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More LA Local Kiddie Shows
As my older sister and I were both born and raised in L.A., we literally cover nearly the entire history of boomer's programing as living room audience members. The names and faces on the site are those of old and dear friends to us, each with there own individual, and most personal memories burned into our collective video childhoods. Although neither of us ever appeared on any of the programs, just living anywhere in Southern California provided the firsthand opportunity to meet many of our black and white heroes bigger than life, and in "living color"!
Even
the advent of puberty and the discovery of girls didn't sidetrack me (for
long), as getting more and more involved with the business, I met and
even worked with many of these same local legends. Some years back I was
invited to a party at Walt Disney's first West Coast home in Silverlake.
As
Mr. Disney is nothing less than an idol of mine, I was already in a state
of bliss existing in the same space as he once did, but add to that the
extra jubilance of meeting a dozen or so "old friends" together in the
same room, and you get some idea of what I was experiencing. Shaking hands
as a "grown-up" with Tom Hatten, Hal Smith, Baby Daphne, Nancy Wibble,
Chucko the Clown, and the second major professional influence- Paul
Winchel was great. Being able to thank them for everything they brought
to my childhood was better.
Danise
did win a huge box of Welch's candy from Skipper Frank-second prize
for the most clever use of the letter "w" in a drawing (of a cow, and
you can probably figure out where the letter went), while I got a personal
(mimeographed) letter back from Miss Mary Ann of Romper Room
AND got to hear Sheriff John perfectly read my name telling all
of Los Angeles it was my birthday (Mom having the good sense to audio
tape that one!).
Interestingly,
I found no bigger thrill working with a certain green frog at nineteen
than I did touching Mickey Mudturtles rough plastic shell when I was six.
And
just to bring it totally full-circle, some years back I was offered the
chance to create, produce and star in my own local daily children's television
show, and in answer to the oft-asked question "Could something like that
work today?", we tanked-badly. (These kids today...) Maybe someday...
Thank
you so much for providing another glimpse of Hobo, Sheriff, Skip 'n
Woofer, and especially Shrimpenstein, who I hadn't seen a picture
of in probably 30 years, spending most of that time trying to describe
the little guy to those who never quite got it.
- Tim Barnes
The Captain 5 character on WRAL TV in the early 60's was
played by a man named Herb Marx. I remeber him still working for the WRAL
TV station after the Captain 5 show ended somewhere around the mid 60's.
LA's
LOCAL KID SHOWS
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Just
wanted to add my two cents to your roundup of children's show memories.
Pick
a supermarket on any given Saturday afternoon, and there would be some
personality out front handing out "fan cards", sponsor's samples and other
goodies most grown-ups probably thought were "junk", but we found irresistible,
spiriting it away for keeps. (Oh..if I could only find that wiener whistle!)
Little
Oscar wasn't the only one we shook hands with. Mr. Wishbone
and Bad Habit Rabbit, Mr. Popatoby along with Mickey and Michelle
Mudturtle and the ever lovely Hobo Kelly who was possibly more
beautiful in person than one could ever imagine. With influences and memories
like that, I suppose it was inevitable that I would wind up working in
the fields of puppetry and animation.
As
years went by, I got to touch the dream again and again. Roaming the ancient
art deco hallways of KCOP one afternoon, and trying to channel the spirit
of kid show hosts past, I imagined some big bag of postcards being dumped
on some table in the middle of what I'm sure is now some suit's office,
and wondered why they never seemed to pick my sister's and mine. So we
never got the Schwinn bike or tickets to Disneyland.
Later
still as a working puppeteer I was able to get to know the rubber-headed
cast of "The Foozels", Sally Baker's other series, Chivo and
Chavo of "Domingo" fame as well as the "Dusty's Treehouse"
gang, Maxine, Scooter and Stanley on a "professional basis" before performing
with more nationally know puppet stars like the cast of "The Curiosity
Shop".
As
I mentioned earlier, I had the chance to thank my video friends, and I
would like to thank you as well, for taking me back to a much simpler,
and far less troublesome time in all our lives.
Now
if you could just come up with something on Walker Edmiston, and Ravenswood,
like an e-mail address....? I'm sure there are others with similar stories
and I would love to hear from any of them. Until then, keep the memories
alive.
