Carmelita Pope

Carmelita Pope, one of the "first ladies of Chicago television," passed away at her home in Boise, Idaho, on April 3. She was 94. After appearing as Stella in the 1947 Broadway production of "Streetcar Named Desire," Pope returned to her hometown Chicago and married H. Charles Ballenger, then a reporter with the Tribune, and began a career in television. Pope was a pioneer in the new industry, appearing in one of the first nationally syndicated quiz shows, "Down You Go," and TV's first soap opera, "Hawkins Falls." But she was best known for her commercials. Pope appeared on Chicago news broadcasts with legendary anchors Alex Drier and Floyd Kalber, doing live commercials on the set for Wanzer Milk, Bell Savings, and Northern Illinois Gas among many others. In the early sixties, she became national spokesperson for Pam cooking spray, and became famous for eggs sliding off frying pans. She once estimated that she did 2000 television commercials. In the late seventies, Pope left Chicago and moved to Los Angeles, where she appeared in soap operas, commercials, and the first TV "Spiderman" film. Her love of animals led her to a position as a traveling ambassador with the Pet Food Institute, and later she became director of the Hollywood office of the American Humane Association, where she supervised animal action on TV and movie sets. Pope retired to Florida, but after her second husband's death, she moved to Boise, Idaho, to be closer to family. She is survived by her two sons, Bruce Ballenger, of Boise, and Howard ("Buzz") Ballenger, of Santa Cruz, California, and four grandchildren.