Oh yeah, absolutely B&W – I was born in '54, so my prime Captain Kangaroo years were definitely during the Eisenhower Era. My comment above on Formative Boomer Experiences was more about the cheesiness of the FX in the video provided.
My First Great Love was Mr. Green Jeans; when I was 3, I definitely wanted to marry him when I grew up.
Seeing the Dancing Bear again reminds me that I thought his snout was a flower! I did. And accepted it without any analysis whatsoever.
However, I only have a bachelor’s degree in a social science. That would explain it.
Sometimes it’s right there, plain as the …well, you know.
I’m a boomer, and I too am confused what your “Wow … just wow” meant. What special effects?
The doll changes sizes!
Jesus, you didn’t think these creatures could overturn furniture to find you? My plan was to hide up on top of the couch hopefully out of reach.
The Captain did teach me to tie my shoes, though. 
They used to give away PicturePages at the Giant Eagle, if I recall aright. Now if I could only remember the details of the Pittsburgh cartoon show that originated the feature? It had a duck puppet, I am sure of that…
I… don’t know what to say about your Slim Goodbody trauma. Now I’m all sick with morbid fascination about what the circumstances of that storyline might have been. Are you absolutely certain that you didn’t simply imagine it? I can certainly understand how some kids might have been troubled by persistent nightmares of a flayed, gibbering androgynous man.
The guy’s internal organs were already exposed, so torturing him couldn’t have been all that difficult. You could probably just splash lemon juice on him. I’m pretty sure that’s what folklore prescribes-- silver for werewolves, garlic for vampires, lemon juice for Goodbody.
I hope you realize now why that wouldn’t have worked? Dancing Bear would just waltz behind the armchair after you. Then he’d reappear clutching you in his paws, only you’d have somehow shrunk to 1/6 your original size.
It’s all part of the magic that is Dancing Bear.
Is it just me, or does the bear’s nose look a bit too much like the mouth on a blow-up doll?
I grew up watching Captain Kangaroo (in the red jacket) in the 70’s. Much different show than when the bear was around.
“The name “Captain Kangaroo” came from the large pockets in Keeshan’s signature red jacket.” I never knew that!
I want to know why this isn’t on MTV.
And what was he a captain of? Was there some kind of ship on the show?
I think it’s just a nebulous position of authority. The NBC affiliate here, KARK channel 4, had a kids show hosted by one of the TV announcers called “Captain Kark”.
When I was a kid I got a Christmas gift from my cousin that kind of freaked me out. It was a Dancing Bear stuffed animal that was taller than I was (I was probably 7 or 8) and had elastic straps so that you could put his feet and hands on yours and dance with him. It was freaky- I felt somehow “BAD TOUCH! BAD BEAR! BAD TOUCH!” when I had to dance with him for my cousin.
Does anybody else remember this toy? I’ve wondered if Stephen Colbert once received the same gift.
The first time I ever remember making my parents laugh (which wasn’t easy) was when my father had to watch TV with me one day (he hated kid’s shows) and asked “Why the hell are those ping pong balls falling on him?” I responded that the golf balls made him lose too much blood. My parents hesitated a moment, then roared. One of my best memories of childhood and it’s all on account of the Cap’n.
Anybody remember the “Mr. Greenjeans is a cocaine addict” rumors? (Perhaps he got addicted after Dancing Bear mauled him that time, though some say he was just trying to protect him like he would a cub… or am I thinking of someone else? Mr. Greenjeans did wear glittery spandex and speak with a thick German accent, right?)
I had some Captain Kangaroo video tapes in the early 80’s that I really liked, but my memory of it was that it was set outdoors and kind of a Doctor Who-like atmosphere to it. The clips on YouTube just look like Sesame Street or any other kids program with little mini-segments.
Did he ever do a series of specials that had something more of a story to them and a bigger budget?
Yep, I thought that when I was a little kid.
YIKES. I didn’t know what a blow-up doll was when I was a little kid, so allow me to rephrase. I thought the big circle of his nose was a very big mouth. Because he was growling or something like bears do.
Despite that, I loved Dancing Bear and would cry when he would go off the TV. My mother still talks about how miserable that was – she would try to catch me before Dancing Bear came on, because she knew I would be crying for an hour after his part was over. “But Mom,” I would sob, “I love Dancing Bear and don’t understand why he went away!” I had Dancing Bear abandonment issues.
Garfield Goose? Nah, probably not, that was a Chicago staple. Unless they reran it in other markets.
I have to confess that I never liked Dancing Bear. That Black Hole in the middle of his face that wasn’t obviously a Nose or a Mouth or anything. His incredible height. And he was always SILENT. Always freaked me out. I’m certain that he’s described in one of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.
To quote Mad magazine’s “Toy Manufacturer of the Year” from back in the 1960s:" Kids are stupid. Don’t they realize that Captain Kangaroo is neither a Captain NOR a Kangaroo?"
On a more serious note, I seem to recall Keeshan saying that he chjose the “Captain” as a benign authority figure with big pockets.
I’ll see your Dancing Bear, and raise you Roy from The Mouseketeers.
I still say hello to “grandafther clock” at my mom’s house from time to time.
Man, you guys are bringing up some memories.
You know, of course, the old Urban Legend about Bob Keeshan and Lee Marvin? It’s not true, but there’s a persistent Legend that they fought side by side on Iwo Jima in the Marines.
This is cool and NOT an Urban Legend. From Keeshan’s Wikipedia entry:
“Bob Keeshan’s grandson, Britton Keeshan, became the youngest person at the time to climb the Seven Summits when he summited Mount Everest in May 2004 [four months after Keeshan died]. He did so carrying photos of his grandfather, and buried a photo of the two of them at the summit of Everest.”