A research blog on the history of radio, film, television and classroom media geared towards children and young audiences through most of the 20th century.
Castle Films released two dozen live action and animated Christmas shorts to the home movie market from 1939 to 1959. This video combines four of those classic films.
The First Christmas (1957) - The Nativity enacted by puppets.
Merry Christmas
The Night Before Christmas (1945)
The Little Match Girl (1954), was originally a French short film from 1952. The child actress playing the lead role is unknown.
TV listing from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 23, 1939 about the Cinderella broadcast for Christmas Eve.
Cinderella "A Christmas pantomime"
W2XBS (now WNBC New York). 8:30pm EST
Cast: Ireene Wicker and "Jolly Bill" Steinke
Play or script(?): Madge Tucker
Publicity photo of Ireene Wicker. From Wikimedia Commons
Very little is known about this early broadcast of the famous fairy tale from 80 years ago. Ireene Wicker was radio's famous "Singing Lady" and Bill Steinke was the long-time host of the popular children's radio program "Jolly Bill and Jane". Madge Tucker who was credited as the writer was NBC's famous "Lady Next Door" and like Wicker a household name as a quality entertainer of children.
Along with Cinderella, Ireene Wicker has a number of forgotten landmark early Christmas specials. She would return to television nearly a decade later in 1947 to narrate "Santa and the Angel", and again in 1949 for the A&S Christmas Party.
Like most early television broadcasts, "Cinderella" was most likely never recorded in any format, but hopefully a script or behind the scenes images may still exist.
Newspaper Ad from the New York Daily News, December 23, 1949
A&S Gala Christmas Day Television Party
December 25, 1949
WNBT New York, 3:00pm EST
The "A&S Gala Christmas Day Television Party" was one of television's first big Christmas spectaculars, with two hours of broadcast time. The program reportedly featured "20 stupendous acts" which included most prominent children's entertainers like Clarabell the Clown from "Howdy Doody", Irene Wicker "The Singing Lady" of radio and TV fame, Paul Winchell and his dummy Jerry Mahoney. The line-up also included Popeye and Olive Oyl, but it is not clear if they were featured as broadcast cartoons or live performer portraying them. A large ad for the special appearing in local papers claimed that the special would feature the debut of Woody Woodpecker & Andy Panda cartoons in New York. Of course Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus were also part of the broadcast.
A&S was Abraham & Straus, was a long running department store company that later became a part of Macy's.
It is not clear if this gala was broadcast to a national audience.
Like most broadcast from 1949, the A&S Christmas special was most likely never recorded, or kinescope were destroyed and are long since lost.
Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen was a famous (infamous?) live action short made for children that has been seen for decades on home media, television and now YouTube. A production of Sid Davis, famous for decades of classroom films, more information is still needed about this film. For now here are 5 facts, not generally known about this short.
1) It is based on a Christmas play.
The short film is based on a play by Robert Niel Porter, who also arranged the choreography. It is unknown to this writer how close the original play was to Sid Davis's film production. Porter's play was enacted in Los Angeles, California area as early as December 1948, and given a copyright date of 1949.
2) The film was made in 1950, not 1951.
Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen was announced as part of a package of newly completed films in the fall of 1950. It was promoted for a Hollywood, California area PTA gathering in December of 1950. However the widely used copyright date is 1951.
Snippet from the Birmingham News, December 24, 1951.
"Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" is listed for a 12:30pm broadcast.
3) It was a TV special as early as 1951. Listings for this film a TV Christmas special have been found in an number of TV markets during December 1951. These stations include WBRC-TV Birmingham and WATV New York.
Rochelle "Rocky" Stanton as "Snoopy"
4) Rochelle Stanton "Snoopy" was a stage & TV actress and visual artist. Rochelle Stanton was born in 1925 in Los Angeles, but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She was listed in stage and TV roles in the Los Angeles area as early as 1948 including a short lived sitcom. Often billed as "Rocky" Stanton she appeared in episodes of the "Gene Autry Show" and the "Roy Rogers Show". After she married Rochelle became "Rocky Stanton Rau", a Los Angeles kids TV host and visual artist. She passed away in 2003.
A November 1950 newspaper ad for "John Wayne Productions" with "Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" on the list.
