Customer Reviews

The Howdy Doody Show- 40 Episode Collection

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's time to sit back, get nostalgic, and let Buffalo Bob Smith, Howdy Doody, Clarabell and the entire gang entertain you once again in this delightful DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment. Mill Creek you ask? Aren't they the company that releases all of those box collections of public domain movies and television episodes? Yes, it's the very same Mill Creek but with a difference . . . . the 40 episodes included in this reasonably priced collection are all licensed directly from NBC Universal, and Mill Creek has really delivered a first-class DVD release. Somewhat surprisingly, Mill Creek sweetens the deal with a nice array of bonus items in this release, including a scrapbook-like booklet chock full of pictures, a historic timeline, interviews, and three bonus episodes, including the series' farewell episode broadcast in 1960.

The range of the episodes contained in this set run from 1949 through 1954, and the bonus disc includes the show's very last episode in 1960, broadcast in color, which included Clarabell speaking for the first (and last) time on the show. I like the earliest shows the best when the show was originally titled "Puppet Playhouse" since they represent the dawn of television. They're technically crude and some of the missteps become apparent when a camera occasionally catches Buffalo Bob mouthing Howdy's lines (Smith would later tape Howdy's lines). But there's an energy in these earliest shows that makes "Howdy Doody" succeed despite the technical and budgetary limitations; you can sense that the performers and behind-the-scenes technical crew are really giving it their all.

The audio/visual presentation is about what one might expect for one of television's oldest series, particularly as these live shows were recorded using the kinescope process. While kinescopes simply do not look as good as modern videotape or film, the episodes contained in this collection are very watchable. Audio is generally solid, but occasionally the microphone placement misses some of the performers' lines. Considering that some of these episodes are nearly 60 years old, most viewers will recognize the technical limitations of the era.

The only nit that I have to pick with this collection, and it's a small one, is that it begins with a show from 1949. It would have been nice to see some earlier examples. While I have no idea as to whether or not the December 27, 1947 debut show still exists, some of the shows produced in 1948 are still in existence. If Mill Creek releases additional episode collections of "The Howdy Doody Show," it would be interesting, from a historical perspective, to see the earliest surviving episode from the series.

For those of a certain age, the mention of "Howdy Doody" instantly takes one back to the simpler times of their youth. "The Howdy Doody Show" remains not only a landmark series in children's television, but also a landmark series in live television production. Thank you, Mill Creek Entertainment, for releasing a fascinating and entertaining glimpse back in television time.

I want to say up front that this fine DVD set is best suited for the people who originally watched Howdy Doody and not for today's kids. To test this theory, I showed some episodes to a half-dozen kids of appropriate age (one at a time at different times so they would not influence one another) and, to a soul they universally said it was "dumb". It's difficult to market Howdy Doody to today's children against contemporary, more sophisticated productions.

Here you will get FOUR DVDs plus a BONUS DISC, nicely packaged. The discs contain 40 of the NBC show's favorite episodes (of the thousands of episodes, most were in black and white), including sponsor commercials, (these were chiefly conducted by the stars of the show). The Bonus Disc contains three "anniversary shows," the last one (in color) being the final episode where Clarabell the Clown finally speaks! The quality and sound of all the prints are quite good.

Also on the bonus disc are interviews with Buffalo Bob Smith, "Clarabell," and the producers as to how the program emerged and evolved from radio in 1949, a time when most of daytime television was nothing more than a test pattern. The set additionally includes a 32-page "Howdy Doody Memories Book" (softcover booklet) which features black-and-white photos, many of which were from behind the scenes such as a view of Clarabell applying his clown made up.

I have to confess that my favorite character on this beloved program was Chief Thunderthud ("Cowabunga!" -- now politically incorrect!) but you'll also see Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Mayor Phineas T. Bluster, and all the other Howdy Doody regulars. For the uninitiated, this western flavor program was a pairing of real people alongside marionette puppets, all portrayed before a live audience of children which was called "The Peanut Gallery". The program was incredibly primitive by today's standards but reached an astonishing level of both educational and slapstick entertainment for children.

In all, Howdy Doody ran for 13 years over 2,543 episodes. Programs sometimes included guest stars such as western movie sidekick Gabby Hayes. The total time of these discs runs for about 21 hours and the set is distributed by Mill Creek Entertainment.

I much enjoyed this terrific and nostalgic DVD set a great deal more than I had anticipated that I would. I hope you do too.

The fast snappy pacing and clever dialog do help, but what also kept me watching was the little historic moments in each episode. Some examples include:
In the first episode of disc one, they announce what cities the show is telecast live, and also note that some markets recieve the show "on film" (kinescope film to be exact, in fact the only reason these episodes exist is because the cable which connected the NBC-TV network stations together could only reach so far, so ''kinescope films'' were made for stations across the USA. Many other programs of the time were simply broadcast live and never recorded like "The Oscar Levant Show").
In other episode on the first disc, they also announce that, just a few weeks later, the program is now being shown in many more parts of the USA, an example of just how fast TV was growing.
The first 3 episodes or so episodes on disc one are complete and unedited, yet, they contain no commercials, which I find to be quite remarkable (29 minutes of show with no commercials? Could you imagine NBC-TV doing that today?).
Along with that, the commercials are for products which range from Three Musketeers Chocolate Bars (The jingle: "Three Three Three/Big Big Big/Let's Give Three Cheers/For the Three Big Musketeers"), Rice Crispies (complete with snap, crackle and pop puppets), Colgate Dental Cream (a lot more interesting than it sounds), and yes, those giveaway offers for Howdy Doody toys.
Closing logo fans will be glad to hear that many episodes feature the original opening and closing logos, including the famous "NBC Chimes" on several episodes, and the "NBC Presents" kinescope ID occasionally.
Picture quality is quite good, considering how these shows were recorded. Since video tape wasn't invented until 1956, these shows were recorded via "kinescope" or "kinephoto", which basically meant literally filming the TV monitor with a 16mm cinematic camera!

This set made me rediscover a treasure trove that says more about American entertainment, technology, consumerism, and society than many textbooks.

This is one of television's very first shows, and the creative team was learning as they went, so judging it from the standpoint of today's taste may not yield the proper perspective. After i watched the shows in this set, i visited amazon for any and all books about the show and found one that tells the good and the not-so-good ("Say Kids, What TIme is It?"), Buffalo Bob's side of the story (""Howdy and Me") and the overwhelming amount of details, episodes and, most of all, merchandise ("Howdy Doody Collector's Reference"). It's a fascinating epic saga of how a show progressed from radio to TV as the baby boomers grew up, started buying stuff, and gradually needed more bells and whistles to amuse them (for instance, the more lavish Mickey Mouse Club, trouncing Howdy in the ratings, clearly influencing their more ambitious stories and effects).

