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368:, the last of New York's seven VHF TV outlets, signed on the air. Station executives decided that one of the new venture's first showcases should be a quality children's program, and contacted Heatherton to audition as the host of a show that would appeal to the younger TV viewers. The successful audition launched the long-running show that he created and shaped with radio and TV producer-director (and future major film producer)
219:. His affection for performing, however, inspired him to continue auditioning for radio assignments and he was eventually able to return as a singer on numerous radio musical variety series, and also found opportunities to perform in nightclubs and theater. In the late 1930s, he became a bandleader with his own orchestra which made recordings and performed at New York's
444:, both of which were seen during the remainder of the station’s 1956 season. He remained on the air for another year and a half, but no longer had a daily venue. Starting Saturday-Sunday, September 8–9, 1956 until Sunday, April 13, 1958, he served as the “sea captain” host-performer on the weekend evening edition of
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comedy, puppet skits, magic tricks, interviews with guest performers and personalities, and informational segments. As with virtually all children's shows of the 1950s and 60s, the format was structured so that the live segments were interspersed with cartoons—in this case, primarily the theatrical
602:
On
Thursday night, October 11, 1984, Ray Heatherton appeared for the last time on WOR-TV, Channel 9 during the station's evening-long celebration of its 35th anniversary on the air. Four years later, on Thursday, September 29, 1988, he made his final TV appearance on a very similar program, WPIX-TV,
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Every weekday afternoon and evening, as well as on
Saturday afternoons, Ray Heatherton and his comedy assistants Chick Darrow, who played "The Topsey-Turvey Auctioneer", and Milt Moss would entertain and inform their studio audiences and kids at home with games, songs, stories, craftmaking, hobbies,
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was, during the 1950s and 60s, the station with the greatest number of “kiddie shows” on its broadcast schedule. At this point, he left television for three years and, between 1958 and 1961, drawing on his public recognition and good will he had engendered over the years, was able to launch a new
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Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, and
Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 1953 to 1955. Heatherton's gentle personality and pleasant singing voice and endearingly cheerful and reassuring demeanor made him one of the most beloved and recognizable regional personalities.
630:, where he spent the last four years of his life. Despite the debilitating effects of the disease, he still made appearances and greeted fans at some local functions nearby. Ray Heatherton died two-and-a-half months after his 88th birthday.
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During his high school years, he continued to find outlets for his singing talents, performing with bands at various local functions and winning a radio talent contest sponsored by the manufacturer of radio sets,
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526:), both made their careers in show business—Dick as a performer/director/consultant and Joey as an actress, singer and dancer, who became a major television star in the 1960s.
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Following intermittent job opportunities, Heatherton returned to radio in the late 1960s as the host/performer and interviewer of the nationally syndicated talk/variety program
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weekday afternoons during the noon-12:45 period when many schoolkids came home for lunch. However, the series fell prey to creative disagreements within station management, and
548:. Times had changed and variety shows, as well as Joey's once-hot career fell victim to changing tastes, while Ray was seen on TV at the time as the commercial spokesman for
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were supporting regulars and, by summer-show standards, the program received relatively good notices and ratings. In a nostalgic moment on the first show, Ray put on the
503:, to meet and entertain children. He appeared at Freedomland during 1962. Chick Darrow also appeared at the park on numerous occasions. Both are mentioned in the book
421:, resulting in the loss of sponsors and bad publicity for the station. WOR executives accepted Heatherton's word that the allegations were false and tried to keep
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147:) and was first introduced to music upon joining a boys' choir at his church. He sang with the choir until his family moved to another of the city's suburbs, the
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Ray
Heatherton married Davenie Ross Watson in 1941 and their 46-year marriage lasted until her death in 1987. Their two children, Dick and Davenie Johanna (
349:(now WABC), Channel 7. The minor local-TV assignment, which was not shown on the fledgling network's other stations, only lasted from April to June 1949.
