BUCHANAN AND GOODMAN
Buchanan and Goodman brought a lot of joy and silliness to the world. And so
fate conspired to do them dirt, and give them both wretched finales.
The team was responsible for "The
Flying Saucer," the first in a series of "break-in" novelty
records. Buchanan was the one who began that historic 1956 record with:
"We interrupt this record to report that a flying saucer has landed-"
For more on their work, read "Goldmine Comedy Record Price Guide"
from Krause books.
Fast forward...
After spending 30 years making novelty
"break-in" records, Dickie Goodman shot
himself.
As for his partner, who had sought to
avoid the fate of spending 30 years making novelty "break-in" reords, the end was slower. Buchanan had let Dickie Goodman continue narrating zany adventures about
flying saucers, Elliot Ness, King Kong, E.T., Jaws, etc. (all with break-ins
from hit songs of the day). He went on to produce a record album for The Three
Stooges and to write for Creative Screenwriting magazine.
Buchanan
describes some of this himself...in a letter he sent to President Bill Clinton.
It is dated
Mr. Bill Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
Dear Mr. President:
I am dying of cancer and I am being denied
medical treatment that could save my life.
Who is the culprit? Congress. Why? The law recognizes
only FDA approved treatment; health insurance companies, including Medicare and
Medicaid will pay only for FDA authorized medication and procedures
administered by licensed Medical Doctors or Osteopaths. But these treatments
have meager success in treating cancer.
If I choose to go to the hospital, I can
have radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery to remove my lung-all costing
perhaps $50,000-paid for with taxpayers' money. However, if I elect not to go
that route, and choose alternative treatment which might cost $800 per month,
it will be denied me. I am 65 years old; retired. My income is from Social
Security. I cannot afford this expense. Either I surrender to surgery or die.
Mr. President, this means that traditional
therapy used for 2,000 years in Japan, China and Russia and dozens of new
therapies now being used successfully in Germany,
The FDA has no right to diagnose my
illness nor to prescribe my treatment. This far
exceeds its authority and has given the FDA ultimate power over every aspect of
the medical industry, and now over my life and death.
Please help! The FDA needs to be reminded
of its purpose, and reorganized accordingly.
Medicare needs to be redefined so that every American has total freedom of
choice and freedom of access in matters concerning his or her own health. I
need to get immediate treatment of my choice, paid for by Medicare.
Please help me! I am not ready to die.
Respectfully yours,
William V.
Buchanan
Mr. Buchanan died August 1st, in Los
Angeles, where he had gone to receive microwave energy therapy. A friend,
Dennis Beck, recalled: "His prognosis was looking better every day. The
tumors were getting smaller. His outlook was cheerful and upbeat. His doctors
had even tried to get him to slow down. He collapsed, was taken to the
hospital, but it was too late."