The Desert Sun from Palm Springs, California • 55

A Special Section of Tha Daaart Sue Friday February 22 1M1 Faga 3 THEATER Tom Hatten tipping his halt to Dolly Say WHAT: Ruta Lao and Tom Hat-tan starring in tha West Coast Opara Theatre production of tha musical Dolly!" WHEN: 7:30 pm Wednesday and Thursday WHERE: McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts 73000 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert TICKETS: $35 and $25 INFORMATION: 340-ARTS Tom also got the heave-ho ending an eight-year run Hatten stumbled into the job of hosting A staff announcer at KTLA for three years he was on his way home from a day at the beach when he stopped by work to pick up his check There he found a platoon of actors waiting to audition for a job hosting an upcoming show Hatten asked his boss if he too could try out When he got the nod Hatten bought a can of spinach and hat to go with his beach attire: cutoffs and a T-shirt And he grabbed a sketch pad knew I could draw Popeye because I'd been drawing him since I was a kid" he recalls In a crowd of suits Hatten stood out as a complete kid's show concept was no way they couldn't hire he says From 1956 to 1964 with a second stint in the 70s Hatten doodled his way into hearts And heard a recurring comment from youngish professionals in graphic arts that they first tested their talents trying to draw Popeye with Hatten Hatten is used to run-ins with baby boomers who remember him for his days And he gives each aspect cl his multi-faceted career equal weight reporter host and actor After all each aspect allows him to continue to work in the entertainment field really care what I'm doing in the business But I must do a credible job" ANDY GOMPERZTho Desert Sun Former 'Popeye host still pleases audiences By JAMIE SHOOP BRAY Tha Daaart Sun Tom flatten vein a lot of hats Baby boomers raised in Los An geles remember the trademark sailor hat Hatten donned as host of cartoons on KTLA These days finds Hatten splitting his time between entertainment re porting on KNX Radio and hosting Film Festival" on KTLA He also has experience producing jazz concerts writing and composing And then there's his acting career Next week Hatten dons another hat this time a businessman's bowler to play Horace Vandergeider in the West Coast Opera Theatre production of In person Hatten (4 is genial and outgoing he says extending his hand The stage is familiar territory to flatten who is a cum laude graduate of the Pasadena Playhouse He's a theater fan who has seen a slew of Vandergclders from Cab Calloway to Richard Deacon David Bums to Max Showalter can about be played by any ambulatory actor" he kids a comedic part but it's not coming out there being Sid Caesar which I cant Most of Hatten's stage work has been in Los Angeles allowing him Favorite TV TOM HATTEN brings us up-to-date on the whereabouts of long-gone kiddie show hosts: SHERIFF JOHN: As the leader of John's Lunch John Rovick made sure we kept our rooms picked up and our teeth brushed Now semi-retired he makes his home in Boise Idaho BOZO: LAs Bozo was an expert in a trade publication To TV audiences Hatten's area of expertise appears to be trivia of the showbiz kind He serves up liberal helpings of movie trivia spice with celebrity interviews on Film which airs at 3 pm Saturdays and Sundays on KTLA last movie I saw was not 'Birth of a Nation' or In the he jokes I love to talk about Garbo or Betty Grable or Ray Hatten credits management with the show's format "The reason for the trivia is because my boss is a fan of a guy that did a show like this in Detroit" Actually that boss Gene Autry is also the reason Hatten found himself out of the job hosting a local show When Autry bought KTLA in the 608 he scrapped live children's shows in favor id more teen-oriented programming Hatten says Adventures of Popeye With cruise ships Also semi-retired he lives in San Clemente CHUCKO: Best-known to baby-boomers as Chucko the Birthday Clown Chuck Runyon OFF: Tom Hatten dons hii to continue his TV work But in the 70s he went on the road as FDR in the touring company of The New York producer of that show had no idea Hatten did kid's shows never seen me in a sailor Since 19M Hatten's hat has sported a press pass He presents twice-daily entertainment reports on KNX a slot formerly filled by critic Gary Franklin started out trying to do wbat a critic does and see all the movies But I don't think it's fair to praise or bowler for lambaste a $22 million movie in 45 Instead Hatten comments on be-hind-the-scene news new boob about show business and local theater more of a suggester than a reporter" he continues And he knows his limitations After the Oscar nominations were announced Financial News Network asked him to talk about the business implications of a nomination told them 'No I know anything about that'" Hatten says with a laugh He referred them to stockbroker in Westlake Village SKIPPER FRANK: Skipper Frank Herman still works magic on audiences this time on hosts from your childhood: Where are they now? is now retired In Seattle His son Chuck Jr occssionally dusts off his miniscule merry-go-round hat to appear as Chucko Vsncs CoMg He was one of many Bozos in different US television markets who were the live hosts tied to syndicated Bozo cartoons Cotvig stays busy in resl estate acting and doing voice work ENGINEER BILL: Those days you won't find Bill Stulls hanging out in the roundhouse playing Light Green Light" with a glass of milk He's Monday thru Friday pm Teriyaki Chicken Halibut White fish Samurai Sirloin Steak i nn Imlmdn: Mi to mm Shrimp only 5(1 SO weMrCiwOww 3 ond Crrrn Tm CUQDGBtE cl JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE il wmiraik Hi lililihlfo -4fiei(3eIiK'i- lesCMijget -s Ci in i ttl- III itfrg igt lull i i i fir itftiij wrtiMibJi ir e-jutfift) -u DfiUffll kfryiinr-f i dtonfr Restaurant Row Rancho Mirage Highway 111 and Frank Sinatra Dt 324-1717 I Vr li r'.