Howdy Doody is a children's television program (with a frontier/western theme, although other themes also colored the show) that was broadcast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. It was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC (at the time owned by TV maker RCA) used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s.
Howdy Doody himself is a freckle-faced boy marionette (48 freckles, one for each state of the union), and was originally voiced by Buffalo Bob Smith. The Howdy Doody Show's various marionettes were created and built by puppeteers Velma Wayne Dawson, Scott Brinker (the show's prop man) and Rufus Rose throughout the show's run. The redheaded Howdy marionette on the original show was operated with 11 strings: two head, one mouth, one eyes, two shoulders, one back, two hands and two knees. Three strings were added when the show returned—two elbows and one nose. This gap-toothed puppet in cowboy boots remains a favorite baby boomer childhood memory and popular culture icon.
The show's host was Bob Smith (November 27, 1917 - July 30, 1998), who was dubbed "Buffalo Bob" early in the show's run. Smith wore cowboy garb, and the name of the puppet "star" was derived from the western U.S. expression "howdy do", a familiar form of the greeting "How Do You Do?" (The straightforward use of that expression was also in the theme song's lyrics.) Smith, who had gotten his start as a singing radio personality in Buffalo, New York, used music frequently in the program. Cast members Lew Anderson and Bobby Nicholson were both experienced jazz musicians.
There also were several human characters, most notably the mute Clarabell the Clown, who communicated by honking horns on his belt and squirting seltzer, and Chief Thunderthud, head of the Ooragnak tribe of Native Americans (kangaroo spelled backward, possibly from Bob Keeshan), who originated the cry "Kowabonga!" Princess Summerfall Winterspring, originally a puppet, was later played by the actress Judy Tyler. The characters inhabited the fictional town of "Doodyville." Several characters were also voiced by comedian and voice actor Dayton Allen, who later went on to become a cast regular on NBC's prime-time Steve Allen Show. The Howdy show's non-televised rehearsals were renowned for including considerable double-entendre dialogue between the cast members (particularly the witty Dayton Allen) and the puppet characters.
Buffalo Bob Smith first introduced Howdy Doody on the radio show titled, "The Triple B Ranch Show". On that show the character was called "Elmer" and he would say hello by exclaiming, "Howdy Doody"!
The Howdy Doody Show was originally called "The Puppet Playhouse" with a circus-type theme. In 1949, the theme was changed to a group of characters who lived in a town called "Doodyville. Many new characters were added, some were dropped, Princess Summerfall Winterspring was changed from a marionette to a real live person and the name of the series became The Howdy Doody Show. The series has also been popularly referred to as simply "Howdy Doody" and "The Buffalo Bob Show".
Unlike many of the series of that day that had only one sponser, companies were begging to sponsor the Howdy Doody Show! Among them were Blue Bonnet Margarine, Colgate, Continental Baking, Ideal toys, Kellogg's cereals, Luden's, Mars candy, Nabisco cereals, Ovaltine, Palmolive, Poll-Parrot Shoes, Royal Pudding, Welch's Grape Juice, an Wonder Bread.
Dayton Allen who besides playing the part of "Chief Thunderchicken", also did many of the Howdy Doody Show's puppet's voices, went on after the series to do the voices for Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, and Deputy Dawg ... to name a few!
Judy Tyler (Princess Summerfall Winterspring) left the Howdy Doody Show in 1953. She went on to star in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "Pipe Dream". That role got her on the cover of Life Magazine. She barely completed the movie, "Jailhouse Rock", where she co-starred with Elvis Presley when she was killed in a car accident along with her second husband whom she had become married only 17 days prior to her death. Elvis Presley is rumored to have become infatuated with Judy Tyler while filming "Jailhouse Rock" and could not bring himself to watch the film because of her death!
The area where the live audience sat was referred to by the cast as "The Peanut Gallery".
In 1954, Canadian and Cuban spin-off shows were licensed using local casts and duplicate puppets.
A then unknown Canadian actor named William Shatner (who would later play Captain Kirk in Star Trek) appeared occasionally as a fill-in host on the Canadian show as "Ranger Bob." Coincidentally, another future Star Trek actor would join the Canadian Howdy Doody cast. The Canadian show starred James Doohan (the future Scotty in Star Trek) and later Peter Mews as forest ranger Timber Tom who corresponded to Buffalo Bob in the U.S. version.
By 1957, The Howdy Doody Show was becoming somewhat dated. Newer, more up-to-date shows like the "Mickey Mouse Club" were drawing away its juvenile audience. Sponsors left, one-by-one, and the series was canceled.
In 1976, "The New Howdy Doody Show" came to the airwaves as a syndicated series. It again starred Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody and ran two seasons for 130 episodes!
Host "Buffalo" Bob Smith talks about his early years and influences.
Watch a 6 part interview with Bob Smith HERE
You can download and watch episodes at archive.org HERE
- Howdy Doody at the Internet Movie Database
- Howdy Doody at TV.com
- Howdy Doody at Wikipedia
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I found it while searching for old bumpers, logos, promotional material from days gone by, of which I am a huge fan. This one features an older color peacock for NBC.
Just try not to tear up at this one