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Al Hodge

Al Hodge

Show Count: 93
Series Count: 2
Role: Old Time Radio Star
Born: April 18, 1912
Old Time Radio, Ravenna, Ohio
Died: March 19, 1979, New York
An American actor, Hodge was born in Ravenna, Ohio. His parents operated a tailoring and dry-cleaning business. Hodge acted and took part in sports at Ravenna High School. Nicknamed "Abie", he was a track star, a drum major and manager of the band, sang bass in the boys glee club and was a cheerleader.

Hodge graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1934, majoring in drama. After touring as an actor with the Casford Players, he was hired by WXYZ in Detroit, Michigan. Besides originating the role of Britt Reid, the Green Hornet, Hodge wrote and delivered daily editorials, announced at football games, wrote advertising copy, worked as a disc jockey, and produced radio dramas and documentaries, including The Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, and was bedridden for a year with pleurisy.

After his discharge from the Navy, Hodge worked in New York City in a variety of radio and early TV roles. In December 1950 he took over the role of Captain Video from Richard Coogan, who wanted to leave the series to concentrate on Broadway. Hodge played the role on live television Monday through Saturday at 7pm ET, and then Monday through Friday at 7pm for the last four seasons.

When DuMont collapsed in 1955, Hodge continued the role of Captain Video on a children's show, Wonderama, and as the host of Captain Video's Cartoons from 1955 to 1957. Those programs were seen only in the New York City area.

Hodge felt that working on Captain Video had typecast him, and by the late 1960s and early 1970s he was working in increasingly low-paying jobs, eventually having to work as a security guard. He felt was too closely identified with the role of Captain Video to gain acting parts. As late as 1978, Hodge told reporters that he was almost always recognized on the street and greeted as "Captain Video".

He also MC'd "Super Serial"(later the series was retitled:"Serial Theater") weekday evenings on WNTA TV Ch.13 during the 1959 TV season. Hodge's last regular TV stint was hosting "The Space Explorer's Club" weekday evenings on WOR TV Ch.9 in NYC in 1961. Ironically,he hosted his last tv program as himself (information about Hodge hosting "Super Serial"/"Serial Theater" and "The Space Explorer's Club" can be found in "The NYC Kids Shows Round Up" Section of www.tvparty.com).

Hodge then moved to California, where he guest-starred on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Mannix, The Mod Squad, Tightrope, Hawaiian Eye, Coronado 9 and other drama or detective series.

Hodge largely dropped from sight after 1975. He lived for four years in the George Washington Hotel in New York City, his room crammed with collectible items from his career as Captain Video. He died there in 1979. He is said to have lost most of his money in a divorce from his second wife.

Little is known of Hodge's private life. He married three times, and it is sometimes erroneously stated he fathered three children. In reality, he fathered a daughter during his first marriage; the boy and girl he was frequently photographed with in the 1950s were the children of his second wife's previous marriage. Hodge and his third wife, a former showgirl, are buried next to each other at Kensico Cemetery in Westchester County, New York.

Source: Wikipedia

Challenge Of The YukonChallenge Of The Yukon
Show Count: 628
Broadcast History: 3 February 1938 to 28 May 1947, 12 June 1947 to 30 December 1949 and 2 January 1950 to 9 June 1955
Sponsor: Quaker Oats
Cast: Jay Michael, Paul Sutton, John Todd, Brace Beemer
Director: Al Hodge
Producer: Al Hodge, George Trendle
Challenge of the Yukon was a radio series that began on Detroit's station WXYZ (as had The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet), and an example of a Northern genre story. The series was first heard on February 3, 1938. The title changed from Challenge of the Yukon to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon in November 1951, and remained under that name through the end of the series and into television.
Green Hornet, TheGreen Hornet, The
Show Count: 188
Broadcast History: 31 January 1936 to 7 April 1938, 12 April 1938 to 9 November 1939, and 16 November 1939 to 5 December 1952
Sponsor: General Mills, United Shirt Shops, Detroit Creamery, Orange Crush
Cast: Al Hodge, Bob Hall, Donovan Faust, Jack McCarthy, Various, John Todd, Jack Petruzzi, Raymond Hayashi, Rollon Parker, Mickey Tolan, Lee Allman, Jim Irwin, Gil Shea, Paul Hughes
Director: James Jewell, Charles Livingstone
Producer: James Jewell, Charles Livingstone
Broadcast: 18th June 1947
Starring: Al Hodge
Added: Jun 13 2001
Broadcast: 6th May 1962
Added: May 24 2010
Broadcast: 29th May 1947
Added: Dec 16 2005
Broadcast: September 1, 1964
Added: Aug 08 2015
Broadcast: 15th October 1946
Starring: Al Hodge, Mel Blanc
Added: Jun 13 2001
Broadcast: 25th April 1946
Starring: Al Hodge
Added: Jun 13 2001