ROUTE 66 AUTHOR NIGHT WITH GLEN DUNCAN

Glen Duncan, writer of the book “Route 66 in California,” will make an Author Night presentation in the South Pasadena Public Library Community Room on Thursday, April 19th at 7:00 p.m. The free public event for all ages will also feature the screening of an original episode of the Route 66 hit TV series, which ran on CBS from 1960 to 1964, cosponsored by Chevrolet. It was Glen’s job at Campbell-Ewald, Chevrolet’s ad agency, to write 1-2 page synopses of the episode scripts before the shows were televised. Glen’s synopses would then go to the Chevrolet Advertising Manager for review and (hopefully) approval.

The episode you’ll see on April 19th, titled “First Class Mouliak,” first aired in 1961, is one of Glen’s favorite episodes. It was directed by William Conrad, later to become famous as the television detective “Cannon.” The episode features the exploits of its two stars, George Maharis and Martin Milner as the adventurous young men, Buz and Tod. Also showcased are guest appearances by Martin Balsam, Nehemiah Persoff, and a very young Robert Redford. The non-human star of the “Route 66” series was, of course, a Chevrolet Corvette.

Dubbed “The Mother Road” and “America’s Main Street,” U.S. Highway 66 was originally established in 1926 as the first road to California that was open year-round. From its inception, Route 66 ran right through the middle of South Pasadena, down Fair Oaks Avenue to Huntington Drive, then to downtown Los Angeles. Ten years later, the highway went all the way to Santa Monica, where it concluded its 350-mile California stretch near the Pacific Ocean. From Route 66’s starting point in Chicago, it also ran through St, Louis, Tulsa, Santa Fe and near the Grand Canyon, and other well-traveled locations immortalized in the famous “Route 66” song composed by jazz singer Bobby Troup. The song has also been recorded dozens of other times by artists as diverse as Nat King Cole and the Rolling Stones. The TV show music by Nelson Riddle was also a hit in its own right. The “Route 66” TV show was based very loosely on the popular Beatnik novel by Jack Kerouac “On the Road,” which was published in 1957. The novel featured two young hipsters looking for kicks while speeding up and down a highway. At the time the “Route 66” series debuted, many viewers couldn’t help but notice that actor Maharis bore a strong physical resemblance to Kerouac.

For the Library program, Glen Duncan will show Route 66 images from his book and relate a few of the more interesting stories from its California history. Glen will also describe his personal odyssey, which has seen him regularly driving and living along Route 66. Glen now lives a few blocks from Route 66 in South Pasadena and has been very active in community, both as a member of Cultural Heritage Commission and the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation.

The Author Night Program is presented by the South Pasadena Public Library and the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library.  Autographed copies of Glen Duncan’s book will be available for purchase, as will a DVD from Roxbury Entertainment entitled “The Best of Route 66.”

The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and no tickets or reservations are necessary. Special thanks to Roxbury Entertainment, the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation, and the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation.