Captain Kangaroo died
- Thread starter Kodous
- Start date
This is truly saddening however...... was I the only one who thought he was already dead?
Was anyone else surprised to hear that he was only 76? I thought he was ancient when I watched him 40 years ago!
:shrug:
Was anyone else surprised to hear that he was only 76? I thought he was ancient when I watched him 40 years ago!
:shrug:
He was made up to look older back then.
The thing is, as a kid, you see older people as REAL old. Remember your grade school teachers? I thought these gals were dinosaurs back then, and you take the kids to school 25 years later, and there they are!
The thing is, as a kid, you see older people as REAL old. Remember your grade school teachers? I thought these gals were dinosaurs back then, and you take the kids to school 25 years later, and there they are!
Heard the story about his passing on the radio, and it mentioned that he started the job as Capt. Kanagroo at the age of 27!
He put on a wig, stuffed his shirt a bit and dusted his mustashe(sp?) to make him appear older than he was.
By the time I was old enough to watch him, he'd have been in his mid to late 40's, so, yeah, he'd seem to be older than dirt as YYZ mentioned.
Another one that passed on this week was Ray Rayner. To know him, though, was to be a kid in the 60's or 70's and live in Chicago, or have WGN on your cable system.
Watched him every morning for years. Cartoons and sports news.....
Now that is a quality morning TV program......
He put on a wig, stuffed his shirt a bit and dusted his mustashe(sp?) to make him appear older than he was.
By the time I was old enough to watch him, he'd have been in his mid to late 40's, so, yeah, he'd seem to be older than dirt as YYZ mentioned.
Another one that passed on this week was Ray Rayner. To know him, though, was to be a kid in the 60's or 70's and live in Chicago, or have WGN on your cable system.
Watched him every morning for years. Cartoons and sports news.....
Now that is a quality morning TV program......
I heard this morning on local radio that Bob Keeshan was a POW in WW II. He was in the camp and lived the tale that the movie "The Great Escape" was based on. He was one of the prisoners who's job it was to walk around and disperse the dirt from the tunnel they were digging. They used to fill prisoner's pants leg with dirt from the hole and they would walk around outside of their barracks and ease it out over the rest of the camp.
Sorry IO, but I think your leg was pulled! According to snopes.com and some other bio sites, he enlisted in the Marines but never saw combat.
"Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima. A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."
His biography according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications:
BOB KEESHAN. Born in New York City, New York, U.S.A., 27 June 1927. Attended Fordham University, 1946-49. Served in United States Marine Corps Reserve, 1945-46. Married: Anne Jeanne Laurie, 1950; children: Michael Derek, Laurie Margaret, and Maeve Jeanne. Began career as Clarabell for NBC-TV's Howdy Doody Show, 1947-52; appeared as Corny the Clown (ABC-TV), 1953-55, and Tinker the Toymaker (ABC-TV), 1954-55; starred as Captain Kangaroo (CBS-TV), 1955-85; president of Robert Keeshan Associates, from 1955; appeared as Mr. Mayor and the Town Clown (CBS-TV), 1964-65; president, Suffolk County Hearing and Speech Center, 1966-71; director of Marvin Josephson Associates, Inc, New York., 1969-77; director of Bank of Babylon, New York, 1973-79; chair, board of trustees, College of New Rochelle, New York, 1974-80; director of Anchor Savings Bank, 1976-91; chair, Council of Governing Boards, 1979-80; commentator, CBS-Radio, 1980-82; television commentator, 1981-82. Member: Board of Education, West Islip, New York, 1953-58; board of directors, Good Samaritan Hospital, West Islip, New York, 1969-78. Honorary Degrees: D. of Pedagogy, Rhode Island College, 1969; D.H.L. Alfred University, 1969; D.F.A., Fordham University, 1975; Litt.D., Indiana State University, 1978; L.L.D., Elmira (New York) University, 1980; D.L., Marquette University, 1983; D.P.S., Central Michigan University, 1984; D.H.L., St. Joseph College, 1987. Honorary Fellow: American Academy of Pediatrics. Recipient: Sylvania Award, 1956; Peabody Award, 1958, 1972, 1979; American Education Award, Education Industries Association, 1978; Distinguished Achievement Award, Georgia Radio and TV Institute-Pi Gamma Kappa, 1978; Emmy Awards,1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984; TV Father of the Year, 1980; James E. Allen Memorial Award, 1981; Distinguished Service to Children Award, 1981; National Education Award, 1982; American Heart Association National Public Affairs Recognition Award, 1987; Frances Holleman Breathitt Award for Excellence, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1987; Clown Hall of Fame, 1990; AMA Distinguished Service Award, 1991.
"Bob Keeshan, later famous as television's "Captain Kangaroo," also enlisted in the U.S. Marines, but too late to see any action during World War II. Keeshan was born on 27 June 1927 and enlisted two weeks before his 18th birthday, months too late to have taken part in the fighting at Iwo Jima. A 1997 interview with Keeshan noted that he "later enlisted in the U.S. Marines but saw no combat" because, as Keeshan said, he signed up "just before we dropped the atom bomb."
His biography according to the Museum of Broadcast Communications:
BOB KEESHAN. Born in New York City, New York, U.S.A., 27 June 1927. Attended Fordham University, 1946-49. Served in United States Marine Corps Reserve, 1945-46. Married: Anne Jeanne Laurie, 1950; children: Michael Derek, Laurie Margaret, and Maeve Jeanne. Began career as Clarabell for NBC-TV's Howdy Doody Show, 1947-52; appeared as Corny the Clown (ABC-TV), 1953-55, and Tinker the Toymaker (ABC-TV), 1954-55; starred as Captain Kangaroo (CBS-TV), 1955-85; president of Robert Keeshan Associates, from 1955; appeared as Mr. Mayor and the Town Clown (CBS-TV), 1964-65; president, Suffolk County Hearing and Speech Center, 1966-71; director of Marvin Josephson Associates, Inc, New York., 1969-77; director of Bank of Babylon, New York, 1973-79; chair, board of trustees, College of New Rochelle, New York, 1974-80; director of Anchor Savings Bank, 1976-91; chair, Council of Governing Boards, 1979-80; commentator, CBS-Radio, 1980-82; television commentator, 1981-82. Member: Board of Education, West Islip, New York, 1953-58; board of directors, Good Samaritan Hospital, West Islip, New York, 1969-78. Honorary Degrees: D. of Pedagogy, Rhode Island College, 1969; D.H.L. Alfred University, 1969; D.F.A., Fordham University, 1975; Litt.D., Indiana State University, 1978; L.L.D., Elmira (New York) University, 1980; D.L., Marquette University, 1983; D.P.S., Central Michigan University, 1984; D.H.L., St. Joseph College, 1987. Honorary Fellow: American Academy of Pediatrics. Recipient: Sylvania Award, 1956; Peabody Award, 1958, 1972, 1979; American Education Award, Education Industries Association, 1978; Distinguished Achievement Award, Georgia Radio and TV Institute-Pi Gamma Kappa, 1978; Emmy Awards,1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984; TV Father of the Year, 1980; James E. Allen Memorial Award, 1981; Distinguished Service to Children Award, 1981; National Education Award, 1982; American Heart Association National Public Affairs Recognition Award, 1987; Frances Holleman Breathitt Award for Excellence, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1987; Clown Hall of Fame, 1990; AMA Distinguished Service Award, 1991.
