Anybody know who this clown is?

[Doug Drown]

Well, now we know!  Thanks. 
I wonder what sort of device Beach used to alter his voice?  Whatever 
it was, it was unique;  I've never known it to be used anywhere else.  
Willie's words were clearly distinguishable.    -Doug

Quoting Bob DeMattia <bob.bosra@demattia.net>:
> Posted by Donna Halper  on November 4, 2005:
>
>   Peter Q. George wrote:
> >I have it on good authority that Willie Whistle was
> >Dick Beach, a longtime employee of WSBK-TV (now
> >retired). 
>
> And Peter gets a cookie!!!  From the old "Ask the Globe" column:
>
> Q. Who used to play the clown Willie Whistle on Channel 38? D.S., Littleton
> A. That was the station's program director Dick Beach, who played Willie
> for nearly two decades before retiring and moving West in the mid-1980s. 
> Throughout the period Beach kept Willie's true identity a secret. He had
> previously, in 1962, played a clown named Salty at a TV station in Toledo,
> Ohio. In addition to his managerial duties, and playing Willie in a number
> of charitable appearances, Beach also hosted a mornin g cartoon show on Ch. 
> 38 five days a week. 
>