As a youngster I began listening to Jack Cullen on CKNW in the early 1980s. I'd sometimes listen to the Owl Prowl because it had the greatest variety of music and shows from different decades. So much variety that you didn't know what Jack would play next! Very often what Jack would play depended on his mood. It was a miss-match of unrelated but good tunes and programs. I remember he once played cardboard records - these were actual records recorded on pieces of card boards to save money during the war years. When I listened in the 1980s he would Sign On all of his Owl Prowl shows with an instrumental version of a song called "Girl Talk".
NETWORK REPLAY
Network Replay was at 11:05. My brother and I would fall asleep each night listening to the adventures of old time radio to: The Mysterious Traveller, Suspense, X-Minus-One, Dimension-X, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, The Shadow, I Love A Mystery (Venture), the Jack Benny Program, Lux Radio Theatre, and my favorite: 'Yours Truly Johnny Dollar' and many more!
These programs built imagination. As someone recently said to me: It's incredible to think that these radio serials were recorded by people just standing around in front of microphones reading scrips. The radio shows
were so well put together that you could actually see in your mind what's going on.
In the 1980s, Jack's Network Replay old time radio (OTR) shows were heard throughout Canada on the Western Information Network (WIN). I don't know the name of the theme music he'd use to Sign On his Network Replay in the 1980s (no it wasn't Girl Talk). If you know what the name of the tune please let me know.
CKNW sometimes plays the old radio shows at 12 midnight but it's just not the same without Jack!
98 MEMORY LANE
Sunday nights at 8pm was "98 Memory Lane". That's when he'd go *way* back by playing records from the 20s, 30s, 40s and the 1950s. I had always been curious as to what music my grandparents were listening to back then, and listening to 98 Memory Lane was *the* excellent way to find out! I don't know the name of the tune he'd use to open his 98 Memory Lane shows in the 1980s but I know how it goes. If anyone knows the name of it please let me know.
Jack would even play records recorded before 1925. Before 1925-26 records were recorded acoustically and played by a gramophone. But there's no reason why they can't be played on modern equipment with the right needle. And that's what he did. Who else on radio would play records that far back but Jack Cullen! I looked forward to Sunday nights to find out how far back he'd go and what rare tune I'd hear.
For me it was an opportunity to hear songs I'd never heard of before! It greatly expanded my musical interest.
Before long I'd visit second hand stores and flea markets and bought some 78RPM records. Most will play well with the proper equipment.
I was the only kid who knew who sang a particular tune, in what movie, who wrote it and that Jack Benny visited Vancouver back in the 1940s (few, if any today know who Jack Benny is).
And I was probably the only kid in high school whose parents couldn't object to the lyrics of the songs! And yes, I can safely say, most of what I know about past entertainment I learnt from listening to Jack Cullen!
Found Old Tapes:
One day around 1984, I visited a Salvation Army Thrift store on West Broadway. There was a box of old cassette tapes someone had donated and I noticed that some cassettes had "Owl Prowl" and "98 Memory Lane" written on
them! Someone had donated old tapes they had recorded off air. I bought a few home to listen and noticed they were from the early 1970s. One in particular is dated Dec 1972. And on it Jack only plays tunes from 1947 - the year his freind Sev Morin opened his restaurant in Burnaby. I learnt a
lot about his past shows and antics from these tapes. I guess I wasn't the only one recording his shows!
Today I wish I had bought all the tapes. Because when I returned the next day, all other cassettes and the box itself were gone.
His radio last broadcast on CKNW was May 18(?) 1999. When I listened in the 80's he'd close all of his shows (Owl Prowl, Network Replay and 98 Memory Lane) with an instrumental version of the tune, Goodnight Sweetheart. The very last time I heard Jack Cullen was around the year 2000 for a few months on CKST AM 1040. He did the Owl Prowl and Network Replay, but not 98 Memory Lane.
Then suddenly, CKST changed it's format. And Jack was unfortunately, taken off the air for good. [Coincidentally, this was also talk show host, Pat Burns' last stop before the same station had previously changed format in the early 1990: www.angelfire.com/ok2/PatBurns]
There's a lot of history in the large record collection he left us. Unfortunately,
the 'guide' for the collection left us on April 27 2002 when he passed away. He was born John Francis Cullen on February 16Th 1922 in Vancouver and passed away at Saint Mary's hospital in New Westminster.
1) Both Jack Cullen and Dal Richards did a TV series together around 1961(?). It was for CHAN TV channel 8, the new CTV network that was launched in 1960. It was a weekly half-hour variety show called "West Coast". Dal Richards was the director of a fifteen piece orchestra and Jack did interviews of the stars.
