Thanks for bringing back such fond memories!

I'm 51, and grew up in Hyattsville, Md. during the 1950's -1960's. I remember Pick Temple started to plug the upcoming Vincent Price movie, "Master Of The World", about a week before it opened. The day before it opened, he had the miniature flying machine used in the film. We couldn't wait to see this film! When my mother dropped us off at Sidney Lust's Allen Theatre in Takoma Park, we encountered a line around the shopping center.

Yep, I got 50 cents from my mother... 30 for the admission and rest, as she would say, "for junk". Those were the days!

Paul Sanchez

I was born in 1954 and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Every week my parents would grocery shop at the local Giant Foods store. And just like ALL little tykes who wanted to get on the "Pick Temple Show," each week I would ask for an entry card to mail in. I'm sure I had been mailing in entry cards for well over a year with no success. Suddenly one day, however, I got the first piece of mail in my life. It was from PICK TEMPLE asking me to be on his show!!! My only thoughts were, "Here's my chance at 5 years old to be on television!" 

My parents, brother, and I drove to the studios and I vividly remember the Production Assistants sitting me on the outside from what I recall were something like a set of bleachers. I only remember this because of one "unusual" event that happened. At one point, Pick called for his dog, Lady, to come out on stage & Lady came trotting right beside me over to Pick. When Pick said it was time for Lady to go home, she came trotting past me again and I put my hand down & rubbed her as she came by. It was a silly little moment but one that I have never forgotten in my 47 years of living.

In addition, my mother and father were seated in bleachers directly ACROSS from us. At a given point, Pick asked us to wave to our parents out in "TV Land." The camera was facing us so when we waved, it looked as if we were waving into the monitor. 

Finally, as all us little tykes were departing, Pick shook each one of our hands as he handed us a bag full of goodies from Giant Foods. After leaving the studio and entering our car, I somehow assumed that part of the goodies were 4 donuts from Giant (their bakery was excellent). There were four of us in our family and I remember telling my parents how each of us could only get ONE donut since there were only four (assumption). But when I opened it up, there were chocolate chip cookies instead! They were just as yummy! 

Eric W. Umstead
Minneapolis, MN

Ranger Hal did a song that went something like: "Litter Bug Litter Bug shame on you.  Look at the terrible things you do."  Does ANYONE know the rest of the words to that song? 

Scott Schuler 

I hope you'll find time to incorporate one more memory in your "Pick Temple" page.

Each show, a lucky kid got to sit on (memory fails - was it a prop horse, or a cow?) and had a limited time (until the cow mooed) to say "Hi" to all his friends at home - I always thought it was hilarious to hear "Hi, Timmy, Mary, Billy, Eddie, um ... Mom & Dad, Susie, Louie" ... MOOOOOOOOO!

Also, he had bits with puppets "Quoth, the Raven" and "Lo, the poor Indian".

Someone commented about Willard doing a rabbit character - I distinctly remember a short period when I could see "Willard the Rabbit" - big plush white rabbit suit with big floppy ears and his face sticking out.  But, sadly, that's all the details I have.

Wayne Keyser
 

When I recall the Billy Johnson show, three things stand out:  Billy, the two puppets (Wally and Ginty), and most of all the theme song -----"Up a Lazy River." I remember Billy singing that at the beginning and end of each show.  I was about 5 or 6 when I used to watch it.

Wally was the darker one.  Ginty was the lighter one with the big ears.  As I recall, Wally's voice sounded like a 45 rpm record played at 33 1/3, while Ginty's sounded like a 45 rpm record played at 78.

I was trying to find information about the TV show that featured the big guy in the rabbit suit.  I found something about him (Hoppity Skippity) on your site and then found the info on Billy Johnson.  (I really didn't remember Billy Johnson's name, but I remembered what he looked like.)

The only thing I remember about Hoppity Skippity was that, at the end of the show, Hoppity would say, "And you wemember, kids, I'm a weal wive wabbit!"

Thanks for the memories.
Gary Hayworth

What a blast from the past it was to see pics of "Pick" on your site!

Growing up, I lived across the street from Pick on East Parkhill Drive in Bethesda. Although he moved away when I was still just a toddler, his visage remained as a large, somewhat unidentifiable, yet friendly, part of my early memories, and it was a relief to finally remember the name that went with the face.

I grew up watching Captain Tugg on WTTG, and vaguely remember seeing the stuffing fall out of his shirt once during a broadcast! Mr. Axel Grackel used to occasionally haunt my dreams!

Jeffery Haas
(casually sipping an an Astro-Float)
Jonesboro, Arkansas
http://hometown.aol.com/jhaas84/LeonLive.html

... I remember "Pick Temple's Giant Ranch" because I was not only a regular viewer, but a participant for one episode sometime during 1955 or 1956.

The set of the show was a ranch with a live horse and a set of bleachers. There was also a well (from which, I believe, the carton of Sealtest Ice Cream was pulled). We kids sat in the bleachers and participated in the show individually as selected by Pick Temple who was dressed in a cowboy outfit.

One child (I was lucky enough to be selected) was chosen from the bleachers to ride the live horse (about eight steps worth), talk with Pick, and passively participate in the Sealtest Ice Cream commercial while riding/sitting on the horse. Once the show was over, the rider (me) got to take home several half-gallons of Sealtest Ice Cream for my part in the commercial. The ice cream was terrific! I believe that each child got one half-gallon carton of the ice cream.

Pick was very nice to me as I recall and the horse must have been very docile and walked very slowly! Most of the kids were about four or five years old, I believe. I have fond memories of the show.

That's about all that I can remember except that the parents could view the set from a set of windows mounted in the very high wall (to the participants' right on the set) at about a second or third-story level. It was very high up on the wall (to me). I had a great time! 

From: Dr. F. Edward Blake, Jr.
Sent to Dave Hughes' DCRTV Mailbag

Great website.

As I turn 50 next month, I'm old enough to remember yet another early 1950's kid show called "Hoppity Skippity."  A guy in a rabbit suit, sponsored by Giant/Heidi who had kids on the show and played games and showed cartoons.  My sister was on, and as the kids were leaving they got an assortment of baked goods to take home.  My sister was last in line, and they ran out, so they gave her a box of peanut brittle. 

One day Hoppity announced he was taking a vacation for awhile, but he never came back. The show just ended.  The guy who wore the suit was a local broadcaster whose last name was Huber (I think) and I can recall his obit in the Post in the 1970's. I believe the show was on WTTG.

Phil Wood