Captain kangaroo biography cartoon drawing

American children's television series

Captain Kangaroo is an American apprentice television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 put your name down 1984, making it the longest-running all over the country broadcast children's television program of secure day.^[2][3] In 1986, the American Announcement Service (now American Public Television, Boston) integrated some newly produced segments impact reruns of past episodes, distributing ethics newer version of the series relax PBS and independent public stations in the offing 1993.

The show was conceived saturate Bob Keeshan, who also played goodness title character "Captain Kangaroo", and who based the show on "the motherly relationship between grandparents and children". Keeshan had portrayed the original Clarabell honesty Clown on NBC's The Howdy Doody Show during the network's early geezerhood.

Captain Kangaroo had a loose proportion, built around life in the "Treasure House" where the Captain (the honour "kangaroo" came from the bigger pockets in his coat) would tell parabolical, meet guests, and indulge in nonsensical stunts with regular characters, both mankind and puppets. Keeshan performed as greatness Captain more than 9,000 times be in charge of the nearly 30-year run of rectitude show.^[4]

The May 17, 1971, episode difficult to understand two major changes on the show: The Treasure House was renovated become calm renamed "The Captain's Place" and position Captain replaced his navy blue parka with a red coat. In Sept 1981, CBS shortened the hour-long event to a half-hour, briefly retitled esteem Wake Up with the Captain, leading moved it to an earlier about slot;^[5] it was moved to weekends contain September 1982, and returned to aura hour-long format. CBS canceled Captain Kangaroo at the end of 1984.

An episode of the show in 1981 became professional skateboarderTony Hawk's first showing on television.^[6]

Captain Kangaroo was the highest running children's television show until 1997 when it was surpassed by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which itself was surpassed by Sesame Street in 2003. Captain Kangaroo is still far and quit the longest running children's TV broadcast by episode count with 6,090. Subordinate place holder Sesame Street, has in a minute 4,701 episodes, still 1,389 episodes short.^{[citation needed]}

Cast

• Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo, Known. Pennywhistle, Mr. Doodle, Wally and probity Town Clown
• Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum as Worldwide. Green Jeans, the New Old Race Singer, Percy, Uncle Backwards, Mr. McGregor, and Mr. Bainter the Painter
• Cosmo Allegretti appeared as Mr. Bunny Rabbit most recent Mr. Moose (both of which recognized also created), Dennis the Apprentice, Willy, Miss Frog, Mr. Whispers, Dancing Carry, Grandfather Clock, and Uncle Ralph; noteworthy was the voice of Aniforms string puppet TV Fred (a live-action on-screen doll that appeared behind the blackboard edict the Treasure House), and was significance artist behind the Magic Drawing Board^[7][8]

Format

The show takes place in and circa the Treasure House, later called ethics Captain's Place, where the Captain would interact with puppets, guests, and overturn members of the cast. Even birth opening sequence changed.

Each episode began with the theme music playing, mistreatment the Captain makes his entrance difficulty the studio by unlocking and cleft the doors of the Treasure Podium from the inside, where viewers would catch their first glimpse of him. Then he puts the Treasure Villa keys on a nail, and position music ends. On rare occasions, illustriousness Captain could not get the keys to stay on the nail, delighted when they fell off, the argument song plays again. One never knew exactly what would happen from memory episode to the next, although popular certain times of the year, specified as the Christmas season, paper cutout versions of such stories as The Littlest Snowman would be shown.

Cartoons

Several cartoon shorts were featured over grandeur course of the series' run, including:

A cartoon starring a funnel-capped shape-shifting boy named Tom Terrific was confront of the show in the Fifties and 1960s. Tom had a comrade named Mighty Manfred the Wonder Canid, and a nemesis, Crabby Appleton ("I'm rotten to the core!"). Other cartoons included Lariat Sam, who (aided unused his loyal horse Tippytoes), confronted ruler nemesis Badlands Meanie and his associated Bushwhack. The Adventures of Lariat Sam was developed by veteran game showannouncerGene Wood, then a show staffer (who also sang the cartoon's theme song).^[12]

The British cartoon Simon in the Soil of Chalk Drawings appeared in interpretation 1970s, featuring a child with incantation chalk who could create all sorts of short-lived creations in short position (the original version featured a Island narrator, Bernard Cribbins, but Keeshan's tab was dubbed onto the cartoons backing their U.S. airing).^[13]

Another British-produced cartoon, Ludwig, about a magical egg-shaped robot, was also included around the same in the house as Simon. The cartoon's musical correct consisted of selections from the entireness of Beethoven.

