When Wolfman Jack Was a Mystery Man on Mexican Radio

America first clapped for the Wolfman when he was broadcast from south of the border.

by Rich Watson 

At the height of his fame, Wolfman Jack was better known as a TV star than a radio deejay. He hosted the music TV show Midnight Special. He popped up in shows and movies from time to time.

As a deejay, his identity was more ambiguous, but it wasn’t hard to find him. His show was on a Mexican radio station whose reach was far and wide.

CONTINUE

#WorldsFair64: How Walt Disney Resurrected Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln returned to mechanical life for World’s Fair audiences, thanks to one of his biggest fans.

by Rich Watson 

Walt Disney was an integral part of the creation of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The filmmaker and animator helped design and create pavilions for a number of corporate clients. The song “It’s a Small World,” written by the Sherman Brothers for the Fair, became an iconic theme at Disney’s theme parks.

He also spearheaded a new form of technology used to bring an American president back to life, after a fashion, a century after his death.

CONTINUE

#WorldsFair64: Sid & Marty Krofft’s Naughty Puppet Show

Before they conquered Saturday morning TV, the Krofft brothers came to the World’s Fair with a racy puppet show.

by Rich Watson 

During the seventies, puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft created live-action children’s shows that made them superstars of Saturday morning television. Before that, their puppets entertained adults in prime time. 

Their live theater show played World’s Fairs. A show that featured more risqué material.

CONTINUE