Duane Ellett
Broadcaster Duane Ellett delighted children for three decades. He entertained them with his puppet friend Floppy, a high-voiced beagle dog that enjoyed riddles and let kids beep his nose for luck. Ellett was born in Des Moines, graduated from North High School and served in the Army in World War II. He planned to be a lawyer when he started attending Drake University, but a class in radio journalism led to a job with WHO radio in 1947. Ellett and his canine friend went on the air in 1957. Ellett carved the puppet's head from balsa wood, and his wife, Lois, made the terry-cloth body. Ellett taught himself ventriloquism. The puppet started out as Mr. Dog on "The Pet Corner" but became Floppy when show host Max Finch commented on his ears. Later, "The Floppy Show" was a hit with small fry who loved cartoons and corny jokes. Thousands of Iowans outside of Des Moines discovered the duo in their performances at the Iowa State Fair. Floppy became Iowa's most famous wooden dog and attributed his celebrity to "a heavy dose of cuteness." Fan mail frequently was sent to him with just his name on the envelope -no address or stamp. Ellett took Floppy on 200 personal appearances every year. They visited countless sick children in hospitals. On Aug. 30, 1984, WHO-TV canceled Ellett's afternoon show because of faltering ratings, and there was a public outcry. Ellett and his sidekick continued to appear on WHO's noon news and on weekend mornings. In May 1987, they celebrated their 30th anniversary of entertaining together. Ellett died of a heart attack a month later while exercising. His survivors included a son and two daughters. In 1994, a special display honoring Ellett and his puppet was exhibited at the Iowa Historical Building, where Floppy now resides. An auction of Floppy memorabilia in 1993 went to aid the Children's Habilitation Center, where an art gallery honors Ellett's name.
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