Wrestling With OTR

Wrestling With OTR

Any Professional Wrestling Matches that might've been broadcast on the radio.
Any Old Time Radio Shows that had a wrestler as a guest.
Any Old Time Radio Shows that mentioned Professional Wrestling or specific Wrestlers.

On A&E's Biography on Jesse "The Body" Ventura, it was said that Jesse used to listen to Wrestling on the radio when he was a kid. Since he was in Minnesota as a child, it's possible that he was listening to The American Wrestling Association (AWA). I've never heard of Wrestling being broadcast on the radio.

A wrestling fan friend of mine said that Jack Brickhouse broadcasted wrestling matches out of Chicago. Chicago was an AWA city, so it's possible that's what Jesse was listening to. Jack Brickhouse had a 2 or 3 minute segment on WGN when World Championship Wrestling had a show on WGN in the early 1990's.

I know of boxing matches that were broadcast on the radio, but I don't know of any wrestling shows. Anybody have any Pro Wrestling broadcasts in their OTR Collection?

The following is a list of shows that either mention Wrestling in someway (Gorgeous George pops up frequently) or features a wrestler on the show. I think I have another comedy that mentions Gorgeous George.

Amos 'N Andy
In 1931 and 1932, Andy became a wrestler (Andy always dreamed of wrestling, he could see himself in the ring, with bulging biceps and an evil sneer... Oh nevermind, that was Andy Kaufman). The earliest known recording of Amos 'N Andy is from March 24, 1932, the day after Andy's wrestling match with Bullneck Mooseface.

Antonino Rocca
In issue #44 of The Old Time Radio Digest dated February 7, 2001, Bill Jaker said the following about Antonino Rocca.
Rocca was a well-liked "good guy" who wrestled barefoot and had his own show on WHOM in New York in the early 50s. Another Rocca appearance on the radio is remarkable. He was a guest on the NBC series "Toscanini: The Man Behind the Legend". The wrestler and the conductor were good friends, and Ben Grauer interviewed Antonino Rocca about their personal relationship. Rocca revealed that Toscanini was a big wrestling fan, and though he never came to the arena he made it a point to watch Rocca every time he was on TV. Grauer asked if Toscanini was interested in the fine points of wrestling, and Rocca admitted he was. The interview continued something like this (I wanted to get this written right away -- someone else may want to check the tape).
"Did he ever ask you to explain specific holds?"
"Sure he did."
"How did you demonstrate them?"
"We'd just get down on the floor and I'd show him the hold."
"You mean (gulp!) you wrestled with Toscanini?"
"Mr. Grauer, I know he was a great conductor. But I'll tell you, Toscanini could have been the greatest wrestler in the world."

The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel
Episode 475 of The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel featured Primo Carnera. It was broadcast on December 3, 1948. I have the previous episode (11/26/48 featuring Frankie Carle) and it's announced that Primo will be on the next show. Unfortunatly, this show with Primo Carnera is not in circulation. On April 20, 1949, Primo Carnera's winning streak in Pro Wrestling ended at 321 when he was defeated by Antonino Rocca.

In ECW a few years ago, there was a wrestler named Big Guido. He was part of The Full Blooded Italians. Big Guido was known in other Federations as Primo Carnera III.

Fibber McGee and Molly
There's an episode of Fibber McGee and Molly from June 6, 1939 in which a handwriting expert says that Fibber should be a wrestler, but that show isn't in my collection either.

Another episode of Fibber from April 22, 1947 (I think) has him taking Molly to a carnival and Fibber mentions such wrestling/carnival insider terms as shill (Wrestling traces its roots to the Carnival). I knew that in the 20+ history of Fibber McGee and Molly that they had to mention wrestling sometime.

The Jack Benny Program
There is an episode of The Jack Benny Show from January 21, 1940 about a woman named Gladys Zybisco. A wrestling fan would spell that last name "Zbyszko" as in Waldek, Stanislaus and Larry. I know that Waldek and Stanislaus Zbyszko both wrestled in the 1910's and 1920's. I don't know if they were wrestling by 1940 or why Gladys would have that last name if the show didn't have something to do with wrestling. (Larry Zbyszko wrestled in the 1970's through the 1990's).

In issue #46 of The Old Time Radio Digest dated February 7, 2001, Rodney w bowcock jr said the following about The Jack Benny Program.
In an episode of The Jack Benny Program Mary told Jack that her sister Babe would be wrestling Gorgeous George soon. Sorry I don't know the date off hand.

