SO LONG, 2000'z!

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MAY YOUR DAYS BE MERRY & BRIGHT

SANDY BECKER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

The HOLY GRAIL of our puppet video collection would be SANDY BECKER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL. In this one-hour special originally broadcast on Saturday night, December 22, 1961, the characters were brought to vivid life by the complete cast of Sandy's hand puppets. Starring GEEBA GEEBA as Scrooge and Sir Clyve Clyde as Bob Cratchit, it introduced many of us to this classic tale.
Sometimes, when you watch something beloved from your childhood, it can kinda suck. Makes you wonder "what the hell was I thinking?" I'm sure that wouldn't be the case with this. If any of you collectomaniacstm reading this have any clues as to it's whereabouts, please let me know.
Here is a rarer-than-rare item, tucked away in one of the scrapbooks we inherited from Sandy.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE.

IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF SANTA CLAUS

All ways felt an affinity with the joy-bringing toy-giver in the white beard.

My sister Marcia and Mini-me Once Upon A Christmastime.

Made many many SANTA CLAUS puppets through the years. My earliest ones have vanished into the ether, but when we settled into San Rafael, CA, the MARKO PUPPET THEATRE had a need for Mr. C, so I happily made a new one. Here he is, still enroute to full Ho-Ho-Hodom, with FROZEN ROSEN his main elf. That's Marin in the middle sitting on our favorite red traveling trunk, with the Marko star HAL LEWIS NATION propped up in front.

THE NEWLY MINTED SANTA MAKES HIS DEBUT AT A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS PARTY CIRCA 1972
By 1975 I was living in Massachusetts, and produced a TV Christmas Special on the ABC affiliates. . .
(It was really 1975)

Note the ABBOTT & COSTELLO puppets front right.

Here they are in action as Costello applies for a job at the ELF OPPORTUNITY CENTER
"SANTA IS THE MAN, HE'S THE MAN WHO CAN. SANTA IS THE ONE WHO BRINGS A SACK OF FUN OH! SANTA IS THE MAN!"
Me and JERRY LEWIS watching SANTA'S ELVES on the monitor. . .

By 1980, OLGA and I built a SANTA MARIONETTE!

We used him on several stage and media projects, and when our son was born, on our Christmas Cards as well. That's GABRIEL in the Dr. Dentons.

Gabe always loved the puppets.

Sometimes, if the project called for it, we'd unpack the hand puppet.
(HOMELAND SECURITY can be tough!)

Olga and I hope you and yours (with or without strings) have a wonder-filled holiday!

CHRISTMAS GROWING UP

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!(my sister Marcia and I celebrating the Magic Morning!)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care (though we lived in an apartment we had FIREPLACE furniture. Still have it - - and my stocking too!)

I looked forward the entire year for the

WPIX CHRISTMAS PARTY
Chuck McCann (with Laurel & Hardy puppets), Captain Jack McCarthy, Gloria Okon, Bill BOZO Britten, and Officer Joe Bolton.

I was always the kid who dressed up like SANTA at school and Christmas morning.

MOM & DAD made sure our days were merrie & bright

Olga and I did the same for our son, Gabriel.

The BEST PRESENT ever!

PADY BLACKWOOD MEMORIAL

Olga & I attended PADY BLACKWOOD's Memorial Service at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater on Friday December 11th, 2009. It was a beautiful fun-loving event - - kinda like our dear Pady himself.

If any attendees have pictures, memories and reflections they want me to include in this here FlexiBlog, please e them to us flexitoon@aol.com. Soon would be good. Once gathered, we'll post 'em. Thanx!

SANDY BECKER'S PUPPETS

love 'em

miss him

MARKO PUPPET THEATRE

Memories of when my Bryant High School pal DUG COHEN and I started the first psychedelic puppet show THE MARKO PUPPET THEATRE.

This is Dug circa 1968. He knew a whole lotta stuff I didn't about music (he introduced me to the GRATEFUL DEAD and JOHN COLTRANE.) He also "dug" lighting, and that played a big role in all the MARKO shows. We were light heavy.

This is KEN MIELE. I met him because he was dating my first girl friend, BETTE. We hit it off right from the start. Kenny could also play a mean organ and guitar, and together we forged a rock and roll relationship that of course sequed into original music for the puppet theatre.

This is HOLLY SMITH. She was a councellor at Camp Limelight in South Fallsburg NY when the MARKO boys stormed into town on our first summer tour. She and I were instantly, immediately and mutually smitten, and by January we were living together. I taught her puppetry and she took to it like breathing. She also played piano and flute and could sew. So well in fact that when MARKO decided to tour the nation next summer and settle in San Rafael CA (and meet the Grateful Dead) Holly was the perfect puppeteer/team mate. Dug and Kenny in one van, Holly and I in the other.
Lotsa shows. Lotsa new friends. Lotsa love to go around.
We played the PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA FESTIVAL in Oakland in 1972. Dug took this shot of me and Holly and Kenny left foreground. My son said it looks like a scene from Forrest Gump(!)

Me.

Point Reyes, CA.

A new horizon was beginning to beckon. . .

JUKE BOX BAND TOYS

In 1992 the producers of SHINING TIME STATION marketed a line of toys based upon the JUKE BOX BAND puppets & marionettes we built and performed on the PBS series.

The launch was held at TAVERN ON THE GREEN in New York City.

RIDICULOUS DIVER DAN

I enjoyed this show when I was a kid - - screening as it did daily on the Sandy Becker Show (read COMMENT section for exact dates and times.) I even made all the fish marionettes out of cardboard. One time when my dad was coming home from work on the subway, I stood over the entrance and when I saw him coming up the stairs I lowered the marionettes over the top to greet him. The ascending applauded.

My younger bro had a major crush on Minerva the Mermaid.

Voices by Allen Swift. . .

MAD SCRIBBLING

(click 'em cartoons)