OK, Google shows that a fair number of people also remember the good Major, so I suppose it’s no surprise. But it’s still one of those names that made me laugh out loud when I read it in the “Pierced” column of the weekly Globe magazine this week. I don’t even know clearly what the full memory of the old Muddster was, but it was a happy one, one of those childhood essences of the golden old days.
Several sites have general info (disappointingly not as detailed as I’d like to see) on the whole raft of shows from that era, ones that I every now and then mention to my friends, most of whom go “Huh?” at me. At least all of those who didn’t grow up around here. It’s kind of like my standby question to see how long someone’s actually lived in eastern MA. “Where do you get if you turn left on Spitbrook, right on Daniel Webster?”
If you know the answer, then congratulations, you used to live in MA (or NH) a loooong time ago, just like me.
I also remember the Major. He wore an old Mercury style suit with the flip up type helmet. He was on around the same time as Willie Wistle if you rmember that name. Anyway I thought that you might like to know that there are more of us out there that also remember that era.
Cheers,
Dude
OMG I have another reader! Whoo-hoo!
Yes, I remember Willie Wistle as well, although not as fondly for some reason. I suppose the yet-another-clown aspect wasn’t appealing to me, while the faux-spaceman (not that I knew what ‘faux’ was at that age) was pretty cool at that age.
And I’m always astounded when people don’t know who Rex Trailer is. I mean, he was famous within showbiz, for crying out loud! If you didn’t watch him on TV, then surely you saw one of his tours, or went on a tour, or saw him riding by on his horse some day to go to all the events he held, right?
Major Mudd aka Ed O’Donnell lived in Scituate, MA and raised his family in that town. I grew up in Boston and remember him well but my wife grew up in Scituate and knw him and his kids.
Mark Goddard from Lost in Space also lived in Scituate, MA and his family used to own a small shop in that town similar to Woolworths.
I’m a native metro Bostonian (South Shore) now living in suburban St Paul Minnesota. As I watch Versus seeing the Bruins get their butts handed to them by the Toronto Maple Leafs, I started having childhood flashbacks (guess seeing two of the original six play revived Bobby Orr memories and the kidshow flashbacks). I was in mid grade school during the height (I’ll say mid 60s) of the Major Mudd/Rex Trailer era and haven’t seen anything, anywhere documenting Rex Trailer’s Boomtown signoff song. Can anybody post these lyrics??
Major Mudd, Willie Whistle, Romper Room and Rex Trailer. Wow, I think I’m having a flashback! I watched them all. I remember going to see Rex Trailer at the old South Weymouth Naval Air Station. I remember him using a bullwhip to rip a newspaper in half, damn I wanted to be the kid that went up on stage to hold that paper! Thanks for the memories.
I remember the Major in his ship “the nevous One” going whoosh himself to make the sound of the cardboard door sliding.
Chris
Take a look at this:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5202940698975412644
Awesome! Not only a mini-retrospective of Rex and his show, but look at those luminaries proclaiming his praises! And no, I’m not counting Jay as a luminary, rather those names any good over-30 year old Bostonian would know by heart. Thx.@@
Major Mudd? Here are some things I remember about the origianl afternoon show.
He showed Three Stooges shorts.
He braodcast from a Moon base.
The name of his band was “Ricky and the Termites” and he kept them in a matchbox.
His origianl spaceship was called “Lunatic One” and he built it out of round cardboard “trashcan” like containers. He also covered it with tin foil. (It blew up every show!)
Thursday was “Hi to tome!” where he read letters from his fans.
He was hit with pies, water sausages (aka water balloons), and soaked with water from hoses.
His set consisted of a desk with a corragated panel background.
He would spoof TV shows like the old medical show “Ben Casey!”
His show had to stop showing the Stooges becasue they were considerd too violent. He was replaced with George Reeves “The Adventures of Superman” re runs.
