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DETROIT AUTO SHOWS * * * * * * * *
Since the early '60s, COBO HALL has been the site of the annual DETROIT AUTO SHOW. Before that, you may remember when they were held at the DETROIT ARTILLERY ARMORY or the MICHIGAN STATE FAIRGROUNDS.
GOT AUTO SHOW MEMORIES? IF YOU ATTENDED A DETROIT AUTO SHOW BETWEEN 1950 AND 1979 CLICK HERE AND TELL US! (Plus, read the humorous memories of other attendees.)
(With music that sounds like it's from one of those scary movies you watched as a kid.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** GOT QUESTIONS? R DETROIT TV GUY ED GOLICK Webmaster of www.DetroitKidShow.com and a vintage Detroit TV show expert
~~~~~~~~ QUESTION: What happened to Jac LeGoff, Vic Caputo and Ackerman?
Vic Apap
ED: Jac LeGoff is retired and still living in the Detroit area. Vic Caputo did radio in Tucson, but is now semi-retired. Al Ackerman is retired and living the good life in Florida.
~~~~~~~~ QUESTION: I'd like to purchase copies of the George Pierrot "World Adventure Series" shows? Where can I find them? ED: For most of the years it was on, first on WXYZ, then WWJ, Pierrot's travel show, one of the first local color programs offered in Detroit, was done live. Later episodes were taped, but they were erased and used over and over until they wore out (as was the case with many local programs of that time). When Post-Newsweek bought WWJ-TV in 1978, they cleaned house and threw away most everything in the archives, including photographs, scripts, original tapes and films. Sadly, no George Pierrot shows are known to exist. Incidentally, Pierrot's sidekick toward the end of the series was Bob Bean.
~~~~~~~~ QUESTION: What was Bill Kennedy's first TV program in Detroit? *** ED: His first show was called "Dinner Theater." It aired at 6:00 PM on WXYZ in 1955.
Kennedy's career actually started at WWJ-TV in 1950 as a booth announcer. A friend of mine who worked at WWJ back then told me that he would sit in the announcer's booth all day with a bag of bologna sandwiches and say "The time is now 10 o'clock. You are watching WWJ-TV."
In 1952, Kennedy graduated to the front of the camera with "Your Hollywood Host." When the show was cancelled, Kennedy returned to Los Angeles. It was during this time that Kennedy recorded the opening to the Superman TV show ("Faster than a speeding bullet...").
He returned to Detroit in 1955, where he worked at WXYZ for a year.
In 1956, he was hired at CKLW-TV for "Bill Kennedy's Showtime." The rest is Detroit television history.
~~~~~~~~
QUESTION: I distinctly remember a TV show in the early '50s that showed old movies. The moderator/host always dressed in white and sat in a large wicker chair. I think that he called himself the Black Orchid. I'm almost sure the program was local.
HHCrissey
ED: I believe you're getting your movie hosts confused. In the mid-'50s, Channel 7 had a host who showed mystery movies. His name was TheBlack Spider, played by Irv Immerman. Channel 7 also had a female host called TheWhite Camelia, who showed love stories. From your description, it sounds like The Black Spider is who you remember.
~~~~~~~~
QUESTION: As a child, I remember watching Rita Bell with my mother. When was her show on and what ever happened to her?
Kim Ellison-Giacchina
*** ED: Rita's show, "Prize Movie" aired for 21 years each weekday morning starting in 1960. She'd play a song and ask viewers to call in with its title. The winner received $7 (more if the jackpot had rolled over). Rita Bell Hansen and her husband moved to San Diego a number of years ago, where she passed away on Dec 9, 2003.
***
MOTOWN TURNS 50 The Sound of Young America hits the half-century mark this month!
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Cleveland Ohio's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will pay tribute to Motown’s 50th Anniversary with an exhibit Jan. 28 - Feb. 2, 2009. Included in the exhibit are instruments, clothing, programs, posters, sheet music, original music scores, contracts, recordings and other items representing an array of Motown’s biggest stars, including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Jackson 5, Rick James, Martha and the Vandellas and many others.
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WORTH A LISTEN
NOW That’s What I Call Motown The latest CD in a series features 25 of the most beloved, timeless Motown tracks from some of the greatest music artists of all-time.
Click the photo or title for more info and/or to purchase.
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WORTH ATTENDING An evening celebration presented by the East Detroit Public Schools Leisure & Enrichment Program
"CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOTOWN" Tuesday, March 10, 6-9 pm Kellwood Center 19200 Stephens, Eastpointe $8 per person
Here's a chance to dance, plus a team will 'refresh' us with basic dance steps. Also, sing-along Karaoke, Motown trivia contest, and attendees are welcome to display their original album jackets. Your favorite drive-through meal will be available for a small charge.
FROM THE DETROIT MEMORIES EMAIL INBOX Occasionally I receive emails I feel would be of interest to our Detroit Memories Newsletter subscribers. With permission from the authors, I'll publish them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PEWABIC POTTERY
Eileen:
When I was appointed Deputy Director at the Michigan Council for the Arts in 1970, I reported to Director E. Ray Scott on the 2nd floor of Pewabic Pottery on East Jefferson. The environment was great. His office overlooked Jefferson, with Waterworks Park across the street and the Detroit Riverand Belle Islebeyond.