5) John Wayne was a producer. Yes, that John Wayne!
In fact, Sid Davis (at 6 feet, 4 inches) was Wayne's double before producing educational films. "Santa and the Fairy Snow Queen" is listed in 1950 newspapers press ads as a new "John Wayne Production".
Illustration frame from "Santa and the Angel", the lost Christmas special that aired December 24, 1947.
From the cover of Radio Daily, December 24, 1947. Image scan from americanradiohistory.com
Santa and the Angel [Santa and the Little Angel]
Based on a story by Oskar Lebeck
Cast: Ireene Wicker (narrator)
Premiered: Wednesday, December 24, 1947, WCBS-TV New York. Repeated Dec. 25, 1947.
Gingerbread Man
Telecomics Inc, produced Christmas special
Premiered: Sunday, December 21, 1947, WCBS-TV New York
Newspaper Ad for the premieres of "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" produced by Telecomics, Inc.
From the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Saturday, December 20, 1947.
For full page view go to - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52874851/
The "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" were a pair of "Telecomics" TV specials from the earliest days of network television. In one since of the term "cartoon", they may have been TV's first animated Christmas specials.
Newspaper ad for the premiere of "Santa and the Angel", Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Wednesday, December 24, 1947. Note that this feature was produced by "Telecomics, Inc." With Stephen Slesinger as president.
For full page view - https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52877207/
Telecomics were literally illustrated comic strip stories for television with very, very, limited camera movement. This was pioneered by former Disney animators Dick Moores and Jack Boyd, and media legend Stephen Slesinger who demonstrated this process as early as 1944. Moores and Boyd had a syndicated Telecomics series in 1949. The NBC Telecomics series from 1950 was the most successful example of this storytelling method. Please view this 1950 NBC Telecomics episode of "Speed Barton" a sci-fi serial, posted below for an idea of what the 1947 special may have been like.
While a few examples of that series have survived, both "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" are forgotten Telecomics. They aired on WCBS-TV in New York and could be view by TV audiences in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Both specials were promoted in New York area newspapers as a "Television Christmas Fantasy".
No detailed information could be found for the Gingerbread Man special. "Santa and the Angel" was based on a children's story by Oskar Lebeck and was narrated by Ireene Wicker (1905-1987) radio's famous "Singing Lady" [Yes, her first name was spelled with 3 "e"s]. Wicker was already a veteran in hosting TV Christmas specials, which I will detail in another "Lost Christmas Special" article. Oscar Lebeck (1903-1966) was the author of numerous children's stories, some published by Dell Comics of which he was a co-founder. "Santa and the Angel" was published as a one-shot comic by Dell in 1950, and this comic book is in the public domain.
As a common practice of the time these TV specials were most likely never recorded and if they were the films are long lost. Hopefully some film elements, illustrations, behind the scenes photos, or a script of the "Gingerbread Man" and "Santa and the Angel" specials will resurface someday. If you were part of that rare 1947 TV audience and can recall this special, or have any information about these specials please write to archivebuilder@gmail.com.
BONUS: Ireene Wicker narrated many Christmas albums and a few films for children. Please checkout these videos from the Children's Media Archive channel for her legendary voice talent.
Ireene Wicker narrates "Madeline's Christmas" for Science Pictures c. 1956
Ireene Wicker tells Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ...in 3 minutes!
Christmas Day 1932 movie matinee newspaper ad for "Little Orphan Annie" starring Mitzi Green.
Little Orphan Annie
Released November 4, 1932 by RKO Pictures.
With Mitzi Green (as Annie), Buster Phelps, Matt Moore, Edgar Kennedy (as Daddy Warbucks), and May Robeson
Based on "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip by Harold Gray.
From 1932, "Little Orphan Annie" the first big screen adaptation of Harold Gray's little comic strip heroine, isn't "lost" in a traditional sense. A print of this RKO Radio Studios release exists in the UCLA Film and Television Archives. It was released on Betamax and VHS as early as 1983 by Blackhawk Films, again by Critic's Choice Video in 1996, and a few other possibly unauthorized releases on DVD. It has however, never had an official home video release from a clean restored print, and can only be seen today by rare copies of those 1980s and 1990s VHS releases or a random website that may upload it, usually in poor quality. Asides from a few broadcasts on local stations in California in the early 1990s, "Annie" has never been featured on a classic movie channel.
