Saturday Night Shindig at the Old General Store
Back in 1948, Dallas had the Saturday Night Shindig on WFAA on
Saturday nights from "Possum Flats". John Allen was the announcer
for the show. Jeannie McDonald would be
calling a square dance maybe with a "do-se-do and around we go".
The Dude Ranch Buckaroos were the band that played the background
music on the show. You'd have some comedy thrown in with folks like
Pop Myres, Peg Moreland or Little Willie.
Jeannie McDonald (perhaps the Jean McDonald that appeared on the WLS National
Barn Dance in Chicago) showered her affections on Peg Moreland. He was known
in the southwest as the 'King of Ditty Singers'. Ben McCleskey played the role
of Little Willie, who they said was a '...colored handy-man' and he had
been playing that role since 1931. They said he penned the first script of the show
and had been writing all the scripts since.
Folks listed as part of the cast of this show included:
- The Dude Ranch Buckaroos
- Jeannie McDonald
- Little Willie (real name Ben McCleskey)
- Pop Myres (comedy)
- Peg Moreland
- Mack Newberry, sound affects
- John Allen, announcer
Credits & Sources
- Song and Picture Barn Dance Magazine No. 5 (Jan 1948); Chicago, IL
