The Quiz Kids


Curator's note: You can now download audio of Quiz Kids on the air.

The Quiz Kids was produced in NBC's Merchandise Mart studios from 1940 to 1953, generally under the sponsorship of Miles Laboratories, makers of Alka-Seltzer.

The show's quizmaster, as clueless as the kids were bright, was Joe Kelly, a veteran of the NBC's National Barn Dance. [After the demise of the Quiz Kids, Joe Kelly served for a number of years as the host of the Totem Club, a kids' show that aired on WTTW, Chicago's 'educational' (and later PBS) television station.]

Below are some photos of the Quiz Kids shot in studio E in the early 1940's.

Right: The 'Quiz Kids' (from left to right): Jack Lucal, James D. Watson (later a Nobel winner of 'Double Helix) fame, Ruth Duskin, Margaret Merrick, Claude Brenner. Quiz Kids

Quiz Kids and Chico Marz Left: The 'Quiz Kids' meet Chico Marx (from left to right): Gerard Darrow, Claude Brenner, Richard Williams, Margaret Merrick, Joel Kupperman, David Prochaska, Ruth Duskin, Harve Bennett Fischman.

QUICK ACCESS LINKS:
Introduction and main index to this site
WMAQ radio history | "Amos 'n' Andy" | "Fibber McGee and Mollie" | "The Breakfast Club"
Dick Kay | Television at the Merchandise Mart | 1970 television facilities tour | Channel 5 turns 20
The "Chicago School" of television | "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" | Dave Garroway | Mary Hartline
"Lights Out" | Sound effects | 1930 studio tour | WLS | "Empire Builders" | Barry Bernson
Floyd Kalber | The Queen of Love and Beauty | "Today's Children" | Staff announcers | Carol Marin
Ron Magers | Studs Terkel l "Chicago Tonight" | Channel 5 News scrapbooks |Roger Miller recalls
Zoo Parade | Clifton and Frayne Utley | Val Press | Len O'Connor | Johnny Erp | Bill Ray | Daddy-O
Experimental Television: 1930-1933 | Bob Deservi | Kermit Slobb | Ding Dong School | Quiz Kids
Bob Lemon | The Korshak Chronicles | KYW: The Chicago Years | WENR | O.B. Hanson | Renzo
Jack Eigen | Ed Grennan | The World's Best Cup of Coffee | Glenn Webster | Mr. Piano | Hawkins Falls
Chicago Television for Kids |
Radio Hall of Fame |The NBC News Night Report: 23 February, 1967
Audio and video downloads
About the Curator

Comments or suggestions? click here to send them to Rich Samuels

Created by Rich Samuels (e-mail to rich@richsamuels.com)