| Howdy Doody | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | E. Roger Muir |
| Presented by | Buffalo Bob Smith |
| Starring | Bob Keeshan Lew Anderson Robert "Nick" Nicholson |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | E. Roger Muir |
| Running time | 60 minutes (1947–1948; 1960) 30 Minutes (1948–1960) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC |
| Picture format | Black & White (1947-1955) Color (1955-1960) |
| Original run | December 29, 1947 – September 24, 1960 |
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program (with circus and frontier/Western themes) that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir[1] and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. One of the first television series produced at NBC in Rockefeller Center, in Studio 3A, it was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s.
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Howdy Doody himself is a freckle-faced boy marionette with 48 freckles, one for each state of the union (up until January 3, 1959 when Alaska was admitted as the 49th state), and was originally voiced by Buffalo Bob Smith.[2] The Howdy Doody show's various marionettes were created and built by puppeteers Velma Wayne Dawson, Scott Brinker (the show's prop man) and Rufus Rose throughout the show's run.[3] The redheaded Howdy marionette on the original show was operated with 11 strings: two heads, one mouth, one eye, two shoulders, one back, two hands and two knees. Three strings were added when the show returned—two elbows and one nose.
The original Howdy Doody marionette now resides at the Detroit Institute of Arts. There were duplicate Howdy Doody puppets, designed to be used expressly for off-the-air purposes (lighting rehearsals, personal appearances, etc.), although surviving kinescope recordings clearly show that these duplicate puppets were indeed used on the air occasionally. Double Doody was the Howdy stand-in puppet; now on permanent display at the Smithsonian.[4] Photo Doody is the near-stringless marionette that was used in personal appearances, photos, parades, and the famed NBC test pattern. He was sold by Leland's Sports Auction House in 1997 for more than $113,000 to a private art collector, TJ Fisher.[5] Other puppet characters included Heidi Doody (Howdy's sister), Mayor Phineas T. Bluster, Dilly Dally, Inspector John J. Fadoozle ("America's number 1 private eye"), Sandra the Witch, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Capt. Windy Scuttlebut and the curious Flub-a-Dub (a combination of eight animals: a duck's bill, a cat's whiskers, a spaniel's ears, a giraffe's neck, a dachshund's body, a seal's flippers, a pig's tail and an elephant's memory). The show is also known for its animals like Hyde and Zeke the bears, Mambo the Elephant, Tizzy the dinosaur, Paddle the Gnu, and Tommy Turtle. Howdy Doody dolls were also sold commercially, as well as marionettes of Howdy Doody and Flub-a-dub.
In addition to the original vintage puppets, puppetmaker Alan Semok (at the request of Bob Smith in the early 1990s) created several exact replicas of Howdy, including (thanks to improved materials and new moulding techniques) a more exact marionette replica than had ever been produced in the past, as well as a new Photo Doody which Smith used in personal appearances until the time of his death. One of Semok's marionette duplicates appears on a 2005 cover of TV Guide magazine as part of a series recreating classic covers from the magazine's history. The cover featured Howdy with Conan O'Brien dressed as Buffalo Bob Smith. Another of the Semok duplicates resides in the International Museum and Library of the Conjuring Arts, the private museum owned by renowned illusionist David Copperfield.
Bob Smith (November 27, 1917 – July 30, 1998), the show's host, was dubbed "Buffalo Bob" early in the show's run. Smith wore cowboy garb, and the name of the puppet "star" was derived from the Western United States greeting "howdy do", a commonplace corruption of "How do you do?" (The straightforward use of that expression was also in the theme song's lyrics.) Smith, who had gotten his start as a singing radio personality in Buffalo, New York, used music frequently in the program. Cast members Lew Anderson and Robert "Nick" Nicholson were both experienced jazz musicians.
There also were several human characters, most notably the mute Clarabell the Clown, who communicated by honking horns on his belt and squirting seltzer, J. Corny Cobb and Chief Thunderthud, head of the Ooragnak tribe of Native Americans (kangaroo spelled backward). Edward Kean originated Thunderthud's greeting "Kowabonga!" Princess Summerfall Winterspring, originally played by actress Judy Tyler. The characters inhabited the fictional town of Doodyville. Several characters (including Ugly Sam, the world's worst wrestler, and Pierre the Chef) were also voiced by comedian and voice actor Dayton Allen, who later went on to become a cast regular on NBC's primetime Steve Allen Show. The Howdy show's non-televised rehearsals were renowned for including considerable double-entendre dialogue between the cast members (particularly the witty Dayton Allen) and the puppet characters.
Late in life, Bob Smith befriended New York-based fan Jack Roth, who was already quite familiar with Smith's gallery of puppet characters. Since Bob Smith's death, both Roth and actor/puppeteer Alan Semok (who was tasked by Smith to re-create the marionnette) have provided the voice for Howdy Doody in some TV appearances and live venues since 1998.
