Danielle Manley

On July 13, 1933, a relatively unknown 29-year-oldvaudeville comedian named Joe Penner made his historic debut as a guest on Rudy Vallee’s top-rated national Radio Program for Fleischmann’s Yeast. Penner’s performance introduced many of the soon-to-be-famous catchphrases that he had developed over the previous ten hard years on vaudeville stages across America, including his most famous gag line: “Wanna buy a duck?”

I should drive over there and grab the son-of-a-bitch by the throat and throttle him. The gall the guy has to stand there and lie and tell me nothing is happening when I can read it in every twitch on his face.