You remember Bill Stulla...Childrens Show Hosts Engineer Bill Stulla - Good-natured Los Angeles-based kiddie show host who appeared every night 6:00-7:00 PM on KHJ-TV Channel 9s CARTOON EXPRESS from 1954 to 1966. Engineer Bill Stulla - Cartoon Express Dressed in a blue-striped engineers cap, overalls, red bandana and dark horn-rimmed glasses Bill Stulla emceed the show, introduced cartoons and, best of all, played with model trains. Like the WATCH MR. WIZARD show that invited kids on the show to do science projects, Engineer Bill invited two lucky kids - a boy and a girl - on the show to be Junior Engineers for the day. The winning names were drawn from a mailbag that was delivered by a passing train. The only admission requirement to the show was that a child had to build a model train. Once onboard the show, the kids helped Engineer Bill run his model trains and participate in the days activities. Engineer Bill Stulla with guest - CARTOON EXPRESS One of the most popular features on the show was the red light—green light game. The rules were simple. On the green you go; on the red light your stop. For no engineer would ever run on a red light. The rules understood, the kids at home would get a glass of milk and follow Engineer Bills lead. If the off-screen announcer (usually Freight Train Wayne Thomas) said Green Light! then it was OK to take a sip of milk. If he said Red Light!, you had to stop drinking. Sometimes, to confuse Engineer Bill and the kids during the drinking game, Wayne Thomas substituted phrases like green grass or red car in place of the expected red light green light ones. A white line-drawing of a railroad track stop and go signal flashed on the screen as Engineer Bill and his two child guests (wearing engineer caps) played the game. In fact, Bill Stullas wife invented the milk drinking game to get her young daughter, Kathy to drink her milk at home. She borrowed the idea from a local nursery school teacher who used a similar red light-green light game to get the kids to pick up their play equipment. On the show, if the game concluded successfully, the winners earned a resounding Clang! from Engineer Bills locomotive bell. If they goofed up, they heard a not-so-resounding dull thud from a lead bell. For 49 cents kids could purchase an official Engineer Bill drinking glass for the red light—green light segment of the show. Engineer Bill Glass Offer Engineer Bills Theme Song See her rollin down the track, See her puffin smoke so black--- Whos at the throttle? (Woo-Woo) thats Engineer Bill! See those drivers whirlin round --- See that engine cover ground, Whos at the throttle? (Woo-Woo) Thats Engineer Bill! From the round-house every day, He always get the right of way, Folks all know the whistles cry. Means Engineer Bill is passing by. See her steamin into town--- From the cab whos wavin down, Whos at the throttle? (Woo-Woo) Thats Engineer Bill! For his efforts as a railroad engineer, Bill Stulla received Emmy awards from the members of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for Outstanding Childrens Program in 1960 and again in 1961. Born 1911 in New York City, Bill Stulla began his broadcasting career in Los Angeles radio in 1939 at KFI. He retired from broadcasting in 1976 at the age of 65 to become a stockbroker. Before his gig as Engineer Bill, Stulla hosted PARLOR PARTY, an afternoon show for women on KHJ-TV Channel 9. During its 12 year run, the ENGINEER BILL Show was sponsored by such companies as Laura Scudders Potato Chips and American Flyer who provided the elaborate train layouts for the show. On Tuesday August 12, 2008, TV pioneer Bill Stulla, a.k.a. Engineer Bill died at his Westlake Village home. He was 97. Stullas wife of 52 years, Ruth, died in 1999.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 15:05:06 +0000
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