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uniform; biographical details; history of the show; lyrics to the "I Am the Merry
Mailman" song and illustrations of Ray Heatherton collectibles
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broadcast its final show on Friday, June 22, 1956. (Information about Mr. Heatherton’s hosting the WOR-TV Channel 9 New York City edition of
376:, based upon a character performed by Heatherton on one of his 1938 children's records, debuted on WOR-TV Monday evening, October 16, 1950.
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Returning from the service, he worked in radio and began his full-time television career as the host, performer and interviewer of
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Heatherton returned to television and radio work three more times during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. On Monday, September 25, 1961,
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affiliations and lost their careers. Unfounded public accusations of that nature were aimed at
Heatherton by an individual from
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Shortly afterward, Ray
Heatherton's singing talents came to the attention of the era's best-known radio bandleader-songwriter,
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and in national syndication between 1983 and 1985. Dick
Heatherton who, from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s was a drive-time
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Heatherton's last regular TV series was another talk/variety show, this time aimed at "mature" adults and senior citizens,
552:. However, for four weeks, July 6–27, they were the stars of the Sunday 7:30-8:30 p.m. summer replacement for
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on June 4, 1930, three days after his 21st birthday. During this time, Heatherton also attended
Columbia University.
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once again became a part of the lives of children in the New York City broadcast area. WPIX, Channel 11 broadcast
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Heatherton was able to clear his name of the defamation and went on to host two more programs for WOR-TV:
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In July 1975, Ray and Joey had a brief moment of network glory with their own CBS-TV variety program,
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Ray is also grandfather to Dana Fujiko
Heatherton who is 2009-2010 Nisei Week Queen for Los Angeles.
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label, and in 1939 twice performed on the then-experimental medium of television, appearing on
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arrived, Heatherton's career in the entertainment field was interrupted by service in the
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801:(2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 538.
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Detroit And The "Good War": The World War II Letters of Mayor Edward Jeffries and Friends
611:. He retained his positions, held since the mid-1980s, on the Boards of Directors of The
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performer, and a New York City television personality in the early days of the medium.
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Channel 11's day-long celebration and retrospective of its 40 years on the air,
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During this time, Heatherton appeared at many New York area venues, including
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p. 193 Possemato, Paul M., Johnston J. William & Johnston, D. Michael
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on the air as a station-sustained program. It was not enough, however, and
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Heatherton was commissioned and rose to the rank of Captain. He served as
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uniform and performed his familiar "I Am the Merry Mailman" theme song.
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In late 1955, Ray Heatherton fell victim to one of the excesses of the
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can be found in The NYC Kids’ Shows Roundup section of TV Party.Com.)
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In 1938 Heatherton recorded two discs of songs for children on the
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The Complete Directory to Prime Time TV Stars 1946—Present
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124:(June 1, 1909 – August 15, 1997) was an American singer,
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1974 photograph along with an excerpt from the radio show
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Broadway shows, recordings and pre–World War II television
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Pace, Eric. "Ray Heatherton, 88, TV's 'Merry Mailman'".
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Hotel, but was no longer serving as of the early 1990s.
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139:
Ray Heatherton was born in the New York City suburb of
824:"Ray Heatherton; Big Band Singer, Musical Comedy Star"
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The Mighty Music Box: The Golden Age of Musical Radio
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era. A number of innocent performers were accused of
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Single film appearance and war service in the Marines
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Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in the United States
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Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010
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456:which, along with another New York independent,
667:. Sun-Sentinel. August 21, 1997. Archived from
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579:. The series was seen locally in New York on
322:North Carolina as well as Guam and Okinawa.
748:Crown, 1981 - Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.
505:Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History
492:went off the air on Friday, May 31, 1963.
386:and the first made-for-TV animated series
345:'s newly opened New York flagship station
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774:University Press of Kentucky, 13 Jan 2015
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452:on another New York independent station,
341:was one of the first daytime programs on
337:, a weekday-morning talk/variety series.
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356:Heatherton as the "Merry Mailman", 1951.