Clarabell was first played by Bob Keeshan, who continued in that role until 1952. Keeshan was fired after a salary dispute and later became Captain Kangaroo at CBS. At the end of the final episode, telecast on September 24, 1960, Clarabell (then played by jazz musician Lew Anderson) broke his series-long silence to say the final words of the final broadcast: "Goodbye, kids." Lew Anderson followed Nick Nicholson,[6] who also played Doodyville's J. Cornelius Cobb.
After the death of Buffalo Bob Smith, a fierce legal and custody battle for the original Howdy Doody erupted between the heirs of Bob Smith, the Rufus Rose estates and a museum to which the marionette had been bequeathed. Howdy was once again in the news, with his face and story making headline broadcast, wire, talk show and print news around the world. For a while, during the tug-of-war fight, Howdy was held hostage in a bank safety deposit box while his saga played out in the federal courts. During one day of deposition, puppetmaker Alan Semok (who had performed various maintenance and re-painting of the original Howdy marionnette beginning in 1989) was called upon to unseal a trap door on the back of the puppet's head; Velma Dawson (the puppet's original builder who was 88 years of age at the time of the deposition), was present and given the opportunity to examine the inside of the head in an effort to verify that the puppet in question was the original that she created. Despite 50 years of numerous repairs, repaints, and replaced body parts, Dawson eventually declared the head of the puppet to be the one she originally made in 1947. The Detroit Institute for Arts, which has one of the largest collections of historically significant puppets in North America ultimately prevailed in the case now has custody of the original Howdy.
Originally an hour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (at 5pm), the show moved to Monday through Friday, 5:30–6:00 pm EST in September 1948. During part of its run, it was preceded by the 15-minute program, The Gabby Hayes Show, hosted by George "Gabby" Hayes. In June 1956, it returned to Saturdays, in a morning timeslot (10-10:30), continuing until its final broadcast on September 24, 1960.
Beginning in 1954, the NBC test pattern featured a picture of Howdy Doody.
A distinctive feature was the Peanut Gallery, on-stage bleachers seating about 40 kids. Each show began with Buffalo Bob asking, "Say kids, what time is it?" and the kids yelling in unison, "Howdy Doody Time!" Then the kids all sang the show's theme song (set to the tune of "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay"). It was thus one of the first television shows with audience participation as a major component.
In many of the 1949–54 episodes released on DVD by Mill Creek Entertainment in 2008, the children can even be heard singing jingles for commercial breaks, with Buffalo Bob or Howdy leading them and the lyrics appearing on screen. Colgate toothpaste, Halo Shampoo, 3 Musketeers candy bars and Poll Parrot Shoes are among the products advertised this way.
In September 1954, Bob Smith suffered a heart attack and was ordered to recover at home. NBC managed to keep the show going with guest hosts, including Gabby Hayes and New York disc jockey Ted Brown as Bison Bill, explaining that Smith was vacationing at Pioneer Village.[7] While kids generally were satisfied with the explanation, show sponsors insisted that they wanted Smith himself to hawk their products. In response, NBC set up a special studio at Smith's home so that he could appear live "from Pioneer Village" to do commercials. During Smith's absence from the show, Howdy was voiced by Allen Swift. Swift continued to voice the character for a short time even after Smith's return to the show in September 1955.
A 1955 merchandise catalog had 24 pages showcasing the range of products licensed by the show. The extensive merchandising included the aforementioned puppet, toys and clothing, plus tie-ins with cereals and other food products. Dell published a comic book from 1950 to 1956 along with Little Golden Books and Tell-a-Tale books, many written by Doody head writer Edward Kean.[8] In addition Dell scribe John Stanley contributed scripts for the comic book.[9] Kean also did some scripting (along with Stan Lee) of a Sunday-only Doody comic strip through United Feature Syndicate which ran from October 15, 1950, to June 21, 1953. Milt Neil and Chad Grothkopf were the initial art team through December 3, 1950 after which Grothkopf handled the art solo.[10]
UPA was hired to do an animated cartoon (Howdy Doody and his Magic Hat) which was the first directorial effort of Gene Deitch and long thought lost until a print turned up at the Library of Congress in 2010.[11][12] On April 15 of that year, the film was posted online.[13]
The American program was produced in color from 1955 onward. It was prerecorded on color videotape in the final years, making it one of the earliest programs to use that technology.
