The Passing of Peter Jennings
August 2005 By Denny Hatch
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August 9, 2005, Vol. 1, Issue No. 20
The Passing of Peter Jennings
And How I nearly met Humphrey Bogart
IN THE NEWS
NEW YORK -- Peter Jennings, the suave, Canadian-born broadcaster who delivered the news to Americans each night in five separate decades, died yesterday. He was 67.
--David Bauder
The Associated Press, August 8, 2005
I never met Peter Jennings in person, but my wife, Peggy, and I watched him nightly for many years. At one point, ABC News had a trio of anchors reporting from around the country--Jennings, Frank Reynolds and Max Robinson. As I recall, Reynolds, a splendid journalist, died of AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion.
Peter Jennings became the solo anchor.
For months he would sign off, “For everyone at ABC News, I’m Peter Jennings. Good night.”
This used to drive me nuts. In effect he was saying, “Nobody here knows me, so ‘for everyone at ABC News, I’m Peter Jennings … ‘”
Finally I wrote Jennings a letter saying his nightly farewell made no sense. It should be, “I’m Peter Jennings. For everyone at ABC News, good night.”
I assumed Jennings did not read his mail, but at least I had scratched an itch.
A couple of weeks later, Peggy took a phone call in the early evening. It was ABC News. “Watch the news tonight,” the person said. “Peter is taking your husband’s suggestion and changing the way he signs off. Peter wanted him to know.”
Jennings was not only a consummate journalist but also a gentleman.
According to reports, he had given up smoking 20 years ago, but started up again as a result of the pressures of reporting the Sept. 11 tragedy.
His death on Sunday at 67 from lung cancer was a terrible waste--yet another wonderfully talented and valuable human being cut down by cigarettes.
It got me thinking about the time I turned down a chance to meet Humphrey Bogart.
The Hollywood Years
My uncle was Eric Hatch, a short story writer and novelist whose most famous work was the novel, “My Man Godfrey.” Eric went out to California to write the screenplay with Morrie Ryskind for what became the great 1936 screwball comedy starring William Powell, Carole Lombard and Mischa Auer. Eric was nominated for an Academy Award.
While in Hollywood, Eric and his wife, Gertie, became friends with many of the stars, including Humphrey Bogart and his wife, Mayo Methot, whose stormy marriage earned them the sobriquet, The Battling Bogarts.
The Passing of Peter Jennings
And How I nearly met Humphrey Bogart
IN THE NEWS
NEW YORK -- Peter Jennings, the suave, Canadian-born broadcaster who delivered the news to Americans each night in five separate decades, died yesterday. He was 67.
--David Bauder
The Associated Press, August 8, 2005
I never met Peter Jennings in person, but my wife, Peggy, and I watched him nightly for many years. At one point, ABC News had a trio of anchors reporting from around the country--Jennings, Frank Reynolds and Max Robinson. As I recall, Reynolds, a splendid journalist, died of AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion.
Peter Jennings became the solo anchor.
For months he would sign off, “For everyone at ABC News, I’m Peter Jennings. Good night.”
This used to drive me nuts. In effect he was saying, “Nobody here knows me, so ‘for everyone at ABC News, I’m Peter Jennings … ‘”
Finally I wrote Jennings a letter saying his nightly farewell made no sense. It should be, “I’m Peter Jennings. For everyone at ABC News, good night.”
I assumed Jennings did not read his mail, but at least I had scratched an itch.
A couple of weeks later, Peggy took a phone call in the early evening. It was ABC News. “Watch the news tonight,” the person said. “Peter is taking your husband’s suggestion and changing the way he signs off. Peter wanted him to know.”
Jennings was not only a consummate journalist but also a gentleman.
According to reports, he had given up smoking 20 years ago, but started up again as a result of the pressures of reporting the Sept. 11 tragedy.
His death on Sunday at 67 from lung cancer was a terrible waste--yet another wonderfully talented and valuable human being cut down by cigarettes.
It got me thinking about the time I turned down a chance to meet Humphrey Bogart.
The Hollywood Years
My uncle was Eric Hatch, a short story writer and novelist whose most famous work was the novel, “My Man Godfrey.” Eric went out to California to write the screenplay with Morrie Ryskind for what became the great 1936 screwball comedy starring William Powell, Carole Lombard and Mischa Auer. Eric was nominated for an Academy Award.
While in Hollywood, Eric and his wife, Gertie, became friends with many of the stars, including Humphrey Bogart and his wife, Mayo Methot, whose stormy marriage earned them the sobriquet, The Battling Bogarts.
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