Contemporary reviews were mixed, favoring "Little Orphan Annie" as a good film for children. In my one viewing of the complete film, I found it to be enjoyable. Mitzi Green (1920-1969), a versatile child actress was well cast as Annie. Green was 12 at the time, although she appeared to be a little older, and the comic character was supposed to 10. Her natural Bronx accent added a nice touch for Harold Gray's street tough orphan. The plot mostly concerned Annie's efforts to help a help little orphan boy (Buster Phelps) while Daddy Warbucks (comedian Edgar Kennedy, who should have had more scenes) is away seeking work.
What makes the film a Christmas flick is the ending, (which I will completely not spoil), that takes place at a Christmas party and the film's release timing. "Annie" was made available to theaters in November just before the holidays and was viewed as appropriate for children. Also there was the crossover appeal of the famous "Little Orphan Annie" radio program on the air at that time. Many movie theater owners took advantage of all this by promoting special Christmas Day screenings of "Annie". Marquee billings and other promotions for those Christmas matiness can easily be found in newspaper databases.
It is hoped that one day a restored version of this film could be re-released on blu-ray or streaming media. When and if that happens, "Little Orphan Annie" could take it's place as a 1930s family classic for the Christmas season along with "Babes In Toyland" (1934), "Scrooge" (1935), and many other films.
"Island of Lost Christmas Specials"
"Island of Lost Christmas Specials", a mythical place where many film reels and audio recordings could be found.
Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland " [March of the Wooden Soldiers] on KSL-TV Salt Lake City, Utah. for December 1952. This was one of several stations to present this Christmas classic on television that year.
After 85 years, the fantasy classic Babes In Toyland (1934) starring the comedy team of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy still commands a viewing audience (especially in New York) every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Other than Shirley Temple films it is perhaps to only sound film older than Disney's "Snow White" that is still recommended for children and families.
Babes In Toyland received great reviews after it's November 1934 release and was praised as the film that was “Okay for All -- From Six To Sixty”. Like The Wizard of Oz, it really became even more of a praised classic of childhood after annual showings on television. This articles attempts to shed light on how this classic, also known as "March of the Wooden Soldiers" began on TV.
In 1949, 15 years after it's initial release, Babes In Toyland was re-released under the new title "March of The Wooden Soldiers". The film would show up repeatedly at matinees (not just at Christmas time) around the country over the next 3 years.
It was announced in the October 13, 1952 edition of Broadcasting Telecasting magazine that a company called "Peerless Television Production, Inc" had sold "March of the Wooden Soldiers" to at least 11 television market cities. These markets included Atlanta, Chicago, and Milwaukee. A week later this press release was shortened to say that it was being offered on an “exclusive” basis to select markets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. "Wooden Soldiers" was one of 26 features films made available to the television market that fall winter season. In fall/winter of 1952, the film was still available in some areas at the local movies theaters, so some audiences may have seen it both in a Christmas matinee or on television within a few months.
Newspaper ad for "Babes In Toyland" [March of the Wooden Soldiers] airing on WXYZ-TV from the Detroit Free Press, November 27, 1952. Detroit was one of several cities where this film became established as a Thanksgiving tradition.
The exact number of stations that played this film that year would take a while to count, but other stations recruited by Peerless included KPHO-TV in Phoenix, and KING-TV San Diego. KRC-TV Channel 12 in Cincinnati, and WXYZ Detroit were among several stations that aired the film Thanksgiving Day (November 27). The film premiered Christmas Day on WENR-TV in Chicago, and most significantly today, on WPIX-TV New York on December 24 at 7:30pm EST. To this day WPIX plays "March of the Wooden Soldiers" at least once during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons
Christmas Eve, 1962 newspaper ad for "Lamb In The Manger" starring Maureen O'Sullivan
"Lamb In the Manger" Lost Nativity Christmas Special produced by Hal Roach and starring Maureen O'Sullivan.
Syndicated beginning December 1953; distributed 1953 - c. 1965.
“The Lamb In The Manger” was a Christmas special "as told by Maureen O’Sullivan to her children" that was syndicated to numerous TV markets in the United States for at least 12 years, before disappearing.
Around 1951 the Hal Roach Studios famous producers of the Our Gang/Little Rascals and Laurel And Hardy comedy series, made a TV show pilot for children called “The Children’s Hour”. Each episode would feature four segments, one of which would have been a Bible story, all hosted/narrated by actress Maureen O’Sullivan (1911-1998), still recognizable today for her years as Tarzan’s Jane. There were a number of press releases announcing this series between 1951 and 1953, but I have found no proof that this series actually aired. However fragmentary elements reportedly existed in one public library.
Beginning in 1953, a Christmas special also produced by Roach and starring Miss O’Sullivan called “The Lamb In the Manger” was syndicated around the country. All that is known is about it is that O'Sullivan narrated the story of the birth of Christ to a group of children, with some advertisements claiming that they were her own. Originally distributed by Comet Films, it was later syndicated with other Christmas films like “A Christmas Carol” (1949, the one narrated by Vincent Price) as part of a package by (NTA) National Telefilm Associates.
Unlike the 1949 "Christmas Carol", and several other vintage 1950s Christmas specials which have survived to this day in public domain prints, the "Manger" special has not been seen in decades. From examining TV listings across the continental United States this special was seen in many broadcast areas until it disappeared after 1965. It is very obscure and is not even included in either Maureen O’Sullivan’s or Hal Roach’s filmography. A print is not listed in any known archives catalog. As a syndicated film it is hoped that a copy may turn up eventually.
If you remember this lost Christmas classic, or are aware of an existing print, I would love to hear from you. Please email archivebuilder@gmail.com with the subject heading "Lamb In The Manger".
Sources for this article include multiple press releases and TV schedules printed between 1953 - 1965.
"Island of Lost Christmas Specials", a mythical place where many film reels and audio recordings could be found.
The Best of DC #29 "Sugar and Spike". #29, October 1982
The Best of DC #13, June 1981
The Best of DC was a digest size comics anthology of previously published stories from DC Comics that ran from 1979 to 1986. It is too bad that these reprints did not last longer, especially the more kid friendly titles .like "Sugar and Spike."
Larry on Location (Early Puppet series from Chicago)
June 13, 1949 - July 22, 1949
WBKB*, Chicago. Monday - Friday, 6:00pm
October 2, 1949 - December 2, 1949
WENR-TV, Chicago Monday - Friday 5:15pm
Creator/producer: Les Weinrott
Puppeteer: Don Tennatt
Cast: Toni Gilman,
Music: Carolyn Gilbert
Director: Bill Balaban
Overlooked in many kids TV show histories is Larry on Location, a short lived replacement for Kukla Fran and Ollie when that series left WBKB in Chicago for WNBQ in the same city. The series was critiqued as being a clone of the more famous Kukla series in terms of characterizations, but Variety said that it was "not a bad show and some adults will like it."
Toni Gilman (1923 - 2017) had the role of Fran Alison, the human woman who would ad-lib with the puppet cast who worked in the fictitious movie company, Highly Unlikely Productions. The puppet characters included the producer Gaylord Nosegay, camera man Newton Figg (whose personality was said to be similar to Ollie the Dragon), prop boy Larry, and writer Nosmo King.
Don Tennant (1922 - 2001) puppeteer for the series also did another local series Hold Er' Newt for WENR-TV. He is much more famous today for his years in advertising, and for his role in creating Kellogg's Tony the Tiger and the Marlboro Man.
Carolyn Gilbert was a music performer originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the local NBC affiliate and local stage productions. After this series she had her own program "The Carolyn Gilbert Show" on WENR-TV, with comedy skits by Tennant.
While on WBKB the Larry on Location series aired in the 6:00pm timeslot where it competed with WNBQ's Judy Splinters and Mary Kay and Johnny. In the fall the series moved to WENR until its run ended that December.
*WBKB-TV in Chicago became WBBM-TV in 1953. Also cast and crew information is based on reviews from the June 13, 1949 premiere.
