I
have always said that my blog topics can come from a variety of
sources. The vast majority of them cover television shows, movies,
and music that I loved growing up. Some of them were requests from
readers. And some were inspired by pictures and quotes that people
have posted on social networking sites, believe it or not.
This
is one of those blog entries that was inspired by one of these social
networking sites.
On
the day that I was stricken with inspiration, I was perusing one of
these sites when I happened to come across a topic posted by a friend
of mine who lives in Jolly Old England. Her name is Helen S.
Anyways, on this particular day, Helen was talking about how she was
doing some housecleaning, and she happened to come across a long
forgotten treasure along the way. And, she posted a picture of it
for everyone to see.
This
is a picture of a puppet, affectionately named Lamb Chop. When she
posted that picture, it prompted everyone on her friends list to
discuss their memories of Lamb Chop. I even had a memory of my own.
Well, okay, it was my sister's memory, but I was there. It was
Christmas 1993, and one of the gifts that my sister received that
year was the Lamb Chop doll. She also received Charlie Horse and
Hush Puppy, Lamb Chop's closest friends in addition.
At
this point, I should also mention that when Christmas 1993 came
around, my sister was 21 years old. But, as many people pointed out
underneath Helen's picture, age was not a factor in regards to how
much one adored Lamb Chop. In fact, I have to admit, I have a soft
spot in my heart for the little lamb myself.
So,
for today's entry, I thought that I would talk about Lamb Chop, and
the woman who helped make her a star.
That
woman, of course, was Shari Lewis. Of course, she wasn't exactly
known as “Shari Lewis”. Her birth name was Sonia Phyllis
Hurwitz. I don't exactly know how Sonia became Shari, but the Lewis
came from a marriage that didn't last too long.
Anyway,
Shari Lewis was born in January 1933 in The Bronx, New York. Her
mother, Ann Ritz, and father, Abraham Hurwitz, had encouraged Shari
to become an entertainer when she was just a teenager. By the time
she was thirteen, she was already learning magic tricks from her
father. After all, Shari's father was once named New York City's
official magician by then mayor Fiorello LaGuardia during the Great
Depression.
But
Shari didn't just limit herself to performing magic. She studied
acrobatics, learned how to juggle, played the piano and violin, and
learned how to ice skate.
(You
see kids, people DID have fun without iPads.)
Shari
also ended up learning one other talent from a man named John W.
Cooper. John was a skilled ventriloquist, and he ended up teaching a
young Shari some of his finest techniques. Little did Shari know
that these lessons would end up changing the course of her life
forever.
However,
Shari didn't quite pursue the career of a ventriloquist right away.
She studied at the New York High School of Music and Art, and went on
to dance at the American School of Ballet, all while acting in a
neighbourhood playhouse. I tell you, Shari Lewis was one ball of
fire in her youth!
In
1952, Shari Lewis would end up getting her first big break, when she
won first prize on the CBS television series “Arthur Godfrey's
Talent Scouts”. And, do you know what her winning talent was?
Puppetry!
Soon
after that appearance, she appeared on a variety of children's
television programs, including hosting a program called “Facts 'N
Fun” on July 5, 1953. Lewis was only 20 years old. Unfortunately,
the program barely lasted three months on the air. However, shortly
after that, she took over Ted Steele's role as host of WPIX's Kartoon
Klub, a variety show featuring a live studio audience, her sidekicks
Randy Rocket and Taffy Twinkle (who also appeared with her on Facts
'N Fun), and aired cartoons. The program was so successful with
Lewis as host that the name changed twice. It became “Shari &
Her Friends” in 1956, and later that year, the name changed again
to “Shariland”. In between her hosting duties, she would appear
on other children's shows including Captain Kangaroo. And in March
1956, Shari Lewis appeared on Captain Kangaroo with a new friend for
everyone to meet.
Lamb
Chop.
A
year later, Shari was on a brand new program called “Hi, Mom”,
which ran from 1957-1959. It was on this show that Lewis introduced
three more characters in addition to Lamb Chop. There was Charlie
Horse, the slow-witted and jokester of the group. Hush Puppy, a dog
that spoke in a Southern Accent, and Wing Ding, a black crow. Along
with Lamb Chop, Shari would often have all four characters
interacting with her on the show, which the audience loved.