I even started buying the new shows from the 1970's, which are actually quite good for their genre, and feature many of the same talents behind the original show.

Because the box does not list the episodes, I took the liberty of creating the following list, based on my learnings from various sources and the screen menus on the discs themselves.

1949

2/1
Howdy and the gang talk about greeting friends, making friends and working together. Buffalo Bob is not in his familiar costume yet and the show is more like its earlier radio version, with more kid participation. Howdy also uses the Flapdoodle and the Olde Time Movie starts out backwards and upside down. Howdy and Buff celebrate NBC's reach from New York to St. Louis.
Song: "Yell Howdy Doody"

3/8
Howdy plays "Ask Howdy Doody;" he, Buff and Clarabell make a movie with a audience member named Sandra and we see an Olde Time Movie with Mickey McGuire.

3/16
Clarabell resets the clock so Buff and Howdy are sleeping instead of doing show so they play a trick on him with a fake newspaper; a live bunny appears from the Flapdoodle and Betty the animal lady appears; Buff hawks Howdy hand puppet toys; the Old Time Movie stars Mickey McGuire.

8/3
Rodeo Ray (Ray Forrest) is the guest host and plays a sight game with the kids; Howdy is in debt to Mr. Bluster; the Olde Time Movie is about a wedding & sailors; Ray does a handkerchief trick.
Song: Cross the Street with Your Eyes

1950

3/27
Buffalo Bob (now in his famous costume), Clarabell, Howdy Doody and Flub-a-Dub are in Arizona searching for a Native American tribe to prove Buffalo Bob is truly Buffalo Bob so Bluster can't be president of the Peanut Gallery (which does not appear). Chief Featherman (who is afraid of Clarabell because he's also played by Bob Keeshan) helps Buff with the Magical Mars Coconut Doodle to hawk candy bars and mention a puppet offer. Olde Time Movie is about a man trying to marry the Police chief's daughter.

5/1
Flub-a Dub and Rodeo Ray host and look for clues to the mysterious 5 L's while Buff and Howdy are away, searching for clues; Flub suspects Dilly Dally of conspiring with Don Jose Bluster; the Olde Time Movie is about a Count.

6/19
Nine things have gone wrong, Buffalo Bob, Howdy and the gang are waiting for the return of Mr. Bluster for an answer to all the bad luck; Clarabell wears an "I was fired" sign; the Inspector (who was made from a second Howdy puppet) tries to figure out clues; in the Olde Time Movie, the Three Tons of Fun attend a kids' costume party; Buff shows how Three Musketeer bars break into three pieces; he and Clarabell put on Musketeer hats and sing the Three Musketeers song with Howdy and the kids.

7/4
A celebration of Independence Day; Howdy hawks Rice Krispies and the Snap, Crackle & Pop hand puppet offer; Buff and Clarabell use the Lollapalooza to figure out an anchor clue; they sing about and sell Colgate Toothpaste twice; Olde Time Movie about poachers and Mounties.
Song: My Country `Tis of Thee

7/10
The gang tries to figure out the meaning behind the strange word "Abadabazaba Mr. Bluster has been speaking; Dayton Allen appears as Sir Archibald; Clarabell shares an issue of Movie Stars Parade with a Howdy article; Tons of Fun visit a ranch in the Olde Time Movie, two pitches for the Three Musketeers candy bar.

8/3
A nautical show with ''Captain'' Ugly Sam (played on camera by Dayton Allen doing a voice that similar to the one he would later do for Deputy Dawg); Rice Krispies hand puppet offer; Olde Time Movie takes place in a restaurant; Colgate jingle now says "you know it's right when it's red and white" to distinguish it from Ipana for kids who can't read yet; during a riddle game, Buff gives kids a Howdy comic, the first Howdy record album, the Air-O-Doodle and a song folio.
Song: What Kind of Animal

10/2
The kids and cast sing the Halo Shampoo song followed by an animated Three Bears Halo commercial; Howdy announces the new Howdy Doody newspaper comic strip and the illustrators (Milt Neil and Chad Grothkopf) visit; Buff and Clarabell use a xylophone to lead into hawking Three Musketeers (with a sing along jingle); Olde Time Movie is about dog tricks.

11/1
Chief Chief Chickapaw (played, with noticeable unsteadiness at first, by Bill LeCornec) gives a suspicious drawing to Buffalo Bob as a gift from his Chigoochie tribe and does other mysterious things; the Olde Time Movie is about a girl's suitors and horseback riding; kids can draw their face in a Howdy Doody coloring book from Poll Parrot shoes; Buff and a Poll Parrot puppet hawk new shoes.
Songs: The Howdy Doody Rhumba; The Friend Song

1951

3/6
Dr. Singasong (LeCornec) hosts while Buffalo Bob calls in on his radio from Canada; Buff hawks Rice Krispies with Sir Archibald tomorrow the solar eclipse will be on the show; Olde Time Movie is about college girls in a track meet, Singasong tells a Colgate story in pictures; Dilly tries to remember something; Clarabell finds a special feather.

4/2
Buffalo Bob hawks a periscope offer from Halo Shampoo; , Dilly Dally calls on the TalkaScope from Arizona; a Mickey McGuire Olde Time Movie; Three Musketeers commercial; Princess Summerfall Winterspring (in her original puppet form performed by Rhoda Mann) and Chief Thunderthud (LeCornec) and Flub-a-Dub discuss the problem of Clarabell's tricks.

4/6
The Welch's Grape Juice jingle and Howdy climber offer; the gang tries to figure out who is the owner of the oil and seltzer wells Dilly Dally and Oil Well Willy found in Arizona; Olde Time Movie with Mickey McGuire about a rodeo; singing and selling Ovaltine.

5/2
The Snickersdoodle Skyrocket Factory makes a poem and Snickers candy; Princess Summerfall Winterspring is the owner of the oil well, but her plans to share it look to get derailed by Bluster, who says there will be no oil for the Princess and everything can be confirmed by the mysterious Lanky Lou; Olde Time Movie about swimming the channel; Poll Parrot shoes offer Howdy detective disguise kit - so ask Mommy or Daddy to take you to buy shoes.

10/1
The gang trying to solve the mystery of Chief Thunderthud's Tententotube; Olde Time Movie stars Charley Chase; miniature Snickers factory and Snickers Special train; rodeo star Steve Hickock visits.

10/17
Three Musketeers Howdy Doody Christmas Card offer; Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doo hope to help Ugly Sam convince ''Chief'' Bluster that he is Chief Drippingwet; Ovaltine; the Tons of Fun have pack mule trouble in the Olde Time Movie is included in this episode.

