Gene London, Philadelphia Kid Show Star dies at 88

Eugene Norman Yulish, the former children’s TV show host better known to fans as Gene London, died Sunday in Reading at the age of 88, his niece Susan Muszynski confirmed Tuesday. The cause was a cerebral hemorrhage after a fall Friday, according to his family. London lived in Reading with his husband, John Thomas, his partner of 39 years.

From 1959 to 1977, London hosted a children’s show on Philadelphia TV station WCAU, Channel 10, that aired under several titles, including “Cartoon Corners” and “The Gene London Show.” An accomplished artist and storyteller, he used a sketch pad to illustrate scenes and characters drawn from classic novels, mythology and fairy tales. A generation of area children slept with their lights on after London’s shows shifted to plots centered on ghosts, aliens and monsters. Sets included the haunted “Quigley Mansion” and “Mr. Dibley’s General Store,” where London’s character worked. During the 1960s and 1970s, he made regular appearances at area Boscov’s Department Stores, developing a close friendship with the late Al Boscov. It was Boscov who enticed London to retire in Reading after a second career in the New York fashion industry, designing for private clients, Broadway shows, television and films.

London also amassed a collection of Hollywood costumes and accessories. He regularly exhibited selections from his collection of more than 60,000 pieces. His costume exhibits included "The Magic of Hollywood: the Gene London Costume Collection" at the Reading Public Museum in 2009, the Reading Public Library's "Cocktails and Classics Fundraiser" at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in 2018 and "Designing Hollywood: Golden Age Costumes" from the Gene London Cinema Collection at the Allentown Art Museum last year. London was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 9, 1931, to Minna and Isadore Yulish. A funeral service will be held Thursday at the Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, with plans for a celebration of his life for fans in Philadelphia sometime this spring, according to his family.