Children's television Hosts 1950's and 1960's

[Braves2005]

In San Antonio,close to where I live,we always had Captain Gus on KENS-5,by the time that I watched it back in the late 70's as a little boy,he was on only on weekends,Saturday mornings and then Sunday mornings until 1979 when KENS decided to drop his show. Before that,he was on every weekday at 3:30 PM. He always showed Popeye cartoons(all versions of it,black and white and color episodes). Every time I see a TV Guide from the early 70's and Popeye is featured in the listings it is always Captain Gus.

I think that WOAI-4 and KONO(KSAT)-12 had their own kids programs back in the 50's and 60's but I wasn't born then so if someone remembers San Antonio's programming back then maybe they will know about if WOAI and KONO(KSAT) had their own shows.

 

[fred flintstone]

Philadelphia

WFIL-TV
Sally Starr (showed Popeye cartoons in hot cowgirl outfit, rumor was she'd been a burlesque stripper, a sexy blonde with major league hooters).

I believe Sally is still on the air today. Last I heard she was doing radio isomewhere in New Jersey. Interesting thing about Starr, a few months back someone uploaded a small clip of her WFIL show on You Tube only to have it removed at the request of...DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS !!

Figure that one out.

Sally discontinued her Sunday afternoon country music program on Oldies WVLT 92.1FM in Vineland, NJ. The show was probably brokered. Some things are better left to memory. She sounded like a crazy old trailer park lady who was a bit too in love with the bottle.

Possibly Dick Clark appeared in the clip. WFIL-TV6 personalities often did cross-over appearances on each others' shows. The station had a lot of local shows, in large part because the struggling ABC TV network did not a daytime schedule at all until they started feeding WFIL's local teen dance show (plus a modest quiz with a comedian nobody ever heard of named Carson).

 

[vibe]

In retrospect some of those hosts must have drank-those were the days where one had to medicate themselves. And if you had a bunch of yelling, hyperactive youngsters (pre Ritilin days) in the studio, I guess it would be easy to lose it every once in awhile. My hats are off to those children's hosts.

 

[gr8oldies]

Dayton, OH..I barely remember Uncle Orrie on Channel 7. They went to a Saturday morning childrens show in the 70s called "Charlie Goodtime". There was an adult woman dressed as a child called Penelope. Eventually it became "Courthouse Square" which as I recall didn't last very long.

I'll let others discuss Clubhouse 22..since I couldn't get it, I have few memories about it.

 

[bk77]

In retrospect some of those hosts must have drank-those were the days where one had to medicate themselves. And if you had a bunch of yelling, hyperactive youngsters (pre Ritilin days) in the studio, I guess it would be easy to lose it every once in awhile. My hats are off to those children's hosts.

There have been incidents where the host actually did lose it on camera. In Baltimore back in the 60s on WMET-TV channel 24 they aired a show called "Pogo's Cartoon Circus". Back then the station from what I heard, their signal barely left Baltimore City. Anyway, some kids were, well acting like kids. The host lost it. Yelling at the kids, telling them to sit down and shut up.

Since the show aired live, well the camera caught it. However, again due to the WMET signal and the state of UHF in 1968, well not too many people caught it.

 

[Ultimajock]

I believe Sally is still on the air today. Last I heard she was doing radio isomewhere in New Jersey. Interesting thing about Starr, a few months back someone uploaded a small clip of her WFIL show on You Tube only to have it removed at the request of...DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS !!

Figure that one out.

Sally discontinued her Sunday afternoon country music program on Oldies WVLT 92.1FM in Vineland, NJ. The show was probably brokered. Some things are better left to memory. She sounded like a crazy old trailer park lady who was a bit too in love with the bottle.

Possibly Dick Clark appeared in the clip. WFIL-TV6 personalities often did cross-over appearances on each others' shows. The station had a lot of local shows, in large part because the struggling ABC TV network did not a daytime schedule at all until they started feeding WFIL's local teen dance show (plus a modest quiz with a comedian nobody ever heard of named Carson).