He also played “Feep” on the stations “Fantasmic Features” sci fi “B” movie show in the early sixties. (It was on Tuesday nights at 7:00 I think.)
His show was moved to the AM where it competed against “The Today Show!” until Captain Kangaroo came on. This was the show that had the “Nervous One” spaceship and a live audience. I think he was on for two hours at this time. The show was also in color.
The one skit I remember from this version of the show was a takeoff on the “That’s a Spicey Meatball!” ALka Seltzer commercial running at the time. Funny as all heck!
WNAC, Channel 7 was an RKO station that lost it’s broadcasting license becuase of some illegal campaign contributions it gace to Nixon. After the change in ownership I think all the tapes or what not were lost forever.
The Major died of diabites but I do not know when. He also starred in the Three Stooges film “The Outlaws is Coming” and played Bat Masterson.
I’ll be blasting you!
I remember growing up watching Major Mudd. I also remember along with cartoons, he would play various film shorts. I’m not sure, but one was a group of kids who come across a cave, and the more they explore they seem to go back in time. They come across dinosaurs, etc. to the Pre-Cambrian era, and all the way to the beginning of the earth. What was the title of this short? Was it “Journey to the Center of Time” ?
Here is a video from from 1976 about Major Mudd.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/11233569/index.html
Howdy,
Here are the Boomtown lyrics:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=019&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=290101300804&rd=1&rd=1
Ken
[Note: Normally I don't allow commercial comments in my blog, but the http://www.thatse.com folks who are running the above eBay auction seem pretty cool, and might actually appreciate a Rex Trailer signature themselves, instead of just trying to make a quick buck. -Shane, as blog owner]
You can hear the Boomtown theme at http://www.rextrailer.tv/ When I heard Rex sing it at That’s Entertainment in December of last year, it was an amazing experience.
To Brad:
Thanks for the video.
I remember all of them!
Supposedly, a teacher I had in high school, at Weymouth North High, and for the life of me, I can’t remember his name, was Major Mudds stand-in, never took off the helmlet, I believe, when he was on the show, but he did look just like him!
Man, Boomtown takes me back.
Didn’t Major Mudd also host Skittle Alley?
This image should remain active indefinitely, as a resource for anyone wanting to know the Boomtown lyrics: http://www.thatse.com/ebay/00rexprintunsigned.jpg
They are also published currently at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomtown_%28TV_show%29
It’s so sad that Major Mudd died young. I hope he knew how much his show meant to a generation, but I’m afraid it probably took that generation a long time to even realize it. When we found ourselves in this brave new world, we started to treasure the one that had slipped away.
Wow.
I Googled “Major Mudd” and came up with a treasure trove of memories. We live in NC (wife & I) and when we’re together and go to an automatic door, I still sometimes do a “whoosh” sound and we BOTH remember where THAT came from!
They don’t make shows like that anymore and more’s the pity. As the previous poster said, it’s a shame that it takes a bunch of years before we realise what we lost.
BTW, I’ve used “IBBY” as a test to see if someone my age was REALLY from the area for a long time
I recently returned from a 44 year neighborhood reunion this week and we all recalled our Major Mudd moments. Myself and two friends connected with the good Major and actually appeared on his show and presented him with a trophy type award from Danvers High School for being a most popular person from our area. He in return honored us by attending our high school senior play. My two of the friends that appeared with me on his show later played music at his benefit shown in a video clip on this blog sight.
Hi All!~
I remember Major Mudd well!! My brother and I sent him a letter, which he read on air! What a thrill! We also met him a Whalom Park in Lunenburg! Now, we all know he played the voice of feep..the alien puppet on the late night sci-fi movie show..but..does ANYONE remember the saturday morning show where he played old tarzan movies, and had a monkey named roscoe? It was Lord Bumblebrook..anyone remember? If you do, send me an email dooglaaone@msn.com
Hi, I found this in a three stooges search. Thanks for the memories. I vaguely remember Major Mudd. But here are some other memorable nostalgic shows we all liked from then…
tarzan
and
the three stooges
enjoy! -Zencat
Old Scifi is the bomb! I grew up watching that stuff all the time.
