t has been rumored comic and TV personality Clifford C. Arquette 1905-1974 AKA CharleyWeaver was a ham radio operator. He was also a talented artist, cartoonist, wood carver, author,song writer and historian.

I

Known in Hollywood as the man with 1,000
hobbies and Tv’s remarkable rube per Life
Magazine Aug 10th 1959. Charley made untold
millions laugh with his foxy grandpa disguise andMt Idy banter.
We’ve located his old call “W6SGP” Born inToledo, 1905 given name C.C. Arquette born toCharles A. and Minnie E. Arquette, Ward AToledo, Ohio youngest of four kids. This is acomplicated man with many interests. Trained asa pianist and at age 6 dyed his hair black and won
a Charlie Chaplain contest from 200 entries. He
started out age 14 leading “The Purple Derbies.”
Then in the Henry Halstead Orchestra in 1923.
After a career of movies, writing acting and radio
he retired the first time in 1956.
The sweet tempered rustic, you’ve seen him on
Hollywood Squares - Jack Paar Tonight Show etc.
Clifford was a Civil War Historian and built theClifford Arquette Soldiers Museum in Gettysburg
in 1957. His wood carvings and soldier creations
were outstanding artifacts of his knowledge of theCivil War. Ham radio would be a natural for him.
While retired and watching the Jack Paar Show one night in the late 50s, Cliff heard Paar say, “Iwonder what happened to Cliff Arquette?” Arquette nearly fell off the chair and dumped his Scotch
drink. Charley Weaver was born on the Paar Show and the remainder is history. You put Charley
Weaver and Jonathan
Winters in the sameroom and you have
major chaos!
Appearances on
Dragnet - Dinah Shore
Chevy Show - F
Troop - Ernie Ford
Star Time - etc -Plusmany years of radio
broadcasts “GlamourManor.”Continued on page 2

Paar, Arquette and Winters are Buckeye boys. Threebrilliant minds! Who replaced Charlie Weaver on
Hollywood Squares? Comedian Lonesome GeorgeGobel. Cliff’s lasting contribution is through his
famous grandchildren. His foxy grandpa disguise
was enjoyed and well known by all of the time.
See strays QST Nov 46 - for the W6SGP data.
Charley preferred spelling. .
Cliff played “The Old Timer” on the Fibber McGeeand Molly Radio Show, his catch phrase was “Thataint the way I heered it!” At age 6 Cliff died hishair black and entered a contest for the Charlie
Chaplain look-alike in Toledo, he won out over 200kids.
LA Times report 1938 Cliff’s wife Mildred Nesbitt
sued for divorce stating Clifford felt she washolding him back from his career. Then in 1942
Clifford was divorced
from wife Julie Harrison.
Sept 28 1943 Per Nan
Nuys News; Mr. Clifford
Arquette mayor ofSherman Oaks, popularradio show “PointSublime” will show hisfilm creation “FoolsGold” at the YMCA
Camp Rally at DonnaHubbard Auditorium
Friday Nite.
There was a break in(B&E) at the Arquette residence January 1945 asreported in the San Diego paper, the film stars San
Fernando Valley home looted, a valuable camera
and cash were stolen by entry thru a broken screen.
How Arquette got into ham radio is a mystery but hewas active after WW2. He because he was a worldclass painter and artist.
Awarded October 1960 in the Gettysburg Times byU.S. Grant III Battle Field Chairman at Gettysburg
Pa., The Civil War Unit Civilian centennialcommission lauded Arquette for his unceasing effort
to promote interest in the Civil War period Actor Cliff Arquette involved in a two car collision,
the 63 year old actor collided with an older lady
both parties removed for observation receiving cutsand scratches and Arquette complained about hisleft arm.
Van Nuys ads April 68 “Learn to Paint” CliffArquette Art Center 6211 LAUREL CANYONBLVD - nice size ads. With old timer Charley
Weaver & his easel. The earlier location at a Legion
Club wasn’t approved
His life became anew after invitation to NYC to bea regular on Jack Paar’s Tonight show. He lived inNYC and Gettysburg PA, back and forth, enjoying
running a Museum selling mugs, rubber masks,ashtrays, and Mt. Idy Yum Yum’s. He loved beingaround the young visitors. He was sought after on
TV interviews, first - Ralph Edwards “This Is Your
Life!” Plus the CBS network show “Person ToPerson” with Charles Collingwood from Arquette’s
Gettysburg Pa home 16 Sept 1960.
In 1972 our subject had thefirst of his heart attacks anda stroke 26 Apr 1972 bydriving on the divided
highway in LA and driving
to the berm with a heart
problem. An old flame(Miriam C., visited him
there and they dated until
Cliff died in 1974. It wasreported they were to bemarried.
In May of 1974 Cliff was
Demond Wilson’s best man(age 27) of Stanford and Sons fame. The occasion
was held in LA. Arquette and Wilson were on
Hollywood Squares frequently.
Long Beach Independent Press telegram 28 Sept
1974 Private services were held for family andfriends for Arquette who expired. The body was tobe cremated after the private service held at Encino
Community Church in Tarzana Calif. He had abrother in San Francisco - Russ and a son Lewis inChicago. Thus, Clifford known as the Mayor ofSherman Oaks departed us. It would be nice to haveone of those Mt. Idy Yum Yum’s from the store.
w8su 2006 added 2011