Head over Heels: Remembering Wrestling at the Chase takes a deep dive from the top of the ropes to explore how the unlikely merger of an elegant ballroom and beefy athletes made for unbeatable television on an emerging network and put St. Louis at the center of the national wrestling scene.
It’s been almost 40 years since Wrestling at the Chase aired, but there is no shortage of fond memories. Head over Heels: Remembering Wrestling at the Chase weaves together stories from fans and former wrestlers and their families, with the history of our city, to tell the larger tale of not only a beloved show, but also of an unstoppable promoter, an iconic hotel, and a visionary TV man—and how they all worked together to establish St. Louis as a heavyweight in the national wrestling arena.
Wrestling at the Chase was one of St. Louis’ most popular and longest-running local programs. From 1959 to 1983, professional wrestling’s colorful stars took to the ring before cheering and booing crowds. KPLR-TV in St. Louis broadcast the matches, with Joe Garagiola doing the early ringside announcing duties.
For St. Louis families, the Saturday night live broadcasts and Sunday morning repeats became must-see TV. It also helped make St. Louis one of the premiere cities for this unique brand of over-the-top entertainment.
From Dick the Bruiser to Penny Banner to Ric Flair to King Kong Brody and many others, the film profiles some of the most loved/hated/famous contenders to take the ring at the Chase.
A Chance Encounter
What started out as a chance conversation on an airplane—Sam Muchnick had wrestlers and a ring; Harold Koplar had a hotel ballroom and a brandnew TV station—turned into a match made in wrestling heaven.
Thanks to Ukrainian-born wrestling promoter Sam Muchnick’s unusual mix of business savvy and integrity, St. Louis became the capital of professional wrestling and a coveted stop for performers on the circuit.
Developer Sam Koplar’s iconic Chase Park Plaza Hotel became the place where presidents, royalty, and celebrities stayed, giving it a reputation for sophistication and luxury. Harold Koplar’s additions to his father’s already famous hotel included the glamorous Chase Club, Khorassan Ballroom, and Starlight Roof—where the hottest entertainers of the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s came to play. But Harold (HK to his friends) was building something else, too: an independent VHF television station named KPLR.
Although Sam Muchnick and others had been coordinating and promoting huge wrestling events at Kiel Auditorium, HK convinced him to look at the potential of television. Setting the staged, sweaty brawls in the beautiful Khorassan Ballroom at the Chase was the ultimate high/low experience for all involved. Live audiences who could afford a swanky night out sat just yards away from the action in their jewels and black ties, while viewers who tuned in to the new KPLR gathered with homemade snacks in their living rooms, feeling they were part of the glamour.
Head over Heels: Remembering Wrestling at the Chase was produced by Nine PBS in collaboration with the author of Wrestling at the Chase, sports historian Ed Wheatley, who also produced the popular documentaries on the St. Louis Browns for Nine PBS.
Watch the membership special on Saturday, June 4, 8 pm, when themed thank-you gifts will be available. You can also livestream or watch on the PBS Video App after broadcast.
This special is supported by the Betsy & Thomas Patterson Foundation.
This article appeared in the May/June 2022 issue of Nine PBS Magazine.