I appeared on the Rootie Kazootie Club television show in 1952 in New York City. Are there any film clips, tapes or other information about this show?

Thanks,

Richard Dunne
richied@redshift.com

Richie,

Rootie Kazootie sounds like a local show, and I was in Texas in 1952, so I can't help you. Maybe some old-timer will be able to give us some information on it.

Those were the days before video tape when every station had a kids' show with local talent and a live studio audience that was shown reacting to the antics of the talent.

And there was Romper Room. A script was sent to all the stations, and we produced the show with a local woman as "Miss Nancy." One of the effects they sent us was a film clip of a mirror spinning. Miss Nancy would pick up a hand mirror and place it between her face and the camera. We would run the clip of the mirror spinning while she quickly switched to a hand mirror with only the rim.

When we came back to her we could see her face looking through at us, and she would pretend to see individual children in their homes watching the show. "Now Bobby, it's your birthday, so be good and share with your sister." That sort of thing. The children were sure she was looking right at them. The information came from her fan mail, of course.

When I came to Hawaii in 1960, Captain Honolulu (Bob Smith) was the reigning talent. Later a show called "Checkers & Pogo" was enormously popular with the kids. From ABC came the nation-wide favorite, "The Mickey Mouse Club."

Aloha, Ma Barker