My Favorite Husband
My Favorite Husband- Marriage License Error January 21, 1949
This episode mentions Gorgeous George

Katie: Oh say there's a big crowd in the front of the window.
Oh there must have been a wreck.
Liz: Katie, Katie, when you see a crowd in front of a window these days, it isn't a wreck, it's television.
Katie: Oh, well maybe they're showing a wrestling match.
Liz: Oh wait a minute, it isn't television. It's some sort of a brawl.
Katie: Well let's see what's happening.
Officer: Okay already okay break it up, now speak what's going on around here.
George: Officer, if you'll kindly let go of my arm, I'll tell you.
Liz: Katie, it is wrestling, there's Gorgeous George.

My Favorite Husband starred Lucille Ball as Liz Cooper. Richard Denning played her husband George. Gale Gordon was featured on the show as well. Several situations from My Favorite Husband popped up again on TV on I Love Lucy.

Pat Novak For Hire
In issue #44 of The Old Time Radio Digest dated February 7, 2001, Stephen A. Kallis, Jr. said
Well, in the Pat Novak For Hire show where Novak was accosted by two tough guys looking for Joe Dineen, Novak relates that the caper all started as he was leaving a wrestling match that Gorgeous George had just trounced another wrestler.

The Phil Harris-Alice Fay Show
November 27, 1949: Alice and her brother are going over Alice's investments. Phil has some money stashed away and he wants to invest it in something. Unfortunately, he asks Frankie Remly to invest it for him. Frankie comes back with the contract of "The Masked Mangler", a 260 pound wrestler. The Masked Mangler is a female wrestler named Myrtle Nagurski (which caused Frankie to say "I didn't know Bronko had a brother" so the writers knew about wrestling). Phil lives in California and doesn't know that California banned females from wrestling.

California banned women from participating in boxing and wrestling for profit in 1944. Illinois upheld the right for women to wrestle in 1955. By 1972, most other states had followed suit.

In The Phil Harris-Alice Fay Show show of December 4, 1949, Myrtle was hired by Rexall, the sponsor for The Phil Harris-Alice Fay show. They put her in the cosmetic counter and she had trouble selling anything.
Phil and Alice's children, Phyllis and Baby Alice come to the breakfast table

Phyllis: Alright Alright, stand back folks, make way for Gorgeous Baby Alice, The Encino Cyclone.
Phil: Phyllis what are you talking about, where's your sister?
Phyllis: Quiet! She's entering the ring now, weighing 72 and a half pounds and wearing purple trunks. We give you the Gorgeous One.
Alice: Oh! Phil, look at Baby Alice.
Phil: She's strutting like Gorgeous George.
Alice: She's wearing my mink cape.
Phil: Well, that's nothing, those are my bobby pins she's throwing.

You non-OTR listening people best know Phil Harris as Baloo The Bear from the animated movie The Jungle Book.

The Shadow
The Shadow- The Phantom Voice: February 2, 1938. The Shadow is on the trail of the bad guys when he meets up with Travers, a Professional Wrestler that works for the bad guy. Travers and his boss catch The Shadow in a locked room and they shut off the lights and the two of them can reach across the room and they walk forward and catch The Shadow. Travers then uses his wrestling knowledge and puts The Shadow in a chokehold! The Shadow is able to break free and bring the bad guys to justice. The weed of crime bears bitter fruit, crime does not pay, The Shadow knows!

You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life- With The Great Wrestling Sheik of Persia from December 28, 1949. The Great Wrestling Sheik of Persia was a former wrestler that apparently didn't wrestle long from what he says on this episode. He gives his name, but I can't figure out how to spell it. The Secret Word is Name. I'm not exactly sure on the date for that episode. I looked at Jerry Haedinges' site and it looks like I'm right. Elgin American was the sponsor but that's not the sponsor that Jerry lists.

You Bet Your Life- With Wild Red Berry from February 10, 1958. Wild Red Berry was a contestant of this show. He said the Secret Word, which was Hand in this episode. Groucho and Red have a great exchange about wrestling being fake.

If you know of any other OTR Programs that either mention wrestlers or features wrestlers, then let me know. And e-mail me ESPECIALLY if you have any Pro Wrestling matches in your OTR collection!

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