...or, in order to buy whatever local "Bandstand" material existed from the local days before Clark's production company owned the show, including when Bob Horn was the main emcee and Clark was a fill-in, WFIL forced Clark to buy *everything* they had in the vault. Or Clark actually wanted to buy everything WFIL had. Knowing ABC's habit of destroying their own archives in the '70s (the DuMont Archives story has been brought up previously on this board), he certainly wanted to grab everything he possibly could...

 

[mleach]

I believe Sally is still on the air today. Last I heard she was doing radio isomewhere in New Jersey. Interesting thing about Starr, a few months back someone uploaded a small clip of her WFIL show on You Tube only to have it removed at the request of...DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS !!

Figure that one out.

Possibly Dick Clark appeared in the clip. WFIL-TV6 personalities often did cross-over appearances on each others' shows. The station had a lot of local shows, in large part because the struggling ABC TV network did not a daytime schedule at all until they started feeding WFIL's local teen dance show (plus a modest quiz with a comedian nobody ever heard of named Carson).

...or, in order to buy whatever local "Bandstand" material existed from the local days before Clark's production company owned the show, including when Bob Horn was the main emcee and Clark was a fill-in, WFIL forced Clark to buy *everything* they had in the vault. Or Clark actually wanted to buy everything WFIL had. Knowing ABC's habit of destroying their own archives in the '70s (the DuMont Archives story has been brought up previously on this board), he certainly wanted to grab everything he possibly could...

My brother is a You Tube fanatic. He saw the Sally Starr clip before it was taken down by Clark's production company. However he was telling me that Dick Clark wasn't seen in the clip at all but the announcer who was heard was Charlie O'Donnell (?) who of course was the same announcer for Bandstand. That could be a reason for the removal.

Also wasn't there some bad blood between Starr and Clark?

 

[majicjim]

On the subject of childrens TV hosts:

I remember back in 1967 when the former WKTR-TV(now PBS station WPTD "Think TV") had a charming young girl named Kim Christy who hosted "Kim's Kartoon Kapers" in the late afternoons. She introduced a series of cartoons called "Batfink" produced by Hal Seger(one of Max Fliescher's animators who later created "Milton The Monster"..a Saturday morning animated series on ABC.)
The Batfink toons were blissfully campy..much to my delight at the peak of the Batman-mania which inspired the series. She also introduced all of the Three Stooges live action two reelers and showing drawings and stuff submiited byher youthful viewers. Cute young girl at the time with a rather shy demeanor but always being her sweet,cheerful self. Wonder what happened to her after nearly forty years? (I must admit..I had a little bit of a crush on her when I was 13 at the time!) I debate in my mind if that's now Kim Faris of Z-93..(???)nah...probably not....or is she?

 

[vibe]

Wish I could help; one of the hosts was "Captain Sea (or C) Whiskers. if there was a SYT on TV when I was growing up, I'd certainly remember. I'm sure someone has the answer.

 

[majicjim]

This is just a bit past the 50s/60s television golden age,but this is just a bit inspired by that era. The "Peanut Gallery" concept used on Howdy Doody was also employed by countless kids programs produced locally in the 70s as well. Case in point would be "Popeye and Peggy" on WTTV Bloomington/Indianapolis in the mid 70s. Peggy Nicholson was always a funny,pretty and cheelful gal. I sat in on a taping of her show back in 1977 and she loved to joke around with the kids and make them laugh. Also "Janie" and "Cowboy Bob" Glaze's "Chuckwagon Theater" in the mornings and mid-days was something a small child can relate to..almost as a dear freind as was the late Jimmie Dodd of the original Mickey Mouse Club.

Something that is truly missed after Nickelodeon dropped the live audience and child interacttion factors and with it such programs as "Pinwheel" and "Sharon,Lois and Bram's Elephant Show" for the pre-school age kids, "You Can't Do That On Television" for the pre-teens and "Double Dare" for kids of all ages. Some of TV Ontario's programs including "Today's Special" and "The Magic Library" produced in the 80s are worthy of awards and accolades for kids in the the kindergarten and primary grades.
If I was still a little kid I would surely ask my parents whatever happened to these programs.

