A Propos of Nothing
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jdb1
Judith asked: "So, Dewey -- did Little Lulu ever have that Johnny Guitar-type showdown catfight with Little Audrey?"
That's an irresistible speculation! Personally, I think Lulu would emerge victorious through the sheer inventiveness of her tactical approach to problem solving. She was pretty darn brilliant. Audrey, on the other hand, relied on pure mischief and mayhem to achieve her goals.
For anyone who's interested, here's an original Little Lulu story from one of her late 1940s comic book adventures!
http://tinyurl.com/38vsv2
That's an irresistible speculation! Personally, I think Lulu would emerge victorious through the sheer inventiveness of her tactical approach to problem solving. She was pretty darn brilliant. Audrey, on the other hand, relied on pure mischief and mayhem to achieve her goals.
For anyone who's interested, here's an original Little Lulu story from one of her late 1940s comic book adventures!
http://tinyurl.com/38vsv2
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jdb1
Thanks, Dewey.
I was always fascinated by Lulu's hair. When I was very little, there were still girls around the neighborhood whose mothers unfortunately arranged their hair in that old-fashioned Lulu style. By my time (the Tonette Permanent Wave for Girls time), Lulu's hairdo was hopelessly out of date. Lulu herself had an old fashioned aura. Audrey was much more "hep." However, throughout the 1950s we were witness to a gradual, post-war sea change in American culture generally. We had Little Lulu and and other reflections of the past on TV, but we also had Crusader Rabbit, Gerald McBoingBoing and other counter-culturish children's entertainment.
I was always fascinated by Lulu's hair. When I was very little, there were still girls around the neighborhood whose mothers unfortunately arranged their hair in that old-fashioned Lulu style. By my time (the Tonette Permanent Wave for Girls time), Lulu's hairdo was hopelessly out of date. Lulu herself had an old fashioned aura. Audrey was much more "hep." However, throughout the 1950s we were witness to a gradual, post-war sea change in American culture generally. We had Little Lulu and and other reflections of the past on TV, but we also had Crusader Rabbit, Gerald McBoingBoing and other counter-culturish children's entertainment.
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jdb1
Re: NEW AMSTERDAM
Correction: This new show, one episode of which was shot in my neighborhood, will premier on March 4 on Fox, not on CBS, as I read in some newspaper column.
The description of the show sounds highly derivative: John Amsterdam, who started out as a Dutchman in the New Amsterdam colony, risked his life to save a beautiful native American. She cast a spell on him granting him immortality BUT, once he knows "true love," only then, will he be ready for mortality. Now he's an NYPD homicide detective. Riiiight. Sure; that could happen. I suppose he was granted a maximum age waiver.
So tell me, was that spell a gift, or a curse? I'm not sure. And didn't the gypsies do something similar to David Boreanaz's Angel vampire? And it was 200 years before the poor guy could enjoy chocolate ice cream again.
Well, we'll see. My one and only interest in New Amsterdam at this point is seeing what my street looks like on film.
Correction: This new show, one episode of which was shot in my neighborhood, will premier on March 4 on Fox, not on CBS, as I read in some newspaper column.
The description of the show sounds highly derivative: John Amsterdam, who started out as a Dutchman in the New Amsterdam colony, risked his life to save a beautiful native American. She cast a spell on him granting him immortality BUT, once he knows "true love," only then, will he be ready for mortality. Now he's an NYPD homicide detective. Riiiight. Sure; that could happen. I suppose he was granted a maximum age waiver.
So tell me, was that spell a gift, or a curse? I'm not sure. And didn't the gypsies do something similar to David Boreanaz's Angel vampire? And it was 200 years before the poor guy could enjoy chocolate ice cream again.
Well, we'll see. My one and only interest in New Amsterdam at this point is seeing what my street looks like on film.
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jdb1
Me again. This may not mean much to those outside of the Greater New York broadcast area, but I note that today is the birthday of Sandy Becker, a pioneer in children's programming, who was also known as the voice of many cartoon characters (on Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo and Leonardo Lion, among others), and who was a radio actor in his younger days. His best known role was as Young Doctor Malone; he did a lot of announcing work on radio and TV as well. Sandy was very much a father figure to me when I was young and both my parents were not at home much. One of the great thrills of my life was, as a teen, meeting him briefly at the Channel 5 TV studios, when I was there on other business. Here's what IMDb has to say (it doesn't mention that he was, for a time, the host of Sunday morning's Wonderama):
Sandy Becker served as the first host/performer of WABD TV Ch.5 NYC's "Looney Tunes Show", which ran weekday evenings from Monday April 11, 1955 to Tuesday July 8, 1958. He was the first host/Performer of "The Bugs Bunny Theater" which was seen Friday nights on WABD TV Ch.5 in NYC, from Friday September 14, 1956 to Friday September 6, 1957.
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he was radio's "Young Doctor Malone" for many years before turning to TV work.
