I have been a full time antique and collectibles dealer since 1989 and have been collecting since the early 1970s. ET) until the last regular program aired on August 30, 1957, a continuous run of nearly ten years. Kukla, Fran and Ollie. KFO can claim a number of television firsts, including the first ship-to-shore telecast. Like Jack Benny's radio program, KFO's humor relied on building a relationship between its characters and the audience over time. The puppet cast included "Kukla",[3] the earnest leader of the troupe; "Ollie", or " Oliver J. Dragon", a roguish one-toothed dragon (who would slam his flat chin on the stage in frustration or roll on his back to be endearing); Madame Oglepuss, a retired opera diva; Buelah Witch, a liberated witch; Fletcher Rabbit, the troupe's mailman and resident fussbudget who, in keeping with the show's unrestrained use of puns, also worked at "The Egg Plant"; Cecil Bill, the troupe's union stagehand who spoke in an unintelligible "tooie talk"; Colonel Crackie, a Southern gentleman; Dolores Dragon, Ollie's younger cousin, and a number of others.[4]. Kukla, Fran, and Ollie was first released on DVD on August 11, 2009. In 1947, the director of WBKB-TV in Chicago asked Burr Tillstrom if he could put together a puppet show for children, and he asked Allison, whom he had met during a World War II war bond tour, to join the show. From August 1952 to June 1954, KFO ran as a weekly program on Sundays (3:00–3:30 p.m. Forty years after the broadcast, television critic Tom Shales recalled the broadcast as both "a landmark in television" and "a milestone in the cultural life of the '50s".[8]. Rate. Kukla, Fran and Ollie were dropped from the series in 1977 and the program was renamed CBS Saturday Film Festival. KFO evoked not only loyalty but also a deep belief in its characters from regular viewers. Rate. In 1953, Kukla and Ollie co-hosted The Ford 50th Anniversary Show, a program that was broadcast live on both NBC and CBS. Then, NBC ran the show in quick five-minute segments in which Fran appeared only weekly. Add Image. 1:01. Fans became so attached to the show that when it was cut back to 15 minutes in November 1951, letters of outrage poured into NBC and The New York Times. The ... 1875-1970 An extensive timeline. From the Holocaust to the Sudan, I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have Me, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee — Private Worlds: Kids and Autism, Classical Baby (I'm Grown Up Now): The Poetry Show, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: The Untouchable Kids of India, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee — Coming Home: When Parents Return from War, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee — The Face of Courage: Kids Living with Cancer, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee — Under the Influence: Kids of Alcoholics, Sesame Street: Growing Hope Against Hunger, Nick News with Linda Ellerbee — Forgotten But Not Gone: Kids, HIV & AIDS, Alan Alda and the Actor Within You: A YoungArts Masterclass, The Magical Wand Chase: A Sesame Street Special, When You Wish Upon a Pickle: A Sesame Street Special, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kukla,_Fran_and_Ollie&oldid=994814971, 1940s American children's television series, 1950s American children's television series, 1960s American children's television series, 1970s American children's television series, Peabody Award-winning television programs, American television shows featuring puppetry, Black-and-white American television shows, American preschool education television series, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 December 2020, at 17:59. No need to waste time endlessly browsing—here's the entire lineup of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month. Kukla, Fran and Ollie host the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS. Growing up, I used to watch Kukla Fran, and Ollie's Children's Film Festivals on Saturdays and I believe this was the first film shown. Kukla, Fran and Ollie The program was renamed Kukla, Fran and Ollie (KFO) and transferred to WNBQ (the predecessor of Chicago's WMAQ-TV) on November 29, 1948. The episode seems to have been recorded circa 1970, and primarily focuses on Fran and the puppets putting on a Columbus Day pageant. puppeteer Burr Tillstrom and actress Fran Allison. It aired from 6:00–6:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday from Chicago.