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Posted By: Jim Dewald on: 07/26/2007 14:03:58 EDT
Subject: The True Life Inspiration For The Movie Hairspray

Message Detail:
(EMAILED TO BILL O'REILLY ON THE RADIO FACTOR)

Dear Mr. O'Reilly:

This past Monday on the 'Radio Factor' you stated that you viewed the new movie 'Hairspray' over the weekend and further made a statement to the effect that this movie was based on the 'American Bandstand' teenage dance show during the time depicted by the movie.

As Charley Chan used to say, "Correction, please.".

The movie, Broadway musical, and original John Waters movie (circa 1990) was based on a Baltimore televised (WJZ-TV) teenage dance program aired from 1957 to 1964 known as the 'Buddy Deane Show' (Buddy Deane was its host who passed away four years ago. A group of us have nominated him for induction in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, a tribute he most richly deserves. John Waters who wrote, produced, and directed the original 'Hairspray' movie, circa 1990, had appeared on Buddy's show in the early sixties.).

Please, at your earliest opportunity, make an appropriate corrective statement to this effect on the 'Radio Factor'.

(By the way as a reporter and a teenager during that era, you might be interested in knowing that the host of 'Bandstand', Dick Clark, resented the 'Buddy Deane Show' during the latter's airing years, so much so that he saw fit to slander Buddy's and the show's memory in front of, no less, a Baltimore tv. audience soon after Buddy's passing in '03. This was due to the fact that since 'Bandstand' was on the ABC-TV Network and Buddy's show was aired on an ABC affiliate station, WJZ-TV, in Baltimore, Mr. Clarke's program did not appear here for the entire length of Buddy's show because the management at WJZ-TV then chose Buddy's show over 'Bandstand' given the former's immense popularity among teenagers, etc. in the Baltimore-Washington market. No other major market in the country at the time could claim such a distinction of having its local tv. teenage dance program block out, as it were, the airing of 'Bandstand' there. Thus the reason for Mr. Clark's jealousy and eventual tasteless/classless remarks toward Mr. Deane and his show.)

Sincerely, respectfully, and truly yours,

James DeWald,
Member
The Committee To Honor Buddy Deane;
A Longtime Radio/TV 'Factor' Listener/Viewer

Baltimore, Maryland


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