Does anyone remember Ed O’Donnell’s Saturday (or was it Sunday?) morning dance show in the early 70′s called “Skittle Alley”?
It was hoot to see half my neighborhood friends dancing on there at the same time just because one of the neighborhood mothers had connections!
Yes, and for a period “Major Mudd” came on late afternoons following “Dialing for Dollars” on WNAC-TV, Channel 7, an RKO General station and, at the time, Boston’s ABC affiliate.
“Dialing for Dollars” was a local film showcase program (airing the types of classic films now shown on Turner Classic Movies), with wrap segments hosted by Ed Miller (who, like Ed McDonnell, died young, of hemophilia-related illness). Miller, who also hosted a local morning talk program called “Speak Out!,” would call Boston area residents on the phone from strips of phone number listings pulled, presumbaly, from local phone directories, and award the answering parties cash prizes. When Miller was absent, the substitute host was Hank Bouchard, who did the weather reports on both WNAC and the Providence CBS affiliate station, WPRI (now WPRO).
Actually, Channel 64 had or has the old Channel 7 call letters “WNAC,” just as the current Channel 7 now has the old Channel 5 call letters “WHDH” (from when it was owned by the old “Boston Herald Traveler” before it lost its FCC license to Boston Broadcasters, becoming WCVB-TV). Ironically, the very premise that challenged WHDH’s license, that one entity could not own two media organizations in the same market, is now reversed and WCVB itself is owned by a national chain, Hearst-Argyle. Also, for a time anyway, Rupert Murdoch owned both FOX25 and the Herald, I believe. Is that really any better than being owned by a local, big city newspaper, as was the case when the “Herald Traveler” owned wHDH Radio & TV? At least in those days the “Herald” gave “The Boston Globe” (now owned by The New York Times) a run for its money. Plus, we had a third daily paper in “The Boston Record American & Sunday Advertiser.” It was only after the Herlad losing Channel 5 that the two papers merged for a period as “The Boston Herald-American.” Does anyone recall WINGO?
Sadly, there is no more WHDH radio in Boston, that spot at 850AM on the AM frequency now occupied by “WEEI,” which had formerly been at 590AM, and for many years a CBS talk & news station. In fact, I recall WEEI in the ’60s as broadcasting what were the last vestiges of old-time radio–having aired Arthur Godfrey’s program and the radio version of “Art Linkletter’s House Party.” My mom would listen to those programs while doing her ironing, baking, etc. In the ’70′s & perhaps into the ’80′s, ‘EEI also aired “CBS Radio Mystery Theater,” a kind of homage to the old-time radio dramas.
It was great when locally-owned, Boston radio & TV stations both had the license to carry Red Sox games, ‘HDH radio having Ned Martin do the play-by-=play, while the TV side had Ken Coleman, and with Johnny Pesky joining both for the “color” or analyst spot. But several of the on-air personalities from the old Channel 5 (WHDH-TV) did survive the transition to WCVB, including Frank Avruch (though no longer “Bozo” at that point), Bob Copeland, Chet Curtis, Don Gillis, Bill Harrington & Jack Hynes.
I also recall that late afternoons the old Channel 7, in addition to airing “Major Mudd” & the aforementioned “Superman,” would also carry reruns of “Dennis the Menace,” then “Mr. Ed” and “Twilight Zone” and “The Rifleman” early evenings.
In the later days of WNAC/Channel 7, sportscaster Bob Gamere hosted a “bowling for dollars ” program called “Candlepins for Cash.” That was also, I believe, the era when Bill O’Reilly anchored the Channel 7 news, and of course everyone knows what O’Reilly’s doing now. Gamere had a few runs of bad luck involvimng DUI’s, worked at a few other Boston stations following his dismissal from WNAC. Does anyone know what became of him? At some point, Channel 7 also had the call letters “WNEV.”
