Dennis James

Note ... I will be appearing in Bay City on December 8 at the TCCW card being held at the church complex, located at 3430 N. Euclid Avenue. I look forward to seeing everyone ringside. Bell time is 7 p.m. --Percival

Dennis James was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on August 24, 1917, and was an actor, wrestling announcer, sports show host, game show host, and the first person to do a videotaped commercial.

He was mainly known as the host of game shows such as the NBC daytime revival of Name That Tune (1974), and the weekly syndicated nighttime The Price Is Right (1972-1977) (James co-hosted the promotional film with Mark Goodson, selling stations on the revival of Price, originally hosted by James' fellow TV pioneer Bill Cullen). It was a format with which James was familiar; for DuMont New York flagship WABD, James had hosted Cash and Carry, one of television's first audience participation shows.

The Jersey City native, born Demi James Sposa, began his career in radio with WNEW (now WBBR) but switched to television in 1938, working for the soon-to-become DuMont Network TV station.

WABD helped to found the DuMont Television Network in 1945, and so James became the host of a few of DuMont's game shows and served as the commentator for their wrestling and boxing shows; he essentially worked as an all-arounder. James also hosted the daytime variety show Okay, Mother; the program was so named because James was famous for using that line. James' game show hosting duties spanned the better part of three decades, presiding over shows like The Name's the Same, High Finance, Chance of a Lifetime (actually a talent contest; almost ironically, he was also Ted Mack's announcer on the latter's Original Amateur Hour at roughly the same time), Haggis Baggis' People Will Talk, PDQ and Your All-American College Show (another talent contest). He was also the spokesman for Old Gold cigarettes, Kellogg's cereals, and, through his own Dennis James Productions, many local and regional companies and businesses, which aired on their respective TV stations. He was also the wrestling commentator in Rocky III for the match between Thunderlips and Rocky Balboa.

Beyond game shows, James gained his greatest fame as the emcee of the United Cerebral Palsy Association’s telethons on the East Coast. James hosted the U.S. charity's primary telethon in New York City for 47 years, aided by Jane Pickens, Paul Anka, Florence Henderson and other performers. When the telethon went national in 1979 with John Ritter as emcee in Los Angeles, UCP enlisted James as a presenter, in addition to James's duties as the anchor of the East Coast version.

James died on June 3, 1997 due to lung cancer. His name lives on in the Cathedral City, California United Cerebral Palsy center, named for the man who helped raise $700 million for the charity over the years.

Dennis is one of the early pioneers that put wrestling on the map and in the homes of many people nationwide. He joined announcers like Sam Menacher, Dick Lane, Steve Allen and Jimmy Lennon Sr. in making wrestling a most watched event on the new miracle called television.

Rest in Peace, Dennis James.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers

2003 BWC Hall of Fame Inductee
2004 CAC Hall of Fame Inductee
2006 LWA Hall of Fame Inductee