I have many Pewabic pieces myself, either presented by members of the Pewabic staff, its foundation or some of the individual craftsfolk with whom I became friendly. As I type this, I have a Coke sitting on a lovely handmade sculpted and hand fired Pewabic ceramic 'coaster' stamped "May 11, 1971" on the back, and today is worth a great deal to a collector. I also took a couple of evening courses there, learning firing techniques that complemented my 1950's ceramics courses at Wayne State University.
We were blessed with a Governor, Bill and Helen Milliken (still living in their home town of Traverse City -- Helen was the daughter of a former Colorado governor) were open, generous, forward-looking folks who understood the value of the arts and put their energy (and personal wealth) where their mouths were. In the age of Nixon, Michigan had a state arts budget second only to New York (more even than California). Its funds were put to innovative, yet practical use and, with the help of the Dows, Fords, Yamasakis and others, also put Michigan arts on the map for years to come.
Good memories.
Rol Sharette Boulder, Colorado
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was really surprised to see the information on the Pewabic Pottery and their long time association with Detroit. My only connection is from my alma mater, Dondero High School in Royal Oak. There is quite a collection of Pewabic tiles as ornamentation over classroom doors in the main hallway. They are part of the original décor of the school building. There are photos of these tiles on several websites relative to the history of Dondero which celebrated its 75th Anniversary in March 2003 (before it was closed).
Back in the '70s, my sister, Denise Jarvis Maison, was a bartender at Sonny's Weather Station lounge & restaurant at Detroit City Airport. I still have the t-shirt with (owner) Sonny Eliot's smiling face on the front and "If you ain't a pilot, you ain't shit" on the back.
Gotta love Sonny!
Lynn Jarvis Anderson
~~~~~~~~~~~
THANK YOU!
Dear Eileen,
Just a little note to let you know how much I love your newsletter. I grew in on the west side of Detroit. Nearly all of my uncles worked at one of the auto factories or a supporting company.
I find it quite interesting that many of us 'mature' citizens and lovers of Detroit are now someplace else. I haven't been back there for about 30 years, and then only for a couple of days for a funeral. A recent acquaintance has said that there is now a beautiful 'town green' type of space in the center of downtown, and that is very nice.
It is good to communicate with someone who still cares about Detroit and has good memories.
Keep up the wonderful work, and thank you. Phyllis Lucas Iron Mountain, MI
~~~~~~~~~~~
ATTN: SE FLORIDIANS
Dear Eileen,
I'd like to connect with other Michigan/Detroit transplants in southeast Florida. I watched the Tigers contend in playoffs and world series events in years past...alone at a Ft. Lauderdale sports bar. No other person there was interested in the Tigers!
Is there a Detroit Memories chapter for us here in SE Florida? Or a place to go when we need to celebrate, recollect or just connect? I'd be willing to plan it if others are interested.
Sincerely, Marcy J. Rosenberg (formerly of Oak Park/West Bloomfield/Oakland County)
~~~~~~~~~ Eileen's Note: I think it's a terrific idea. If you're interested, contact Marcy at mjrose131@yahoo.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GOT HISTORY? THE SCHOENHERR FAMILY
Eileen,
Schoenherr Road was named after one of my great-grandfathers. Thank you for asking.
Yes, I was also related to Bishop Walter J. Schoenherr. He was my second cousin, and a first cousin to my father. During the last year of his life, Bishop Schoenherr was occasionally a patient at St. Mary Mercy Hospital, so I saw him often.
I continue to enjoy the Detroit Memories website. Happy and blessed New Year!
Sister Darlene Marie Schoenherr Felician Order, St. Mary Mercy Hospital Livonia MI ------------------- Eileen's note: Sr. Darlene is a member of the Detroit Memories Discussion Group. I initiated contact with her to inquire if she was a descendent of John Schoenherr, a prominent Detroit-area developer for whom Schoenherr Road was named. I also asked if she was related to Bishop Walter J Schoenherr, a graduate of Center Line High, who was ordained a priest in 1945, and appointed an auxiliary bishop in 1968. For nearly two decades, he was bishop for the south region of the archdiocese. He retired from active ministry in 1995 and, as Sr. Darlene phrased it, 'born into eternal life' in 2007 on her birthday, April 27. ______________ GOT HISTORY? If your family has roots in Detroit, email me at Eileen@detroitmemories.com. You might be featured in a future issue of the Detroit Memories Newsletter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Something nostalgic for yourself or someone you know.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** SAVE THE DATE ***
***FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2009 7:30-10:30 pm Macomb Community College Lorenzo Cultural Center ROBIN SEYMOUR will host a re-creation of Swingin' Time, complete with a short video clip from his TV show.
Adding to the atmosphere will be a dance floor and a DJ to spin the ol' 45s. Attendees are encouraged to dress in '60s style. Admission: $25.00 per person Food and a cash bar — and a fabulous time for everyone! Also featured will be a series of performances at the adjacent Macomb Center for Performing Arts, including the Smothers Brothers and Mitch Ryder.
Detroit Memories (that'd be me, Eileen) will be there. More details available as the date approaches.
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