Wally George
Encyclopedia
Wally George, born George Walter Pearch (December 4, 1931 – October 5, 2003), was an American conservative radio and television
commentator. Calling himself the "Father of Combat TV" he gained national fame hosting the television talk show Hot Seat
, which began in 1983 as a local show produced for KDOC, a UHF TV station in Anaheim
, Orange County, California
.
, his father Walter Pearch worked in the marine shipping industry. His mother Eugenia Clinchard
had been a vaudeville
performer and child movie actress in Essanay Studios
westerns starring Broncho Billy Anderson
. George grew up in San Mateo
and was in high school when his parents divorced, after which his mother moved to the Hollywood Hills
in Los Angeles
.
in Glendale, California
, followed by work at other radio stations in the state. In 1965 he was credited with writing an episode of the long-running television series Bonanza
. In 1969 he launched The Wally George Show on FM radio station KTYM
in Inglewood, California. Three years later he became producer and co-host of The Sam Yorty Show on Los Angeles television station KCOP with his political mentor Sam Yorty, who had been mayor
of Los Angeles
. By 1979 George had his own talk show at KCOP. This show later moved to KDOC in Anaheim where he launched Hot Seat
in 1983. At this time KDOC had been on the air for a year and one of its early investors was singer Pat Boone
.
Wally George was famous for his combative, almost farcical interview style and shocking antics on Hot Seat. He played to an eager studio audience and often ejected guests from the set, using uniformed private security guards. Hanging behind him were pictures of John Wayne
and the US space shuttle
, both with strong links to Orange County, California
where the episodes were taped. He staunchly supported then-US president Ronald Reagan
on the show, which became a popular hit in Southern California
and was mostly sponsored by many local Orange County businesses for whom George often made personal appearances. George's gray slacks, navy blue blazer, white dress shirt and US flag tie along with his straight platinum blond, ear-length, side-parted hair became a kind of trademark in the Los Angeles area.
A 1983 appearance by Blase Bonpane
ended when Bonpane overturned the host's desk onto George and walked out of the studio. Clips of this were shown on national news broadcasts. When such incidents happened on later talk shows (as with those hosted by Geraldo Rivera
and Jerry Springer
) George called these "copycat combat." However there were many claims of staged stunts on Hot Seat and that some guests were actors hired to play controversial and disruptive roles. George released a four track 12" (30 cm) EP entitled Wal-ly! Wal-ly! (drawn from the rallying cry of his Hot Seat studio audience) on Rhino Records in 1984.
By 1993 George's health woes brought an end to the production of Hot Seat episodes. He carried on hosting rerun segments for another ten years, until June 2003.
Wally George appeared in five motion pictures, playing himself in Grunt! The Wrestling Movie (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
(1989), Repossessed (1990) and Club Fed
(1990). He played a Porsche
salesman in the movie Squanderers (1996).
He gave halftime "studio analysis" and sometimes "endgame news" on the roller derby
television program Rollergames
which aired in the 1989-1990 season and later on the Nintendo Entertainment System
game of the same name. George appeared on The People's Court
program after being sued by an attorney who had been on Hot Seat. E! True Hollywood Story
ran a feature on Wally George in 2000.
He was a longtime Garden Grove, California
resident and was often seen about town running errands. In later life George lived in Sherman Oaks, California.
at Fountain Valley Hospital on October 5, 2003. His memorial service was held at the Crystal Cathedral
in Garden Grove, California
, given by evangelist Robert H. Schuller
with over 100 mourners. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills
, California
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
commentator. Calling himself the "Father of Combat TV" he gained national fame hosting the television talk show Hot Seat
Hot Seat (talk show)
Hot Seat is a syndicated, politically-oriented, though often satirical and comedic television talk-show that began in the early 1980s, hosted by conservative commentator Wally George...
, which began in 1983 as a local show produced for KDOC, a UHF TV station in Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
Early life
Born George Walter Pearch in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, his father Walter Pearch worked in the marine shipping industry. His mother Eugenia Clinchard
Eugenia Clinchard
Eugenia Clinchard was an American child actress in the early 20th century.-Career:Clinchard began acting at age 3, and by age 5 she was working the Vaudeville circuit throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Around this time, she caught the eye of Bronco Billy Anderson...
had been a vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
performer and child movie actress in Essanay Studios
Essanay Studios
The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an American motion picture studio. It is best known today for its series of Charlie Chaplin comedies of 1915.-Founding:...
westerns starring Broncho Billy Anderson
Broncho Billy Anderson
Gilbert M. "Broncho Billy" Anderson was an American actor, writer, film director, and film producer, who is best known as the first star of the Western film genre.-Early life:...
. George grew up in San Mateo
San Mateo
San Mateo, Spanish for Saint Matthew, is the name of several places:*San Mateo , Spain- Canary Islands :* Vega de San Mateo, Las Palmas, a municipality on the island of Gran Canaria in the province of Las Palmas- Costa Rica :...
and was in high school when his parents divorced, after which his mother moved to the Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Career
At age 14 George was a disk-jockey at AM radio station KIEVKIEV
KIEV may refer to:* KIEV , a radio station licensed to serve Culver City, California, United States* KRLA, a radio station licensed to Glendale, California, United States, which used the call sign KIEV until January 2001...
in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
, followed by work at other radio stations in the state. In 1965 he was credited with writing an episode of the long-running television series Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
. In 1969 he launched The Wally George Show on FM radio station KTYM
KTYM
KTYM is a radio station broadcasting a Urban Gospel radio format. Licensed to Inglewood, California, USA, the station serves the Los Angeles area. The station is currently owned by Trans America Broadcasting Corp.....
