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by Kevin S. Butler

On March 31, 2014 comic/ character actor/ mimic/ magician/ juggler/ puppeteer/ cartoonist and kids TV host/performer Doug Anderson died at the age of 94.

Born in Chicago on October 19, 1919 Anderson began his show biz career as a magician at the age of 12. He would perform at local functions until an agent heard of his efforts and booked him into vaudeville theaters where the young man entertained audiences during matinee performances on the weekend.

He also learned about juggling, acrobatics and other techniques that would aide him in the development of his career. "I was doing magic and I was inspired by Howard Thurston, Blackstone and the various big magicians that were playing in the downtown theaters in Chicago."he recalled in a September,1988 interview.

While he was studying art in high school in Columbus, Ohio Anderson was introduced to another aspect of the performing arts and to the woman who was to become his performing partner and his wife. "I worked my way thru high school in Columbus,Ohio.I had an art scholarship, Gayle's mother was a puppeteer. She had a puppetry company, The Michael Marrionettes and I worked in her mother's puppetry company. Gayle was in the show and that is how I met Gayle."

Following his graduation from high school Anderson was inducted into the US Army while he served in the infantry overseas he would also find the time to perform in stage shows for the troops. During the last years in the military Anderson was transferred to The USA where he was assigned to help create illustrations for a book, "The Puppetry Theater Handbook" written by Marjorie Batchelder and published by Paul McFarland. The book became part of the military's special services.

He also found the time to marry his high school sweetheart Gayle Michael, create a series of comic books featuring puppet characters for "Famous Funnies, Inc." and in 1947 the Andersons created, produced and presented a puppet show for kids on WLIB Radio in NYC.

The series was the first kids radio program to ultilize popular music for young listners.The Andersons would also use popular recorded music on "The Magic Clown". They also performed for private parties,theaters and for children's birthday parties.

Anderson would also design artwork for record album covers..until the pace got to be too much..and he decided to try and find a less stressful medium to work in. He found it when he was hired to become the third host and performer of "The Magic Clown" show.

The first entertainer to don the greasepaint and the costume on the NBC TV network version of the series was a gentleman known as Zovella who was actually a mailman "Who was a very good magician" explained Anderson. But Zovella's inarticulate speech made it difficult for the kids to understand him, his tenure with the program lasted six months.

Auditions were held to find a replacement..both Anderson and Dick Debois were called back to try out their talents before the show's producers and sponsors and they choose Debois. Unfortunately, the son of the show's sponsor Tiko Bonomo was a fickle person and he fired Dick Debois and replaced him with Doug Anderson.

Working with The National Screen Service Inc and a Hollywood production company. Anderson changed the format to a filmed program. Four shows were produced for a four week period.

Tiko Bonomo was impressed and he wanted Anderson to accompany him to a candy buyer's convention in order to acquire extra sponsors but when his agent found out that Mr. Bonomo wanted to pay his client only $50.00 for his services. The angry talent agent told Mr .Bonomo, "To go to Hell!"

Bonomo dropped Anderson and brought Dick Debois back to the program. Debois hosted for a few years until his health began to suffer under the orders of his doctor he took an ocean voyage. Unaware of the fact that while he was away the sponsors' rehired Anderson. "They brought me in supposedly as a relief," Anderson explained. "As soon as finished the first show they said to me, 'You're The Magic Clown now' and they sent (to this) poor man a telegram while he was at sea telling him he was fired."

The series would eventually moved to WABD TV Ch.5 in NYC where it was seen in two 15 minute segments during the run of Ch.5's popular Sunday morning kids TV variety show "Wonderama". Many TV history books have stated that "Wonderama" was the hightest rated kid's show in the NYC viewing area during it's 32 year run but according to Doug Anderson "Wonderama" would stop and they (the station execs) would air "The Magic Clown" for 15 minutes. "The Magic Clown's" ratings were big while "Wonderama's"
ratings (during Herb Sheldon's tenure as the series' second host) were low.

During the show's run on Ch. 5 Anderson mc'd the program solo until the show moved to WNTA TV Ch. 13 in Newark, N.J. in the latter part of 1958 where it moved to a weekday morning format.

