From Tom, 11/17/05:
I remember a school teacher puppet and a clown puppet both on the floppy show. its kinda foggy to me I am 27 and didn't get to watch for that long but I was on the show and honked his nose. I don't remember if the clown puppet was the teacher or if he was the teachers friend. Sorry if this is confusing. There was a popping noise when he walked? Something like that.
Thank you for your time.
From Tom, 11/16/05:
I am so glad I stumbled on your great floppy site, I am looking for a picture of the clown that used to I think teach school, and his name. If you can help me out please let me know.
Thank you for your time
From Edward, 10/21/05:
I grew up on Duane and FloppyÉ and Betty Lou and Magic Window.Ê I am 47 now and live in San DiegoÉ but the humor and gentleness of this show still stays with meÉ
I have tried to explain this show, to others and now they have something they can actually SEE!
Ê
Thank you
From Josh, 10/10/05:
I think Duane Ellet was kind of a genius. His act was perfect. He didn't over polish it. He even did some of the same jokes for years , but he was real. You could tell he really loved kids. I think that's one of the reasons he was so popular. When i watch some of the clips on the site it just makes me sad that I never got to thank him as a grown up for all the laughs.
Thanks Again for this great website.
From Josh, 10/9/05:
I was born in Leon , IA and was raised on FLOPPY!!! It was great to see something about Duane Ellet and Floppy on The internet. I have an odd/sad but somewhat funny memory about Floppy. My father passed away when I was 3 years old. At the funeral it was a rainy day so the cemetery part of the service was held under a big tent. I guess it reminded of me of seeing Floppy at the fair because when everyone was really quiet I yelled as loud as my little 3 yr old lungs could, "WHERE'S FLOPPY?" I guess everyone there enjoyed the break from an otherwise very sad day.
I do remember meeting Floppy when I was older at the fair where my Grandmother bought me a Floppy shirt. I loved that show and Duane Ellet inspired me so much. I've been working in radio for 15 plus years and I always think there's a little of Floppy's spirit in my radio show.
Thank you for your website. Those clips and pictures brought back so many memories.
From Mike, 5/20/05:
There was a hole in the wall, no doubt in my mind. Sometimes Floppy talked over the top of the wall. But the wall was too tall for the little kids, so when they came up to tell Floppy a riddle or beep his nose, he popped his head out of the hole in the wall that was about 3-4 feet from the floor, head height to a 4-7 year old child. In those days Duane was usually behind that wall, you rarely saw him. The wall had to be high enough for him to comfortably sit behind without being seen, and that was too high for a 5 year old to reach Floppy's nose or talk with him face to face. So Floppy had a hole in his wall.
I credit Floppy with one of my most vivid preschool memories. On November 22, 1963, at 12:30 pm, I clearly remember that I was watching TV, and the exact location of the TV in our house. I know I was watching because either Floppy was actually on at the time, had just been on, or was coming up, I don't remember which. And I don't really remember the date, or the exact time, that is part of history, only that it was over the noon hour when Floppy was on. I do remember I was watching TV and bringing to my moms attention that normal programming had been interrupted and I didn't know why. A minute later is when my mom yelled "My god, somebody shot the President", and ran to the kitchen to call dad. I suppose moms reaction was what made the memory stick in my head so vividly, and why I actually remember seeing the original footage of the reports of President Kennedy's assassination, despite the fact that I was pretty young (few days short of 4 years old). But for Floppy, I probably would not remember any of that, because it was Floppy that always brought me to the tube at the noon hour.
Mike.
From Mike, 5/19/05:
Karen:
Thought I might contribute some Floppy information. All the images you have on your site are of Floppy in his box, with Duane standing and holding Floppy in his box. But Floppy didn't start out in a box. My early memories of Floppy are of Floppy's head coming out of a hole in a fake wall. Duane stood behind this wall, unseen, and worked Floppy. As I recall, Floppy started using his box when he became more popular and went on the road, such as to the State Fair. On the road, the box was the only option. I suspicion that as Duane became a better ventriloquist, Floppy began appearing on the show in his box rather than behind the wall. I say suspicion only out of caution, I clearly remember (it was kind of funny) when Duane first started using the box at the Fair and on the show, and he had a serious problem with his lips moving. It was only in the later years (late 60's) that Floppy and Duane appeared together with Floppy in his box.
I was pretty sure about my memories when I first looked at your site, but I wanted some confirmation of my memory before I contributed this. I found it on a site called "Growing up in front of the Box." The following is a quote from that site, and other than this person remembering it as a "fence" rather than a wall, our memories are the same.
