Early Television in Melbourne; Vale Bro Ron Blaskett (1922-2018) who gave life to the Gerry Gee Doll

From WBro D Hudson, Editor.

In a time of more rigid gender roles, there were a few dolls parents might purchase for their son. GI Joe, the Lone Ranger, but there was one uniquely Australian doll than many Aussie children dreamed of owning – the ventriloquist’s doll “Gerry Gee” who was make famous by his puppeteer – Bro Ron Blaskett. Ventriloquist and star of The Happy Show (later known as The Tarax Happy Show, 1958- 1964) on Channel 9 Ron has a long and notable career from which he (and Gerry) did not retire from until 2012.

Ronald William “Ron” Blaskett (1922-2018) was a Freemason; Initiated in Lodge Companionship 513 UGLV 17 April 1947, Passed 19 June 1947, Raised 18 Sept 1947 and resigned 17 Nov 1966. His Grand Lodge certificate Number was 124,577. His UGLV’s membership card appears at the end of this article.

Born in Brunswick, Melbourne, in 1922, Blaskett saw his first ventriloquist at age 7, and was given his first doll, a papier mache Cheeky Boy, by his grandmother at 13. Using books and practise as his guide, he perfected his art and performed for friends and family. During World War 2, he served overseas, and often entertained his colleagues with a performance.

Soon after the war, he developed a successful stage act which toured Australia, including the famed Tivoli circuit through the capital cities. When television was introduced to Australia in the mid 1950s, Blaskett was one of a number of stage acts recruited to the new medium to appear in various variety programs. Blaskett was hired by Melbourne station GTV Channel 9, where he and Gerry Gee, would feature.

These were the very early days of television in Melbourne. In late 1956, Channel Nine had eight people on staff in its Richmond Bendigo Street studios with Norman Spencer as Program director. Blaskett said “Norm Spencer had asked me to join GTV9, and while work progressed on the old Wertheim piano factory (following that it was the Heinz factory) in Bendigo Street, Richmond. Norm arranged for me to do a test broadcast from the transmitter at Mt Dandenong. In this test broadcast, I used “Willie Ross”, “Adolphus Twerk” and my wife Merle (Merle June Capper) operated “Sandra Simpkins”, but I felt the need for a character made especially for me.”

Blaskett knew of a Chicago wood carver named Frank Marshall who had made Edgar Bergen’s “Charlie McCarthy” doll years before. Edgar Bergen was a famous American comic, ventriloquist and radio performer who started in Vaudeville with his dolls Charlie McCarthy & Mortimer Snerd – all of them were very famous in the States. Bergen was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with three stars in 1960 and appeared in films from 1938-1979. Blaskett corresponded with Charlie McCarthy’s creator, Frank Marshall and he agreed to carve a special figure for Blaskett which was soon imported from the US at the cost of £200. In conference with Norm Spencer they arrived at the name “Gerry Gee” because it was an alliteration and appropriate — “Gerry Gee of GTV”.

The “Happy Show” first went to air from Channel Nine on the 21st January, 1957. The station had been opened just two nights before, on the 19th January, by the popular Governor of Victoria, Sir Dallas Brooks. Of course, Sir Dallas was the longest serving Grand Master of Grand Lodge Victoria (1951-63) – so Channel Nine was another Melbourne Institution opened by one of our Grand Masters, albeit not in his Masonic Capacity.

It would be interesting to know if Norman Spencer was a Freemason. Another Freemason large in early television who was introduced to the medium by Spencer was Graham Kennedy (initiated in St Kilda Lodge in 1955), who would later become known as the “King of Television”. He won 5 Gold Logies for the Most Popular Personality on Australian Television (1960, 1967, 1969, 1974, and 1978), tied for the most wins with Ray Martin who also holds five (1987, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1996). As one source describes; “Kennedy's apprenticeship in broadcasting and comedy owed much to radio legends such as Roy "Mo" Rene, who had won fame throughout Australia in vaudeville and radio comedy from the 1920s to the late 40s.” Roy Rene was also a Freemason (Lodge Thespian No 256 NSW NSW Australia).

Baskett said “My first impression when I saw Gerry Gee was one of disappointment. The slotted jaw, almond eyes and general modelling didn’t really grab me. Then as I started to work with him, although he seemed to weigh a ton on my arm, I realised the great expressions I could extract from him. One particularly good movement was the way his eyes could be rolled upward with a look of disgust. Not many figures have been made around the world with this ability. The fact that he could poke his tongue out was also an advantage — particularly for ice-cream commercials that came later. On trying him out on kids and adults, they liked his cheeky look and personality. Gerry Gee had certainly arrived.”

Blaskett continued “On Monday 21st January 1957 we started what was to become the most talked about children’s show ever, from Myer’s Lonsdale Street window. The crowd looked from the street into the “studio”. In the basement was our Outside Broadcast Van, which supplied the link to enable the show to beam out from the transmitter at Mt Dandenong.”