11/1
Howdy dances with a Rice Krispies while the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft sings a jingle; Buffalo Bob, Howdy and Princess Summerfall Winterspring (now played on camera by Judy Tyler) discover the truth behind Mr. Bluster's picture of his grandmother; during a riddle game, a prize is a Howdy inflatable toy and a Howdy comic book; song and pitch for Halo Shampoo with a "Halo Movie" cartoon about Sir Lancelot and the Dragon; Olde Time Movie is about Harry Langdon in the army.
Song: Let's Tell a Riddle

1952
4/1
The show starts upside down for April Fool's Day; Kellogg's all-star breakfast spot with Thurl Ravenscroft and chorus with celebrity boxes; first 1952 Wing Ding celebrating the states of Nebraska and Wisconsin; the Peanut Gallery (with the help of a Wing Ding Machine) must decide if Howdy Doody or Flub-a-Dub did a better job honoring the states; Kellogg's rocket beanie offer; Olde Time Movie is about Mickey McGuire out west; Colgate story in pictures;

6/2
Sheriff Lanky Lou hosts the show while Buffalo Bob is out in South Dakota for the ''Howdy Doody for President'' campaign. Meanwhile, the Circus Gang is trying to discover the true identity of Mister X and they discover their suspect, Chief Thunderthud, is not the mysterious candidate. After the Olde Time Movie, Mr. Bluster announces that Dilly Dally will be Mister X's Vice Presidential candidate.

7/1
Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody are disappointed to see Clarabell is campaigning for Mister X, pulling all sorts of pranks on Buffalo Bob on behalf of the mysterious candidate. Meanwhile, after the Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie, Chief Featherman arrives to dispute charges that he is Mister X.

10/1
Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody are trying to stop Mister X and his Fadoozler by using Howdy''s latest invention, the Switcheroo. Mister X is upset about Buffalo Bob and Howdy planning to use the Switcheroo so Buffalo Bob gives him until after the Olde Time Movie to decide if he's going to stop using the Fadoozler, otherwise Howdy will use the Switcheroo.

11/3
While Buffalo Bob is trying to bring back the missing votes for Howdy Doody from Rinklemyer''s Rest, Oil Well Willy is hosting the show with Howdy Doody, Clarabell and Flub-a-Dub. The Circus Gang tries to come up with a plan to help Buffalo Bob bring back the votes in time for counting for the election of President for Kids.

12/1
Clarabell tries to convince Buffalo Bob and Mr. Cobb he saw a mysterious bird with no feathers in Doodyville Park. A pair of penguins shows up in the park and they visit the Peanut Gallery after the Old Time Movie. Meanwhile, Clarabell's mysterious bird appears and looks to be very interested in Doodyville's Antarctic visitors.

12/31
Doodyville is celebrating a special Kids New Year's Eve for all the Peanut Gallery. In the meantime, Clarabell is still missing on the runaway horse that took him away eight days ago. Big Ben, the traveling circus ringmaster arrives to help ring in the New Year with the kids and some New Year's resolutions are made.

1953

1/5
Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and the Circus Gang welcome back Inspector Fadoozle, who ran against Howdy Doody for President for Kids. They also welcome back the Flub-a-Dub from his visit to the mysterious Changing Island. Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody discover the Changing Island changes whoever visits it and the Bluster brothers are all on the island right now.

1/6
Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody try to help out J. Cornelius Cobb from being cheated out of his general store by Inspector Fadoozle and his partner Moose Marberry. In the meantime, the Bluster brothers are still stranded on the mysterious Changing Island, which has day and night at the same time. What mysterious proof does Inspector Fadoozle have to show Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody for his claim to the Cobb General Store?

2/2
Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Chief Kongamucha set out on their search for the Jabawa horn. Meanwhile, Inspector Fadoozle plots with Clarabell to keep Chief Kongamucha from taking Clarabell's horn in exchange for Clarabell helping Fadoozle ruin Howdy Doody's show. How will Clarabell ruin Chief Kongamucha's search for the mysterious horn?

4/1
Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Howdy Doody are trying to figure out the mysterious actions of Chief Thunderthud. Meanwhile, Clarabell's practical jokes result in Buffalo Bob getting knocked out. After the Old Time Movie, Buffalo Bob tells Chief Thunderthud to leave Doodyville forever but the Chief convinces Buffalo Bob he is sincere about changing his ways.

5/1
Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and the Circus Gang are suspicious of Mr. Bluster's Contest. After Mr. Bluster provides the contest rules and the address, Buffalo Bob considers calling off the contest. But, with Mr. Bluster holding onto some of Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Clarabell's clothes; Howdy pleads with Buffalo Bob to keep the contest going to get back their belongings and has a plan to help out.

5/26
Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Howdy Doody are trying to find out the secret behind Mr. Bluster and Chief Thunderthud's Finnygurgle. Howdy Doody comes up with an idea to use his chattering chimpanzee plan in order to find out all the secrets about the mysterious secrets of the Finnygurgle.

6/1
Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob and the rest are hoping to get some word on what the big announcement is that Mr. Bluster has promised to make. After a song and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie, Princess Summerfall Winterspring discovers her magic necklace is missing and Buffalo Bob finds his Buffalo Bob Belt missing. After finding the Princess'' necklace with a clue tied to it, Buffalo Bob and Howdy wonder what else is going to happen.

7/2
With Buffalo Bob in India searching for Miguel the Mexican, Oil Well Willy and Princess Summerfall Winterspring are hosting the show. The Circus Gang is hoping to wake up Miguel's twin brother Michael so they can show Buffalo Bob what he looks like to help find Miguel. Will friendly Michael wake up in time for the Circus Gang to talk to Buffalo Bob and show his face?

8/3
In order to protect the Quasher Squasher, Clarabell has come up with an alarm system that will catch the culprit red-handed. Chumley P. Grumley, the detective hired by Mr. Bluster to find the Quasher Squasher, shows up at the Clubhouse hoping to find the device. Will Chumley P. Grumley be able to outsmart Buffalo Bob and the Gang and steal the Quasher Squasher?

12/24
The Circus Gang is curious to see who the mystery guest Howdy Doody has for the Peanut Gallery. Everyone is wondering who the Super 75''er surprise is that Howdy is bringing to the Clubhouse. If it doesn't snow before 6:00 PM, the mystery guest will not appear in the Clubhouse and Mr. Bluster will win the contest.

