1950's Archives - Retro Reminiscing Video and Pictures

Howdy Doody Time

or a lot of early TV kids, Howdy Doody was not just a show. It was part of the daily routine.

The Howdy Doody Show first aired on NBC on December 27, 1947, and stayed on the air until September 24, 1960. That is almost 13 years, which was an amazing run for early television. It started as a regular afternoon children’s show, later became a weekday favorite, and by 1956 moved mainly to Saturday mornings until the final broadcast.

The show was hosted by Buffalo Bob Smith, who would ask, “Say kids, what time is it?” and the Peanut Gallery would yell back, “It’s Howdy Doody Time!” For kids watching at home, that was the signal that it was time to visit Doodyville.

The cast had Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob, Clarabell the Clown, Phineas T. Bluster, Dilly Dally, Flub-a-Dub, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, and Chief Thunderthud. Clarabell became one of the most remembered characters because he did not speak for most of the show, using horns and pantomime instead.

The final episode became famous because Clarabell finally spoke. After years of silence, he looked into the camera and said, “Goodbye, kids.” For many viewers, that was the end of an era. TIME later called that kind of farewell important because most early TV shows simply disappeared without much of a real goodbye.

Howdy Doody did come back years later with The New Howdy Doody Show, a syndicated revival in 1976, but it did not last long and never had the same hold on kids that the original did.

What do you remember most from Howdy Doody? Was it Clarabell, Buffalo Bob, the Peanut Gallery, the theme song, Flub-a-Dub, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, or maybe some toy or lunchbox you had from the show?

Clarabell’s Big Surprise

Clarabell speaks is from the final episode of The Howdy Doody Show, which aired on Saturday, September 24, 1960, on NBC. The episode was called “Clarabell’s Big Surprise,” and for kids who grew up with Howdy, Buffalo Bob, and the Peanut Gallery, it really was the end of an era.

What still surprises people is that the final show was in color. Color TV was still not common in most homes, so many viewers probably saw it in black and white. But NBC was already using certain shows to show off color television, and Howdy Doody was one of those early programs that helped introduce it.

The big moment came at the end. Clarabell the Clown, who had spent years communicating with horns and gestures, finally spoke. As the show ended, he looked into the camera and said, “Goodbye, kids.” That quiet little line became one of the most remembered farewells in early television.

It was reported and remembered as Clarabell’s big surprise because nobody expected the silent clown to finally talk. For a generation of children, it was not just the end of a show. It felt like saying goodbye to part of childhood.

Do you remember Howdy Doody? Was it Clarabell’s horn, the seltzer bottle, Buffalo Bob, the Peanut Gallery, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Chief Thunderthud, Flub-a-Dub, or maybe a Howdy Doody toy or lunchbox?

Where Did The “John… Marsha…” Thing Come From?

I’m not sure how many people still remember the original “John… Marsha…” bit from Stan Freberg’s spoof of old radio soap operas, but I sure remember it living on long after that. Even into the 1960s, I remember TV shows and my parents still making fun of that overly dramatic back-and-forth.

The gag was simple: a man and a woman saying nothing but each other’s names, over and over, each time with a different dramatic emotion. “John…” “Marsha…” It was romantic, shocked, heartbroken, breathless, and ridiculous all at once. That was the whole joke. Freberg was poking fun at how serious radio soap operas could make even the smallest moment sound.

Part of the reason it may have stuck around so long was the Snowdrift shortening commercial seen here. The animated ad used the same kind of “John and Marsha” style, which helped keep the bit alive for people who may never have heard the original record.

It became one of those old pop-culture references that parents, comedians, cartoons, and commercials could all tap into. All someone had to do was say “John…” in that dramatic voice, and someone else could answer “Marsha…” and the joke was instantly understood.

Did You See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet?

“See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet” was one of those ads that did more than sell a car. It sold the idea of getting out on the road.

The song became closely tied to Dinah Shore, who sang it on her Chevrolet-sponsored television shows in the 1950s. By the time she smiled into the camera and sang about seeing America from a Chevy, the line was already becoming part of American TV memory.

It worked because it was simple. A friendly singer, a catchy tune, a shiny Chevrolet, and the idea that the whole country was waiting for you. You did not need a complicated sales pitch. The song did the work.

The ad also fit the time. After World War II, more families had cars, highways were expanding, and road trips became part of American life. Chevrolet was not just saying “buy our car.” It was saying, “This is how you see America.”

For many viewers, the jingle stuck for decades. Even if you did not own a Chevrolet, you probably knew the tune. That is the sign of a great commercial: people remembered the song long after they forgot the model year.

Superman and the Early Tony the Tiger

Long before Tony the Tiger became the big, sporty “They’re Gr-r-reat!” mascot we all remember, he looked a little different — and in this old Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes ad, he even shared the screen with George Reeves from The Adventures of Superman.

