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Star performers Vinni Mante, Angel Miganell, Joey Sheptok and Lenny Dale (front row center) are surrounded by regular members who appear each week on Star Time.
A graduate of the school
of hard knocks, George Scheck
applies his varied talents
ESPECIALLY for CHILDREN
B
ack in the days of the Roaring Twenties, when vaudeville was king of show business, one of its leading subjects was the great Gus Edwards — composer, producer and maker of stars. Edwards had a genius for picking out and promoting talented children, and his famous "School Days" troupe made a hit all across the nation. One of the fortunate members of this group was a young fellow named George Scheck. As a child hoofer
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The unseen activities of George Scheck, director of Star Time, are responsible for the show's polished performances.
with Edwards, George got his professional training the hard way, and it has stood him in good stead ever since. For today, as director of WABC-TV's popular children's show, Star Time — seen each Saturday at 7 P.M. — George invests that training in the future of talented children.
George created Star Time in 1950. Since then, the show has presented youngsters whose polished performances, thanks to George's advice and direction, match many an adult's. One of George's outstanding discoveries is nine-year-old Angel Miganell, a first-rate ventriloquist who has been featured on the Kate Smith Hour and the Ken Murray Show. Another is fourteenyear-old Lenny Dale, emcee of Star Time and a polished comic and crooner whose credits include the Milton Berle and Fred Allen shows.
Undisputedly one of the pioneers of TV, George entered the field in 1939 and produced TV's first variety show, Doorway To Fame. Since then, he has produced unusual shows such as City At Midnight, in which the cameras moved out into the city streets. Now, with Star Time, George has become the busiest employer of child entertainers since the days of Gus Edwards.
George still remembers some advice that great showman gave him shortly before his death. Throughout his career, Edwards suffered continuously from stage mothers. When George started in show business, he asked Edwards for advice and got this reply: "Whenever you start screening for your show," said Edwards, "look for one thing." "What's that?" inquired George. "Orphans," was the answer.
Although George has not heeded that advice, there is no doubt that he has done show business a proud and meritorious service in following in his great predecessor's footsteps.