Howdy Doody Original Cast Stereo LP 1972 still SEALED in Original Shrinkwrap in Mint Like New Condition with Buffalo Bob Smith and all of the Original Cast Members . Side One : Its Howdy Doody Time ! / Howdy Doody Do's and Don'ts . Side Two : Howdy Doody's Magic Juke Box ! Howdy Doody was a children's television program (with a decidedly frontier/western theme, although other themes also colored the show) that was broadcast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's programming and set the pattern for many similar shows. It was also a pioneer in early color production as NBC used the show in part to sell color television sets in the 1950s. Howdy Doody himself was a freckle-faced boy marionette, and was originally voiced by Buffalo Bob Smith ( Say Kids ! What Time is it ?? ). The Howdy Doody marionettes were created and built by puppeteers Velma Wayne Dawson and Rufus Rose throughout the show's run. The redheaded Howdy marionette on the original show was operated with 11 strings: two head, one mouth, one eyes, two shoulders, one back, two hands and two knees. Three strings were added when the show returned—two elbows and one nose. This gap-toothed puppet in cowboy boots remains a favorite baby boomer childhood memory and popular culture icon.The original Howdy Doody marionette now resides at the Detroit Institute of Arts. There were also duplicate Howdy Doody puppets, used expressly for off-the-air purposes (lighting rehearsals, personal appearances, etc.). Double Doody (Howdy) was the Howdy stand-in puppet; now on permanent display at the Smithsonian. Photo Doody (Howdy), is the near-stringless marionette that was used in personal appearances, photos, parades, and the famed NBC test pattern. He was sold by Leland's Sports Auction House in 1997 for more than $113,000 to a private art collector, TJ Fisher. Other puppet characters included Heidi Doody (Howdy's sister), Mayor Phineas T. Bluster, Dilly Dally, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, and the curious Flub-a-Dub (a combination of eight animals—a duck's bill, a cat's whiskers, a spaniel's ears, a giraffe's neck, a dachshund's body, a seal's flippers, a pig's tail,and an elephant's memory). The show's host was Bob Smith (born November 27, 1917 and died July 30, 1998), who was dubbed "Buffalo Bob" early in the show's run. Smith wore cowboy garb, and the name of the puppet "star" was derived from the western U.S. expression "howdy do", a familiar form of the greeting "How Do You Do?" (The straightforward use of that expression was also in the theme song's lyrics.) Smith, who had gotten his start as a singing radio personality in Buffalo, New York, used music frequently in the program. Cast members Lew Anderson and Bobby Nicholson were both experienced jazz musicians.There also were several human characters, most notably the mute Clarabell the Clown, who communicated by honking horns on his belt and squirting seltzer, and Chief Thunderthud, head of the Ooragnak tribe of Native Americans (kangaroo spelled backward, possibly from Bob Keeshan), who originated the cry "Kowabonga!" Princess Summerfall Winterspring, originally a puppet, was later played by the actress Judy Tyler. The characters inhabited the fictional town of "Doodyville." Several characters were also voiced by comedian and voice actor Dayton Allen, who later went on to become a cast regular on NBC's prime-time Steve Allen Show. The Howdy show's non-televised rehearsals were renowned for including considerable double-entendre dialogue between the cast members (particularly the witty Dayton Allen) and the puppet characters. An exceptionally rare Howdy Doody Collectible in Mint New Condition. Email with any questions before purchasing if you are unsure about something. We ONLY accept Money Orders , Cashiers Checks or U.S. Cash as payment ( we do NOT accept personal checks or online payment at all). Please email about local pick-up , we are located in NYC in Times Square. All International Customers MUST email us before purchasing this item.