Also appearing in primacy 1970s was The Most Important Person, a series of five-minute segments mull over the importance of life, and The Kingdom of Could Be You, tidy series of five-minute segments on birth importance of careers and the uncalledfor world.^[14]

The cartoon series called The Family was based on an lenghty family of hygiene utensils, as influence name suggests; they would embark continual adventures based in the bathroom, mean water skiing in the tub, overcome rescuing friends caught in the exhaust. Episodes were generally a few merely each and basically revolved around edification children the importance of dental trouble.

A silent cartoon in the Decennary named Crystal Tipps and Alistair featured the adventures of a young mademoiselle and her dog. Later reruns were narrated by the voice of Following. Moose. Another British favorite, The Wombles, was also featured.^[15]

The Red and greatness Blue shorts from Italy, as come after as The Undersea Adventures of Coxswain Nemo, featuring a family of briny deep explorers, were also shown.

"Good salutation, Captain!"

Starting in 1974, the show undo with different people wishing the Pilot "good morning". Many of the openings featured noncelebrities, but some featured stars from TV shows, most of which broadcast over CBS. The montage motionless "good mornings" always ended with class Captain himself returning the greeting earlier the opening sequence.

Regular features

Other customary features included The Magic Drawing Board and the Captain's "Reading Stories" meeting, which introduced kids to stories much as Curious George, Make Way primed Ducklings, Stone Soup, Caps for Sale, and Mike Mulligan and His Obscurity Shovel.^[16] The Sweet Pickles books were also featured.

Songs were a common part of the show, from "Captain Kangaroo" to many traditional tunes class popular songs interpreted by puppets. Carmino Ravosa was a songwriter on integrity show from 1975 to 1977.^[17]

On say publicly first show of every month, integrity Captain had a birthday cake resolution all of the children with birthdays that month.

Keeshan also had splendid recurring role as the Town Blockhead, a pantomime piece that took mess in and around the exposed home of a tramp-like circus charlie. Like the character Clarabelle that why not? played on Howdy Doody, the Urban Clown never spoke.

Favorite characters loudmouthed the show were Grandfather Clock (voiced by Cosmo Allegretti), Bunny Rabbit, Hrolf the Hippo, and Dancing Bear. Coruscation Bear was mute and only comed in short subject features. He much danced waltzes to background music.

One of the show's long-running gags was the "Ping-Pong Ball Drop", instigated in and out of the telling of a joke (usually a knock-knock joke) by Mr. Deer, in which the punchline included significance words "ping-pong balls". At the animadvert of those three words, a atomize of ping-pong balls was released running away above on the Captain.

The famous often had simple black light screenplay segments using paper or cardboard cutouts. A notable recording of a typical song, such as Judy Garland's Decca recording of "Over the Rainbow" (from The Wizard of Oz), Mary Comic singing "Never Never Land" (from ethics original cast recording of the melodious Peter Pan), or Danny Kaye telling "Inchworm" (from the Decca recording promote to the songs from Hans Christian Andersen) were heard while the cutouts fake on the screen, animated by graceful concealed puppeteer. On other occasions, nubile hand puppets "performed" to the consider being played (as in the sell something to someone when a hand puppet dressed pin down Spanish clothing performed to a environment of tenor Allan Jones singing "The Donkey Serenade").

Also, about two without warning three times in an episode, little film clips on certain topics stricken over a song about that administer topic.

Especially in later seasons, influence show also featured a running jibe in selected episodes during which picture Captain would try to perform far-out particular activity three or four former, only to fail in a conflicting way with each attempt.

Familiar props included a mockup of a spiel cathedral-style radio that Keeshan simply entitled Radio. Keeshan would turn the supple knobs on Radio to get spiffy tidy up conversation going. Reminiscent of the allround Atwater Kent cathedrals, Radio had dexterous rather interesting conversation with a moderate transistor radio in one show. Further featured was a huge Colgate toothpaste box with a large windup leader clockwork key on the side. Keeshan turned the key to play spruce up jingle ("Colgate Fluoride M-F-P/Helps Prevent influence Cavity/And it Tastes Great, Naturally!") comply with the show's sponsor, Colgate Toothpaste.

At the end of each episode, dignity Captain always encouraged parents watching justness show to spend some quality ahead with their children every day, coupled with he often demonstrated various creative intransigent in which to do so. Spiky later seasons, that changed to him saying, "Well, what would you come out to do today? You know bid could be a good day for..." then a song would list distinct different activities while short film clips of each corresponding activity are throb, then the song ended with glory singers saying, "There's so much fit in do. These things are just fine few." Then it would cut guzzle to the Captain, who would demarcate off with, "So whatever you transact, have a great day!"

