Roger Houston: Movie And Television Work

We found out one of the dancers had signed up with a talent agency and was getting work, so several of us guys decided we'd give it a try!

We weren't going to be big stars or anything....we were "extras"!  But still I was happy with that.  The first thing I worked on was "The Chicago Story"... a TV series about cops, doctors, and lawyers. They'd  have us come in early in the morning with a couple or so changes of clothes.  Then we'd wait in a room and once even on a bus for our scene

On one show I played a court sketch artist and I drew a picture of the lawyers, one was played by Craig T. Nelson (Coach)!

                 

Roger Houston Pics

photos 1,2,9,10: Bartczak

photos 3,8,11: Joy C.

photos 4,6: R.H.

photos 5,7: Sandy C.

I Became A Body Builder

Of course I had to be in good shape to be a  dancer.  I had started body building 19 years earlier when I got a set of springs.  I had a chest expander and hand grips and extra pieces so I could do presses and curls too.
Very soon after that I bought a 210 lb York barbell and dumbbell set.  My dad took me down to a store somewhere down in Chicago on Division St.  The owner introduced us to a body builder who had also just dropped in.  This guy, he said, was so strong and full of hard muscle that when some guy shot him in the stomach, the muscles protected him from death!  We were impressed and went away knowing I made a good decision to begin pumping iron!
And I worked out like crazy, at home, and at school too.  I convinced my teachers to let me take much of my scheduled individual study time in the gym, weight lifting. (Our H.S. was kind of  "experimental" and sort of modeled after college with lectures, small groups, and individual study periods!....we had people from all over coming to visit us to see how we were being educated)
But anyway I enjoyed my freedom at school and exercised a lot!
And I kept it up in college too.
I did a lot hiking and biking also.

Before The Show

I had to be near a phone or have my pager on me...worked a lot... nightclubs, parties, strip telegrams.
Then I started working with Valerie...and she was busy.

Strip Telegram!

When I worked at The Rose  I met Nan.  We liked each other and went out a few times.  Then we didn't see each other for a while.
One day Nan called and said she was starting up a business....strip telegrams!... and did I want to work for her?... I said OK and soon I was busy driving around all over with my portable stereo doing these 5-10-15  minute surprise strips in bars, restaurants, offices, and parties.  Night and day...and I still could do nightclubs and bachelorette parties.
The other guys in Kings Of Hearts also were hired.
And  we worked for other

companies too!
We all were pretty busy!

Bachelorette Parties

Bachelorette parties are so much fun!

It was great to be dancing for the girls and be the only guy there!

I entertained a lotta girls at a lotta parties! 

I was so lucky to have a job I liked!

Cowboy Roger Houston

The cowboy outfits were my favorites of all the costumes I wore. I never carried a gun but I had a rope to lasso the girls 

Photos by Antonio Bartczak (some edits: cropping and close ups by Roger)

More Photos

I have a lot of pictures.  Most of them I took myself with my Praktica in the late 60's to 1970's, and with my pocket size Olympus in the 1980's and 90's, Cannon Neo later, now the phone camera.  In the 80's I made some Videos on Beta and VHS.  I have about 10 to 20 of Valerie Craft's shows and about 2 or 3 of me and the Kings Of Hearts.
I have many pictures and a video from girls and girlfriends at our shows.
But most of the best pictures were shot by Antonio Bartczak in 3 or 4 studio photo sessions in the early 1980's.

Photos: A. Bartczak

(Some cropping by Roger Houston)

Recent Updates To Older Posts

The Valerie Craft Show story updated January 26, 2020.

About 1982 I Auditioned For A New Group

I saw an ad for a new dance group.  I called the number. I went down into the city with another member of Kings Of Hearts.

We met Reggie who was putting the group together.  So far so good.
We met again soon after at Taste Entertainment Center, a well known nightclub at 87th and Ashland. We were hired and it was time to be introduced to the audience.
Unfortunately, backstage, some joker decided to do a cartwheel and one at a time the guys were all copying him and I did it all wrong and hurt my back.  (I just bent in half sideways and didn't just turn in one quick motion like wheel or whatever...I never actually had done a cartwheel before...round offs, but never cartwheels)
Oh well!.... but my back took a while to heal and then later my girlfriend at that time didn't want me to start up with another group ( I still was in Kings Of Hearts after all)
The other Kings Of Hearts guy worked with the new group for a while and I still had dance jobs that were keeping me going....so it was all OK.

My Photos And Stories Are A Bit Mixed Up!

I started out thinking I could keep everything in order, from beginning to end, from old to new.
It's not that easy...my memories of things come back at any time and they might be in or out of order.
Also it's more like work than fun for me to sit down and try remember everything from start to finish!
 So I might jump around from year to year and back again, and to this or that night club, or this or that dance group!
At some future time I might try to

organize everything in a chronological way.
But, anyway, thanks for looking at my blog....
               Roger

Roger Houston: Producer For "The Valerie Craft Show", TV Channel 13

In about 1985 or 86, "The Valerie Craft Show" went on the air!
It was on Chicago TV Station WBE Channel 13.
Valerie was the executive producer and host.  I was the producer.

I made some phone calls and asked some TV people and other celebrities to be on The Valerie Craft Show.
We got three right away and a little later I talked to Studs Terkel and he agreed to come on the show.