"The Howdy Doody Show", Part Two Quiz

Answer: Chief Thunderthud

Cowabunga, or Kowabunga, was an exclamatory yell of surprise and anger used by Chief Thunderthud. Later cowabunga became a yell used by surfers, and also is used by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cowabunga is now an accepted word and can be found in Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition.

Answer: Puppet Playhouse

Buffalo Bob started a radio show with a character named Elmer. The show was so popular his agent and NBC executives suggested that Buffalo Bob should develop a TV show. On 17 December, 1947, Buffalo Bob launched the 'Puppet Playhouse'. Within a week the show's name was changed to 'The Howdy Doody Show'.

Answer: He ran for president of all the kids.

Howdy Doody supposedly ran for President of all the Kids in 1948, and again in 1952. Howdy's platform promised cut rate banana splits, two Christmas holidays, one school day each year, double sodas for a dime, plenty of movies, more pictures in history books, plus free circus and rodeo admissions.

This first happened in 1948 which was really a cover for the puppet's absence when his creator, Frank Paris, walked off the show in a contract dispute, taking the puppet with him.

Answer: Ta Ra Ra Boom Dee-ay

Sung to the tune of 'Ta Ra Ra Boom Dee-ay', the lyrics to the Howdy Doody theme song were written by Edward Kean and went like this: "It's Howdy Doody time/It's Howdy Doody time/Bob Smith and Howdy Doo/Say Howdy Doo to you.///Let's give a rousing cheer/'Cause Howdy Doody's here./It's time to start the show/So kids, let's go!" Kean also wrote 'The Goodbye Song', the 'Clarabell' song and Flub-A-Dub's theme song 'Meatballs and Spaghetti'.

Answer: The Triple B Ranch

Triple B stood for Big Brother Bob. The main character was a puppet named Elmer, a nerdish country-bumpkinish character. On the new TV program, 'Puppet Playhouse', Elmer who now sported western wear would open with the greeting, "Well, uh, howdy doody!" The term 'Howdy Doody' stuck and Elmer was soon being called Howdy Doody. The name of the show was changed with a week.

Answer: four

The original Elmer/Howdy Doody was last seen on the show when his creator, Frank Paris, walked off in a contract dispute taking the puppet with him. For the next nine months the audience was told that Howdy was away campaigning for president then having plastic surgery.

He was only seen with a bandaged face. In reality, a new Howdy Doody puppet was being created by Walt Disney Studio artist Thelma Thomas who did the face/head and Scott Brinker who built the body. There were three of the new Howdys made.

The puppet for close ups was HOWDY DOODY, the one for long shots was called DOUBLE DOODY, and the one for photo ops without strings was called PHOTO DOODY.

Answer: a bald eagle

The eight animals that make up the Flub-A-Dub were a duck (his bill), a giraffe (his neck), a spaniel (his ears), a cat (his whiskers), a dachshund (his body), a seal (his flippers), a raccoon (his tail), and an elephant's memory.

Answer: spaghetti and meatballs

Originally the Flub-A-Dub's favorite food was the flowers on his hat. The show got too many complaints that children were eating flowers in their parents' gardens, so his favorite food was changed to spaghetti and meatballs. To help make this change Edward Kean wrote Flub-A-Dub's theme song, 'Meatballs and Spaghetti'.

Answer: Clarabell Hornblow and he was born in Clown Town

Clarabell's last name is derived from the two bicycle horns he would use instead of speaking. One horn was for yes and another for no. Strangely enough, he was born in Clown Town. Where else would a clown be born?

Answer: Smith

Buffalo Bob Smith was born Robert Emil Schmidt in Buffalo, NY on Nov. 27, 1917. In the early episodes of 1947 he was known only as Mr. Smith but by 1948 he was being addressed as Buffalo Bob. Smith joined an NBC radio station in Buffalo, New York, at the age of 17 where he was groomed to be the network's answer to Arthur Godfrey.

In late 1947 Bob Smith was asked by NBC to create a live one-hour TV program for children. He was given four days to create this show and get it on the air.