Obit: Lew Anderson, "Clarabell the Clown" on "Howdy Doody", @ 84

[CrankyYankee]

(From the "N-Y Times")Lew Anderson, whose considerable success as a musician, arranger and bandleader paled before the celebrity he achieved as Clarabell the Clown, Howdy Doody's sidekick on one of television's first children's shows, died on Sunday in Hawthorne, N.Y. He was 83.When(Howdy Doody)ended on Sept. 24, 1960, after 2,243 episodes, it was Clarabell who had the show's last words...they were also his first words.The camera moved in for a close-up of Mr. Anderson, who had a visible tear in his eye. A drum roll grew louder and then died. With quivering lips, Clarabell whispered, "Goodbye, kids."(Read more athttp://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/arts/television/17anderson.html?_r=1&oref=slogin(Free registration may be required to read the above article.)

 

[MaiTKwinn]

Re: Obit: Lew Anderson, "Clarabell the Clown" on "Howdy Doody", @ 84

Cowabunga !!! Princess Summerfallwinterspring (Judy Tyler), Buffalo Bob,and now Clarabell....all gone...I wonder if there's anyone left alive fromthe original cast of Howdy Doody (Chief Thunderthud, Dilly Dally, PhineasT. Bluster, Flubadub, John J. Fadoozle, etc...)??? Talk about a childhoodtime warp.....

 

[fred flintstone]

Re: Obit: Lew Anderson, "Clarabell the Clown" on "Howdy Doody", @ 84

Lew Anderson was the third Clarabell - after Bobby Nicholson (who gave up the clown suit to become Corny Cobb) - and the original and greatest Clarabell, Robert Keeshan. The real Clarabell died January 23, 2004 (as did Captain Kangaroo). Nicholson and Anderson may have been skilled musicians (which is what Buffalo Bob wanted) but they never came close to the rebellious, anarchistic quality of Keeshan's Clarabell - who, armed with a seltzer bottle aimed at Buffalo Bob's face - inspired a generation to stand up to authority and protest an illegal and immoral war.