Big Chuck! by Chuck Schodowski and Tom Feran | Cleveland Books | Gray & Company, Publishers | Guide and Gift Books about Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and Ohio.

Description

Now in paperback, with a NEW chapter full of more great stories.

Tune in as Cleveland TV legend “ Big Chuck” Schodowski tells hundreds of funny and surprising stories from a lifetime in television— in his familiar, good-natured, Cleveland-to-the-bone style.

Since 1960, Chuck has been on camera, behind the camera, and in the director's chair. He collaborated with Ernie Anderson on the groundbreaking “ Ghoulardi” show, and continued to host a late-night show across four decades— the longest such run in TV history. He wrote and directed two thousand hilarious sketches that were watched religiously by adoring fans.

Revisit favorite characters including the Kielbasy Kid, Certain Ethnic Guy, Ben Crazy, and many more. Chuck's stories will entertain fans— and anyone who enjoys behind-the-scenes tales of television and celebrities.

Book Excerpt:

Little Big Chuck

Being from a poor family, I always had jobs, beginning with a Cleveland News newspaper route at eight years old. I had what seemed like five customers spread out over about ten miles. Every News route was like that. Later I carried the Press. I never did deliver the Plain Dealer because delivery was early in the morning and I had evening jobs. I worked in a soda parlor, worked at the Food Town on Broadway all through high school, and I set pins at Marcelline Tavern on East 71st Street.

That job started when I was about twelve. We were paid two cents a line. No one wanted to work the ladies' league on Saturday afternoon, but being one of the youngest there I got stuck with it. It'd take forever. They'd take three hours to play a game that guys would play in one. When you set pins, there's a wall between the alleys and a pit where the pins fall. You'd have to jump in, pick up the pins, look at the ones standing, and put the knocked-down pins in the rack above the lane. You'd pull the thing down to set the pins. Then you had to sit on the ledge between lanes and hold your legs up as high as you could. Guys would throw fastballs, and the pins would really fly. The kids in the pit would try to push each other in the way, and it was sort of fun. The good thing about women bowlers was that the pins fell so softly you could stand in the pit. Sometimes they'd just fall over on the alley and you'd have to crawl out to get them.

I was standing in the pit one Saturday, figuring that, having watched . . . [ Read More Free Samples ]

Reviews

A vivid picture of an honest man in the insane world of television. Highly recommended. — Midwest Book Review

If you were a Clevelander and it was a late Friday night, there was only one show to watch. Schodowski was bigger than Johnny Carson and made white socks and pink flamingoes larger than life. Peyton Place became Parma Place. Ben Casey became Ben Crazy. And all of Cleveland was along for the wild ride. Memories of the show live on in the book . . . It's as entertaining as the shows were. And it has brought Big Chuck back together with his audiences of the past. — Currents

A trip down memory lane for the Cleveland TV star's many fans. The book reads like Big Chuck is right there talking to you over a couple of Manners' Big Boys. — Hudson Hub-Times

Reading the book is an entertaining journey as Chuck takes you with him from the beginning to where he is at now. There are plenty of laughs along the way with cast, crew, celebrities and every day life. — Lifestyle Magazine

Make for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. — Sun Newspapers

About Chuck Schodowski

“Big Chuck” Schodowski began his television career as an engineer at KYW Channel 3 in 1960, but quickly moved to a temporary position at WJW TV8, which lasted for 47 years.

Schodowski appeared in humorous sketches with Ernie “Ghoulardi” Anderson on the late-night TV show Shock Theater and eventually took over as co-host with Bob “Hoolihan” Wells, and later alongside Lil' John Rinaldi on The Big Chuck & Lil' John Show. He is the recipient of two-dozen local Emmys, numerous television and film awards, and a Grammy nomination. Schodowski retired from television in 2007 but continues to make public appearances and host the annual Ghoulardifest. More About Chuck Schodowski

About Tom Feran

Tom Feran has been a writer and editor for the Plain Dealer since 1982. He was named Best Columnist in Ohio in 2007 by the Society of Professional Journalists, and is former president of the Television Critics Association of North America. His work has appeared in publications including Ohio, Cleveland and DirecTV Magazine, and he has been a regular pseudonymous contributor to the tabloid Weekly World News. He is author with R.D. Heldenfels of Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride and Cleveland TV Memories. He was co-author with John Gorman of Gorman's memoir The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio, and with Chuck Schodowski of the memoir Big Chuck! He is a graduate of Harvard College, where he was president and editor of the Lampoon, and of Cleveland St. Ignatius High School. He and his wife are the parents of two daughters and two sons. More About Tom Feran

Contains References to:

Big Chuck and Lil' John, Certain Ethnic Guy, Chuck Schodowski, Cleveland Television, Dick Goddard, Ernie Anderson, Ghoulardi, Hoolihan and Big Chuck, Horror Hosts, John Rinaldi, Kielbasy Kid, Parma Place, Polka, Superhost, Tim Conway, Tom Feran, WJW-TV