Seacrest's "lifetime achievement" award

[tvrandywest]

[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 02:42 AM\']Criteria for Star on the Walk of Fame
1.  Professional achievement
2.  Longevity of five years in the field of entertainment
3.  Contributions to the community
Plus he pays $15,000 for the plaque, etc...

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Kudos for finding one piece of the puzzle. The other piece appears nowhere in print, but is the bigger of the two.

No names here, but understand that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame selection committee is comprised of a handful of elders, the Chairman of which has individual veto power. It's politics, and it's the biggest soap opera in Hollywood, with relationships, feuds and favors that can be traced back to the 1930s and 1940s. In some ways it's the very last vestige of "old Hollywood". Sit tight; I fully expect someone will write a book that exposes some of the intrigue once the powers that be have moved on.

And let my starting this thread not be misunderstood; re-read the first post. It has nothing to do with any criticism of Ryan, but was more about his age. Although no longer the 19 year old on "Wild Animal Games", the Walk of Fame star is usually an honor bestowed upon folks closer to menopause than puberty. Plus I knew it would generate some controversy.   ;-)


Randy
tvrandywest.com

[chris319]

Back in my CNN days, Gary Owens was engaged in a campaign to get a posthumous star for The Three Stooges. He came on one of our shows and said the first step in obtaining a star is basically to write a check to the H C of C, and he was actively seeking donations for that purpose. The boys ultimately got their star.

I'm sure the selection committee enforces some minimal connection to Hollywood (Bennett Cerf?) and some degree of fame or name recognition. I was surprised to see that Bud Collyer has a star but it's for radio, not television.

the Walk of Fame star is usually an honor bestowed upon folks closer to menopause than puberty

Hey, if Rusty Hamer can get a star ...

[davemackey]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 12:03 PM\']I'm sure the selection committee enforces some minimal connection to Hollywood (Bennett Cerf?) and some degree of fame or name recognition. I was surprised to see that Bud Collyer has a star but it's for radio, not television.

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Bud Collyer could theoretically get a star for his television work, although the actual possibility is remote at best because the committee only selects one posthumous honor out of twenty or so per year.

You can definitely have more than one star. (Gene Autry has five, if I'm not mistaken. But he was a very big playa in his day, with his ownership of KTLA and The California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, plus I guess someone on the committee liked him.) Collyer earned his Radio star for his work on the old "Superman" radio show.

I can see Prof. Steve (who has also bemoaned the lack of a star for Bill Cullen) writing that check to the Chamber right now. But I would argue that he did enough West Coast work to be worthy of the honor.

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 11:38 AM\'][quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 12:03 PM\']I'm sure the selection committee enforces some minimal connection to Hollywood (Bennett Cerf?) and some degree of fame or name recognition. I was surprised to see that Bud Collyer has a star but it's for radio, not television.

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Bud Collyer could theoretically get a star for his television work, although the actual possibility is remote at best because the committee only selects one posthumous honor out of twenty or so per year.

You can definitely have more than one star. (Gene Autry has five, if I'm not mistaken. But he was a very big playa in his day, with his ownership of KTLA and The California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, plus I guess someone on the committee liked him.) Collyer earned his Radio star for his work on the old "Superman" radio show.

I can see Prof. Steve (who has also bemoaned the lack of a star for Bill Cullen) writing that check to the Chamber right now. But I would argue that he did enough West Coast work to be worthy of the honor.

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Off the top of my head, Bill's Hollywood originations were "Place the Face," "Love Experts" "Child's Play" and TJW.  The others were in Burbank, Columbus or NYC.  On the basis of those four shows, yeah, I'd support the effort.

[inturnaround]

Let's not forget (or, rather, let me point out) that Seacrest is actually getting his star for his work in radio, not television.

Say what you will about the man, but he works very hard. He does 5 hours every morning on the radio (plus taping for AT40), then he does two prime time network TV shows. That can't be easy, but he makes it look so. He's famous, he works in Hollywood. He qualifies.

But if you think that someone else deserves one, nominate them. If they're still alive, get them to sign off on it. Then start raising $15K for the star itself.

[Desperado]

[quote name=\'davemackey\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 11:38 AM\']I can see Prof. Steve (who has also bemoaned the lack of a star for Bill Cullen) writing that check to the Chamber right now.
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Oh, the "professor" would write the check alright.  But only if HE was the one getting the star.