12/29
It looks like Mr. Bluster had driven off Grandpa Doody from his visit to Doodyville and the Circus Gang is sad to see him gone. After the Olde Time Movie, Buffalo Bob and Clarabell use the Whatadoodle to show the Peanut Gallery highlights from 1953 and who they might see in 1954. Buffalo Bob and Howdy Doody find out that Captain Scuttlebutt is going to be stirring up things in Doodyville in 1954.

1954

2/4
Everyone in Doodyville is excited about the Doody Musicana contest and all the singing performances at this big event. After the dancing contest performance of Howdy Doody, Dilly Dally and the Inspector, the Doody Musicana contest looks to be pretty close. It looks like the musical contest may decide the winner and it's anybody's guess who will win! Will Mr. Bluster cheat his way into winning the Grand Prize?

4/13
Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and the citizens of Doodyville put on a play to earn marbles to get a new Doodyville Fire Engine. After the Olde Time Movie, Buffalo Bob collects the marbles from the Peanut Gallery for the play and learns they are three marbles ahead of Mr. Bluster and Chief Thunderthud. Mr. Bluster plots to ruin Buffalo Bob and Howdy''s plans for the next marble-raising play and sends Chief Thunderthud to find out what the new play will be.

6/7
Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and the Circus Gang are searching for Captain Scuttlebutt's dog Windy, who Mr. Bluster wants to sign up to perform in his own circus. Mr. Bluster hires a magician to help locate Windy before Howdy Doody and the rest can. Will the mysterious mage be able to bring back Windy before Howdy and the gang can find him?

BONUS DISC

1/2/53 - 5TH ANNIVERSARY
Fred Allen is among the kids in the Peanut Gallery, who are asked about their favorite Howdy Doody moments; Fred chats with Howdy; he and Buff use the Scope-Doodle to watch an Old-Time Movie about boating; Princess Summerfall Winterspring brings out the cake; Buff, the Princess and Cornelius Cobb sing a "tom-tom" jingle for Welch's "Fresh Frozen" grape juice; congratulatory notes come in from TV Digest magazines, Milton Berle, Gabby Hayes, Paul Winchell, Sid Caesar, Dennis Day, Joe E. Brown, John Cameron Swayze, Herb Shriner and Groucho Marx; dishes turn out to be cookies, Buff asks a Peanut about Welch's Grape Juice (could be Herbert Hoover's grandson, who according to legend, was added to the already-full Gallery by working him into the commercial).

Episode #1751 - 8TH ANNIVERSARY 12/31/54
New Year's Eve and the show's 8th anniversary are celebrated with guest hosts Gabby Hayes and Bison Bill (played by Ted Brown, who subs for Bob Smith, who was recovering from a heart attack; Allen Swift does Howdy's voice in Smith's absence). A cake arrives from TV Guide; a picture story about Colgate and Happy Tooth; Gina Genardi, the third Princess Summerfall Winterspring, appears in this episode, singing with Dilly Dally; Bill brings on Zippy the chimp--and a Zippy doll--to prepare for the Olde Time Movie starring Ben Turpin; the Chief plugs a new record, "Howdy Doody's Magic Jukebox," and the latest comic book; Gabby heads west; Welch's grape jelly glasses with show characters on the jar bottom.
Songs: Yippee-I, Yippee-O, Yippee-A

Episode #2343 - FINAL EPISODE 9/24/60
The famous one hour, full color show in which the gang "remembers" events that are mostly skits and songs performed for this episode. Clarabell promises a big surprise at the end of the show. Buff looks through memorabilia, including awards; Sandra Witch helps Buff find the invisible Peanut Gallery; Nabisco Wheat & Rice Honeys cereals; reminiscing about Howdy's presidential campaign; a filmed ad for Howdy characters rings in Nabisco cereal boxes, musical goodbyes from Mambo the Elephant, Tizzy the Dinosaur, Hide and Zeke the bears and Tom Turtle; Captain Scuttlebutt and Buff look at magazines including a TV Guide from 1952 and a 1855 TV-Radio Mirror, in which the show won awards; Buff and Corny talk about the many sponsors and products; Corny remembers when Buff and Clarabell took a magic carpet to the land of Balloona; photos from the Howdy Doody scrapbook; footage of an appearance in St. Paul for the Winter Carnival; Buff and the Chief recall when it "rained indoors; Buff says they won't be around to remind them, but to remember that reading is fun; Buff says goodbye to Dilly Dally, Flub-A-Dub and Sandra Witch; then Howdy, Buff, Corny and Clarabell, with luggage, sing their Goodbye song for the last time. The show ends with one of the most famous moments in TV history: Clarabell, trembling and dazed, looks at America and says, "Goodbye, kids," and blinks away tears. You can hear emotional murmurs as the picture fades to black. The closing credits roll over a darkened Doodyville hotel set before the announcement of next week's premiere of "The Shari Lewis Show" and Sunday's broadcast of "National Velvet." You can hear someone say, "Thanks, everybody" during the final fade.

THIS DISC ALSO INCLUDES:
* TIMELINE
* SLIDESHOW
* "HOWDY DOODY: THE EARLY YEARS" DOCUMENTARY (edited from the Archive of American Television interviews)

