2/22/2007

About a week ago, I found out about the passing of someone who spent a few years hereon WCIU- as well as another station. His name was Bob Luce, and I’m guessing you either have no idea who he is- or immediately knew the name. Bob Luce was a local wrestling promoter- long before “Hulkamania” and the sold –out crowds at the Rosemont Horizon/All State Arena. When I first got into wrestling in the mid 60s- Bob Luce was promoting shows at the old International Amphitheater, and really packing them in to see the likes of Dick the Bruiser, the Crusher, Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon. He would end up doing cameo appearances next to announcer Chuck Marlow in matches taped in Indianapolis-which, at times, must’ve had bad soundtracks, because they’d be doing commentary over a bad sound effect crowd loop-which became obvious when a guy yelling- “Hoo-ray!” would occur every couple minutes on the dot! More memorable than his play-by-play color announcing, though, were his interviews and commercials- especially commercials for local sponsors. “Ben’s Auto Sales” was a long-time sponsor, and featured Bob along with huge wrestler Moose Cholack (known at various times as Yukon Moose, Golden Moose, and possibly Mickey Moose- no, I made the last one up) and costumed “super-heroes?!” Cash Man and Credit Man! The commercials were often hilarious, not because they were well-written comedy, but because they were kind of amateurish and just so ridiculous! (Side note regarding Moose: he was once a “guest coffin opener” on the Jerry G. Bishop Svengoolie show- and was a nice guy. He amazed us all when he sat down at the piano- and played a flawless version of the “Moonlight Sonata!” Moose also passed away, a few years ago.)Another sponsor that Bob and Moose did commercials with, was “Candor Electric.” A guy with a name like Ken Babe (or a babe with a name like Ken Guy) did the main pitch, with Moose and Luce chiming in. Famous black wrestler Bobo Brazil joined Bob for commercials for One Stop, where Bobo claimed he bought beer by the case. Bob also would interview wrestlers (and managers, like the very funny Bobby “the Brain” Heenan, who later hit the big time with WWF – now WWE- and WCW; Heenan was, and still is, one of the quickest wits in or out of pro wrestling.) Eventually, Luce was doing shows on- I think- channel 44, running matches taped by a group under the management of Dick “the Bruiser” Afflis, that were taped somewhere in Indiana- and Bob and some wacky sidekick did shtick between the taped matches. He was definitely an unpolished performer, but always good for some laughs. He helped promote matches in Chicago and Hammond, and I know he booked at least a couple events in the old Comiskey Park ( where usually the only wrestling would be over a ball hit into the stands, or the last beer a vendor had left.) Before wrestling became an “in” thing in the 80s- Bob Luce made it a big thing in Chicago. Another legend of local television long gone has passed on- and we will never see the like again.