Barnaby's Christmas Record

Barnaby, flanked by his buddy Woodrow the Woodsman (left)
and WEWS personality Captain Penny (right)

Did you know that the beloved Cleveland TV personality Barnaby released a Christmas-themed single back in the late 1950s?

Well, it really wasn't Barnaby per se. It was Linn Sheldon, the man who portrayed the straw-hat-wearing, elf-like character who hosted a children's show on the Cleveland NBC affiliate beginning in the late 1950s. Barnaby lived in the Enchanted Forest with his invisible parrot (Long John), showed Popeye cartoons and engaged in gentle banter directed to his audience of kids. What local Baby Boomer doesn't remember Barnaby's daily heartfelt sign-off, and the haunting theme song (A La Claire Fontaine)? I still get choked up when I hear it.

Anyway, around 1958 Linn Sheldon – who was a talented all-around performer and musician – released a Christmas novelty song: "Boofo Goes Where Santa Goes." Boofo is Santa's little dog, who stays by his side and accompanies him on Christmas Eve.

It's quite catchy and features Sheldon on his ukulele. But I gotta warn you – it might get stuck in your head permanently.

In the late 1990s, Boofo became the subject of a book written by Joseph P. King (the man who wrote the tune) and E. Del Thomas and illustrated by well-known Plain Dealer cartoonist Dick Dugan.

Part of the marketing surrounding the publication of the book apparently included this cute Boofo plush doll.

So what was on the flip side of the Boofo record? A cute, little tune sung by Sheldon entitled, "Rabbits Have a Christmas."

Barnaby and Clarabell the Clown at Oakwood Shopping Center – Jan. 1959

Being born in 1959, I was a little too young to remember the original television run of Howdy Doody, which ran from  1947 to 1960. The popular children's television show featured host "Buffalo Bob" Smith and his freckle-faced puppet Howdy Doody, Clarabell the mute clown (who communicated by honking horns) and a variety of other characters, both human and puppet.

Although Howdy and the gang were nearing the end of their TV run in January 1959, I'm sure that the appearance of Clarabell at Oakwood Shopping Center was still a big deal – especially since he was accompanied by local TV host, Barnaby. Barnaby's show (which featured made-for-TV Popeye cartoons) and Howdy Doody were both on KYW Channel 3.

Here's the tall ad promoting the big event. It ran in the Lorain Journal on January 29, 1959.

I'm not sure if it was the real Clarabell (Lew Anderson) making the appearance with Barnaby, or just someone hired to wear the clown makeup and impersonate him. The Journal from the day after the joint appearance was unavailable, so I'm not sure.

(It reminded me of a story my mother told me. She had taken my sister all the way to Halle's in Cleveland on the bus to see Mr. Jingeling – only to find out that the guy who played him on TV wasn't at the store the day they went there; it was some other actor. Mom said my sister wasn't fooled and was pretty unhappy about it.)

Anyway, click here to read an extremely comprehensive and well-written story about the Howdy Doody show.

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"Big Chuck" Schodowski's passing a few days ago was a sad reminder to those of us who grew up watching and enjoying The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show on Channel 8 (and later, Big Chuck and Lil' John) that we're all getting older and time is marching on. It's hard not to be a little sad seeing these old friends like Big Chuck that we welcomed into our homes for so many years pass away; they're almost like family.

Woodrow the Woodsman Plays the Palace – Dec. 1963

Woodrow the Woodsman
(Courtesy Akron Beacon Journal)

Woodrow and Barnaby

Baby Boomers that grew up in the Cleveland area have pleasant memories of the many talented TV personalities that hosted or appeared on children's shows. Seeing them on TV regularly performing their gentle antics was quite comforting, and naturally kids began to think of them as friends. 

Several of them – Captain Penny, Jungle Larry and Barnaby – have been featured on this blog many times.

But another one that was a hit with the kids was Woodrow the Woodsman, played by Clay Conroy. His show went in the air in 1961 and was actually a spin-off from Barnaby.

By 1963, Woodrow was popular enough on his own that when it came time for the annual Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Show, the City Club arranged for a special matinee show at the Palace featuring the axe-wielding entertainer. Below is the front page Journal article of December 2, 1963 making the special announcement.