"Fun House" video game by Hi-Tech Expressions of New York, NY, 1990
Home game versions of TV shows have existed for decades as board games and other toys. It is interesting coming across earlier versions of home video games based on TV shows.
“Fun House” also known as “Fox’s Fun House” (1987 - 1991) was a children’s game show that ran in syndication, then on Saturday mornings as one the vey young FOX network.
Super Jeopardy video game by GameTek of North Miami Beach, Florida, 1991
Jeopardy! needs no introduction. The current version of the hit game show hosted by Alex Trebek, just started its 36th season. Game versions of Jeopardy! have existed in multiple formats, from board games, to CD-ROM to handheld electronic versions.
Image of "Little Red Riding Hood" WCKY star from What's On The Air magazine June 1931
Red Riding Hood [Red Riding Hood Kiddie Klub] - WCKY Covington, Kentucky, c. May 1931 - ????. Weekdays at various times, sometimes twice a day, Central Time.
There are many interesting finds when searching old radio magazines for yesterday's children's shows. The "Little Red Riding Hood" radio program from station WCKY is just one of them.
Jeanne Ellis (originally named Jean Barber) (c. 1925 - 2007) was a radio child prodigy who became more famous for her time with Paul Whiteman's band around 1937. She began her radio career at age four singing for station KNOX. By age six she was cast as Little Red Riding Hood for Covington, Kentucky station WCKY (W, C, KY...get it) beginning about 1931.
According to the June 5, 1931 issue of Radio Dial, many people could not believe a child so young was the star of a radio program and could have such a singing range. A publicity photo of the little girl was published to dispel any doubts.
Exact contents of the "Red Riding Hood Kiddie Klub" are unknown, asides from little Jeanne
s singing. The program was reportedly so popular that the little girl's sixth birthday party held at a theater attracted over 5,000 children. While the program seems to have drawn a lot of promotion and attention, it is not know if it aired after September 1931.
Bibliography:
"Child Prodigy to be heard; got start over WCKY" The Cincinnati Enquirer, Sun. Sept. 12, 1937
Rayno, Don. 2003. Paul Whiteman: pioneer in American music. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press.
Newspaper ad for the new "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" series that premiered Saturday, September 13, 1969 on CBS stations.
70 Years Ago - 1949
September 15, 1949 - The Lone Ranger, the "mysterious masked rider of the plains" comes to television on ABC. To date it is the only dramatic series that premiered before 1950 that is still being broadcast on American television (currently the Cowboy Channel).
50 Years Ago - 1969
September 6, 1969 - Classic Saturday Mornings [Yes, All of these shows premiered on the same day!] The Hardy Boys Cattanooga Cats Skyhawks H. R. Pufnstuf Hot Wheels Here Comes The Grump Pink Panther Show
Scooby Doo wasn't the only series to premiere September 13, 1969. "The Perils of Penelope Pitstop" was one of Saturday Morning's first sequels; to Hanna-Barbera's "Wacky Races".
September 13, 1969 Scooby Doo, Where Are You? - A little disappointed that the gang was not on TV for their big 50th, (except for two recent movies) but streaming and Blu-Ray are where we are today. Dastardly and Muttedly The Perils of Penelope Pitstop - One of Saturday mornings first sequels and a homage spoof to silent serials and melodrama.
September 26, 1969 The Brady Bunch - The classic sitcom about Mike, Carol, their 3 sons, 3 daughters with "hair of gold, like their mother" and Alice. What else can be said.
One classic of childhood that streaming and digital devices doesn't seem to have completed antiquated is the coloring book. Here are some fun and interesting examples from the early 1990s.
Courtney, Richard. 1988. [Teenage mutant ninja turtles] Rat trap: an adventure to color. New York: Random House.
Peter Pan and the Pirates Paint With Water. Golden Books.
"Peter Pan and the Pirates" (1990 - 1991) was a very memorable show from the defunct Fox Kids lineup on the Fox Network.
New Kids on the Block a Coloring Book, Golden
Just how many boy bands or music groups had a coloring book?
Dick Tracy Audio Action Adventures. Episode 01 "Big Boy Turns Up the Heat." 1900 Walt Disney Company, Buena Vista Distribution.
