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Structure
Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 20 general entries.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Howdy Doody
Bob Keeshan. Bob Keeshan was the original Clarabell. In 1952 he and three other performers hired an agent to represent them and negotiate raises. Soon they were fired (some say they quit). In 1955, Bob Keeshan came back on the air as Captain Kangaroo.
Heidi Doody. Heidi Doody was built by Margo Rose and had the voice of Norma MacMillan and Donna Miller. Heidi was introduced as a stranger who saved Buffalo Bob's life in Africa. Later, Heidi was adopted and became Howdy's sister.
Doodyville. Doodyville was the fictitious town founded by Chief Bungathud, grandfather of Chief Thunderthud. The first law of Doodyville stated, "Anyone absent from Doodyville for more than 10 days would not be allowed back."
eight. Flub-A-Dub had a duck's head, a cat's whiskers, a giraffe's neck (encircled with rings), a cocker spaniel's ears, a seal's flippers, a raccoon's tail, a dachshund's body and the memory of an elephant. After being brought to the show, Flub-A-Dub was given to Clarabell to have as his pet.
South America by Buffalo Bob. Originally his name was Fludub. The '-A-' was added later to make it easier to say. The creation of the Flub-a-Dub character resulted from the absence of the host, Buffalo Bob, while he was on vacation in the Caribbean during February of 1949. He told the kids in the Peanut Gallery that he was going on an expedition to South America to capture the legendary Flubdub.
The Bluster National Bank. The president of the Bluster National Bank was Phineas T Bluster, the grumpy Mayor of the town. All good children's shows must have a villain, some one to boo, and Phineas T. Bluster was the requisite villain on the 'Howdy Doody Show'.
He had 48 freckles, representing the 48 states in the U.S.A.. The Howdy Doody puppet we remember was the second puppet. The second Howdy was created by Walt Disney Studio artist Thelma Thomas who did the face/head. Howdy's freckles appeared when the new version was unveiled in 1948 and he became the all American, red-haired, freckle-faced boy we all knew so well with one freckle for each state.
| In the USA version of the show, there was an Indian Princess who was first a puppet and later a human. What was this Indian Princess's name? | "The Howdy Doody Show", Part One
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Princes Summerfall Winterspring. Princess Summerfall Winterspring was in the USA version while Princess Haida was in the Canadian version. Princess Summerfall Winterspring was first played by Judith Hess under her professional name Judy Tyler, then by Gina Genardi and briefly by Linda Marsh. Thelma Dawson played Princess Summerfall Winterspring’s counterpoint on the Spanish version. Princess Haida was played by Caryl McBain.
Chief Thunderthud. Cowabunga, or Kowabunga, was an exclamatory yell of surprise and anger used by Chief Thunderthud. Later cowabunga became a yell used by surfers, and also is used by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cowabunga is now an accepted word and can be found in Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition.
Puppet Playhouse. Buffalo Bob started a radio show with a character named Elmer. The show was so popular his agent and NBC executives suggested that Buffalo Bob should develop a TV show. On 17 December, 1947, Buffalo Bob launched the 'Puppet Playhouse'. Within a week the show's name was changed to 'The Howdy Doody Show'.
He ran for president of all the kids.. Howdy Doody supposedly ran for President of all the Kids in 1948, and again in 1952. Howdy's platform promised cut rate banana splits, two Christmas holidays, one school day each year, double sodas for a dime, plenty of movies, more pictures in history books, plus free circus and rodeo admissions. This first happened in 1948 which was really a cover for the puppet's absence when his creator, Frank Paris, walked off the show in a contract dispute, taking the puppet with him.
Ta Ra Ra Boom Dee-ay. Sung to the tune of 'Ta Ra Ra Boom Dee-ay', the lyrics to the Howdy Doody theme song were written by Edward Kean and went like this: "It's Howdy Doody time/It's Howdy Doody time/Bob Smith and Howdy Doo/Say Howdy Doo to you.///Let's give a rousing cheer/'Cause Howdy Doody's here./It's time to start the show/So kids, let's go!" Kean also wrote 'The Goodbye Song', the 'Clarabell' song and Flub-A-Dub's theme song 'Meatballs and Spaghetti'.
The Triple B Ranch. Triple B stood for Big Brother Bob. The main character was a puppet named Elmer, a nerdish country-bumpkinish character. On the new TV program, 'Puppet Playhouse', Elmer who now sported western wear would open with the greeting, "Well, uh, howdy doody!" The term 'Howdy Doody' stuck and Elmer was soon being called Howdy Doody. The name of the show was changed with a week.
four. The original Elmer/Howdy Doody was last seen on the show when his creator, Frank Paris, walked off in a contract dispute taking the puppet with him. For the next nine months the audience was told that Howdy was away campaigning for president then having plastic surgery. He was only seen with a bandaged face. In reality, a new Howdy Doody puppet was being created by Walt Disney Studio artist Thelma Thomas who did the face/head and Scott Brinker who built the body. There were three of the new Howdys made. The puppet for close ups was HOWDY DOODY, the one for long shots was called DOUBLE DOODY, and the one for photo ops without strings was called PHOTO DOODY.
spaghetti and meatballs. Originally the Flub-A-Dub's favorite food was the flowers on his hat. The show got too many complaints that children were eating flowers in their parents' gardens, so his favorite food was changed to spaghetti and meatballs. To help make this change Edward Kean wrote Flub-A-Dub's theme song, 'Meatballs and Spaghetti'.
Clarabell Hornblow and he was born in Clown Town. Clarabell's last name is derived from the two bicycle horns he would use instead of speaking. One horn was for yes and another for no. Strangely enough, he was born in Clown Town. Where else would a clown be born?
Smith. Buffalo Bob Smith was born Robert Emil Schmidt in Buffalo, NY on Nov. 27, 1917. In the early episodes of 1947 he was known only as Mr. Smith but by 1948 he was being addressed as Buffalo Bob. Smith joined an NBC radio station in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 17 where he was groomed to be the network's answer to Arthur Godfrey. In late 1947 Bob Smith was asked by NBC to create a live one-hour TV program for children. He was given four days to create this show and get it on the air.
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