And here's an article that ran in the Journal the next day, that undoubtedly drummed up even more enthusiasm and excitement for the matinee.

Both articles appropriately include a mention of puppeteer Lawson Deming, the man behind the lovable woodland sidekicks, including Freddy the Alley-Crock, Tarkington the Owl and Voracious the Elephant.

Of course, the Mary Lee Tucker Matinee show was a big hit with the youngsters, as reported in the article below from December 5, 1963.

Like many other kids, my siblings and I watched Woodrow on Channel 3. I remember the alley-crock, and the fact that all you could see of the elephant was the trunk dangling into the scene. I also seem to recall that he showed those cheapie made-for-TV Popeye cartoons that featured the spinach-eating sailor battling an obese 'Brutus.'

Anyway, Clay Conroy revived his famous character on TV briefly in the late 1990s. Here he is making a cameo on the Big Chuck and Little John Show, popping in on Soupy Sales who was filming a special intro for the program.

Barnaby Shills for Januzzi's Shoes – May 24, 1963

Thousands of Northeast Ohio Baby Boomers (like me) remember watching "Barnaby," the host of a children's show on Cleveland television played by the talented Linn Sheldon. Barnaby – who was originally conceived by Sheldon as a leprechaun character with pointed ears – showed Popeye cartoons and entertained kids in his gentle manner.

The most remembered aspect of the "Barnaby" TV show (which bounced around on different channels over the years) was the haunting theme song, A La Claire Fontaine. You can hear it on this post I did on "Barnaby" back in 2015. 

Anyway, by 1963, "Barnaby" had been on the air for about six years. The show was extremely popular and it's not surprising to see the character in an advertisement for Januzzi's in Lorain. The ad below appeared in the Journal on May 24, 1963 – sixty years ago today.

What's strange is that Barnaby isn't even mentioned in the ad – making me think that perhaps his image was poached from some other ad campaign or source. But no doubt any kid that happened to be perusing the Journal would know who he was.

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Linn Sheldon's "Barnaby" straw hat sold for a whopping $830 a couple of years ago, as seen on this online auction website.

Mid-America Boat Show Advertising – 1965, 1969 & 1970

It's a real sign of January when you start seeing TV commercials for the annual boat show. But the commercials I've seen are for the Progressive Cleveland Boat Show. What happened to the Mid-America Boat Show?

1965 flyer for the Mid-America Boat Show
(Note the appearance by the Harmonicats!)

I assumed that the old show went away and was replaced by a new one, much like what happened to the old Cleveland Home and Flower Show.

But it turns out that it's the same boat show; it's just been renamed.

The explanation (found here) is that the annual show had been loosely referred to as 'The Cleveland Boat Show' for some time, so the promoters decided to make it just that. (I dunno, I think Mid-America still sounds more impressive.)

I wonder if Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel will be there? I didn't see him on the commercials.

Anyway, it's a good time to post these ads for the Mid-America Boat Show that ran in the Journal. They're interesting because they take two different approaches.

First up is one from 1969. It ran in the Journal on January 19, 1969.

I suspect the attractive woman wearing a crown in the ad is Miss Boat Show 1969.

A year later, the show promoters decided to take a different advertising approach. They enlisted the help of one of the world's best known sailors – Popeye the Sailor Man (subject of a few posts here on the blog) – to advertise the show. 

This ad ran in the Journal on January 16, 1970.

I wonder if the spinach-munching sailor (known for packing a wallop) helped pack them in at Public Hall.

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Looks like even good ol' Barnaby was enlisted to promote the Boat Show in the early 1960s.

More Barnaby Memories

After my post on Barnaby's 1958 appearance at Westgate Mall, I realized I was interested in learning more about Linn Sheldon, the man who played him on local TV for 32 years. So I borrowed his autobiography, Barnaby and Me (1999) from the Lorain Public Library.

It's a tremendously enjoyable and easy-to-read book (I read it in two sittings) that reveals many interesting aspects of his life.

I had no idea that Sheldon was born in Norwalk, Ohio. He talks about his tough childhood, and how being forced at the age of eight to fend for himself and live by his wits helped shaped his adult personality.

I found it interesting that as a young man he had embarked on an entertainment career that led him all the way across the country to Hollywood. It makes you realize that he was quite talented and multi-faceted as an entertainer. He also met many famous personalities and these encounters are recalled with humor.