Audio cassette tapes are defiinitly on the many once everyday media experiences that today' children will not use. Unless they have an interest in media history, which I definitely would.
As a kid of the 1990s, I did not think there would not be sequel to the Warren Beatty Dick Tracy movie, based on how much advertising and merchandise was promoted with this movie. I was unaware of these audio adventures.
Mother Goose Treasury Volumes I & II. 1991 J2 Communications
This was an album from a nice live action version of the Mother Goose stories that used to air on the Disney Channel in the United States.
The Fables of Aesop. Date Unknown. Spoken Arts
This was one of several public school discarded cassettes from the "Spoken Arts" label that I have acquired. Featuring narration by John Franklyn, Pamela Mant, Sara Franklyn, Simon Franklyn, "Fables of Aesop" was also released as an LP.
Photo of the Video Ranger (actor Don Hastings) with Captain Video holding a scientific weapon (Al Hodge).
In the 1970s reportedly hundreds of rare TV recordings from the legendary DuMont Network (1946 - 1956) were tossed into New York City's East River. Among the hundreds of classic programs destroyed were episodes of "Captain Video and His Video Rangers" which premiered 70 years ago (June 27, 1949) as American TV's first science-fiction series and became a huge hit with kid and adult audiences in the Golden Age of Television.
The series featured the adventures of the titular hero who led multiple Video Rangers and his junior companion The Video Ranger who operated from a secret mountain base in the future, and fought evil on Earth and across the universe. Richard Coogan (1914 - 2014) was the first Captain Video. After 17 months he was replaced by Al Hodge (1912 - 1979) who stayed with the series until its end in 1955. There was only one Junior Ranger, actor Don Hastings (1934 - ) who later became a major daytime television actor.
The program was filmed live 5 to 6 days a week and any recorded episodes would have been kine-scoped. Innovative in its storylines while limited on a budget, it is unfortunate that only 24 episodes out of a possible 1,700+ (or 1.4% percent) are known to exist. It is this writer's hope that more may surface one day. Here is a research summary of what has survived from this historic series, and what could still be out there.
Episodes available to the public.
5 complete episodes have been circulating for years among collectors and they are all available for download from the Internet Archive.
Two of these episodes were uploaded to the "Children's Media Archive" YouTube Channel
4 of these episodes were released on a DVD from Alpha Video, with their logo placed in the opening credits.
UCLA Television/Film Archives
24 episodes (including the 5 released ones), all that are believed to exist are held at the UCLA Film/Television Archives and can be seen by appointment only. Hopefully one day they will be released as part of a digital collection or a DVD/ Blu-Ray set.
Ad Views Digital Collection
Duke University in Durham, North Carolina at has least six Post Cereals commercials as part of its massive AdViews digital collections. These Captain Video ads were a part of the D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles advertising agency archives which are held in the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History at the Duke University Libraries.
These ads were downloaded and uploaded to YouTube in various channels. In acknowledging these rare commercials it is hoped that other "Captain Video" advertisements may exist in another advertisement archival collection.
Al Hodge's personal collection???
A possible myth that I picked up from at least one printed text years ago was that a few episodes of Captain Video were in the possession of Al Hodge's hotel room residence at the time of his passing in 1979. This is doubtful because in a 1972 interview on radio's What Ever Happened To...? with Richard Lamparski,Hodge was asked if he was aware of surviving episodes of Captain Video and he said no. However, if he did have copies at the time of his death, what became of those films?
Personal collections of other cast and crew???
In the same radio interview it was mentioned that a copy was believed to be held in an unnamed Ohio university's collection and more episodes may have existed in the possession of a former makeup artist. It would be great if either story could be confirmed even after 40 years.
One of the thousands of headlining news stories about the death of George Reeves. Rutland Daily Herald, Wednesday, June 17, 1959.
"Despondent, Superman Kills Self" - Press Democrat, Tuesday, June 16, 1959 "Superman Takes Life"- Tampa Times, Tuesday, June 16, 1959 "Television's 'Superman' Ends Life With Pistol" - Pittsburgh Press, Tuesday, June 16, 1959
Snippet from the Pittsburgh Press, Tuesday, June 16, 1959.
