The Grand Marshal of the Ocean City Doo Dah Parade on April 14 will be Chuck McCann, who has conquered every medium in the entertainment industry, starring in film, television, recordings, stage and as a man of many voices in the world of animation and commercials.
McCann, 77, is still active today. He will appear in a comedy show during Doo Dah Weekend honoring the late Soupy Sales, who attended many Doo Dah events in Ocean City. He and Soupy were good friends.
Mc Cann, like Sales, first made his mark in New York TV with a series of top rated children’s programs and then moved on to California where he began his movie and commercial career.
His first feature film was playing a deaf mute in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter with Alan Arkin. Following that he starred in “The Projectionist” about a theater employee who escapes his lonely life through imaginary adventures as a super hero.
When he first moved to the West Coast, Chuck became a guest star on dozens of popular TV programs from The Bob Newhart Show to Bonanza. He also appeared on Saturday morning sit-coms as Barney in Far Out Space Nuts with Bob Denver of Gilligan’s Island.
Chuck’s TV credits continue to the present with appearances on such shows as Knots Landing, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and ABC’s Boston Legal.
Mc Cann’s commercials have won five Cleo Awards including his portrayal of the Hunch Back of Notre Dame in a Dr. Pepper spot that beat out Michael Jackson’s Pepsi Commercial. He is also remembered for his outstanding performance as the “Hi Guy” neighbor in the famous series of Right Guard Antiperspirant commercials.
The multi talented performer has also appeared as “Cuckoo” for Cocoa Puffs,’ a character he created along with Gramps for General Mills.
McCann has entertained as a comedian in Casinos and resorts throughout the country and done voice work for numerous cartoons for Disney and others.
He is one of the most versatile performers in the country today and much in demand. He has just returned from Las Vegas and has turned down an engagement in April so that he can be with us to honor Soupy.
The comedian will join Sales’ musical director, Paul D’ver and Soupy’s Widow, Trudy Sales, a former June Taylor dancer, in the tribute. The show will include impersonators of legendary comedians and students from Ocean City High School. We would like the youth of today to learn more about the greats of the past and how they influenced the comedians of today.
The tribute is set for Fri., April 13. Two Ocean City locations are being considered and we’ll report more about this later. The Doo Dah Parade will be held starting noon, Sat., April 14 at 6th and Asbury Ave. It proceeds from there to 12th St., turns to the Boardwalk and ends at the Music Pier. It will also include the Bassett Hound Waddle featuring over 500 of the floppy eared canines, plus humorous brigades, the impersonators, bands and floats. Following the Parade there will be an awards ceremony plus the popular PieAsco, where folks sit in grandstands and smoosh each other with shaving cream pies, the kind Soupy used on his TV shows.
The weekend will also include a celebration of Earth Day including exhibits at City Hall Annex and green brigades in the Parade. For information and Parade entry forms call 609-525-9300, after hours and on weekends, 609-364-4010, email msoifer@hotmail.com or stop at the Community Service Offices, City Hall, 9th and Asbury Ave.
