Sally Starr

There were a lot of good childrens' programs coming out of Philadelphia in the 50s and 60s. Hosted by people with imagination and the ability to captivate their young audiences. Most of all, they seemed to be genuine in their feelings towards children.
From 1955 to 1971, no one did it better than Sally Starr.
Every kid in the Delaware Valley would be tuned in to channel 6 every evening between 6 and 7 PM, and later from 4 to 6PM, to watch Popeye Theatre hosted by a pretty young woman in a cowgirl dress decorated in fringe and sequined stars. She wore sixguns and a wide brimmed Stetson hat, and that smile, that wide, welcoming smile.
At first Sally showed old westerns of movie legends like Gene Autry, but they soon gave way to Popeye cartoons and endless showings of The Three stooges. Every day I would hope that she would run the old black and white Popeyes, from the Fleischer Studio days, and be disappointed when the later ones without imagination and lousy animation would come on.
We'd all sit back and wait for the incredibly violent and wacky adventures of everyone's favorite trio of morons, The Three Stooges, listening to Aunt Sally remind us not to do the things the Stooges did at home. We couldn't wait to see Moe, Larry and Curly repeat the same antics over and over, and we'd be disappointed when it was a "Shemp" or a "Joe" or a "Curley Joe."
Sally was live each and every day, reading cards and letters from her adoring fans. She was there every weekday evening for us, telling stories and bringing on live guests like Chuck Connors of The Rifleman, and even The Stooges themselves.
What all of us kids didn't know was that Sally was a radio pioneer. She was one of the first successful female disc jockeys, and she had a singing career that even included singing with rocker Bill Haley and The Comets.
She was known for her charity work and for dozens and dozens of personal appearances all over the Philadelphia and South Jersey area. If you are lucky to see her now, you will be impressed by how down to earth and genuinely friendly she really is. You can tell that she has always appreciated the love all of us have had for her.
What will last is her smile and the blown kisses and the feeling of warmth she gave us all.
Whether showing us cartoons or The Stooges, Ramar of the Jungle, or Clutch Cargo, or talking about her horse named Pal, she will always be loved and remembered by us all.
Forever, Our Gal Sal.