The Boomtown Show
The Boomtown show was shot, mostly, at the inside studio at WBZ TV in Boston,
(Brighton),Ma. The station was owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The move to offer Rex
Trailer a show in Boston was quite the success. I mean, imagine, a children's cowboy program
coming into BOSTON???! Could this actually work? Well, with Rex Trailer as the big star and
a great supporting cast of people, in front of AND behind the scenes, it became the biggest
kids show in Boston and a six week contract for Rex turned into a 20 year career!
Some of the Boomtown shows were shot right across from the studios on the banks of the
Charles River. They were the summer programs of the earlier years. The studio had to move
all the equipment outside. There were wires overhead of Soldiers Field Rd., cameras, sound
equipment, just EVERYTHING,-and it was a major production in itself to just air a broadcast.
No satellite broadcasting back then! They also filmed in the outside back lot of the studio,
where the station constructed a whole western Main Street that convinced us all that this place
was real,... and in BOSTON!! Parents were fooled as well!
I remember once, Rex had this HUGE pool set up outside and invited all the kids come on
down and swim in the pool with him. I begged my father to bring me over! I remember the
traffic and confusion this event caused. We were inching along down Western Avenue, and I'm
almost certain the pool was set up on what is now a softball field at the corner of Western
Avenue and JFK streets. Well, we couldn't park anywhere and the show was almost over.
This story had to have happened around 1960 or just a little bit later. Well at least I got a
glimpse of Rex playing with the kids.
I didn't see Rex again until 2006!
One hundred kids or more crammed into the broadcast studio every Saturday and Sunday
morning. Over the years, the final total was over 200,000 kids! The television audience was
over 4 million viewers!
I know some of you guys who were lucky enough to be on Boomtown have stories to share
with us!
The inside studio set was made up of false western town building fronts painted on canvases
hanging from the studio ceiling or on cardboard-like walls. The studio was cramped and taking
care of all these young cowboys and cowgirls, getting them lined up and ready, fell on the
shoulders of Donna Deprisco. What a job I bet that was! To hear her tell it though, it was
pretty exciting to be working for Rex Trailer.
The program followed a lead-in 1/2 hr. 'Bunkhouse' show that usually had a storyline that
would get picked up on later in the Boomtown show. At the conclusion of this Bunkhouse
show, a film clip of Rex and Pablo leaving the Bunkhouse on horse and donkey ran for about a
minute. I don't know where this footage was all shot, but it had me convinced that it was out
west of Boston,-maybe even 'way out west'. Then as if by magic Rex came from behind a false
building front in the WBZ studio and rode Goldrush a total distance of about 20 feet and onto
the set in front of the live tv cameras. In his entrance he'd call out to the kids,"Howdy kids!"
and they'd scream back,"Howdy Rex!" Rex dismounted, strapped-on his guitar and led
everyone in singing the 'Boomtown Theme Song'.
The show was now off and running!
Skip Boucher was Production Coordinator of the broadcast. He went back to the early years
of 1961,62 and a maybe little of 63. Another director and producer was Dave Seaborne.
Now if you know people who worked on the show or behind the scenes,let me know and we'll
put their roles up on the list . Also, if I get something a little wrong,and you know it, please drop
me a note so I can correct it.
-THANKS!
Send in your photos and memories to me, PLEASE!
Thank You!
-Bob Jordan
(Brighton),Ma. The station was owned by Westinghouse Broadcasting. The move to offer Rex
Trailer a show in Boston was quite the success. I mean, imagine, a children's cowboy program
coming into BOSTON???! Could this actually work? Well, with Rex Trailer as the big star and
a great supporting cast of people, in front of AND behind the scenes, it became the biggest
kids show in Boston and a six week contract for Rex turned into a 20 year career!
Some of the Boomtown shows were shot right across from the studios on the banks of the
Charles River. They were the summer programs of the earlier years. The studio had to move
all the equipment outside. There were wires overhead of Soldiers Field Rd., cameras, sound
equipment, just EVERYTHING,-and it was a major production in itself to just air a broadcast.
No satellite broadcasting back then! They also filmed in the outside back lot of the studio,
where the station constructed a whole western Main Street that convinced us all that this place
was real,... and in BOSTON!! Parents were fooled as well!
I remember once, Rex had this HUGE pool set up outside and invited all the kids come on
down and swim in the pool with him. I begged my father to bring me over! I remember the
traffic and confusion this event caused. We were inching along down Western Avenue, and I'm
almost certain the pool was set up on what is now a softball field at the corner of Western
Avenue and JFK streets. Well, we couldn't park anywhere and the show was almost over.
This story had to have happened around 1960 or just a little bit later. Well at least I got a
glimpse of Rex playing with the kids.
I didn't see Rex again until 2006!
One hundred kids or more crammed into the broadcast studio every Saturday and Sunday
morning. Over the years, the final total was over 200,000 kids! The television audience was
over 4 million viewers!
I know some of you guys who were lucky enough to be on Boomtown have stories to share
with us!
The inside studio set was made up of false western town building fronts painted on canvases
hanging from the studio ceiling or on cardboard-like walls. The studio was cramped and taking
care of all these young cowboys and cowgirls, getting them lined up and ready, fell on the
shoulders of Donna Deprisco. What a job I bet that was! To hear her tell it though, it was
pretty exciting to be working for Rex Trailer.
The program followed a lead-in 1/2 hr. 'Bunkhouse' show that usually had a storyline that
would get picked up on later in the Boomtown show. At the conclusion of this Bunkhouse
show, a film clip of Rex and Pablo leaving the Bunkhouse on horse and donkey ran for about a
minute. I don't know where this footage was all shot, but it had me convinced that it was out
west of Boston,-maybe even 'way out west'. Then as if by magic Rex came from behind a false
building front in the WBZ studio and rode Goldrush a total distance of about 20 feet and onto
the set in front of the live tv cameras. In his entrance he'd call out to the kids,"Howdy kids!"
and they'd scream back,"Howdy Rex!" Rex dismounted, strapped-on his guitar and led
everyone in singing the 'Boomtown Theme Song'.
The show was now off and running!
Skip Boucher was Production Coordinator of the broadcast. He went back to the early years
of 1961,62 and a maybe little of 63. Another director and producer was Dave Seaborne.
Now if you know people who worked on the show or behind the scenes,let me know and we'll
put their roles up on the list . Also, if I get something a little wrong,and you know it, please drop
me a note so I can correct it.
-THANKS!
Send in your photos and memories to me, PLEASE!
Thank You!
-Bob Jordan
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