# 77 Sunset Strip-The Disappearance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 7, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095 "2019-02-07T01:17:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/1 "2019-02-07T01:17:40Z")
Who is the guy they never show well, Eisenhower? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/2 "2019-02-07T01:51:13Z")
Context, please? :dubious: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/3 "2019-02-07T02:12:11Z")
IMDB simply calls him “Distinguished Visitor” and that’s probably good enough - just a Very Important Person." Besides, the episode was from 1962. Eisenhower was out of office and no one would have paid _[COLOR=“Green”]one million dollars[/COLOR]_ for an ex-president. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/4 "2019-02-07T02:20:52Z")
carnivorousplant, please try to explain things more clearly. You’re referring to this episode of the TV show: > **["77 Sunset Strip" The Disappearance (TV Episode 1962) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0503481/)** > > The Disappearance: Directed by Sidney Salkow. With Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Edd Byrnes, Louis Quinn. The kidnapping of an national leader pits Bailey against the brainy Doctor Burke (John Dehner) who has an ingenious plan for escaping with... One review talks about the resemblance to Eisenhower. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/5 "2019-02-07T02:24:34Z")
He just said, "I was told by the Nazis to surrender. I said, “nuts!” That would make him General Anthony McAuliffe, which seems unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/6 "2019-02-07T02:26:12Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Context, please? :dubious: 😕 I hope to reach viewers of 77 Sunset Strip, not folks waiting to complain about something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/7 "2019-02-07T02:51:29Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > IMDB simply calls him “Distinguished Visitor” and that’s probably good enough - just a Very Important Person." Besides, the episode was from 1962. Eisenhower was out of office and no one would have paid _[COLOR=“Green”]one million dollars[/COLOR]_ for an ex-president. I thought golf and fishing would indicate Eisenhower. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/8 "2019-02-07T03:45:20Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I hope to reach viewers of 77 Sunset Strip, not folks waiting to complain about something. 🙂 ÂżQuĂ©? 😕 I know something about the show, though I haven’t seen it in ages. I don’t see how it could be anyone other than McAuliffe, given the “Nuts!” quote. I’d suppose the General liked fishing and golf as much as the next guy. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/9 "2019-02-07T15:23:44Z")
Yeah, I strongly suspect it was supposed to be Eisenhower. I think the “Nuts” quote was probably to give context to his having also been a commander in WWII, and I don’t know how well the name of McAuliffe was known almost two decades later. The quote, though, certainly. (I also saw that ep last night and kept wondering “When are we going to see his face?”) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/10 "2019-02-07T15:36:24Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > 
I don’t know how well the name of McAuliffe was known almost two decades later. I came back to ask if anyone know if McAuliffe was popular. I heard of the incident as a child, but couldn’t have named him. I believe it was supposed to be a particular person because of his face not being shown. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/11 "2019-02-07T15:43:03Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Yeah, I strongly suspect it was supposed to be Eisenhower. I think the “Nuts” quote was probably to give context to his having also been a commander in WWII, and I don’t know how well the name of McAuliffe was known almost two decades later. The quote, though, certainly. (I also saw that ep last night and kept wondering “When are we going to see his face?”) I’d say pretty well known, especially among watchers of the show. McAuliffe’s comment was borderline-risquĂ© and squarely in the American tough-guy persona, and would have been pretty familiar to anyone serving, or even closely following the news. heck, I knew about it then, and I was born a decade after the war ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/12 "2019-02-07T16:18:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I’d say pretty well known, especially among watchers of the show. McAuliffe’s comment was borderline-risquĂ© and squarely in the American tough-guy persona, and would have been pretty familiar to anyone serving, or even closely following the news. > > heck, I knew about it then, and I was born a decade after the war I was too, and I knew about it by the time I was seven (I had a copy of the Classics Illustrated history of WWII, which depicted the incident at Bastogne). I think it had already been part of American folk lore for some time. On the other hand, if they wanted to “imply” another famous WWII personality, Ike would certainly have been near the top of the list. This was done on Rocky and Bullwinkle just by mentioning “Gettysburg.” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/13 "2019-02-07T16:23:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I was too, and I knew about it by the time I was seven (I had a copy of the Classics Illustrated history of WWII, which depicted the incident at Bastogne). 
 I remember that, and the dumb looking German Generals, “Is this a negative or affirmative reply?” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/14 "2019-02-07T16:25:29Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I was too, and I knew about it by the time I was seven (I had a copy of the Classics Illustrated history of WWII, which depicted the incident at Bastogne). I think it had already been part of American folk lore for some time. I could also have told you the General’s name when I was seven. I was already a big WWII buff. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/15 "2019-02-07T16:26:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I remember that, and the dumb looking German Generals, “Is this a negative or affirmative reply?” “VERY negative! In plain English, it means ‘Go to Hell!’” ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/16 "2019-02-08T02:47:33Z")
I haven’t seen the episode, but why do you think the character had to be based on a single person? Why shouldn’t it be a composite of several people? Isn’t that more typical of what TV shows do? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/17 "2019-02-08T06:00:47Z")
The “Nuts!” reference is pretty specific. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/77-sunset-strip-the-disappearance/829095/18 "2019-02-08T06:59:06Z")
How much of the episode is the scene with the person saying, “Nuts!”? Unfortunately, it appears that there’s no way I can watch the episode online. The references to the episode that I can find online say that the character seems to resemble Eisenhower. Can someone summarize the plot of the episode for me?