Duration: 0:59

Views: 625

By: fuzzymemories

Description: Here is Part 2 of a segment from Hellenic Theater on WCIU Channel 26.

"If you lived in Chicago and spoke Greek, or had a relative who did you knew who Bobby Papademus was. Bobby was a mainstay of Greek radio in Chicago.

One of WCIU's first independent "ethnic" producers, Bobby entertained Chicago's Greek audience for many years on Sunday nights at 7pm with Hellenic Theater. Mostly a music show with talent from Chicago's many Greek nightclubs, the show was done mostly in Greek although Bobby had a unique way of mixing English into his Greek. He would often let us in the crew known he wanted to do next by talking in English on camera. We'd come back to him after a musical number, and with his ever present cigar in his mouth he would applaud, take out the cigar, and exclaim, 'Beautiful! Now what?!' He'd look down at a copy of the commercial log for the show and announce, 'And now a message from Athens North.' This was our cue to go to a commercial. Sometimes he would be in the wrong place and the floor director would have to yell out, 'No Hellenic Bakery!' to which he would respond 'Beautiful!'

Bob was a wonderful person. He often treated the crew to nights out in Greektown. This had to be the reason why we didn't kill him. We were used to working with non-professionals but Bobby was a whole new type. He lived close by me so I would often see him during the week and occasionally he'd buy me lunch. This tape is Bobby saying goodbye to me on his show, as I was leaving Channel 26. In typical fashion, he has to be reminded because he was too busy making up the show as he was going." - Frank J. Chambers, Jr.

Not sure when this aired exactly, but 1978 is probably a good guess.