In
1960, Shari Lewis began production of another show, “The Shari
Lewis Show”, which debuted on October 1, 1960. For the next three
years, Shari, Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy, and Wing Ding
would entertain millions of children each week. In fact, let's watch
a clip of the Shari Lewis show below to see what it was like. Fair
warning though, the show is in black and white.
Wasn't
Shari just a natural? She was so professional in her craft. Almost
made it look effortless.
And
with the success of the show came merchandising deals. Puppets of
Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy flew off the shelves during
the early 1960s.
However,
Wing Ding was left out of the merchandising opportunities. It was
speculated that Wing Ding was dropped entirely during the 1960s
because it was feared that Wing Ding was not socially acceptable any
more, as his characterization was widely considered by some people to
be stereotypical of African-Americans. Whatever the case, I did find
one photo of Wing Ding, just so you can see what he looked like
below.
During
the 1970s and 1980s, Lamb Chop and her friends kind of went on the
backburner (although they did make sporadic appearances between 1975 and 1991), as Shari herself focused on acting commitments,
conducting symphonies, and writing children's books.
TRIVIA:
Shari's second husband was Jeremy Tarcher, who ended up writing a
third season episode of Star Trek, entitled “The Lights of Zetar”.
However,
in 1992, Lamb Chop and her friends would bring laughter and joy for a
new generation of children all over the world with this show.
“Lamb
Chop's Play Along”. A show that was dedicated to making young
children have a lot of fun, and make them smile. And you know what,
I'll admit it. I saw a few episodes of this when I was twelve, and I
readily admit to being bemused by it. Make fun of me if you wish,
but I can see why so many young children liked watching it. Just
watch a clip of the program below to see what I mean.
The
show was a perfect example to showcase each and every single one of
Shari's talents. She sang and danced to the viewing audience each
show. She used the magic tricks that she learned from her father to
amaze the children who came to visit her at the studio. And of
course, she had her friends Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy, and Charlie
Horse...who ended each show the same exact way.
I
bet you can't get that song out of your head now, can you?
The
program itself did very well on PBS, and it stayed on the air for
five years between 1992 and 1997. A second series called “The
Charlie Horse Music Pizza” aired shortly after the filming of “Lamb
Chop's Play Along”, and produced several home videos starring her
famous puppets including “Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah”, which
received the Parents' Choice award for 1996. Shari Lewis and Lamb
Chop also made guest appearances on several television programs,
including a memorable episode of Fran Drescher's show “The Nanny”,
which aired in 1995. You can watch it by clicking HERE if you want.
And
that's just the tip of the iceberg for the accomplishments that Shari
Lewis achieved. In her lifetime, she won the following awards;
12
Emmy Awards
Peabody
Award (1960)
Monte
Carlo Prize (1963)
John
F. Kennedy Center Award for Excellence and Creativity (1983)
7
Parents' Choice Awards
Action
for Children's Television Award
These
are just a few. Do a little research and you'll see many more awards
that she has won.
Perhaps
one of Shari Lewis' finest hours could be traced back to the year
1993. That was the year that Lewis appeared in front of Congress to
testify in favour of protections for children's television. But
Lewis wasn't the only one to speak. Turns out that Lamb Chop herself
had something she had to get off her chest. And when the little lamb
was given permission to speak, her passionate speech definitely left
a huge impression on the people in the room.
Not
bad for a lamb puppet who claimed she was “only six”.
Of
course, all things eventually do come to an end. In Shari Lewis'
case, the end came in the summer of 1998. On August 2, 1998, Shari
Lewis succumbed to viral pneumonia, a complication brought upon by a
diagnosis of uterine cancer just two months prior. She was 65 years
old.
However,
Lewis' death did not mean that Lamb Chop died with her. Her
daughter, Mallory Tarcher (who now goes by the name Mallory Lewis in
honour of her late mother) worked on both “Lamb Chop's Play Along”
and “The Charlie Horse Music Pizza” shows as a writer. She
basically grew up with Lamb Chop in her life. So it wasn't all that
surprising when it was announced in 2000 that Mallory would take over
as the puppeteer of Lamb Chop. Have a look below.
You
know, I'm sure that if Shari Lewis could say it now, she would be
proud that something she created all those years ago is still making
children laugh and sing all these years later. I also believe that
she would be happy that her daughter is continuing the Lamb Chop
name.
And,
I once again want to credit Helen S.
for giving me the great idea for today's blog!
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