“To be continued,” were the last words Joe Franklin said as he signed off of his 710 AM WOR radio show, Memory Lane Party, after 40 years.
As the final few minutes approached, people crammed into the studio to offer support and gratitude for the man known as the King of Nostalgia.
“What would you say is the key to a good interview?” asked a reporter.
Franklin bounced the question off of one of his guests, talk show regular and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, who was the last guest to appear on WOR with Franklin.
“What is the key?” Franklin asked.
“You do something nobody does anymore,” said the mentalist. “Listen.”
If listening is the key to a successful interview, then Franklin has trained millions since he started his radio career in 1951.
Producer Rich Ornstein worked with Franklin for 25 years on the radio and his TV show that was broadcast from Secaucus until it closed eleven years ago.
“Joe is a very positive person, and he taught me how to be positive too” said Ornstein. “No matter what happens, make everything positive and treat people all nice, no matter who they are. That’s really Joe’s credo. He plays that game all the time no matter what, no matter how busy he is, he always has time for everybody.”
Franklin decided to retire from the WOR radio show because the hours – 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. on Sundays – were becoming a strain.
“The reason is, after all those years, after I’d go home, I’d feel a little disoriented,” Franklin said. “It was OK when I was younger, but now I was feeling jet lag. It wasn’t natural, so I saw my doctor and said I love my audience and they love me, and he said you have to love yourself first. They were devastated, but I had no choice.”
The sign off may have indicated the end of an era, but it is my no means the end of a legend. Just as he pioneered the TV talk show format in 1953, Franklin now hopes to buy his own radio station or use cutting edge satellite technology to establish his own 24/7 “Nostalgia Network,” playing classic records from the crooner era, old radio shows such as Jack Benny or Superman, highlights of his own show archives, and of course, Franklin himself will spend part of the day behind the mic.
“We’re just deciding on the right format,” said Franklin. “I’ll do a show myself a couple of hours a day. I’m in good health, I just couldn’t do the all night thing anymore.”
Franklin will also double up on 1130 AM Bloomberg Radio, where he records segments that air throughout the day.
Franklin will also begin selling some memorabilia out of his extensive collection, syndicating his old TV shows, and making some available on DVD. He is also active on the college lecture circuit.
Franklin started his career out as a record picker for Martin Block, host of The Make Believe Ballroom, who eventually recommended that he get his own show. His first guest was Rudy Vallee, one of the most popular crooners of the day.
“One of the most memorable times on the show was when Bing Crosby walked into my studio live with Bob Hope [in 1974],” said Franklin. “I expected Bing, not Bob. The doorman downstairs almost fainted.”
Franklin played a clip from an earlier Crosby interview on Saturday night’s show.
Ornstein said his highlight was when the crew presented their leader with an award from his “Memory Lane Dream Team,” the people who have worked behind the scenes over the years: producer Bob O’Brien, engineer Tom Kirk, Rick Russo on the phones, fan club organizer Paul Eversman, archivist Vinnie Lance, and Johnny DeMaria, who organizes the records or every show. O’Brien, Ornstein, and DeMaria also worked on the TV show.
Ornstein said that the most important lesson he learned from Joe after working with him for years was how to handle people.
“Joe knows how to make everybody feel appreciated,” said Ornstein. “You give everybody a shot the best you can, and if you can’t put them on the TV or radio, give them the best advice you can to try to push them somewhere where they can keep trying. The main thing is as long as you can enjoy yourself and pay your bills.” Throughout the night, Franklin received phone calls from throughout show business from the likes of Michael McKean, Bill Cosby, Mickey Freeman, Kathryn Grant Crosby, Frankie Avalon, and Billy Crystal, who’s known for his Franklin impression on Saturday Night Live. He also read telegrams that he received from Mayor Mike Bloomberg and former mayor Rudy Giuliani.
“There was plenty of love and goodwill for a man who is an icon,” said actor/producer Billy Mo Dean. “I hope that he felt it, because it was coming from all directions. I hope he was letting himself feel it, because he was busy. It was quite an honor. When old timers pass on, they can never be replaced.”