Charlie and Harrigan Groundhog Day KLIF Dallas TX 1965 (0:55:43)

… Elevator!? …

This outstanding aircheck features Charlie Brown played by Dan McCurdy, and Irving Harrigan played by Ron Chapman on the legendary KLIF in February, 1965.

Chapman created the role of Irving Harrigan at KLIF, working originally with Tom Murphy as part of “Murphy and Harrigan”. After Tom, Jack Woods, known at KLIF at the time as “Charlie Brown”, moved from afternoon drive to co-host the morning show with Chapman. In 1964, Woods left and overnighter Dan Patrick (Dan McCurdy) auditioned for the part of Charlie Brown and to his surprise, got the gig! McCurdy and Chapman did Charlie and Harrigan in 1964 and 1965, whereupon the dynamic duo split up and two new C&H’s were hired at KLIF.

This tape was contributed as recorded, before the final air chain processing. (REELRADIO processes all online exhibits for consistency and clarity) and is from a 1965 reel recording (fragile as it is), made at the KLIF studio. It begins with the 8:00 a.m. news in progress featuring KLIF Managing Editor, the legendary Joe Long. His rapid-fired “voice of God” delivery was at one time one of the most imitated news voices in the industry. The first half-hour of the tape is a running bit from C&H on Groundhog Day 1965. The premise being the groundhog had come up and seen his shadow, and before descending back down to his burrow, decided to take C&H along to show them his “swinging bachelor pad” beneath the KLIF Triangle Point studios in downtown Dallas! This is true Charlie & Harrigan at their finest satirical zany best! Talk about stringing along an audience for quarter hour maintenance — these guys were masters at the art.

The second half-hour is back to typical C&H bits and schtick. Even Long does a stint at humor in the second half-hour, said to be indeed a rare display for this very serious newsman!

Sit back and close your eyes as you are transposed to Groundhog Day 1965, Dallas, Texas, and the Giant Mighty 1190.

KLIF DALLAS

Welcome to the new ReelRadio!

This site is now operated by the North Carolina Broadcast History Museum. 

We want to thank the board of ReelRadio, Inc. for their stewardship since the passing of the founder Richard Irwin in 2018.  It has not been easy and they have maintained the exhibits for future generations to enjoy.

I met Richard Irwin, aka Uncle Ricky, when we were freshmen at East Carolina University.  We both had worked at local stations in our hometowns.  No one was more passionate about radio, especially Top 40 radio, than my friend Richard. 

Our goals with this site are to preserve the exhibits and make them available free of charge for people to enjoy.  Over time, we hope to add some airchecks to the site.  This will not happen immediately.  Time and resources will determine the future of new exhibits. 

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Richard Irwin’s hope was that his site would live on long after his passing. He said, “I hope REELRADIO will survive as my contribution to the ‘radio business’. The business is allowed to forget me, but the business should never forget the great era of radio that we celebrate here”.

We remember Richard and we thank him. If you enjoy this new site, we would appreciate a contribution. We hope you enjoy the new ReelRadio!

Board of NCBHP
North Carolina Broadcast History Project