That is what makes the commercial so strange and fun today. You have Clark Kent/Superman helping sell cereal, and beside him is an early Tony who does not quite look like the Tony we grew up with. He is skinnier, odder, and still finding his final look.

Back then, shows and sponsors were tied together much more directly. Kellogg’s sponsored The Adventures of Superman, so seeing George Reeves pitch cereal was just part of the deal. To kids watching, Superman was not just saving the day — he was also telling you what to eat for breakfast.

Do you remember when TV stars would show up right in the commercials?

The Adventures of Superman

I was not even born when The Adventures of Superman first aired, but it still became one of my favorite TV shows.

The series starred George Reeves as Clark Kent and Superman, and for a generation of kids, he was the Man of Steel. The show originally ran in the 1950s, but because it was syndicated, it did not belong to one single night across the country. Local stations could run it whenever they wanted.

That is how I remember it — turning up before or after cartoons, rarely getting in the way of them, even on Sundays. Superman just seemed to be there, flying into the living room when you least expected it.

Looking back, the show was simple, but that was part of the charm. Clark Kent worked at the Daily Planet, Lois and Jimmy got into trouble, Perry White barked orders, and sooner or later Superman showed up to save the day. There were no giant special effects or complicated superhero universes. Just good guys, bad guys, and George Reeves making you believe a man could stand for truth and justice.

I also remember being devastated when my dad told me George Reeves had died by suicide. As a kid, that made no sense to me. How could the Man of Steel die?

That is the strange thing about childhood TV heroes. We know they are actors, but part of us still believes in them. And for many of us, George Reeves will always be Superman.

Do you remember watching The Adventures of Superman in reruns?

Maxwell House and the Percolator Days

Before Mr. Coffee changed the way so many of us made coffee (drip coffee), most homes had a percolator sitting on the stove or plugged in on the counter.

This old Maxwell House ad from the 1950s really shows how much effort went into getting a good cup of coffee. The percolator had to bubble, perk, and fill the kitchen with that smell before anyone got their first cup.

What stands out now is how dramatic the ad makes it all look. The rich dark coffee, the steam rising from the percolator, and the dark grounds all make a simple cup of coffee feel almost seductive.

Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate my drip coffee that goes into a carafe and stays warm for hours. There is something nice about pressing a button and knowing coffee will be ready and waiting.

What memories does this percolator ad bring back to you?

“Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop”

I remember my mom calling it the “Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop,” and for years I wondered where that came from. Now I know she wasn’t just making up a funny name — that was actually part of Wham-O’s marketing.

The original Hula Hoop craze took off in 1958, but like most fads, it cooled down. Wham-O later tried to bring it back by adding a new twist: sound. They put small ball bearings inside the hollow plastic hoop so that when you spun it around your waist, it made a swishing, “shoop shoop” kind of noise. TIME described the 1967 version as the New Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop, with bright colors and ball bearings inside to give it that “whirry” sound.

That explains why the name stuck with so many parents. It wasn’t just a hula hoop anymore — it was the one that made noise. Toy collectors and nostalgia sites still point to the Shoop Shoop version as Wham-O’s attempt to freshen up the craze, and later versions from the 1970s kept the name alive.

It’s funny how those advertising names became part of everyday family language. A kid might have just called it a hula hoop, but Mom remembered the commercial name: Shoop Shoop Hula Hoop. And once you hear that, you can almost hear the sound of it spinning again.

Slinky

The Slinky was just a coil of metal, but once you put it at the top of the stairs, it became magic. It could walk, stretch, flop, twist, and occasionally tangle itself into something no child on earth could ever fully fix.

Invented by accident in the 1940s, the Slinky became one of those toys almost every kid knew. You did not need batteries, a screen, or instructions. You just needed stairs, patience, and maybe a little luck.

And who can forget the jingle? “It’s Slinky, it’s Slinky…” Once that got in your head, it stayed there.

Did you have a Slinky? And did yours actually make it all the way down the stairs?

When Elvis Rocked the USS Hancock

On April 3, 1956, Elvis Presley made one of his early national TV appearances on The Milton Berle Show, but this one had a setting you don’t forget — the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock.

The ship was docked at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, giving the live NBC broadcast a built-in military audience. There was Milton Berle, sailors packed around the deck, and a 21-year-old Elvis just as “Heartbreak Hotel” was making him a household name.

Elvis performed with his regular band — Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana — and sang songs including “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Blue Suede Shoes.” This was still early Elvis: before the full “Elvis the Pelvis” backlash, before the famous June 1956 “Hound Dog” appearance, and about two years before he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958.

Looking back, it’s such a perfect 1950s moment: Milton Berle, live television, a Navy aircraft carrier, and Elvis Presley bringing rock and roll to the flight deck.