In 2004, WMUR-TV 9, the ABC network television affiliate for New Hampshire which also is considered part of the Boston, Massachusetts television market in the southern part of the state, celebrated its 50th year anniversary. During this year of celebration, WMUR's program Chronicle featured an interview with Dwight Damon, also known as the legendary Ring-A-Ding the TV clown. The following is a transcript of that interview.
For seventeen years, every Saturday morning, on WMUR TV 9, this is what kids turned in to - The Ring-A-Ding the Clown Show. It was a low budget variety act that was created by Dwight Damon. This is the story as to how Dwight became the famous TV clown.
I had been a magician, professionally, since I was twelve or thirteen years old.
As a young man, Dwight loved to perform magic. Clowning was something that he did to help pay the bills.
In those days, with college and a family, I needed to make as much money as I could so I said well, I do clowning, I do magic, I do escapes.... and I got paid separately for each act. Ten dollars an act was not very much so the young performer was doing as many shows as he could all over New Hampshire. Then one day, Francis Murphy approached him at a show. Mr. Murphy was the former Governor and the man who created WMUR TV back in the 1950s. He said "you know kid, you should be on television. I am opening a television station in Manchester and you could have a children's television show on there". I said well, magicians have to have an audience, I don't think that I could work without a live audience. So I turned him down!
At the time, Dwight was starting out as a chiropractor. He was afraid that the exposure of a kids TV show might hurt his credibility. I said why don't I do it as a clown and people will not confuse the two. They won't know that Dr. Damon is doing magic shows because Ring-A-Ding the clown is doing them instead.
Soon enough, he went back to channel 9 and the rest, as they say, was history.
Oh, and that name Ring-A-Ding, that was a friend's idea. Somebody discussed it with me and said why don't you just call him Ring-A-Ding? Ring-A-Ding, I like that!
In 1961, a 29 year old Ring-A-Ding the clown aired his first show on Channel 9. Not many people had TVs back then but those that did have access started tuning in. Soon, every week, kids would start lining up outside the old Channel 9 studios on Elm Street to be part of the live audience. The show itself was made up of Dwight doing magic and games.
It was quite primitive. We went in and set up the backdrop and the games and put the magic in place and then the kids would come in. We had two fixed cameras. It was just Dwight and a engineer running the show which made live TV quite interesting. Unfortunately, with only one engineer... with only one other person in the building besides us, on Saturday mornings, a couple of times the coffee truck would come in during the show. I would say well lets take a look at this magic trick now boys and girls, I want to show you this little box here.. and nothing. The camera would still be on the long shot. I would try it again and nothing. He would be outside getting a cup of coffee or something. After the show I would say "where were you!?!" and he would say "well, I went outside to get a cup of coffee and got talking to the guy...."
For years, Dwight kept up the Saturday show schedule while maintaining his chiropractor business during the week. The famed clown found his face and name on all sorts of television publications. He was once even featured on the cover of TV guide. As for the show, Dwight tried all kinds of different stunts to keep the show interesting. He once broad-casted live outside of the WMUR Elm Street studios with the circus.
Interviews with animal trainers kept the audience and Ring-A-Ding guessing like the time that two huge snakes got out of control on live TV. This thing was wrapping itself around his throat and he was gasping for breath. Meanwhile the other one got out of the box and slithered down to the floor of the studio. The trainer gasped "Ring-A-Ding, hey get that other snake!" I am looking at him with the snake attacking him and he wants me to get the other snake!? I said to the camera "lets take a little commercial break!"
In seventeen years, Dwight only missed two of his shows, thanks to the flu. If you do the math, that is 882 live broadcasts. In his spare time, Ring-A-Ding appeared across the state as TVs Magic Clown. He often attracted huge crowds. Here is Dwight at Hampton Beach. He recalls being called to play the clown act one time and the audience were nudist and wanted a show. They said to me "we have had entertainers before who have appeared in the nude." I said first of all I don't have that much white make-up. Secondly, I would no longer be funny, I would be ridiculous."
Eventually, in the late 70's, the show would come to an end. The station decided that Ring-A-Ding would tape his segments during the week without a live audience. Dwight said that for some reason it lost its magic. I had been in my office all day and I suddenly realized that it was time to do the show. Just the thought of it made me think "oh man, I have to do the show". The minute I had that thought, I realized it was time not to do the show, so I said that this will be my last one.
After seventeen years Dwight hung up the costume for good. Now he only has memories of his days in the spotlight. Every once in awhile people come up to him to say "I used to watch your show all the time." I know that to them it was something important in their lives and that is good. I like that.
Today Dwight still dabbles in showbiz. He runs an entertainment business with his family called Let Us Entertain You. Now and then he may perform a magic trick or two just like the days that a clown named Ring-A-Ding lit up TV screens in New Hampshire. To me it was something I liked, I enjoyed the children, I enjoyed the show business. I suppose that we were TV personalities.
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Hi,
I used to watch your show as a kid in the late 1950's and being in Boston it was always fuzzy. There was a show that I remember that featured Santa Claus with an elf named Ogluke (spelling?). Santa and the elf would read letters from the children with their wishes. Was this show on channel 9 part of your tv show?
Thank you & Happy Holidays,
Chip
Thanks for remembering me even though I was “fuzzy” on your TV. Funny thing is that you didn’t look fuzzy to me. Wednesday I was out of the office on errands and tuned into Michelle McFee –( WTTK? )... Well, they were talking about the old days of children’s TV .. I called from my car, but they ran out of time ... I thought they might like to hear from one of the two Kid’s TV personalities of yesterday who are still alive and kicking ... Rex Trailer and I are, to the best of my knowledge, the only ones of that era in this area still living ... We were opposite each other on Saturdays, and today we work together with Rex and his TV production crew doing all my filming at an annual convention that I run.
Anyway, it is always nice to be remembered by you and others. One of the errands I had to do Wednesday was to have my blood taken for my annual physical ... The 50ish Lab person greeted me with “Hello, Mister Magic,” and on looking at my age on the form commented that I looked just as I did when he used to watch me on TV as a kid. Hmmm, maybe I always looked “mature.”
Again, thanks, and thanks to people like Rich Birley, who wasn’t even born when I was on WOC-TV out in Davenport, Iowa. He does a wonderful job of keeping the memories alive!
Cordially,
Dwight Damon
TV’s Original Balloonatic (WOC-TV & WMUR-TV)
The Great Damon (WOC-TV)
Ring-A-Ding – TV’s Magic Clown (WMUR-TV)
Magical Dr. Damon (WMUR-TV)
& Your friend ....
P.S.
FYI ... Gus Bernier did the Santa Show (He was on daily as “Uncle Gus,” and passed a few years ago in retirement in Hawaii) ... The name of the elf eludes me. It could have been Leo Gilmartin, but will probably return as soon as I send this e-mail out ... Oh, well ...
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