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N.Y. Journal American Sun, March 9, 1952 'Rootie' Needs Backstage ArmyBy DAMON RUNYON JR. Pinch-Hitting for Jack O'Brien BEHIND THE SCENES in television a small army, from talent to trunk heavers, labors beaverishly to produce the simplest scene that seems to move so smoothly as it flashes before your eyes at home.
For a peek into the world out of which this new magic comes we slipped into the tiny wings of the Rootie Kazootie show, where puppets and people cavort to delight children (and remove them from under foot) at 6 p. m. Monday through Friday and 10 a. m. Saturday on Channel 4. "Some 50 people are required to put this ostensibly "simple" show on the air for 15 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on Saturday. That doesn't count, the legion involved in promotion, advertising, sales and other myriad activities behind such a venture. Rootie Kazootie was born in the brain of 33-year-old producer- writer Steve Carlin, who's also in charge of RCA's turn-out of children's phonograph records. The idea for Rootie smote him two years ago and the show made its debut Oct. 14, 1950. WEIRD CREATURES. Rootie himself is supposed to be a bouncy boy of perhaps nine, "keen about sports," whose little world is peopled, if such a word may be used, by weird creatures like Gala Poochie, El Squeako Mouse and a villain, Poison Zoomack. He also knows some humans. From "out front" the show might seem to smack of the famed Kukla, Fran and Ollie program emanating an hour later from Chicago. In fact, they are totally different-and the big difference begins with the behind-the-screens production. The Kukla show is a one-man production. Burr Tillstrom works all the puppets and also provide: their voices. The Rootie Kazootie show is an adventure in team work. UNDER FINGER CONTROL. The Rootie characters are hand puppets whose movements are controlled both by fingers and strings. Puppeteer Paul Ashley makes the Rootie creatures out o plastic wood and foam rubber.
The Rootie puppet, for example, is so made that he can move eyebrows, ears, eyes and mouth. He even can blow bubbles. He has "brains"-that is, his head is full of works and he's been subjected to surgery to change them from time to time.
There are three Rootie puppets- the "star" and two "standbys." The dog and mouse character each have several different tails, which can be screwed on to denote "phases of their personalities." GIRL DOES VOICES. Ashley controls Rootie and El Squeako Mouse. The "voices" for these two, however, are provided by a pert little 25-year-old brunet, Naomi Lewis. Asley, therefore, has to coordinate his puppet movements with the vocals of Miss Lewis.
Puppeteer Frank Milano, sitting next to Ashley behind the backdrop of the tiny stage, provides both movements and "voices", for the "second lead" character, Gala Poochie, and villain Poison Zoomack. To see what their hands are doing the troupers behind have a TV set that shows the program as it is being telecast. Through the the backdrop of black gauzy material they can watch the cameras-but the audience can't see them. THEY DRESS PUPPETS. Besides these people behind the backdrop there are two prop men to "dress" the puppets, the producer, a director, Dwight R. Hemion; a production manager, Joseph L Stuhl, to say nothing of lighting equipment personnel and, stage hands. The "master of ceremonies" or "chief rooter," Todd Russel, stands out front, sings, converses with the small creatures that pop on and off the little stage, and keeps the show moving at a merry clip.
There's also a clown-magician dressed like a Mack Sennett Kop, Mr. Deetle Doodle, in real life I actor John Vee. He doesn't talk at all. The kids in the audience aren’t aware he's actually a magician. IT'S 'SWELLAROOTIE.' The troupe has a once-over- lightly rehearsal sitting around informally at the New Amsterdam Theatre roof at 42d st and 7th ave. The outsider is startled to see the adults barking, squeaking and talking Rootie Kazootie gabble, such as "That's swellorootie."
This language, incidentally, is spreading, with alarming results, among children. The audience is estimated by NBC at from 2,000,000 to 3,000,000, including the Saturday network show, and many of them so accept the puppet characters they talked back to them on the screens and write them "fan letters." There's a "dress rehearsal" beginning about 5 p. m. and lasting until show time. The warming up is highly informal and the troupe, mostly eager-eyed young people, confess they have a ball and don't consider it work. Suddenly comes a cry: "Stand by!"
The organ strikes up, apparent utter confusion reigns behind- the-screens as the puppeteers feverishly work the small creatures and the prop men change costumes rapid-fire, Miss Lewis bounces on a bar-stool, squeaking and piping a small boy's voice, and out front hundreds of thousands of children gape, enchanted. All pictures on this site Click to go back to Rootie History |
