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Reviews

The theme from The Rebel is not even the Johnny Cash song even though it says so. Its the generic instumental which was tacked onto the opening credits of the show when it was re-syndicated in the 80s and they had a problem clearing the rights to the song.

If you buy this for the main purpose of having your favorite ORIGINAL tv themes in you cd collection, then it's really what you will get. However, the buyer must know that all the tracks are in MONO only, and the overall sound is very compressed like were the 45 rpm in the 50's and 60's.. Remember that this double cd came from an LP and I think they only transfered to cd the original vinyl (minus the surface noise and adding some promotions and presentations from the stars of the programs). Again, all this makes it a very nostalgic atmosphere because it sounds like if you're listening to your old tv set in mono with the very heavy compressed sound we were used to back then. Let say that I'm a little bit disapointed of the sound quality. My assumption is that they lifted the tracks directly from the tv reels instead of going back to the vaults and get the original masters. It would have improved the sound a lot and probably get us more stereo version on disc two. I had hoped to find my favorite Man From U.N.C.L.E.'s theme with the flute and bongos in great stereo. Well, just forget about it. They used the fourth year's theme with the dominant organ. Some of the themes can be found in much better sound on other tv themes cds. I recommend for that matter Cult Fiction where they took care of the quality of the sources. As an example, you can find in that cd a marvelous version of Hawaii 5-0 by the Ventures wich is much more enjoyable to listen than the one we find in this actual double cd. I know that it was probably impossible to find better audio sources for certain themes, especially from the 50's . So TV sound remains TV sound and you cannot expect much more than that. And trying to be fair I'd say that , considering the limitations, probably nobody could do do better than that In one word, don't by this for the sound quality, it's very poor. If you buy it, it sould be just because you want to get the nostalgic feeling of listening to your old favorite tv themes like you used to hear to them from your tv set back in the 50's or 60's depending on you age. It would have been marvelous if the producers would or could have had access to the masters. Again, who knows they probably tried... If you want to make a comparison: consider the great job that was done on the Ultra-Lounge Volume 7 cd titled : The Crime Scenes or Volume 13 titled TV Town. Maybe thoses versions are not the original tv soundtracks, but soundwise, they are in much better shape and all in glorious stereo. This actual double cd sounds like it was made from a bad cassette tape as where the Ultra-Lounges are coming from the first generation masters from Capitol Records. That's why my conclusion is that apart from the pure nostalgic point of view, this double cd is not worth the buy. Back then, nobody tought that those tv themes would have meant so much for babyboomers. Oh, one last thing, I don't work for Ultra-lounge, I just enjoyed them all so much. Too bad they stop the series.

Reviews

I loved the New Howdy Doody Show as a child. I tuned in each day after school and had a wonderful time with Howdy Doody, Buffalo Bob Smith, Lew Clarabell Anderson, and Bill LeCornec. They all returned to thrill a whole new generation who had never seen the original show. They were joined by comedic bandleader Jackie Davis and the delightful Happy Harmony who was pretty, charming, sang well, taught us to read, and was a ventriloquist too! We were also introduced to classic Howdy Doody characters like Phineas T. Bluster, Dilly Dally, and the weird and wonderful Flub-a-Dub. The episodes included on this DVD even feature guest appearences by Woodsy Owl and Smokey Bear. Children of the 70's had never had it so good!

The disappointment is not in the quality of these DVDs--the disappointment is that the "New Howdy Doody Show" is not nearly as much fun as the old original program. The new show was stiff, over-rehearsed and mechanical. Check at your local Walmart in their display of "dollar DVDs" where you might find a DVD in just a sleeve for a buck that has 6 of the old original shows from the 1950's. For a dollar you will have a lot more fun watching Bob break up laughing, getting confused, and blowing his lines several times on camera. You'll love the cheap set (that looks like it came from the Salvation Army) and the noisy peanut gallery and the drawing of postcards from a plastic swimming pool for prizes of bicycles. It's the kind of silly fun that made the show a hit in the first place. The days of live and poorly rehearsed TV were just more fun--and still more fun to watch today.

