SOCIAL SECURITY IN ACTION

[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] I'm Lon Morris, district manager of the Hollywood Social Security Office. You know, I'm in real trouble today, and I think you'll understand what I mean when our guest arrives. But I'm prepared. Oh, I think I see him. Yes, he's just entering the studio. >> Hey, kid. Watch out for that camera. [Applause] Hi, Mr. Morris. >> Hello. Uh, >> I uh, first of all, I want to say I'm sorry about your camera. I I hope I didn't break it. >> I think it's all right. Our guest today is Dennis the Menace. Uh, I mean, our guest is the young man who played Dennis the Menace on television for so many years. Welcome to Social Security in Action, Mr. Jay Nort. >> Thank you. See, why don't you take off that safety helmet? Nothing's going to happen while we're talking. >> Uh, you sure? >> Sure. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, Jay, uh, what do you think about my bit in show business? You think I'll ever make it? >> Oh, you will definitely. >> Speaking speaking of show business, uh, I know that you started in business at a very young age, and I'm sure there's a story behind that. Tell us about it. Well, when I first started, I was on a program, children's show called Engineer Bill, and you go on the uh program and uh play games and uh he gives you prizes and you see see cartoons and >> and um Hazel McMillan, she watches the u show, I guess, to see cuz she likes it too. And >> so, um I've always wanted to be an actor. I thought it was a wonderful profession and really exciting. >> Mhm. And uh so I started out doing uh I did a commercial for Queen for a Day where I was finger painting and I uh paint all over the uh um uh tile or something. And uh >> then I did uh little tiny spots on like commercials and uh in the dinosaur show I was uh sitting on Dizzy Dean's lap and he was playing Santa Claus and I was telling him what I wanted for Christmas in my pajamas. >> Uhhuh. And uh I was on the George Goel show and Eddie Fischer and Milton Burl show. >> And this was all prior to Menace the Dennis or Dennis the Menace, right? >> Yes. >> How did you get that part? >> Well, um they had it was a very uh very uh big thing. They had about a thousand kids testing for it from all over the country. >> And uh I uh read Dennis the Menace in the comics and I uh thought he was a real great little character. And I And when I heard about this, I wanted to do it. So I went in and uh they gave me a little script to memorize. So I came back with about seven other boys one day and u did a little screen test. >> Mhm. >> So about 3 weeks later, they said that they wanted to try a pilot. Now the pilot was the first uh first show on the air of Dennis. That was the beginning. >> So we did the pilot and then about uh two months later >> that was it. That was it. >> Wow. What uh show did you find the funniest in in the series? >> Well, I think the funniest show that uh was ever in Dennis is uh one where I was um I was uh on top of a pond and I was pointing to something. >> I say, "Look, I was with Mr. Wilson in the scene and I said, "Look, Mr. Wilson." >> And uh one time I got up to ex a little too exumeately and I fell right into the pond. >> Oh, great. and got all wet and everybody started laughing and I was really laughing because it was >> it was certainly >> funnier to me than it was to anybody else. >> See, it was certainly a wonderful series. Uh which story did you find your favorite? >> Well, I think my favorite story in Dennis was uh when we did the pirate story. I was dressed up as a pirate and I uh >> Why was that? Why did you consider that the the >> Because I was a great pirate lover. I love I had pirate guns, swords, hats, ashes, and >> pirate uh boots and everything you could think of in the way of uh pirates. And that was my favorite show because I got to wear my own stuff and I had my hat with a skull and crossbones and a big >> feather. It was uh that was my favorite show. >> Oh yeah. Wonderful. I learned something new today and that is that you are an honorary astronaut, right? >> That's right. uh an honorary um it was the eighth astronaut of the thing >> and we went to Houston about two years ago and we u taped a little thing for the city schools. It was to be shown in the schools >> and uh I met Wally Shira who had just uh recently been up then he was up there >> and John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, Alan Shepard, Gryom, everybody Cooper. It was really a >> great thrill for me to meet such wonderful men. >> I'm sure it was. And you were actually in the c in the one of the capsules, weren't you? Uh >> yes, we did a Dennis show about uh space and uh the capsule that was brought on the set was the one that the monkey went up in. >> Oh, I see. >> And it was there for and I was in the capsule for three hours and it was uh the camera was shooting in and I was supposed to be up in space and uh >> Mr. Wilson was on this was a dream I had. Mr. Wilson was on the ground control and he sent up a hamburger to me by rocket and the hamburger comes floating up in the ketchup and I reach outside and take it in. >> Wonderful. >> And it uh