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The Ranger Bill Fan Club
50th Season Golden Jubilee!!!
Ranger Bill is 50!
2004 marks a major milestone in the history of the Ranger Bill show. Yes, the strong, rugged, perpetually 40ish Chief Ranger with his dark brown hair is celebrating his 50th season on the air. It may be hard to believe but Bill, Stumpy, Gray Wolf and all the folks of Knotty Pine have blessed minds and hearts with wonderful and exciting adventures every Saturday since 1954. And, as far as I can determine, late September or early October of 2004 will mark the 50th anniversary of the first airing of the show.
I think it is time to start celebrating this golden jubilee year in style. I will try to find even more information on the show, and its cast and crew. I will be sharing information on local and internet broadcasters of Ranger Bill. But, I will need your help. Please let me know if your local station is still airing Bill. And please share your stories of the interest you, your family, or your friends have in the adventures in Knotty Pine. Tell me the station or stations you have listened to, how long you have listened, and possibly your favorite characters and stories. And, if it's OK with you, I would like to share your stories in the KNOTTY PINE GAZETTE and here on the Ranger Bill Fan Club web site.
Join the Ranger Bill Fan Club in celebrating the many blessings God has given each of us through Ranger Bill!
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Ranger Bill Cast and Crew and More!
Let me begin by reminding you of the fact that ED RONNE(Gray Wolf) and director CHARLES CHRISTENSEN are part of the cast and crew of Ranger Bill who are living. Ed Played Gray Wolf from approximately 1954 until 1970. Ed told me that he began working at WMBI in Chicago in 1952 as an announcer after he graduated from the School of Speech at Northwestern University. He went on to say:" I left the station in 1970 and produced science interviews for radio at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. I also spent much of my career in public relations with a variety of organizations, including Director of Communications for Compassion, Inc., a leading child welfare agency. Compassion sent me on a 70 day trip around the world to obtain interviews and photographs at their many orphanages."
REX BRENNER is another person connected with Ranger Bill that, until this last week, I wasn't sure what his part was in the show. Ed informed me that Rex was an actor on the program. I did know which character Rex played until Ed put me in touch with the fine folks of Sunlite Broadcasting (www.sunlite-radio.com). On that web site you will find a page with information about a five-minute radio program that Rex wrote, produced and narrated called "Stories of Great Hymns". You can listen to an audio clip there that will reveal Rex's Ranger Bill I.D.
Rex played more than one character, as a matter of fact, many characters. Rex played such diverse characters as a champion mountain climber; a pioneer in a wagon train on the Oregon Trail; a janitor at Henry's school; an injured hunter alone on Henry's birthday; an archeologist; logger Frenchy DeSalle; and my personal favoite, ferryboat captain Houseboat Charlie; also many others. I assume you would call these bit parts, but these were far more than 2-bit charcters.
I have an idea. As part of our Ranger Bill 50th season celebration, I would like to give you this opportunity to contact Ed, Rex, Charles and any other Ranger Bill crew we can find. Please send me anything you would like to say or ask these folks. I will post these comments and questions here and on the web site, and I will also send a letter to each of these people with your messages included. If they can respond I will publish their comments and will contact you personally.
Please, contact us right away with your thoughts for the Ranger Bill cast and crew.
Have a Great and Blessed Day!
Dave
3-13-04
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