6 years, 10 months ago Mike Moyers
Local TV star passes away at 90
Who was Cactus Jim? If you’re under the age of 60 there’s a pretty good chance you won’t be able to answer that one. But if you were a resident of this area during the decades of the 50s and 60s Richard Moore, “Cactus Jim”, was your pal.
Today your Mom or Dad would set the DVR to record the show. Back then, when all we had for local TV was Channel 7 and/or 10, you had to be in front of the TV to see the show live. That was before the remote control too.
The show first aired on October 12, 1953, five days before I entered the world. “The Cactus Club” aired on Channel 7 from 1953 thru 1961, then moved to WGEM where it remained through May of 1970.
Cactus Jim was an entertainer. And kids loved him. The shows aired live, Cactus worked without a script, he read the commercials live and he just made it happen. And things did happen. Like the time a young guest decided to pour her milk into Jim's boot as he was right in the middle of reading a commercial live on the air.
Prairie Farms Dairy was the big sponsor I remember. And Cactus always suggested that we “kink our pinky” when drinking our milk.
Live television, local talent, grass roots entertainment. All sadly missing in 2017. Hey KHQA and WGEM: don’t you have someone on the staff who could be the next Cactus Jim?
Or has our society become too sophisticated?
Hang on while I Google sophisticated…….
From the WTAD archives I've pulled an interview with Cactus Jim that Jim Dewey and Gary Gleichman of our staff conducted on May 27, 2000. Enjoy. And be sure to kink your pinky....
