The Larry Kane Show - KTRK-TV
Larry Kane was a dj in Houston in the 1950s who had a popular dance show on Channel 13 on Saturday afternoons, Houston's version of American Bandstand. I haven't done anything on the blog yet on KTRK-TV but I came across this article from Billboard about the show and thought I'd include it here.
The show was discussed in this thread on HAIF with some comments by kids who participated. There was a link to some photos but it looks like that link is defunct. And Larry Kane and other shows were discussed in this thread.
Incidentally, I have been in touch with descendants of both Bob Byron and Tim Nolan for a planned feature on the Tim and Bob show. One of Byron's descendants is seeking information about the teen dance show he hosted on KPRC-TV also in the 50s. If anyone has any memories to share, please contact me through the comments or my email link on the profile page.
38 comments:
Those were fantasic days, Spent with fantantic people. Learning ball room dancing along with the current pop dances at the Jerry Row dance studio's have stayed with me during these years giving me an apreciation for the past and present. It is a shame that teens of today can't experiance that simpler time that didn't require drugs,alchohol,etc. Saturday did have special meaning wether watching on TV or being at the Studio In the new Studio in the round,dancing to our musical Icons (sometimes livebands) Or getting a glance of other channel 13 stars.
From 1965 - 1967 or so, the hours on the Larry Kane Show and the Jerry Row Dance Studio were the happiest times of my high school life. We lived in Pasadena, and my brother, Larry, and I would car pool in to Houston with other kids a couple times a week for lessons, and then the Saturday show. My main partner was Alfred, and Larry danced with Rita Peguero. I remember Don Stewart(Stuart?)and his beautiful sister being our instructors. We went to Garner State Park and Galveston to film, and did Coca Cola commercials too. It was like a huge family, and Larry Kane was so nice. We also did exhibition dances as a group - jazz, cha cha, the Big Apple, waltz. And Alfred and I did specialty Tango, while my brother, Larry, and Rita did the Quick Step. Then the two boys, along with Don, would do a Zorba the Greek dance. Tony Bennett sang to me on my 16th birthday, and we had fun with various performing groups on the show. I would LOVE to have some of those old shows. I called once, but was told they were all taped on low quality film and had disintegrated. Anyone have any other ideas on how to get some film or photographs?
Paulla Parker Weddle
Cardiff by the Sea
California
One of my correspondents has reported finding a dvd of some video clips from the show at a local audio/video specialty shop (not one of the chains) but it was only clips of the performers appearing on the show with nothing of Kane himself or any of the dancers.
Thanks for sharing your memories.
Hello Paula,
You have a very good memory.
I can send you a picture of you and Alfred Arispi dancing on the Larry Kane Show if you like.
Regards,
Glenn
Thanks, Glenn, for responding to me. I replied on gmail, but not quite sure how this works, so I thought I'd also post a comment. Your picture looks just like back in the 60's when we were on the show together. Would love to hear what you're doing. Also, do you know anything about our instructors, Don Stuart or Marianne (Williamson?). They made everything so fun!I tried to look them up, as well as you, Alfred and Rita on facebook and google, but no luck. Do you remember any other names? I just remember first names of my partners: Rusty, Dickie, Bill. Also, the redhead, Debbie. I loved all the dances. However, when go-go dancing came in, and I danced in the cage, I got in trouble for being too "sexy". Oops! How funny!I remember doing a show with, was it Paul Revere and the Raiders? Who else do you remember as guests?
Paulla Parker Weddle, Cardiff, California
Yes, great experience and great memories in the late 60's and 1970. Getting up every Saturday morning and putting on the coat and tie to go in to the Channel 13 studio to dance on The Larry Kane Show was the ultimate. Remember the weekly dance lessons at the Don Stewart Dance Studio at Gulfgate (one of two or three studios he had around Houston I believe). Also remember each summer when the show would move to Galveston and we would do the show from the Flagship Hotel. Wish there were some archived pictures or videos to view.
Yes, I remember those shows at the Flagship Hotel. So much fun! I also wish we had videos and pics. I wish I had been able to thank Don and Larry for the incredible experiences we were able to have due to them. I never really appreciated how unique those experiences were until I was so much older.
Paulla Parker Weddle
I wonder if there's ever been a reunion of the show's participants? There must be quite a few around. And there have to be pictures. I would sure appreciate anyone who has pictures sharing them with this blog. You can just scan them and email them to me - you don't actually have to surrender any precious keepsakes!
My name is Jay Dooling & I danced on the LK show between 1959 & 1963. After '63, I did dance some, but I was in Austin at UT, so I couldn't be a 'regular'. I had several partners: Jessilyn & Mary Anne were the primary ones. You can see a segment from a 1962 show at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7CIwNphLo I loved my years at Jerry Roes & the Kane show. Of course, I only spend minimum time at High School (St Thomas). Jay
Check out my Twitter and You Tube as I do have some film footage posted frpom the Kane Show.
