Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Ernie's Place


TV Guide Ad for KYW-TV 3..Heralding its new on air logo look beginning in January 1961. They would stay with this logo till early 1963 when they would begin using the famous Group W "3" which would be used for over 40 years at Channel 3 in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

TV Guide Ad on the occasion of the premiere of "Ernie's Place" Monday, July 17, 1961.



Another TV Guide Ad for "Ernie Anderson:A Man of Distinction"(?)

Today I'd like to look at one of Cleveland's Television icons of the 1960's..Ernie Anderson..More specifically, "Ernie's Place, a morning movie show hosted by Anderson in 1961 on WJW-TV 8.

Anderson had been a disc jockey in his native New England and Albany, New York before moving to Cleveland around 1958 to work at, and get fired from, WHK-AM 1420..After which he did freelance radio work before being hired by KYW-3 in 1960. While there he met up with a young writer-comic named Tom Conway. The two hit it off quite well and they worked together on commercials, as well as Conway doing skits on KYW's "Big Wilson" Movie show.
After they were let go by channel 3, Anderson moved over to WJW-TV 8 in 1961 as an announcer, bringing Conway with hin as a "director". Though Conway was never a director in his life..

Ernie's Place began July 17, 1961 as an outgrowth of WJW-TV's "Morning Movie" which had aired 9:30-11AM..The first movie shown was "Henry Aldrich Swings It" from 1943.

After it became obvious Conway wasnt a director, Chuck Schodowski was brought in to help smooth things out..Ernie and Chuck became lifelong friends. Ernie's Place was supposed to have guests but they couldnt get any, so Anderson and Conway did comedy skits in between movie breaks..

The show's time was moved up a half hour from 9-11AM September 4, 1961, replacing the Ed Allen exercise Show at 9.

Ernie's Place was actually gaining popularity somewhat..But, by the end of 1961, Tom Conway had gotten offers from Hollywood and was gone much of the time..Ernie felt he couldnt carry on by himself..Eventually the show suffered and was cancelled Friday, January 5, 1962. Tom (Now known as Tim) was preparing for his big break in "McHale's Navy" which would make him a star..Anderson, under contract to Channel 8, continued to be a booth announcer and doing other freelance announcing work until "Ghoulardi" began January 18, 1963.

Ernie's Place was replaced Monday, January 8, 1962 by Kids host Bwana Don at 9, Jack LaLanne at 9:30, One day delay of As The World Turns at 10 and I Love Lucy reruns at 10:30.

I am not absolutely sure, but I think this may have been the last scheduled early-mid morning movie series on any of Cleveland's 3 major tv stations..



Video of the first part of "End of an Era"..with mention of "Ernie's Place" and a small bit of Ernie's Place with Ernie Anderson and Tim Conway..

TV Guide Schedule
Cleveland Edition
Friday, July 21, 1961

Cleveland
3 KYW NBC
5 WEWS ABC
8 WJW CBS

Youngstown
21 WFMJ NBC
27 WKBN CBS
33 WKST ABC
45 WXTV IND

Akron
49 WAKR ABC

6:20
3 News

6:25
3 Farm Fare

6:30
3 Business Guidelines

7AM
3-21 Today-John Chancellor (Concluding his first week as permanent host)
8 Home Economics

7:30
8 Rex Humbard

7:45
8 Clutch Cargo

8:15
8 Captain Kangaroo

8:55
5 News

9AM
3 Funsville-Josie Carey
5 Morning Melodies
8 Ed Allen-Exercises
21 Susie-Ann Sothern
27 CBS News-Charles Kuralt

9:15
5 Cartoon Time
27 Captain Kangaroo

9:30
3 Truth Or Consequences
5 Romper Room
8 Ernie's Place Movie-Down The Stretch 1936
21 Halls Of Ivy

9:55
21 News

10AM
3 Give N Take-Tom Haley
5 Paige Palmer
21 Say When-Art James
27 I Love Lucy

10:30
3-21 Play Your Hunch-COLOR-Merv Griffin
27 Video Village-Monty Hall

11AM
3-21 Price Is Right-COLOR-Bill Cullen
5-33-49 Gale Storm Show
8-27 Double Exposure

11:30
3-21 Concentration-Hugh Downs
5-33-49 Love That Bob!
8-27 Your Surprise Package-George Fenneman

Noon
3 News
5 News
8-27 Love Of Life
21 Truth Or Consequences
33-49 Camouflage

12:10
5 Noon Show-Captain Penny

12:30
3-21 It Could Be You-COLOR
8 Search For Tomorrow
27 News-Dick Minton
33-49 Number Please

12:35
27 Movie-Dulcy-1940

12:45
8 Guiding Light

12:55
3-21 NBC News-Ray Scherer

1PM
3 Movie-Summer Film Festival-I Live My Life-1935
5 One O Clock Club-Dorothy Fuldheim, Bill Gordon
8 Dr. Hudson
21 News
33 Ladies Day
49 Code Three

