Wayne Mack (May 22, 1924 – April 1, 1993) was a broadcast journalist, television entertainer, and sportscaster who served the New Orleans, Louisiana, market from 1958 to 1992.
Wayne Mack | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vernis McGlinn May 22, 1924 |
| Died | April 1, 1993 (aged 68) |
| Sports commentary career | |
| Team(s) | New Orleans Saints professional football team Tulane University college football |
Early life and education
editMack was born Vernis McGlinn in Pekin, Illinois. He served in the United States military in World War II, after which he worked in a steel mill in Peoria, Illinois. He graduated from the Columbia School of Broadcasting in Chicago, Illinois in 1947. Mack subsequently worked briefly at a variety of radio stations before settling in New Orleans in 1958.[1]
Career as a television personality
edit| External images | |
|---|---|
| Photographs of Wayne Mack | |
 “1984 photograph of Wayne Mack in a broadcaster's booth", as published in the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper | |
| "Photograph of Wayne Mack on the television studio set as the Great MacNutt", as available from The Historic New Orleans Collection |
Mack was host of 1960s WDSU-TV, Channel 6, New Orleans, Louisiana children's television program that showed the “Three Stooges” shorts. His on-screen persona was the "Great McNutt” and he dressed in movie director's garb, along with a large megaphone. His big line was “Lights, camera, action, start the cotton pickin’ program!” just prior to the start of the short subject.[2]
In the Three Stooges movie, “The Outlaws is Coming”, he played Jesse James. Mack appeared in a total of seven movies, including “The Killer Bees” and “Pretty Baby” (minor roles).[2]
As in most early day television stations, he played several on-screen parts, including co-host of the “Midday" show, an electronic magazine program, as well as sportscasting in the local evening news. Mack also called radio play-by-play of the New Orleans Saints from 1975 to 1981. A flavor for Mack's broadcast style is provided by WDSU-TV, for whom Mack also served as sports director.[3] Additionally, he was at times a broadcaster for Tulane University college football games with fellow sportscaster Bruce Miller. Following Mack's tenure at WDSU-TV, he served as sports director at radio station WGSO-AM, and he was spokesman for French Quarter bar Pat O'Brien's.[1]
Legacy as a sportscaster
editMack, together with fellow New Orleans sportscasters Hap Glaudi and Buddy Diliberto, provided the New Orleans television market with a unique and distinctive repertoire of sports broadcasters. The three New Orleans sportscasters[usurped] were discussed together by New Orleans journalist Bill Baumgarner. Mack was posthumously named to the Greater New Orleans Broadcasters Hall of Fame.[4] Mack authored a book detailing the early history of the New Orleans Saints professional football team.[5] On July 13, 1993, Mack was also posthumously given the Fleur De Lis Award by the New Orleans Saints and admitted to their team's Hall of Fame.[1]
Mack was married to Mary Lou Schmidt McGlinn and had six daughters. He died from cancer and was cremated in Metairie, Louisiana.[1]
External links
edit- Wayne Mack at IMDb
- WDSU-TV ON AIR CELEBRITIES
- Anecdote about Wayne Mack by WDSU director
- The Outlaws are Coming at Kiddiematinee.com
- A video of Wayne Mack from the WDSU Midday Show reunion
References
edit- ^ a b c d Lorando, Mark (April 2, 1993). "Broadcaster, Author Wayne Mack Dies at 68". New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- ^ a b "Wayne Mack". Variety Magazine. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ^ Massa, Dominic (2008). Images of America: New Orleans Television. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 35–95. ISBN 978-0-7385-5404-4.
- ^ Widmer, Mary Lou (2008). New Orleans in the Sixties. Pelican Publishing. p. 97. ISBN 978-1455609529. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ Mack, Wayne (June 1992). The Saga of the Saints: An Illustrated History of the First 25 Seasons (First ed.). Mandeville, Louisiana: Arthur Hardy Enterprises. ISBN 0930892186.