it was a real uh real capsule that was >> real exciting to be in one that is real. >> I should say. Dennis, you work a lot with animals. Do you like them? >> I love animals. I'm a great animal lover. I have four cats at home who are >> Oh, great. >> most neurotic things you've ever seen. >> Neurotic, you say? Yeah, they're uh one minute I have a blue maltise and his name is Blue Boy and one minute I'll be petting him and I'll be talking nice to him and then the next minute he'll turn around and scratch me for no reason at all. >> Uhhuh. He needs a cat psychiatrist. Huh? >> That's that's what my mom says. Uh we were discussing about taking him to one. >> What are some of the animals that you have worked with? Well, I worked with mountain lions, tigers, elephants, cheetahs, pythons, cobras, >> uh, leopards, every kind of animal you could think of. Uh, the film that I did about a year ago, Zebra in the Kitchen, >> we did that out at Nature's Haven. We had 108 animals in that picture. >> Oh, goodness. Now, you have no fear of animals? >> No. >> Just a respect, I presume? >> Yes. I uh you have to respect animals because if you >> if you get too uh too overplayful with them and hurt them, then that's the time that they could become dangerous. >> You have to first go up to them gently, no fast moves, and talk to them sweet and >> let them know that uh >> you're their friend. >> Good. Jay, we'll be back with more questions about your career in just a few moments. Right now, let's pause to hear some important information about Social Security and how it protects you and your family with old age survivors and disability insurance. >> Our guest today is the motion picture star, Mr. Jay North. Let's take a look at some of the pictures from his latest motion picture. Uh Jay, where is this now? >> Well, this was the uh the train depot in India where I was just getting off the train. >> And the name of the picture is Maya, right? >> Maya, right? And right here in this particular scene, uh, the servant of my father has just come up to greet me. You see, I was expecting my father to meet me at the train depot. >> And the next picture, let's see. >> And this is where I'm very angry with the people because they won't tell me where my father lives. >> Mhm. >> And I have to walk about uh 40 miles to get my to get to my father's place. Oh yeah. >> These people are being very uh >> Now, what is the significance of the hands here? Well, this is um you can either say hello or goodbye in this uh manner. This uh I'm saying goodbye >> to uh uh one of the u servants of my father's and I'm saying namaskarum and I have my hands like >> like that in the picture and when you say hello in India you say namaste. >> I see. >> The hands are same as when you say hello or goodbye except the words are >> a little different. That's just before I'm >> and this picture >> on the train. And this uh I'm saying goodbye to the other uh servant who met me at the train but didn't tell me where my father lived and he just went on the other way. >> And uh I'm saying goodbye to him here. >> Right right here. I discover uh that a cheetah is watching me. >> Oh yeah. >> And I'm going to try to make friends with him, but it it doesn't prove successful. And uh right down around there there's a little boat that I jump into and I cut the >> and you escape from the uh >> and I go down rapids and uh everything. I get down a 500 ft fall and uh >> great sound exciting. >> It is. >> Real briefly. Now what is the story of the picture? Uh >> well the story is about uh a boy who lives in the United States with his grandparents. His mother has >> died and his father lives in India as a big white game hunter. And so he corresponds with his father and sends letters and he goes to India to meet his father >> and uh he goes to his father's home and it turns out that the father doesn't want him and the reason is because the father has been scarred by a tiger and he's a coward now. >> Oh yes. >> So he sends his son home on the train and the boy gets so mad and doesn't know what to do that he just jumps off the train and runs into the jungle. >> Mhm. and he while going down the rapids and falling in he drowning in the rapids and this Hindu boy comes and rescues him and uh in the jungle and I meet this Hindu boy and we talk about uh his father who is dying he's a holy Hindu man >> I see >> and they have a sacred mission to carry out a white elephant has to be >> gotten to a certain temple and uh the whole thing is >> this sounds really exciting I wish we had more time to talk about it uh Jay it's been real wonderful talking with you today. What's uh one of your uh next plans or what is your next plans coming up? Uh >> well uh in February I hope to go to uh Munich, Germany to do a movie over there, King of the Winds. >> Oh, real wonderful. We'll look forward to seeing that show, too. Thanks for appearing on Social Security. Wonderful. And remember, if you have questions about your Social Security, see your own Social Security office soon. >> Social Security in Action is brought to you as a public service by this station. Guests appearing on this series do so at no cost to the government.