Here's a rarity, almost an impossibility. The Howdy Doody show, FORTY episodes of late 1940s and early 1950s childrens's television, restored for all to enjoy! The quality is very good throughout, judging that most of the five discs are kinescopes, some with wavering sound. Some of the earliest memories I have of the show were not so much the puppets, but the clips from old time movies that showed up on Howdy's program. A Ton of Fun, referred to by Bob Smith as "The Three Tons of Fun", introduced me to silent comedy. The Smith Family with little Mary Ann Jackson, later to star in the Our Gang comedies for Hal Roach, really stands out in these 1920s Sennett reels. Buffalo Bob makes it tough to find out who REALLY starred in some of the comedies by making up names for the actors, like "Bullets" and "Mary Schnikelfritz",and sometimes throwing in names of his old friends and crew members in place of the real names of the actors. It's a rare treat to see the show through from it's very early days when Howdy was so polite that he always called Buffalo Bob "Mr. Smith", the Dayton Allen era of Ugly Sam and his hilarious version of the Flub-A-Dub narrating an old time movie, to the remarkable use of Allen Swift's voice as Phineas T. Bluster and others after Dayton was fired. We can see the evolution of Clarabelle from Bob Keeshan through Lew Anderson and witness how the clown changed from a child-clown who squirted seltzer at the Peanut Gallery and Bob Smith to the skilled trombone player and juggler who STILL squirted seltzer on all and sundry. There is a remarkable show with Milt Neil the cartoonist on the Howdy Doody comic strip doing team-up drawings with a fellow artist where Milt does one side of a character's head at the same time the other artist does the other side of the head, resulting in a perfectly balanced drawing that looks like the work of one artist! Disc 5 is my favorite. It contains the 5th, 8th and last (the 13th) anniversary programs. Fred Allen actually takes a seat in the Peanut Gallery on the 5th anniversary show, making fun of Buffalo Bob not being able to appear on-camera with the Howdy puppet (Bob Smith did Howdy's voice in the early shows) and "helping" Bob Smith narrate the old-time movie. Although not in the best of health, Fred Allen is a lot of fun to watch in this program. Gabby Hayes is featured on the 8th anniversary program in a funny suitcase packing routine with Clarabelle, and of course the last program from 1960 in color ends with Clarabelle's famous "Goodbye, Kids" in a pretty decent looking color copy. There is a half-hour of oral history provided by the television Academy on Disc 5 as well, with Bob Smith, Ed Kean the writer of the show, Bob Keeshan and others giving interviews. Keeshan betrays not a shred of bitterness at his poor treatment on the show, but speaks well of his role as Clarabelle and working with Bob Smith. It's still a great comfort to spend time with "Mr. Smith" after all these years, his charisma and love of the Peanuts still comes through after more than 50 years, especially when he pitches products. The growth of advertising to children in these early programs is especially revealing, starting with almost no sponsors and ending with too many. It's interesting that the Kellogg's cereal and Halo shampoo commercials are the only ones to use full cel animation in this pioneering era. It's so rare and remarkable to see this much early "kidvid" on home video, an era when there was little regulation and no knowledge of television's impact on children. Yet, there is a cozy spirit of friendliness and hospitality in these Howdy Doody shows that is largely missing from the kid's video scene today. Mr. Rogers is one of the few "live" kid's hosts whose show is still running today that has some of the "Smith" charisma with children, and he's dead! So pick this up, buy two or three and send them to your friends. Maybe NBC-Universal will release a 40 episoder of "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" someday, or the Bob Clampett estate will release a big set of "Beany and Cecil" puppet shows on DVD! Let's show them that there is a demand for this kind of show on home video!

Howdy Doody, one of the most beloved and cherished icons of all time, entertained children of all ages for 13 glorious years on television, beginning back in 1947 and ending in 1960. This special 5 disc collection highlights 40 memorable episodes from this beloved series, including a bonus disc with 3 additional episodes, including the final show in color. Join Howdy and the gang, along with Buffalo Bob Smith, Chief Thunderhud, Princess Winterspring Summerfall, and the always funny and mischievous Clarabell the Clown, as they take us on a wonderful journey back to a more innocent time when commercials were a part of the show, everything was in black & white, and children everywhere believe in a cute little wooden guy named Howdy.

The video and audio quality is pretty good, considering how old the material is. Not perfectly clear and crisp, of course, but certainly not so bad that it really detracts from the enjoyment of the show. You get 10 episodes on each of the first 4 discs, with each episode running nearly 30 minutes each. Three additional episodes are included on the 5th Bonus disc, including the memorable final episode, along with additional extras.

Perhaps the only real criticism is that all 5 discs are stored in paper sleeves inside the box set, which may cause the discs to fall out or be scratched if handled too harshly. The box and bonus photo album booklet is a very nice touch though. Truly an enjoyable set, even with the paper sleeves.

As a bonus, this review includes the original "episode descriptions" found inside the first 4 DVDs in this box set, along with additional descriptions of the bonus disc that were not originally provided. Again, these episode descriptions are taken from the first 4 DVDs of this Box Set and were provided by the makers of this DVD Box Set. They are offered here strictly as a way for fans to see which episodes are available in this collection.

Disc One:
02/01/49 - Howdy & the gang talk about greeting friends and working together. In addition, Howdy sings songs and shows one of his Olde Time Movies. (29:32)
03/08/49 - Howdy Doody has a big surprise in store for the Peanut Gallery in the form of Ask Howdy Doody. Howdy answers questions in letters from the viewers, sings some songs & plays one of his Howdy Doody Olde Time Movies. (29:30)
03/16/49 - Clarabell's clock trick forces Howdy & Bob to teach Clarabell a lesson. A visit from some bunnies and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie are also included.(29:30)
08/03/49 - With Bob Smith gone, Rodeo Ray is on hand to help Howdy with the show. Howdy sings a song about looking before crossing the street. Ray hosts a contest with a sight theme and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie is also found in this show. (29:44)
03/27/50 - Buffalo Bob, Clarabell, Howdy Doody & Flub-a-Dub are all in Arizona searching for a Native American tribe that will prove Buffalo Bob is truly Buffalo Bob: otherwise Mr. Bluster will become President of the Peanut Gallery. (29:41)
05/01/50 - With Flub-a-Dub hosting the show while Bob Smith & Howdy are searching for clues to the mysterious 5 L's, he gets a visit from Ray Forrest (Rodeo Ray). You also see Clarabell, Dilly Dally, Done Jose Bluster and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie, (26:03)
06/19/50 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy & the gang are waiting for the return of Mr. Bluster for an answer to all the bad luck that has occurred at the circus lately. Fun songs and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie are included. (29:29)
07/04/50 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy & the Peanut Gallery celebrate Independence Day and must also deal with Mr. Bluster's mysterious secret code. A Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie caps off all the fun proceedings. (29:40)
07/10/50 - Buffalo Bob, Clarabell, & Howdy Doody try to learn the meaning behind the strange word Mr. Bluster has been speaking around the circus. Fun galore is found in this episode plus, a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie. (29:35)
08/03/50 - This nautical-themed show features a visit by `Captain' Ugly Sam, who gets drenched by Clarabell and his seltzer bottle. Songs, games, and a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie complete this episode. (29:35)
Total Running Time: 292 Minutes

