A Guide to Howdy Doody Books and Video

For a show that ran for 13 years and was one of the mainstays of Baby Boomer culture throughout the entire 1950’s, there are surprisingly few ways we can relive those memories today.

There have been books and DVDs about The Howdy Doody Show released over the years, but few remain in print as of this writing. Nevertheless, here’s a rundown on what’s been produced.

BOOKS

Say Kids! What Time Is It? Notes from the Peanut Gallery by Stephen Davis, published in 1987 by Little Brown and Company. This is the first and best book about the show and what really went on backstage. Davis was the son of one of the show’s early writers and producers. Consequently, he got to sit in the Peanut Gallery multiple times during his childhood. As an adult, he was also able to draw on his father’s contacts to provide a fascinating look at all facets of the show, both in front of and behind the cameras.

Howdy and Me by Buffalo Bob Smith and Donna McCrohan, published by Plume Books in 1990. While there is no better witness to the entire Howdy Doody phenomenon than Bob Smith, he can’t really be called an impartial observer. Much of the backstage tensions and bawdy rehearsal shenanigans are glossed over. Still, the book is a comprehensive look at the show and what happened to Buffalo Bob when production ended in 1960. It’s also filled with dozens of rare photographs from Bob’s private collection.

VIDEO

Really only a small percentage of the more than 2,000 episodes of The Howdy Doody Show have been released on video.

Howdy Doody’s Christmas – This is probably the most widely seen piece because it fell into public domain some time ago, and has appeared on dozens of old VHS tapes and cheap “dollar DVDs.” Yet, it doesn’t really come from the TV show at all.

Back in the early days of TV, the numbers of homes that had even one television set was still relatively small. So in 1951, they produced this short film featuring Howdy to show in theaters during the holidays. The release date for Howdy Doody’s Christmas is often wrongly said to be 1957. Yet it contains performances by Bob Keeshan as Clarabell and Dayton Allen as Ugly Sam. Both of those actors were gone from the show by the end of 1953. Also, the extremely crude production techniques rule out 1957 as a release date.

The Howdy Doody Show: In 2000, Image Entertainment released a series of 4 DVDs, each containing 4 episodes of the show during its run as a Saturday morning show on NBC. The volumes in this set are:

Andy Handy: Contains “Mr. Bluster Is Up to His Old Tricks” (April 1, 1953 – not a Saturday morning show), “Easter” (April 13, 1957), “Andy Handy” (May 4, 1957) and “Water Fountain” (July 13, 1957)

The Bird Club: Contains “10^th Anniversary Show (December 28, 1957), “The Bird Club” (February 1, 1958), “Shrinking Machine” (February 8, 1958) and “Tammy Returns” (March 8, 1958)

Scuttlebutt: Contains “King Yodstick Part 1” (May 24, 1958), “King Yodstick Part 2” (May 31, 1958), “Scuttlebutt” (July 18, 1958) and “Val Carney” (August 2, 1958)

Clarabell Speaks: Contains “Halloween” (October 28, 1958), “Mambo” (November 16, 1958), “Cy Clone” (August 25, 1959) and “Clarabell Speaks” (September 24, 1960)

All the shows except the final show, “Clarabell Speaks,” are in black & white. Both “Clarabell Speaks” and “The 10^th Anniversary Show” are hour-long shows. The rest are 30 minutes.

Howdy Doody: 40 Episodes – Released in 2008 by Mill Creek Entertainment, this 5-disc set comes with 32-page booklet of photos from the show’s run.

This set mainly focuses on the show’s early days when it ran Monday through Friday in the evenings, featuring episodes that range from February 1, 1949 to December 31, 1954.

In addition, the show also includes the show’s final telecast, “Clarabell Speaks” (September 24, 1960) as well as interviews with Bob Smith, Bob Keeshan, and the show’s main writer, Eddie Kean and producer/director E. Roger Muir.

There was a less expensive 2-disc version containing 20 episodes that was marketed at the same time as the 5-disc set.

With only two episodes duplicated between the Image and Mill Creek collections (“Mr. Bluster Is Up to His Old Tricks” & “Clarabell Speaks”), these sets together can give you a pretty comprehensive overview of what the show was like during its entire 13-year run.

Howdy Doody - There has also been one “dollar DVD" from Digiview that collects 3 additional episodes from the show (“Howdy for President,” “Doodyville Band Uniforms” and “New Clubhouse”) along with the Howdy Doody’s Christmas film. The exact dates for these show’s can’t be determined, but this DVD is usually pretty cheap and well worth picking up if you just want to sample what the show was like or if you must have everything that’s been released.

