The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved installing ceremonial street signs at McKinley Street and First Avenue renaming the intersection "Wallace and Ladmo Way" in celebration of the legendary duo.
The intersection is located near First Studio, the historic downtown Phoenix building that housed KPHO when “The Wallace and Ladmo Show” began airing in 1954.
It's the latest tribute to the iconic duo, who have been a part of local lore since debuting on Phoenix airwaves more than 70 years ago.
Who were Wallace and Ladmo?
For Arizona residents of a certain age, Bill “Wallace” Thompson and Ladimir “Ladmo” Kwiatkowski were childhood icons. Their show, which aired from 1954 to 1989, was smart, subversive and packed with colorfully absurd humor that entertained all ages.Wallace played the straight man, Ladmo was the lovable goof and villainous spoiled brat Gerald (one of many characters portrayed on the program by Arizona television personality Pat McMahon) was delightfully insufferable.
“The Wallace and Ladmo Show” was a Phoenix institution. Its skits were zany, its humor sharp and its special guests list included the likes of Muhammad Ali and a young Alice Cooper, who performed with his early band, The Spiders, in the 1960s. And then there were the Ladmo Bags — the sought-after brown paper sacks packed with candy, sodas and toys that were awarded to lucky kids in the audience. Much like the show itself, they became a cherished piece of Arizona pop culture, remembered with nostalgia and joy.
Just ask Julia Taggart of the Sunnyslope Historical Society in Phoenix, which launched a "Wallace and Ladmo" exhibit last year to celebrate the show’s 70th anniversary.
“It’s almost like a cult phenomenon, because people who are younger like me, don't really know how deep ‘The Wallace and Ladmo Show’ runs in Arizona’s history,” Taggart says. “I've had people stay for four hours talking about how much the show meant to them or people who say they never won a Ladmo Bag.”
How “Wallace and Ladmo Way” became a reality
Taggart was the catalyst for the signs. Last year, she began speaking with Thompson and Kwiatkowski’s families, Phoenix officials and former cast members about renaming the intersection near First Studio in time for the show’s 70th anniversary.“I thought it would just be great to have a ceremonial street sign for the show in front of where it was (originally) filmed,” Taggart says.
First Studio already features a prominent homage to the program: an enormous mural of Wallace, Ladm and Gerald on the building’s north side, created in 2011 by Phoenix artists Nomas, Casebeer, and Jenny Ignaszewski. Taggart believes the ceremonial street signs further enhance the tribute to the show.
“I thought that would be the perfect place for (the signs),” Taggart says. “When you're driving down First Avenue, you’ll see Wallace and Ladmo Way and then see the mural and experience a piece of history.”
Taggart’s efforts hit a few delays — including turnover with the Phoenix City Councilperson representing the part of town where First Studio is located — but she says it's been worth the wait.
“It feels wonderful that it's finally happening,” Taggart says. “I'm very honored to be a part of this and to have the family trust me. It's always a privilege to be able to help preserve history, especially history that is as significant as this.”
A private unveiling for cast members and the families of Thompson and Kwiatkowski will take place in April, Taggart says. A public ceremony is also being planned, though no date has been set.
Most importantly, Ladmo Bags will be given to attendees, according to Phoenix City Councilman Carlos Galindo-Elvira.