Reviews

A lot of people don't realize this is the "New Howdy Doody Show" that was done in the 70's. with that said I personally think it is still very fun...almost funnier because its sooo 70's. these particular DVD contain a weeks worth of episodes for a whopping 5 episodes...(not a bad deal) SYNOPSIS as written on the back: (Phantom of the Doody-O Studio) Nicholson's nephew Binky borrows the Howdy Doody adventure book, and another book called *The Phantom of the Doody-O Studio* gets delivered back to Bob and Happy instead. soon, the book and other items diapear, and Bob has his hands full trying to unmask the Phantom with the help of his wacky pals, but the answere will take Doodyville by surprise.

Reviews

I first saw this as a tv special right around the time "Man on the Moon" came out. It is by far, the funniest and most brilliant work Andy has done. This video was very hard to come by for a long time so I didn't get to see it again until just a few weeks ago. I still think this one is the best (and I have seen them all). If you are a new Andy Kaufman fan, this is the first video you should see. It has all his best skits and there is never a dull moment.

Andy Kaufman accomplished a lot in his 35 years of life, and became very well known as part of the "Taxi" cast. In this 1977 TV Special, his oddball humor is shown in its many facets, some of them working better than others. The funniest sections for me are the introduction, where Andy tells the audience that he went on vacation with the money allotted for the show. There is nothing written, no guests, and no sets except the chair he is sitting on and a lamp with no shade, and we will just have to watch him sit and do nothing. He says all this in the character we know best, "The Foreigner." The other highlight is his Elvis imitation, which may be one of the best Elvis impersonations anyone has attempted, not in the sense of being "like" the man who was his idol, by as an interpretation of him. Other skits include Uncle Andy the kiddie show host, a conga session (Andy loved conga drums), some home movies from his childhood, a heartwarming scene with Howdy Doody, and with Cindy Williams, Andy is the interviewer from hell. There is also Gail Slobodkin, a young woman who sings in "The Has-Been Corner." Andy Kaufman (1949-1984) was a very private person, and the mystery about his life added to his unique concept: His comedy was about non-comedy, and played with the audience's mind. Andy's talent survives and still finds interest 20 years after his passing, which says a lot for his "non jokes." Total running time is 51 minutes.

It's the Brilliant Song-and-Dance Man Andy Kaufman doing what he loves to do and doing it better then anyone else ever could. Although much shorter then I'd like, it kept me laughing the whole time.

I think this may be the best of Andy's early work. All of Andy's classic routines when they still were relatively fresh and new (at least to the public). If I had one video to show someone who had never seen Andy, I would choose this one, no dobut. I can't watch it enough.

This was, by far Andy Kaufman's best piece of work ever. It's hilarious and heartwarming. Terrific.

Reviews

What John Ewaniuk says is true, about the Friday shows (the conclusions of the weeklong stories) being left off each tape. But in the five-tape box, the fifth tape does include the Friday shows from the four serials. As for the shows themselves, this is not Howdy Doody at his best, but I knew that going in. It's just great to see the characters in color and in pristine quality. Although I was somewhat disappointed that Bill LeCornec was cast as the prissy Nicholson Muir (a play on the names of the show's two producers) rather than reprising his role as Chief Thunderthud (he did play Thunderthud again a decade later on the 40th anniversary special, which is a better representation of the original series than these shows). Oddly enough, I never saw the original show when it aired, having been born seven years after it ended. Still, I was a regular viewer of the revival series when it aired in Chicago in the late 1970s. Since then, I've seen tapes of the original series and yes, it is a lot better. So, these shows being what they are, my only major quibble with the box is that the closing credits are cut off each show rather abruptly, so not only do we not get to see who played who (although this info is available if you want to take the time to look it up) but in at least one case, Bob Smith's "Doodyville" song is cut off. An additional note: After they released the box, they put out two additional tapes, "Music Appreciation" and "Dilly Dally's Birthday," which are sold individually. As here, the quality is great, but in this case, the Friday shows really are missing, since there is no "fifth tape" to collect them on. Also, unlike the shows in the box set, the opening titles are newly redone, with a distracting computer-animated corporate logo dropped into the middle of them. The ending credits have been remade in a similar fashion. I would rather have had the original shows as they were. Regardless, I'm glad these shows have been made available...I never thought I'd ever see them again. (It's interesting that this set was released just months after Bob Smith passed away.)

