Jack Little (broadcaster)

Jack Hiram Little was born on 20 December 1908 in Missoula, Montana the second child of John Herman Little (a salesman and amateur vaudeville performer) and Edna Jane née Fife (a teacher).{{cite book | first = Barry | last = York | chapter = Little, Jack Hiram (1908–1986) | title = Australian Dictionary of Biography | publisher = National Centre of Biography, Australian National University | chapter-url = http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/little-jack-hiram-14160/text25172 | year = 2012 | access-date = 11 March 2014 }}

In 1931 Little worked for KJR, an all-sports radio station based in Seattle, Washington, where, in February 1932, he commentated his first professional wrestling show from Everett. During World War II he served in the United States Army, following which he moved to Hollywood, where he worked for KPOL sports radio station, announcing televised wrestling matches from the Hollywood Legion Stadium.

In 1952 Little moved to Australia, with his second wife, Patricia McNamara, and their family, working as a radio compere for Melbourne station, 3DB, where he hosted his own shows, including The Greys Game, Two For the Money{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48266247 |title=New Programmes From 5AD |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=3 August 1953 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48267370 |title=Radio Ahead of TV in U.S. |newspaper=The Advertiser|date=8 August 1953 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66139464 |title=Advertising|newspaper=Morwell Advertiser|date=3 September 1953 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=16 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and Magazine of the Air. In 1956 Little together with a number of other 3DB personnel moved to TV station, GTV-9,{{cite book|title=The A to Z of Australian Radio and television|page=351|author1=Moran, Albert|author2=Keating, Chris|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0810870222}} where he worked alongside Eric Pearce presenting the news.

He also performed and scripted sketches on In Melbourne Tonight (1957), hosted Personal Album (November 1958 – May 1959){{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HoVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=T7MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4449%2C4559764|title=GTV-Channel 9|work="The Age" Radio/TV Supplement|publisher=The Age|page=10|date=28 November 1958|access-date=10 March 2014}} and Taking It Easy (1960) as well as regular appearances on It Could Be You, (1961–69) alongside Tommy Hanlon Jr.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48565826 |title=TV Stars and their Pets|newspaper=Australian Women's Weekly|date=18 November 1964 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=17 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web|url=http://www.australianwrestling.org/pdf/wn/07.pdf|title=Wrestling News Vol. 1, No. 7|year=1966|publisher=Fostad Pty Ltd|page=2|access-date=10 March 2014}} Little also performed in a number of stage productions, including Tea and Sympathy (1956),{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71649981 |title=Show Business|newspaper=The Argus|author=F. Keith Manzie |date=4 August 1956 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=13 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} the musical The Pajama Game (1957){{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71777062 |title=Advertising |newspaper=The Argus|date=19 January 1957 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=37 |publisher=National Library of Australia}} and "Anniversary Waltz" (1958).{{cite web| title=Anniversary Waltz, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, VIC, 15 August 1958 [Event description] | year=1958 | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/181012924 | access-date=10 March 2014 }}

When GTV-9 purchased radio station 3AK in 1961, it required its personalities to also present radio programs. Little appeared with Tommy Hanlon Jr. on a 3AK Saturday morning program.

In 1957 Little brought film footage of US professional wrestling to Australia, where it was screened on HSV-7 as International Wrestling later becoming Ringside with the Rasslers.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FvVUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6356%2C2597706|title=That's all there is... there isn't anymore|last=Hutchinson|first=Garrie|newspaper=The Age|date=23 April 1981 |access-date=10 March 2014 |page=24 }} In 1960 GTV-9 began telecasts of wrestling from Melbourne Festival Hall, with Little providing the commentary.

