A C GILBERT – AMERICAN FLYER (approx. 60 min.)

The A.C. Gilbert Company is best known for its Erector Set series. View the collection again through a special sales film which also shows the company's telescopes, electronic radio kits, and chemistry and road racing sets. We also provide you with another outstanding episode of the BOY'S RAILROAD CLUB, as well as two great train-related cartoons taken from the 35mm masters: PLAYSAFE and THE MILLION DOLLAR LIMITED (which featured Superman). And ( can you believe that there is actually more?) we also give you rare outtakes of model trains which utilize tracking shots and moving platforms. This tape includes some wonderful footage.

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THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY DEE (30 min) 1950s

THE ADVENTURES OF DANNY DEE was a 1954 local television program with a unique premise--Danny is a character drawn by artist Roy Doty on a background of paper, along with his companions Debbie Dee, Filbert the Dinosaur, and Pancake the Magician. In this episode, Danny, Debbie, Filbert, and Pancake go to sea to pursue a bunch of pirates who have stolen Pancake's treasured magic box. Their ship is sunk and they're captured by the pirates, but manage to turn the tables and get back the box. The drawings are primitive but the work is fairly elaborate, involving cut-out images and layers of paper and felt on which the adventure takes place.     

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THE ADVENTURES OF BLINKY (30 minutes) – rare 1953 kids puppet show. Also featured is The Adventures of Tom Terrific ("The Beginning of the Flying Sorcerer"), starring Tom and Manfred the Wonder Dog, who go on an adventure involving genies, Sinbad the Sailor, magic lamps, and a castle made of fish. And Mr. Moose introduces the Captain to Petunia the baby skunk. This is a good installment of the show from this period, with sound that is slightly (but not terribly) muffled, and one on-screen mistake, when Irving starts to lose his mustache during his juggling act.

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ALL STAR KIDS 1954 (30 minutes)

Rare kid talent show. This show taught kids self-expression and creativity through drawing simple sketches at home.

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ANDY’S GANG (30 min each) – 6 Episodes

 

THE BIG TOP 1954 (60 minutes)

 CBS in response to the popular ABC production SUPER CIRCUS. Largest cast and crew to produce this TV kid's show  When it was first aired on July 1, 1950, the show was filmed at the New Jersey Convention Hall which Raymond Lowery had turned into a ritzy circus environment but in 1954, the show was moved to the North Philadelphia Armory. former vaudeville performer Jack Sterling played the top-hat-and-tails clad host/ringmaster, and you'll undoubtedly get a hoot when you see who plays their top clown -- Ed McMahon of TONIGHT SHOW fame.   One-time Mr. America Dan Luri played Circus Dan the Muscle Man and Gene Crane was the staff announcer. All the Sealtest commercials are intact on this Halloween night show that aired in 1954.

 

THE BILLY JOHNSON SHOW (approx 60 min)

An all-but-forgotten children's show from the Dumont Network, starring guitarist/singer Billy Johnson and a group of puppets, including one Teddy Bear. The major purpose of these programs, other than to run advertisements, was as a wraparound for inexpensive programming like the black-and-white Looney Tunes from Guild Films, Betty Boop and Koko the Klown cartoons. Alas, there's no Koko or Betty here, but there are a set of uncensored Looney Tunes featuring Bosco and his dog Bruno ("Bosco and Bruno"), odd Porky Pig shorts ("Porky's Tire Trouble"), Buddy the dog ("Buddy the Woodsman," 1934). Lots of plugs for Cocoa Marsh ("Name the Lion" contest), among other products. Johnson sings in a pleasing baritone, in a solid country-and-western mode ("Close Your Sleepy Eyes, Little Buckaroo," "Over the Rainbow" on guitar), and the reproduction quality is amazingly good considering the age of the material (Dumont went out of existence in 1955-56), but what really makes this tape interesting is the interruptions--several of the Looney Tunes are broken up by in-house promos for other Dumont shows, including Grandpa's Place (see above), with host Lee Reynolds stepping out of character, and Jean Ramsay explaining her Weather Wheel spot. Apparently the BILLY JOHNSON SHOW was sent out as a live feed, and this was intercut with promo spots to sponsors, with the hosts making pitches to potential advertisers, who were supposed to see this version of the show privately. Commercials include M&M's candies, Nabisco cereal (with moon men watching a baseball game), One-A-Day Vitamins, Uncle Ben's Converted Rice, the Glen Echo Pool. Two of the puppets sing "Bibbity Bibbity Boo."THE WEATHER WHEEL was an early marketing gimmick to "sell" the weather, ages before such ideas as The Weather Channel, with a national forecast broken down into regions.

