Rootie Kazootie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Rootie Kazootie Club |
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Todd Russell, Rootie Kazootie, Gala Poochie Pup
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| Starring | Todd Russell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 15 minutes (weekdays) 30 minutes (Saturdays) |
| Release | |
| Original network | WNBT (1950-1951) NBC (1951-1952) ABC (1952-1954) |
| Picture format | Black & White, Color |
| Original release | October 14, 1950 – May 7, 1954 |
The Rootie Kazootie Club was a popular children's TV show that aired from 1950 to 1954. It starred a fun character named Rootie Kazootie. The show was created by Steve Carlin. It featured both real people and cool hand puppets.
Meet the Characters
Rootie Kazootie was a boy who loved sports. He played his "magic kazootie" and always wore a special baseball cap with a big, turned-up bill. A puppeteer named Paul Ashley made Rootie move. Paul Ashley also controlled El Squeako Mouse. El Squeako Mouse was a "great Mexican catador." This was a funny idea, like a mouse fighting a cat instead of a bull!
Naomi Lewis gave voices to Rootie and El Squeako Mouse. She also voiced Rootie's girlfriend, Polka Dottie. Frank Milano was another puppeteer. He controlled and voiced Gala Poochie Pup, a spotted dog who was their friend. Frank Milano also voiced the bad guy, Poison Zoomack. Poison Zoomack was always trying to steal Polka Dottie's polka dots and Rootie's magic kazootie.
Real people were on the show too. Todd Russell was the host, called "Big Todd." He was the "chief rooter." There was also a quiet policeman named Mr. Deetle Dootle. John Schoeopperle played him in 1950, and then John Vee took over.
The show was performed live. A group of schoolchildren watched in the studio. They were part of the show! They sang the theme song at the start of each episode. They would shout, "Who is the boy who is full of zip and joy? He's Rootie Kazootie!" A fun part of the show was "Quiz-a-Rootie." Kids in the audience and watching at home could win prizes for answering easy questions.
How the Show Was Popular
The Rootie Kazootie Club was very popular. At its peak, between 2 million and 3 million people watched it. In 1953, the show received about 32,000 fan letters every week! Kids started using words from the show. They would say "yesirootie" and "gosharootie."
The show also led to many other things. There were several children's books about Rootie Kazootie. Dell also made a comic book series. Many toys, games, and hand puppets were made. Today, these items are special collectibles that people like to find. A writer named Lawrence Naumoff even used the name "Rootie Kazootie" for a novel in 1990. His book was not directly about the TV character.
Where to Find Episodes
Most old TV shows from that time were "wiped." This means the recordings were erased to save money or tape. But luckily, about 50 episodes of The Rootie Kazootie Club still exist! The Paley Center for Media has these episodes. Most of them are from 1953, with a few from 1952 and 1954.
You can even watch one episode online! It's a half-hour show from 1953. In this episode, Poison Zoomack uses a "very powerful magnet." You can find it in public collections, like the Internet Archive.
