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IX VOTE FOR BETTER MUSK ■
STAMP OUT NOISE ■
imariHUmm »»u «•*»••. «¥t» *» .ntjJm i i «.<■
•• iP
H(u Martin puttered into the KVDO
studio «-> * a Hi to th«* I wire concrete (liior.
.( stoat nl pM|M*r * gr asped (irmly under one
arm
Martin is a short man. perhaps 5't>
And il lie has .1 physical trademark it ih
his liiildknK >M*'d with l*eler lairre eyes
which seem to peri Irom the top of his
forehead
Not intN’h preparation goes into a Stu
Martin Tiiealir ot I he (.olden Hits Show,
and on this particular evening the late
night nexus mas running lung and Stu mas
in a hurry to meet the II pm starting
time
He talked mith the (mo SALT reporters
while mailing in the control room lor the
single studio to clear
I ikI'I t ear \ elrt an
I \ C I«V|I III till* ItUMlieS* l*»r lint
ei#hl \<-.«!• i I workmt(or a
while in Kugene then did the late night
mot tr in Sralllr Im live year* I’ve beet) in
Salem Im .1U»ui it month* mm When I
lir*t i a me il wa* Im )u*l eight week* bul
thing* have )u*i ke^tt me here
Martin lingered die ita|tet* under hi*
arm | nek ml ml a cue Mieet ami laid il mi
I lie direetm » de*k
I **» |M\ihabl> the find television
|»ef Im met lo lo*e hi* wltole .tudienee he
rhueklml In Seattle we used to net all the
air)tlaiie worker* mi the *wing *hil( wat
ehing Hie show Well when the ern
p*o\ men! situation g»a rtmgh the swing
shift wat Ihr lli»t to go and I lost itearlt
rtn entire audience
Walking quickly into Ihr studio
Martin (halted hnellv with a lew ol hi*
guest* Im tltr rtrtimg a *tale legislator
ami hi* lamily a u*mi ear *a!e*man and a
mobile home deutei
Martin » *how while ostensibly
featuring old time mot lev depend* on It*
cmtimreviak* Im entertainment Some
commercial* last at long a* hall an htHir
Martin rmplov* an old time medicine
*ale*man approach interview* with hi*
H**’wa * dent mi Mr admit and r sample* at
Ittlktt gm»d humored and occ a stmt a lit
*uk tun
I asirl »l| »h».»
it) tap ft* this. tuj£hl w as an h astrr u i|j
sl)le shun « "i2u<sn» ihc mrkxls runim
mlrr\M*»» *ith Ihr tctfisJati* car and
mutsdr hurtir «tr>atrt and an intri \ k-* w ith
a youtti: «tHj|dr doaitnrd lo hr marrtrd mi
Martin s sh<« in (hr nrar future
"We a(«pral lo ail Itprs of proplr
Martin canltnuod Ihr adults like us
Lmauw or slw» old nuilal(K movm Thr
Stu Martin
akes it
a believable
science
kid* like nit Ixvausr wore campy
Kverythm# »r 1V1 is designed to keep
people «»iikr to entertain them It s a
science “
Among the scientific methods of en
tertamment Martin has developed,
perhaps the iiHint unusual is the "W«ddmg
ol the Month "
Sponsored by Bridal Kxrtusaves of
Albain the «eddtng taken place in the
KVlm studio
"We can (it in maybe fifty or sisty
guests plus the flowers and music."
Martin insists "It's all done very
tastrfultv We ve received no complaints
and lots of compliment* ‘
Murry utg oier tu (hr set one deak. a
lea pastel oolored a alls and poster* of a
I«-» nwur *srr*j»(» Mu greeted hi* SHO
girt* more science* > and amt ovrr thr
opening shot* aith (hr single cameraman
Thr SKO girl* >mran» 'standing room
only Mu uyi • arr an integral part of the
Theatre of intiden Milk t'uddles Kmdall
and t'aptisattng Katie tSlu believe* in
alliteration». an*aer the ever ringing
phone* during the cour*r of the vhoa
Most call* are in response to Martin *
commercial* and promotion* ff'all
collect. call direct big call right aaay "
tng nun) call* are from regular* or lonely
}«Mptr a ho just a ant xumxmr to talk to
rhis night. loth Cuddles and Cap
11 vat mg were wearing their mod outfits,
leather fringed vests. purple bells and pink
blouses Often, theyII model wedding
Kowits hot pants or whatever else Slu
thinks will boost the ratings
Cuddles works during the day as a
music teacher, while Captivating is a clerk
at Iapman Wolfe's department store Both
have become something approaching local
celebrities Both graduated from the
Cinderella modeling school
Martin finishes his instructions to the
cameraman, takes his place near the prop
desk and awaits his cue
This is Stu Martin, star trf the
world
Martin doesn t work with a script The
lines roll off his tongue from years of
experience and he has a way of making
the most casual reference a complicated
evernse in linguistics
First order o! business is the reading
of fan letters the gets hundreds)
letter Irani t It ala
"Here's a letter from Drain.
Oregon I’m considered very btg in Drain
you know **
Correspondents are reterred to
Cuddles who mails a number of promo
tional items, including bumper stickers
(either "I hate” or “I love Stu Martin,”
buttons, newsletters, publicity photos)
Following the letters, Stu launches
into a quickie interview with the royal
court of the Newport Loyalty Days
festival High! at home with the interview,
he takes the offensive
"Tell me, what are the Loyalty Days
all about?"
"Die movie hasn't started yet, though
it's almost II :fO So Stu wraps up the in
terview. and breaks to the film
“We re showing films from the late
Thirties and early Forties,” he
said between commercials. "We buy them
m packages from the big studios Our most
popular movies are John Wayne movies —
adventure movies I w ish we could show a
John Wayne movie every night "
Sadly for Stu. the package he's
working on now doesn't have John Wayne
Hack to the Studio
After fifteen minutes of movie, it's
back to the studio, and Stu hosts a fashion
how of Easter wigs fmm a local beauty
salon The show lasts for another 20
minutes, then it's back to the flick
Maybe ten minutes later Stu is back,
and he and an Albany legislator chat about
the state of the legislature. while the
official's family sits proudly by
The pace slows down Portions of the
movie become increasingly shorter in
length, the commercials seemingly longer
But no less interesting
The future bridal couple is introduced,
a pair of 19-yea r<4d aspiring hair
dressers she from Lebanon, he from
Scio They’re nervous despite Stu's
assurances that. “I've never lost a guest
yet "
rhe car salesman peddles a 1938
Austin roadster during another segment
The car Mohrs to him but he’ll sacrifice
it for a mere $1 488
Stu sincere!) agrees it's a great buy
"Call collect call direct, but call right
away ”
Next break Time for the SALT staff to
make its appearance The interview is
merciful!) brief and as a token of fus
appreciation Slu presents the rugged
SALT writers with two record albums
"Roy Smeck and his All^tar
Nerenaders and “Simps sates Set Do the
Mouse
A science Stu Says
The SALT staff tends to agree