Doug's Q-C Collectibles: TV Guides offer historical insight into local shows
Hi Doug: While cleaning out my grandparents’ attic, I recently discovered a copy of a TV Guide magazine from 1953. It has Arthur Godfrey on the front and, to my surprise, WOC-TV is listed as Channel 5. It also has an article inside about a kids’ show host named Cowboy Whitey. Could you tell me something about the value of TV Guides as well as more information on Cowboy Whitey?
Thank you,
Rick
Dear Rick: As I’m sure you can attest, early TV Guides are full of interesting historical articles and photographs giving insight into the most popular shows and personalities of the day.
Television has entertained and given enjoyment to Americans for so many years now that collecting TV Guides has become a popular pastime as well. What neophytes often don’t realize is the Guides were regional and not only contained national broadcasting stories and news, but local programming and articles as well. The issue you have is a “Midwest Edition,” which includes listings for WOC-TV and WHBF-TV. WOC originally was found at Channel 5 on your dial from its beginning in 1949 through 1953. The station frequency then changed to Channel 6 to avoid overlapping transmissions with WNBQ, which was Channel 5 from Chicago, in outlying areas.
Before TV Guide became a national magazine in April 1953, there were local television magazines being published in most of our big cities, with various titles such as TV Digest, TV Forecast and even TV Guide. Philadelphia-based publisher Walter Annenberg acquired all of those magazines, unifying them under one title — TV Guide. Each week, news of national interest appeared in the color pages while local stories were done in the black-and-white section. By the 1960s, it had become the most widely read magazine in America.
In those days, television stations produced many of their own shows, and WOC began hosting kids’ programs at the onset in ’49. Cowboy Whitey, who was Walt Reno in real life, was the star of a WOC production called “The Circle 5 Ranch.” Your attic find is a timely one since “The Circle 5 Ranch” was the precursor to “The Cartoon Showboat,” which began 50 years ago this year.
“Circle 5 Ranch” was an afternoon kids’ show, back in the day when cowboy movies were at the zenith of their popularity. Whitey would appear in a makeshift bunkhouse setting, which had a stove, a lantern and bales of straw for seats. On such a limited budget, it took about the same amount of imagination to see a cowboy bunkhouse in that studio set as it later did to see a Mississippi River paddlewheeler as the set of “The Cartoon Showboat.”
Whitey played cartoons and western movie clips of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, which were cut up to allow for live commercials and repartee with the kids appearing on the show. The artwork and background for the show were painted by none other than Ken Wagner, soon to be the original “Cartoon Showboat” host.
Walt Reno became so popular that he shook the dust from his boots of this one-horse town and high-tailed it out to KRNT-TV in Des Moines and eventually to national prominence. Cowboy Whitey was replaced by country-western singer Wes Holly on what was by that time “The Circle 6 Ranch.” In 1958, with Paramount’s release of old “Popeye the Sailor” cartoons, “The Circle 6 Ranch” was replaced by “Captain Ken’s Cartoon Showboat” to capitalize on Popeye’s nautical theme. Ken eventually moved on and was replaced by Captain Vern, followed by Captain Don and finally by Captain Ernie (Mims).
Meanwhile, Walt Reno’s career continued to flourish as he became the voice of Las Vegas radio and television as well as the star of his own syndicated talk show. For several years, he filled the position of announcer on the “Mike Douglas Show” and later provided voices for “Duckman,” an animated comedy show on the USA Network. Walt died in 2002, but he always said his fondest memories were of the Quad-Cities and WOC-TV, where he got his first big break.
Sadly, no one has stepped forward with any original film of Cowboy Whitey, Wes Holly or any of the other early Q-C kids shows. Maybe they will remain but a fading memory. But perhaps someone will stumble across an old kinescope recording or vintage studio photograph — stored and forgotten in Grandpa’s attic — next to that old TV Guide. (By the way, Wes Holly, whose real name was Walter Ortgiesen and who originally hailed from Dixon, Ill., just died on Thursday.)
The value of a given issue of TV Guide is pretty much determined by the person pictured on the front cover and featured in a story inside. The very first issue depicted Lucille Ball with her new baby, and it can fetch upwards of $2,000 in mint condition. Other sought-after issues featured George Reeves as Superman (September 1953, $600), Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody (June 1954, $300), and Elvis Presley (September 1956, $400). One should be careful, though, since some issues are in such high demand that they have been reproduced. Fortunately, many TV Guides are worth only a buck or two, so the hobby is very affordable. Arthur Godfrey probably isn’t going to excite anyone too much today, but an early issue like this still will bring $40-$70.
Contact Doug Smith with your collectibles questions by e-mailing him at DougsQCCollecting@hotmail.com or send a note to the Quad-City Times, Attn.: features editor, P.O. Box 3828, Davenport, IA, 52808. Please send a photograph, if available, either by e-mail or letter.