Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-12-28

Retail sales of puppets kids didn't than
fifty thousand dollars in the whole country Then along
Rootie and Bill Bairds Whistng Wizard and zoom,
firms business alone shot up to two million dollars
year"
Greatest single factor in the bockhead bubble is Howdy
Doody monarch by Nelson count of 600 small fry who
poster him for autographs He also boasts adult audience
of 47OO0 despite TV columnst John Crosbys judgment
that anyone nine who watches the show should his
psychatrist Mr. Crosby evidently hadn't heard that Arturo
Toscanin apoogzed the NBC Symphony Orchestra
for arriving late with, Il watching Signor Doody"
Hovsdy Brings in $40 Billion
AMONG the oshoots of Bob Smiths 27-inchtal hollow
headed bainchld is the Karan Corporation organization
backed by group of Wall Street nanciers to merchandise
such items Howdy Doody crackers balloons, wallpaper,
washrags greeting cards. bubbebath shoe polish and
pendes All of these and 6Oodd items have been aed
out to licensees Their combined yearly sales amount to-
about $40OO0OOO, of which Howdys hackers collect
centage.
And what about Rootie Kazoote ABCs answer Howdy?
Well this 500 O00ayear little tykeoon has waiting list of
10000 kids who want attend his broadcast At this rate,
network officials figure that some mOppets who wrote
in for tickets when they four won't be seated in
the auditorium until they're 35
In the preTV days of 1899, Burr TllsTom working
with puppets Marshall Field Today, thanks to Kula
cuddy puppet, and Ollie snaggetooth dragon (and of
course Fran, thoroughly charming human being) MIR.
d
Kula Fran and Ollie have strong appeal for adults Once
when Kuka blew his the curtain ESQ handkerchefs
arrived from fans within two days.
Unable the 8O00odd letters that in every
week, Tlstrom mailed out gosspy newspaper the Kula
potan Courier, which had to be discontinued because of
expense last year when its circulation reached 100000
NBubblss," ths stippsr
ALTHOUGH artists like Bill and Cora Baird orignaors THE
Whistling Wizard" crossed around quarter of million
dollars last year. the appears less impressive when stacked
against the expense of staging of their fabulous
ganzas In their 39week stint CHS, for instance, the
Bards used 10 marionettes including Heathc the horse
pirates, whales, mermads, crabs and octopi.
Bills puppets cost approximately $500 apiece to make
Bubbles La Rue, Baird maronette spteaser who
danced Sunday in Boston and responded to cries of Take
it off" by nscrewng her head, real ermine wrap
Putting Baird production the ait requires the futime
services of script writer's three puppet operators besides
Bill and Coral woodcarver sculptor costmer and secre
tary, in addition to the usual TV studio
The nelgh of teevsion doesn't shine with spendor
all puppets There the mute and ngoous dummies whose
stage limited to deparmentstore windows such
those of l. ]. Fox, where they wage continual
warfare against other puppets playing the
part of moths There was another frustrated
marionette in the commercial field named
- "Smudge" whose job was to be chased away
80 by fellow actor impersonating Sunbrte
* Cleanser. There are the Suzar Marionettes,
~ talented troupes under the direction of Doro-