TV puppet shows – Lee Duigon

This takes us a long way down Memory Lane. These days it’s hard to imagine that a little series built around a clown, a dragon, and a cheery young woman would turn into a major hit. Indeed, in 2009 the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp honoring Kukla, Frank, and Ollie.

Kukla the clown and Ollie the dragon, puppets, engaged in gentle banter and funny songs with Fran Allison, the only live human in the show–and people just plain loved it. The show ran from 1947 through 1957. Watching it is one of my earliest childhood memories. But it was even more popular among adults than children.

And would you believe it was all ad-libbed? No foolin’. Fran had experience as a live radio comedian, so she was up to the challenge. I wonder if anybody could successfully do a show like that today.

Well, what could be more benign and harmless? I like benign and harmless–and we could use more of it. Lots more.

Good grief. You mean some of us actually watched this? The Rootie Kazootie Club? Yoish.

Well, it was the early days of television, early 1950s, and we still had a lot to learn about just how low it could go. This is a 15-minute clip, the shortest one I could find; but I think after two or three minutes you’ll get the feel of it.

A lot of these prehistoric kids’ shows had live studio audiences who were expected to sing the theme song, applaud and laugh (on cue, I suspect), and look happy. Some of them don’t look all that happy.

I’m too young to remember it well–the show ran from 1950 to 1954, so I was only five years old when it stopped–but I do remember it a little. I must say there’s something about it that I find kind of creepy. Are they, like, Stepford Kids in the audience? What would you find if you looked under Rootie’s hat?

But I’m giving myself the willies, so I’d better stop.