Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In 1945, because of World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Good read Jack. Advertisment: Claim: Children's television show host Fred Rogers hid a violent and criminal past. Captain Kangaroo, Bob Keeshan, a native of Lynbrook, New York, graduated early from Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York. Here are over 20 facts about the belovedCaptain Kangarooprogram that most people dont know: CBS premiered the show on October 3, 1955, the same day Walt DisneysMickey Mouse Clubbegan on ABC. The [Raleigh] News & Observer. He was there for you alone. The news . Filming & Production "I have to tell them it's a nice story, but it didn't happen," said Green, who served as a historical adviser for the movie Pearl Harbor. }, First published on January 23, 2004 / 1:28 PM. Keeshan ran a commercial enterprise as well -- at least until he moved to PBS in the early 90s -- but he vetted the sponsors, favoring products that he felt were actually good for his audience. One performance for the East Coast and another for the Midwest. Keeshan resided on Melbury Road in Babylon Village, Long Island, New York, before moving to spend the last 14years of his life in Norwich, Vermont, where he became a children's advocate, as well as an author. He would sleep with a tree if it had a skirt. He died in July of 2013 at the age of 86 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. [6][7] Other legends had compounded on it, such that Keeshan was a trained killer,[8] that he was awarded the Navy Cross,[9] [10] that he was a tough sergeant who saved the lives of dozens of men and women in the war,[11] and that he destroyed a German tank in action in North Africa (an apparent confusion with a similarly named British soldier). All people cared about with these shows was seeing the ball drop. David Mikkelson Published Mar 8,. Snow, A.C. "Urban Legends and Outright Lies." You never wanted to see anyone sweat on TV for any reason. I was so glad when he lived. ''Hate'' may be too strong, but Buffalo Bob went out of his way to denigrate the clown and depict him to the rest of the staff as a no-talent. Release Dates Hed played Clarabell the Clown on The Howdy Doody Show and had gotten fired. From 1955 until 1984, Brannum not only was Mr. Green Jeans, he played the roles of the Professor, Greeno the Clown, the New Old Folk Singer, Mr. McGregor, Percy, Uncle Backwards, and Mr. Bainter the Painter. Helicopter crash near Ukraine kindergarten kills children and top officials, U.S. lawyer who died in Mexico was "victim of a brutal crime," family says, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and George Santos get House committee seats, Qantas plane lands safely on single engine after mayday call over Pacific, New Mexico lawmaker says shootings suspect confronted her outside her home, Gov. Lumpys real name was Hugh Brannum, but the world knows him as Mr. Green Jeans. Robert James Keeshan (June 27, 1927 January 23, 2004) was an American television producer and actor. David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994. Despite the show offering her mainstream exposure, Debbie found herself typecast in the role she was playing on the childrens show. I grew up on CK. He was a great entertainer, showman and innovator and he will always hold a special place in the history of CBS and the hearts of television viewers. Robert Lloyd has been a Los Angeles Times television critic since 2003. There is only one higher awardthe Medal Of Honor. (1 episode, 1981) Series Set Decoration by Series Costume Design by Bill Griffin . Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. In a 1997 interview, Keeshan explained that he "enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb.". CBS loved the idea. (Gen X-ers will recall a version of this myth spreading about Mr. Rogers, who was supposedly a Marine sniper or Navy SEAL or something.) The iconic theme song forCaptain Kangaroowas not unique to the show. The f--king ball isnt dropping!, What happened? Company Credits But even the greatest sometimes slip. Well, all night long, Roy had framed and focused on. [22] He had come to the city to accept a children's service award. Howdy Doody (it kills me to write this) was on occasion made to expose himself. Today, Bob Keeshan remains one of the most beloved children's television show hosts, next to Mister Rogers, of course. 