Disc Two:
10/02/50 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody and the gang get a visit from the illustrators for the new Howdy Doody newspaper comic strip. (29:33)
11/01/50 - Howdy Doody sings a few of his songs and Buffalo Bob looks to find out which tribe Chief Chickapaw & Chigoochie tribe will help: the Siga Foose or the Tinka Tonka? (27:42)
03/06/51 - This show was hosted by Dr. Singasong since Buffalo Bob was in Canada with Chief Thunderhud. Exciting things in this show include Dilly Dally finally remembering something important and Clarabell finding a special feather mixed in with the one's he's collecting to get his 5,001 feathers. (29:40)
04/02/51 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, Mr. Bluster, and Princess Summerfall Winterspring look to teach Clarabell a lesson for all of the tricks he's been playing on everyone at the circus. (29:36)
04/06/51 - Everyone at the Howdy Doody Circus is excited to find out which of them is the owner of the oil & seltzer wells Dilly Dally and Oil Well Willy discovered in Arizona. (29:35)
05/02/51 - Now that Princess Summerfall Winterspring is the owner of the oil well, her plans to share it with the gang at the Circus look to get derailed by Mr. Bluster. Mr. Bluster says there will be no oil for the Princess and everything can be confirmed by the mysterious Lanky Lou. (29:38)
10/01/51 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and Clarabell are trying to solve the mystery of Chief Thunderhud's Tententotube. (29:40)
10/17/51 - Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doody hope to help Ugly Sam convince `Chief' Bluster that he is Chief Drippingwet in order to discover Mr. Bluster's plans. (29:34)
11/01/51 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and Princess Summerfall Winterspring discover the truth behind Mr. Bluster's picture of his grandmother and look to turn the tables on him. (29:35)
04/01/52 - Besides some April Fool's Day jokes, Howdy Doody and the Circus Gang celebrate the first Wing Ding of the year. The Wing Ding celebrates the states of Nebraska & Wisconsin, and the Peanut Gallery must decide if Howdy Doody or Flub-a-Dub did a better job in honoring the states. (29:12)
Total Running Time: 294 Minutes

Disc Three:
06/02/52 - Sheriff Lanky Lou hosts the show while B.B. is out in South Dekota for the "Howdy Doody For President" campaign. Meanwhile, the Circus Gang is trying to discover the true identity of Mister X and they discover their suspect, Chief Thunderhud, is not the mysterious candidate. (29:28)
07/01/52 - Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doody are disappointed to see Clarabell is campaigning for Mr. X, pulling all sorts of pranks on Buffalo Bob on behalf of the mysterious candidate. (29:31)
10/01/52 - Buffalo Bob & Howdy Doody are trying to help Mister X and his Fadoozler by using Howdy's latest invention, the Switcheroo. (28:39)
11/03/52 - While Buffalo Bob is trying to bring back the missing votes for Howdy Doody from Rinklemyer's Rest, Oil Well Willy is hosting the show with Howdy Doody, Clarabell, and Flub-a-Dub. (28:42)
12/01/52 - Clarabell tries to convince Buffalo Bob and Mr. Cobb he saw a mysterious bird with no feathers in Doodyville Park. A pair of penguins show up in the part and they visit the Peanut Gallery after the Olde Time Movie. (29:35)
12/31/52 - Doodyville is celebrating a special kids New Years Eve for all the Peanut Gallery. In Big Ben, the traveling circus ringmaster, arrives to help ring in the New Year with the kids and some New Years resolutions are made. (29:29)
01/05/53 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and the Circus Gang welcome back Inspector Fadoozle, who ran against Howdy Doody for President for Kids. They also welcome back Flub-a-Dub from his visit to the mysterious Changing Island. (29:30)
01/06/53 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody try to help out J. Cornelius Cobb from being cheated out of his general store by Inspector Fadoozle and his partner, Moose Marberry. In the meantime, the Bluster brothers are still stranded on the Mysterious Changing Island, which has day & night at the same time. (29:32)
02/02/53 - Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, and Chief Kongamucha set out for their search for the Jabbawa horn. (29:28)
04/01/53 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and Princess Summerfall Winterspring are trying to figure out the mysterious actions of Chief Thunderhud. Meanwhile, Clarabell's practical jokes result in Buffalo Bob getting knocked out. (29:14)
Total Running Time: 293 Minutes

Disc Four:
05/01/53 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and the Circus Gang are suspicious of Mr. Bluster's contest. After Mr. Bluster provides the contest rules and the address, Buffalo Bob considers calling off the contest. (29:32)
05/26/53 - Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, and Howdy Doody are tying to find out the secret behind Mr. Bluster & Chief Thunderhud's Finnygurgle. Howdy Doody comes up with an idea to use his chattering chimpanzee plan in order to find out all the secrets about the mysterious secrets of the Finnygurgle. (29:29)
06/01/53 - Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob, and the rest of the gang are helping are hoping to get some word on what the big announcement is that Mr. Bluster has promised to make. (29:36)
07/02/53 - With Buffalo Bob in India searching for Miguel the Mexican, Oil Well Willy & Princess Summerfall Winterspring are hosting the show. The Circus Gang is hoping to wake up Miguel's twin brother, Michael, so they show Buffalo Bob what he looks like to help find Miguel. (29:32)
08/03/53 - In order to protect the Quasher Squasher, Clarabell has come up with an alarm system that will catch the culprit red-handed. Chumley P. Grumley, the detective hired by Mr. Bluster to find the Quasher Squasher, shows up at the clubhouse hoping to find the device. (29:31)
12/24/53 - The Circus Gang is curious to see who the mystery guest Howdy Doody has for the Peanut Gallery. Everyone is wondering who the Super 75er surprise is that Howdy is bringing to the clubhouse. If it doesn't snow before 6:00PM, the mystery guest will not appear in the clubhouse and Mr. Bluster will win the contest. (29:41)
12/29/53 - It looks like Mr. Bluster had driven off Grandpa Doody from his visit to Doodyville and the Circus Gang is sad to see him gone. After the Olde Time Movie, Buffalo Bob & Clarabell use the Whatadoodle to show the Peanut Gallery highlights from 1953 and who they might see in 1954. (29:35)
02/04/54 - Everyone in Doodyville is excited about the Doody Musicana contest and all the singing performances at this big event. After the dancing contest performance of Howdy Doody, Dilly Dally, & the Inspector, the Doody Musicana contest looks to be pretty close. (29:38)
04/13/54 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and the citizens of Doodyville put on a play to earn marbles to get a new Doodyville Fire Engine. After the Olde Time Movie, Buffalo Bob collects the marbles from the Peanut Gallery for the play and learns they are three marbles ahead of Mr. Bluster and Chief Thunderhud. (29:32)
06/07/54 - Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, and the Circus Gang are searching for Captain Skuttlebutt's dog, Windy, who Mr. Bluster wants to sign up to perform in his own circus. Mr. Bluster hires a magician to help locate Windy before Howdy Doody and the rest of the gang can. Will the mysterious mage be able to bring back Windy before Howdy and the gang can find him? (29:34)
Total Running Time: 296 Minutes
Slideshow (120 Images)

