Bill Cardille, longtime Pittsburgh TV host, dies at age 87

[mvcg66b3r]

Bill Cardille loved Pittsburgh. And Pittsburgh loved him back.

The broadcaster known as “Chilly Billy,” who filled local airwaves for six decades as a newsman, television host, radio personality, actor and producer, died early Thursday morning at his McCandless home of pneumonia. He was 87. In the weeks before, his daughter Lori Cardille posted on Facebook that her father had been diagnosed with liver cancer and could use some cheering up in the form of cards and letters.

The response was overwhelming. “We opened up a couple thousand and we still have 2,000 cards left to open,” said his son, also named Bill Cardille. “Pittsburghers are beautiful.”

Mr. Cardille is best known for hosting “Chiller Theater” and “Studio Wrestling” on WIIC, later WPXI — the epitome of innocent weekend fun for legions of Pittsburgh-area children, their parents and Saturday night babysitters. On “Chiller Theater,” which aired from 1963 to 1984, many enjoyed Mr. Cardille’s campy introductions as much — or more — than the movies themselves.

As part of his role on “Chiller Theater,” Mr. Cardille helped raise money to fund George Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” “We were upstarts trying to make a little horror film and he basically plugged us almost every week,” Mr. Romero said. “He was an incredible supporter — I really give Bill a large part of the credit for me being here at all.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/tv-r...t-age-87-chiller-theatre/stories/201607210143

 

[FreddyE1977]

Growing up in Pittsburgh his Chiller Theater was a right of passage. As you approached adolescence you began pestering your parents more and more to "let me stay up and watch Chiller Theater" (which ran after the 11PM news on Saturdays). When they finally relented you knew you had reached the first rung on the ladder to adulthood. Unlike most late-night local movie hosts Cardille did not dress as a vampire or a ghoul, but basically played himself. Though he did surround himself with a strange cast of characters.

There was the Girl with the Terminal Scare (Donna Rae, who also had a local exercise workout show). And Stefan the Castle Prankster (Steven Lucinski, who was what at the time was known as a "midget" and whose family also owned a local auto repair business. He once showed up on my street with a rig to tow away an old Chrysler....that was a pretty weird scene!). A few others as well.

The show was so popular that Channel 11 did not even air NBC's Saturday Night Live for the first few seasons.
Cardille continued to work for the station as an announcer and weatherman until about a decade ago.

In more recent years Cardille held down a daily disc jockey shift on WJAS. He did that up until about 2 years ago when the station changed to a talk format. He was interviewed afterwards and said "today I am without a job for the first time since 1954!". That was the kind of work ethic that endeared him to Pittsburgh.

I sent him a card when word got out about a month ago that he was seriously ill. I hope it provided some small amount comfort to he and his family. RIP.

 

[mohawk82]

Growing up in Pittsburgh his Chiller Theater was a right of passage. As you approached adolescence you began pestering your parents more and more to "let me stay up and watch Chiller Theater" (which ran after the 11PM news on Saturdays). When they finally relented you knew you had reached the first rung on the ladder to adulthood. Unlike most late-night local movie hosts Cardille did not dress as a vampire or a ghoul, but basically played himself. Though he did surround himself with a strange cast of characters.

There was the Girl with the Terminal Scare (Donna Rae, who also had a local exercise workout show). And Stefan the Castle Prankster (Steven Lucinski, who was what at the time was known as a "midget" and whose family also owned a local auto repair business. He once showed up on my street with a rig to tow away an old Chrysler....that was a pretty weird scene!). A few others as well.

The show was so popular that Channel 11 did not even air NBC's Saturday Night Live for the first few seasons.
Cardille continued to work for the station as an announcer and weatherman until about a decade ago.

In more recent years Cardille held down a daily disc jockey shift on WJAS. He did that up until about 2 years ago when the station changed to a talk format. He was interviewed afterwards and said "today I am without a job for the first time since 1954!". That was the kind of work ethic that endeared him to Pittsburgh.

I sent him a card when word got out about a month ago that he was seriously ill. I hope it provided some small amount comfort to he and his family. RIP.

I grew up in Wheeling WV and got channel 11 OTA. We watched Chiller Theater on Saturdays as a treat.

 

[FreddyE1977]

I lived in Pittsburgh but was high enough on a hill that likewise I could watch 7 and 9.
I especially liked the hokey, cheesy local ads on 9. They were a hoot!