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THE BOY'S RAILROAD CLUB Vol. 1 (approx. 60 min.)

The legendary toy company, A.C. Gilbert, sponsored this classic Fifties kid's program designed to show off their line of American Flyer Trains. Each week, the kids would welcome a guest from a well-known train line to watch them play with their trains and discuss the real world of railroading. This tape is an absolute must for all train collectors as well as for Fifties kids who wish to relive their childhood. With classic clips of both real and model trains.

 

CAPTAIN KANGAROO (approx 60 min)

In a show from 1962, the Captain (Bob Keeshan) tries to clean up the Treasure House (to a jazz version of the SNOW WHITE song "Heigh Ho"), but is too tired and hires the Philharmonic House Cleaning Company ("We clean it or we wreck it") headed by the Professor (Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum, best known as Mr. Green Jeans). With his helpers George and Irving, the Professor seems capable of doing anything except cleaning the Treasure House, as they dance, juggle, play games, and generally exasperate the Captain.

Also featured is The Adventures of Tom Terrific ("The Beginning of the Flying Sorcerer"), starring Tom and Manfred the Wonder Dog, who go on an adventure involving genies, Sinbad the Sailor, magic lamps, and a castle made of fish. And Mr. Moose introduces the Captain to Petunia the baby skunk. This is a good installment of the show from this period, with sound that is slightly (but not terribly) muffled, and one on-screen mistake, when Irving starts to lose his moustache during his juggling act.

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CAPTAIN VIDEO and his VIDEO RANGERS (approx 60 min)

Two episodes from the early run of the series, starring Richard Coogan as the Captain and Don Hastings as the Video Ranger. In episode one, the Captain has defeated the Martian warrior Seta in hand-to-hand combat and is trying to conclude peace negotiations on the fate of the defeated planet Terzan. He successfully pleads for the Terzan people to remain free, and for the imposition of an Earth-style, Marshall Plan-type rebuilding of the planet and re-education of its people. But on Earth, Dr. Pauli (Hal Conklin) is trying to form an allegiance with the warlike Terzan government and destroy the Captain's peace plan, even as he heads to Terzan to make the peace work.

In episode two, Dr. Pauli has joined forces with the sinister warlord Su Ching Sing, and murdered a member of the Dancing Bear Tong. The Captain wants to know what their plans are and arrests Black Dick Connelly, a treacherous ship's captain who has done business with Su Ching Sing. But Connelly is killed before he can answer questions. Meanwhile, Dr. Pauli and Su Ching Sing are planning the death of the Captain.

 

DING DONG SCHOOL Vol.1 (approx 60 min)

One of the first educational shows for younger children, DING DONG SCHOOL was devised, produced, and hosted by Dr. Frances Horwich, chairman of the Education Department art Chicago's Roosevelt College. Known as Miss Frances, she gave lessons in basic forms of play for viewers ages 3 thru 7 and their parents. In Volume One, Miss Frances reads a Little Golden Book entitled "I Decided" to show children the importance of choosing wisely, tries on unusual hats, paints pictures of plants, shows how to use a strainer, a funnel, and different sizes of cups, and shows how to make a peanut butter, banana, and lettuce sandwich. She also plugs her sponsor, Wheaties (this was before Wheaties had sports figures on its boxes or its commercials).

