Wally George

Wally George

A conservative talk show host and the self-proclaimed father of "Combat TV," right-wing entertainer Wally George could often be seen berating various "liberals, perverts, and left-wing lunatics" by shouting insults at them and often kicking them off of The Hot Seat, his popular KDOC talk show. The Almeda County native was born Walter George Pearch to the owner of a shipping company and a former vaudevillian actress, and at the age of 14 moved to Los Angeles with his mother and soon found work as a DJ in Glendale. The Wally George show eventually proved to be quite a hit with audiences, and soon thereafter George joined on as co-host of the Sam Yorty Show. Craving the spotlight, George broke off on his own in 1982 to form his own show, The Hot Seat. Over the next 20 years, George's famous blue blazer and trademark American flag tie became as familiar to audiences as the insults he hurled at guests before giving them the boot, and though he stood firm on his political beliefs outside of the show, George wasn't without a sense of humor about his job. Though it was eventually revealed that many of the guests on the show were actors, audiences continued to tune and enjoy his frequent tirades. In interviews, George professed to being a down-to-earth guy who spoke more from his guts and heart than from his brain. Over the years George would make numerous cameos in such features as A Nightmare on Elm Street 5 and Repossessed (both 1990). In 2000, George was the subject of an E! True Hollywood Story. When a fall in his home eventually resulted in the discovery of cancer, George put his television show on hold in order to have emergency surgery. On October 5, 2003, however, Wally George died of pneumonia in Fountain Valley, CA. He was 71. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide