Sally Starr (born Alleen Mae Beller, January 26, 1923) adopted a cowgirl persona and appealed to local TV audiences for several generations of children that established her as a prominent 1950s celebrity television personality, that included a lifetime mix of diverse entertainment accomplishments in American radio, Broadway stage and Movies continuing for over 60 years.
Her broadcast and entertainment career began with creation of the character of a blonde cowgirl who hosted an afternoon children's program for Philadelphia station WFIL-TV (now WPVI) from the 1950s to 1971. The character became an icon in the greater Philadelphia area.
Her program was usually known as "Popeye Theater" or a variation, which presented Popeye cartoons and Three Stooges shorts (aka the "Funny Film"). For a time, she was also hostess of "Starr Theater," which ran after 'Popeye Theater' and presented a cowboy movie. The program ran from the 1950s through 1971.
She was dressed in bright red full cowgirl regalia, including gun and holsters. Her opening line was, "Hope you feel as good as you look, 'cause you sure look good to your gal Sal." She closed with "May the Good Lord be blessing you and your family. Bye for now!"
Sally hosted a number of guest visitors including the Three Stooges and Colonel Sanders, plus local legends Dick Clark and Chief Halftown.
She was popular at her many public appearances, including many on her horses, Pal, Silver, Cane, and Rusty. She continues to make public appearances near her home in southern New Jersey. She also hosted a radio show on WVLT, 92.1 FM in Vineland, New Jersey until retiring in September 2006. In 2009 she returned to WVLT to host the "Suppertime Jamboree" which airs every Saturday at 5pm.
Besides her TV career and recording career, Sally appeared in the Three Stooges features film The Outlaws Is Coming in the role of sharpshooter Belle Starr. She also appeared in The In Crowd, Mannequin on the Move and Holiday Journey.
Sally was also a recording artist, in 1958 recording the full-length album Our Gal Sal backed by Bill Haley & His Comets. She sold thousands of records under the Clymax label, which was one of Haley's companies. Bill Haley co-wrote the songs "A.B.C. Rock" and "Rocky the Rockin' Rabbit" for her which were released as singles (the former would later be covered by Haley himself; the latter was released in 1959 as a standalone single unconnected with the album). Although Our Gal Sal was out of print by the 1960s, in the 1970s and 80s several of these recordings reappeared on a series of compilation albums put out by the UK-based Rollercoaster Records label entitled Rockaphilly.
Fans in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, known as the Delaware Valley, embraced her cowgirl personality as part of their own families, and sometimes referred to her as Aunt Sally. Her numerous personal appearances at events were an attraction for both children and adults.She was considered not only a character personality, but also a total performer. She was a pioneer in the history of early broadcast TV and radio. She became the first top-rated female DJ in the country, and worked as announcer, writer and producer while also appearing on stage and in movies.
She has written her autobiography, titled Me, Thee, & TV.
Starr currently operates a pizza/ice cream restaurant in Atco, New Jersey.