Now You See It, Now You Don't!
TellZall's object for September is The Howdy Doody program.
Click on the image below to hear the intro to Howdy Doody.
"Say, kids, what time is it?" For millions of 1950s children, the answer to this question was an immediate and enthusiastic "It's Howdy Doody time!" To be a bit more precise, the time was 5:30 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, and the children answering were glued in front of television sets tuned to the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). The person asking the question was host Buffalo Bob Smith, and Howdy Doody was a diminutive, freckle-faced marionette. Both were dressed in Western garb.
The story begins in 1947 when New York NBC radio station WEAF launched a program called The Triple B. Ranch, the Bs standing for Big Brother Bob Smith.Triple B Ranch was a quiz show for elementary-school children who answered questions that were designed to get a "funny" answer. The show's producer asked Smith if he could do some other "voices" for the show, and he responded with a country bumpkin ranch hand named Elmer. The show worked well, and Elmer became Howdy Doody. In 1947 Smith convinced NBC to transfer the radio show to the new medium of television.
On Saturday, December 27, 1947, Puppet Playhouse premiered. The show went on the air at 5:00 P.M. and was NBC's first show of the day. Twenty-four-hour-a-day broadcasting was in the future, and networks broadcast for only a few hours each evening. The show featured a mixture of real people and puppets, marionettes actually. Along with Smith, who soon became Buffalo Bob Smith, real actors included the mute clown Clarabelle Hornblow and a variety of guest performers. A number of marionettes joined Howdy, and the show became a hit.
The show's huge popularity surprised even those responsible for its inception and production. The show evolved from one hour on Saturdays to a daily, half-hour show. During the 1948 presidential campaign, Howdy ran for President of the United States. Immediately, nearly 60,000 viewers requested campaign buttons, and the number grew to 250,000. In 1949 the show was renamed The Howdy Doody Show. Viewers tuned in nightly and demanded more Howdy. Macy's Department Store in New York City sold more than 10,000 Howdy dolls - each doll featuring forty-eight freckles for the forty-eight states.
The schedule was demanding. Rehearsals began at noon. At 1:00 in the afternoon camera rehearsal began and lasted until about 5:00. The commercials, which were done live during the show, were rehearsed from about 3:00. At 5:00 the actors rushed to make up in order to make the 5:30 air time. Joining them in the studio was an audience of real kids, called the Peanut Gallery. They were an active part of the show, taking part in various skits.
In addition to Howdy, Buffalo Bob, and Clarabelle (who was played at one time by future Captain Kangaroo Bob Keeshan) were a mixture of people and puppets. In all cases, the live characters and the puppets interacted without distinction. The show was a runaway success. By 1956 the hectic pace was taking its toll on the actors and behind-the-scenes personnel. Buffalo Bob had suffered a heart attack, and the pressure of producing five live shows a week was becoming too much. In addition, other shows, including the new Mickey Mouse Club, were competing for young audiences. Howdy Doody became a Saturday-morning show and lasted in that format for another four years.
On September 24, 1960, the final episode of the Howdy Doody Show aired. The show had gone through 2,343 programs and had been the first television show of any type to complete 1,000 broadcasts. It had introduced a generation of children to television, provided a wholesome message, and captivated audiences young and old. It had introduced a variety of spin-off products, from lunch boxes to comic books. In every respect, the Howdy Doody Show had been an huge success. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the last. On that final show, Clarabelle, who had been silent for more than a dozen years, looked at the camera and said, "Good-bye, kids."
