I loved this show, even before Andy Devine, but especially after he began hosting. I heard rumors, as an adult, that Uncle Ed, host of Uncle Ed's Gang(?), the previous host, did a Face-in-the-Crowd stunt and was instantly unemployed, but I have also read that he died in 1955 of a heart attack, at which time Andy Devine replaced him.
As young as I was, I found it confusing that the "new" host appeared to be on a very old show, old set, and with the same children I had seen the week before. The kids in the audience were unchanged over the years--the same laughing and screaming kids appeared with Andy who had appeared with Uncle Ed! I think those children were filmed in the 40s at a movie theater! Every episode featured two (possibly animatronic) animals. One was Midnight, the cat (who did not meow--he/she uttered a long, rising 'Nice,' whenever the camera was close). The other was Squeakie, the mouse (for some reason, I always want to call him Mousie) who generally made life difficult for Midnight, did not talk, but usually did something 'daring' and distracting while Midnight performed some impossible act (playing the violin, while wearing a tutu, was my favorite, all the while circled by Mousie on a motorcycle).
Froggy made me laugh out loud as he usually bested first Uncle Ed and then Andy, appearing in a puff of smoke after the audience was urged to call out, "Froggy, pluck your magic twanger." (After Ed disappeared, Andy made the call.) Froggy stood on a column to bring him to the level of the host, couldn't be made to do anything he didn't want to do, tricked and manipulated the host in every way possible, and then disappeared in another puff of smoke, to my delight.
Every week we were treated to an episode of "Jungle Boy," (I think that's what it was called). The actor looked a lot like Sabu, but I can't remember the actual name of the serial and its actors--two boys who had adventures in the Indian jungle--sometimes dodging wild elephants and tigers, eventually besting the villain--man or animal.
Even the commercials were fantastic--a little boy and his dog who lived in a shoe--Buster Brown and his dog, Tige, (is that how it's spelled?). The dog looked like it might have been a brindle (hence the Tiger in his name) terrier, boxer, bull dog--something like that. His master, his hair cut in the Buster Brown bob, was always dressed in the classic Buster Brown suit for little boys so popular around the turn of the last century, with the ribbon trimmed hat. I hope I'm not making this up--it's so vivid in my memories. We certainly knew what brand of shoes we wanted when school started! I think I still remember the rhyme with which he began the commercial: "I'm Buster Brown. I live in a shoe! Here's my dog, Tige--he lives here, too!"
Apparently, I was one of very few children who watched early Saturday morning television--I have almost never met anyone who knows what I'm talking about, and I see a lot of disbelieving looks when I describe the show. Only one older adult, who revealed the mystery of Uncle Ed's disappearance, was at all familiar with the show.
I wish they'd show it once more or put it on DVD. The show was the same era as the Susie Snowflake animation that hasn't been seen (by anyone I know) since the 50s--I wonder if these shows exist anywhere.
