55 years ago: A breakthrough day for Corky the Clown
On Feb. 12, 1966, KSD's Corky's Colorama became the first locally-produced television program to be shown in color. Clif St. James had made his debut as Corky 12 years earlier. Here's a look back at Corky.
CLIF ST. JAMES goes through his Corky the clown antics as KSD-TV airs the first locally produced color show, in February 1966. Engineer Jack Cummings mans the RCA camera for the telecast of Corky's Colorama," a hit on Channel 5 for more than 20 years
Station KSD-TV's Corky the Clown is shown with children who are patients at City Hospital, at a party held in connection with the Tuberculosis and Health Society Christmas program. About 1200 children from the St. Louis area made Christmas cards from or decorated with the society's Christmas Seals and sent them to Corky for distribution to children in hospitals. Eleven hospitals participated in the program. The society's annualChristmas Seal campaign is in progress.
FILE PHOTO - The children's show "Corky the Clown," with Clif St. James as Corky, was the first color program telecast locally. Other children's shows that still strike a strong chord in now long-grown St. Louisans include "Cookie and the Captain," "Captain 11's Showboat," "St. Louis Hop" and "Romper Room." By 1960, the main St. Louis TV scene looked much as it does now, with Channels 2, 4 and 9 in place alongside Channel 5. Channel 30 came on board in 1969.
Corky the Clown (Clif St. James) delighted young audiences on Channel 5 from 1954 to 1980.
FILE PHOTO JULY 1955 -- Clif St. James and his wife, Nancy, perform together on KSD radio, 550 am, in 1953. One year later, he became the weatherman and began his long run as Corky the clown.
Clif St. James, shown in 2001, hosted the popular "Corky the Clown" show on KSDK (Channel 5) and was a weather man, reporter and announcer on the station for many years. He died in December, 2016. Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.
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