Howdy Doody was probably the most successful TV show for kids of it's time. From 1948 until 1960 everyone knew when it was Howdy Doody time. In the early 70s, several of Buffalo Bob Smith's fans were in college and nostalgic for Howdy Doody, so Smith made a number of college campus personal appearances. And in 1976 a New Howdy Doody Show appeared as a Monday thru Friday half hour in syndication. But contemporary kids didn't know these characters, and it is doubtful that of their many parents, who saw the original, did more than tune in just to relive some memories. For one thing the Howdy marionette was not the original but an "updated" version with softer features and "real" hair. It is the 1976 series that appears on these tapes - and here's the big mistake. The show would start a new story on Monday and have a chapter a day to be resolved by Friday's show. The next week would see a whole new storyline. But the geniuses who put this tape set together left off the Friday show in each of the first four videos included (one "storyline" per tape), and put all the endings on the fifth. What's the sense in that? Whp wants to see incomplete stories with endings and resolutions on a separate tape? I gave the set as high a rating as I did because the color and picture are good - but will even people who remember this new series fondly be pleased? Doubtful.

Reviews

Spike Jones, Jr. has created a masterpiece! A mosaic of some of the best TV performances of Spike Jones and His City Slickers. It took real talent to create performances like this. This should be 'Graduate School' for any 'Wanna Be' entertainer or real innovative musician! And don't forget, you can purchase all of Spike Jone's original recordings on CDs from [...]! Dick Udell, Vale, Oregon

