Prize Movie TV Show

**jackie5275** · March-12-11, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by reddog289

Rita Bell was on in the morning, Then it was Bill Kennedy after lunch on WKBD 50, Then after that back to WXYZ for another movie at 4pm. Alot of the 4pm movies had a theme for the week, Elvis week, Monster week, ETC. Don't recall that with Ritas show.

Rita Bell was on at 8 am on channel 7. Bill Kennedy was on at 1 pm on channel 50. The movie that was on at 4 pm on channel 7 was The 4 O'Clock Movie, which would run up to 6 pm when the news started. This was in the days before the news started at 4 or 5 pm. Yes, The 4 O'Clock Movie often did have a theme for the week. I remember watching A Hard Day's Night, Help, & Yellow Submarine all during Beatles week.

**pffft** · March-12-11, 10:21 AM

Much as I loved all those movie shows, they chopped up the films so violently...it's nice to see the uncut versions of the films on TCM ...

**eno** · March-12-11, 10:32 AM

I had Rita Bell as a subscriber to a weekly newspaper, the Redford Record. She lived in NW Detroit on Edinborough or Huntington, just south of Pembroke. She had a son named Mike.

**eriedearie** · March-12-11, 08:50 PM

Yeah - home sick from school I got to watch Rita Bell. I remember seeing the movies "Ten North Frederick", "Imitation of Life", and "Singing in the Rain" to name a few.

**mikefmich** · March-12-11, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by douglasm

One of my "big" claims to fame is I once sold Ms. Bell a pair of shoes at Baker's in Northland.

[[My other "claim" is that I also sold John Culllum -- Holling Vincoeur of "Northern Exposure" -- a pair of shoes, too. Roslyn, WA is about 60 miles from here....)

Mr. Bundy, is that you?

**ruth** · March-13-11, 10:22 AM

I can't remember who hosted starlite stairway but I was on that show a few times. I was one of the kids they called to fill in when they didn't have enough contestants or when someone cancelled. I got a cheesy trophy each time. All in the early 60's when i was about 13.

phew - that was a bit of a blast-from-the-past.

**nick1894** · March-13-11, 02:18 PM

The theme for the Four O'Clock movie was the theme from the "Magnificent Seven."

**detroitbob** · March-13-11, 06:48 PM

Rita Bell graduated from St. Cecilia and along with Jerome Cavanaugh, also a graduate was, for as long as Monsignor Hebert was rector declared Mom and Dad of the Year, honoured at a banquet which served as a fund raiser for the athletic program.

**gerrystevenson** · January-14-18, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by pffft

Stories out there about Rita Bell, and you don't tell us? Come on...

Does anyone remember Starlit Stairway?

My father Jimmie Stevenson was the piano player for wxyz Starlit Stairway with hostess Rita Bell. Years earlier my father was the piano man for the Auntie Dee show. Both of these programs highlighted young people from the metro area with various talents.

**Vitalis** · January-22-18, 01:17 AM

There's a great script floating around town about Bill Kennedy and Bette Davis. Mary Morgan has a plot line in it too. There's even mention of Harry Jarkey!
Here's the tagline: He was a story teller, on camera and off. But that one story, told too many times, and about the wrong woman, just might do him in.

**Bong-Man** · January-23-18, 08:12 AM

I remember Rita's prize movie jackpot increasing by a whopping 7 bucks after each wrong answer. One time they actually used an orchestral version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand", and all the stay at home seniors were stumped. I also remember watching "Win, Place, and Showtime" from Canada, hosted by a guy whose name slips my memory, but he looked an awful lot like Peter Lawford. I guess someone back then thought a black & white B movie and horse racing were somehow a good combination.

**waz** · January-23-18, 10:34 AM

I don't think Rita featured much rock music on her show, but one time I remember her quiz song being "Hello I Love You" by the Doors. I think the jackpot went up quite a bit on that one before someone had the answer.

**EastsideAl** · January-23-18, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Bong-Man

I also remember watching "Win, Place, and Showtime" from Canada, hosted by a guy whose name slips my memory, but he looked an awful lot like Peter Lawford.

I believe his name was Conrad Patrick. I think he was supposed to be the replacement for Bill Kennedy when Bill left [[was pushed out of?) Channel 9. My grandmother had a big crush on him, and plus she liked "gambling" on the horse racing gimmick. As I remember, he got very ill on the air one day [[like actually ill, not Bill Kennedy "ill") and had to leave his show in the middle. He disappeared from local airwaves soon thereafter. But I saw him on TV again in South Florida several years later, hosting movies in the middle of the night.