Rob Martinez

They say you haven’t made it until you’ve played Fort Wayne. Get ready world, for I am about to “arrive” thanks to the diligent efforts of a former student (and lifelong friend), Rob Martinez.

Regular visitors know Rob better as “Colonna,” his nom de guerre used when posting in the The Big Screen comment section.

In September of 2014, Indiana’s favorite son began producing and hosting The Movie Music Spotlight for 89.1 WBOI. Since starting the weekly Thursday night cavalcade of soundtracks, Rob has dedicated hours to Clint Eastwood, Drew Barrymore, Mel Brooks, James Bond, classic horror, and, of course, Mr. Martin Scorsese.

Just one of hundreds of holiday musical oddities Rob’s been kind enough to share.

Rob is also the curator of one of the largest privately owned collections of Christmas music in the United States — his annual CD compilations are the stuff of legend. Every year the station lets him cut loose with an hour of Yuletide jangle. The 2015 edition of The Nights Before Christmas will feature music that was introduced in or associated with Christmas movies.

Rob mastered two principles of living while under my skilled tutelage at Chicago’s Columbia College: never take Marty’s name in vain, and Bob Hope was a very old, not-so-funny, violently insane madman whose television specials interfered with the thought patterns of millions of Americans.

I am one of them. Not long after Rob graduated, Mr. Hope sent out a telekinetic message compelling me to slip into my former student’s room under cloak of darkness and plant a giant sea pod under his bed. Everyone in the family was hooked soon after.

Included in the upcoming Christmas broadcast will be a three-minute segment on the introduction of the song “Silver Bells” in the wonderful Frank Tashlin/Bob Hope comedy The Lemon Drop Kid that I recorded for a certain local radio station that shall remain nameless. Here’s a clue: it’s the one that axed a movie show I co-hosted the second the icky, not-for-profit profiteers were asked to reward hard work with financial remuneration.

Knowing full well my feeling of disdain, Rob placed a call to the enemy camp and secured the rights to air the segment. To their credit, the station agreed.

Rob forwarded an MP3 of the schtick that I’ve posted here, but don’t dare listen to it out of context. Wait until it airs Thursday, December 18 at 7 pm PST, ladies and gentlemen, followed by an encore presentation on Christmas Day. Listen live here.

Rob originally wanted to spotlight a piece I recorded on It’s A Wonderful Life, but a bell rang inside his head hinting that “the Bob Hope segment fits better with the format on my show.” Apparently it’s been years since Rob’s cleaned under his bed.