 

DING DONG SCHOOL Vol.2 approx 60 min)

Miss Frances presents a group of five musicians, who demonstrate a trumpet, two drums, a clarinet, and a trombone, and play a series of marches; takes us on a tour of a rock garden; shows us a beautiful miniature Borden's Milk truck and a less impressive Shell Oil truck toy; looks at toy bells; shows how to play with a wagon-load of blocks; and introduces singer Jody Carey of the show CHILDREN'S CORNER, who does a song.

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DING DONG SCHOOL Vol. 3 (approx 60 min)

Miss Frances introduces a puppet of a puppy dog and asks viewers to choose a name and mail it in, as a way of showing how to mail a letter; talks about how seeds grow; shows how to make things out of pipe-cleaners; demonstrates a Playskool Take-Apart-Truck; shows how to paint; tells us how to identify different fruits and how to use building blocks; and talks about the importance of sharing and of respect for other people's property.

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DIVER DAN "TREASURE SHIP" 1961 (7 min)

The narrator reports that Skipper Kipper has closed the port-hole in time. Baron Barracuda expresses frustration, but tells Trigger Fish that they will wait for another chance to get into the ship. Georgie Porgy and Finley Haddock proceed, each with a coin, towards the home of Miss Minerva. On their way, the encounter Diver Dan, who again hails them, and tries to talk to them. When Finley, because of the coin, makes only incoherent sounds, Dan concludes that the pressures of the deep have somewhat deranged him.

 

DIVER DAN "TREASURE SHIP" 1961 (7 min) -- Episode in Spanish

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THE EDGAR BERGEN SHOW (approx 60 min)

Two 30 minute episodes of the early '50 series starring ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, his dummy Charlie McCarthy, and fellow performers of the wood-and-sawdust persuasion including Mortimer Snerd. In addition to songs and dances, and the usual interplay between Bergen and McCarthy, the highlight of the second show is a western/dream sketch in which Charlie McCarthy plays a bartender in a saloon where Jesse James and other bandits are arriving to shoot the place up. Bergen was one of the better straight men in history, a pretty good trick inasmuch as he also provided the voice of his comic foil McCarthy.

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THE GREAT FOODINI (30 minutes)

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GRANDPA'S PLACE (30 minutes)

A rare kinescope of GRANDPA'S PLACE, a children's show from the Dumont Network produced at WDAB-TV in Washington, D.C. and hosted by Lee Reynolds in the role of Grandpa, who converses with various toys and other magical characters, including the puppet Jingle Dingle; runs contests, including one offering the giant Cocoa Marsh Train, plugs Flavor Straws; and demonstrates the Remco Wireless Radio Station.

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THE HOOT GIBSON SHOW

The legendary cowboy is obviously way past his prime but he introduces us to some rope tricks and some Western music anyway. Included are original and tremendously bizarre commercials for raising Chinchillas in your home.

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HOWDY DOODY FOR PRESIDENT (30 min)

The best way to compare HOWDY DOODY with ROOTIE KAZOOTIE is to look at a first year program when HOWDY DOODY runs for President against Mr. X. This race became a national craze with both parents and children writing in to vote for Howdy to be the next leader of the country. This episode is a historical must for anyone even remotely interested in the history of TV or American culture.

 

HOWDY DOODY - CANADIAN (30 minutes) – Howdy Doody was such a popular program, that the CBC licensed it from NBC to produce a Canadian version. The Peanut Gallery is present along with Howdy, who has a more wholesome voice and appearance – the folksy, unaffected Timber Tom is the host, in place of Buffalo Bob, and the supporting players, in addition to a Clarabel, include Howdy’s friend Dilly, Flubadub the singing dog, and Madame Willow.

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THE HOWDY DOODY CIRCUS (approx 60 min)

Trouble brews in Doodyville when Howdy has to muster up 500 marbles for a tax levied by Mr. Bluster. But don't worry -- Buffalo Bob, Clara Bell the troublesome clown, and the Peanut Gallery are at hand to sing songs and help Howdy work out his problems. As an added bonus, they even take us on a Scopedoodle trip to the circus.

