COLUMN
Queens played home to TV’s Captain Kangaroo
In conjunction with the
Greater Astoria Historical
Society, the TimesLedger
newspaper presents noteworthy
events in the borough’s history.
Known to generations of
children young and old as
Captain Kangaroo, Robert
James Keeshan was born on
June 27, 1927 in Lynbrook,
New York.
Keeshan created and played
the title role in the television
program Captain Kangaroo,
which was nationally broadcast
from 1955 to 1984. The former
Queens resident received
widespread recognition
for his 30 years educating
and entertaining children,
including five Emmy Awards,
three Peabody Awards and
numerous honorary degrees.
Keeshan was also inducted
into the International Clown
Hall of Fame in 1990.
Following graduation from
Forest Hills High School, the
future television producer and
actor enlisted in the Marine
Corps Reserve, but joined too
late to see combat in World
War II. With millions of GIs
returning home following the
war to start families, the spread
of network television brought
children’s programming
such as Howdy Doody. It was
here Keeshan got his start
on television, playing
Clarabell the Clown.
The silent entertainer
communicated by
honking horns on his
waist and frequently
played practical jokes on
the other characters.
After a four year
stint on his first show,
Keeshan was back on the
air in New York City in
the children’s program
Time for Fun, this time
as a speaking clown. Also
in 1953, he started the
show Tinker’s Workshop,
a television program for
preschoolers with the actor
from Queens himself as the
main character.
Keeshan used ideas from
his program to develop Captain
Kangaroo, which first aired
on CBS in 1955 and stayed on
the air for 29 years. Joined by
Dancing Bear, Bunny Rabbit,
Grandfather Clock, Mr.
Moose and Mr. Green Jeans,
the grandfatherly Captain
Kangaroo and his eponymous
show were an immediate
and enduring success with
children nationwide.
Noting the program’s
lasting impact on American
culture, The New York
Times commented: “Captain
Kangaroo, a round-faced,
pleasant, mustachioed man
possessed of an unshakable
calm ... was one of the most
enduring characters television
ever produced.”
The children’s entertainer
from Queens had a long
lasting, close friendship
with Fred Rogers of Mister
Rogers’ Neighborhood, with
each appearing on the
other’s program as well as
together in the PBS special
Springtime with Mister
Rogers in 1980. Following
Keeshan’s severe heart
attack in 1981, however,
CBS shortened Captain
Kangaroo to half an hour.
The network later retitled
the show Wake up With
the Captain and made it
a weekend only program.
Disenchanted with the
changes, Bob Keeshan left
the program in 1984.
After nearly 30 years in
children’s living rooms as the
beloved Captain Kangaroo,
in 1985 the Captain hosted
another CBS program called
Storybreak, which featured
cartoon versions of kids’
stories. Later he founded a
company to provide corporate
day care programs with
Lamar Alexander, at that
time the former Governor
of Tennessee. Keeshan also
joined parents’ groups in
protesting TV shows based
on children’s toys, as he felt
they were not educational, and
participated in congressional
hearings to advocate against
violence in video games.
Captain Kangaroo published
his memoir, titled Good
Morning, Captain, in 1995.
Bob Keeshan, clown,
Captain Kangaroo and
advocate for children, passed
away in Vermont in 2004. He
was buried in Saint Joseph’s
Cemetery in Babylon, New
York. Later that same year,
his grandson Britton Keeshan
placed a photo of himself
with his grandfather on the
summit of Mount Everest. By
ascending the world’s tallest
peak, he became one of the
youngest people in the world to
climb the tallest mountain on
each continent.
Compiled by Dan McDonald
for the Greater Astoria
Historical Society. For further
information, call 718-278-0700
or visit astorialic.org.
ON THE WEB
LAST WEEK’S TOP STORY:
‘What we’re seeing is a shift’: The growing popularity of Flushing
and Jamaica will impact all of Queens for decades
SUMMARY: Two Queens neighborhoods in particular
are proving to be growing in popularity for residential buyers and
commercial developers alike: Flushing and Jamaica. But what does this
mean for the rest of the borough?
VISIT US ONLINE AT QNS.COM
CHECK OUT OUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES:
www.facebook.com/timesledger
www.twitter.com/TimesLedger
www.instagram.com/qnsgram
LETTERS POLICY
Letters should be typed or neatly handwritten, and those longer than 300
words may be edited for brevity and clarity. All letters must include the
writer’s name and phone number for verification. Names may be withheld
from publication if requested, but anonymously sent letters will not be
printed. Letters must be received by Thursday noon to appear in the next
week’s paper. All letters become the property of Schneps Media and may be
republished in any format.
TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM BT JUNE 21-27, 2019 17
/QNS.COM
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/astorialic.org
/timesledger
/timesledger
/TimesLedger
/qnsgram
/TIMESLEDGER,QNS.COM
