Art Linkletter died at 97, news that couldn’t help but set off a wave of nostalgia in this Baby Boomer. His television shows, from “Funny People” to “House Party” I always saw playing on our televisions when I was a kid, all through the 1950’s and 1960’s.
He had a knack, often understated, of putting kids in the spotlight when he ad-libbed his reactions and comments. One part of the show “Home Party” developed by Linkletter asked the children various questions. He immediately said that the best questions are with ladies over 80 and children, because “they will tell you what they feel.”
For a trip back in time, check out this “House Party” video on YouTube here, written in black and white, on Art. Linkletter’s television “playroom”. The amateurish stage of the show can be compared to the most technical special effects in today’s television shows, but it did not depart from Linkletter’s appeal to the audience. One of Linkletter’s lesser known surprise appearances was his introduction in the children’s movie, The Snow Queen. I only know because I have a copy of the movie as well as the original sound recording, starring Sandra Dee as Gerta and Tommy Kirk as Kay.
Linkletter was savvy enough to know that the kids’ answers were going to be funny, even bordering on risqué. Later he wrote a book “Kids Say the Darndest Things”, which contained some The best questions and answers about the kids segment. The book became a best-seller. The paperback copy still remains in my parents’ bookcase, though the binding is worn and the long pages are yellowing.
The old show biz is great about never working with children and animals. But Linkletter doesn’t seem to care about being upstated by children, as he was savvy enough to realize how much the kids’ audience loved the comments, however unexpected. Linkletter’s moves would often have the audience roaring with laughter.
Linkletter made several guest appearances, often doing cameo bits, on several shows. At one time, he was next to Humphrey Bogart and appeared in 2003 television shows around Bogart. He was also a friend of Walt Disney and had a role in “Walt: The Man Post Myth” as well as hosting several Disney shows . The show also hosted everything from Jack Benny to Milton Berle.
Life is not always clear for Linkletter. She lost three children. One of Diane’s daughters died in 1969 and Robert’s son died in a car accident. Another son, Jack, died of cancer at the age of 70. Before Diane died, Linkletter made a memorial with a song called “We love you, Call the Collection .” It can be seen here. Centered on a runaway daughter and featuring the voices of both Art and Diane Linkletter, it was a 1970 Grammy Award-winner for Best Recording. Linkletter announced that the album was used to combat drug abuse, as he blamed the loss of his daughter on the use of LSD.
Although Linkletter was often criticized, his popularity was evident in his television ratings as well as the number of people who bought his bestselling book. It has been more than 50 years since I first saw Linkletter but his voice was often in the background, either in one of his television shows or in Saturday morning introducing the sound recording of “The Snow Queen” my sister and I loved it so much.
Would his shows be popular today? Probably not, but I think of him as the adult equivalent of Mr. For adults, Rogers was friendly enough to be anyone’s neighbor during the 50s and 60s. He wasn’t big on drama and the bells and whistles that so many actors, singers and actresses use today. His skill was to let others out of the spotlight and simply listen to them as they did.
Sources:
Personal experience
Art Linkletter, TV Host, Dies 97, NY Times, May 26, here
TV Military art Linkletter dies at 97, Seattle Pi TV Guide, here
YouTube video here Party House
The video of “We love you, Call Collecta”
IMBD.com