A very popular HOWDY DOODY merchandising gimmick, other than the usual toys and dolls, was the 16mm shorts made for home viewing. Thus these 15-minute shorts have never been aired on TV, and on this tape we give you two of the rarer ones. In HOWDY DOODY CHRISTMAS, Buffalo Bob, Clara Bell (played by CAPTAIN KANGAROO's Bob keeshan), and Howdy go to save Santa Claus. HOWDY IN FUNLAND has a rare Funland animated cartoon that's worth its weight in gold.

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HOWDY DOODY TIME (approx 60 min)

Two classic Howdy shows. The first features Gus Gasbag making Toy Animal balloons for the kids; Buffalo Bob taking a trip to the Balloon world; Animal songs; and a live Wheat and Rice Honey Cereal commercial with Buffalo Bob talking about the animal premiums and Hostess Cupcakes. Peppy Mint is the new girl on the show, replacing the Princess.

The second show is a take off on Arthur Murray's Dance Party with Arthur Surray trying to teach the gang in Doodyville to Dance. Meet up with Howdy, The Chief and Finias T. Bluster, who heats up pennies to give Buffalo Bob a hot foot. Also included are live Wheat and Rice Honey Cereal commercials with dog premiums, Clarabel in a trick shot exhibition with guns, and a commercial for Hostess Twinkies.

 

HOWDY DOODY TIME (30 min)

A train theme has Clarabel visting the NY Central Train Yards, and Princess Summer Winter Spring and Fall joins the gang in train songs. Plus commercials for U.S. Savings bonds and Royal Instant Pudding.

 

MR. I. MAGINATION (30 minutes)

A fantasy show hosted by its creator, Paul Tripp, as a sort-of "You Are There" for kids. Younger viewers would write in with suggestions of the stories and subjects, usually about characters that appealed to younger viewers, that they wanted to see, and Tripp and his cast of players would act in the stories on screen. This week's show is devoted to sharpshooter Annie Oakley and her rise from obscure backwoods girl to international celebrity.

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KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE Vol. 1 (approx 60 min - 2 shows)

Puppeteer Burr Tilstrom first began creating his Kuklapolitan Players in the 1930's, with his bald-headed, high-voiced puppet Kukla, and they appeared on television as early as 1939. They first went on the air locally in 1947, one of the earliest children’s' entertainment shows on television, and on November 29, 1948, KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE began a 20-year+ run on network television that made them as popular with adults as they were with children.

Owing a little bit to the Punch and Judy Shows of the eighteenth century, KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE featured Kukla the puppet and his foil, Oliver J. Dragon, a good-natured friend with a single buck-tooth, and Fran Allison, who was the den mother to Tolstoy’s menagerie characters, which included Fletcher Rabbit, Beulah the Witch, Madame Ooglepuss, and Dolores Dragon. In the first episode, Kukla and Ollie decided to shoot their own television commercials with a camera that they assemble themselves, but the machine runs backwards. In the second show, Kukla, Mercedes, Madame Ooglepuss, and Fran compare photographs and memories of Europe from their own travels and the pages of LIFE magazine. The shows include on-air plugs to sponsors Tide and Drene shampoo, and ads for "the Tide Miracle" as well as LIFE magazine.

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JUVENILE JURY (30 minutes)

When they weren't producing quiz shows, Jack Barry and Dan Enright were making programs like this one, a sort of serious version of Art Linkletter's KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS, in which children from ages six thru 10 sit on a panel and discuss questions submitted by other children and their parents. In this installment, questions come up concerning children who won't wear costumes in a school play because they're too embarrassed, and children who are being forced to choose between intended professions at too young an age. 

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KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE Vol. 2 (approx 60 min - 2 shows)

Kukla and Ollie show off their arrangement of the program's theme song. They also ask the other characters, including Fletcher Rabbit, their opinions about various kinds of clothes, and the different way they dress in the city as opposed to the country (Fletcher's response is almost Henson-esque, as he wonders "When am I not in the country?") Delores Dragon sings, and gets the hiccups, which prove catching to everyone, and Fran reads a version of GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS. The shows include a recital of the Nabisco jingle by the cast, and other sponsor plugs.   