[chris319]

The chances of a game show emcee who's been dead for a decade and a half getting a star are as good as nil.

Gene Autry was buddies with erstwhile KTLA personality Johnny Grant, the current "honorary mayor" of Hollywood and prime mover behind the C of C, the Hollywood Xmas Parade, the Walk of Fame, etc. I'm surprised Autry only has five stars and not one for every movie he's made and every broadcast station and athletic team he's owned.

Bill's Hollywood originations were "Place the Face," "Love Experts" "Child's Play" and TJW. The others were in Burbank

Burbank qualifies as "Hollywood".

[Robert Hutchinson]

[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 09:14 AM\']On the Hollywood C of C web site there is a Walk of Fame listing for the popular band, Wind & Fire Earth. I kid you not.[/quote]

Well, you C., Chris . . .

[BrandonFG]

[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 03:21 AM\'][quote name=\'fostergray82 and someone else\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 02:02 AM\']Richard Dawson
good possibility

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A recluse shouldn't be eligible, IMO.[/quote]

Johnny Carson

Interesting you think Dawson has a better chance than Peter Marshall--though I guess Dawson did appear on "Hogan's Heroes" and a couple other series.

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I honestly considered how both were the original hosts of shows that are still seen today (well H2 up until last year), and are remembered by many viewers (anybody prolly older than 30, and not counting we game show geeks).

The average viewer might know what Richard Dawson did, but Jim Perry?

[urbanpreppie05]

This is just a thought...what if a foundation raised money to get a now deceased emcee a star on the Hollywood walk of fame?

[inturnaround]

[quote name=\'urbanpreppie05\' date=\'Apr 16 2005, 04:42 PM\']This is just a thought...what if a foundation raised money to get a now deceased emcee a star on the Hollywood walk of fame?

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Again, it still would be a longshot because there's only one posthumous star awarded per year. Theoretically, though, it could be done.

[chris319]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Matt, but Bill Cullen's popularity peaked some time in the '60s when he was doing IGAS in prime time and was appearing on all three networks at once. At that time he probably had a pretty good shot at a star. Given that he's been gone for 15 years now and the apex of his popularity was 40 years ago, the "theoretical" chances of his getting a star lie somewhere between "fat chance" and "fuggedaboudit". It doesn't help that the last 20 years of his career saw him doing any number of forgettable, throwaway daytime game shows (e.g. Hot Potato).

[uncamark]

As has already been pointed out, Seacrest is getting the star for his radio work--and he has become an established personality in LA, first at Star 98.7 and now at Kiss, with a nationally syndicated show that has only two other hosts in its 35-year history.  Now I could argue that Phil Hendrie or Chuck Cecil or Steve Harvey deserve the star more than Seacrest (I assume Dees has a star), but I'm not.

Also, Wink and Geoff are more likely to get stars from their radio work, even if Geoff doesn't have a daily show and I don't think "Music of Your Lilfe" is heard in LA right now.  They were both at KMPC when it was the powerhouse full-service MOR giant, they worked for Gene Autry and I'm sure Johnny Grant remembers them.

[ChuckNet]

Off the top of my head, Bill's Hollywood originations were "Place the Face," "Love Experts" "Child's Play" and TJW. The others were in Burbank, Columbus or NYC. On the basis of those four shows, yeah, I'd support the effort.

Give and Take (not to be confused w/the similarly-named 1975 Jim Lange entry) also taped in LA (a pic in EoTVGS1 shows Bill standing outside TV City sometime during G&T's run).

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

[Jimmy Owen]

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Apr 18 2005, 09:04 PM\']

Off the top of my head, Bill's Hollywood originations were "Place the Face," "Love Experts" "Child's Play" and TJW. The others were in Burbank, Columbus or NYC. On the basis of those four shows, yeah, I'd support the effort.

Give and Take (not to be confused w/the similarly-named 1975 Jim Lange entry) also taped in LA (a pic in EoTVGS1 shows Bill standing outside TV City sometime during G&T's run).

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

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I saw that picture too.  I think that was one of the numerous occassions in the Ency.1 where a picture was used to represent a show that was not actually from the show.

 According to the second edition, GAT originated in NY.