Friday, August 21, 2009

Huell Howser & Marsha Yockey


I just watched, once again, one of my favorite TV people last night. I am speaking of Huell Howser right now. More on Marsha Yockey later.
Huell, in case you don't know about him, is this Tennesse gomer who produces and hosts various TV shows like California's Gold and Visiting with Huell Howser on KCET, the local LA educational channel. He's like some Mayberry RFD throwback. Full of golly gees, aw shucks and howdys. He goes around California with a microphone in his hand followed by a cameraman and visits various famous, infamous and some of the more obscure places around our vast state. Last night, he did a half hour on the Transamerica Building in San Fran. Or as us So. Calers like to call the place, Frisco. As usual, lots of history about what was there and when it was built. And by whom. But the best part is ole Heull gee wizzed his way clear to the top with his cameraman. Above the top floor, the fourty eighth, is another 125, or so, feet of open ladder/staircase leading to the very top 800 and some feet above the street. Very cool.
Oh by the way, those big ugly rectangles sticking out of the sides near the top of the TA building in SF house the elevator shafts. In 1972, they couldn't build an elevator that wasn't vertical. Maybe they still can't make 'em tilt.

And who the hell is Marsha Yockey you're still mumbling to yourself?
When I was in the Navy in the sixties, and the bastards stationed me in Southern Indiana. Yeah Indiana. Yeah Southern. Those bastards.
In Evansville, on the evening news was the most unpretentious TV personality you will ever see. She's probably dead by now. Often, she would do the weather segment in a stuffed armchair with one of her legs dangling over the arm and a big coon hound sitting in her lap.
No airhead back-combed blonde was she.


Jack Parr and Dorthy Fultheim were two other great TV icons,
but sadly they are both gone to the big studio in the sky.

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