created among many, many
other songs, “It’s A Small World.” Milt and Dick (Bob has passed away) have
been friends for more than fifty years.
“It was quite an afternoon,” Milt says.
The couple celebrates their anniversary every August at the Zoofari Ball
on the grounds of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Truth or Consequences
For those who weren’t around or don’t remember,
Truth or Consequences
premiered September 7, 1950, with Ralph Edwards as the host for the first
two years. Next, it was Jack Bailey who went on to great fame as the host
of
Queen For A Day
. Bob Barker hosted off and on (mostly on) from 1956
through 1975. The show finally went off the air in 1988.
Milt explains the show thusly:
“Bob Barker would pull people out of the audience. Ed Bailey, the
producer, would take them out and take them down the hall. He’d say, ‘See
that girl (pointing to one of the costume designers, including Milt’s future
Conversations