"The Sandy Becker Morning Show" was on the air weekday mornings on WABD And on WNEW TV Ch. 5 in New York City from Monday September 26, 1955 to Friday June 7, 1968.
Hosted "Fun House" weekday afternoons at lunchtime on WABD TV Ch. 5 in New York City from Monday June 27, 1955 to Friday September 23, 1955.
He wrote, produced and manipulated his puppet characters in an hour long puppet version of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". It aired on WNEW TV Ch. 5 in New York City on Saturday night December 23, 1961.
Best known on his WNEW TV series for his various comic characterizations: Simpleton Norton Nork, who did everything in pantomime, the windy Big Professor, and manic disc jockey Hambone, the latter given to outrageous costumes and off-the-wall poetry ("Cut your grass so the ants can't pass.").
By all accounts, he was a man who genuinely loved children and was concerned for their welfare. On principle, he would never do commercials for any product a child could not use, and on November 27, 1963, the Monday after John F. Kennedy's assasination, Becker went on the air to try to explain to the kids just what had happened in a way they would understand.
He was a children's TV personality who was always respectful toward children. I am one of his kids, and I appreciated it.
Sandy Becker served as the first host/performer of WABD TV Ch.5 NYC's "Looney Tunes Show", which ran weekday evenings from Monday April 11, 1955 to Tuesday July 8, 1958. He was the first host/Performer of "The Bugs Bunny Theater" which was seen Friday nights on WABD TV Ch.5 in NYC, from Friday September 14, 1956 to Friday September 6, 1957.
A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, he was radio's "Young Doctor Malone" for many years before turning to TV work.
"The Sandy Becker Morning Show" was on the air weekday mornings on WABD And on WNEW TV Ch. 5 in New York City from Monday September 26, 1955 to Friday June 7, 1968.
Hosted "Fun House" weekday afternoons at lunchtime on WABD TV Ch. 5 in New York City from Monday June 27, 1955 to Friday September 23, 1955.
He wrote, produced and manipulated his puppet characters in an hour long puppet version of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". It aired on WNEW TV Ch. 5 in New York City on Saturday night December 23, 1961.
Best known on his WNEW TV series for his various comic characterizations: Simpleton Norton Nork, who did everything in pantomime, the windy Big Professor, and manic disc jockey Hambone, the latter given to outrageous costumes and off-the-wall poetry ("Cut your grass so the ants can't pass.").
By all accounts, he was a man who genuinely loved children and was concerned for their welfare. On principle, he would never do commercials for any product a child could not use, and on November 27, 1963, the Monday after John F. Kennedy's assasination, Becker went on the air to try to explain to the kids just what had happened in a way they would understand.
He was a children's TV personality who was always respectful toward children. I am one of his kids, and I appreciated it.
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jdb1
He was wonderful, and adults enjoyed him as well. Now that I'm thinking about it, he was sort of like Dick Van Dyke in demeanor - the various characters he played were very funny, and his puppets got in a lot of quips that went over our heads at the time, but we loved them anyway.knitwit45 wrote:Judith, he sounds like a wonderful, caring man. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy
I was thinking about something he once shared with us (the audience): one of his sponsors was a produce company; he said that a local grocer in his neighborhood told him that some kids came into the grocery store and asked for "Sandy Becker carrots." He made the correction to us, being careful to name the sponsor, but it was clear to me, even at that young age, that he was amused by the idea. And I still do think of that brand as "Sandy Becker carrots," when I see it displayed in my own grocery store.
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jdb1
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moira finnie
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Hey, it would've been my mother's 93rd birthday today too! That's my Mom, one part Madeleine Carroll, one part William Frawley, all parts making up quite a unique and formidable lady. Ah, those Pisces...
Last edited by moira finnie on February 26th, 2008, 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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movieman1957
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moira finnie
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movieman1957
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Judith:
That's funny as my father's birthday is Feb 8 which makes him an Aquarius. Last October they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
What does it mean when an Aquarius marries a Pisces and produces a Libra? I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out.
That's funny as my father's birthday is Feb 8 which makes him an Aquarius. Last October they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
What does it mean when an Aquarius marries a Pisces and produces a Libra? I don't know, I'm still trying to figure it out.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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jdb1
Well of course, Chris, my comment referred to me personally. I know there are plenty of nice Fish and Goats out there. Unfortunately for me, many of those I've had commerce with have been of the sort who would fall on the "Negative Traits" side of the horoscope reading.
My daughter is a Scorpio, and she and I bump heads on just about everything. We simply view the universe from different angles.
We Aquarians are so sensitive . . . . . No, not true - we don't give a toss, actually. As is said of us, we love Mankind, but don't care much for people (present SSO company highly excepted, of course).
My daughter is a Scorpio, and she and I bump heads on just about everything. We simply view the universe from different angles.
We Aquarians are so sensitive . . . . . No, not true - we don't give a toss, actually. As is said of us, we love Mankind, but don't care much for people (present SSO company highly excepted, of course).
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movieman1957
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