![]() Moose could be a slight smart aleck so I did like him. Simon had a magic blackboard and anything he drew became real. One one of my favorite sections was the cartoon “Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings” that would appear on some shows. The Painter was played by Gus “Cosmo” Allegretti who also handled the puppets and Dancing Bear. He also portrayed the Professor, Greeno the Clown, the New Old Folk Singer, and Mr. Green Jeans (Hugh Brannum) would have different animals at times to show. Moose was setting the Captain up for the ritual ping-pong drop on the Captain’s head that never got old. Green Jeans, Bunny Rabbit, Dancing Bear, and Mr. Keeshan was Captain Kangaroo and every morning I would look forward to seeing The Captain, Mr. ![]() The show spanned many generations of kids during that time. In 1955 CBS offered Keeshan his own children’s show, which became Captain Kangaroo. Captain Kangaroo ran from 1955 to 1984. It’s fitting that a man that reached such heights in his life should be remembered at the top of the world.Bob Keeshan played Clarabell on the Howdy Doody Show. When he reached the top of Everest, Britton buried a picture of himself and his beloved grandfather as a tribute. His grandson, Britton, forged a legacy of his own by being the youngest person at the time to reach the top of all Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. Keeshan died in 2004, leaving a vast television legacy. Captain Kangaroo and Bunny Rabbit from the pages of Children’s Playmate magazine’s Apissue. He later published a memoir, Good Morning, Captain, in 1995. Nevertheless, he returned to CBS the following year for a Captain Kangaroo and Friends prime-time special and as host of the CBS Storybreak program. Off-screen, Keeshan drove advocacy for children’s programming and testified in matters related to tobacco advertising and other issues that he believed negatively impacted children.īy 1984, Keeshan declined to renew his contract, ultimately due to the timeslot reductions and shuffling facing the show. His performance maintained a gentle and calm demeanor that the performer said was meant to echo the relationship between children and their grandparents. (The Kellogg Company promotional post-card, 1961/Wikimedia Commons)īut it was Keeshan himself that held the whirl of activity together. Members of the cast included Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, The Captain, Mr. The puppets, along with the Captain’s coat, dwell today at the Smithsonian. Moose and his friend Bunny Rabbit had a habit of making ping-pong balls rain on the perennially unsuspecting Captain. Part of the appeal of the show came from the rotating cast of characters. The original Captain Kangaroo theme, “Puffin Billy,” by Edward White. Perhaps remarkably, he was still winning Emmys for Outstanding Performer in Children’s Programming and Outstanding Children’s Entertainment Series into the 1980s. Keeshan made over 9,000 episodic appearances as the Captain. ![]() ![]() Nevertheless, it was extremely popular throughout its nearly 30-year run. It would go through various iterations over time, including a switch from a one-hour to half-hour format in 1981, followed by a move to weekends in 1982. The show debuted as a weekday morning program on October 3, 1955. Keeshan cut a distinctive figure with his blonde hair, mustache, and bright coat (originally blue, but red from onward). The captain inhabited the Treasure House, later simply called The Captain’s Place, which was the base for a rotating series of characters, puppets, cartoons, and guests. The character drew his name from the extremely large pockets, reminiscent of a kangaroo’s pouch, on his naval-style coat. ![]() While working on other programs, Keeshan and his friend Jack Miller pitched a show and character called Captain Kangaroo to CBS. Clarabell only communicated by honking horns (once for yes, twice for no), but nevertheless became hugely popular. He played the original Clarabell the Clown on the wildly successful Howdy Doody show on NBC, debuting as the character in 1948. Keeshan was born in 1927 and made his first TV breakthrough in a sort of famous anonymity. Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo, would blaze an Emmy-winning television trail that influenced generations of viewers. He reached the summit of children’s programming, and today, his picture is buried on Mount Everest. ![]()
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