Thursday, December 3, 2009

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. . .

5 comments:

  1. Dear Craig,

    Thanks for sharing this rare clip from"The Diver Dan"TV Puppet

    films.

    Actually?

    "Diver Dan"was first screened on"The Felix & Diver Dan TV Show"

    with Uncle Fred"Scott on WNEW TV Ch.5 in NYC.

    The show was seen Monday thru Saturday evenings on Ch.5

    in 1962.

    Later..the films were seen on"Felix & The Wizard!"/"Hall In Fun!"

    with Fred Hall and on "The Sandy Becker Show"on WNEW TV Ch.5

    in NYC from 1962 to the mid 1960's.

    Al Swift did the voices for the fish puppet and for"Diver Dan"

    ("Diver Dan"in the diving outfit was played by the series' scriptwriter

    Mr.Frank Freda)..except for the character of"Miss Minerva The mermaid

    Queen".

    She was played by actress:Suzanne Turner.

    I was lucky enough to meet one of the puppeteers for"Diver Dan"..

    Mr.Hal Taylor at the First "Howdy Doody"convention At The Puppet &

    Marrionette Theater in Philly.Pa. back in 1990.


    Mr.Taylor was a kindly old gentleman..and he invited me to do an

    interview with him..when his puppet theater would be moved to another

    locale.

    Sadly, that interview was never to be..some time after this meeting..

    Mr.Taylor was fatally ill..passed away.

    Mr.KTV.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you know who made the puppets and who has them now?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dear Craig,

    No..I don't remember who designed and built the puppets and

    after Poor Hal Died.

    The puppets disappeared..I'm sorry I wished that I could be of

    more help to you.

    Mr.KTV.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Crag,
    The puppeteers on the show were Mssrs. John Caracciolo, Martin Kreiner and Harold B. Taylor. They may know the puppet's whereabouts.

    Of course, I don't know Mssrs. John Caracciolo, Martin Kreiner and Harold B. Taylor's wherabouts.

    I guess we're back where we started.
    H.B.
    p.s. the mermaid was hot.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What was the name of the music they played when Fred Hall would draw his Mystery Lines

    ReplyDelete