Anne Michaels
I worked his Sunday dance parties on Galveston's Pleasure Pier (later, the hurricane Ike-destroyed Flagship Hotel. Hurricane Carla in 1961 took down the Pleasure Pier). I was a high school employee of the Pleasure Pier.
His real name is something like Liberwitz.
Once that "last dance" began, he was headed out the door to the managers' office to be paid in cash (which he demanded). The manager absolutely could not stand him, especially because he wouldn't hang out with the kids for a few minutes after the dance, but headed back to Houston (with his cash). Personally, I thought he was a snob. Ticket sales (I sold tickets) did not change before or after he was there.
I danced on the show in the late 60s while taking lessons from Phillip La Point @ the Dance City USA studio on Richmond. I would assist him there and then we would go to the Westbury area to teach. LOVED those years~!~ Wish I had taken more pictures. Have a few pictures somewhere of my friends back then. And one of a guy from the Snoopy and The Red Baron group. Too funny! I remember seeing local people & bands on that show before they were famous & who are no longer famous. Didn't realize how special those years were until I reached adulthood. I quit dancing when I got braces...not exactly camera pretty. Those were great years! Thanks for the memories!
I TOO REMEMBER DANCING ON LARRY KANE FOR SOME ALMOST FIVE YEARS-IT SHOULD BE SAID-GLENN PITTS IS THE PREMIER, GOLD STAR WINNER-FOR JERRY ROE STUDIOS. -WE;--MANY OF US, DANCED AT THE GALVEZ HOTEL[BIG APPLE ROUTINE]ALSO DID LIVE FEED GALVESTON BEACH SHOW NEAR THE GRASS MANAGERIE[GONE]. MY PARTNER,SUSAN--WAS TOPS AT WHIP, CHA-CHA-CHA,LINE DANCES--ETC--SUSAN'S BROTHER WAS ALSO A DANCER--BUT GLENN, WAS THE LONGEST AND BEST PERFORMER TO DANCE ON LARRY KANE--JUST MY TAKE--ALLAN
My Dad had the first dance show in Houston, it predated Larry Kane and was called Teen Hideaway. My Dad was Paul Markey, and his show was on in the early to mid 50's on KGUL, which, by then was KHOU. I still have a promo shot of Dad at the podium in front of an album cover of Perry Como's We Get Letters, so that's 1957. In those days, Kane would sub for my Father, on both the news and sometimes on other shows. I hope there are some people here that remember my Dad, who just passed away a year ago.
Sorry about the loss of your Dad ranmar and thanks for bringing the show to my attention. I had never come across anything on it. So your Dad was an announcer at KGUL or a local DJ? (by the way, it didn't become KHOU until 1959). Was the show done from Galveston or Houston. If you know more, please contact me so I can do a piece on it. And of course I'd love to have that pic to post if you could scan it and send it to me.
I say we have a Larry Kane reunion, talk to KTRK and see if they will host it again. It would be huge. I recall someone drowning in the swimming pool at KTRK, after one of the shows, and I think that might have put a damper on things by then.
That's a good idea. Or at least a big feature story.
I'm not sure what years my dad did the show, but he spoke of it all of my life. Tom Beller graduated in 1970 from Sterling so i would imagine it would have been the later 60's. I can't even imagine seeing old footage, but now that we have lost him it would be amazing to have!
Bruce and paulla, don stewart and Marianne Larkin,(Curtis )
Don is my uncle and Marianne was my mom.I good led Larry Kane and found their names
They were dancers on his show.
So great to hear u remember them!
I was just telling my daughter about the Larry Kane show....i was dancer 67-70....thanks to Don Stuart NW Mall location.....was surprised to see these websites after googling...no one else seems to remember....any footage of dancers anywhere? Thank you my partner Doug Lamb...was the best dancer and partner ever...wonder a lot what happened to you...since im old now...lol...was surprised at some of the names of singers who made it big and was just newcomers then....thanks for the ride...loved it...will keep on dancing
Anon - check the sidebar under the Television section for some clips.
Hey, everyone! I cannot believe I found this web site. I always wanted to see old footage of the larry kane show. I was there about 1967-1969. My partner was ronnie talbert. It was fun. The after parties were the best. If anyone has footage I sure would like to see it betty bustin bolton
Hi Betty, glad you found the site, too. I've added the Larry Kane tag to the post - had neglected that for some reason. Clicking on that will pull up any other post(s) on the blog that are mainly about the show, including some clips. Searching for Kane in the search window will pull up a few more scattered mentions.
Bruce, I want to comment about the video clip of the Larry Kane Show dancers (ca. 1963) that is on Youtube. This is the one with the KUHT leader at the beginning. For the record, I am in that video too and I never danced at the KUHT location... only the current Bissonnet location.
It is unknown to me just how the KUHT leader got on that clip but the location is definitely KTRK-TV Channel 13 on Bissonnet in Houston. Perhaps the tape was taken to KUHT for some reason and the KUHT leader was attached to it there.