Gayle Anderson would work with her husband as his assistant. The props were provided by Louis Tannen until he became reluctant to loan out his props for he feared that they might get damaged. Al Flosso ("The Original Coney Island Street Fakier") became the show's supplier of props and he allowed Doug to present unique tricks on the show.

At the same time that they were working on "The Magic Clown" the Andersons also appeared on "The Big Top" on CBS TV. Where he appeared as "The Masked Magician".

Doug also appeared on"Captain Kangaroo" as"The Magic Barn Painter" he became a popular member of Bob Keeshan's educational kids tv series until Doug was asked to serve as a guest host/performer when Keeshan was unavailable to do the program.

During his brief guest hosting stint on "Captain Kangaroo" a critic wrote in his review that, "The Heads of CBS TV should seriously consider getting rid of Captain Kangaroo and replacing him with The Magic Barn Painter". When the show's director Jack Miller read the review he told Doug, "that Keeshan is going to fire you. Doug didn't believe that his boss would kick him off of the show but when Keeshan read the review he was so angry that Doug's Anderson's run on "Captain Kangaroo" came to an abrupt end.

Doug also tried to create and perform on some kids TV pilots that never got on the air but
they were revamped into well know kids TV programs. "The World Of Fun" featured Gayle Anderson as a puppeteer who builds two marionettes who are brought to life by a leprechaun puppet. Together the trio would take their young viewers on a visit to the circus,to NYC's Empire State Building and take a ride one of the city's subways.

Despite the originality and charm of the concept it was rejected by producers but the format was revamped by Irving Gitlen and by CBS as "Let's Take A Trip" with Sonny
Fox.

Anderson tried again with another series pilot where he played a former magician who became the caretaker of a vaudeville theater who would perform his "old routines" at
night and receive visits from his fellow entertainers and their family members. The heads of WJZ TV Ch.7 rejected the concept of "Junior Playhouse" and they chose Bob Keeshan and Jack Miller's educational kids TV show "Tinker's Workshop" which later became the basis for "Captain Kangaroo".

During the time that Keeshan was serving as the first mc of "Time For Fun" Doug was going to host a daily kid's show set against the backdrop of a showboat. As Anderson explained, "I did a pilot for Jack Miller right after Corney The Clown. They (station execs at WJZ/WABC TV) decided to develop a new kids TV show called "Junior Showboat."

"I was suppose to be a sea captain and my ventriloquist dummy Scoopy was to be my first mate. Ch..7 loved the show, they bought it." The series was set to debut on Monday afternoon but it was replaced by a comedy/variety show hosted by Morey Amserdam and Milton Delugg.

Doug Anderson wouldn't return to kids TV until 1962 when he was slated to host a magic circus series for NBC TV. He was going to be the magic ringmaster who would perform illusuions and introduce circus acts and other entertainers against the backdrop of a traveling magic circus.

Prior to the program going into production producers and sponsor (The Marx Toy Co.) decided to give the ringmaster's role to their spokesman Claude Kirchner instead. Anderson became one of the series' resident clowns "Mr. Hocus Pocus" performing clown
routines with Paul Dooley (then known as Phil Kiley who appeared as "Coo Coo The Crazy Clown") and Bill Bailey (who played "Boom Boom" the sad face silent tramp clown. "Marx Magic Midway" was seen Saturday mornings on NBC starting on September 22, 1962 but the show was not a success and left the air in March, 1963.

After the cancellation of "Marx Magic Midway" Doug Anderson's tv appearances became few and far between. He did personal appearances at many venues including The Nathan's Famous restaurants in NYC, N.J. and Long Island as "Mr.Kartoon" where he would engage his audiences in magic and juggeling tricks, puppet skits and cartooning lessons. He also appeared in commercials and he created, produced and performed in stage shows where he portrayed famous men in history.

Anderson continued to perform..until ill health forced him to retire. I was lucky enough to do an interview with Doug and his lovely wife Gayle at their home back in the fall of 1988 and their were kind enough to not only share their knowledge of their careers and their insight into kids tTV history they also became my dearest friends.

Gayle Anderson passed away a few years ago. Doug Anderson is survived by his son Jock, his daughter-in-law Jean, and his granddaughter Bridget.

It is what it is!

DOUG ANDERSON

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