The final episode, "Clarabell's Big Surprise", was broadcast on September 24, 1960. The hour-long episode was mostly a fond look-back at all the highlights of the show's past. Meanwhile, in the midst of it all, Clarabell has what he calls a "big surprise." The rest of the cast attempts to find out the surprise throughout the entire show, with only Mayor Phineas T. Bluster succeeding, and promising to keep it a secret. ("But", he says upon leaving, "it won't be very easy to keep something like this a secret for long!") Finally, in the closing moments, the surprise was disclosed through pantomime to Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody. "You mean, you can talk??" said Bob. "Why, golly... I don't believe it!", said Howdy Doody. Bob said, "You can talk?!" Clarabell nodded. Gently shaking the clown's shoulders, Bob continued, "Well, Clarabell, this is your last chance. If you really can talk, prove it! Let's hear you say something!" An ominous drum roll began as Clarabell faced the camera as it came in for an extreme closeup. His lips quivered as the drumroll continued. When it stopped, Clarabell simply said softly, "Goodbye, kids." A tear could be seen in Clarabell's right eye as the picture faded to black. The show quietly ended with a roll of credits as "Auld Lang Syne" was played on a celeste, and there was an announcement that The Shari Lewis Show would be on at that time next week. The recently discovered and restored color videotape of the final broadcast is now available commercially.
The nostalgia interest in the 1950s during the 1970s that American Graffiti tapped into also resulted in an episode of Happy Days in its second season on February 18, 1975, having a Howdy Doody storyline featuring Smith as Buffalo Bob, with actor Bob Brunner as Clarabell. Shortly thereafter, Nicholson-Muir Productions (owned by Nick Nicholson and E. Roger Muir) acquired from NBC the rights to produce the New Howdy Doody Show, an attempt by Buffalo Bob and most of the old cast to recreate their past fame. It was broadcast from August 1976 to January 1977 in syndication. For this incarnation, which lasted for 130 episodes, the Howdy Doody marionette had actual hair in a contemporary 1970s style and was operated by puppeteer Pady Blackwood. Cast members included Bill LeCornec as fictional producer Nicholson Muir (named for the production company); Nicholson himself as Corny Cobb (now working as a "prop man" rather than a shopkeeper), bandleader Jackie Davis, and Marilyn Patch as Happy Harmony (filling in for the Princess Summerfall Winterspring role). Lew Anderson returned as Clarabell. It was staged before a larger Peanut Gallery of children and their parents, originating from and taped in Florida.
A decade later, the show celebrated its 40th anniversary with a two-hour syndicated TV special, It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration, featuring Smith, Anderson, Nicholson and LeCornec, who reprised his former role of Chief Thunderthud for the special. In 2008, official DVD releases of selected episodes began from Mill Creek Entertainment, featuring special features (interviews, photo galleries).
Like the later Sesame Street, Canadian, Cuban, and Mexican spin-off shows were licensed using local casts and duplicate puppets.
In March 1953, the Kagran Corporation, the organization which produced the original Howdy Doody for NBC, started production on La Hora de Jaudi Dudi, a daily Spanish-language version of the program filmed in Mexico City. The program aired over Canal de las Estrellas in Mexico and, beginning on April 27, CMQ-TV in Havana, Cuba. According to Billboard, the series featured a freckleless Howdy puppet and a new puppet named Don Burro.[14] While the aim was to produce a series to distribute to the entirety of Latin America, the company halted production after six months due to unforeseen production difficulties (At the time, Mexican television programming was scarce and often improvised, unlike the American-influenced Cuban market, apart from the fact that Mexican broadcasters weren't interested in foreign production) and market considerations (Until 1960, most South American countries did not have television services). 96 half-hour episodes were filmed.[15]
Cuban television later launched its own local version, named Chiriltin, which lasted through 1959 or early 1960.[16]
The Canadian Howdy Doody Show made its debut on November 15, 1954, airing three times a week over CBC Television. Originating from the network's Toronto studios, the Canadian version of the show starred James Doohan and later Peter Mews as forest ranger Timber Tom, who corresponded to Buffalo Bob in the U.S. version. CBC's Clarabell was played by Alfie Scopp.[17] Robert Goulet is sometimes erroneously credited as Timber Tom (even by Goulet's official website and Buffalo Bob Smith), although he may have been an occasional fill-in host. William Shatner, the future Captain Kirk of Star Trek, also filled in for Timber Tom occasionally as "Ranger Bob".
The Canadian show appeared more low-budget than its American counterpart and seemed watered-down, with less raucous plots and less villainous villains, as well as a more educational orientation. Some of the stories were evocative nonetheless, almost stepping into high fantasy, and often featured Dilly Dally as an everyman hero who muddled through and did the right thing. Early in the run, there was a short-lived puppet character called Mr. X (no relation to a puppet of the same name who appeared on the American show) who traveled through time and space in his "Whatsis Box" teaching children about history. However, Mr. X was removed from the show due to parental complaints that he was too scary. It has been suggested that the Mr. X sequence may have inspired the creation of the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who. In its earliest days, the series was likewise designed to teach children about history and, throughout the series, it has featured an alien known only as the Doctor who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which is permanently in the shape of a police box. The series' creator, Sydney Newman, oversaw the production of the Canadian version of Howdy Doody while working as head of programming for the CBC.[18]
The Canadian Howdy Doody Show ended on June 26, 1959.[17]
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