Polly Bergan, who was married then to a cowboy actor type who appeared on Disney fare episodes of "Mike Fink, Keel Boat Man" was somewhat ashamed her parents lived in Compton in the mid-50s. She'd tell them, "Don't say anything about me. I don't want people to know my parents live in Compton. They'll think I'm a hayseed."

Now, doesn't that kind of change your impression of Compton a bit? Worried about being seen as a white trash hillbilly just by mentioning the name "Compton"? Name any of a million Southern towns, or even a thousand Southern California towns, sure. That immediately equals hayseed. But Compton?

That's because a famous country and western show "Town Hall Party" was filmed each week in Compton and broadcast throughout the greater Los Angeles basin.  ¶ 1/02/2011 04:24:00 PM