Al Christy

Albert Christopher Ladesich (September 7, 1918 – March 3, 1995), better known as Al Christy, was an American actor, advertising executive, and radio and television announcer.

He was born in Kansas City, Kansas, the son of Croatian parents who had immigrated to the United States a few years before. He graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1937. This was where he first became interested in dramatics.

Ladesich began his career working under his father, selling insurance for Armour Packing Company in Kansas City. He then served in World War II, and upon his discharge, returned to Kansas City and became an announcer for radio station WDAF-FM. It was here that he first adopted the stage name "Al Christy." While with WDAF, Ladesich also did acting on various dramatic radio programs being produced in Kansas City, most notably The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen, where he starred as mechanic "Flash" Lewis during the show's 1946-47 run. He also found acting work in educational and industrial films being produced by the Calvin Company of Kansas City, including films directed by Robert Altman. Ladesich would continue to appear in Calvin films (and ones produced by Centron Corporation in Lawrence, Kansas) until the early 1980s.

In 1950 shortly after the new WDAF-TV station was begun in Kansas City, Ladesich became one of three weathercasters there. In 1953 when popular weather announcer Shelby Storck left WDAF, Ladesich, who by now was assistant program director for the station, took over his spot and the name Al Christy became more well known in the Kansas City area. The Ladesich family was very much involved in Kansas City media. Al's brother and sister were associated with WDAF-TV as well, as directors and producers.

In 1956 Ladesich left WDAF-TV and became a director, writer, producer, and account manager for a Kansas City advertising agency which primarily produced radio and television commercials. Taking normal work hours and not being required to work at night like when toiling in radio and TV, Ladesich now had time in the evenings to devote to what soon became his chief hobby and avocation, acting. In 1956 he began regularly appearing in productions of Kansas City's top little theater group, the Resident Theater. He missed appearing in only four or five Resident productions over a course of twelve years. In 1961 while vacationing in Los Angeles, he visited his old Kansas City friend Robert Altman, who by now was directing episodic television in Hollywood. Altman told Ladesich about an episode of a TV series he was currently directing, titled Bonanza, that he needed an actor for to play a bartender. Ladesich spent one day on the set, playing "Joe the Bartender," and scored his first screen credit. In 1966 director Richard Brooks planned to shoot his film In Cold Blood in and around Kansas City, and endeavored to use local talent for many of the smaller roles. Ladesich was among the local actors enlisted, portraying a sheriff.

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