KTLA AT 45: A SALUTE TO LOS ANGELES TELEVISION (TV)
Summary
This special salutes the independent Los Angeles television station KTLA on its forty-fifth anniversary. The retrospective is divided into two parts, the first hosted by Stan Chambers and the second by Steve Allen. Chambers gives a biography of Klaus Landsberg, the founder of KTLA, and describes the early years of the station and its most popular early programs. Steve Allen describes the 1950s and the most popular KTLA programs of that decade. The hosts introduce clips from the following programs: Bob Hope's initial broadcast (the first commercial broadcast west of Chicago); the first live coverage of an atomic bomb test; "The Golden Globe Awards" (1957); "Treasures of Literature: Oliver Twist"; "Captain Midnight," a show about a crime-fighting agency; the mystery series "Armchair Detective"; the science fiction series "Space Patrol"; the comedy programs "Carson's Cellar," "The Buster Keaton Show," "Life with Elizabeth," and "Yer Ole Buddy"; the western dramas "Hopalong Cassidy," "The Cisco Kid," and "Western Varieties"; several musical variety programs, including "The Spade Cooley Show," "Harry Owens and his Royal Hawaiians," "The Packard Family," "Dixie Showboat," "Lawrence Welk and His Champagne Music," and "Polka Parade"; "The Ina Ray Hutton Show," a musical variety show featuring only women; the country music show "Hometown Jamboree"; the musical ice skating program "Frosty Frolics"; children's programs that include "Sandy Dreams," "The Sheriff John Show," "The Judy Splinters Show," "Bozo the Clown," and "The Pier 5 Club"; "Time for Beany," an enormously successful puppet show; the game shows "Pantomime Quiz" and "Queen for a Day"; wrestling; "The Jack LaLanne Show"; Hollywood Stars baseball games; the public affairs program"City at Night"; "Hollywood Reel," a program about movie stars' private lives; "Beauty Parade"; "Destruction Derby"; "The Orrin Tucker Show"; "The Oscar Levant Show"; "The Art Laboe Show"; and "Musical Adventure with Korla Pandit." Among those either shown in clips or interviewed for the program are Bob Hope, Dick Lane, Bill Welsh, Sam Butler, Mike Stokey, Frank DeVol, John Milton Kennedy, Daws Butler, Stan Freberg, Shirley Dinsdale, Bud Stefan, Erskine Johnson, Peggy Webber, Cliffie Stone, Ernie Ford, Monty Margetts, Dorothy Gardiner, Roberta Linn, Leighton Noble, Ed Reimers, Chet Huntley, Betty White, Liberace, Jack Bailey, Jayne Mansfield, Mickey Rooney, Richard Webb, John Polich, Gil Martyn, Klaus Landsberg, Clete Roberts, and John Wayne.
Details
- NETWORK: KTLA, Los Angeles, CA
- DATE: November 30, 1991 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:58:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:47766
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; Public affairs/Documentaries; Television history; Los Angeles, Calif.
- SERIES RUN: KTLA (Los Angeles, CA) - TV, 1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Joe Quasarano … Executive Producer
- Joel Tator … Producer
- Matthew Pomeranz … Associate Producer
- Mitchell Barry … Writer
- Steve Allen … Host
- Stan Chambers … Host
- Larry Van Nuys … Announcer
- Jack Bailey
- Daws Butler
- Sam Butler
- Scatman Crothers
- Johnny Carson
- Spade Cooley
- Frank DeVol
- Shirley Dinsdale
- Ernie Ford
- Stan Freberg
- Dorothy Gardiner
- Tom Hatten
- Bob Hope
- Chet Huntley
- Ina Ray Hutton
- Erskine Johnson
- Buster Keaton
- John Milton Kennedy
- Art Laboe
- Jack LaLanne
- Klaus Landsberg
- Dick Lane
- Oscar Levant
- Liberace
- Roberta Linn
- Jayne Mansfield
- Monty Margetts
- Gil Martyn
- Leighton Noble
- Harry Owens
- Korla Pandit
- John Polich
- Ed Reimers
- Clete Roberts
- Mickey Rooney
- Judy Splinters
- Bud Stefan
- Mike Stokey
- Cliffie Stone
- Orrin Tucker
- John Wayne
- Richard Webb
- Peggy Webber
- Lawrence Welk
- Betty White
- Bill Welsh