Anyone remember "Kukla, Fran and Ollie"?

[buelahwitch]

I always enjoyed watching puppets growing up, even more than cartoons. My favorites were Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop and Kukla, Fran and Ollie. The latter was usually only on specials and The CBS Children's Film Festival growing up.
Rediscovering them on the internet a few years back, I found that I still enjoyed KFO as an adult. I wasn't around for their 1950s show, but was able to find home video with a few of their old shows, plus clips at the Unofficial Kukla, Fran and Ollie site, kukla.tv/. Unfortunately, they're sort of forgotten because it's so difficult to find any of their shows, nor have any books been written about them or the show itself.
I always like to pass that link along to people who love nostalgia, because there's so much great stuff there.

[Midge]

Yes, I remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie. I also remember Beany and Cecil, Ding Dong School with Miss Frances, Winky Dink and You, Howdy Doody Time and the original Mickey Mouse Club.

Thanks for the link, buelahwitch!

[Larry's 66 Diner]

Thanks for posting that link, Leslie! I'll try to remember to check it out later.

Actually, I have totally forgotten all about Kukla, Fran, and Ollie until now. I used to watch it some, although not a lot (likely in repeats). And I've seen Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop too. Although I never really got much into either of them at the time, I thought they were rather cute. :thumbsup: :jump:

[circled27]

Yes, I remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie. I also remember Beany and Cecil, Ding Dong School with Miss Frances, Winky Dink and You, Howdy Doody Time and the original Mickey Mouse Club.

DITTO!

[hummingbird]

Jul 4, 2008 14:27:18 GMT -6 Midge said:

Yes, I remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie. I also remember Beany and Cecil, Ding Dong School with Miss Frances, Winky Dink and You, Howdy Doody Time and the original Mickey Mouse Club.

Thanks for the link, buelahwitch!

Same here ladies.

[Midge]

Oh, goodie! Phyllis and Circled, do you also remember, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy?"

[diane]

I actually loved Shari Lewis and her puppets. I can remember Andy Pandy and Torchy the Battery
Boy - I can still sing the songs ( can't recall a conversation I had 10 minutes ago but I can still
remember the words to "Torchy the Battery Boy" - oh well.)
A few years ago I read an indepth article about "Winky Dink" (I am not being funny!!!) in "Filmfax".
It sounded fascinating - it was the first inter-active TV show for kids. Parents could buy special
pens that could draw on the TV set and children could follow Winky Dinks instructions and draw
boats and cars that the characters on TV could appear in. I'm not explaining it very well but people
that can remember the show can understand what I mean. If I can remember correctly the host
had something to do with the quiz show scandals of the 50s.

[army83]

Never was much of a fan of Kula, Fran and Ollie but without question:

Howdy Doody Time and the original Mickey Mouse Club.!

Could not wait to get home from school to watch Howdy Doody w/Buffalo Bob and then the Mouseketeers.... :thumbsup:

[circled27]

Midge inquired:

…do you also remember, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy?"

No, can’t say I recall that one Midge.

You might want to check out this on FROGGY

[Midge]

Thanks for the link, Circled! I couldn't get the sound to work, but it was fun to see Froggy again.

[dvdjunkie]

"Smilin' Ed McConnell" and his magic frog. It was one of my favorite radio shows, and when it became "Andy's Gang" with Andy Devine and came to television it sort of ruined for me, because there was no more imagination about what 'froggy' looked like, but I do remember all the commercials for Buster Brown shoes, who were the main sponsors of the show in its long run on radio and television.

I loved Kukla, Fran and Ollie, I may be dating myself, but I saw them all in first-run on a little 12" black and white television that we had in the living room. I also remember Shari Lewis and Lambchop, even got to meet her in person once and she was a real sweetheart. Did you know that there were 11 Lambchop puppets that she used? All for different looks, and six of them were identical so if her hand got very sweaty she could change during the commerical breaks.

There is a DVD that was released a few years ago called "Bob Clampett's Adventures of Beany and Cecil", it came from Image and features 12 episodes of the cartoon series, and 16 episodes of the puppet-ized series. There are featurettes on each of the characters, including Bob Clampett himself. I can't get enough of this DVD, even at just over 3 hours in length.

;D

[buelahwitch]

Sept 5, 2008 9:29:49 GMT -6 dvdjunkie said:

" I also remember Shari Lewis and Lambchop, even got to meet her in person once and she was a real sweetheart. Did you know that there were 11 Lambchop puppets that she used? All for different looks, and six of them were identical so if her hand got very sweaty she could change during the commerical breaks.
;D

Oh, lucky you, getting to meet Shari! My mother and I were both broken hearted when she died of cancer about 10 years ago. There were many happy memories for both of us of Shari and LambChop.

Here's a picture I found of Shari, Burr Tillstrom (Kukla and Ollie's "Daddy"), Carol Channing and Tallulah Bankhead from the early '60s

[Midge]

Great picture, Leslie! Thanks for sharing that. I love Tallu in her mink.