 

[KeithE4]

Indianapolis
WTTV/4 had Ruffles the Clown (late '50s to early '60s), Happy Herb (early '60s), Janie (1963 to 1980-something), Cowboy Bob ('70s) and probably several others I can't remember now. They were Indy's equvalent of WGN-TV when it came to kids shows.

WFBM-TV/6 (now WRTV) had Harlow Hickenlooper (a Soupy Sales clone, his real name was Hal Fryer) and singing cowboy Curly Myers hosting the local Three Stooges show in the '60s. Last I heard, both are still alive and well in their '80s. Before them, the show was hosted by someone named Hoosier Hank, which I've seen ads for (courtesy of circa-1960 TV Guides), but I don't remember him or his show.

WISH-TV/8 had a show starring Santa Claus between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the late '50s.

WLWI/13 (now WTHR) had a Sunday afternoon show starring Bill Jackson, later of BJ and the Dirty Dragon fame in Chicago, in the early '60s. I remember the show but not the exact name of it.


Cedar Rapids/Waterloo IA
WMT-TV/2 (now KGAN) had Dr. Max, who must have been on the air for 30 years at least, beginning in the mid '50s. Basically, just a middle-aged guy with a clown sidekick.

 

[brian_stevens]

Great memories. As always thanks Keith!

WTTV/4 had Ruffles the Clown (late '50s to early '60s), Happy Herb (early '60s), Janie (1963 to 1980-something), Cowboy Bob ('70s) and probably several others I can't remember now.

Don't forget ventriloquist John B. and Clem with Lunchtime Theater. My favorite of the hosts on 4.

WFBM-TV/6 (now WRTV) had Harlow Hickenlooper (a Soupy Sales clone, his real name was Hal Fryer) and singing cowboy Curly Myers hosting the local Three Stooges show in the '60s. Last I heard, both are still alive and well in their '80s.

As late as 2000, Cowboy Curly was working as a greeter at the SR 26E Meijer store in Lafayette. Harlow and Curly worked with a third host on the Stooges show, Captain Starr - played by Larry Vincent who later hosted horror flicks on L.A. TV.

WISH-TV/8 had a show starring Santa Claus between Thanksgiving and Christmas in the late '50s.

Didn't 8 also have a kids host named Cowboy Clyde?

WLWI/13 (now WTHR) had a Sunday afternoon show starring Bill Jackson, later of BJ and the Dirty Dragon fame in Chicago, in the early '60s. I remember the show but not the exact name of it.

Jackson did local wraparounds to reruns of The Mickey Mouse Club on 13 weekday afternoons. No doubt Jackson was the best of the Indy kid vid hosts.

 

[KeithE4]

Don't forget ventriloquist John B. and Clem with Lunchtime Theater. My favorite of the hosts on 4.

I'd forgotten about him, mainly because I didn't live in the Indy area between mid 1964 and mid '67. The only thing I remember about John B. now that I think about it was that he subbed for Janie during the summer of '67 (maternaty leave?). Janie returned that fall, unfortunately (sorry, I was definitely not a Janie fan).

Didn't 8 also have a kids host named Cowboy Clyde?

I don't remember him at all.

Jackson did local wraparounds to reruns of The Mickey Mouse Club on 13 weekday afternoons. No doubt Jackson was the best of the Indy kid vid hosts.

Of course, that's why he was able to spend many years in Chicago. I think his last Chicago show was Gigglesnort Hotel, Sunday mornings on WLS-TV/7, in the late '70s.

He was probably the best of the bunch, although I liked Hickenlooper & Myers and even Cowboy Bob was cool, although I was already in high school by the time he got his own show. None of them were better than Ray Rayner in Chicago or Wallace & Ladmo in Phoenix, IMHO.

Here's a few links to Indy TV sites:
Link: Franklin College: Harlow & Curley Side by Side Again
Link: Indiana Genealogies - 1963
Link: What Columbus, IN watched on Television

That last one has a lot of pictures, TV Guide scans, Indy station logos, and the like. I think it's been posted here before. Looking at it refreshed my memory, especially...

1. Why Ruffles the Clown scared the living hell out of me as a little kid! That was one butt-ugly clown! And I wasn't even afraid of clowns when I was 5.

