The
man who would complete the trio of talent who made up the Wallace
and Ladmo Show was born in Leavenworth, Kansas. His parents
were touring vaudeville performers who worked with the likes
of Burns and Allen and W.C. Fields.
Pat was tutored “on the road” until he was enrolled
in a private boy’s school (Dowling Prep) in Des Moines,
Iowa. He then went on to St. Ambrose College in Davenport,
Iowa and studied speech and drama. He started his broadcasting
career in the Quad Cities as a rock n’ roll disc
jockey.
After a stint in the Army (where he entertained the troops),
members of his theatrical group were thinking of going
to Phoenix, so he tagged along. Before long, as Pat himself
says, he was “immediately
enchanted with the whole area and I started work at
Channel 5 as an announcer.”
The planets must have been aligned one day when Wallace
and Ladmo needed a third guy for a skit, and Pat (who had
enjoyed watching the show in the studio) gladly obliged.
He helped out for the next 30 years.
Visit our characters
page to the characters played by Pat.
Visit the 60's page to
see more on Pat's history and how he ended up on the show.