Children's TV in Cleveland sprang from the creative minds of actors who often made it up as they went, with few special effects but lots of imagination. Barnaby, Woodrow the Woodsman, Franz the Toymaker, Romper Room's Miss Barbara, Jungle Larry... Their impact on Northeast Ohio kids was lifelong. These stories offer a glimpse behind the plywood sets.
* Now In Paperback * Cleveland TV legend "Big Chuck" Schodowski tells hundreds of funny and surprising stories from a lifetime in television--in his familiar, good-natured, Cleveland-to-the-bone style.Since 1960, Chuck has been on camera, behind the camera, and in the director's chair. He collaborated with Ernie Anderson on the groundbreaking "Ghoulardi" show, and continued to host a late-night show across four decades--the longest such run in TV history. He worked alongside a host of talented people, from Tim Conway to Burgess Meredith to Muhammad Ali.Chuck literally has fans of all ages. This book will entertain them and anyone else who enjoys behind-the-scenes tales of television and celebrities. Great fun at a great price!
More behind-the-screen stories from the golden age of local television! Let’s warm up the old family TV set, step through the screen, and see what was going on behind the scenes with some of our favorite Cleveland television personalities of the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. We’ll look back at the rise of glamorous news anchors (including more than one Miss America contestant) with perfect smiles, perky noses, and really big hair . . . Late-night horror-movie hosts battling to take over the legacy of the legendary Ghoulardi . . . The strange, sad saga of the former daytime host who shot himself after a bizarre sex scandal . . . A weatherman who was a lightning rod for coworkers’ endless practical jokes . . . The investigative reporters whose sting operations caught wrongdoers with their pants down—sometimes literally! . . . The gutsy reporter who interviewed Danny Greene hours before the mobster was blown up in his car . . . The Cleveland mayor who co-hosted a children’s show with a ventriloquist’s dummy . . . and many other true tales.
These 57 short stories are an entertaining introduction to the history of Cleveland, Ohio, for natives or newcomers. They highlight exceptional people and notable events from log cabin days to the mighty industrial era, and cover subjects from sports to fashion to crime. For any Clevelander who wants to know a little more about the old hometown.
"Neil Zurcher deftly observes things most of us would overlook, and that is what make his stories so enticing." --- Robin Swoboda "Neil's writing skills, wry wit, and calm, warm demeanor allowed him to move effortlessly from award-winning hard news reporter to Cleveland's king of travel." - Tim Taylor He met Prince Charles in a bathroom, and tripped and Tell on President Gerald Ford. He raced on an elephant, piloted a glider, and hung from a trapez. He survived a hotel fire, a tornado, and countless stunts for the camera. As a news reporter and host of the long-running "One Tank Trips" travel segment on Channel 8 in Cleveland, Neil visited every corner of Ohio (and beyond), met hundreds of unusual people, and took part in history-making events. He was tear-gassed at an anti-war protest and almost trapped inside the Ohio Penitentiary during a riot. He drove in a day-long high-speed police chase from Cleveland to Kentucky, and got lost in the middle of Lake Erie. He rode in jet boats, jet fighters, sternwheelers, a World War II tank, and almost every other kind of vehicle imaginable (most frequently his trademark red and white 1959 Nash Metropolitan). He was ordained as a minister in the Free Spirit Association Church and even officiated at a few weddings... He would do almost anything and go almost anywhere for a godo story. And in the process he became one of the most popular personalities on Cleveland TV. In this book, with his familiar folksy style, Neil shares dozens of his favorite personal stories from a lifetime in Cleveland television. Many will cause a chuckle, some will surprise, and all recall in era of television and of Northeast Olno that was full of color and characters.
"Plain Dealing" is a book of essays by 25 accomplished Cleveland-area journalists. It's a book of stories, many never told before. It's a first-person account of journalism in Cleveland, life in the newsroom, the issues and events these journalists covered, and the characters they worked with and met. The stories begin in the 1950s and go up to 2013, covering the post-World War II era through the days when Cleveland was a three daily newspaper city, then two, then one. The book ends with the mass layoffs and resulting decline that ushered in the "digital-first" age.
In July 1950, a young Dutch intersex woman was expelled from elite competition by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. It turned out to be the beginning of a dark era in the history of women in sport. Young women were subjected to humiliating examinations and dozens of intersex athletes were suspended, although no fraud was ever uncovered. This book presents a compelling argument against gender verification, showing the pernicious effects that suspension inflicted on the lives of young athletes. Some withdrew from the public eye, lived in solitude, or even committed suicide. Compassionate profiles of these banned athletes highlight the unfair play of gender verification and of their exclusion from competition.
New edition--completely updated. (Edition is now numbered, no longer dated with year.) Follow this unusual dining guide to a world of exotic cuisines?right here in our own backyard. These 365 authentic ethnic restaurants and markets (from 50 different countries and cultures) are recommended by the experts: Cleveland's ethnic citizens themselves. Laura Taxel found out where they go for an authentic meal; her book shares those delicious discoveries. Each detailed listing tells what you?ll find when you go, from menu items and specialties to prices, hours, ambiance, attire, and parking.
Northeast Ohio's most popular TV travel reporter has finally collected his favorite local getaways in a book.Neil Zurcher uncovers an eclectic mix of attractions in nearby cities, small towns and country crossroads. His guide leads to romantic bed-and-breakfasts, hearty Amish restaurant, truly unique museums, crafts, festivals ... and many surprises -- like indoor skydiving!