For me, the book really got interesting when Sheldon writes about his pioneering role in the early days of Cleveland television on WEWS (Ohio's first television station). He hosted many local shows and helped fill up airtime (as he put it).

He explains how he later auditioned for the job at KYW hosting Popeye cartoons. Instead of dressing like a sea captain like everyone else who wanted the hosting job, Sheldon came dressed as a leprechaun  – and was hired on the spot.

(Courtesy clevelandclassicmedia.blogspot.com)

Interestingly, for a time the Barnaby show was shown in other TV markets, including Baltimore. The show also produced another local TV star – Clay Conroy as Woodrow the Woodsman – whose show also enjoyed distribution in a few other cities besides Cleveland.

(Courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project)

The Channel 3 station owners gave Linn Sheldon free reign each year to produce a Barnaby TV special, such as the one in which he visited Plymouth, Massachusetts and recreated the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth Rock. In the book, he hilariously recalls how he almost drowned during the taping of the special while stepping into what he was told was only two feet of water – when it was really twenty feet.

(Courtesy clevelandclassicmedia.blogspot.com)

Barnaby and Me is also a sad book at times, with many touching moments. Sheldon talks about his drinking problem, and how playing Barnaby helped him overcome it.

After reading the book, you get the feeling that Sheldon had a wonderful life, full of satisfaction in being a part of the lives of so many children in Northeast ohio. You also wish that he'd written another book, as he hints that he has many more stories to tell.

(Courtesy clevelandseniors.com)

He closes the book with the words he used to close each Barnaby show: "And if anyone calls, tell them Barnaby says hello. And tell them I think that you are the nicest person in the whole world. Just you."

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To see a 1977 interview with Linn Sheldon filmed during the 67th birthday celebration of WEWS, click here to visit the WEWS Video Vault. Sheldon is interviewed at the 24 minute mark along with Earl Keyes (Mr. Jingeling).

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Barnaby's Theme Song

Contributing to Barnaby's kind, gentle presence on his TV show was the beautiful music used to open and close the program. It was composed by Robert Farnon and was actually a traditional French song entitled "A La Claire Fontaine."

Farnon's composition is so engrained in the memories of Northeast Ohio Baby Boomers who enjoyed Barnaby's TV show that it is almost impossible not to get teary-eyed while you listen to it. Why? Perhaps because of its sheer, powerful beauty; the sad passing of Linn Sheldon in 2006; or, the memories of youth and innocence it evokes.

Here is the version used on the show.

Barnaby at Westgate Mall – December 1958

Here's an ad for the old Westgate Mall that ran in the Elyria Chronicle on December 4, 1958. The ad is supposed to be promoting Santa Claus' Fairyland Toyhouse, but it seems that an appearance by TV host Barnaby is stealing the show.

Linn Sheldon had only been playing his Barnaby the elf character on KYW-TV for a little more than a year (hosting Popeye cartoons), but as you can see from the ad he was enjoying great popularity. If you look closely at his photo, you can see Popeye sitting on his shoulder.

Barnaby and Woodrow the Woodsman,
who got his start on Barnaby's show

In its second month, the TV show was on the air, Barnaby and his Popeye cartoons were actually beating the Mickey Mouse Club in ratings, according to this article on the Cleveland Classic Media website.

Of course, my siblings and I grew up watching Barnaby on Channel 3 (and later, Channel 43). I don't remember ever thinking of him as an elf or leprechaun; to me, he was just a nice, gentle guy in a straw hat that showed a variety of cartoons over the years, including the el cheapo Popeyes, as well as the Tales of the Wizard of Oz cartoons.

Every local baby boomer remembers the beautiful musical theme of his TV show, as well as his closing line that was just as memorable as Captain Penny's. Do you remember what Barnaby used to say?

Here he is saying it for the very last time on his very last show in late March 1990. It's a very emotional moment for him, and it's hard not to tear up watching him say it.

It's nice that he was taking home Long John, his invisible parrot.

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Looking at the ad, it's strange knowing that Westgate Mall is no more. Although I don't remember going there as a kid, it was one of the shopping centers my mother and sister went to once in a while for something different. Later, I used to shop there a lot in the 1980s. It helped that there was a Chi-Chi's (also gone) on the premises.