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byMiss Florence
INTRO:
Of all the Romper Room hostesses around the country, Spokane
Washington's Miss Florence had to be one of the most successful and well-loved.
After all, she had the job for almost twenty years. This was somewhat
unusual as most communities that broadcast their own version of Romper
Room saw a change in hostesses every few years. Miss Florence was
kind enough to share some of her experiences on the program.
After
doing Romper Room
for 19 years, I certainly do have some special memories.
One incident
happened on the very first show I ever did in Spokane, WA. on KREM TV.
In those days, 1958, the show was live and in black and white. I was so
nervous when the show began that I hardly knew what was happening. As
I was doing a live commercial at my desk for a certain toy, a cute 5 year
old boy came over to me, leaned his elbow on the desk and said "Mom
says that stuff sticks to your clothes."
I
was stunned and thrown for a loop. No one prepared me for a event like
this. Somehow I kept on and then he said, "Mom says that stuff sticks
to the rug too." I wasn't experienced enough to know what to say
to the kid and still kept on with the commercial.
As the kid
was about to give more testimonials as to what his mother thought of the
product, an astute camera man finally,gently pulled the kid out of camera
range as I continued on. To this day I do not remember how I talked my
way out of that one. After that show the TV audience probably wondered
how I ever got the job. I was wondering myself.
Animals,
live, on the 'Animal Friends' segment always surprised and delighted me
and the children... and I do mean surprised.
On one show
I did, by now in color and taped at KHQ TV, a parent brought two nice
pretty white rabbits. The children and I were seated on the floor around
the cage. I lifted the furry creatures from the cage onto the floor so
we could see them better and suddenly one rabbit jumped on top of the
other one. I couldn't believe my eyes. The children giggled and thought
it great fun.
I
knew that I'd better get them apart. After all, this was a children's
program. So first I tried carrots. That didn't work. Then I tried to physically
separate them. I was scratched and kicked for my efforts and that didn't
work either.
I
don't know how I got through that five minutes of Animal Friends, because
I couldn't stop laughing. Even the cameras were jogging up and down. After
the show, I was called into the office and told, "No more rabbits,
Miss Florence. No more rabbits."
All the children were precious. On
one show, a sweet looking five year old boy came onto the set holding
the hand of a beautiful four year girl and said to me, "I think you
should know we're in love."
I just stood
there looking at them and what I saw was that indeed they were in love.
I could hardly keep my eyes off of those two for the whole show. They
were totally loving toward each other in every way.
From those
two, I learned that love can happen at any age...even at four and five.
Since that
time I've worked on a Cruise Ship as an art auctioner and also conducted
a seminar called, Fine Tunning Your Life. That was great fun. For several
years I sold advertising for the official Guide Book of Washington State.
Am now working as an Elder Care Advisor and am very proud and excited
to report that my children's book is just ready to come off the press.
Here
are some video clips from Romper Room starring Miss Florence
from the 1970s: