[BC] Local Celebrities

[Gary Peterson]

" What other kind of local celebrities have there been?  Every town must
have had one or two back in the good old days.  Now no one stands a chance
to become some local celebrity on the cheap like that.
-Bob. "

Captain Glenn's Fun Wagon on KOTA-TV, Rapid City, SD.  Glenn Rowell, a nice
old guy with a stove-pipe hat that sang, played the piano and interviewed
kids.  Al Mc Donald, certifiably insane, who ran the puppets.  The show had
a large adult audience.  Many watched to see their kids on TV.  Many others
watched to see what outrageous things the puppets would say.  It was
double-entendre and the good stuff went right over the kids' heads.  The set
was a circus wagon with a cut-out where the puppets appeared in front of a
burlap curtain.  Al sat back there on a milking stool, in the dark, with a
lavalier mic and a small picture monitor.  One time, Wally Walrus,
mid-sentence, shrieked and lurched out of the cut-out all the way to Al's
elbow, causing the set to visibly move.  The walrus puppet then began
wailing.  Captain Glenn said something like "What's the matter Wally?"  The
puppet said "That mean old Gene Taylor (the station's farm & ranch director)
goosed me."

Before TV, Al had a night radio show called "Spinner-sanctum."  There are a
lot of great stories about that, too. Al quit broadcasting and opened a
travel agency.  When I met the woman who was to become my wife, she was
working for Al.  I got to know him personally and he was just a crazy in
real life as his puppets appeared.  Al and Glenn are both gone now.  I sure
would like to see some kinescopes or tapes of the old "Fun Wagon."

Gary, K?CX