1960's Archives - Page 2 of 20 - 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?

The Other U.N.C.L.E.

Since I made two posts today about The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I thought it only made sense to close the day with Disney’s The Monkey’s Uncle. No, not The Monkees the band, and not Napoleon Solo’s U.N.C.L.E., but a 1965 Disney comedy starring Annette Funicello and Tommy Kirk.

The movie was a sequel to The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, with Kirk playing the young college genius Merlin Jones and Annette playing Jennifer. The title comes from the old saying “I’ll be a monkey’s uncle,” and in the movie there is even a chimpanzee named Stanley mixed into the story. It is pure mid-60s Disney: college kids, inventions, a silly plot, and just enough teen appeal to make it feel current.

The strangest and best part is the opening. Somehow Disney got the actual Beach Boys to appear with Annette and sing the title song. The song was written by Richard and Robert Sherman, the same songwriting brothers behind many Disney classics, and D23 notes that the film featured Annette and the Beach Boys performing the title tune.

That is what makes the clip so perfectly 1965. You have wholesome Disney, former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, the Beach Boys’ surf harmonies, and a goofy song built around a monkey joke. It is the kind of combination that sounds made up now, but back then it made perfect sense. Disney wanted the youth audience, Annette was already tied to the beach-movie crowd, and the Beach Boys gave it that instant teenage radio sound.

So after a day of U.N.C.L.E., here is the other “uncle”: not a spy agency, just Annette, Disney, a chimp, and the Beach Boys somehow making “monkey’s uncle” sound like a surf-rock hit.

Why The Green Hornet Never Quite Worked For Me

I remember as a kid getting excited about a new action hero, The Green Hornet. He had the mask, a cool partner, and a very cool car like every other action hero. But for me, the show was boring.

Here’s why.

It looked like it was going to be another fun superhero-type show, especially with the Green Hornet’s mask, Kato, and the Black Beauty. But once the episode started, it felt more like a straight crime drama than an action show. There was a lot of talking, a lot of newspaper office scenes, and not nearly enough of the cool stuff kids were waiting for.

The producers seemed to be trying hard not to make another Batman. While Batman was colorful, campy, and aimed right at kids and families, The Green Hornet tried to play things straighter and appeal more to adults. That may have made it more serious, but for a kid waiting for action, it also made the show feel slower.

Kato, played by Bruce Lee, was probably the most exciting part of the show, but even he was held back most of the time. When he finally got to fight, the show came alive. The problem was, those moments did not happen often enough.

The Black Beauty was another highlight. It had the look, the gadgets, and the mystery. But again, the show often seemed more interested in the crime story than in the hero, the car, or the action.

Maybe that is why The Green Hornet only lasted one season. It had all the ingredients: the mask, the partner, the car, and the theme. But compared to the colorful fun of Batman, The Green Hornet played it much straighter. As a kid, I wanted excitement. What I got felt more like homework with a cool car parked outside.

Tobor the 8th Man: One I Need Your Memories On

A number of viewers asked us to post Tobor the 8th Man, and this is one I may have to rely on your memory for. I’m not sure if it was before my time, or just wasn’t shown in my area, but it clearly stuck with a lot of kids who watched it.

The show was the American version of Japan’s 8 Man, about a murdered detective whose mind is placed into a powerful robot body. In the U.S. version, he became Tobor, “robot” spelled backward, fighting crime with super speed and futuristic powers.

It was black-and-white, early anime, and definitely had that 1960s imported-cartoon feel. Were you one of the kids who watched Tobor the 8th Man?

Bugles

Bugles were introduced by General Mills in 1964, first showing up in a handful of test markets before going national in 1966. The crunchy little horn-shaped corn snacks were part of a new wave of fun-shaped snack foods, but Bugles were the one that really lasted.

Of course, for a lot of us, the real fun was putting them on the tips of your fingers before eating them. Some snacks were made to taste good. Bugles were made to play with first.

When Captain America First Hit Saturday Morning TV

Before the big movies, before the slick animation, and long before the Marvel universe took over theaters, Captain America had his own cartoon segments in 1966 as part of The Marvel Super Heroes.

The animation was pretty limited, often looking like comic book panels brought to life with a little movement and narration, but that was part of its charm. Kids still got Steve Rogers, Bucky, the Red Skull, the shield, and that patriotic theme song that could stick in your head all day.

It may look simple now, but for many fans, this was the first time Captain America really “moved” off the comic book page and onto television.

Before Bond, Roger Moore Was The Saint

I was about 10 years old when this intro ran, and it was my favorite. The moment that halo appeared and the theme music kicked in, it had me. It was simple, but it worked. The little stick figure with the halo was genius, and the music was cool, haunting, and instantly recognizable. In a way, The Saint taught a whole lesson in how much you could do with very little. A line drawing, a halo, and the right piece of music could stay in your head for decades.

The show itself had already been successful overseas before American network viewers got it. Roger Moore played Simon Templar from 1962 to 1969, long before he became James Bond. The character was not exactly a detective, not exactly a spy, and not exactly a crook. He was more of a charming modern-day Robin Hood type who often worked outside the rules to help people who could not get justice the usual way.

In the United States, The Saint first found an audience through syndication before NBC picked up the color episodes for network television. NBC did not air every episode, but the American exposure helped make Roger Moore a familiar face here. The show had style, mystery, travel, danger, and a lead character who always seemed one step ahead of everyone else.

The intro may be what many people remember first. That halo over Simon Templar’s head, the stick-figure Saint logo, and Edwin Astley’s theme created one of those openings that did not need a lot of explanation. It was classy, clever, and just a little mysterious.

Looking back, The Saint feels like one of those shows that bridged the gap between old-fashioned adventure stories and the cool spy craze of the 1960s. It had the suits, the cars, the international flavor, the beautiful locations, and that smooth Roger Moore confidence. And for a kid watching at home, sometimes all it took was that halo and that music to know something cool was about to happen.

Before Ice Bird and Snoopy, There Was the Sno-Man

Last week we talked about Ice Bird, one of those early make-your-own frozen treat toys that came before the famous Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. But another one kids remember from the 1960s was Hasbro’s Frosty Sno-Man Sno-Cone Machine.

Released in 1967, the Sno-Man let kids shave ice and pour on flavored syrup to make their own little summer treat. It was simple, messy, and probably took more work than the commercial made it look, but that was part of the fun.

Before Snoopy’s doghouse became the one everyone remembers, there was a smiling snowman helping kids crank out sno-cones at the kitchen table.

As The World Turns

As The World Turns. This post will never go viral, but if someone remembers their mom or grandma watching this, it is well worth the effort for the post!

As the World Turns was a long-running CBS daytime soap opera that aired from 1956 to 2010, centered mainly around the lives, loves, scandals, and struggles of families in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois. At its heart was the Hughes family, with stories built around romance, marriage, betrayal, illness, family conflict, and the everyday drama that made soap operas part of the afternoon routine for generations. It was slower and more character-driven than some later soaps, which helped make it feel like viewers were checking in on people they knew every day.