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Robert Keeshan
Age: 76 (passed away Jan. 23rd, 2004)
Height:
Birth Place: Lynbrook, Long Island, New York, USA
Born: Jun. 27th, 1927
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Robert Keeshan's Main TV Roles
NOTE: Complete List of Works can be found at
IMDB
BIOGRAPHY: Television producer and host Robert James Keeshan was born in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York, on June 27, 1927. As a young man he served in the US Marine Corps Reserve. Starting as a page at the National Broadcasting Company, Keeshan later began his on-air career as the original "Clarabell the Clown" for the NBC "Puppet Playhouse" (1947) (aka "The Howdy Doody Show"). He was then the first host/performer of WJZ/WABC TV Ch. 7 NYC's "Time For Fun" / "The Johnny Jellybean Show". Keeshan emceed the show as "Corny The Clown" weekdays at noon from Monday, September 21, 1953, to Friday, July 29, 1955. He co-created, co-produced and hosted "Tinker's Workshop" with Jack Miller on WJZ/WABC TV Ch. 7 in New York City weekday mornings from Monday, November 15, 1954 to Friday, September 9, 1955. The show continued without Robert until Friday August 22, 1958. The later hosts of the show were Henry Burbig, Gene London & Dom DeLuise.
When asked to put together a childrens show, he leaped at the chance. On October 3, 1955, _"Captain Kangaroo (1955)_ (q) began its near 30-year run on CBS until it moved to Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the 1980s. There was a lot of fun in the "Treasure House", with Bunny Rabbit swindling carrots before lunch from The Captain or Mister Moose finding yet another way to get the Captain to stand still long enough to drop dozens of ping-pong balls down on the ever-unsuspecting Captain's head. Dennis (Cosmo Allegretti) asking so many questions that Mister Bainter would almost always lose his cool. All the while during this, Captain Kangaroo taught us values and gave those with busy or absent fathers a gentle and caring male role model to learn good behavior and manners from. A love of reading was encouraged and the animals that Mister Green Jeans (Hugh Brannum) showed allowed children who had never seen a particular animal to experience it though his fascination with it. During its run in 1964 Keeshan also took on a Saturday morning persona as "Mister Mayor" for a year, but remained the Captain until the end of its run on PBS in 1993. Over the years he and his show won six Emmys and three Peabody Awards, and he was also elected to the Clown Hall of Fame.
In 1989 he published "Growing Up Happy" and then in October of 1996 he published "Good Morning Captain: 50 Wonderful Years with Bob Keeshan, TV's Captain Kangaroo". Keeshan is also the author of the "Itty Bitty Kitty" children's book series. Widowed in the 1990s, he died in Vermont in 2004.
TRIVIA:
- Best remembered by the public for his starring role in Captain Kangaroo (1955).
- In the later years of his life, he starred in a number of commercials themed "No one takes better care of you than you!" These dealt with safety and health tips for young people.
- Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 297-298. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.
- The names of his children are: daughters Laurie and Mave; son Michael.
- He was the first host/performer of WJZ/WABC TV Ch.7 NYC's "Time For Fun" / "The Johnny Jellybean Show". Keeshan MC'd the show as "Corney The Clown" weekday afternoons from Monday September 21, 1953 to Friday July 29, 1955. He co-created, nco-produced and hosted "Tinker's Workshop" with Jack Miller on WJZ/WABC TV Ch.7 in NYC weekday mornings from Monday November 15, 1954 to Friday September 9,1955. The Show continued until Friday August 22, 1958. The other hosts were Henry Burbig, Gene London & Dom DeLuise.
- Turned down an offer to become the Captain again on a revised version of the show in 1995.
- Elected to the Clown Hall of Fame.
- Served in the United States Marine Corps.
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