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"LEARN TO DRAW A CLOWN" with Jon Gnagy 1948 (10 min)

Jon Gnagy (January 13, 1907 – March 7, 1981) was a self-taught artist most remembered for being America's original television art instructor, hosting You Are an Artist, which began on the NBC network and included analysis of paintings from the Museum of Modern Art , and his later syndicated Learn to Draw series.

 

"LEARN TO DRAW A CHINESE JUNK BOAT" with Jon Gnagy 1948 (10 min)

Jon Gnagy (January 13, 1907 – March 7, 1981) was a self-taught artist most remembered for being America's original television art instructor, hosting You Are an Artist, which began on the NBC network and included analysis of paintings from the Museum of Modern Art, and his later syndicated Learn to Draw series.

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THE LIONEL COLLECTION (approx. 60 min)

LIONEL CLUB HOUSE first premiered September 23, 1950, and was hosted by the Yankee Clipper himself, Joe DiMaggio. In this tape, the kids in the clubhouse ask questions about sports and see educational films sponsored by Lionel Trains. The clubhouse manager and co-host is Jack Barry. We also include the terrific Lionel Trains commercials and the IRON PONY, a rare Lionel Trains documentary on the setting up and making of trains.

 

THE MARY HARTLINE SHOW (approx. 55 min.)

During the early 1950's, amid the run of SUPER CIRCUS, series co-star Mary Hartline had her own show out of Chicago. In PRINCESS MARY'S MAGIC CASTLE, she plays the princess in charge (sort of) of a magic kingdom peopled by magicians, puppets, talking animals etc. In this installment, they perform a Muppets-style parody of SOUTH PACIFIC (then one of the hottest musicals running) called NORTH ANTARCTIC, which includes take-offs of several popular songs from the show ("You've Got To Wash That Snow Right Out of the Air" etc.). In THE MARY HARTLINE SHOW, from WENR in Chicago, Mary and pianist Chet Roble bring young guests on from the Chicago area, who compete for prizes (including puppies, dolls, Revell Circus Sets, Quilt Sets, and tool kits) for themselves and their best friends, who are called live on the air. The show also includes a cartoon presentation of the early 1930's black-and-white Ub Iwerks cartoon "The Brave Tin Soldier," set in a toy shop at night and including parodies of Laurel and Hardy and other pop-culture fixtures of the time.

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PINKY LEE'S CIRCUS TIME (approx 60 min)

PINKY LEE was a fixture on television until 1956, and in this ultra-rare version of his show, worked from a combination circus/game show format. With an audience of children and their parents, he came on with his theme song and dance ("a checkered coat, and a silly dance like a Billy goat"), plugged Tootsie Rolls constantly,   Children and parents also get to perform various stunts for prizes.

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THE PAUL WINCHELL SHOW (30 min)

Paul Winchell was a talented performer and ventriloquist who enchanted children and parents alike. While he both sang and danced, he was particularly popular for the relationship he had with Jerry Mahoney, his wooden sidekick. This tape's episode is a Christmas production in which Paul and Jerry visit the planet Mars where they sing Christmas songs.

 

THE PAUL WINCHELL SHOW & VISIT TO 1972 (60 min)

A great quality print of the PAUL WINCHELL SHOW with Paul and Jerry having fun at breakfast, and Knucklehead Smiff introducing the acrobatic team of The Kayarts. Also includes Hartz Mountain bird food spots, classic promos for The Tales of the Texas Ranger, The Lone Ranger and Your Show Of Shows, singer Betty Ann Grove and Milton Delugg and his Orchestra. The second show is a incomplete but fascinating look into the future of the 1970s as it was envisioned in the 1950s. Host Dave Garroway takes us through the effects of technology on our lives with guest skits from Eli Wallach, Wally Cox, Sid Caesar, Arlene Francis, Georgiann Johnson, Nanette Fabray, Admiral of the Fleet (ret.) Chester Nimitz, and a very rare appearance from Carl Sandburg, reading his poetry on the future of mankind.