2) In October 1977, Jack Cullen, Bobby Hughe, and Dave MaCormick were guess on a 1/2 hr TV game show hosted by Red Robinson called "Trivia" on CBC(?). On the particular game show that I have a copy of, they called themselves 'The Prowlers' and played against 3 others. Jack got most of the answers correct on the particular program I have.
3) I read somewhere that a photograph of Jack appeared in the movie, "A Piano for Mrs. Cimino" (1982 movie). In this movie, his photograph appeared as Betty Davis' long lost husband.
"CBC Flashback" TV January 1968.
"Jack Cullen Radio Broadcast Collection" (CAIN No. 12783). I found it in the Canadian Archival Information Network Web Site: (http://www.archivescanada.ca/english/search/BasicSearch.asp) under the same title. 73 radio broadcasts on cassettes by Jack Cullen of musical broadcasts, news, plays and variety of shows including 'Saturday at Shaughnessy Hospital'. Have anyone seen this? Does any one know what this is? Please let me know. It is found in: http://www.bcarchives.bc.ca/bcarchives/default.aspx
"Take 30. Hard Times
A television public affairs program with host Ed Reid who talks with Vancouver broadcaster Jack Cullen... Cullen shows some of his 200,000 records,
Probably 30mins
May 26 1975.
A News magazine on CBC. Also known as Hard Times Take 30 Broadcast.
"Alan Hamel Show" (TV) summer 1976(?)
Jack was interviewed by Alan Hamel as he talks to the audience about his life and radio career. The guest sitting next to him was the late Yvonne De Carlo - his high school friend from King Edward High School in Vancouver. Alan Hamel shows us a record album that Yvonne made. I only have about 10 minutes of the interview so it may be longer. Al (Alan) Hamell was at one time, Susan Sommers's husband.
"Don Hamilton show" CBC-TV March 2 1980. About 10 minutes. In it he discusses some history of show business he compiled of Vancouver's' past.
"Saturday Show" CKVU-TV March ? 1980. This 8 minute interview takes place in his studio. He shows us a 16inch LP record transcription.
(- unknown title - ) by Delta Cable TV 10, in 1990. This is the excellent TV interview I saw playing at both of his memorial but I don't know the name of it. It takes place in his studio and we are shown his large record library and equiptment.
Jack interviewed many entertainers in his career. But I only found these two in library catalogues:
Louis Armstrong on CKNW Jan. 20 1954. This interview is available on LP at some universities and colleges in the US. Also available is an interview of Duke Ellington he did on Oct. 30 1962.
Jazz Giants 33 1/2 RPM record - a five album collector's treasury
Publisher: Redwood Records, Vancouver 1001 Redwood Records (5 records discs, 33 1/3).
Recordings of various jazz artists taken from Jack Cullen Collection. (Program notes by Jack Cullen and G. Wood)
In Passing / Jack Cullen
Pub: Vancouver
A poem written by Henry Herbert Stevens. Shaughnessy Military Hospital, Vancouver, PS8505 U4 I5 1921
Remembering Jack Cullen Recollection; Memories Lane, Milestones, Owl Prowl.
An audio CD Published by SPARC (Society for the Preservation of Antique Radio in Canada).
Tunes taken from various "98 Memory Lane" an Owl Prowl shows. Exactly at it was heard on radio. All tunes introduced Jack Cullen.
http://www.broadcasting-history.ca/personalities/personalities.php?id=219
http://www.cknw.com/station/history.cfm (The CKNW website once had information about
Jack Cullen and its own radio history, but CKNW has since removed the information).
http://www.wilfray.com/bighistory.htm?history=1999
(Wilf Ray and Jack Cullen)
http://www3.telus.net/radiomuseum/
http://www.pugetsoundradio.com/cgi-bin/forum/Blah.pl - a forum (message board) on radio on
the west coast; Canadian and US.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg9isOdYTu0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETcM9mGKo78
'Cullen Corner'
Many of Jack's video collection were up for sale at the Cloverdale Antique Mall &
Auction in Cloverdale, in 2002 if I remember.
There were old and recent TV shows on VHS and even
Betamax (remember Beta?), as well as some of Jack Cullen's rare interviews of himself I mentioned
above. Proceeds from the sale benefited the CKNW Orphan's fund.
TRIBUTE
CKNW did a 2hr tribute to him on and played favourite clips of his shows. More on this later...
Brentwood Mall paid him a tribute on August 23 - 25 2002. On hand was the Society for the Preservation of Antique Radio in Canada (SPARC) who did live broadcasts by playing clips of Jack Cullen's opening and closing themes and more; It was a real radio broadcast that could be picked up on any AM radios in the mall. So, in a way, Jack was back on the air! They even used some of Jacks radio broadcasting equipment as shown here: http://www3.telus.net/burnabeans/studio_news
One of Jack Cullen interviews played on a large screen TV.