Theme song

The first theme song for Captain Kangaroo titled "Puffin' Billy" was used running off the show's debut in 1955 in the balance 1974. It was an instrumental portion of light music, written by Prince G. White and recorded by leadership Melodi Light Orchestra. The track was from a British stock music drive library known as the Chappell Authentic Music Library, which was sold staff a New York agency called Emil Ascher. The tune's original title referred to a British steam locomotive. Character tune was used on various programs on both sides of the Ocean and was already popular in leadership United Kingdom: for example, two time before Captain Kangaroo, it served gorilla the wrap-up music for an occurrence of the radio program Rocky Fortune called "Murder Among the Statues". Cry the United Kingdom, it became celebrated as the theme to the once a week BBC radio program Children's Favourites outlander 1952 to 1966, and is get done widely recognised by the postwar period. It was later used in blue blood the gentry Enid Blyton parody Five Go Deranged in Dorset and in a integer of British TV advertisements, including trig Captain Sensible spot. The "Puffin' Billy" theme played as the opening cut into each episode, with the music enduring until the Captain hung his onslaught ring of keys on a pin, which seemed to act as smashing switch to end the music suddenly. If the Captain's keys ever slipped off the nail, the music plays again. In 1957, lyricist Mary Humorist penned lyrics to the tune, creating a newly titled Captain Kangaroo song.^[18]

In 1974, a new theme song blue-blooded "Good Morning, Captain" was composed receive Captain Kangaroo, written by Robert Laudation. Brush. As the new theme submissive similar melodic elements from the virgin theme, Edward G. White's name was added to the song credits. Nevertheless, due to copyright issues, the tune was re-recorded in 1979 without prestige portion of "Puffin' Billy" featured start the first version.^{[citation needed]} During high-mindedness brief Wake Up With the Captain era, a theme titled "Wake Up" was used, but was dropped afterward the program moved to weekends. Plan the show's later seasons from 1982 to 1984 and subsequent PBS go briskly, Schoolhouse Rock mainstay Lynn Ahrens (who composed and performed a few Captain Kangaroo songs herself) wrote a novel theme, entitled "Here Comes Captain Kangaroo".^[19]

The theme song for The All Another Captain Kangaroo used the opening get a feel for and part of the melody be taken in by the original theme as its inauguration. Bob Keeshan also recorded music avoidable both Columbia Records and Golden Chronicles, aimed at introducing all kinds addendum music to children.^[20]

Schedule history

While Captain Kangaroo was still in planning stages, CBS executives had the idea of appointment Al Lewis, who was hosting deft popular kids' show at WCPO-TV pin down Cincinnati, to host their program. On the contrary when station management refused to unbind Lewis from his contract, they choice Keeshan to host. Lewis' own document, The Uncle Al Show, ended neat run in Cincinnati a year astern Captain Kangaroo left CBS.

CBS airy the program on weekday mornings, originally telecast live in the Eastern dowel Central time zones at 8:00 society (ET)/7:00 am (CT) for its regulate four years (it would eventually snigger scheduled for 8:00 am in boast time zones). Same-day episodes would reasonably broadcast on kinescope for Western audiences, as Keeshan would not perform excellence show live three times a light of day. For the first three months, Captain Kangaroo was only seen on weekday mornings. From December 1955 until 1968, the show was also seen deviation Saturday mornings, except in the 1964–1965 season, when it was replaced offspring a Keeshan vehicle called Mr. Mayor. Except for pre-emption by news representational special events, notably the four-day steady coverage which followed the November 22, 1963, assassination of John F. Airport, and a few shows that were 45 minutes, the show aired a brimming 60 minutes on weekday mornings until 1981.

The audience of children could under no circumstances compete in the ratings with specified entertainment/news shows as NBC's Today, even supposing Captain Kangaroo won Emmy Awards team a few times as Outstanding Children's entertainment additional room in 1978–1979, 1982–1983, and 1983–1984. Fall to pieces the fall of 1981, to bring into being more room for the expansion confront The CBS Morning News, the Principal was moved to an earlier throw a spanner in the works slot of 7:00 am and undemanding to 30 minutes, sporting the new epithet Wake Up with the Captain. Influence show was moved again in position spring of 1982 to 6:30 am, straight time when few children (or adults) were awake. In the fall observe 1982, it returned to an date format, but was moved to Weekday mornings at 7:00 am ET most recent 6:00 am in other time zones. Reruns from the previous season were offered to CBS affiliates to trot Sunday morning in place of rank cartoon reruns offered before, but extremity declined. One-third of affiliates no mortal ran the show at all back end 1982, and it was again abridged to a half-hour in the go to the wall of 1984. Angered over the decrease of his program for the superfluous time, Keeshan chose to step condemn at the end of 1984, associate his contract with CBS expired.^{[citation needed]} After the show ended, Children's Idiot box Workshop hired some of its cudgel to work on Sesame Street.^[21][22]

Just tune a year later, on September 1, 1986, Captain Kangaroo returned in reruns on PBS, with funding from decode television stations, School Zone Publishing Group of pupils, and the John D. and Empress T. MacArthur Foundation. American Public Observer, then known as the Interregional Promulgation Service, distributed the show, along inspect Britder Associates (Keeshan's production company).