This is the newest and second release of rare Spike Jones TV material from the Spike Jones estate and produced by his son Spike Jones Jr.As welcome as it is,it presents a curious puzzle and feeling of unease with this reviewer.The Spike Jones material is a solid five stars all the way,no question,but the packaging this time around and the way it has been marketed in general leaves me cold.Let's look at the material first and then we'll discuss it's drawbacks after. First off you are getting three wonderful discs here.Disc one gives us two entries:"The Best of Spike Jones" volumes one and two,released on VHS in 1985 and 1987.Both are culled from a myriad of his shows in the 50s,some you will have already seen on the first release of Spike Jones material over a year ago,the excellent "Spike Jones-the Legend".Spike Jones Jr.put the culled clips together to simulate what one of Spike Sr.'s shows would have looked like,and done a nice job I might add. Volume One,like two and three to follow all open with the same sketch of music down through the ages:Cave men,to Mozart,to WC Handy,To Benny Goodman and back to the cave men.The first number is Farandole while the second takes on William Tell's Overture with Doodles Weaver at the helm.Here as in other volumes Jad Paul and Freddy Morgan doing a scorching job on the banjo's(you will also see Freddy play with his brother Dick ).Later we find Spike and boys depreciating "I'm in the Mood For Love" with it being capped off by a memorable performance from Billy Barty as Liberace and Earl Bennett as his brother George.Still farther on there is a great moment when we find George Rock on trumpet and Spike on the drums(a rare occurrence)playing Minka;a throw back to "the Other Orchestra" days.There is the famous"It's tough to be a girl musician,especially when you happen to be a man"sketch and all ends with the "RCA Favourites" moment featuring the songs"Captain of the Spaceship","Chloe","Holiday For Strings","You always Hurt the one You Love", and "Cocktails for Two".The end credits(also as in the other volumes)find the band and gang heading out the studio doors and waving with Spike telling us "Don't forget to write". Volume Two on Disc one starts off with the"In a Persian Market"Medley followed by the Pete James sketch of him socking-himself-with-his-digits routine.Spike and the boys slaughter Orchi-Cornya with Freddy Morgan as a banjo strumming Stalin!Watch here,as throughout these discs,for those quick moments of a wild-eyed Spike and the throwing down,bouncing and catching(almost always) of his drumsticks.Cool...love it! Eddie Arnold makes an appearance and there is a prison sketch with Joe Besser,well known as a later Stooge of the Three Stooges.Near the end Mimi Benzell attempts to make it through "Indian Love Call" with Spike-she doesn't know him vewwy well,do she? Then the end credits. Disc two features "The Best of Spike Jones-Volume Three",released in 1988 on VHS and another newer compilation a Spike Jones musical "Wreck We-Um".Highlights in Volume Three include the banjo talents of Freddy and Dick Morgan and Jad Paul.Billy Barty does an hilarious turn singing"That Old Black Magic" and doing great impressions of Cagney,Durante and singer Johnny Ray.He shows up again later dancing with the Barton Twins-you have to see it to appreciate it!Super talented eccentric violinist Wilbur Hall makes an appearance wearing his long toed shoes(reminiscent of English Music Hall performer Little Tich) and actress Zasu Pitts makes an appearance with Spike singing "Love In Bloom",City Slicker style.It is a good thing Spike is there to help because she seems lost a good deal of the time.Howdy Doody,Buffalo Bob Smith and Clarabell the Clown drop by and "jam" with Spike on "Bye,Bye Blackbird":Clarabell plays the trombone and Buffalo Bob plays the accordion!."Wreck We-UM" opens with the Sabre Dance then Billy Barty does another hilarious turn as Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy";costume and all.He makes his entrance out of Moussy Garner's bass!There is the well known several headed-long clarinet gag,blown by Spike.The best clip is from the show with Perez Prado,a then popular purveyor of the Latin sound which was quite "in" then.Here Spike and Perez have a battle of the bands to the song "Endless Love" and it is simply hilarious.With some wonderful and bizarre sight gags thrown in along the way the show ends. Disc Three is the treasure of the entire release and finds the only two and ultra rare TV pilots ever produced by Spike for television;both directed by veteran Eddie Cline,with credits going back to Sennett and Buster Keaton.They were filmed during the summer of 1950 and hawked around Hollywood for a couple of years,with no takers.Both pilots feature the same opening(with slight variations)with a small tv screen,as the titles roll on and George Rock telling us"For the love of Mike,don't miss Spike".Also you will see a couple of cards with the words"commercial" which appear during the course of the show as a cue to the potential buyer/sponsor where his product advert would be placed.The first pilot is called"The