The Dotty Mack Show

I was around at this time in Cincinnati, Ohio and was somewhat involved in the programming at W.C.P.O.-T.V., and when television first started, Paul Dixon was a popular Disc-Jockey and like other radio personalities, such as Ruth Lyons, some made the transition to T.V. very easily with Ruth Lyons being the most successful and her story would take many pages to fill a book about her influence in the T.V. industry.

Anway, Paul Dixon was to have a 2 hour Disc-Jockey Show, so Dottie Mack was working the the record library; Wanda Lewis was an artist for the station including her husband Al Lewis. Paul Dixon eventually nicknamed Wanda Lewis "Windy" and that's how she got the name Windy-Wanda Lewis. So, the show took off. Wanda Lewis would do some charcoal drawings while songs would be played. Dottie Mack would pantomime such songs as "It's So Nice to Have A Man Around The House" by Dinah Shore, but they all thought something was missing, so they did their first production number pantomiming a big hit for that day "Aba Daba Honeymoon" from the movie Three Weeks With Love sung by Debbie Reynolds and Carleton Capenter. They build a set. Paul Dixon was dressed up as an Gorilla and Dotty Mack looked like a woman who was on a safari. The number became an immediate hit. The next number they would do was "How Could You Believe Me When I said I Loved You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My life, as sung by Fred Astaire and Jane Powell in the movie Royal Wedding.

After much success, there were very big problems between Paul Dixon and Dottie Mack and they went their separate ways. Dottie Mack did her own show Pantomime Hit Parade with sidekicks Colin Male and Bob Braun. This program was on from 11 pm to 12 midnight, and Dottie Mack and Bob Braun cut a record in which she sang "I'm Loaded With Love" and Bob Braun sang on the other side the only song he seemed to know "Sunny Side of the Street" in which he proved that he should have stuck to pantomiming other singers voices. Then the all went to River Downs Race Track because there was a horse in the race called Dottie Mack. They bet their money believing the horse would come in a winner. It came in last! From what I understand, Dottie Mack finally moved to New York City and the rumor was that she married a very successful attorney. When I was working at Lane Bryant here in Cincinnat, Ohio, she walked in the store looking lovelier than ever. No one could ever top her in the field of pantomiming. She made you believe that she WAS Doris Day, Peggy, Lee, or whoever. She was a perfectionist in her art. As far as the network goes, I remember that Paul Dixon, Wanda Lewis, and Dottie Mack did an appearance on a network show, but it didn't take. Even Ruth Lyons went network, but I think the reason that she didn't fare too well was that she was more for local viewing and not nationwide, but hosts may come and go when it comes to talk shows, but no one will ever do it better than Ruth Lyons, and no one will ever do pantomiming better than Dottie Mack. They were both in a class all their own!