Beginning Tuesday, June 16, 1959, national and international papers would repeat the tragic news of the death of actor George Reeves best remembered as TV's 'Superman' who was found dead in his Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, California home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Within a few days the focus of the story would be on events of George's life that have placed his death in so much mystery like: his will not including his finance Lenora Lemmon (or such a will being missing), the belief of his mother Helen Bessolo and several friends that Reeves wasn't suicidal, and the presence of extra bullets in the room.
By the end of June 1959, there would be headlines about the "mystery" and suspicions of Reeves death that continue to this day. A great curiosity of mine is how learning of Reeves death, whether from newspapers, TV, or hearing it on the radio impacted his young viewers in that tragic time. If you were a child or adolescent and remember that day in 1959, please share your recollections in the comments section or write to archivebuilder@gmail.com with the subject heading "Reeves".
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse Club Dot to Dot. 1953, Whitman Publishing Company. From the Blogger's collection.
Coloring books based on juvenile programs go back a several decades. This Mickey Mouse Club book was just one of hundreds of Disneyana to come from the popular weekday afternoon series (1955 - 1959)
Manning, Russ (illustrations). Sergeant Preston Coloring Book. 1953 Whitman Publishing Company. From the Blogger's Collection.
Add first I mistook this as a TV series coloring book, until I remembered that it took a little longer for Sergeant Preston and his "wonder dog Yukon King" to transition from radio to TV. The TV version (1955 - 1958) premiered 2 years after this coloring book was published.
Clip of "Uncle John" Daggett in "Mary, Queen of Tots" (1925)
** = UPDATED: December 30, 2020.
"Uncle John", or John S. Daggett (1878-1945) was a radio station manager for KHJ in Los Angeles in the 1920s. As host of its popular evening children's program Daggett worked with several radio and screen child stars in the area throughout the 1920s. His cameo in the 1925 Our Gang/Little Rascals short "Mary, Queen of Tots" is great for viewing rare footage one of the first children's "Uncles" figures in broadcasting.
Los Angeles Times, September 24, 1924. "Uncle John" Daggett can be seen with glasses in the upper right. The caption says that this was a birthday party for Muriel MacCormac (1918-2000) a silent child actress probably most famous today for playing the blind girl healed by Jesus in Cecil B. DeMille's King of Kings (1927).
In it's earliest years KHJ Los Angeles was owned by the Los Angeles Times, later CBS, and then became one of the Don Lee Mutual stations. The KHJ "Children's Hour" usually ran Tuesdays or Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm Pacific Time, and featured a few child stars who also appeared in the motion pictures like Joyce Coad, David Durand, Leon Ramon (Leon Janney), Lois Jane Campbell and Johnny Downs. In the early radio days, this west coast program could be heard as far away as Atlanta, Georgia.
Helene Pirie, "Queen Titiana", "The Fairy of the Microphone" of the KHJ Fairyland. Los Angeles Times, August 24, 1924.
The most famous child performer on the program was Helene Pirie (1916-1988) who was known as "Queen Titania", the "Fairy of the Microphone". After she began appearing as this character in the fall of 1923, her real name was rarely given in publicity so she was known as "The Mystery Child of Radio". A growing theme of the Children's Hour was to transport young listeners to "Fairyland" with Queen Titania, to the "Fairy Garden", the "Moonbeam Express" among other wonders. She was joined by the "Sandman" and Uncle John under the title of the "Sandman's Hour" and sometimes the "Radio Fairies". As Queen Titania, Pirie made public appearances on behalf of KHJ and the Los Angeles Times. The Fairyland program was so popular that even Paramount Studios actress Betty Bronson "The Peter Pan Girl" made a guest appearance in April 1925 for KHJ's 3rd anniversary.
"Queen Titania's Radio Fairies" by Oliver Garrison Pirie, Helene's father. Very rare signed book from KHJ with photos and stories from the radio Fairyland. From The blogger's collection.
**Pencil and ink signatures of "Queen Titiania", "Sandman" and "John O. Daggett, Uncle John KHJ". From the Blogger's Collection.
