The razor-sharp-eared Don McKeon told me of a brief mention of Scranton in the 1954 musical comedy There's No Business Like Show Business.
Titled after the classic Irving Berlin song, There's No Business Like Show Business tells the story of travelling vaudevillians The Five Donahues, headed by parents Molly (Ethel Merman) and Terry Donahue (Dan Dailey) and featuring their three children. When their son Tim (Donald O'Connor) meets hat check girl Vicky (Marilyn Monroe), the family act begins to fall apart.
Early on in the film, Molly and Terry are at a train station with their young children discussing whether or not life on the road is good for a family. Suddenly, over the loudspeaker comes:
Announcer:
The Westerner on Track 2. All aboard for Scranton...
Molly:
That's our train.
There's No Business Like Show Business is available to borrow on both DVD and VHS for the Lackawanna County Library System. Click here to place a hold on the DVD; if you'd rather the VHS, click here.
Thanks again to Don McKeon for another great reference.