In 1964 Little convinced US wrestling promoters, Jim Barnett and Johnny Doyle that it was viable to bring professional wrestling to Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.heresyourproof.com.au/blog/74-where-anything-can-happen-and-probably-will|title=World Championship Wrestling Australia|last=Golledge|first=John|date=21 August 2012|access-date=10 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310125817/http://www.heresyourproof.com.au/blog/74-where-anything-can-happen-and-probably-will|archive-date=10 March 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.australianwrestling.org/index.php/profiles/27-managers-a-officials/342-jack-little|title=Jack Little|last=Dalgleish|first=Mark|publisher=Australian Wrestling|access-date=10 March 2014}} Little had previously worked with Doyle in the US. On 23 October 1964 Barnett and Doyle presented the first match of the World Championship Wrestling at the Sydney Stadium. A headline making event was when a television match for the Australian championship between Killer Karl Kox and Spiros Arion was declared ended due to time limit by Little. Kox responded by applying a wrestling manoeuvre, 'Brain Buster', to Little,{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obituaries/mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-throw-kkk-shone-as-rings-sadist-20111228-1pcvn.html|title=Mad, bad and dangerous to throw: KKK shone as ring's sadist|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|last=Dennis|first=Daniel|date=29 December 2011|access-date=11 March 2014}} who was hospitalised and called matches over the following month while wearing a neck brace. Little's memorable catchphrases included "Wham! Bam! Thank you Mam!", "All I can say is – Wow!", "Be There!" and "That's all there is, there isn't any more!". In 1978 Little retired from broadcasting although he continued to be associated with the sport into the 1980s.

During 1985 Andrew Duffield and Phil Kenihan produced a three-track extended play, Over the Ropes – A Tribute to Jack Little by The Forearm Jolt, which used a compilation of commentaries by Little and his co-host, Paul Jennings, from their program, World Championship Wrestling.{{cite web | url = http://www.tvmem.com/DATA/A-Z/W/WORLDCHA/WORLDCHA.html | title = World Championship Wrestling: Over the Ropes – A Tribute to Jack Little by The Forearm Jolt | publisher = Australian Television Memorabilia Guide (Nodette Enterprises Pty Ltd) | year = 1985 | access-date = 15 March 2014 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20140309024801/http://www.tvmem.com/DATA/A-Z/W/WORLDCHA/WORLDCHA.html | archive-date = 9 March 2014 | df = dmy-all }} The extended play was released as a tribute to the ailing Little. The Forearm Jolt were a studio ensemble with Duffield on keyboards; Mark Ferrie on bass guitar; James Valentine on saxophone; twins sisters Sherine and Zan Abeyratne on vocals; Rozzi Bazzani on vocals; John Fielding on trumpet; Noel Crombie on thumps and bumps; and Andrew Pendlebury on lead guitar. Lyrics were co-written by Duffield, Kenihan and news journalist, James Cockington.

In 1935 he married Ann Oman in Portland, Oregon, they had a daughter and were later divorced. On 17 September 1942 he married Patricia McNamara in Los Angeles (a divorced Australian office worker) and they moved to Australia in 1952. The couple had two daughters. In 1959 Little and Patricia divorced. On 12 December 1967 he married Patricia Dolores Anderson (known as Patti Raye), a singer-dancer.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MB1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4694%2C2577524|title=Jack Little and bride|publisher=The Age|work="The Age" Radio-TV Guide|page=2|date=14 December 1967|access-date=10 March 2014}}

In 1946 he acknowledged his alcoholism, joined Alcoholics Anonymous and maintained his sobriety as well as supporting others. Little died from a heart complaint at the William Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria, on 4 January 1986. He was survived by his third wife, the daughter of his first marriage and the two daughters of his second.{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ADRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6764%2C2209353|title=Wrestling's nice guy, Jack Little dead at 77|last=Linnell|first=Garry|work=The Age|date=6 January 1986|page=18|access-date=10 March 2014}}

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• Photos: [http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemLarge.aspx?itemID=106312 "Jack Little presents a Brownbuilt clothes drying cabinet to Mrs H. Shore of Rozelle on Tommy Hanlon's television program It Could Be You"] by Barry Doherty, 10 May 1966, housed at the State Library of New South Wales

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Category:1908 births

Category:1986 deaths

Category:American emigrants to Australia

Category:Australian television presenters

Category:People from Missoula, Montana

Category:Professional wrestling announcers

Category:Television personalities from Melbourne