1:15
21 Kitchen Corner-Marjorie Mariner

1:30
8 As The World Turns
33 Ilka Chase Show
49 Cartoon Time

2PM
8 You Asked For It
21 Jan Muray-COLOR
27 Face The Facts-Red Rowe
33-49 Day In Court

2:30
3-21 Loretta Young
5-33-49 Seven Keys
8-27 House Party

3PM
3-21 Young Dr. Malone
5-33-49 Queen For a Day-From Minneapolis
8-27 Millionaire

3:30
3-21 From These Roots
5-33-49 Who Do You Trust-Johnny Carson
8-27 Verdict Is Yours

4PM
3-21 Make Room For Daddy
5-33-49 American Bandstand (5 and 49 carry 60 minutes-33 90 minutes)
8 Brighter Day
27 Club 27-David Allan

4:15
8-27 Secret Storm

4:30
3 Barnaby, Popeye and Friends
8 Edge Of Night
21 Here's Hollywood
27 Life Of Riley

5PM
5 Captain's Clubhouse-Captain Penny
8 Movie-A Child Is Born-1940
21 Capt. Sailorbird and Susie (Sidesaddle)
27 Three Stooges and Stanley
49 Movie-The Great Meadow-1931

5:15
3 Movie-Armored Attack-1943

5:30
5 Three Stooges-1. Scheming Schemers 2. Blunder Boys
21 Bozo The Clown-Russell
33 Rin Tin Tin-ABC

5:50
27 Sergeant Preston

6PM
33 Barney Bean
45 Harness Highlights

6:10
45 Club Calendar

6:15
45 Pezzenti Show

6:20
27 Supper Time-Rex Humbard
45 Baby Showcase

6:25
45 Weather

6:30
3 News-Bill Jorgensen
5 Dorothy Fuldheim
8 Cannonball
21-27 News
45 Channel 45 Hop-Boots Bell
49 Akron Baptist Temple

6:40
3 Weather-Dick Goddard

6:45
3-21 Huntley Brinkley
5 News-Tom Field
27 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
33-49 ABC News-John Daly

6:55
5 Weather-Carolyn Johnson
8 Weather-Howard Hoffman

7PM
3 Quick Draw McGraw
5 Assignment:Underwater
8 City Camera-Doug Adair
21 Highway Patrol
27 Silent Service
33 Tightrope!
49 News-Jack Fitzgibbons

7:10
8 Sports-John Fitzgerald

7:15
8 CBS News-Douglas Edwards
49 Little League Baseball

7:30
3 Give N Take-Tom Haley-Special Nighttime Edition-Possibly for the summer
5 Sherriff Of Cochise-Syndicated
8-27 Rawhide
21 Happy-NBC-With Ronnie Burns-George Burns' Son
33-49 Matty's Funday Funnies
45 Movie-Trouble In The Glen-English 1954-45 was already repeating the same movie 2-3 times a week..This had been shown the previous Sunday and Wednesday

8PM
3-21 One Happy Family
5-33-49 Harrigan and Son


8:30
3 Dimensions 3-Ronnie Barrett
5-33 Flintstones-Classic Episode "The Hot Piano"
8-27 Route 66
21 Tallahassee 7000
49 Movie-Night Must Fall-1937

9PM
3-21 Lawless Years
5-33 77 Sunset Strip
45 Movie-Destination Big House-1950

9:30
3-21 Preview Theater-Harry's Business-Ray Walston, Elena Verdugo in a Series Pilot that was never picked up
8-27 Adventure Theater-Anthology Reruns-RETURN

10PM
3-21 Michael Shayne
5-33 Detectives-Robert Taylor
8-27 Twilight Zone

10:15
45 Movie-Bal Tabarin-1952

10:30
5 Third Man
8 Dick Powell Theater
27 Person To Person
33 Law and Mr. Jones-ABC
49 Movie-Good News-1947

11PM
3 News-Bill Jorgensen
5 News-Tom Field
8-27 News-Warren Guthrie
21 News
33 Weather

11:05
33 Movie-The Loves Of Carmen-1948

11:10
3 Weather-Jim Gerard
8 City Report-Doug Adair
27 News

11:15
3 PM East/PM West
5 Jack Paar-COLOR
8 Sports-John Fitzgerald

11:20
8 Movie-Love Letters-1945
21 Jack Paar-COLOR

11:25
27 Movie-They Were Expendable-1945

Midnight
49 Passport To Danger

12:45
3 Movie-Barbary Coast Gent-1944

1AM
5 News

1 comment:

  1. The double 3 logo for KYW started as early as the fall of 1960, I think. Before that, they simply had that big 3 all by itself, then converted into the "Big Bright 3" in the spring of 1960. As a kid at 8 going on 9, I was literally taken in by the Big Bright 3 promotion.

    ReplyDelete