in Inglewood, California. Three years later he became producer and co-host of The Sam Yorty Show on Los Angeles television station KCOP with his political mentor Sam Yorty, who had been mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. By 1979 George had his own talk show at KCOP. This show later moved to KDOC in Anaheim where he launched Hot Seat
Hot Seat (talk show)
Hot Seat is a syndicated, politically-oriented, though often satirical and comedic television talk-show that began in the early 1980s, hosted by conservative commentator Wally George...
in 1983. At this time KDOC had been on the air for a year and one of its early investors was singer Pat Boone
Pat Boone
Charles Eugene "Pat" Boone is an American singer, actor and writer who has been a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He covered black artists' songs and sold more copies than his black counterparts...
.
Wally George was famous for his combative, almost farcical interview style and shocking antics on Hot Seat. He played to an eager studio audience and often ejected guests from the set, using uniformed private security guards. Hanging behind him were pictures of John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...
and the US space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, both with strong links to Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
where the episodes were taped. He staunchly supported then-US president Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
on the show, which became a popular hit in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
and was mostly sponsored by many local Orange County businesses for whom George often made personal appearances. George's gray slacks, navy blue blazer, white dress shirt and US flag tie along with his straight platinum blond, ear-length, side-parted hair became a kind of trademark in the Los Angeles area.
A 1983 appearance by Blase Bonpane
Blase Bonpane
Blase Bonpane is Director of the Office of the Americas which he co-founded with his wife Theresa in 1983. His attention has been primarily on human rights and identification of illegal and immoral aspects of domestic and foreign policies of the United States.Bonpane served as a Maryknoll priest...
ended when Bonpane overturned the host's desk onto George and walked out of the studio. Clips of this were shown on national news broadcasts. When such incidents happened on later talk shows (as with those hosted by Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera
Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...
and Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer
Gerald Norman "Jerry" Springer is a British-born American television presenter, best known as host of the tabloid talk show The Jerry Springer Show since its debut in 1991...
) George called these "copycat combat." However there were many claims of staged stunts on Hot Seat and that some guests were actors hired to play controversial and disruptive roles. George released a four track 12" (30 cm) EP entitled Wal-ly! Wal-ly! (drawn from the rallying cry of his Hot Seat studio audience) on Rhino Records in 1984.
By 1993 George's health woes brought an end to the production of Hot Seat episodes. He carried on hosting rerun segments for another ten years, until June 2003.
Wally George appeared in five motion pictures, playing himself in Grunt! The Wrestling Movie (1985), A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child is a 1989 American slasher film and the fifth film in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. It was directed by Stephen Hopkins. The film's general tone is much more gothic and dark than the films before, and used a blue filter lighting technique in most of...
(1989), Repossessed (1990) and Club Fed
Club Fed
In North American English, Club Fed is a term that describes a prison whose accommodations are less severe than many other prisons. The term is a pun on the "Club Med" chain of all-inclusive resorts.-Differential treatment for white-collar offenders:...
(1990). He played a Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
salesman in the movie Squanderers (1996).
He gave halftime "studio analysis" and sometimes "endgame news" on the roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
television program Rollergames
RollerGames
RollerGames was a U.S. television series that presented a theatrical version of the sport of roller derby for a national audience, and featured a number of skaters who had been in the Roller Games league , as well as younger participants...
which aired in the 1989-1990 season and later on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game of the same name. George appeared on The People's Court
The People's Court
The People's Court is a US television court show in which small claims court cases are heard, though what is shown is actually a binding arbitration....
program after being sued by an attorney who had been on Hot Seat. E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and well-known public figures...
ran a feature on Wally George in 2000.
Personal life
George was married at least six times. His first marriage was to Lillian Kammings in 1954. They had a daughter and son, Debra Lynn George and Walter George Jr. His 1959 marriage to Jane Eager brought forth their daughter Rebecca DeMornay who became an actress. In 1962 he married Mary Jo Teipl and they had a son, Kerry Walter George. He married Linda Yvonne Lowell in 1969 and they had a daughter, Kimberley Jennifer. In 1988 George married Janise Hedges and they had a daughter, Holly Janise George, his sixth child.He was a longtime Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
resident and was often seen about town running errands. In later life George lived in Sherman Oaks, California.
Death
Following years of worsening health George died of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Fountain Valley Hospital on October 5, 2003. His memorial service was held at the Crystal Cathedral
Crystal Cathedral
The Crystal Cathedral is a Protestant Christian church building in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, California, United States. It is the headquarters and principal place of worship for Crystal Cathedral Ministries, a church founded in 1955 by Robert H. Schuller and affiliated with the...
in Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city located in northern Orange County, California. The population was 170,883 at the 2010 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, passes through the city running east-west. The city is known outside the Southern California area for being the home of Robert H...
, given by evangelist Robert H. Schuller
Robert H. Schuller
Robert Harold Schuller is an American televangelist, pastor, speaker, motivator and author. He is principally known for the weekly Hour of Power television program which he began in 1970. He is also the founder of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, where the Hour of Power program...
with over 100 mourners. He was interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills is an affluent and exclusive neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the southeastern Santa Monica Mountains. It is bound by Laurel Canyon Boulevard to the west, Vermont Avenue to the east, Mulholland Drive to the north, and Sunset Boulevard to the south.-Hollywood Hills...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.