              

TIME FOR BEANY (Approx 30 minutes)

This Los Angeles kid's show first aired in September 1949. Produced by Bob Clampett and directed by Seymour Berns, this puppet show soon became a national phenomenon and even spawned a cartoon series.  

 

WINKY DINK AND YOU (Approx 30 minutes)

WINKY DINK AND YOU first premiered on October 10, 1953, and starred noted TV host Jack Barry and his animated sidekick Winky Dink (voiced by Mae Questel, also the voice of Betty Boop). This show taught kids self-expression and creativity through drawing simple sketches at home.

 

THE ROOTIE KAZOOTIE CLUB volume 1 (approx 60 min)

It’s a trip down memory lane when any baby-boomer can checkout again “The Rootie Kazootie Show”. This sing-along-and-play-games-with-the-kids show first aired in September of 1950, created by Steve Carlin. The episodes feature Rootie Kazootie, Gala Poochie Pup- Rootie's pet dog, Polka Dottie, Rootie’s girlfriend, El Squeako the mouse, and Mr. Deedle Doodle the show’s silent comical human cop. Songs include:  Around Song, Teeter Totter, The Rain Song, Polka Dottie’s Dots, and painting the Clouds with Sunshine.  The Chief Rooter Big Todd Russell was the ultimate human host to kep the kids in order, and sing along with his puppet friends. Poison Zoomack causing problems getting Mr. Deedle Doodle to talk like a chicken, and caused it to snow were every he walks. Great contests to win a Schwin bike, and records from RCA.

 

THE ROOTIE KAZOOTIE CLUB volume 2 (approx 60 min)

The shows released by NBC were 15 minutes & 30 minutes in length. The first classic 30 minute show has Rootie Kazootie trying to get Poison Zoomack to return his Magic Kazootie. It’s with his Kazootie Poison Zoomack has started trouble by stealing Polka Dottie’s famous dots from her dress. Great Gala Poochie Quiz Contests and song include:  The Crock dial Song; Western Song; Me and My Gal, Shine away your Blues and more.

 

THE ROOTIE KAZOOTIE CLUB volume 3 (approx 60 min)

 The show’s charm continues with the cute songs & staged routines when Rootie & Polka Dottie sing “The Ferry Boat Serenade”, “The Cat on the Back Fence”, Rain on the Roof, and more. Sponsored by Powerhouse Candy & Johnson Chocolate Squares, Prizes Schwinn Bike, RCA Records, and Britannica books.

 

THE ROOTIE KAZOOTIE CLUB volume 4 (approx 60 min)

In this first episode that aired on 5/20/53 you’ll find Detective Rootie role playing a crime investigation with host Todd Russell, visiting Polka Dottie at home to sing “Is It True What They Say About Polka Dottie.” Then Poison Zoomack takes on the role of “Tom o Hawk,” an Indian starting trouble with Rootie and the gang. In the 7/24/53 show, Rootie and Todd sing “Side by Side” with a cute split-screen effect with the kids in the audience. During the 4/16/53 episode, Rootie parodies the popular comic strip Barney Google and Spark Plug with a song. On 4/1/53 it’s a fun time at the “Rooten Kazooten Circus” with Rootie, Gala Poochie Pup and El Sqeako Mouse, as well as Rooties magic carpet ride, wishing that he was Aladdin.

 

THE ROOTIE TOOTIE THANKSGIVING DAY SHOW (3 hour special)

 It’s a fun series of shows with happy Rootie singing songs on the Farm, and the Indian Village with Polka Dottie. A rare treat is THE ROOTIE TOOTIE THANKSGIVING DAY SHOW-  A rare three hour live special has been transferred off the 16mm kinescope to videotape from the only known copy, owned by the show’s producer, Steve Carlin. This broadcast was the only time that the Rootie Kazootie Club was known as Rootie Tootie, and his dog was called “Nipper” here because of the RCA record company sponsorship. (RCA later dropped the show, and the dog was renamed Galapuchie). The show was done live from what we know as Radio City Music Hall, but which was known in those days as the Centre Theatre at Radio City.

