Building an Art Linkletter Collection

As a millenial, I grew up watching the Bill Cosby version of "Kids Say The Darndest Things" which aired from 1998 to 2000 on CBS. The Cosby version, like the new reboot with Tiffany Haddish, showed classic clips with original host Art Linkletter (1912-2012). Linkletter was fascinating to watch and the clips had a timelessness about them. 

A week before the passing of Art Linkletter in May 2010, I purchased a vintage copy of his 1966 book "The Secret World of Kids". Linkletter's books remain fascinating today for his communication with children on the classic "Kids Say The Darndest Things" TV segments. Some of the topics the children would bring up are also great time capsules about what 1950s to 1960s children knew, or thought they knew.

Across the past 12 years, I have slowly picked up other copies of Linkletter's books plus ephemera from his days as a judge for Pillsbury competitions. With these materials there can be an Art Linkletter subject collection.

TV's Small Fry Club at 75

According to many TV histories, when Small Fry Club (originally "Movies For Small Fry) premiered March 11, 1947 it was the first children's program to air on a multiple stations by a network. In this case the DuMont Network.

It was a new beginning for commercial broadcasting for American children. Big Brother Bob Emory (1897 - 1982) would be a familiar and welcome face on the small screen months before Fran Allison and even Buffalo Bob Smith. 

A real Small Fry Club for membership did exist and children would receive membership cards. The orginal Small Fry Club ended in 1951. Reportedly only a small portion of one episode has survived to this day. 

Those small children who watched old movies and cartoons with Big Brother Bob, and the puppet shows, lessons on good manners, and funny characters would most likely be between 75 and 84 years of age today. If you remember this gem from TV's golden age please leave a comment or write to archivebuilder@gmail.com with "Small Fry Club" as a header.