Dale’s Tale: The Life and Times of Dale T. Lemonds, an Autobiography

Lemonds, Dale T.; Marion B. Lemonds (ed); Debra D. Lemonds (design). Dale’s Tale: The Life and Times of Dale T. Lemonds, an Autobiography. Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Lemon Turtle Hawk Press, 2016. First edition. Lg. sq. octavo. 150pp. French wraps with photo-illustrated covers. Autobiography by Dale T. Lemonds, who in 1947 floor directed WTMJ-TV’s first broadcast. Born in 1918, his stories describe growing up on a farm near the family sod house in Furnas County, Nebraska; life in 1940’s California supervising the wing section of the first DC-4 at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica; operating radio for the U.S. Army in Europe during WWII; marriage to Milwaukee native Marion Binzel, family life, retirement, stroke rehab and later years in Rancho Cucamonga, California. In addition to a first-person narrative that recounts the early days of television (1947–1980), there is a descriptive list of 33 shows Lemonds produced and directed at WTMJ in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including: The Man Next Door, Rhythm Roundup, Woman’s World, Behind the Screens, What’s New in the Kitchen, Time Out With Thomas, Kids Klub, Bowling with the Champs and the 1960 presidential-primary broadcast of Meet the Press, on which he assisted NBC’s Frank Slingland. Portrays a lifelong passion for music, playing the trombone, photography and making movies, two of which are depicted: a murder mystery and a fishing trip in the San Gabriel Mountains. Sidebars: woodworking; cars; TV advertising; and working with legendary NBC director Harry Coyle on two World Series (1957 & 1958: Milwaukee vs. N.Y. Yankees). Profusely illustrated with photography, film frames, TV-station memo, scripts, sets, balops, hand-drawn floor plan and thumbnail sketches for title card and props. Frontispiece, dedication, table of contents, afterword, acknowledgments, photography credits and index. new. Softcover. (42408) $45