Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Here's the first 16 minutes of a long-running series, Candlepins for Cash, which aired on WNAC Channel 7 (later WNEV, now WHDH) in Boston, MA from 1973 to 1980. Your host is Bob Gamere (who was the station's sportscaster at the time), and the contestants are Frank Wall of Lawrence, Dorothy Pirrello of Malden, Donna Pierce of Medford, and Frank Rosa of Revere.
(TECHNICAL NOTE: Lower-thirds on the screen are set in 28 and 18 point Vidifont, an early digital character generator based on Rudi Bass' CBS News 36.)
"Candlepins" (a regional version of bowling) was a variant of the long-running franchise Bowling for Dollars - which, as such, aired on then-sister station WOR Channel 9 in New York from 1973 to 1979; it was first hosted by Bob Murphy (longtime announcer for New York Mets games), then by Larry Kenney (at the time a disc jockey on country music station WHN 1050, later a voiceover artist and regular of Don Imus' repertory company on the radio series Imus in the Morning on WNBC/WFAN 660). (No version, alas and needless to say, aired in Chicago.)
On this edition, the jackpot starts out at $940 and, by the time the second segment is over, is up to $1,020.
Includes:
Tail end of the credits for The Joker's Wild, featuring voiceover promo for the upcoming Candlepins for Cash by longtime station announcer Leif Jensen) (full broadcast of The Joker's Wild posted separately here: youtu.be/YseICbLM-3c)
Bob previews coming show, with Frank warming up on the upper left part of the screen
Animated station promo of three children outside snow-covered street wishing everybody happy holidays
Commercial: Cachet perfume - by Prince Matchabelli (voiceover by Peter Thomas)
PSA for The Massachusetts Radio Reading Service
Station ID - abbreviated version of children wishing happy holidays
Show opening (voiceover by Leif Jensen)
Bob gets things going, then introduces and has word with medical technologist Frank (whose grandmother, wife Flo, and children Michael, Pamela and Brian are in the audience); he reaches for a Pin Pal who is George Pollister (?) from Haverhill prior to rolling for the bonus ball; after it is over, Bob mentions Frank is eligible for a Pioneer SX-70 stereo set with Technics D-2 direct drive turntable, all worth $1,000, from HiFi Buys of Framingham and Atlantis Sound of Boston
Next up is Dorothy, a homemaker from Malden and student from Bunker Hill, studying for a Human Services degree; her husband Joe (who works for General Dynamics) and children Christopher and Susie (holding a bear named Toby) are in the audience; the Pin Pal she chooses is Rosemary Eldrican (?) from Centerville, MA, before she goes for the 8-pin
Preview of Newsroom 7 with Mary Richardson and Mike Taibbi
Commercials for:
Remington Micro Screen Shaver (at Lechmere and King's - ending tag voiceover by Leif Jensen)
Robitussin cough medicines
PSA's for:
Massachusetts Broadcasters Association and Massachusetts Association of Small Communities - "Pass the Word" (music: "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
The Salvation Army (with Andy Johnson of New England Patriots)
The next contestant is Donna, a housewife and mother, whose husband Barn (?), mother-in-law Frances, girlfriend Pat, and children Kristen (?), 5, and Stephen (?), 7, are in the audience; her Pin Pal is Joseph Thieraux (?) of Pembroke; after her round is over, Bob introduces the prize for two strikes: a 1980 Pontiac Sunbird from Tom O'Brien Pontiac in Quincy (voiceover by Leif Jensen)
She is followed by Frank, a Polaroid employee, who explains where he practiced in the run-up to his appearance; in the audience are Doris, Troy, Frankie, Don, and father-in-law Nelson; his Pin Pal is Jim O'Brien of Somerville
Promo for Newsroom 7: The 11 O'Clock Update (featuring anchors John Henning and Mary Richardson)
Seven Editorial on coming Right Turn on Red Law, by editorial director Arch MacDonald (recording begins to have tracking problems as tape runs out before ending midway through editorial)
This aired on local Boston TV on Thursday, December 20th 1979 during the 5:28pm to 5:46pm (EST) timeframe. (incidentally, this was day 47 of the Iranian hostage crisis)
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
Here's the first 16 minutes of a long-running series, Candlepins for Cash, which aired on WNAC Channel 7 (later WNEV, now WHDH) in Boston, MA from 1973 to 1980. Your host is Bob Gamere (who was the station's sportscaster at the time), and the contestants are Frank Wall of Lawrence, Dorothy Pirrello of Malden, Donna Pierce of Medford, and Frank Rosa of Revere.
