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.
