# From the desert to the sea to all of Southern California... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070 "2002-05-21T11:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/1 "2002-05-21T11:16:04Z")
“From the desert to the sea to all of Southern California, a good evening.” That was the signature line of local newscaster [Jerry Dunphy](http://www.kcal.com/Global/story.asp?S=3283), who died yesterday at the age of 80. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/2 "2002-05-21T12:07:54Z")
Aw, jeez… So this is the leading story on the morning news (after the weather, of course). After the bio, they cut back to the anchors who display Looks of Sorrow™… until they go to traffic! Then all sorrow is forgotten and everything’s back to normal. I wonder if they take classes in How to Convey Emotion to the Masses? ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/3 "2002-05-21T13:27:22Z")
Hey, I know that name. What channel was he on? Was he the white haired guy on, what was it, nine? ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/4 "2002-05-21T13:30:21Z")
Allow me to answer my own question: [Yes.](http://aolsvc.digitalcity.com/losangeles/news/article.adp?article=1027631) ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/5 "2002-05-21T15:17:13Z")
I _knew_ I recognized that phrase. Wow, a blast from the past. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/6 "2002-05-21T16:38:06Z")
He will be missed. A newscaster since 1960, I remember Jerry on the local news when I was just a kid. He received several network offers, always turning them down because of his love for Southern California. While other anchors jumped from station to station, lasting on average 3 years at each gig, Jerry only worked at three stations in 42 years - not a bad record for this crazy business. In later years I met and became friends with Jerry, and you will never meet a finer gentleman. Miss ya, Jerry! ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/7 "2002-05-21T16:56:38Z")
I think he lived a pretty good life. He seemed to live forever… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/8 "2002-05-22T10:48:55Z")
> [@](#): > > I think he lived a pretty good life. He seemed to live forever… Wasn’t he on the air virtually until the end? That’s the way to go – live 'til you die. He had a good run. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/9 "2002-05-22T18:04:56Z")
Sniff. I REALLY will miss him. Since moving to Hooterville, I haven’t seen him on the news. (The satellite dish doesn’t get KCAL.) I did see the news coverage of his heart attack and passing on KTLA and KNBC, though. Hal Fishman was a class act the other night, I thought. He obviously had to ad-lib the news (as it just came in) and he seemed very sincere. I think Fishman has been around almost as long as Dunphy (and has never left KTLA, as far as I know) so my guess is that he was deeply moved. KNBC did do a nice little bit about Dunphy the night of Dunphy’s death too. Last night KTLA did a _very_ lovely (and somewhat comprehensive) tribute to Dunphy, which I really appreciated. But I guess KNBC had already forgotten - they were already back to their chirpy cheery selves. I dunno - it just didn’t seem right. Dunphy meant a lot to many of us. I grew up with him. I’m really going to miss him. Rico - wow! How nice that you were acquainted with Dunphy. He seemed like a really cool guy. And I always wondered why he stayed in LA. So often, they leave for the networks, or for “better” positions. (Tom Brokaw, Connie Chung, Pat Sajak, Paula Zahn, Keith Olberman, and on and on - all worked in LA, all moved on.) And Dunphy seemed like he had the right stuff for the networks…so it’s so cool that he _chose_ to never leave. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/10 "2002-05-22T18:22:10Z")
Ya know who I really miss watching? Dr. George Fishbeck. I heard he’s retired to Arizona. Wasn’t Dr. George on KABC with Jerry Dunphy and Christine Lund? ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/11 "2002-05-22T18:31:09Z")
Yes! Dr. George, Christine Lund, and Jerry Dunphy. On channel 7. I remember Dr. George. Wasn’t he always going up to Porterville - wasn’t there a charity or a cause up there (my memory fails) that he was supporting? Dr. George was a piece of work. Hope he’s happy in Arizona. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/12 "2002-05-22T19:35:39Z")
I don’t remember about the Porterville thing. I just remember that he was the most enthusiastic weather reporter I’ve seen. Oh, sure; Christopher Nance is wacky, but Dr. George was _all_ into the science and it showed. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/13 "2002-05-22T19:56:27Z")
As one who grew up in Southern California and whose family faithfully watched Channel 7 News, I do remember Jerry Dunphy very well (although I never really watched KCAL news while he was there). Dr. George was a piece of work. The cause up in Porterville was a home for severely mentally retarded children. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/14 "2002-05-24T05:55:02Z")
Jerry Dunphy’s funeral was today. On [Ron Fineman’s “On The Record” site](http://www.ronfineman.com) he mentions Dunphy’s many influences: > [@](#): > > In part of their hour long tribute to Dunphy last night Mia Lee had the story about all of the times he played a news anchor on a TV show or in the movies. To my surprise, and to their credit, they included that Dunphy was thought to be one of the inspirations behind the Ted Baxter character on the Mary Tyler Moore show. Not exactly a flattering comparison. They also showed the similarity in looks between Dunphy and Simpsons anchor Kent Brockman. … > > Lee’s story also included Dunphy playing an anchorman on the Batman TV show. Coincidentally I happened to catch one of those episodes a couple of weeks ago. As I watched, and suddenly realized that it was a much younger Jerry Dunphy, I also realized what an excellent news reader he was in his prime. Even though it was just a silly TV show, his talent in reporting on the exploits of Batman and the Joker was quite real. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-desert-to-the-sea-to-all-of-southern-california/110070/15 "2002-05-24T06:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s the way to go – live 'til you die. Yes indeed! 🆒