Kathleen Norris Stark Caruso (June 1, 1919 – June 15, 2005), known professionally as Kathi Norris, was an American writer and television presenter.

Career

Norris's father was a woodworker and cabinetmaker, and also a musician, playing the

French horn The French horn (since the 1930s known simply as the horn in professional music circles) is a brass instrument made of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. The double horn in F/B (technically a variety of German horn) is the horn most o ...

and the

viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

in the Newark Symphony Orchestra. She had an older sister, Helen, who became a schoolteacher, and three older brothers, Carl, Donald, and Lowell Norris. The family were

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

. Kathi Norris became an advertising executive at W. R. Grace in Chicago and a radio writer,'KATHLEEN NORRIS S. CARUSO Obituary' in ''

Herald Tribune ''Herald'' or ''The Herald'' is the name of various newspapers. ''Herald'' or ''The Herald'' Australia * ''The Herald'' (Adelaide) and several similar names (1894–1924), a South Australian Labor weekly, then daily * '' Barossa and Light Heral ...

'' dated Aug. 3, 2005 marrying

Wilbur Stark Wilbur Stark (August 10, 1912 – August 11, 1995) was an American writer and film, television, and radio producer and director. Life Stark was born in Brooklyn and was the brother of Douglas Stark, an actor, Sheldon Stark, a writer, and Midge ...

in 1945. She hosted the first daytime

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

WABD WABD (97.5 FM broadcasting, FM) is an American radio station licensed to serve the city of license, community of Mobile, Alabama. The station, established in 1973 as WABB-FM, is owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Its studios are on Dauphin ...

, the

DuMont Television Network The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in ...

flagship TV station in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The show was known by the alternate titles ''Kathi Norris' Television Shopper,'' ''

TV Shopper ''TV Shopper'', also known as ''Your Television Shopper'' or ''Kathi Norris' Television Shopper,'' was an early American daytime television series which aired on the DuMont Television Network at 10:30 am ET from November 1, 1948 to December 1, 195 ...

'' , and ''Your Television Shopper'', which ran on DuMont from November 1, 1948, to December 1, 1950, and as ''The Kathi Norris Show'' which ran from 1950 to 1955 on DuMont, and on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

from 1955 to 1957. When her father died in 1957, she was living in

Bronxville, New York Bronxville is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States, located approximately north of Midtown Manhattan. It is part of the Adminis ...

. Norris also was host of the DuMont

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

'' Spin the Picture'' (4 June 1949 - 4 February 1950), and was host of the syndicated TV series ''True Story'' (1957–1961) produced by her husband

(1912–1995). Norris also appeared in the TV series ''

Modern Romances ''Modern Romances'' is an American anthology television series that was broadcast on NBC weekdays October 4, 1954 - September 19, 1958. In the spring of 1955 it was the network's highest-rated daytime program. Background A ''Modern Romances'' ra ...

'' (

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

, 1954) and did occasional women's segments for ''

The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...

'' with

Dave Garroway David Cunningham Garroway (July 13, 1913 – July 21, 1982) was an American Celebrity, television personality. He was the founding host and anchor of NBC's ''Today (American TV program), Today'' from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style ...

. Model and film actress

Koo Stark Kathleen Norris Stark (born April 26, 1956), better known as Koo Stark, is an American photographer and actress, known for her relationship with Prince Andrew. She is a patron of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, which runs the museum of the Vi ...

is her daughter with Stark. Norris was married to 1950s TV host Carl Caruso from 1979 until her death. She and Caruso had co-hosted ''Spin the Picture''. Her husband died in 2001.Carmen A. Caruso
at legacy.com/obituaries, accessed November 17, 2017 Norris died in London in June 2005, aged 86, survived by her children Pamela Stark-Guyer, Kathleen (Koo) Stark, and Wilbur B. Stark, three stepchildren, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

References

Bibliography

*David Weinstein, ''The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television'' (Philadelphia:

Temple University Press Temple University Press is a university press founded in 1969 that is part of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). It is one of thirteen publishers to participate in the Knowledge Unlatched pilot, a global library consortium approach ...

, 2004) *Alex McNeil, ''Total Television'', Fourth edition (New York:

Penguin Books Penguin Books Limited is a Germany, German-owned English publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers the Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the ...

, 1980) *Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'', Third edition (New York:

Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major American book publisher that is a subsidiary of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Ballantine was founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. Ballantine was acquired by Random House in ...

, 1964)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Kathi 1919 births 2005 deaths American television hosts American women television hosts People from Newark, Ohio 20th-century American women 20th-century American people

Career

See also

References

Bibliography

External links