vintage TV Archives - Retro Reminiscing Video and Pictures

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?

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?

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 We Called Them STDs, TV Warned Us About VD

Before most people used the term STDs, television PSAs warned viewers about VD, short for venereal disease. And one of the most unforgettable ones was the 1970s spot remembered as “VD is for Everybody.”

The message was serious: venereal disease could affect anyone, and people should not be embarrassed to get information or see a doctor. But what made the PSA so memorable was how oddly cheerful it was, with upbeat music and everyday people smiling along to a topic that was not exactly dinner-table conversation.

A lot of kids probably remembered the song before they had any idea what VD even meant. Looking back, it is one of those very 1970s public service announcements that was awkward, catchy, and impossible to forget.

Psychic Hotline

Remember when late-night TV was full of mysterious 1-800 numbers promising to tell you the truth about love, money, and your future?

This psychic hotline ad has everything: purple graphics, dramatic music, smiling people on couches, and the magic words every commercial loved to use — “This call is FREE!” Of course, the tiny print told the real story: first few minutes free, then the meter started running.

It is a perfect little time capsule from that wonderfully weird era when TV convinced us that answers to life’s biggest questions were just one phone call away.

Did you ever call one of these numbers, or were you smart enough to just watch the commercial and wonder who actually did?

Ho Ho Ho… Green Giant!

Some commercials you don’t just remember — you can still hear them. The Jolly Green Giant made vegetables feel bigger than life with that booming “Ho Ho Ho!”

The Green Giant character first appeared in advertising in 1928, but he wasn’t always the friendly leafy giant we remember. In 1935, ad man Leo Burnett helped reshape him into the smiling Jolly Green Giant.

The TV version most of us remember really took off around 1961, when “Ho Ho Ho” became his signature line and “Good Things from the Garden” became part of the campaign. The deep voice belonged to Len Dresslar, a Chicago singer whose laugh became one of the most famous sounds in advertising.

The Giant later got a young helper, Little Green Sprout, in the early 1970s. The campaign faded in and out over the years, but it never really disappeared. Even if he wasn’t always in the commercials, he stayed right there on the package.

Ho Ho Ho… Green Giant!

The Cisco Kid: One of TV’s First Color Westerns

Before television westerns filled the schedule in the 1950s, The Cisco Kid was already riding into living rooms.

The TV series began in 1950 and ran until 1956, starring Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and Leo Carrillo as his cheerful sidekick, Pancho. It was a syndicated show, so unlike a regular network series, the exact day and time could vary depending on the local station. The commonly listed television debut is Tuesday, September 5, 1950. The series ran for 156 half-hour episodes.

Cisco and Pancho were not the usual stiff western heroes. They had charm, humor, and a Robin Hood quality. They often helped people who were being cheated, bullied, or ignored by corrupt officials. The show was especially popular with children, who loved the horses, the action, the jokes between Cisco and Pancho, and the feeling that the good guys would always ride away smiling.

One thing that made The Cisco Kid stand out is that it was filmed in color, even though most families watching in the early 1950s were still seeing it on black-and-white television sets. That helped the show live on in reruns for years, especially once color TV became more common.

And of course, many people remember the playful ending: “Oh, Cisco!” “Oh, Pancho!” followed by the two riding off together. It was light, fun, and easy for kids to imitate.

Looking back, The Cisco Kid had the feel of an early TV western made for young viewers: simple stories, clear villains, loyal friends, fast horses, and a hero who could outsmart the bad guys without losing his smile.

Did you watch The Cisco Kid when it first aired, or did you catch it later in reruns? And did you ever find yourself saying, “Oh, Cisco!” or “Oh, Pancho!”?

The Swing Wing: The Toy That Looked Like a Neck Injury Waiting to Happen

The Swing Wing was a wonderfully weird 1960s toy introduced by Transogram Games in 1965. It was worn on your head like a little cap, with a long ribbon or tail attached. The idea was to whip your head and neck back and forth until the tail spun around like a helicopter. Think Hula Hoop, but for your head.

The commercials made it look like pure kid fun: boys and girls swinging, twisting, dancing, and making the Swing Wing fly around them. But watching it now, you can almost hear every chiropractor in America screaming.

It was supposed to be Transogram’s answer to the Hula Hoop craze, with company hopes that it might become the next big toy sensation. It didn’t.

That’s probably why people remember it now more as a “what were they thinking?” toy than a classic. It had the perfect 1960s formula: bright colors, a catchy commercial, kids moving around like crazy, and absolutely no adult in the room asking, “Should children be violently snapping their necks for fun?”

Looking back, the Swing Wing is peak retro toy madness. Simple idea, great commercial, questionable safety, and the kind of thing that makes you wonder how any of us made it out of childhood with our heads still attached

Did You Watch Super Chicken?

Super Chicken was one of those cartoons that felt like it was made for kids, but the jokes were flying right over our little heads and landing with the grown-ups. It was part of George of the Jungle, which aired on ABC starting in 1967, along with the other segments Tom Slick and Super Chicken. It came from Jay Ward Productions, the same folks behind Rocky and Bullwinkle, so you knew it was going to be loaded with silly names, smart-aleck humor, and jokes that moved faster than most of us realized at the time.

Super Chicken’s real name was Henry Cabot Henhouse III, because of course it was. He was a wealthy chicken superhero who would head off to fight crime with his lion sidekick Fred. And poor Fred always seemed to take the worst of it, which led to that famous line: “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred!” That was the kind of cartoon writing I appreciate more now than I probably did back then.

The whole thing only had 17 original episodes as part of George of the Jungle, but like so many Saturday morning cartoons, it lived a lot longer in reruns and in our memories. Between the theme song, the goofy superhero setup, and that classic Jay Ward humor, Super Chicken was one of those quick little cartoons that didn’t need much time to leave a mark.

Who remembers Super Chicken? And did you watch it for him, George of the Jungle, or Tom Slick?