The Early Show
Greetings one & all. As I type this, I can hear the rain falling outside. What can you do when it's raining. We watched TV. A lot. One of the shows that was on most days was The Early Show hosted by Flippo the Clown.
Most channels had The Late Show, which ran old movies. The Early Show did the same thing, only it was intended for those who didn't stay up until late o'clock.We loved old movies in our house.
Flippo started doing The Early Show in 1953. I don't remember him back then (probably since I was born in 1963). All throughout my school years, Flippo was there to greet me when I came home from school. I would usually get home about 3:45 and he came on at 4:00. You never had to worry whether the movie would be "questionable". Everybody could watch without a problem.
He was given free reign to be as silly as he pleased during his "comedic interludes" and during his sales pitches. It's been over 30 years, but I still came remember his adds for Whistle Stop Pop Shop, Dan Durthdaler's Lowrey Genie Organ dealership, Frostie Rootbeer and Winnebago (I always thought he was talking about "win a bago"). My favorite comedy routine deals with him opening the refrigerator and having it make snide remarks about his weight.
On the days when he was on vacation, Fritz the Night Owl would fill in for him. He retired in 1983, a year after I graduated from High School. He donated his costume to the Ohio Historical Society after his retirement. We saw it on a trip we took there and took a picture of it.
You can find more information about Flippo at his biography page.
1 comment:
I loved seeing Flippo at the Ohio State Fair. He was always so friendly and nice. My love of old movies dates back to Flippo, too.
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