Foreign Legion" and it opens with Spike and the band and the Barton Twins singing their version of "O Sole Mio".After this comes Spikes' oft played Foreign Legion routine both on radio and in live shows,with a bit of beefing up for TV.Dick Morgan has a running gag in which he appears every so often eating and throwing away his deviled egg sandwiches.The sketch hasn't aged so well and doesn't quite hold up all the way through in the funny department,but it is still great to see and have.One precious moment comes when Spike and Freddy Morgan talk closely together but Freddy breaks up,breaking up Spike and they have to start the bit again.The show ends with a message from Spike to the younger viewers and a "don't forget to write" and sign off.The next pilot is called"Wild Bill Hiccup".It starts with the quite appropriate "Pass the Biscuits Mirandy" song.Then it's into another oft played live and on radio sketch and beefed up for TV;"Wild Bill Hiccup".It's a two beat rhythm throughout and every one is doing a two step and rhyming their lines.On radio it is hilarious but again for TV it doesn't always entirely work but there are many nice moments.Spike is continually riding a hobby horse and his outfit?...you just have to see it!Joe Siracussa does his two head bit,Freddy Morgan does a Chinese laundry man with a mule routine,lovely and velvet toned Helen Grayco sings "One more for the Road" and then the whole gang ends it off with an old fashioned hoe down featuring Frankie Little and Junior Martin.At the end Spike has another "talk" with the youngsters and ends off with "don't forget to write". These shows are pure Spike Jones and with everything Spike it is always gags,gags and more gags,both sight and sound.There's nothing like it anymore and Spike was about the best proponent of this type of musical humour.There were others throughout the years but none have had more of a lasting impact than Mr.Jones.That is why it is so gratifying to see these releases from his son of his fathers' material. By the way the set has been transferred nicely to DVD so there are no problems with video or sound.The entire set itself while contained in a wider than normal slip case is itself covered again in a matching cardboard outer cover. Now let us get quickly to what has bothered me about this newest release.First of all the packaging is the most obvious drawback here.This is a disappointingly cheap affair,unlike that of the first release.That one you will recall had all the discs in their own separate compartments,nice and tight and on a plastic "platform". This release has two of the three discs feathered.That is the first two sit one overlapping the other;the one on a full spindle while the other has a half one to hold it on.Not only does it make getting the discs out quite hard but it increases the chances of scratching them.And if one wants to watch the second disc,what does one do with the first one?You have to put it down somewhere in order to get the second out,right?You need to have(preferably)an empty slip case on hand to put it in.Now isn't this more trouble than a consumer should ever have in order to enjoy this product?You're darn tootin' it is!There is no "platform" here so the first two discs sit pinned directly to the bottom of one side of the inner case and the third has its' own spot on the inner cover of the other side.I would gladly have paid a little extra to get what I had in the first release;without question. The second problem here is a more minor critique but I think one that should be mentioned.It is that this release,to me,should have been the FIRST release.Since this contains "best of" compilations/material,wouldn't it have been better from a marketing standpoint to release these first? There is an old saying"start as you mean to go".When Mr.Spike Jones Jr.released "The Legend" he released complete individual shows with their respective release dates;wonderful,high class all the way and just what a Spiker like me wants.So one would expect a continuation of same,right?To me it would have made more sense to release the compilations and whet the appetite of the fans for the shows from which they came,THEN release the complete TV shows.Finally,as I just briefly mentioned,there are NO given release dates for ANY of the material in this new release in the liner notes.VERY disappointing. In conclusion this material is historically significant and a must have for any Spiker out there.Jones was a complete and utter original and was the most popular and enduring musician/comedian/entertainer of his ilk.His material alone gets a five star rating all the way.However the marketing strategy and especially the cheaper packaging of this release has caused some serious concerns here and marks must be deducted.I can only hope that in future releases(and we all hope there ARE future releases),that Mr.Jones Jr.goes back to the format and higher quality of the first release.That is exact release dates,better liner notes and most especially complete Spike Jones shows from which the clips of this release were culled from. Thank you music lovers and thank you Spike Jones Jr!

