Ray Rayner

[ltcboy]

Ray Rayner (born Raymond M. Rahner on July 23, 1919, Queens, New York – died January 21, 2004) was a staple of Chicago children's television in the 1960s and 1970s on WGN-TV.

Rayner (the name was initially spelled "Rahner" but pronounced "Rayner") grew up in Queens, New York. His first media job was working for WGBB radio in Freeport on Long Island while he was attending night school at Fordham University. When World War II broke out he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, serving as the navigator of a B-17 during World War II, when he was shot down over FranceApril 3, 1943. During 2-1/2 years as a POW in Stalag Luft III, he helped prepare the escape depicted in the film The Great Escape (1963) - though he was transferred to another camp before the escape took place. It was during his time as a POW that he would discover his talent for entertaining, namely through his fellow prisoners and his German captors.

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[mojalajab]

Oliver O. Oliver! I watched Bozo the Clown show on weekdays when I was home from school for our 1 hour lunch. Yep, our school didn't have a cafeteria and we had to walk home for lunch and then back to school. Some days it was in five feet of snow, uphill, both ways.

[M1 Rifleman]

We used to watch a little of The Ray Rayner Show every weekday morning while waiting for the Palatine, IL High School bus. Must have been between1969 to 1970. Ray was great, even though we were a little too old for the show.

WGN runs a Special around the Holidays called Boz, Gar and Ray about the 1960s Chicago TV. Alot of favorites (who are mostly gone now) such as Ned Locke, Ray Rayner, Frazier Thomas, are prominently featured. I watch it every time it comes on. They also show some early cartoons from the late 1950s to early 1960s (Suzie Snowflake and Coco, Hardrock and Joe). Don't laugh, that was great entertainment for us kids growing up...

Kids that didn't grow up in Chicago in the '60s missed alot. Ohhh, the memories....

[Larry G.]

M1 Rifleman,You conjured up some old memories. How about Howdy Doody,Garfield Goose,Two Ton Baker,Pinky Lee. I believe some were on WGN. These were mostly '50s shows. Some at lunchtime some after school. In the early '60s I was in high school in Evanston and bused it back to Chicago so those shows I missed.

[M1 Rifleman]

Larry-

Oh Boy, do I remember those!!!

How about Lunchtime Little Theater, Paddleboat (Can't remember the exact name but I believe with Ned Locke?) Johnny Quest (with Spinner and Paddlefoot)?? All old shows that I remember when we lived in ole River Forest, IL... God, I miss those days.....

[cary m2a]

And Race didnt take crap off anybody.

Cary

[enbloc8]

It was "Clutch Cargo" with Spinner and Paddlefoot.

I remember well Ray Rayner as a "yute", growing up in the late 70s and getting up every morning at 0555 with my mom to watch "Top O' The Morning" followed by "Star Blazers" and "The Ray Rayner Show" at 7.

There used to be some Ray (and Bozo and Frazier Thomas) clips posted on an internet site...unfortunately WGN TV is majorly protective of TV clips from thirty years ago that they didn't even bother to save....

[ltcboy]

How about on Sunday mornings before cable TV. You had to watch the "Magic Door" ( a Jewish show about a guy living through an acorn teaching Hebrew) and then the Gigglesnort Hotel. Around noon, the Lone Ranger would come on followed by the Cisco Kid.

I miss the Burt Weiman Ford commercials.


MIke

[enbloc8]

How about on Sunday mornings before cable TV. You had to watch the "Magic Door" ( a Jewish show about a guy living through an acorn teaching Hebrew) and then the Gigglesnort Hotel. Around noon, the Lone Ranger would come on followed by the Cisco Kid.

I miss the Burt Weiman Ford commercials.


MIke

Never got to watch a full episode of Magic Door (don't know why) but I remember well Gigglesnort Hotel.

[frankderrico]

Grew up in Melrose Park/Maywood area, went to Proviso East H.S. What were there maybe three or four stations? They had their before school kids programs, lunch and after school programs. How many of us were home for lunch when the program we were watching was interupted for a special news report on 22 Nov. 1963?....Frank