[2]. Kukla, Fran and Ollie hosted this film program. This tape contains a full episode of Kukla, Fran, and Ollie titled "Kukla Discovers America." CBS Children's Film Festival CBS - Premiered 2-5-67 The CBS Children's Film Festival was an hour-long program appearing sporadically beginning in 1967, until it joined the early-Saturday- afteroon schedule in 1971. Ollie says, "There's no business like television, either." 1969: Dec. 20: Kukla and Ollie guest star on Christmas at the Hollywood Palace. The CBS Children's Film Festival with Kukla, Fran and Ollie Claudia Kiefer24. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. In between, the three would act in short skits. Burr Tillstrom was the creator and provider of voices. On the same day, August 11, 2009, the United States Postal Service issued a commemorative stamp to honor Kukla, Fran and Ollie. The program was hosted by 1950s television act Kukla, Fran and Ollie, a.k.a. Add Image. KUKLA, FRAN & OLLIE WHIRLPOOL DRYER COMMERCIAL. Use the HTML below. It was broadcast from Chicago between 1947 to 1957. Volume 3 of the series, a 24 episode set, was eventually released in December 2013. ; View a tribute to the Kuklapolitans on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of their first broadcast. Fran did her best in keeping the action moving and in making it all believable. Burr Tillstrom was the creator and only puppeteer on the show, which premiered as the hour-long Junior Jamboree locally on WBKB in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1947. A Hollywood gala was scheduled to celebrate both the stamp and the 60th anniversary at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. "NBC Launches First Publicly-Announced Color Television Show", "Kukla, Fran and Ollie Promotional Postcard-August 1952", "Kukla Fran and Ollie Promotional Postcard-October 1952", "Ford's 50th anniversary show was milestone of '50s culture", "National Educational Television (NET) Collection Catalog Project", "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie - Official website", "Kukla, Fran and Ollie – The First Episodes: 1949–54", "Major "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" Announcement (better video)", Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program, New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts with Leonard Bernstein, Marlo Thomas and Friends in Free to Be... You and Me, You Can't Go Home Again: A 3-2-1 Contact Extra. Error: please try again. 9. It was created for children, but soon watched by more adults than children. Kukla, Fran and Ollie – The First Episodes: 1949–54 was released on Fran's birthday, November 20, 2010, by The Burr Tillstrom Copyright Trust. Join us every night at 7 pm ET for the premiere of a new episode of this classic television show - many not seen in over 70 years! [10] Burr was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1986 for his many contributions to the medium. This FAQ is empty. Unknown. By 1949, Kukla, Fran and Ollie was broadcast on 14 NBC affiliates, ... Tillstrom never managed to recapture the success of Kukla, Fran and Ollie. DVD sales officially ended on January 31, 2020. View production, box office, & company info, Cartoony TV: the good, the bad and the limited animation. Check out our gallery of the 2021 Golden Globe nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life, Title: In 1967, KFO began hosting CBS Children's Film Festival. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Claudia Kiefer24. Smokey Bear- Bambi (1968) smokeyvideos. It was recorded by an ad hoc group of studio musicians called Reunion, with Joey Levine as lead singer. The humor was quite tame by the standards of later comedy. Whenever will it grow up? 1:03. The original show aired from 1947 to 1957, but … Tillstrom and his puppets returned to NBC television without Allison in the early 1960s for Burr Tillstrom's Kukla and Ollie show that aired weekdays. Jack Fascinato An article on his ... Fran Allison and Me A personal memory of Fran. The hosts were Kukla, Fran, and Ollie, aka 'the Kuklapolitan Players' - the puppets Kukla ('doll' in Russian) and Ollie, created and performed by Burr Tillstrom, and Fran … Maybe tonight." Ollies says, "Yes. 4.0 out of 5 stars kUKLA,Fran and OLLIE Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2000 kukla,Fran and Ollie-Be a Clown,Be a Clow by Kukla Fran and Ollie(primary Contributor) I have been on EBAY since 1997. halloween mask vintage 1950s KUKLA FRAN OLLIE dragon monster TV puppet show kids $40.99. Rate. This group is for fans of this early TV show featuring Burr Tillstrom's Kuklapolitan Players and Fran Allison. It was so impressionable that, 30 years later, I searched far and wide to obtain a copy and STILL enjoy it as much as I did as a child. "Fran" was Fran Allison, a radio comedian and singer who usually was the only human to appear on screen, filling the role of big sister and cheery voice of reason as the puppets engaged each other concerning their foibles. 