Robert Lloyd on Engineer Bill: An appreciation

William Stulla, a man I only ever knew as "Engineer Bill," died Tuesday at the estimable age of 97. Some of my first memories of television, which is to say, some of my first memories of life, are of his show, which KHJ (now KCAL) ran weeknights at dinner time from 1954 to 1966. Perhaps because of his age, which was relatively advanced even then, or perhaps just because of his horn-rimmed glasses, he seemed the most eminent of the local kids-show hosts, the boss in my mind of a complement that also included Chucko the Birthday Clown (Charles M. Runyon), Sheriff John (John Rovick) and Tom Hatten, who played "Popeye" cartoons in a nautical setting. Later there were Hobo Kelly (Sally Baker), little person Billy Barty, and Gene Moss and his jelly-bean-eating puppet pal, "Shrimpenstein," though none with quite his gravitas, to slightly overstate his effect.

Every city with its own television station had their counterparts, some Cowboy This or Captain That, famous within broadcasting range and completely unknown outside of it. On a national level there was "Captain Kangaroo" and eventually "Mr. Rogers," with their higher budgets and perhaps loftier ambitions, but they came from somewhere else. It was clear to me that Engineer Bill lived in my town, and not some imaginary Neighborhood, and that there was the real possibility that I could get him to read my name on the air, or even invite me onto his show, were I to do the necessary groundwork -– there were always a couple of live tykes on board for Stulla to play off. I was never going to do that groundwork -– you had to write a letter, at least -– but I saw him once, at a supermarket personal appearance.

Anyone who remembers Engineer Bill remembers Red Light/Green Light -- or Green Light/Red Light -- a play-along-at-home milk-drinking game that was his show's main gift to Southern California culture and parents. I have a clear image of myself participating in this bit of nutritional behavioral psychology -- though past the milk and the model trains, and the image of Bill himself in his stripey overalls and cap, it all begins to blur. He played cartoons -– the name of the program was "Engineer Bill's Cartoon Express" –- but everybody played cartoons.

There was nothing particularly brilliant about any of these shows or these performers, apart from the way they were available to their audience. Not to get all cracker-barrel about it, but the fact that we won't see their loose, modest like again doesn't strike me as progress. The loss is symptomatic of a greater loss: We have entered an age of remote consolidation, of absentee landlords, of the online marketplace that kills the corner store. (Perhaps it's time for a local media movement to mirror the local foods movement –- to frame it as the environmental issue it actually is.) The new matrix promises a "deeper" experience of its perfected products by throwing them at you from different angles and on different platforms. But the human touch gets lost.

Stulla returned briefly as one of the hosts of KHJ's afternoon programming block, "Nine Island." (I remember him in a spaceship, although I can't find anything to corroborate that.) Then he disappeared into broadcast history. His epitaph writes itself: Red Light.

--Robert Lloyd

Photo credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Ron]

I was on bills show in 1956. I had to write a letter to him to get in the drawing to be on the
show. I was lucky enough to be drawn. I received a train car in the mail I had to put together
then call them when It was finished and they scheduled me to be on the show with another
kid. I found out when I got there, It was a girl. Oh no, I wasn't ready for that. But I lived thru
it and had a great time. I'm really sorry to see him leave us, but he's in a better place.
Hope to see him again some day.

[Steve Zelt]

Thanks, Robert for this. I too "drank my milk" with Engineer Bill. My dad and I still joke about it. And I too saw him at a Supermarket event; in fact, I was the lucky winner of a Pogo Stick from him as he walked down a line of kids and his big railroad clock alarm went off in front of me. Green Light.

[Chuck]

I remember, watching Engineer Bill every afternoon, for about six months, which during that time my father had temporary duty with The Navy in the Los Angeles area (we lived in nearby Downey). This was in 1960, and I was 4 at the time.

I learned the difference between "red light" and "green light" from his famous milk drinking game, and my father, when he was driving with us in the car, would tell us kids "Remember what Engineer Bill says, stop on the red and go on the green" when he would be at a traffic light. I don't remember all the cartoons he showed, but I do distinctively remember the "Q. T. Hush" cartoons. The show may have very well inspired my interest in trains.

Unfortunately, after my father's temporary duty ended, which coincided with my brother's birth in nearby Bellflower, we would return back to the East Coast. It wouldn't be until the summer of 1966 that I would return to Southern California for a visit with some relatives, and I think Engineer Bill had just shown his final show a few months earlier, because I didn't see that the show was still on the air.

|A great entertianer for the baby boomers in Southern California. May he rest in peace.

[William Platt]

As a pre-teen growing up in Westchester, CA near LAX, Engineer Bill and Sheriff (Put Another Candle on My Birthday Cake) John were 2 of my favorite shows. The good old days weren't always the good old days but when I think about these 2 shows, it was a great time to be a kid.
May perpetual light shine on Bill Stulla and may he rest in peace.

[Cliff Kahn]

I was on the show in the mid 50's. When he asked me where I was from, I had to yell out to my mom who was in the audience. I remember the Engineer Bill drinking glass, with the markings on the side that indicated your job on the railroad with the level of milk left at the end of the game- fireman, brakeman,engineer, etc. Still have not figured out the gandydancer! Thanks, Bill, for the fond memories.

[Jay Ballou]

"he's in a better place"

Six feet under the ground is a better place than the surface we inhabit? I consider that an insult to his accomplished life and what he generously brought to *this* place.

"Hope to see him again some day."

There may be a film record ... or did you mean after your eyes and brain and everything else have rotted away? Engineer Bill wanted us to grow up into mature intelligent brave adults who can accept the reality and finality of death.

[Tom Packard]

I also have fond memories of this show. Remember the "Little Train that Could"? Monday through Thursday, at the end of the show, the toy train couldn't make it up the steep hill, but every Friday he made it. I guess it was so all us little tykes could have a happy weekend!

[Dean Willoughby]

As an avid Live Steamers, I too remember Engineer Bill. I met him at 3 personally apperances, Builder Emporium at the Riverside Plaze, Harris's at the Plaza twice. I won a Butterfly kit when he used the Big Whistle. May his stack be clear and all of his lights be green. Thanks you for making our childhood a bit more enjoyable.

[Janine Cone]

I was sorry to read about Engineer Bill's passing. My condolences to his family. But I was glad to read he had lived a long and happy life. Even though I never saw him in person or tried to get on his show, I do remember watching his show so well. I loved playing Red Light/Green Light. His show is definitely a wonderful childhood memory for me and it was so fun to view the video clips. I have always liked trains and that's another reason I loved that show. That sure took me back in time :) :) :)

[Jim]

I was on the show in 1961. That night is one of the most vivid memories I have of my early childhood and the values of the show (as well as those of Sheriff John) remain with me today. I only wish my kids had TV pals of that sort.

[David Paul Moore]

I first watched "Engineer Bill" in late 1956 or early 1957 at my neighbor's house. My family did not buy a television until 1957 when I was three years old. I am a train/railroad fan because of my father who took me down to the Glendale Southern Pacific Railroad station to watch trains. While I never met "Engineer" Bill, I did get to visit inside the locomotive cab of SP train number 57 "The Owl" in 1957.