Howdy Doody and the Neighborhood's First Television

In the Forties we attended the movies. In the Fifties it was television all the way. The McFarlands had the first TV in the neighborhood. It was a big console model, but had a small screen and, of course, it was black and white. It must have been around 1950 and I would have been about twelve years old. We went to their house everyday and watched Howdy Doody with Buffalo Bob Smith. I still remember the opening routine of the show. Bob Smith would shout out, “What time is it, kids?” The kids in the Peanut Gallery would answer in song:

“It’s Howdy Doody time. It’s Howdy Doody time. Bob Smith and Howdy, too, Say Howdy Do-o-o to you.”

Howdy Doody was a freckle-faced marionette dressed in cowboy clothes. Other characters in the show I remember were Clarabell The Clown and Princess Summerfall Winterspring. We got a TV shortly after the McFarlands. Daddy was very smitten with it and watched endlessly from his favorite chair. Today, he would probably be called a couch potato. We were never allowed to sit in his chair when he was home. Mom seldom watched TV. I can’t think what her favorite show might have been except for Arthur Godfrey. She also liked the game shows; What’s My Line, I’ve Got A Secret, and To Tell The Truth. Daddy and I both loved to watch Wrestling From Hollywood on TV. There was always a hero and a villain. Gorgeous George was one of the heroes in the Fifties. He had his hair permed and wore a long silk robe when he entered the ring. One of the villains was Mad Dog Vershon. He was short and stocky with hair all over his body. He was mean, fought dirty, and yelled at the TV camera. Verne Gagne was another “good guy.” He was clean cut, fought fairly and was the heavyweight champion. I think this form of wrestling is more entertainment than sports, but Barbara always says, “To this day, Carol believes it is real.”