We found this cd to be very amusing and entertaining. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it brought back memories of the "good old days." Bob Allen

A one of a kind Guy. It's difficult to take a great band and bandleader with awesome music capabilities and screw it up and make it still sound good. This was my Dad's favorite of all time. There will never be another Spike Jones. He surely is missed. Thanks to modern technology these dvd's will remain forever.

This DVD set is a widely encompassing overview of the unique music and visual comedy of Spike Jones. Spike was an accomplished musician with a great sense of humor who created music that is not only genuinely funny in its wildly upbeat tempos and clever lyrics, but which also SOUNDED funny by his use of his expertly tuned collection of cowbells and other inventive gadgetry, too varied to describe in words. These embellishments gave his music, along with "normal" musical instruments, such a unique aural effect. Spike hired a select group of accomplished musicians who were also great comedians, whom he called The City Slickers, and they and Spike performed inventive visual comedy with their zany music in live performances around the country. With the advent of early television, they were enormously popular for years with their own national weekly broadcasts. Spike Jones had a true passion and genius for his creative work, and it is unlikely that he and his band will ever be equalled. It is indeed fortunate that his performances on television were recorded and are available today on DVD. Don't miss this inspired work.

Reviews

I grew up with this show back in the 1970s and I still love it after all these years. But this DVD release of the second season is a letdown. The original music has left town and the picture quality ranges from third rate to a fuzzy nightmare. The quality of the season 1 DVDs was certainly not perfect, but it was pretty good. The season 2 release, on the other hand, is a shocker. The cheapo studios put naff all effort into this DVD release and it is such a shame - a classic and much-loved show like Happy Days deserved a lot more respect and TLC than this. I guess it's better than nothing. But not by much. I'm glad I only paid a tenner for it at the local department store. Hopefully things get better with seasons 3 & 4.

i was looking forward to second year happy days until the music is put back and the show is restored to the way it was sorry won't buy this dvd first year was real good .

And I am so glad I read the reviews first and found out that all the original music including the opening song "Rock Around the Clock" is gone! I am sick and tired of DVD collections that are being release without the original music!! Why release it? The sales will always be bad once people find out all the original music is gone. The are much better off paying for the rights and making their money back with better sales then not buying the rights to the music and make no money with lousy sales. The first two seasons of Happy Days are by far the best in the series. What a shame they did this on the second season!

Season two was good, but showed the spark was dying in this series. I think the writers were having problems, there were bizarre lapses in continuity. Somehow, their eldest son was dead or something. Most episodes are still well worth watching and I'm glad I purchased this.

We purchased this for our 9 year old son. Not sure if he would enjoy it because he never saw these episodes. He loved it and has not stopped watching them since they came in the house.

Reviews

After so many years it's such a wonderful experience viewing thise vintage episodes of a landmark TV show that set so many standards in childrens programing. The packaging is so clever and filled with extras. A great addidion to anyone's nostalgia collection.

So one show can bring back my first years in the fifties, and bring back my dead sister running around the house shouting Cowabunga! as if her hair were on fire. Check this out for a good evening of revisiting TV in its infancy. Hard to imagine or remember, right? Robert McDowell, author of the bestselling Poetry as Spiritual Practice: Reading, Writing, and Using Poetry in Your Daily Rituals, Aspirations, and Intentions (Free Press/Simon & Schuster) [...]

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

I grew up hearing a lot about Howdy Doody from my dad. This set allowed me more than just a glimpse - with all the episodes collected here I was able to experience the show as my dad was able to re-experience it. I would say that it was a richer experience for him. The feeling of nostalgia will likely carry you through these programs if you are of a certain age. For those not around to experience the first time - it may be difficult to be that entertained by what you see. This is very old, early television, and for historical purposes is well worth being preserved. But I didn't honestly find it very enjoyable and it wasn't something I was looking forward to seeing more and more of. If you want to revisit your youth, this is the ticket.

I was all set for some nostalgia, but found a whole lot more. If you think TV is awful now, you must get this set--it was way worse. I watched early episodes with my grandson and we both laughed till we cried. Not because they were cute, but because we couldn't believe early TV was so 'rustic'. We've come a long way, baby. As a young child, like most others, I was glued to this program and obviously thought it was super at the time, but looking at it as an adult all these years later is very enlightening. Yes, it reminded me of what we looked like and how innocent the kids in the Peanut Gallery were compared to young ones these days, and it showed how difficult live TV was then. It is now, too, but they were just figuring things out then and it showed. The props and credits were anything but sophisticated and there was a good bit of fumbling around, but my favorite part was the commercial. Yes, the ONE commercial in the half hour segment. It was easily 3 seconds long and consisted of showing a sign with a picture of the product--Mars Bar 5 cents--and everyone was sufficiently embarrassed even to do that that they felt the need to offer a toy for 5 cents in gratitude for our watching it. Oh, how we've changed. If you remember Howdy Doody fondly from childhood, you'll get a kick out of seeing the characters again, but even if you're just curious about early TV, in case you think they were the good old days, you have to see this. They weren't. I didn't remember the silent movies in early episodes that were narrated, badly, by Buffalo Bob, nor the fact that Howdy was so big or so bossy. These episodes are a selection of the best, so they say. I can't imagine what the worst looked like. Simply hilarious and definitely recommended.

