European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 13, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Howdy still lives on today s crossword by Arthur Frederick United press International by kids whal time is in for Buffalo Bob Smith. Howdy Doody s real life buddy durig Ine Pioneer Day sol television in May finally be Lime Lor Ramiro men. The old Howdy Doody show i he first children s show on network television Well of the air in 1960, Aller More than a decade of entertaining millions of fledgling baby Boomers glued to i hair flickering Blach and while screens. When that happened Smith and his family moved to their log collage on Maine s Remote big Lake. Smith who began in radio in Bulfa of n.y., at age 15, Hough three radio stations in Northern Maine and tha family also purchased a Winter Home in Florida. "1 never really retired said Smith. Who was 43 when Howdy Doody left the air. Now the 68-year-old Smith has sold the radio Stalions and is winding Down. He spends most summer Days fishing in Maine and much of the Winter playing got in Florida. But the White haired Buffalo Bob has t forgotten the heckled Cowboy booted Marionette that made him one of the most Lamons the Levisson entertainers of the 19505, Howdy s memory is still Bright Lor Bullaro Bob who keeps an original Mowdy puppet in a Glass Case on Fop of a Wing Cabinet at his Florida Home. Another on Ginat Howdy shares space at the smithsonian in Washington with iwo other Well known puppets Charlie Mccarthy and Kermit the Frog. Next year is my 40th anniversary with Howdy and we re planning a 90-Minule special Smith said. We re going to have a Peanut gallery full of people who would have been kids Bach men people like Johnny Bench and barbra Smith thinks the Howdy Lootsy shows still stack up Well against modern children s programming. Howdy was a show thai was not educational per be although we did try to educate with songs that had themes like be kind to animals or Cross the Street with your eyes not just your feet " Smith said. Howdy was mostly slapstick and fantasy because kids like slapstick and being in on the there was plenty of slapstick humor and Buffalo Bob was of ten the butt of the joke. When Clarabelle the Clown uncorked a Seltzer bottle or someone threw a pie it was usually aimed at Bullaro Bob s smiling Kisser much to the Delight of the Kida in the studio Peanut gallery. Television production costs have skyrocketed so much Smith said that it would be next to impossible to duplicate the show now. You just could t afford to do Howdy today because ii appeals to such a limited audience Smith said. Unless you have Ford or general motors making big Grants Lor something like sesame Street you jus i Aren t going to get much More than cartoons something you can put together for $300,000 and which in gel played maybe 200 television was a new medium in 1947 when Howdy Doody first went on the air but it made Smith one of the Best known celebrities of his Day. Children and adults swarmed around him wherever he went and Smith loved the attention especially from the children the kids would seek me out he said. I d go to a picnic or something and i d end up with kids All around me. Kids always know whether you like them or Smith says he still does 15 or 20 Howdy shows per year at such places As shopping centers and they Are Bob Smith plans e Howdy Doody reunion. Always Well attended by people Smith Calls the alumni those who were Peanut gallery size during the Howdy years. The children of the alumni who probably have never seen the original show get right Inlo the swing of things Smith said. The kids know about Howdy through their parents talking about the show. Clarabelle and i do appearances at malls 15 or 20 limes per year. The alumni bring their kids along and it takes them about one and a half seconds 10 get right Inlo it. The parents of the kids who used to watch the show often come along he said and Well have three generations there sometimes. We have great tha original Clarabelle was sob Keeshan now better known As Captain Kangaroo. But the Clarabella that Buffalo Bob takes on his shopping mall shows is Lew Anderson now 65, who joined the Howdy Acx qty Stow in 1954. Most of the original live Black and White shows were never recorded and Are lost to history. Others exist Only on scratchy Kin scope 16-millimeter films taken right from a Small Black and White picture tube. Tape was so expensive in the 1950s that the same Lape was used Many times so that even Many of the taped Howdy shows no longer exist. Too bad said Smith. They would be Worth a Fortune for Smith. The Howdy years were the Best of limes. Bullaro Bob and Howdy Doody May not have a television show anymore but Mowdy still lives on. 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