Bob Homme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bob Homme
|
|
|---|---|
Homme
|
|
| Born |
Robert Mandt Homme
March 8, 1919 Stoughton, Wisconsin, U.S.
|
| Died | May 2, 2000 (aged 81) Grafton, Ontario, Canada
|
| Citizenship | United States Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin (BEc) Stoughton High School (High School) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1954–1984 |
| Height | 5 ft. 11 in. |
| Television | The Friendly Giant |
| Spouse(s) | Esther Eleanor Anderson |
| Children | Richard Homme Ann Homme Ruth Homme Peter Homme |
| Parent(s) | Raymond Homme Roselyn Homme |
Robert Mandt Homme, C.M. (pronounced HUM-mee) was born on March 8, 1919. He passed away on May 2, 2000. He was an American-born Canadian television actor. Most people knew him as Bob Homme. He was famous for hosting The Friendly Giant. This was a very popular children's TV show. It was shown on CBC Television from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Contents
Who Was Bob Homme?
His Early Life and Education
Bob Homme was born in Stoughton, Wisconsin, in the United States. His family was from Norway. His parents, Raymond and Roselyn Homme, were high school teachers. They taught woodworking.
Bob went to West Side School for elementary school. He then attended Stoughton High School. He graduated from high school in 1937. After that, he went to the University of Wisconsin. He studied Economics there.
After college, Bob worked at a bank. Then he joined the Air National Guard. This was before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He became a Staff Sergeant during the war. He also studied psychology at Cornell University. Later, he studied again at the University of Wisconsin.
After the war, he worked at the University of Wisconsin State Radio Station WHA.
Bob Homme married Esther Eleanor Anderson. They had four children: Richard, Ann, Ruth, and Peter. Their son, Richard, was a jazz musician. He passed away in 2011. Singer and voice actress Emilie-Claire Barlow is Bob Homme's step-granddaughter.
Creating The Friendly Giant
While working at WHA radio, Bob became interested in TV shows. He often drove to Chicago to watch rehearsals of a TV show called The Dave Garroway Show.
In 1953, on a drive back to Wisconsin, he thought about making a children's show. Bob knew that giants were usually shown as scary. But his wife, Esther, had a great idea: a "friendly giant." Bob realized that making a scary character friendly would make them even nicer. Like Casper the Friendly Ghost, a friendly giant would be extra special.
Bob talked to the program director at WHA. The university was getting ready to start its own TV station. While still working in radio, Bob started creating his new children's TV show.
The Friendly Giant first aired on May 8, 1954. It was on an educational TV station at the University of Wisconsin. From 1955 to 1968, National Educational Television showed it in the United States.
The CBC Television started producing the show in Canada. It aired from 1958 to 1986. Later, it was shown again on Canada's YTV channel.
The show was not written down word-for-word. Bob Homme had a calm, simple style. He believed that TV could make actions seem bigger. So, he kept his performances quiet and gentle. This was different from other energetic shows like Howdy Doody. Bob and his puppet partner, Rod Coneybeare, talked like old radio shows. They had a comfortable, easy way of speaking.
How the Show Was Filmed
Bob Homme used a clever trick when filming the show. Instead of normal camera angles, he changed things around. He would raise the small sets and puppets to the camera's height. Then, the human actor (Bob) would be filmed from above the set. This made Bob look like a real giant!
He always kept the giant character visible. This helped young viewers feel safe and happy. It made the show feel warm and friendly.
Music and Other Interests
Bob Homme grew up in a musical family. They loved singing together. Bob and his father even had a small act for community events. Later, Bob joined the school band at the University of Wisconsin.
His first instruments were the clarinet and saxophone. But he became famous for playing the recorder. He bought his first recorder while in the military in New York City. It was cheap and easy to carry. On The Friendly Giant, he played three different recorders. He used them to match the sound needed for each part of the show.
Bob Homme also appeared in paintings by his friend, Canadian artist James Lumbers. Lumbers' "Moments in Time" paintings often showed modern scenes with faded images from the past. Bob's face was used for the older men in these paintings. For example, he was in "Lucky Strike" and "Gone Fishing." The dog in "Old Friends" was Bob's own dog, Molly. In another painting, "Billy Nine Fingers," Bob and Esther are sitting at a table.
Later Life and Legacy
In the early 1990s, Bob Homme became a citizen of Canada. He held citizenship in both the United States and Canada. On November 2, 1998, he was honored with the Order of Canada. This is a very important award in Canada.
Bob was too sick to travel to the ceremony. So, the Governor General Roméo LeBlanc came to Bob in Grafton, Ontario. This allowed Bob to receive the award at home.
Bob and Esther Homme retired to a quiet property near Grafton, Ontario. In retirement, Bob joined the Cobourg Rotary Club. He was very active there. He and another member, Wally Reid, formed a music group called "Time Share." They often performed music for people in retirement and nursing homes.
Death
Bob Homme passed away on May 2, 2000. He was 81 years old. He died from prostate cancer. He is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Grafton, Ontario, Canada.