Also, I recall that when “Major Mudd” ran weekday mornings, which I would watch while eating breakfast & just before going to my patrol boy (student crossing guard position) post in sixth grade, the program would also air reruns of “Timmy & Lassie,” also Abbott & Costello, Beatles and Three Stooges cartoons. Does anyone out there remember this format of “Major Mudd?”
Those were memorable times, for sure!
Hey…my husband was on this show when he was a kid….Is there a way to get these on video or dvd? I would love to see it. It is one of my husband’s fondest memories.
I remember the show Skiddle-Alley I always thought it was hosted by
Major Mudd for some reason, I can’t recall if it was Rex Trailer
Me & my brother Robert & my 3 other cousins were on the show
It aired one saturday morning I believe it was the next weekend
cause it was taped 1 week in advance
I had alot of fun I remember I was picked to be in a Dance contest
I even rememeber the song that was played (That Lady by The Isley Brothers) when ever I hear that song my mind goes right back to that show it’s really funny how you never forget I was picked out as a winner & recieved a prize
I think it was a Giant Tootsie Roll (not like todays version) It was pretty big at least 12″ long & it was wrapped in a paper tootsie roll label & filled with lots of tiny toosie rolls
At the time I thought it was a solid thing ……….oh well
I remember my Aunt had gotten ne in as well I wasn’t supposed to be
on but she convinced the crew to let me in I remember as we all left the studio we each got a plastic bag that said “Skittle-Alley” & It was filled with candy I think & they gave each of us a board game
If I remember correctly It was “The Hair Bear Bunch” game
It was a real memorable time that I treasure it as childhood memories
When we left the studio for some reason when I think back I remember
seeing this giant Pewter Pot tea kettle near where the building was
again I was very small maybe 7 or 8 so Boston was just a giant place
well thanks for the memories good luck on you blog
Oh wow! I remember being on Skittle Alley… I was in a team contest where you had to stuff a pillow into a pillowcase and then the next person would have to take it out… I was also in the dance contest….I had friends that were on almost every week!! I would love to see reruns of that somehow!!!… or not.
Major Mudd rocked our house every morning for years! I recall his morning show from the late 60s more so than his afternoon show with the Stooges (and Ricky and the Termites), which was more free-wheeling, friends tell me. First hour had TIMMY & LASSIE, second hour packed in cartoons, games and skits–great way to brace myself for Miss Ocklemann’s fifth-grade class! Fun to recall all the kids’ show hosts literally in the New England air back then: MM, Rex, Bozo (both on Channels 5 and 27, yay Worcester!), Uncle Gus (“OK Kids, time to Name the States!”), Salty Brine, Big Brother Bob Emery, Bob Glover on 56, and 38′s ever-popular Willie Whistle!
Yes I remember Major Mudd. I was on the show when I was little. I still have an autographed picture of him. I don’t remember much but I remember being on the show and winning a game. I would love to see that show sometime or get them on DVD and try to find myself. But they probably don’t have them anywhere. Thanks for the memories.
I went to Weymouth North High School, and I can’t remember his name at the moment, but he was an accounting teacher, and I believe…..he was also used as Major Mudds stand-in.
Anyone else know of this?
j.
i was on the major mudd show and actually got picked to introduce the show …..were any of the shows saved on tape???
My brownie troop was on the show once, and I got to sit right behind Major Mudd on the bleacher seats! I remember I tried to tickle him, but he didn’t feel it through his ‘space suit.’
I actually had a crush on Mr. GreenJeans.
I was on the Mjor Mudd show as a kid in 1971 or ’72. I had a great time and he was a nice guy. I remember he was to make a personal appearance at Moynihan Bnaseball Field in HydePark where I lived. He was brought to the field in a “Paddy Wagon” by the Boston Police Dept. Unfortunately, they had to take him out because everyone threw eggs and pies at him. He would get hit with a pie in the face on every episode of his show. he died very young and it was sad.