While these DVD sets have been out of print from a few years now, they can be found through eBay, Amazon.com or other second-hand dealers.

It’s Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration – A little harder to find, this 2-hour TV special was broadcast in 1987 and released only on VHS. It contains lots of vintage footage from the show’s original run as well as a new storyline that reunites Bob Smith and many of the original cast members along with celebrity guests.

BUYER BEWARE: There are a handful of DVDs that are sometimes advertised as Howdy Doody – “The Lost Episodes.” Beware! These are all from the short-lived Howdy Doody revival in 1976. These are not to be confused with the genuine article.

Mike Pinder, one of the founders of the Moody Blues and the last surviving member of the band’s original line-up, passed away on Wednesday, April 24^th at the age of 82.

As the group’s primary keyboardist, Pinder was responsible for adding the mellotron, an early synthesizer, that gave the band its distinctive orchestral sound, especially after Pinder tinkered with the instrument, doubling the number of string section tape loops.

Mike also was the one who called up his pal, Justin Hayward to join the group after their initial vocalist, Denny Laine, quit. The group then added bass player John Lodge and locked in the personnel that would carry them to international fame beginning with the new line-up’s first effort (and second Moodys LP), Days of Future Passed.

Among the many songs Pinder wrote for the group are “Dawn (Is a Feeling),” “Thinking Is the Best Way to Travel,” “Om,” “Have You Heard,” “Out and In” (co-written with Hayward), and "Melancholy Man.”

Pinder passed away at his home in northern California surrounded by family.

Everybody thinks they got some treasure stashed somewhere - in the attic, down in the baseball or in the closet where old photos and more are lurking. But the truth is all that's old is not necessarily gold. Don't let Antiques Roadshow put dollar signs in your eyes.

Here's what's hot and what's not in the world of collectibles:

Comic Books: Everybody thinks that stash of beat up comics from the 1980's will pay for their retirement or their kid's college education. Sorry to disappoint, but most comics from the mid 1970's on are just not worth much at all. That's because people stopped throwing out comics and started saving them when fans of comic books got organized in the late 1960's. As a result, if you have early comics (from the 1930's  thru the 1960's), those may be worth money. Anything after - not so much. And the condition of those books has a definite impact on their value.

Movie Posters: Posters from before 1990 can have value, especially those featuring stars, subjects or genres that have their own fan bases. This would include Star Wars, the Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, James Bond, Wizard of Oz, etc. But be careful, many movie posters have been reproduced over the years. Reproductions do not fetch anywhere near the price of the originals!

Bobbleheads: All the rage now, bobble head dolls were not quite as common a few deacdes back - and it's those older bobble heads that command the best prices.

Baseball/Sports Cards: Like comic books, only the older ones have any real value. When the hobby took off in the 1980's, so many companies jumped in and so many collectors bought cases of them, that supply way outstrips demand. But the older ones can still fetch attractive prices, especially in top condition.

Advertising Signs: Believe it or not, metal advertising signs are generally less valuable than cardboard ones. That's because the metal signs are more durable meaning more of them survived. Like movie posters, this is an area where many older signs have been reproduced later. Be careful when buying or selling. The reproducions are obviously worth far less.

Space Program Memorabilia: This has become one of the hottest areas among collectibles. Items from the early space missions are in demand and prices are moving upwards! (To the moon?)

Toys: As with most collectiibles, the older, the better and the better condition, the higher the price. Toys that appeal to other subgroups (such as Disney toys for Disney collectors or those tied in with popular movies or TV shows) are in demand. Toys still in their original packaging (often referred to as "MIB" for "mint in box") command the highest prices. Alas, Beanie Babies are not hot. They were produced in the millions and every little girl and/or their mother saved them, thinking they would be worth a fortune.

Autographs: In general, the more famous the person signing the autograph, the more it should be worth. Obviously, those celebrities who has passed on (and cannot sign any more autographs) tend to be worth more than living (and still signing) celebrities. A word of caution: authenticating autographs is difficult and the field is rife with forgeries. This is an area where "buyer beware" is especially important.

Of course, the old stand-bys such as coins, stamps, historical artifacts and genuine antiques all have their value. It's best t make sure you consult an expert you trust in a given field of collectibles before buying or selling.

Uh, no. No, it doesn't.

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Here are 5 “smart” things to eat:

1. Orange Juice – Helps improve memory
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