(TECHNICAL NOTE: Lower-thirds on the screen are set in 28 and 18 point Vidifont, an early digital character generator based on Rudi Bass' CBS News 36.)
"Candlepins" (a regional version of bowling) was a variant of the long-running franchise Bowling for Dollars - which, as such, aired on then-sister station WOR Channel 9 in New York from 1973 to 1979; it was first hosted by Bob Murphy (longtime announcer for New York Mets games), then by Larry Kenney (at the time a disc jockey on country music station WHN 1050, later a voiceover artist and regular of Don Imus' repertory company on the radio series Imus in the Morning on WNBC/WFAN 660). (No version, alas and needless to say, aired in Chicago.)
On this edition, the jackpot starts out at $940 and, by the time the second segment is over, is up to $1,020.
Includes:
Tail end of the credits for The Joker's Wild, featuring voiceover promo for the upcoming Candlepins for Cash by longtime station announcer Leif Jensen) (full broadcast of The Joker's Wild posted separately here: youtu.be/YseICbLM-3c)
Bob previews coming show, with Frank warming up on the upper left part of the screen
Animated station promo of three children outside snow-covered street wishing everybody happy holidays
Commercial: Cachet perfume - by Prince Matchabelli (voiceover by Peter Thomas)
PSA for The Massachusetts Radio Reading Service
Station ID - abbreviated version of children wishing happy holidays
Show opening (voiceover by Leif Jensen)
Bob gets things going, then introduces and has word with medical technologist Frank (whose grandmother, wife Flo, and children Michael, Pamela and Brian are in the audience); he reaches for a Pin Pal who is George Pollister (?) from Haverhill prior to rolling for the bonus ball; after it is over, Bob mentions Frank is eligible for a Pioneer SX-70 stereo set with Technics D-2 direct drive turntable, all worth $1,000, from HiFi Buys of Framingham and Atlantis Sound of Boston
Next up is Dorothy, a homemaker from Malden and student from Bunker Hill, studying for a Human Services degree; her husband Joe (who works for General Dynamics) and children Christopher and Susie (holding a bear named Toby) are in the audience; the Pin Pal she chooses is Rosemary Eldrican (?) from Centerville, MA, before she goes for the 8-pin
Preview of Newsroom 7 with Mary Richardson and Mike Taibbi
Commercials for:
Remington Micro Screen Shaver (at Lechmere and King's - ending tag voiceover by Leif Jensen)
Robitussin cough medicines
PSA's for:
Massachusetts Broadcasters Association and Massachusetts Association of Small Communities - "Pass the Word" (music: "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
The Salvation Army (with Andy Johnson of New England Patriots)
The next contestant is Donna, a housewife and mother, whose husband Barn (?), mother-in-law Frances, girlfriend Pat, and children Kristen (?), 5, and Stephen (?), 7, are in the audience; her Pin Pal is Joseph Thieraux (?) of Pembroke; after her round is over, Bob introduces the prize for two strikes: a 1980 Pontiac Sunbird from Tom O'Brien Pontiac in Quincy (voiceover by Leif Jensen)
She is followed by Frank, a Polaroid employee, who explains where he practiced in the run-up to his appearance; in the audience are Doris, Troy, Frankie, Don, and father-in-law Nelson; his Pin Pal is Jim O'Brien of Somerville
Promo for Newsroom 7: The 11 O'Clock Update (featuring anchors John Henning and Mary Richardson)
Seven Editorial on coming Right Turn on Red Law, by editorial director Arch MacDonald (recording begins to have tracking problems as tape runs out before ending midway through editorial)
This aired on local Boston TV on Thursday, December 20th 1979 during the 5:28pm to 5:46pm (EST) timeframe. (incidentally, this was day 47 of the Iranian hostage crisis)
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: tapes@fuzzy.tv We preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail tapes@fuzzy.tv Thank you for your help!