Thanks for the info, Glenn.
The very first Larry Kane Show was made up of the Top 20 Dancers in Houston. I do not know how we were chosen. It was said at the time that referrals were made from all over the city to Larry Kane and Jerry Roe and that they made the final decision. All 20 of us went to the Jerry Roe Studio to rehearse and learn new dances before the first show. The only other dancer I remember in the Top 20 was Jim Carolla, who later became a disk jockey with KXYZ or KILT Radio. I thought the first show was in 1959, however I am in the You Tube Clip. I was one of three couples they told to dance in front of the camera. I went to San Jacinto & Jones High School then on to U of H some that You Tube clip could be later than 1959. Allan Robin
Thanks, Allan. I don't know all of Jim Carola's resume but he was a jock on KHUL-FM in the early sixties, auditioned for KILT News and became a long-time newsman and news director for KILT.
Bruce, KHUL... I believe that was a jazz station located at the top of a building in the Houston Medical Center? I went there one night in 1962 to visit Jim Carola and I have an old newspaper ad for KHUL as well. Jim was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2003 and he was also the announcer for the Larry Kane Show beginning in the latter part of 1970.
I have quite a bit on KHUL on the blog; see the FM chronology on the sidebar. The building was the Park Towers, now demolished. I remember hearing Jim on there. I worked with Jim for many years at KILT; a very good radio man.
My first husband, Lindsey English, was a cameraman and booth announcer at KTRK on Cullen Blvd. while in school at the U0fH. He was in the booth every Saturday for the Larry Kane show. Interestingly Larry lived just around the corner from Lindsey's parents in Willowbend. That would have been 1957, 58, 59.
Paulla I believe the years were early 60's (as I graduated HS in 65 and at that point hadn't danced on LK for several years).You probably don't remember me ( I was a friend of Bill Anduiza) and we partnered a few times before you and Bill.I remember you r (and your Brothers white hair) Also I think the sponsor was RC cola not Coca Cola.After the show we would go over to that pharmacy on the corner next to ch13.
I was reading through this post for little details on the Larry Kane Show. I produced film for that program after it came over to KPRC for production long about 1969-72 Every Sat morning...I had some special effects clips edited for the performers and cut-aways. But you really hit a nerve when you mentioned Bill Anduiza. I played lead guitar in the band he sang in....it was called The Changing Tymes. Bill was a great friend...where is he???
I danced in middle to late 60s. I was there when the show went color. I bought a really loud jacket for the first color show. The director had me stand there with a camera on my back when the show started. It showed black and white then went to color. This a real high point in my...I still have that jacket....
Priceless, Gary.
Those were really fun days. I (Gary Beathard) took dance from Don at the Gulfgate location, and got my cousin, Kandi Cavitt involved, who met DeWayne Walling and they later married. I danced with Lori Hapes, and her brother Raymond Hapes was also on the show. I remember Jimmy Alexander, Darrel Ford, Billy Keys and Patty Owens. I have copies of some of the local magazines that would feature the show and where the dancers had their monthly party. Do you remember The Catacombs? The magazine has our pictures dancing there. One year, we were to dress in costume to represent the new Fall line-up of shows. The network was going to feature a special on Africa (remember, this was the 60's). One of the female dancers (I cannot remember her name dressed as an African tribal native, with her hair ratted out in a huge Afro, all sorts of makeup, spear, etc. and had to be taken to the station in her sister's convertible. The looks she got while cruIsing down the freeway! I also remember Barbara Wade, but I don't remember her sister's name. Okay, people, help me with names! It has only been 40+ years!
Gary, I remember you from '67/'68, and you may also remember some of these names: Gene Lightfoot & Dede Maxwell, Al and Jan Hixon, Mary Francis Maddi, Rita Hayes, Linda & Sherry Wellens, Johnnie Foshee, Linda Giles, Becky Derrick & Louis Pace, and Paula & Sharon Kennedy.
Barbara Wade's sister is Debbie Wade.
Larry Kane always scheduled one of his show guests to play for the 'after the show' parties at the Catacombs during these years, and I remember that the Moving Sidewalks, Southwest F.O.B., and Lightnin’ Hopkins played for us on separate occasions.
Thanks for the pic, Glenn. To All: Glenn has sent me a pic of him and Linda Giles on the show. I could start a Larry Kane gallery if I had some more pics. If you have one (or more) you want to share, please contact me (email on the About Me page). No pdfs however.
Just for the record Audio Video Plus has a VHS rental of some clips of the Larry Kane Show. They are just filmed clips of the bands playing on the show and do not include footage of Larry Kane or the dancers. You can see the Larry Kane Show logos on one of the camera though. Clips include Al Green, Smokey Robinson, Joe Tex, the Four Tops etc.. The name of the video is "Soul Experience" and it can be rented out at the store.
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