Press articles of the time suggest a promising career as a child film star was planned for Pirie. She was selected by Ivan Kahn (1890-1951) to star in a series of kid films called the "Kahn Kid Komedies. Photo stills at the Young Entertainer's Directory (possibly from the Ivan Kahn Collection at the Margaret Herrick Library) show that this series existed, or was at least initiated. Only two film roles appear on Pirie's IMDB profile, one of which was a MacDougal Alley Kids short "Getting Hitched" from 1926.
**Pirie did have a small role as "Aggie" in the 1926 drama "Paradise of Sunshine Valley". This film may be her only surviving performance. It was preserved by the Library of Congress and can be seen at their website and on the "Cine Mudo - Silent Films" YouTube Channel. Her scenes are primarily in the film's first 15 minutes.
The Children's Hour Fairyland broadcasts continued as late as October 1927 when it was announced that Queen Titania had made 200 consecutive broadcasts. "Uncle John" Daggett, the "Sandman" and Helene "Queen Titania" Pirie would make occasional public appearances as their beloved roles in Los Angeles into the early 1930s.
In 1943 at the peak of World War II there were nine Saturday morning cliffhanger serials, all but two of which featured wartime storylines. The most famous chapter play of the year, Columbia Pictures' The Batman (1943), pitted the DC comics character against a Japanese spy. Also popular was Republic Pictures' The Masked Marvel (1943, which also recently turned 75), that like "Batman" featured a two-fisted masked hero against an Axis saboteur. They remain key efforts by Hollywood to include wartime themes in the serial genre that was largely geared toward younger audiences.
As early as January 1944 (but officially the week of February 5th) Republic's newest serial Captain America hit theaters. The 15 chapter serial is a small landmark for being the first film adaptation of any Marvel Comics superhero. It is widely known that the storyline and character portrayed bear no resemblance to the Timely (Marvel) comics figure of super-soldier Steve Rogers. Instead this Captain America is the costumed identity of district attorney Grant Gardener (Dick Purcell, in his final role; he died only a few months after the film's release) in his battle against the Scarab (Lionel Atwill), in reality a museum curator plotting revenge and the theft of advanced scientific weapons. There is no "mighty shield", kid sidekick Bucky Barnes, no Axis Powers, or any sign of any superpowers.
What makes the storyline changes extra interesting, in context of the time period, is that compared to 1943 only ONE serial out of the nine released from 1944 employed a wartime theme or villain, Universal's "The Great Alaskan Mystery". Throughout the year there was a steady return to the normal range of storylines associated with the genre like the fantasy adventure Haunted Harbor and the jungle favorite "The Tiger Woman". In 1945, the last year of the war, there was a spike of three war themed serials, Jungle Queen, The Master Key, and Secret Agent X-9, all form Universal Studios.
Newspaper ad for "Captain America" from the January 7th, 1944 edition of the Elmira (New York) Star Gazette. Notice there is no indication of the changes to the character. It is clear that "boys and girls" are the target audience with the free passes given out in local schools.
Decades ago, serial historians suggested that this Captain America was made into a gun-toting, two-fisted district attorney because the script was originally written for another character "Mr. Scarlett". While this is a probable reason, another theory I propose is due to the overall decline in wartime themes in serial storylines in 1944 as the Allied Forces were approaching victory, there may have also been a push to eliminate elements from the Captain America character that would affect how seriously young audiences would take the war, and this may have led to a complete rewrite of the character for his screen debut.
1955 ad for the "Return of Captain America". The serial was popular enough for a re-release even after the end of the original "Captain America Comics" run.
Captain America was popular enough for a theatrical re-release in 1953 as "Return of Captain America".
Clip of the cliffhanger ending of Chapter 1 "The Purple Death", and beginning of Chapter 2 "Mechanical Executioner".
"Magic Shadows" was a Canadian series that would show American movie serials on TVOntario. Captain America (1944) appears sporadically on many American and Canadian TV schedules
*(added April 26, 2019) The Captain America serial was reintroduced to new audiences in the 1970s via American and Canadian TV shows that played vintage movie serials to kids. Like most older millennials I rented "Captain America" from my local public library on VHS tapes in the 1990s. To date the serial has never had a re-release on DVD and Blu-Ray from a remastered 35mm print.
