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WGN Channel 9 - The Late Movie - "Three Faces West" (Opening, 1980)

Another hard-to-find one bites the dust! Here's the opening for The Late Movie on WGN Channel 9 presenting "Three Faces West". This is the long-running opening which used unique "kaleidoscope" artwork and a soundtrack of "Take Five" by Dave Brubek. This opening was used for many years throughout the 1970's.

Also includes a "Last Farewell" Station ID at the beginning (Annouced by Jerry Golden) and the first commercial spot before the movie began - Bert Weinman - Your TV Ford Man (featuring Linn Burton) at 3535 North Ashland Avenue.

Voiceover by Jerry Golden.

"Motion Picture Entertainment For Your Late Evening Viewing!"

This aired on local Chicago TV on early Saturday, September 20th 1980.

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This clip aired on Saturday, September 20th 1980, and is included in the following categories:

Viewer Comments

I've always wondered where they taped the Bert Weinman commercials.Those don't get more Chicago Classic than that.

Thanks again Fuzzy!
Comment posted by Chisox73 on Wednesday, April 9th 2008 at 8:37pm.

I might add that this is the 1st of 5 versions The Late Movie used. The last time I saw the 5th and final version was in 1997 just 4 years after the new logo was instituted.
Comment posted by ChitownTVFan on Wednesday, April 9th 2008 at 8:45pm.

The version of "Take Five" was the LP version, which was a different recording from, yet recorded within the same period as, the 45 version.
Comment posted by W.B. on Thursday, April 10th 2008 at 12:54am.

Those WGN slide artists were truly masters of their craft.
Comment posted by SuperCFL on Thursday, April 10th 2008 at 12:56pm.

Didn't they have an owl at one time for the WGN Late Movie bumper?.
Comment posted by Telenews on Saturday, April 12th 2008 at 10:26pm.

The announcer for both the station ID and the movie intro is Jerry Golden, who during this period typically worked these overnight weeknight hours, as well as weekday mornings and some weekend afternoons. He was quite a character and one of my favorite WGN staff announcers. I have an audio recording of him doing the open for the All Night Show (which followed The Late Movie) in early 1980 in which he stated, "...followed by our second feature, Kicks Disco--oh brother." Something tells me that he didn't exactly follow the script. Another time he was closing The Late Movie and stated that the next night's movie would begin "...tomorrow night at six minutes and forty-two seconds past one o'clock, here on Channel 9." I still wonder if it really did start at that time!
Further information and an interesting, significant historical note about Jerry Golden can be found here: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Jerry-Golden
Comment posted by RickLaPorte on Monday, April 14th 2008 at 9:58pm.

The Bert Weinman commercials were shot in WGN's studios. I remember one time Ray Rayner decided to move his roll-away desk onto the big turntable and did his show while turning around and around...!
Comment posted by RickLaPorte on Monday, April 14th 2008 at 10:03pm.

I RECALL WHEN RAY PUT THE SET ON THE TURN TABLE AND KEPT READING SOMETHING AT THE DESK,THAT FOR ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS AT A TIME ALL YOU WOULD SEE IS THE BACK OF THE ONE OR TWO SET PIECEAS THAT FIT ON THE TURNTABLE.
IN FACT,ONCE,HIS STAGEHANDS PUT UP THE WHOLE SET FACING BACKWARDS.
Comment posted by ROGERRENNER on Tuesday, April 15th 2008 at 9:01am.

At this time in history (1980), 'GN's New York sister WPIX Channel 11 had actual video-based movie opens and closes (with a few, such as "Chiller" and "Channel 11 Film Festival," both 1970 vintage, being on film), which made 'GN's slide-based movie opens like this seem primitive in comparison; on top of that, New York's Channel 9 - WOR - had their own "Late Movie" which ran from 1969 to 1979 . . . and they had a few opening/closing sequences too, all on video and/or film. The tail end of one WOR "Late Movie" bumper from about a year or two before this clip can be found here.
Comment posted by W.B. on Monday, August 30th 2010 at 9:11pm.

The use of "Take 5" was an excellent choice. That tune always created in my imagination a picture of the late night/early morning hours. The music, the slide and Jerry Golden's voice all goes together with perfection.
Comment posted by TheCromieCircle on Friday, December 9th 2011 at 10:55pm.

I thought there was another Chicago TV late movie show that also used "Take Five" as well. Often I think of the Late Movie and Chicago jazz clubs when I here "Take Five" [although it was recorded in NYC]
Comment posted by CaptainMorgan on Thursday, October 19th 2017 at 6:43pm.

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This clip has been viewed 11885 times.
This clip debuted on FuzzyMemories.TV on Wednesday, April 9th 2008.
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