5 July 2001 (p. 26). She was wearing a sheer something, but she was wearing something.. Puffin Billy was actually borrowed from Chappell Recorded Music Library in Britain. } display: none; During his days with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, Brannum used his childhood nickname "Lumpy". Unfortunately, it can be hard to come to grips with the fact that a childhood hero may not be all that he seems. Johnny said "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded. However, she only managed to attain one other role during her tenure on Captain Kangaroo, and likely began viewing her role on the show as a curse.By early 1978, Debbies depression and anorexia had become major problems that could no longer be ignored. Bob Keeshan as Captain Kangaroo was such a significant person in so many young lives, he still lives in the hearts and minds of millions. The cast of "Captain Kangaroo" in the early 1970s (clockwise from top left): Hugh 'Lumpy' Brannum (Mr. Green Jeans), Jimmy Wall (Mr. Baxter), Debbie Weems (as Debbie), Gus Allegretti (as Dennis. Even in this tell-all age, there are some things that I just don`t want to know about. Well, following is the amazing answer: I always liked Lee Marvin, but did not know the extent of his Corps experiences. He was very temperamental; the slightest thing would set him off and did. (LogOut/ Brannum stuck his bleeding hand into his pocket and never broke character for the remainder of the episode. "Captain Kangaroo" debuted on Oct. 3, 1955, and Keeshan remained in that role until 1993. But the things Stephen Davis reveals! In the spoof clip, Captain Kangaroo, a.k.a. Updated Jun 29, 2022. Bicycle Brand", "Notes On People; Captain Kangaroo Suffers a Heart Attack", "Corporations Buying and Selling Captain Kangaroo", "Keeshan spans globe to honor famous 'Kangaroo', "International Clown Hall of Fame inductees", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Keeshan&oldid=1133703210, Honorary doctorate, Dartmouth College (1975), Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Fordham University (1975), his alma mater, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 03:27. Other celebrities who appeared on the show included Carrie Fisher, Hank Aaron, Bill Cosby, Nipsey Russell, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Dick Shawn, Arte Johnson, Andy Griffith, Alan Arkin, Adam Arkin, Shari Lewis, Skitch Henderson, Pearl Bailey, Carol Channing, Stephanie Mills, Lorne Greene, Walter Cronkite, Marlo Thomas, Jack Gilford, Minnie Pearl, Danny Aiello, Doc Severinsen, Emmett Kelly, Frank Gifford, Roosevelt Grier, Stubby Kaye, Alan Sues, George Kirby, Godfrey Cambridge, Dudley Moore, Bob Denver, Jo Ann Worley, John Ritter, Gale Gordon, Barbara Rush, Eli Wallach, Estelle Parsons, Mary Kay Place, Fannie Flagg, and Jean Stapleton. There, he not only played the sousaphone for marching band, but he also learned to play the bass violin. With her sights set on breaking into Hollywood, Hansen candidly explained to authorities how she left her Lincoln, Nebraska home for a stint as a drugstore waitress in Hollywood. He also personally supervised which commercials could air on the program, and promoted products, such as Play-Dough and Etch-a-Sketch, which he saw as facilitating creative play, while avoiding those he felt purely exploitative.". He carried photographs of his grandfather on that ascent, and he buried a photo of the two of them at the summit.[31]. Former "American Idol" contestant C.J. Please enter valid email address to continue. (LogOut/ The producer comes over to me and says, Your job today is to make sure [star] Morgan Fairchild is wearing a bra. [18] He described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children". | Keeshan was born to Irish parents[3] in Lynbrook, New York. - During rehearsals, the staff of the show would make the puppets and marionettes perform lewd sexual acts with one another. By the following year, Bob left Howdy Doody as Clarabell over a salary dispute. Times Staff Writer. Bob Keeshan, in full Robert James Keeshan, byname Captain Kangaroo, (born June 27, 1927, Lynbrook, New York, U.S.died January 23, 2004, Windsor, Vermont), American television producer and entertainer who was best known for his role as Captain Kangaroo on the children's program of the same name (1955-84). Captain Kangaroo managed to stand out during the rise of kids' programming, and good thing, too, because its 1955 premiere fell on the same day The Mickey Mouse Club began. In today's video, we're going to unveil some of the secrets and surprises behind Bob Keeshan and his beloved show, Captain Kangaroo. When Keeshan was a senior in high school, he landed a job as a page at NBC in New . Keeshan's show was given a farewell of sorts with Captain Kangaroo and Friends, a primetime network TV special that aired in 1985. I worked CBS New Years Eve coverage from Times Square for 10 years. While in the hospital he received over 5,000 get-well wishes from fans. Along the way he received five Emmy awards and several honorary doctorate degrees. He hid that away and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm. "Well Bob if you make it home before me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse. In the late 70s, Roy Jackson was the cameraman. ). Kolovich has convictions for similar. Before long, Keeshan was starring as the host of Captain Kangaroo. was written by Stephen Davis. A legend is, Uncle Don's remark after he had . One horn for yes. Two honks meant no.. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys gettin' shot hauling you down. Actor Lee Marvin fought in the Pacific theater during World War II, received a Purple Heart, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo, died Friday at age 76, and that he wasnt older seems to have been a matter of general surprise -- the impression being that he was a geezer from the day he first threw open the doors of his Treasure House, in October 1955. Lee Marvin, actor, and Bob Keeshan, television's "Captain Kangaroo" were World War II veterans who fought together at Iwo Jima. Change). Captain Kangaroo is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. When a maintenance worker appears in the studio and obliviously starts emptying the trash while the newscast is live on-air, you try and shoo him away. Studios are usually cold. Then he would put the Treasure House keys on a nail, and the music would stop. A mischievous kangaroo has had enough of Queensland's wet weather, caught on camera hopping between indoor bars on a holiday island.. "Lots of legends pop up and who knows where they come from," Green said. (LogOut/ "Officials Disclaim Myth of Captain Kangaroo as War Hero." I sat down with my newspaper and read a book review written by my Tribune colleague Lynn Van Matre. Because Bob would not perform the show live three times daily, it was broadcast on kinescope for the West Coast. Bob Keeshan, better known as Captain Kangaroo, died Friday at age 76, and that he wasn't older seems to have been a matter of general surprise -- the . Published Jun 28, 2007. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened. Several were of children's songs performed with other characters from Captain Kangaroo, but other albums included A Child's Introduction to Jazz, narration for Peter and the Wolf conducted by Leopold Stokowski, and Captain Kangaroo Introduces You to the Nutcracker Suite. On the GI Bill, Bob attended Fordham University and Hillsdale College just about the time television network programs began airing. ''-a backstage look at ''The Howdy Doody Show.''. 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Bob Keeshan Robert James Keeshan (June 27, 1927 - January 23, 2004) was an American television producer and actor. Tired of CBS's constant reductions of his show, Keeshan left Captain Kangaroo when his contract with the network ended in December 1984, just nine months shy of the show's 30th anniversary. Do you think you know a lot about TV? Gina Lollobrigida, "the most beautiful woman in the world," dies at 95 .component--type-recirculation .item:nth-child(5) { Summary of eRumor: The message says that Lee Marvin appeared on the Tonight Show in the 70's when host Johnny Carson brought up Marvin's record in the Marines. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, several months after the fighting at Iwo Jima. She was admitted to a treatment clinic in Connecticut. It never happened. On January 3, 1948, Bob was promoted to the role of Clarabell the Clown, a silent prankster who communicated by honking horns connected to a waist belt. "Bob Keeshan was a true pioneer in children's television whose legacy goes unmatched," said Leslie Moonves, Chairman and CEO of CBS. Try our quiz and enter to win $500!Click below to check the trivia questionBob Keeshan, best known as Captain Kangaroo, was a beloved icon of children's television. Keeshan read stories -- which I remember as always being Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Make Way for Ducklings, The Story About Ping or The Seven Chinese Brothers -- and made things out of construction paper. Years active. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery in Babylon, New York. The dumb bastard actually stood up on Red Beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. [26] Despite these accolades, Keeshan's show was shortened from its hour-long format to 30 minutes in 1981, to make room for the expansion of the CBS Morning News lineup. We've received your submission. But Johnny at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew We both got the Cross the same day but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. The actor regained his freedom by posting a $1,000 bond. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. Later that year, she was the main subject of a TV Guide article. Starting on January 3, 1948,[16] Keeshan played Clarabell the Clown, a silent Auguste clown who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy. Known to millions of children as . Keeshan also had a Saturday morning show called Mister Mayor during the 196465 season. He's also the proud owner of an underwhelming Bag o' Crap. 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