Andy Devine just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Smilin' Ed McConnell had passed away in 1954, putting a premature end to his radio & television series. Sponsor Buster Brown Shoes had to be anxious to put their show back on the air. However, it wasn't until 1955 when Devine, formerly the co-star of Wild Bill Hickok, was given the reins of what became Andy's Gang.
One of the features that carried over from the McConnell era was Froggy the Gremlin, a puppet who would appear when the host, be it McConnell, or, in this case, Andy, said, "Pluck your magic twanger, Froggy!". Today's generation would find a double entendre in there somewhere, to be sure, though I'd doubt it, since McConnell was also a gospel singer.
In this clip, Froggy interrupts a tuba solo conducted by Professor Pasta Fazooli (Vito Scotti):
60's viewers will remember Scotti from frequent appearances on Gilligan's Island and The Flying Nun, as memory serves me. As we know, Devine would land a voice-over endorsement deal with Kellogg's in the mid-60's as the voice behind Corn Flakes mascot Cornelius.
Rating: B.
4 comments:
Very cool! Got to drive along Andy Devine Avenue last October on vacation in Kingman, AZ.
It's too bad there are no complete episodes. One was posted in three parts. I have found some Smilin' Ed McConnell radio episodes, so we'll be looking at that soon.
I hate to seem a scold …
When you take control of a horse, in order to ride it properly, you take the reins.
When you want the horse to slow down, you rein him in.
When you want the horse to go faster, you loosen the reins, giving the horse free rein.
The reins are the leather straps in the horse's mouth; it's what you use to communicate with the horse.
Reign, with a g, refers to ruling a nation or state, usually by 'divine right', or something like that.
Oh. I'll fix the first post.
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