From Des Moines, we'd also see the Floppy show from WHO-TV. Duane Ellett, a long time WHO radio and TV personality, carved Floppy from a block of wood back in the 50s. Floppy had a shape similar to the Snoopy character from Peanuts, and moved much like a Muppet, but otherwise he was his own dog. Duane was always behind the scenes in the early days.
In the earlier days, a young lady hosted it and Duane worked behind a fence. In the late 60s Duane came out front and worked Floppy ventriloquist style. Duane and Floppy was on twice a day, for fifteen minutes after the noon news, and a half an hour later in the afternoon.
The half-hour show always had kids on the set. I liked the noon version better as a kid, and it was fairly amazing the following Duane and Floppy had with adults then. Who needed more news, when a couple of WB cartoons could provide a few laughs before the adults had to go back to work? The noon version of Duane and Floppy lasted well into the eighties, well after the afternoon version left the air.
That's my trivial Floppy trivia for today. Let me know if you get sick of it.
Mike.
From Mike, 5/18/05:
Hello Karen:
You put up an email from Andrew, 1/10/05, who was asking about a live action show featuring "a mouse, duckling, and other various small animals," with dubbed over voices. I could hear the frustration in the voice of Andrew, not remembering the shows name and unable to find any information. I understand that your site is about Floppy, but since you put up Andrew's question, I thought you might consider posting a reply.
Andrew, if your referring to the show I think you are, your rodents are just a bit mixed up. It was "Hammy" the hamster and his friends in "Tales of the Riverbank," which first aired in 1959 in black and white. One of Hammy's friends was a mouse. It later went to color. Here in Iowa it played as a short segment within another show, or independently between two other popular children's shows; I cannot recall for sure. The segments were very short; it could have been either case. I am sure it was not shown during Floppy. My wife thought it might have been during Captain Kangaroo; and I thought maybe during "Betty Lou and the Magic Window." I have not found a definite answer to your question about when it aired. I was on this planet in 1959; I am either too young to remember clearly, or to old, depending on how old you are.
I can give you all you want on "Tales of the Riverbank.: A show done in short segments featuring live animals with dubbed over voices just as you recall. The stars were Hammy Hamster, Martha Mouse, GP the Guinea Pig, Turtle, The Wise Old Frog, and Granny Rabbit, and other various animals. The show was produced in Canada. For more information, see Hammy's website at http://www.hammyhamster.com/index.html.
I hope this show is the one you were trying to recall.
Karen, thanks in advance for relaying this message, or not, as you see fit. Thanks again for your wonderful site on Floppy. I beeped the pup's nose on the set during a taping; along with about every other kid in Des Moines my age.
Mike.
From Todd, 2/11/05:
Hey,
Love your site. I googled Floppy and found your site today because last night my Rat Terrier's ears and eyes were positioned in just such a way that it brought on a Floppy flashback. I tried to explain to my wife and son (both New Yorkers) about Floppy, and what a great ventriloquist Duane Ellet was.
Best of luck with your site. It made my day.
Todd
New York City (formerly of Emmetsburg, IA)
From Ross, 2/11/05:
Karen,
I am a member of the Bi-State VW Club ( Iowa and western Illinois) and would like to know if anyone has a picture of Duanes VW bus with Floppy painted on it. I remember seeing it when I was a kid growing up in Des Moines. I was on the show in 1975( when I was 5 ) for Doug Catron's birthday and always looked forward to seeing Duane and Floppy every year at the fair. I saw a man at the Fair a few years ago with a Floppy T-shirt on, and I had to ask him where he got it, I remember how happy I was when I asked him where he got it and he answered "Here at the fair"....before I could get directions to the location where the shirts are sold.....he finished "30 years ago".
Thanx,
Ross
From Bob, 2/2/05:
Thank you so much for the Floppy website. I grew up with the show and had the great opportunity to attend a taping of the show when I was very young (7 or 8 years old). I left Des Moines in 1986 after graduating from Valley High School (in West Des Moines) and have been a saxophonist for Wayne Newton since 1998. I now live in Las Vegas and have been all over the world playing music, but the Floppy show will always be one of my favorite memories of my childhood in Iowa. Thanks again for the website.
From Lori, 1/31/05:
Hi Karen,
My name is Lori, I am from Cedar Rapids. All sets of my grandparents were in Des Moines, and it was like a ritual that we watched Floppy. My sister was born in Des Moines and she really remembered it more than me, but I remember a little. I just had it come to me tonight to search Floppy on the internet, I was so surprised to find something.
I am not expecting an e-mail back, but just that I appreciate finding your website, man, does it bring back memories.
My husband was born here in CR and he remembers dialing up the Captain Ernie or something like that out of Davenport and their "star" was Beanie and Cecil and Dishonest John, we just pee our pants laughing about these shows.
