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PAGE 12

ANNOUNCERS


Heard earliest in the morning, Hal Culver, started in radio as a singer at WSM, Nashville, in 1929. His counselor was George Hay, the "Solemn Old Judge". Thirty years old, married, 6 feet 3 inches tall, star in basketball, track and tennis. Formerly on WMBD, Peoria.


 
Jack Holden and Jolly Joe Kelly are well known to all listeners.



Ed Paul, pioneer in "man on the street" broadcasts, started at WKBB, Dubuque, in 1934. Famous for informal broadcasts at the Barn Dance.



Jack Stilwill was program director of WIRE, Indianapolis before coming to WLS. Was a newspaper man in South Dakota, and has been on several radio stations.



Cy Harrice,(6) lower left, a Chicago boy, student at Northwestern University. Serious-minded lad, always anxious to learn.



Bill McCluskey, lower right, started as a master of ceremonies on a personal appearance unit. Born in Scotland of Irish descent. His wife is Millie, one of the "Girls of the Golden West".






ROD CUPP
Roderick Cupp, more familiarly known as "Rod", left Oklahoma with Mr. Cupp and 15-month-old Carolyn to seek his fortune in Chicago. Soon became a member of our production staff. A genius at keeping calm.



JOHN BROWN
Yes, that's 2-year-old Joan, boss of the Brown household. Even before John became WLS staff pianist, more than 10 years ago, Juanita was a member of the harmony team of May and June. Theirs was a real WLS romance!



CHUCK ACREE
Really Charles I. Acree - but "Chuck" to us. Mrs. Acree is wondering if 2-year-old "Chuckie" will show his dad's interest in collecting curious facts and stories. Now a WLS continuity writer, "Chuck" was once a junior tennis champion. He is particularly interested in humanitarian problems.



FRANK BAKER
Frank Baker, WLS Continuity Editor, knows by looking at copy whether or not it will "listen well". (Below) No wonder Frank is anxious to get home after work every night - meet Mrs. Baker, 5-year-old Jerry and tiny Florence Patricia. When occasionally heard on the air, Frank has disclosed a rare charm of voice and manner.

More "Barn Dance" Facts:

In the late 30s and early 40s, NBC had several network shows being broadcast from the WLS studios. They included: "Fame and Fortune" (with Tommy Dorsey), "Pot O Gold" (with Horace Heidt) and another musical quiz with Ben Bernie. In addition, Harry Hagan conducted the"True Or False" quiz program and Jack MacBryde was "The Old Ranger" on "Death Valley Days."

Other NBC shows that were produced at WLS were: "Pepper Young's Family" (with Curtis Arnall in the title role in the 40s), "Vic and Sade" (starring Art Van Harvey and Bernadine Flynn), and "The Quiz Kids".

This panel of juvenile experts, nick-named by Fred Allen as "Information Please in Short Pants", had an rather interesting origin. Louis Cowan was the creator of the program and in its trial period, over a dozen people were tested for the Quizmaster. Finally the job was given to the most unlikely of candidates, Joe Kelley.

Kelley, a grade-school drop-out at age 8, started as a kid singer in a traveling stock company and then, in succession, worked the minstrel circuits, led a dance band called "Kelley's Klowns", sold pianos, and finallygot into radio.

At a 50 watt station in Michigan, Kelley teamed up with a theological student, Jack Holden, to do comedy skits. About 1930 Kelley and Holden borrowed some money and struck out for Chicago, where they were both hired at WLS.

Kelley got a role as "Jolly Joe", a kids' morning show where he told them about the adventures of Scampy the Billy Goat and other tales. Holden got the job of hosting "Junior Stars". Later, Holden won the title role in the "Tom Mix Ralston Straight Shooters" at WGN-Mutual.

By the mid-Thirties, both Kelley and Holden had major roles on "Barn Dance", with the former ringing the cow bell and telling rural jokes while the latter man was one of the main announcers.

This job would eventually cost Holden his role as the voice of "Tom Mix" in 1937 when the Ralston officials decided that kids would be confused hearing their "Tom Mix" on "WLS Barn Dance". So they fired Holden and put Russell Thorson in the saddle at the T-M Bar Ranch.

Both Kelley and Holden continued their success at WLS. "The Quiz Kids", which began in 1940, gave Kelley permanent employment for the next several years, both on radio and also public tours. The radio series ran until 1953, and from 1949 to 1953, Joe and the kids were also doing a television version for NBC. Holden stayed with "Barn Dance" and WLS into the 50s.

Of course, the influence of the "Barn Dance" program was not limited to the radio listening audience. The WLS artists bureau marketed their radio stars enthusiastically and booked them at state fairs, farming festivals, outdoor amphitheaters, and opera houses throughout the prairie states of the Midwest.

The WLS entertainers, while they may not have enjoyed all this travel, certainly appreciated the money they made. Lulu Belle and Scotty, for example, were paid $ 500 a day in the 30s for such stage appearances. Contrast that with the $5 to $10 per show they got at WLS.

In the past 75 years, the prairies of the Midwest have gone from farms, ranches, and tiny villages to bustling urban areas whose inhabitants have largely forgotten their agrarian heritage. But the memories of "WLS: The Voice of the Prairie" will always be present for many of us in the OTR community.


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