2. Why I didn't remember Hoosier Hank. Looking at that guy in the ad, my folks probably didn't let me watch him. I think he was supposed to be some kind of shopkeeper, but he looked like the BTK Killer! ;D But they wouldn't let me watch Selwin either.

 

[WMC2006]

Boston-area folks will remember "Big Brother" Bob Emery on both WBZ TV and radio along with Rex Trailer and "Boomtown"...Cap'n Bob on channel five..."Major Mudd" on channel 7 and then "Captain Boston" on channel 56 and Willie Whistle too.

Boston viewers could also watch a fuzzy channel 12 from Providence for Salty Brine on "Salty's Shack".

A fuzzy channel nine from New Hampshire would bring "Uncle Gus" to our sets.

My sister (who is now 47) was ON the Rex Trailer Show...probably about 37 years ago. I dont recall the reason but I can vaguely (VERY vaguely, as I am 40 myself) recall watching her on that show. I can picture seeing her sitting on some steps talking to Rex. But that's about it. ;D

 

[gr8oldies]

There was Uncle Al in Cincinnati..I never saw him but am familiar. In fact he and "Captain Wendy(Windy?) still do appearances.

Here's the page from tvparty.com on Cincinnati

http://www.tvparty.com/lostcincinnati.html

 

[fortmill]

I watched "Sailor Bob" on WRVA-TV12 (now WWBT) in Richmond. Can't remember the host's name, but he later became a weather man on the same station. Also watched "Poopdeck Pappy" on WAVY-TV10 in Portsmouth-Norfolk. Poopdeck Pappy was the better show---to me, the host was an authentic sailor. Lots of Popeye cartoons shown on Poopdeck. One of the longest running local children's show has to be "Mr. Knozit" on WIS-TV10 in Columbia SC, hosted by Joe Pinner from about 1960 to the 90s. Pinner still does some weather reports on WIS, I believe. Knozit is still fondly remembered by almost any native South Carolinian of a certain age. As years went by Knozit took on more of an educational direction. It has won many national broadcasting awards.

 

[CrankyYankee]

Re: "Indianapolis-
WTTV/4 had Ruffles the Clown (late '50s to early '60s), Happy Herb (early '60s), Janie (1963 to 1980-something), Cowboy Bob ('70s) and probably several others I can't remember now.
================================================================================
Methinks I saw "Cowboy Bob" a few times around 1972 while I was in the Army at Ft. Benjamin Harrison.
He hosted a noontime program called "Chuckwagon Theatre" and showed cartoons.
(I still remember one of his intro lines..."Here's a Daffy Duck cartoon, I hope it quacks you up!") Hyuk-hyuk!

Don't know it this would qualify as a "children's host" but I recall watching Sammy Terry hosting a horror movie every weekend in Indy.
"Good evening"...we have a horror-ble movie for you tonight!"

 

[KeithE4]

Methinks I saw "Cowboy Bob" a few times around 1972 while I was in the Army at Ft. Benjamin Harrison.
He hosted a noontime program called "Chuckwagon Theatre" and showed cartoons.
(I still remember one of his intro lines..."Here's a Daffy Duck cartoon, I hope it quacks you up!") Hyuk-hyuk!

Yep, Cowboy Bob did the noon show starting around 1970. I don't know how long his show lasted since I left the area in '73.

Don't know it this would qualify as a "children's host" but I recall watching Sammy Terry hosting a horror movie every weekend in Indy.
"Good evening"...we have a horror-ble movie for you tonight!"

The horror hosts are considered a different programming subject. Sammy Terry (WTTV) in the '60s and '70s, and Selwin (WISH) in the '50s, were the main ones in Indy. I don't remember if there were any others there.

 

[IdentityProgramming]

The late Ted Knight started his career doing a puppet show on WJAR-TV Providence. Can't remember the name of that show.

I "love" puppets!

 

[Jockeyboy35]

From 1967- 78 there was Bob Mcalster hosting a Sunday Morning Children Show called "Wonder Ramma" on
Channel 5 WNEW TV in New York.