Puppet Playhouse

This show is a good example of how children have changed since the halcyon haze of the 1950s. Back then, this show and its characters were beloved to seemingly most children, but now, children would be frightened by evil-looking puppets and clowns.

It's hard to believe that a children's show, much less one like this, could endure for nearly 2500 episodes. Oh well. I suppose children's television hasn't changed that much since the 1950s, after all -- Mr. Rogers is still around, as he was in the 50s, and modern children's shows have retained their simple, mindless guile, while at the same time keeping kids glued to their TVs for a few hours each day.

I watched this show everyday when I was a child in the '50s. I was even on the show once as a member of the 'Peanut Gallery'. Kids need more of this type of programming today and less of the pseudo violence and political programming that is labeled as 'kids TV' today. This stirs imagination, which in turn stirs creativity in children. The actors were wholesome people. Bob Keeshan who played 'Clarabell the Clown' for several years, later became successful as 'Captain Kangaroo'. Bob Smith who was also known as 'Buffalo Bob' did a lot of touring and public appearances. He was kind to children, I remember the day that I got to be in the 'Peanut Gallery', I was 8, Buffalo Bob was kind and not at all flustered by a bunch of young children. He seemed to really like kids.

MIGOSH! WHERE DO we begin? It's truly incredible to think of how much we really do recall about a series of so long ago. It is even more unbelievable when one considers that when we viewed much of this, the age was about 4 or 5 years old!

IT WAS AN important part of the afternoon routine at the Ryan household of 1950 (when we got our first TV set) to 1952 (we moved into our won house) and beyond. Because of this early and elementary introduction, the show and its characters had a very profound effect on our development.

ODDLY ENOUGH, DUE to our family's explanation of things, we understood that all we saw on the show was make believe. Our Mom and Dad, as well as older Sister Joanne, clued us in as to the fact that the people we saw were Actors, who portrayed the participants of the festivities on the show.

AND WHAT A GRAND cast of characters it truly was! In addition to the marionette main character, Howdy Doody, himself, there were a number of other supporting puppets. The action was provided by: Mr. Phineas T. Bluster (Howdy's elderly nemesis), Flubadub (a crazy-quilt of an animal*), Dilly Dally (a lackadaisical boy), Captain Scuttlebutt (Dilly Dally's uncle and Tugboat Operator) and others.

LIVE ACTION REAL actors who were featured mainly consisted of some whom portrayed multiple roles. For example, we have: Judy Tyler** as Indian Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Robert Keeshin (Future Captain Kangaroo) as the original Clarabelle the Clown and Chief Featherman of the Tinka-Tonka tribe (the Princess'father), with Bill Le Cornec taking the versatility honors with a triple assignment of renegade Chief Thunderthud (of the Ooragnak tribe & often ally of Mr. Bluster), Dr. Singasong (visiting 'trubador' and look alike for Mandrake the Magician) as well as Oil Well Willie (old coot of a Prospector).

THERE ARE CERTAIN incidents that we well remember, without benefit of any refresher. There was a continuity called "The Search for the Golden Goat" (a treasure hunt).

THE SHOW'S MOVING from the original Howdy Doody Circus setting to "Doodyville" was particularly memorable, if mean spirited. In it, Howdy said that Mr. Bluster could have the Circus for his own. But as that day's show was closing, a wrecking crew was "tearing down" the set! Can you say "CRUELTY?"

THE CREATOR, ONE 'Buffalo Bob' Smith served as host and did have some time off for recuperation from a heart attack (when he was temporarily replaced with one 'Bison Bill') Although Bob (born Robert Schmidt) sported a costume that was patterned after a buckskin outfit, he was not truly a man of the Old West. He derived the name from having been born and raised in Buffalo, NY!

THE ENTERPRISING AND versatile Mr. Smith also provided the voice for the wooden-headed Howdy!

NOTE: * The "Flubadub" was a combination of many animals; having the ears of a cocker spaniel, flippers of a turtle, etc. It was sort of like a fictional version of a Platypus!

NOTE ** Judy Tyler was killed in a car accident in 1957. At age 24 she was just embarking on a promising career; having just co-starred with Elvis in JAILHOUSE ROCK!

Back when Howdy Doody was aired at least you had characters that were not done up in costumes that disguise what the actors looked like as they are today.

I grew up during the early stages of children's programming on TV and watched Howdy Doody (Bob Smith), Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan) and The Merry Mailman (Ray Heatherton). Now your children are watching Barney (a supposed stuffed toy who comes to life to play with the children). Does anyone know the actors name or know what he looks like?. You also are letting your children watch Bear in the Big Blue House (again, any idea who that is?). Our children, and in my case grandchildren, are watching Jim Henson-like characters in full body costumes and not seeing realistic characters who imparted the same moral standards (if not more so) on a daily basis!! I feel sorry for the person who thought that the characters on Howdy Doody were grotesque yet lets his children watch the Power Rangers and other shows that depict violence in every episode. At least those grotesque characters never threw lightning bolts, had to kick 15 ninja style characters into oblivion or otherwise teach children that violence is the only way to overcome evil.

Let me go back to the days when a children's TV host was seen as him/herself. I would be much more satisfied seeing the grandchildren learning lessons from a person rather than a purple dinosaur!!

I don't think some of those reviewing this show understand that TV was in the process of being born in the late 1940s and early 1950s. You have to take into account that this was the first experiment in kids' TV programming - the very first attempt to do a show that would entertain kids. Radio people, being the only "broadcasters" around, were basically trying to do their thing - but with cameras suddenly on them. Buffalo Bob Smith invented the Howdy Doody character on radio - the puppet we usually see as Howdy was the second version, the first one having been horribly crude. Budgets were next to nothing. When Buffalo Bob asked NBC to add a clown to the show, they turned him down. He hired Bob Keeshan (who later played Captain Kangaroo on his own program) to play Clarabelle the clown and paid him $5 a week out of his own pocket. To appreciate the impact of this show you need to close your eyes and listen to the content. Doodyville is an imperfect world with many surprises. Phineas T. Bluster is the mayor and the authority figure. He frequently does thoughtless things but often comes to see the error of his ways. Watch practically any episode of the hit show NORTHERN EXPOSURE and see the same character interactions! Contrary to several internet posts, Smith was not a ventriloquist. He simply voiced the puppet, Howdy Doody, when he himself was off-camera. At some point, actor Allen Swift took over the voicing of Howdy to facilitate more live interaction between Bob and Howdy. Those who know the reality of the early days of TV recognize Bob Smith as one of TV's founding geniuses for his insight into children's entertainment.