Bonus Disc:
01/02/53 - 5th Anniversary Episode - Fred Allen shows up to help Howdy & the gang celebrate 5 years on the air as well as comment on a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie. Mr. Cobb also drops by to join in the fun by playing an amusing prank on Buffalo Bob. (29:39)
12/31/54 - 8th Anniversary Episode - Bison Bill hosts this special episode as 8 years on the air is celebrated. Special guest star, Gabby Hays, prepares to leave for California to visit Grandpa Doody...but Clarabell has other ideas. Chief Thunderhud and the Flub-a-Dub get into an argument over what is actually being celebrated. The gang also wishes everyone a Happy New Year. (29:33)
09/24/60 - Final Episode in Color - This is it! The one every Howdy Doody fan has been waiting for! It's the very last episode (#2,343) of this truly remarkable and forever remembered series. Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, Chief Thunderhud, and the rest of the gang are all packing up their things, after 13 years, and saying "Good-bye." In the process, highlights from past episodes are discussed and even re-enacted (such as the time Howdy Doody ran for President) and Clarabell the Clown promises a very special big surprise at the end of the show...but what could it be? (58:54)

Special Features:
Documentary - "Howdy Doody : Memories of An American Classic - The Early Years" Star, Buffalo Bob Smith, Producer, Roger Muir, Writer, Eddie Kean, & Co-star Bob Keeshan (Clarabell The Clown: 1948-53) discuss the origins of the series, including Bob Smith's earlier radio show days and how Howdy Doody became a reality on NBC. Interesting stories include the original ugly "Howdy Doody" puppet (never seen on the show) which quickly got replaced by the cute version we all know and love. This is a very entertaining retrospective. I only wish the later years were also mentioned. (26:02)

Timeline - Describes 26 different moments in the series lifetime, starting with the day Buffalo Bob Smith was born, including the show's aftermath.

Slideshow - 118 photos from the series are featured (8:05)

Howdy Doody Memories Book - Commemorative Photo Album of the Series in Paperback form. (32 pages)

Total Running Time: 141 Minutes


The Howdy Doody Show - 40 Episode Collection
Black & White (w/ Final Episode and Extras in Color)
1,316 Minutes - Not Rated - English Mono
Original Full Screen Presentation
5 DVD Box Set

What time is it kids? It's Howdy Doody time!

This 5 disc set features 40 episodes of one of the earliest shows on NBC, and a show that set the pattern for children's shows for decades to come. It's an entertaining trip down memory lane for those who watched the show originally, though it may be a bit boring (and not "colorful" enough) for today's kids. Most of the situations that are seen in these episodes aren't that different from the kinds of jokes and gags seen in today's shows, though obviously the production quality has gone up a little bit, as have the gimmicks that can be pulled with modern technology. The sound is fair, as is the video quality (though both are great when you consider that the episodes are around 60 years old).

Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob Smith, Clarabelle, and other recurring characters make the show lively and fun. While some may complain that this isn't a "complete" collection, I'd argue that 40 episodes of Howdy Doody is more than enough for anyone. Some may want to sit down and watch over 10 years of episodes, but I'm happy with the episodes shown here (pulled from between 1949 and 1954). The final episode (broadcast in color) is also included (on the bonus 5th disc).

All in all, this collection is worth watching (or at least worth having if you ever feel like watching an old episode of Howdy Doody). For those looking for just that, this set won't steer you wrong.

Say kids, are you looking for the ultimate Howdy Doody DVD collection? If so, well boy oh boy are you in luck, `cause here it is, and everyone in your family will really go for it in a big way! This nifty little box is packed with five shiny new discs, each one chock full of wholesome Doodyville goodness! Plus, along with the lavishly decorated fold-out disc holder, you'll find a swell booklet, loaded with rare black and white photographs. Just be careful not to scratch those DVDs when you're sliding them in and out of their genuine cardboard pockets.

As all of America knows, Howdy Doody is a jovial, spindly-limbed marionette with a freckled face that strongly resembles that of Alfred E. Newman. Howdy Doody was wildly popular way back in the 1940s and `50s, when HALO was a shampoo and not a video game. The human host of Howdy's show is the avuncular Buffalo Bob Smith. Buffalo Bob interacts with the kids in The Peanut Gallery and unabashedly pitches a plethora of products with all the enthusiasm of today's TV shopping salespeople. Mr. Smith's zebra-striped assistant, Clarabell, is a mute clown who communicates by honking a horn, and delights in spraying folks with seltzer water every chance he gets. The Puppet Playhouse's resident curmudgeon is the amply sideburned Phineas T. Bluster (whom Howdy calls "Mr. BUSTER"); and it's resident pipsqueak is the wiggly-eared Dilly Dally, whose voice sounds a bit like Elmo from Sesame Street. America's number one private eye, the puppet known as The Inspector, looks a lot like Howdy aside from his thin mustache. The Inspector once conducted an investigation that proved there's only one talking cereal in the whole world: Kellogg's Rice Krispies. There's also only one Flub-A-Dub in the whole world, and he lives in Doodyville. The wisecracking "Flub" is a weird and comical creature with a face shaped like a bowling pin, a neck like a giraffe, floppy dog ears and the body of a seal.

Every Howdy Doody show begins with the singing of "It's Howdy Doody Time"...which sounds an awful lot like Ta-ra-ra-Boom-de-ay. Then Bob and Howdy educate kids everywhere about the swellness of the many excellent products that sponsored the program. Watch the numerous episodes in this collection, and you'll learn all about how to defeat Old Mr. Tooth Decay by brushing your teeth with Colgate's extra good tasting Ribbon Dental Cream...especially after you've enjoyed some "candy eating fun" with the treat that can't be beat, the three-piece Three Musketeers bar (it only costs a nickel). You'll also discover that if you want to grow up strong and healthy, you should eat as much Wonder bread as you possibly can, because Wonder bread helps build strong bodies in eight ways...and be sure to spread plenty of Blue Bonnet margarine on that bread, `cause Blue Bonnet margarine offers flavor, nutrition and economy. Just look for Blue Bonnet Sue on the package. But between commercials, Buffalo Bob always finds time to run a Howdy Doody Olde Time Movie on the Scope-Doodle. Olde Time Movies are silent movies, narrated by Bob Smith himself. These ancient films often feature the aptly-named Tons of Fun--Vick, Clint and Bullets, or Mickey McGuire and the kids of Toonerville.

As you peruse this nostalgic collection, you'll hear Howdy sing several songs and jingles, employing his odd habit of changing one syllable words into two syllable words, as in "frey-and" (friend) and "goo-ud" (good); plus you'll get to experience the patriotic puppet's historic election campaign in his bid to become the first President of the Kids of America. What's more, you'll learn the significance of the Fourth Feather of the Fifth Pheasant as well as the Lucky Left Leg of the Lima Llama. You may even find out who the real "Mr. X" is. Discs 1 - 4 each contain approximately five hours of classic programming, and disc 5 includes a generous helping of swell bonus materials, including the fifth anniversary episode; the eighth anniversary episode and the hour-long final episode (in color). There's even a 26-minute documentary entitled, Howdy Doody, the Early Years, featuring interviews with Buffalo Bob and Bob Keeshan (Clarabell/Captain Kangaroo) as well as a Howdy Doody timeline and a photo slideshow.