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211:Following his father's death during the
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518:Family, later work, illness, and death
101:Davenie Ross Watson (m. 1941; d. 1987)
895:Photographs of Ray Heatherton in his
722:. The Broadway League. Archived from
320:Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
231:Heatherton appeared in the musicals
973:United States Marine Corps officers
906:The Breakfast Club w/Ray Heatherton
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665:"Ray Heatherton, 88, Merry Mailman"
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556:'s variety hour. Comedy performers
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978:Military personnel from New Jersey
938:Deaths from dementia in New Jersey
536:Father and daughter performing on
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968:20th-century American male actors
948:People from Floral Park, New York
923:American television personalities
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822:Oliver, Myrna (August 19, 1997).
405:Career setback and continued work
622:In 1993, he was admitted to The
581:New York City Board of Education
889:Ray Heatherton's Breakfast Club
850:. New York:Ballantine Books.
512:Ray Heatherton's Breakfast Club
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953:Actors from Orange, New Jersey
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770:p.157 Capeci Jr., Dominic J.
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360:Heatherton's next TV series,
613:Long Island Lighting Company
486:The Merry Mailman's Funhouse
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866:obituary (August 18, 1997).
696:. Variety. October 15, 1997
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928:American male stage actors
783:p. 251 DeLong, Thomas A.
744:p. 227 Hirschhorn, Clive
720:Internet Broadway Database
615:, known as LILCO, and The
507:(Theme Park Press, 2019).
438:The Ray Heatherton Theater
217:New York Telephone Company
167:. His first appearance on
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591:on one of New York's top
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473:1960s and the return of
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155:before moving to nearby
787:Amber Crest Books, 1980
467:European American Banks
396:which was heard on the
143:(some sources indicate
550:Tropicana Orange Juice
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283:(as Ralph Rackstraw).
35:Heatherton circa 1937.
846:Brooks, Tim (1987).
746:The Hollywood Musical
628:Englewood, New Jersey
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326:Early television and
206:New Amsterdam Theatre
73:Englewood, New Jersey
933:Apex Records artists
398:Mutual Radio Network
269:Gilbert and Sullivan
263:'s New York station
181:which opened at the
174:The Garrick Gaieties
759:Heroes and Teachers
726:on 25 February 2019
609:Alzheimer's disease
577:A New Day's Dawning
274:Pirates of Penzance
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497:Freedomland U.S.A.
442:The Cartoon Parade
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277:(as Frederic) and
250:My Funny Valentine
141:Orange, New Jersey
93:1930 - early 1990s
55:Orange, New Jersey
808:978-0-7864-6477-7
761:AuthorHouse, 2008
482:The Merry Mailman
475:The Merry Mailman
463:Franklin National
431:The Merry Mailman
427:The Merry Mailman
423:The Merry Mailman
394:The Merry Mailman
374:The Merry Mailman
362:The Merry Mailman
328:The Merry Mailman
297:U.S. Marine Corps
233:Anniversary Waltz
198:The Old Gold Hour
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624:Actors' Fund
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605:"WPIX at 40"
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566:Bob Einstein
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67:(1997-08-15)
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963:1997 deaths
958:1909 births
833:January 26,
730:25 February
700:January 26,
675:January 26,
617:Garden City
558:Pat Paulsen
303:'s musical
153:Floral Park
151:village of
149:Long Island
145:Jersey City
917:Categories
634:References
595:stations,
383:Terrytoons
213:Depression
47:1909-06-01
501:The Bronx
415:Communist
828:LA Times
626:Home in
411:Cold War
307:(1943).
169:Broadway
126:Broadway
106:Children
83:Vocalist
171:was in
854:
805:
448:Popeye
98:Spouse
265:W2XBS
257:Decca
179:revue
109:Dick
85:Actor
882:IMDb
852:ISBN
835:2014
803:ISBN
732:2019
702:2014
677:2014
597:WCBS
564:and
554:Cher
524:Joey
465:and
450:Show
446:The
242:and
177:, a
62:Died
41:Born
880:at
499:in
372:.
347:WJZ
343:ABC
318:at
301:PRC
291:As
271:'s
261:NBC
194:CBS
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589:DJ
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