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SUPER CIRCUS VOLUME 1 (approx. 60 min.)

SUPER CIRCUS started in Chicago during 1949 as an experiment in children's entertainment and was the first syndicated variety/entertainment show aimed at younger viewers to achieve mass success--it was soon seen in every major city in the country, and it started spate of circus-type shows (BIG TOP CIRCUS was the best known of them). Well, there was Mary Hartline, the leader of the SUPER CIRCUS band and general foil for the show's three resident clowns, Cliffy, Scampy, and Nicky--between the four of them, and the guest artists (usually an animal act or acrobatic team), there was enough action and laughter to fill each 60 minute SUPER CIRCUS show to bursting--parents soon found that, unlike the MICKY MOUSE CLUB (which came along much later), This Special Edition of SUPER CIRCUS features highlights from the original program, interspersed with an on camera interview done by host Claude Kirchner at VIDEO RESOURCES-NEW YORK's studios in 1991, shortly before his death.

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SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 2 (approx. 60 min.)

An acrobatic/contortionist act is followed by the presentation of a service award to the show by an organization of disabled veterans; Mary Hartline leads the band in a medley of patriotic marches and other tunes; Cliffy, Nicky and Scampy create chaos with a haywire X-Ray machine at the Clown Clinic, with Mary Hartline as the nurse; and an acrobatic and trapeze acts entertains us. In the second show, a team of high-wire artists and acrobats performs, followed by Mary Hartline and Nicky and Scampy trying to cure Cliffy the Clown's sleepwalking; and a trained seal act (with a guest pelican) performs. The sponsor for both shows is Snickers.

 

SUPER CIRCUS Vol.3 (approx. 60 min.)

A pair of man and woman dancing acrobats lead into a sketch in which Mary Hartline is driven crazy by Cliffy, Scampy, and Nicky as they did for uranium outside of her window; the cast celebrates Scampy's birthday, and a trapeze quartet entertains the crowd. In the second show, an acrobatic clown performs a drunk sketch as part of a trapeze number; Mary Hartline leads the band; Mary Hartline tries to figure out who sent her a tiny little note; and a trained dog act performs. Sponsors on the two shows are Snickers, Mars Bars, and Kelloggs, with cartoon commercials and on-air plugs for all of them.

 

SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 4 (approx. 60 min.)

Highlights of the first show includes a clown acrobatic act, a haunted house sketch featuring Mary Hartline and Cliffy, Nicky, and Scampy, and a performance by the All American Boys Acrobatic Company on chairs, tables, and teeterboard. The second show features the Ming Sing Acrobatic Company, a contortionist ensemble, Mary Hartline leading the band in "The Road To Mandalay," and Pat Anthony and His 13 Untrained Lions. Kelloggs is the sponsor for both shows, and the show's stars Claude Kirschner and Mary Hartline plug the company's cereals, with special guest football great Tom Harmon (father of actor Mark) hosting a Kelloggs Orange Bowl Contest.

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SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 5 (approx. 60 min.)

After Mary Hartline opens the first show leading the band in "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee," a new cast member is added in the form of the Jinks the Chimp. A trained mule and the aerial team the Two Lubas are the guests in this program. The second show includes a pair of trained seals, a visit to Bernard Hoffman's Super-Menagerie, where he mostly talks about fish, and a performance by the wire-walking team of Ebers and Delores. Kelloggs is the sponsor of both shows, and on-air plugs and ads include spots for Sugar Smacks and Frosted Flakes.

 

SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 6 (approx. 60 min.)

Guests for the first show include a pair of dancing seals; Senor Donald, a bicycle acrobatic act, and Cliffy the Clown filling in for Mary Hartline. In the second show, Mary Hartline leads the band; guest performers include Miss Loraine, a trapeze artist; and a five-man acrobatic act. And Cliffy the Clown and his partner Nicky get into a Laurel and Hardy-type predicament when they try to burglarize a house on clown alley. Sponsors include Canada Dry and Dixie Cups.