Yes kids, no classic TV DVD collection would be complete without this heap-good Howdy Doody lollapalooza. It's a circus of fun for everyone! So ask Mom to place an order today, no box tops necessary (just a credit card).

That reminds me, I wonder if it's too late to send away for those swell looking Snap Crackle and Pop hand puppets...

The Howdy Doody Show, which ran from 1947 to 1960, was a little before my time, so I was curious to see what the famous kids' program was all about. It turns out to have somewhat less appeal to me as an adult than some other shows aimed at kids, such as Sesame Street, which are sometimes as fun for adults as kids. But it has its charms, and gives a sampling of some very influential early television. The selection of episodes is peculiar, as I'll explain below.

The basic idea of the show is similar to many kids' shows, from Captain Kangaroo to Mr. Rogers, that came along after Howdy Doody showed the way. A likable, comforting adult, "Buffalo" Bob Smith, is the host to a cast of recurring characters, including the marionette Howdy Doody himself, originally voiced by Smith, Clarabell the frenetic mute clown (originally Bob Keeshan, who went on to become the beloved Captain Kangaroo), and some other human and puppet regulars. In keeping with a vague Western theme, two of the regulars were Indian characters, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Chief Thunderthud, the latter of which indulged in a caricature of Native American speech that might be seen as racist today, but was accepted at the time as good-natured fun. (The Chief had toned it down some by the last show in 1960.)

Everything about how the show appealed to children was an innovation for TV, since it was the first of its kind on television. One point not followed by most of its successors, but which works well, is the inclusion of a small audience of kids, whom Smith called Peanuts, for their place on the bleacher-like seats he called the Peanut Gallery. (The title of Charles Schulz's famous cartoon strip reportedly came from this.) They were important participants, both as a group, and sometimes as individuals called on to help out. They came dressed in their Sunday best and were very well behaved.

The show came to be known for beginning with Smith calling out "Say kids, what time is it?" and the kids in the Peanut Gallery responding "It's Howdy Doody Time!" They then sing the theme song, set to the tune "Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay," which is a great tune when not heard too often.

Each show included scripted dialogue between the characters, typically involving a secret, a surprise, or a mystery. The production values were minimal, and there's often only limited evidence of rehearsal or learning lines. A fair amount of time of each episode was filled by a silent movie, old-fashioned zany comedy, for which Smith would provide some running commentary.

Smith was enthusiastic and reassuring. The overall mood was usually more energetic than Captain Kangaroo or Mr. Rogers, but less than Sesame Street. The kinds of separations we might expect now weren't observed then: commercials were part of the show, with Smith and other characters hawking cereal, toys, toothpaste and whatever to the kids in the TV audience. He also encouraged kids to ask their parents to take them to a church or other place of worship.

The main goal of the show was entertainment, with some mildly educational material mixed in.

The 40 half-hour episodes included on the first four discs of this set are drawn from 1949-54. They're supposedly the most requested shows, but it's hard to tell whether that's true, or why some of the episodes would be most requested. There are no shows with the original Howdy Doody puppet, which had a long, rectangular face. And there are no shows from 1955-60, except the last episode.

On the bonus disc, there are two anniversary shows, the 5th and 8th (oddly from 1953 and '54), along with the hour-long final episode. The latter is the only one shown in color.

There is an interesting featurette on the bonus disc that consists of 25 minutes of interviews with Smith, Keeshan, and others directly involved with the early days of the show. The stories about the casual and haphazard way the show came together were as fun as the show itself for me. For the first few episodes, the Howdy Doody puppet wasn't ready, so Smith pretended Howdy was too shy to appear and was hiding in a desk drawer, from which his voice was portrayed as conversing with Smith. When Smith was out due to a heart attack, guest hosts filled in and told the kids Smith was away on an adventure of some sort. Among the guests to help out was Gabby Hayes.

The Timeline feature includes some interesting text info, such as the fact that Keeshan left the show over a contract dispute, and that the original human Princess Summerfall Winterspring, Judy Tyler (the Princess had been a puppet before her), was killed in a car accident soon after making a film with Elvis. There's also an extensive slide show, which must be watched with the sound turned down, as the same eight second clip of the Howdy Doody theme plays over and over throughout. There are no captions for the slide show.

The image quality for the episodes in black in white, which are all but the last, is soft and grainy, but that's no doubt as good as they looked on TV at the time. The last show, in color, looks better. The sound is good mono.

This set will have its primary appeal to those who grew up with Howdy Doody, and are nostalgic. The odd selection of episodes may be frustrating for those looking for an overall representation of the show through its run. Buying it for kids would be a dicey bet, given the competition on TV today, but some younger children might enjoy it.

Well I guess I should start off this review by clarifying for the record that I wasn't even a gleam in anyone's eyes when this classic TV series was even on the air. However, I do recall my parents talking about it from time-to-time when I was little. I had never seen an episode of this show before I got this boxed set and was anxious to check it out, and I wasn't disappointed.

Okay let's get started here with my first and only complaint with this boxed set, and that is with the way the DVD's are packaged in the box. They are basically stored in the box by sliding them into a slit in the cardboard holders, which by its very nature means that the DVD's are going to be more prone to scratches than if they were stored in the traditional way with a center hub to hold them securely with no "sliding" whatsoever. When I first opened the box, two of the five discs fell out when I unfolded the folder and another one wasn't even in its slot and I barely caught it before it hit the floor. Not a very good start, but fortunately they didn't break and didn't have any visible scratches on them. And now on with the great...

I found the Memories Book to be really fun and showed a wide array of pictures celebrating different moments in the show. It would have been an added bonus if they would have had a little bit of detailed text describing some of the photographs, but it doesn't deter at all from the fun this added bonus is.

The shows themselves are classics and showcase the most loved shows from the entire 2,543 shows that comprised the entire Howdy Doody show. I found myself totally enthralled with the devotion and love shown to this rather odd looking puppet and the sheer magnetism that he had over young and old alike.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to be a small child and sitting and watching this show, let alone being one of the lucky ones to be in the "Peanut Gallery." But I can say that I think I found a small part of me that has an inkling of what it was like and I decided I would create my own "Peanut Gallery" with me and my cat every time that I put a DVD in and wisk myself away to a simpler and perhaps better time.

The bonus disc really has some great material on it as well and really adds to an already terrific boxed set.

Shawn Kovacich
HUGE Movie and Classic TV Fan