By 1972, Keeshan had introduced another character on Captain Kangaroo to recommend Schwinn products, Mr.

Keeshan, in his role as the central character in both Captain Kangaroo and Mister Mayor, heavily promoted the products of the Schwinn Bicycle Co., a sponsor, directly on-air to his audience. Keeshan also had a Saturday morning show called Mister Mayor during the 1964–65 season. was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced.' The New York Times commented: 'Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant, mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm. Green Jeans (played by Hugh 'Lumpy' Brannum), Dennis (played by Cosmo Allegretti), and puppets such as Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Recurring characters included his sidekick (and fan favorite) Mr. Keeshan described his character as based on 'the warm relationship between grandparents and children.' The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades.įrom left: Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit, Captain Kangaroo, Grandfather Clock, Mr. CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. ĭeveloping ideas from Tinker's Workshop, Keeshan and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo to the CBS network, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. Later that same year, in addition to Time for Fun, Keeshan began Tinker's Workshop, a program aimed at preschoolers, with him playing the grandfather-like Tinker. He played Corny the Clown, and this time he spoke. Keeshan gave up the role in 1952, and was replaced.īy September 21, 1953, Keeshan was back on the air on WABC-TV (New York City), in a new children’s show, Time for Fun. Clarabell often sprayed Buffalo Bob Smith with a seltzer bottle and played practical jokes. Debuting on January 3, 1948, Keeshan played Clarabell the Clown, a silent Auguste clown who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist.

Howdy Doody, an early show which premiered in 1947 on NBC, was one of the first. Network television programs began shortly after the end of the war. He attended Fordham University on the GI Bill and a few years at Hillsdale College. After an early graduation from Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York, in 1945, during World War II, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, but was still in the United States when Japan surrendered. Moose puppet and is credited with having the most extensive collection of Captain Kangaroo memorabilia in the world.Keeshan was born in Lynbrook, New York. Allan Jones, a collector from Cleveland, Tennessee, owns the Mr. Moose was created and played by Cosmo Allegretti, who also created and played Bunny Rabbit (puppet), Dancing Bear, and the Captain's painter and handyman Dennis. In short order, he met Squire Greenjeans and the mysterious Monsieur Moose who dropped hay on people because ping pong balls hadn't been invented yet. The other remote shoot was premised on Captain Kangaroo awaking to his surprise in the Colonial era. An inverted dogfight ensued to the music of ' Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines.' The camera changed point of view to a green hilltop, over which sprang a red tri-plane, flown not by Baron Richthofen but instead by Mr.

Seconds later, there came the ominous sound of a second engine. Following scenes showed the Captain panicking as the craft became airborne with Bunny Rabbit at the controls. Captain Kangaroo climbed in to retrieve him, only to have Bunny Rabbit crank the engine and begin a takeoff roll. One was set at the Oshkosh Air Show, where fellow puppet Bunny Rabbit climbed into a yellow aircraft without permission ( Piper Cub?). On at least two occasions, an entire episode was handled as a remote shoot, with Mr. The show would often have brief segments filmed at remote locations.

The viewers knew the ping pong balls were coming, but the Captain would walk right into the trap every time. This frequent set-up was a major source of hilarity for the pre-kindergarten audience. Moose's ultimate goal was always to maneuver Captain Kangaroo into participating in a riddle or knock-knock joke, the punchline of which would inevitably be followed by hundreds of ping pong balls raining harmlessly but annoyingly down on the Captain. While the character did engage in serious conversation, Mr. Moose and the Captain's Jacket at the Smithsonian Institution Moose was a puppet character on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo.

Captain kangaroo memorabilia