Later, the Burnaby mayor unveiled a commemorative plaque across from Radio Shack where
the Jack Cullen Records store used to be. Brentwood Mall staff decided that coins from the malls' water fountain be donated to the CKNW Orphan's fund which was Jack's favourite charity.
MEMORIAL
A much Larger memorial service took place on May 2th 2002 at Shriner's Hall in Burnaby! A
celebration of his life. Thanks to all who organized it, it was excellent!! On hand was
Severin Morin, Lorne Cullen, Bill Hughes, John Ashbridge, DJ Red Robinson and many others who
spoke their memories about him while Jack appeared on a large TV screen. I was there.
The place was jam packed!
Read these excellent articles about it from others who were there also:
http://www.thecommentary.ca/archives/20020503.html
http://www.thecommentary.ca/archives/20020430.html
On display at the ceremony were many newspaper clippings that had been collected over many
years - A scrapbook commemorating his life. There were so many that it would have taken hours
to read them all.
I also have a few that I'd like to mention here below. This is definitely not a complete list - just a few I happen to have collected.
I'm sure most major public libraries have old copies of these newspaper articles.
Province, Jan 22 1971 p23
Province, April 28 2002 pA3 [more may be added later]
"Dick Maclean's Leisure Guide" Jan 1972 p24 [biography]
"Province Magazine" April 1, 1972 p.7
The Sunday Times (North Van), vol 1 no.15, Oct 3 1976 p.2-3
(Biography)
Vancouver Sun, Sept 22 1980 p
Province, Oct 31 1982 p8 [biography]
Van Sun, May 23 1987 pG3
Vancouver Courier, Oct 21 1987 [biography]
Van Sun, July 23 1994 p.A15? - Jack gets his star the Granvile street sidewalk
Van Sun, Aug 22 1994 p.B3
Van Sun, May 11 1995 p.B1 (mentions his school)
Van Sun, March 29 1995 p.B1 (mentions his school)
Van Sun, Aug 21 1996 p.B9 "CKNW clip wings of Owl Prowl..."
Van Sun, August 24 1996 p.B2
Van Sun, August 24 1996 p.A18 - mentions his show winding down
Van Sun, Aug 24 1996 p.b2 [biography]
Province, May 11 1997 p.b6
?? April 9 1997 pB4 - CKNW goes 'all talk'
Van Sun, April 10 1997 pA2
Van. Sun, Aug 13 1997 p.c5 - Cullen plays rare Elvis
Province, Feb. 26 1999 p.B11 - Cullens record collection the largest...[biography]
British Columbia Report, vol.10 ??? 1999 p.28
Province, May 19 1999 p.A3 - CKNW lay offs
Van Sun, May 19 1999 p B1 - CKNW lay offs
Tri-Cities newspapers, May 19 1999 p. B8 - CKNW lay offs
Province, May 21 1999 p.A37 - (reader says they'll miss Jack Cullen)
Province, Aug 27 1999 p B13
Province, Oct 8 1999 p.B13 "the owl is back on the prowl" on a different station
Van. Sun, Oct 14 1999 p.C43 [biography]
Canadian Press Newswire, 2000/09/03
Van. Sun, June 21 2001 pB5
Province, July 6 2001 p.B21
Van. Sun, Feb 16 2002 pB3 (80th birthday)
Province, April 23 2002 pB12
Canadian Press Newswire April 29 2002
Globe & Mail, April 29 2002 p
Province, April 29 2002 pB8
Van. Sun, April 29 2002 pB1
The Gazette, April 30 2002 pF6
Van. Sun, April 30 2002 pA10
The Expositor, (Ontario) May 1 2002 pC8
Van. Sun, May 3 2002 pB1
Province, May 06 2002 pB8 (mentions the special tribute to Cullen on CKNW)
Globe & Mail, May 7 2002 p.??
Variety, July 1 2002 p44 (short article)
Burnaby Now, Aug 22(?) 2002 p.? (memorial plaque at Brentwood Mall)
Van. Sun, August 23 2002 p.B5 - tribute and memorial dedicated at Brentwood Mall
Burnaby Now, August 29(?) 2002 p.?
Van. Sun, August 29 2002 p.B3 (short note on memorial plaque at Brentwood Mall
Van. Sun Jan 2 2003 A15
North Shore News, August 20 2004 p.6
Van. Sun, October 16 2004 p.B5 mentions Jack recording Louis Armstrong at Kitsilano
Vancouver Courier, October 19 2005 p.31 mentions Jack recording Louis Armstrong at Kitsilano
Van. Sun Jan 19, 2006 D9