Again, thanks for the memories!!!
From Darrell, 1/14/05:
Karen I am so excited about your Floppy web site! I was almost in tears when I saw the photo's and article's. Bless your (hart)! You've done a great job so far and I'm proud of what you've acomplished! Keep up the good work!
My name is Darrell, I'm 41, I'm from Boone, and I've been a Floppy fan since I was a kid!
I want to share some of my Floppy, or rather Dwayne memories with you! I've met Dwayne Ellet at Happy Chef in Story City. I was 11 years old at the time, and Dwayne Ellet walked in and sat down in a booth.
I said "Look Mom! There's Floppy's Dad!" So My Mom said, "Go over and say hello." So I went over and introduced myself.
Dwayne was workin on a cigar at the time, but he put it down and shook my hand and took time out to talk to me. After introducing myself, I asked him where Floppy was. He said, "Floppy's home watchin a movie, but he would love to have met you!" We talked for a liitle while longer., then he said, "By the way, Floppy wanted me to give you this!"
Dawayne reached in his breif case, and pulled out a picture of him and Floppy, signed it, and handed it to me.
"Floppy & I would love for you to have an autographed picture of us!"
I can't tell you Karen, what that does to an 11 year old kid!
I was in tears when I saw The Floppy Christmas Special on tv! I know that sounds kinda funny, coming from a 41 year old! But Floppy was special to a lot of us!
Well Karen, I'm not gonna take up too much more of your time. But as one Floppy fan to another, I'm proud of what you've acomplished so far with this web site!
Keep up the good work!
From Andrew, 1/10/05:
Hello. You have a wonderful site. I have seen it for the last few years. I remember watching the show when I would visit my grandparents. I always wondered why I couldn't watch the show in Atlanta. There was another show I somewhat remember...but not sure if it was a whole show or a segment on another program. It was a live action show featuring a mouse, duckling, and other various small animals. Voices were over-dubed, but I dont remember the name of the show. Anyway, I was wanting to know if you, another fan of Iowa television, remembered this other program and might know the name? I at least need a name to start looking for it. (I didnt find much on "children's programs, Iowa, television, talking animals.")
Thanks.
From FatDave, 1/7/05:
Hi Karen.
Just stumbled on your Floppy pages and thought I'd share some of my fond childhood memories.
I grew up in Des Moines (born there in 1970) and watched Floppy twice daily from as long as I can remember. Somehow I never actually made it on the show, think I'm the only kid from central Iowa who didn't, but did see him at the fair and at grade school fun nights occasionally. It was at a fun night that I had the opportunity to beep Floppy's nose. I expected it to be made of rubber and give when I squeezed, but it was solid wood. From then on I'd occasionally notice a perplexed look on the face of a kid on the show when they beeped his nose, and I'd think "Yup, it's rock solid, isn't it?"
When I was 16 I made a trip to Washington DC with an activist group I belonged to and met kids from all over the country. Somehow the "Why did the man put the car in the oven?" joke came up, and I was amazed that nobody from outside of Iowa knew this joke. My friends and I went around asking everyone we met, and though a few guessed the answer we were endlessly amused that it was such exclusively Iowan knowlege.
When I was 17, some friends and I were out cutting class driving around downtown Des Moines. We saw Duane Ellet driving a bus with a giant picture of Floppy painted on it. We hung out the windows, waved our arms and yelled "Duane!!" at the top of our lungs. He waved and honked his horn and we were excited to have gotten a response. A few days later I heard that Duane had died, and it sounds corny but I felt like part of my childhood died with him.
One of my best friends still lives in Des Moines, and to this day we have a Floppy reference that pops up in conversation. If one of us says something clever and the other suspects it was copped from somewhere else the conversation will go something like this: "Where did you get that?" "That's an original right here on the Floppy show". This is of course what Duane would say when a kid would tell a nonsensical/unintelligible riddle.
Thanks for keeping the spirit of Floppy alive and thanks for bringing back the warm memories.
From Jay, 1/3/05:
Hi Karen,
For some reason on Christmas day this year I had a thought about Floppy and did an internet search and found your page. I can't begin to tell you the flood of memories that it brought back to me. I'm 45 and grew up in Oskaloosa and was a faithful Floppy devotee growing up. It's amazing the impact that Floppy had on so many children throughout the years. I must say, it was a little sad to see Floppy in the display case at the Iowa State Historical Museum. In our childhoods, Floppy was "real and alive." I'm proud to say that I was one of the kids that had the privilege to have beeped Floppy's nose!! A memory that I will always cherish and never forget. Thanks for putting the site up!
Jay
Tampa, Florida
