Andy's Gang

Andy Devine, the actor with the famously raspy voice, took over as host of the children's TV show *Andy's Gang* after the sudden death of its original creator. The program aired on NBC from August 20, 1955, through December 31, 1960. It was the direct successor to *Smilin' Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown Gang* (later just *Smilin' Ed's Gang*), a show that had existed on both radio and television. When McConnell died of a heart attack in 1954, Devine inherited not only the show's cast of characters but also its sponsor, the Buster Brown shoe company.

The cast featured several performers. Nino Marcel played Gunga Ram, while June Foray provided the voices of Midnight the Cat and Old Grandie the Witch. Billy Gilbert took the role of the teacher, and Lou Krugman played the Maharajah. Jerry Maren appeared as Buster Brown, Alan Reed as the poet, and Vito Scotti portrayed both Pasta Fazooli and Rama. Bud Tollefson voiced Tige the dog.

*Smilin' Ed McConnell and His Buster Brown Gang* had been one of the first children's shows filmed in Hollywood. McConnell would start each episode by greeting the audience with "Hiya, kids," followed by a song for the sponsor: "I got shoes, you got shoes, everybody's got to have shoes, but there's only one kind of shoe for me—good old Buster Brown shoes!" He would then thank his "buddies and sweethearts" and announce another "good old Saturday hullabaloo." Despite a small budget, the show was a hit, bringing the long-standing Buster Brown advertising characters to life and driving shoe sales. Initially filmed before a live audience, the production later switched to intercutting prerecorded children's reactions as McConnell's health declined.

Regular segments included music and stories from "Smilin' Ed's Storybook," as well as a serial called "Gunga, the East India Boy." This serial followed Gunga Ram and his friend Rama on adventures around the village of Bakore, led by the Maharajah. A beloved segment featured the green puppet Froggy the Gremlin, who would appear in a puff of smoke when McConnell yelled "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" Froggy would then interrupt the story and cause mischief. Devine later used the same catchphrase.

After McConnell's death, Devine hosted the show from a big easy chair, reading from *Andy's Stories* while film clips illustrated the tales. Without a live audience, the studio could use limited special effects, like Froggy's entrances and exits. Recurring characters included Midnight the Cat, Squeeky the Mouse (actually a hamster), and Grandie the Talking Piano. Midnight, a large black cat, sometimes played an organ grinder and would say "Nice" in a falsetto meow. In filmed segments, Nino Marcel played Gunga Ram, who, along with his friend Rama (Vito Scotti), helped the Maharajah. Billy Gilbert regularly appeared, often getting interrupted by Froggy and then chasing the gremlin until he vanished. One surviving clip shows Vito Scotti trying to explain singing while Froggy mocks him; Scotti eventually tries to grab Froggy, but the gremlin disappears. Devine closed each show with, "Yes, sir, we're pals, and pals stick together. And now, gang, don't forget church or Sunday school."

Some of Devine's original episodes have survived, including a few color segments from near the show's end in 1960. VHS and DVD releases exist, and clips are available online. The entire collection of filmed programs—over a ton of material—along with the broadcast rights, belongs to Hubbard Broadcasting of St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1982, the duo Buckner & Garcia paid tribute to McConnell and Froggy with the novelty song "Froggy's Lament," about the arcade game Frogger, featuring the lyrics "Hiya kids" and "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" Clips from the show, including a sequence of Midnight the Cat and Squeeky the Mouse performing "Jesus Loves Me," appeared in the film *The Movie Orgy*.