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SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 7 (approx. 60 min.)

Guests on the first show includes acrobats Vivian Nelson and Miss Christine, Jinks the Chimp, the Super-Menagerie of Bernie Hoffman, including coyotes, rabbits, prairie dogs, and a leopard, and a parade of dancing elephants. The second show is highlighted by Gail Davis, TV's Annie Oakley, in a plug for U.S. Savings Stamps, Joe Frisco's trained seal acts, and three children flying in balloons. Sponsors include Kelloggs, and the commercials feature a plug for the SUPER CIRCUS trampoline.

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SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 8 (approx. 60 min.)

A special SUPER CIRCUS show done live at Christmas from the "S.S. Santa Claus" in Chicago, featuring the State Street Christmas Parade and a special appearance by Bob Hope. The second program is highlighted by the Aerial Chapmans, a trapeze act, and Kelloggs commercials featuring Cliffy the Clown and Mary Hartline. The sound on the second half of this show is defective, but it is the only way that the program is available.

 

SUPER CIRCUS Vol. 9 (approx. 60 min.)

This show features magician Eddie Burnette and his partner Yvonne doing the woman-in-the-trunk trick, and a demonstration of the SUPER CIRCUS trampoline. The second show includes guests magician Jack Gwynne, from whom the clowns try to steal the secret of his tricks, and the Super-Menagerie (including turtles, fish, raccoons, and a black bear). Snickers is the sponsor of the second show, and, additionally, the first features a spot for the Boy Scouts of America.

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WHAT'S MY NAME (30 min)

Paul Winchell is the guest host of this program with Jerry Mahoney and Knucklehead Smith. Winchell appears as a magician whose every trick is destroyed by Jerry Mahoney, and the two exit singing "That Old Black Magic." Jerry and Knucklehead go through a boxing sketch with actor Walter Burke, which leads into a quiz contest by sponsor Speidel. And a blues singer does an impression of Helen Morgan singing "Let's Try Again."

 

MR WIZARD 1960 (30 minutes)

Hosted by Don Herbert, this was one of the longest-running science shows for children, spanning a continuous 14 seasons. In this particular episode, Mr. Wizard teaches a young boy about the laws of gravity.

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THE WORLD OF WONDERAMA: ESCAPE FROM EARTH and JR. SCIENCE – ESCAPE FROM EARTH (60 min)

ESCAPE FROM EARTH and JR. SCIENCE – ESCAPE FROM EARTH, produced as part of THE WORLD OF WONDERAMA, in association with the American Rocket Society and featuring future Wonderama host Sonny Fox, was an early Metromedia TV (then known as Metropolitan Television) series, depicting the history of space travel. A telephone interview with X-15 pilot Scott Crossfield doesn't materialize, but Fox has lots of footage of the X-15 and the preparation for space flight, including the centrifuge test.

The special guest is a co-founder of the American Rocket Society, who presents films of rocket experiments from the early 1920's, including shots of space flight pioneer Robert Goddard at work; Fox gives a history of rocket flight from antiquity, and plugs a model of the then new Vanguard rocket, Dollcraft toys, and Polk's hobby store on Fifth Avenue and 32nd Street in New York.

JUNIOR SCIENCE (approx 10 min) – A science show for younger children, in which the avuncular host discusses what makes objects move and stand still, how gravity works, and why objects react to movement the way they do using marbles, feathers, grapefruits and grapes.

 

WONDERAMA (60 min)

This show is particularly historically important because it was dedicated to the children of Korea. Featuring Korean performers dancing and playing music, this is an uncharacteristically ethnic show for this period. Sonny even tells the Korean story of the Tiger and the Rabbit. This volume also includes the original Stella D'oro Cookie and Cheerios commercials. T

 

WONDERAMA (60 min)

In this sequel we give you another rare WONDERAMA episode, but this time Sonny Fox travels to Helsinki, Finland. While there he visits a children's marathon race and interviews some of the kids. He then tours the home of an average Finnish family to show American children their differing lifestyles.