|
Like real
school, Ding Dong School began with a bell.
For many
preschoolers of the time, Dr. Frances Horwich—or as the kids knew
her, Miss Frances—was the best teacher ever. As host of this
educational show, Miss Frances and her lessons proved to be a big
hit with kids, parents, sponsors, and NBC.
Miss Frances, who had been a former chair of Roosevelt College of
Education and a specialist in children’s education, would talk to
the children at home as though she were right there with them. She
would even add little comments at the end of her demonstrations,
such as, “What do you think of that?” or, “Wasn’t that fun?" and
pause for the children at home to answer.
Ding Dong
School consisted of
demonstrations in finger painting, modeling clay, paper cutting,
etc., and featured singing, reading, and interviews. Miss Frances
would sometimes use the assistance of dolls Susie and Raggedy Andy,
puppets Lucky the Rabbit and Jocko the Monkey, as well as three live
goldfish—Wynken, Blynken and Nod.
Two years after the show began, Ding Dong School was
broadcast in color, and Horwich was assigned as supervisor of all of
NBC’s children's programming.
NBC began to
carry the half-hour Ding Dong School Monday through Fridays
in November of 1952. Chicago continued as the show's origination
point until May of 1955 when Dr. Horwich moved to New York to assume
her duties as Supervisor of Children's Programs for NBC.
Miss Frances
received thousands of fan letters a week. At the height of her
popularity, the show was watched by 95% of the nations preschoolers.
Books written by Miss Francis and Reginald Werrenrath Jr.
illustrated by William Neebe
C.1960 78rpm
golden record (yellow in color) with record sleeve, from popular
Children's show from the 1950s/60s: Miss Frances presents Ding Dong
School Sing-Along Songs - Anchors Aweigh/We Sail The Ocean Blue.
|
|
