It’s often said that laughter is the best medicine. Norwegian researcher Sven Sveback says he’s got the data to prove it.

Sveback, of the medical school at Norwegian University of Science and Technology, has released a study of 54,000 individuals whom he tracked for seven years after they filled out a questionnaire on how much humor they found in life. He found a direct correlation between having a sense of humor and longevity.

According to Sveback’s research, humor cut the chances of death for cancer patients by 70%.

“Humor works like a shock absorber in a car,” he says. “You appreciate a good shock absorber when you go over bumps, and cancer is a big bump in life.”

A Laugh A Day May Help Keep Death Further Away

Betty Johnson used it as a doorstop for 50 years. The house’s previous owner had used it for 10 years to prop open the door of the garden shed. But after 60 years Betty finally got curious and wondered if it might be dangerous so she called police.

The object that had been employed as a doorstop at the house in New Malden, England, for 6 decades was an unexploded shell from World War II.

Betty never gave it much thought until a friend came around and “got really quite funny about it”. That made Betty think and she decided perhaps it was time to have someone take a look at it.

Bomb disposal experts came out to remove the shell. Betty is waiting to find out what kind of bomb it was and if there was any danger of it exploding.

Bomb used as doorstop for 60 years

Juanita Bland is 75 years old, disabled and lives in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. She was in her specially equipped van when the electric side door on the van became stuck open. She couldn’t get out of the van so she waved down a passing good samaritan.

The man helped her close the door and then asked for a ride. He seemed nice so she agreed and he rode with her for a few blocks before alighting and getting into a white sedan parked on the street. The man then drove off.

What Juanita didn’t know was the good samaritan she had given a lift to had just robbed a local bank branch.

“When I think back now of what could have happened, I feel blessed that I’m OK,” Bland said.

Juanita found out she was driving the getaway van when a friend called her. She had heard on the police scanner that the robber had gotten into Juanita’s van and worried that Juanita had been abducted.

From 1950 to 1954, American television viewers were treated weekly to the immense talents of Sid Caesar in Your Show of Shows. Featured players included Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris.

The show was a live sketch comedy powered by brilliant writers such as Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbart. Mel Brooks of course went on to write and star in many of his own comedic offerings, Neil Simon became a playwright who brought us The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park, Carl Reiner’s experience on the show inspired the wonderful sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and Larry Gelbart of course, brought us the immensely popular series M*A*S*H*.

But it was the chemistry and camaraderie of this troupe of players that made Your Show of Shows so popular and so funny.

Unfortunately, most of the kinescopes were discarded by NBC and so few copies of the show survive. However, I have found video of a few sketches on YouTube that you can view by clicking the links.

The Clock Watch this hilarious sketch as Sid, Imogene Coca, Howard Morris and Carl Reiner act out the parts of clockwork figures that start to go haywire.

The Three Haircuts Sid, Howie and Carl in a send-up of 50s rock n’roll. Watch the antics as each of the three takes center stage to dance during the second song. It’s So Rare and Flippin’!

Progress Hornsby Carl Reiner interviews Progress Hornsby (Sid Caesar), a modern jazz musician who is very “cool”.
Carl: Progress, how do you get your barber to cut your hair that way?
Sid: I insult him.