6 Feb. 1970 ... while Kukla and Fran come to grips with it. He first created Kukla in 1936 while he was performing all over Chicago with the WPA Parks District Theatre. Kukla, Fran, and Ollie won a Peabody Award in 1949 for its "whimsy and gentle satire of the James Barrie–Lewis Carroll sort," and two Emmy Awards: in 1954 for Best Children's Program, and in 1971 for Outstanding Children's Programming. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. [citation needed]. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Year : 1970. The first NBC network broadcast of the show took place on January 12, 1949. It was broadcast from Chicago between 1947 to 1957. 1971: Sept. 11 Use the HTML below. CT). Kukla, Fran and Ollie: Tis the Season to Be Ollie (1970) [VHS] Burr Tillstrom (Actor), Cecil Bill (Actor), Lewis Gomavitz (Director) The show had sponsors like Life magazine, RCA, Nabisco and Ford Motor Co., who surely weren't trying to reach children. The series' music was written and performed by Jack Fascinato, who first accompanied the troupe on solo piano, and later conducted the show's small orchestra. 11 Oct. 1970 Episode dated 11 October 1970 ... Rate. Be the first one to add a plot. Kukla, Fran and Ollie (1969–1971) Episode List. Fran Allison, the beloved star of "Kukla, Fran and Ollie," is interviewed by Gary Collins in this rare 1980 TV appearance. 8. Kukla, Fran, and Ollie moved to a nightly slot when ABC picked it up from 1954 to 1957. Fran can't find the flutist to accompany Madame Ooglepuss. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. 1970: Feb. 4: Kukla, Fran and Ollie returns on NET (the forerunner of PBS), taped at WTTW in Chicago, for two seasons. Five episodes that were shot in color between 1969 and 1971 were released in a box set.[11]. After the original run, the team appeared in other productions … Kukla replies, "Well, it's so young." Unknown. VINTAGE CREST COMMERCIAL ~ NEWSMAN FRANK BLAIR & KUKLA & OLLIE PUPPETS MINUS FRAN ALLISON. The first publicly announced network broadcast of a program using the NTSC "compatible color" system was an episode of Kukla, Fran and Ollie on August 30, 1953. Maybe tonight. The Bob & Ray Show was the replacement 15-minute program and received considerable vitriol by angry KFO viewers. "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)" is a 1974 song written by Norman Dolph (lyrics) and Paul DiFranco (music). In 1967, Fran was back full-time, and the trio began hosting the long-running, critically acclaimed CBS Children’s Film Festival. While many remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie as hosts of the CBS Children's Film Festival, their original series (1947 - 57), was actually watched by more adults than children.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., who surely weren't trying … Watch Kukla, Fran & Ollie's "Salute to Television", a complete half-hour KFO episode from December 4, 1949; View the Kuklapolitans in Living Color. 10. For the Asuman Krause album, see. Taking the famous theater adage "break a leg" too literally with Madame Ooglepuss, Buelah almost causes the musicale to be postponed. Her ingenious solution hilariously saves the day. Tillstrom influenced and mentored many later puppeteers, including Shari Lewis and Jim Henson. It did not have a script and was entirely ad-libbed. Comedienne Fran Allison starred, interacting with puppets, Kukla and Ollie (and sometimes other puppets) whose puppeteer was the show's creator, Burr Tillstrom. THE late Robert E. Sher wood, the playwright, once described Burr Tilstrom's show, “Kukla, Fran and Ollie,” as an electronic fairy tale.It would … [12], On February 24, 2020, the Kukla, Fran and Ollie Youtube channel established to promote the First Episodes DVDs started posting a digitally transferred kinescope of an episode every night at 7pm Eastern time, beginning with the earliest surviving episode. Kukla and Ollie made an appearance on The Carpenters' 1977 television special for ABC, The Carpenters at Christmas, along with Harvey Korman and Kristy McNichol.