Baby boomer kids had a plethora of children’s shows to entertain them during their early years. Every show included a character to bump up the interest in the show. Detroit was full of them: Soupy Sales, Milky the Clown, Poopdeck Paul, Auntie Dee, Captain Jolly, Johnny Ginger and Sagebrush Shorty all graced the television set. They all had a similar goal: provide entertainment, and perhaps guidance, to the bulging group of American young people.
Most, if not all, of these shows were broadcast “live” and often included a “live audience”. I had the opportunity to see a couple of these shows in person. I attended the Twins Farm Dairy sponsored Milky’s Party Time (featuring Milky the Clown) and The Sagebrush Shorty Show. Milky was a magician and had a two hour Saturday show. Many families opted for “friendly home delivery” from the Twin Pines Dairy after being urged to do so by Milky and his gang. (Three years ago I played in a golf league with the grandson of the original owner of Twin Pines Dairy who now lives in Jackson, Michigan. He didn’t know anything about “friendly home delivery” and the impact that Milky the Clown had on the family business. He had never heard of Milky the Clown.)
Sagebrush Shorty had a unique section in his show that featured a member of the studio audience getting a hair cut on live TV. I became a “star” when Sagebrush chose me for the haircut in the spring of 1957.
I was seated on a pony for this portion of the show. I don’t recall if the pony was live or a prop. In either case, the guy getting the haircut (me) was a key feature of the show. Sagebrush visited with me throughout the broadcast to check in on the haircutting process and to seek key insights from me regarding the show from my unique perspective on the back of the pony. It was a great responsibility for a ten-year old kid, but I believe that I did an admirable job. I handled my new-found celebrity status like a seasoned rodeo star. I rode high in the saddle.
At the conclusion of the show, Sagebrush gave me a toy, friction powered, red 1957 Thunderbird convertible. I was a car model builder, and although I didn’t build this car, it became the prize of my car collection. My parents installed several shelves in my room so that I could have a proper display for my collection. I built the collection over many years and my cars remained on display until I left the home permanently after I graduated from college. I never “played” with the T-Bird as it held a place of high honor.
Several years, around seven or eight, after my appearance on the Sagebrush Shorty Show my time with Sagebrush came rushing back on me. My Aunt Julia, my dad’s sister, took care of a series of foster children. One young boy was Dennis. He was a cute kid and my dad loved him. While he was only in our extended family for a brief time, he made an impact upon my dad. Dennis, like many of the children that my aunt cared for, was up for adoption. During a summer visit, we learned that this was the last time that we would see Dennis. My dad was very sad. Had our circumstances been a bit different, I think that this was a boy who my parents would have adopted. I know my dad would.
As my aunt and Dennis were preparing to leave our house my dad told me to get one of my toys for Dennis. “Get him something nice” was my brief directive. I was in my later teens by now, so “toys” were not really a part of my everyday life. I went to my room, removed the red 1957 T-Bird from its place of honor, and gave it to Dennis. Of the three of us, Dennis, my dad and me, I expect I am the only one who knew what a big deal this was. Prior to that day, I believe that Sagebrush Shorty and I were the only humans to touch that car.
One of the sponsors of the Sagebrush Shorty Show was Hires Root Beer. My dad worked for Faygo Beverages. Hires Root Beer and Faygo Root Beer were the largest local competitors in the root beer business. While Sagebrush did his best to sell root beer, Faygo developed an advertising character called the Faygo Kid. In my estimation, the Faygo Kid did the better job.
Click on the links below and judge for yourself. (Once you click on the link, you’ll have the “open” it.)
What a beautiful story to remember on this gloomy Sunday. Thx for the memory.