The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 77

mm His 'Big Chance' Fizzles Out 7 tow? my dogs, says Danny, shown with one ot his bird dogs and a litter of pups. was WKY's 30 minutes of afternoon kiddy cartoons, serials and Danny's ad-libbing. "1 invented an invisible character, a plot. The show got golly, it got so big it was unbelievable." After "3-D Danny" had been on six months, the other channel brought in the "Mickey Mouse Club." Again the ratings went against him. But two men at the station, Hoyt Andres and Joe Jerkins, had faith in Danny's show.

Instead of junking it, they decided to try beat the "Mickey Mouse Club." "We invented B3zark, the robot. Bazark blew "Mickey Mouse" away and '3-D Danny' mushroomed into national attention. "NBC network sent a man from New York to view the program. A deal was in the works to put '3-D Danny' on Saturday in place of 'Pinky Lee." Then a personnel change occurred in New York "The whole deal just got shelved and it never happened. But I came close I almost made it." "3-D Danny" was on-the-air between 1954-1959.

"We really had a "lot of fun. Hy Roberts helped me like hell. He's "in the agency business here now. He was the first Ba2ark. The second one was John Ferguson, Count Gregore and Foreman Scotty.

They all helped. "We had everything that "Star Wars" had, guy. "They paid me $77 a week, paid Hy Roberts $10 a week and John, I think, made $15." With a wife and kids to care for, Danny did several things to make money. "I'd do anything to make money. I'd emcee, make personal appearances for $5 on Saturday.

"I remember one of the best days I ever had in my life moneywise. I drove to Perry, to Ponca City and over to Blackwell, when I got home I had made $22 also says, "I was born poor it's just a game. If I don't ever have any money, it's all right." Besides working at the radio and TV stations, he has several other jobs one with a real estate agency, as a sales associate; he has a "business arrangement" with a car dealer and a clothing firm; he does freelance commercials. He did have a public relations agency, which is now defunct. He says he also tried investments, but lost.

Many misconceptions and stories have sprung up over the years about Danny. There's one that has haunted him for years that he'd really like to lay to rest. That is the long-standing rumor that he was married to a daughter of E.K. Gaylord. "I was making a speech in El Reno a long time ago (Continued) net.

I was so tickled, I couldn't believe it. I was making $77 a week and to make $22 extra on Saturday! "I made commercials too. Some weeks, I'd make $150 a week. It wasn't a lot of money when you consider how much 1 made everyone else. Which is all right." In 1 951, Danny got the Itch to he a disc jockey again.

"1 started out in radio and 1 always liked radio. Rock roll came along in '55 and '56, right at the zenith of "I'd been a disc jockey here for awhile on Saturday afternoons when I first came here. I wanted to get back into radio so bad I couldn't see straight. "You can rip people on radio like you can't on stage or on television. You can ding people till the world looks level.

"I love to get the people going. That's what they want. I love to give them what they want." People wanted rock 'n' roll, and Danny says he wanted to give it to them "like it was supposed to be given." He abandoned television and did not return until 1964. Foreman Scotty was doing a children's show and "needed some help with a character." Danny returned in the form of Xavier T. Willard.

But radio and television weren't Danny's only enterprises. He had a short bout in the recording business. He had one record called "The Fidel Castro Rock" and "The All-American Girl" about Marilyn Monroe. "I thought I was going to get rich again and that didn't happen. I quit." Danny tried climbing the corporate ladder to success management.

He was program manager at WKY (or several years, along with being a disc jockey. "I tried to be an executive, but I'm not an executive. I'm a star, man, That's what I am. That's what I'm supposed to do. I'm supposed to entertain people.

I lost interest in being an executive right away. In 1975, he got the opportunity to do "Dannysday." It's a show that is "enjoying" for him. Part of the fun comes from beating national competition. "Dannysday" is scheduled opposite two soap operas. "I realize the best and most talented people are on a national level.

It's always been a thrill to beat the people at the top." He started the program alone, but since then he's had two co-hosts, Linda Scott and the current Mary Hart. He realizes the importance of women in his business. "If you're going to be on television and get ratings you need a dynamite woman on. "I've never seen a woman yet that couldn't do more work than a male. Women can do a task better.

1( you show a woman how to do something, she can do anything in the world." Ills much-publicized recent divorce has been the topic of lots of talk. He married Marilyn Maher in 1947. "I've never met a finer person in my lite than my ex-wife. We had four lovely daughters; we had twins; we had a lot of good times together. The Lord just sent us along different paths.

We're still good friends." He says he probably will get married again. "I rather imagine that I will remarry, I like being married. I don't think you're complete unless you have a member of the opposite sex sharing your life." When 11 comes to money, Danny takes a resigned view. "Money is the way to keep score. I've gotten to carry the ball a lot, but I've never scored." Though he says tie would do anything for money, he SUtf pho'ot J-Do cv "I wanted to be a professional golfer but lever had the time, says Danny as he practices in his back yard.

Danny waters his backyard vegetable garden at his new home in Quail Creek. He also grows flowers in beds around the house. 6 July The vO THE SIJNDAY.OKMHOMANiMT.