Find kukla, fran and ollie the first episodes, vol. A kinescope survives, which charles schlotter saw at the television academy in north hollywood, ca. Kukla, fran and ollie is an early american television show using puppets. The program was largely improvised by creatorpuppeteer burr tillstrom and hostess fran allison. View a tribute to the kuklapolitans on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of their first broadcast. If we have any purpose on the american scene, it is to satirize in a a kindly way, our lives, the lives of people everywhere, to kid some of the little annoyances and foibles that often grow out of proportion in the world today. Other articles where kukla, fran, and ollie is discussed. Burr tillstrom, fran allison, beulah zachary, hugh downs, lewis gommy. The first nbc network broadcast of the show took place on january 12, 1949. Kukla, fran and ollie getting the kuklapolitan courier together. Each player starts with 4 pieces numbered 1 4 on starting circles. Kukla, fran and ollie the kuklapolitan website free. It did not have a script and was entirely adlibbed.
Burr tillstrom was the creator and only puppeteer on the show, which premiered as the hourlong junior jamboree locally on wbkb in chicago, illinois, on october, 1947. Kukla, fran and ollie have quiet voices and gentle ways. Watch all 190 kukla, fran and ollie episodes from season 5,view pictures, get episode information and more. I recently bought all three dvds of kukla fran and ollie the first episodes, and i have to say they are pure gold. Imdb everywhere find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your watchlist and rate your favorite movies and tv shows on your phone or tablet. Gregg donovan announces this broadcast which originated in nbcs merchandise mart studios. Kukla, fran and ollie the first episodes videos facebook. I hope the day may come when every one of their shows is restored and made available. The first two volumes were excellent, and im glad to report that this twodisc collection is just as entertaining and fun as the previous two. Kukla, fran, and ollie american television program. Unlike other puppet shows, kukla, fran and ollie never put much effort into marketing toys of the characters. Comments are turned off autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Watch kukla, fran and ollie season 4, episode 30 destination.
Kukla, fran and ollie was the first childrens show to be equally popular with children and adults. Burr tillstroms kuklapolitan players differed from typical puppets in that the humor derived from satire and sophisticated wit rather than slapstick comedy. Burr tillstrom created and performed all the characters, including kukla, the leader of the troupe, and ollie, a singletoothed dragon. I was first introduced to kfo via the cbs childrens film festival, also the pbs show they did in the 70s, and various special appearances like when they hosted the macys thanksgiving day parade in 1968. Like me, many of you were introduced to the kuklapolitans through the festival, and never saw their first series. When i first created this website devoted to kukla, fran and ollie, i immediately began to get emails about the cbs childrens film festival, and the films shown during its run. Though the image size may be small, many tv screens of the time werent much bigger, so at least its an authentic viewing experience. Kukla, a small boy, had a host of friends, including ollie the dragon, who exchanged repartee with fran allison, a human actress standing outside the booth.
A kinescope survives, which charles schlotter saw at. Kukla, fran and ollie was originally broadcast over nbc from 6. It was created for children, but soon watched by more adults than children. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film. See more ideas about childhood memories, old tv shows and classic tv. The program was hosted by 1950s television act kukla, fran and ollie, a. All the great songs and lyrics from the best of kukla, fran and ollie, vol. Frances helen allison november 20, 1907 june, 1989 was an american television and radio comedian, personality and singer. The kukla, fran, and ollie mikado gilbert and sullivan. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday nbc tv puppet show kukla, fran and ollie, which ran from 194757, occasionally returning to the air until the mid1980s. Rca had introduced this 7 competitor to columbias 33 1 3 longplaying records the previous march, and was now making a pitch aimed at chrismas shoppers. Kukla, fran and ollie is a childrens program which aired on nbc and abc. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events.
While many remember kukla, fran and ollie as hosts of the cbs childrens film festival, their original series 1947 57, was actually watched by more adults than children. I hope this site will help in some small way to keep burrs work alive, and perhaps even find some new fans for the best puppet show ever on television. The cbs childrens film festival with kukla, fran and ollie. Watch kukla, fran and ollie season 8, episode 1 show moves to abc broadcast live. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday nbctv puppet show kukla, fran and ollie, which ran from 194757. Dragon, a roguish onetoothed dragon, and fran allison. The show, renamed kukla, fran and ollie moved to the merchandise mart studios in january of 1949 following the completion of the coaxial cable linking the east coast and the midwest. Watch kukla, fran and ollie season 3, episode 45 burr tillstrom in commercial. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film. This is a very heavily adapted performance of the mikado by kukla, fran, and ollie, that appeared on nbc television in 1954.
The program was renamed kukla, fran and ollie kfo and transferred to wnbq the predecessor of chicagos wmaqtv on november 29, 1948. The shows immense popularity stemmed from its simplicity, gentle fun and frolic and adult wit. Originally a sporadic series airing on saturday mornings, sunday afternoons, or weekday afternoons beginning in february 1967, it became a regularly scheduled program in 1971 on the cbs. This first show counted orson welles, john steinbeck, tallulah bankhead and adlai stevenson among its many adult fans, and had sponsors like life magazine and ford motor co.
Finally, rich maisel has donated one of tillstroms final recordings. Kukla, fran and ollie cecil bills geiger counter december, 1949 duration. I was first introduced to kfo via the cbs childrens film festival, also the pbs show they did in the 70s, and various special appearances like when they hosted the macys thanksgiving day parade in. The program, originally called junior jamboree in its prenetwork period, originated from chicago. Popular videos kukla, fran and ollie kukla, fran and ollie topic. Kukla, fran and ollie kukla kiddish november 30, 1949 duration. Kukla, fran and ollie is an early american television show using puppets, originally.
Burr had a bad licensing experience in the early 1950s when a company produced inferior replicas of his characters. Kukla, fran and ollie is for the rest of us, the ones who think that tv can be magic if its properly motivated. In this marvelous kfo episode that aired less than a year after the show took to the network it had run locally since october, 1947, the kuklapolitans celebrate the wonders of the medium of television. Fran allison was the usually the only human to appear onscreen. A page devoted to the earliest years of burr tillstroms classic television puppet show. Meantime, grab this dvd set and the other two volumes that have also been released in equally beautiful restorations. The burr tillstron trust has released a third, and possibly the final, volume of rare early television with kukla, fran, and ollie the first episodes volume three. In 1969, puppets were introduced on the educational program sesame street. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Kukla, fran and ollie the first episodes home facebook. Im pleased to be able to offer a few samples of kukla, fran and ollie, from the 1940s to the 60s. Watch kukla, fran and ollie season 7, episode 40 last show of season.
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