The original director of the program was Peter Birch, who helmed the announcement for its first 25 years. Producer Lever Hirschfeld took over as director later Birch's heart attack in 1980 concentrate on continued directing, as well as creation throughout the rest of the show's run, including the new segments inserted into the PBS reruns, until instant went off the air in 1993.

The cast of Captain Kangaroo extremely hosted the CBS coverage of representation Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for a sprinkling years in the 1960s.

Schwinn marketing

From the late 1950s, the Schwinn Pedal Company made use of children's around programming to expand its dominance be proper of the child and youth bicycle co-ops. The company was an early trust (from 1958) of Captain Kangaroo. Birth Captain himself was enlisted to dispose of Schwinn-brand bicycles to the show's tryst assembly, typically six years old and under.^[23] At the end of each endure Schwinn marketing promotion, Bob Keeshan would intone, "Schwinn bikes—the quality bikes—are best!" and "Prices slightly higher in representation South and in the West". Nobility on-air marketing program was deemed make it by Schwinn, and the company enhanced its market share of child subject youth bicycles throughout the 1960s.^[24]

The selling program continued through the 1971 spell 1, when the Federal Trade Commission's Baton Report, Guidelines on Advertising to Children, recommended against Schwinn's on-air marketing jus gentium \'universal law\' using the show's host. In agree, Schwinn and the show's writers clashing the format in 1972. The Policeman no longer insisted that his audience purchase a Schwinn, but instead energetic regular on-air consultations of a original character, Mr. Schwinn Dealer.^[23] A 1973 internal company news article concluded lose one\'s train of thought the show's child audience had fault separating Schwinn's sales pitch from justness regular content of the show.^[23]

1997 reboot

In 1997–2000, a rebooted series titled The All New Captain Kangaroo was hit by Saban Entertainment in association trade TLC Entertainment. Eric S. Rollman, who also served as President of Saban and Fox Family Productions, was managing director producer. George Taweel and Rob Architect of TLC produced the series. Can McDonough played the Captain on that version, which was shot in Metropolis, Florida, and featured animal segments turn at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay with the addition of Seaworld in Orlando. Keeshan was agreeable to appear as a special visitor called "The Admiral", but declined. Xiii episodes were produced for syndication silent an additional twenty-seven episodes serving hoot the centerpiece for a programming cram on Fox, Fox Kids Network (later known as Fox Kids), and Picture Family Channel (later known as Knave Family Channel) dubbed Captain Kangaroo's Relish House, from 1997 to 2000; decency block also featured reruns of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends most recent Magic Adventures of Mumfie, as able-bodied a spin-off show, Mister Moose's Fool around Time, which included cartoon segments unfamiliar around the world, as well variety clips from The Wiggles. When Filmmaker bought Fox Family, the company suspended The All New Captain Kangaroo leading Mister Moose's Fun Time, allegedly terminate to the fact the reboot advertised Busch Gardens & Seaworld, rivals sum Walt Disney World.^{[25][better source needed]}

In 2011, the identifying mark for the Captain Kangaroo name was acquired by the Cashin Comedy Co.^[26] In a blog, the Captain hype portrayed by Pat Cashin, an actor and professional clown.^[27] Cashin died renovate 2016 at the age of 48, leaving the rights to this style with his estate.^[28]Creative Artists Agency, birth successor to Captain Kangaroo's previous open holders Marvin Josephson Associates and ICM Partners, is the current owner authentication the series.

See also

References

External links

• Captain Kangaroo at IMDb
• Captain Kangaroo/Cashin Comedy Co. website (Archived)
• Ingram, Combine. "The Good Captain", TVParty.com, n.d.
• Zurawik, King. "TV's Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan, dies at 76", The Baltimore Sun, Jan 24, 2004
• McFadden, Kay. "Bob Keeshan, Boob tube pioneer Captain Kangaroo, dies at 76", Seattle Times, February 3, 2004
• Captain Kangaroo. [2], Classic TV
• Captain Kangaroo scripts, 1959-1964, held by the Billy Rose Theatrics Division, New York Public Library nurse the Performing Arts