Sally Starr TV Hostess

Sally Starr (born Sally Beller on January 25, 1923, Kansas City, Missouri, legally changed her name to Starr in 1941) is a once-blond cowgirl who hosted an afternoon children's program for Philadelphia station WFIL-TV (now WPVI) from the 1950s to 1971.

Her program was usually known as "Popeye Theater" or a variation, which presented Popeye cartoons and 3 Stooges shorts (aka the "Funny Film"). For a time, she was also hostess of "Starr Theater," which ran after 'Popeye Theater' and presented a cowboy movie. The program ran from the 1950s through 1971.

She was dressed in full cowgirl regalia, including gun and holsters. Her opening line was, "Hope you feel as good as you look, 'cause you sure look good to your gal Sal." She closed with "May the Good Lord be blessing you and your Family, Bye for now!"

Sally hosted a number of guest visitors including the Three Stooges, Colonel Sanders of fried chicken fame, plus local legends Dick Clark and Chief Halftown.

She was popular at her many public appearances, including many on her horses, Pal, Silver, Cane, and Rusty. Now 85 (as of 2008), she continues to make public appearances near her home in southern New Jersey. She also hosted a radio show on WVLT, 92.1 FM in Vineland, New Jersey until retiring in September 2006.

Besides her TV career and recording career, Sally appeared in the Three Stooges film The Outlaws Is Coming (1965) in the role of sharpshooter Belle Starr. It was the last feature film to be made by the Stooges at Columbia Pictures in Hollywood. She also appeared in "The In Crowd," "Mannequin on the Move" and "Holiday Journey."

Sally was also a recording artist, having performed with the legendary Bill Haley & His Comets. She sold thousands of records under the Clymax label, which was one of Haley's local companies.

She has written her autobiography, titled "Me, Thee, & TV."

Her love for kids moved Sally to establish a group of ranches for abused children, each known as "Sally Starr's Bar None Ranch."

As Sally often said to the kids from Wilkes-Barre to Lancaster to Cape May, "Love, Luck and Lollipops."

References

* [http://www.sallystarr.net/ Sally Starr's own web page]
* [http://broadcastpioneers.tripod.com/index2.html Philadelphia Broadcast Pioneers web page]
* [http://www.tvparty.com/lostsal.html An article about TV personalities]
* [http://www.whyy.org/tv12/kidsshowhosts/index.html TV station WHYY/Philadelphia presented a program about the local TV hosts]