Reviews

I got this book through the library. I thought it would be a very quick read, but I was pleasantly surprised. I remember Howdy Doody as a kid, but forget the exact years when I watched it. When HD first came on the air in NY television was in its infancy and added affililates as the years progressed. HD's demise was ultimately due to the Mickey Mouse show. To read about the characters protrayed in the show was very interesting especially Buffalo Bob, Clarabell, and Princess Summerfall Winterspring. The author had a crush on the Princess. The Princess wasn't a choir girl by any means and had a mouth that would make a sailor blush. I vaguely remember the Princess and was of course way too young to appreciate her aesthetic values. She died at just 23 three days after completing the movie Jailhouse Rock with Elvis. It was interesting to read about the Buffalo (as the author calls him). He was quite talented. The Buffalo had a severe heart attack at age 36 due to the stress of working three shows. He was most probably an alcoholic, as he owned a liquor store in Winchester County after he retired from the show. Later in his post Doody years the Buffalo split time between the sticks in upstate Maine near New Brunswick and Ft. Lauderdale, where he owned an apartment building. If you watched the show as a kid, it is well worth your time to read the book.

I would suggest anyone that watched the Howdy Doody show on tv purchase this book. The book brought back fond memories of the times of watching the show on particular saturday mornings. Couldn't put down the book once opened it up. It held my interest that I read the book completely through the first night.

It's THE definitive, honest look at the operation. A thorough trip through the show's run and the personalities involved. My only criticism, which pales in insignifcance, is that I would have liked a lot more photos.One even less important event the author missed was the day the Princess Summerfallwinterspring puppet changed *poof* into a real person and was introduced to the whole Doodyville cast, including the cameramen.Buffalo Bob had that rare ability to look through the camera, past the picture tube and right into your eyes. When I buy toothpaste, it's still Colgate. I think that ability comes through in this book. I'm still ticked off that the Buffalo backtimed the show so well that we didn't know until Monday what he unveiled in front of the Peanut Gallery on Friday: There was a new circus. I complained to my mother about that and I'm still right. But in my later years as a broadcaster, I still marvel at how he timed it out right to the second. Bob Keeshan makes reference to that ability near the back of the book.

Fun, factual and no-holds-barred. Not only does this book trace the history, creation, long run and bittersweet ending of the Howdy Doody Show but it goes into behind the scenes politics, personality problems, and sometimes adult-oriented rehearsals. There are lots of valentine-like books about this wonderful baby-boomer show (which still is FUNNY on videotape if you can get the right episodes!). But those usually gloss over the time the show fired most of its cast, the frustrations of some cast members, and the extent to which the show became a corporate money-machine for NBC. In the end it's demise had little to do with ratings or show quality but production costs. If you liked Howdy Doody, are interested in the show from a nostalgic standpoint, a show biz standpoint, a puppetry standpoint, or are simply interested in solid show biz history this is a CRUCIAL book since you won't find a lot of this info elswhere. Yes, it's lovingly written in parts...but it doesn't cover the warts. And it's a GREAT read!

Everything you ever wanted to know about the back stage activities of the Howdy Doody show.Well written, entertaining and authoritative. This book is a MUST if you want to know about the program.