I remember that the t.v station sponsored vacations, coinciding with school vacations, to Disney World with Rex Trailer, and Sgt. Billy. If you look at one of the video clips you’ll see Sgt. Billy at the Magic Kingdom.
I loved Major Mudd. His show and Rex Trailer’s Boom Town were my favorite childhood shows. I can’t remember many details of the Major Mudd show anymore, except he seemed more upbeat and comical than Rex Trailer, and he had CARTOONS on his show which were great!
Shane
>Nov 26th, 2006 at 12:54 pm
>OMG I have another reader! Whoo-hoo!
>Yes, I remember Willie Wistle as well, although not as fondly for >some reason. I suppose the yet-another-clown aspect wasn’t >appealing to me, while the faux-spaceman (not that I knew >what ‘faux’ was at that age) was pretty cool at that age. And I’m >always astounded when people don’t know who Rex Trailer is. I mean, >he was famous within showbiz, for crying out loud! If you didn’t >watch him on TV, then surely you saw one of his tours, or went on a >tour, or saw him riding by on his horse some day to go to all the >events he held, right?
Being away from the Boston area for the last 30 years, I’m thrilled whenever someone DOES know Rex Trailer, Major Mudd or anyone from back in my days. It flipped me out when a 15 year old (now around 21) asked me who Pablo was. SHE KNOWS OF BOOM TOWN!!! Okay, so she didn’t know since she was asking me. But it was a joy someone that young ever heard of him at all. And she never even lived in the Boston area.
Jim
Nov 13th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
“Dialing for Dollars” was a local film showcase program (airing the types of classic films now shown on Turner Classic Movies), with wrap segments hosted by Ed Miller (who, like Ed McDonnell, died young, of hemophilia-related illness). Miller, who also hosted a local morning talk program called “Speak Out!,” would call Boston area residents on the phone from strips of phone number listings pulled, presumbaly, from local phone directories, and award the answering parties cash prizes.
Oh I remember that!! I used to love the movies on there. My best friend’s mother kept some kind of paper by her side in case he called her, which he never did. Wasn’t there some kind of number, like the number of dollars being given we had to know in order to win it? I can’t remember exactly what that paper was she had. But I thought it was some kind of information needed in order to win that game if he calls you. I remember then, and when I have no time to watch television now days, I envy me back then in summer vacation and my friend’s mother for having the free time to sit there every day and watch that show. I wish I could do the equivalent of that, and see as good movies as he had on, if I ever get to retire.
Major Mudd…wow Just to show you how much the ol’ Major and his club meant to me, by the time I was in high school and went to take the SAT test, instead of showing my driver’s license for ID, I displayed my Battalion card! LOL. I still have that card, and my signed Major Mudd pic.
Big Brother Bob Emory…in ’60 he had a spelling bee for all jr. highs in SE Mass. and our school participated. A girl my age and I were selected to compete for the school, we went on the show, and won! Took three consecutive appearances to clinch the thing. Mr. Emory was very kind and affable. Those stories of him being a nickle plated tyrant off-camera were just that. Stories. And the tale about him saying “little bastards” is a confused recollection of radio’s “Uncle Don.”
I was never into the cowboy thing, so didn’t see much of Rex Trailer. I was Major Mudd material all the way!
Oh yes and Feep on “Fantasmic Features.” “after tonight’s fantasmic feature, you won’t feep at all!” I developed my lifelong love of “B” horror/sci-fi films from watching that program and I really owe Feep a debt of gratitude. Love to buy him a beer one day!
Jules, lairdofglencairn2003@yahoo.com
I remember Major Mudd,Boomtown,as a child living in Manchaug,Ma. they both came there and we met the characters personally. Even Betty Tapscott the teacher of Romper Room. My mom and her were very good friends. Way back when times were alot simpler. And Don’t forget Bozo the Clown or Captain Kangaroo. lol
Does anyone remember what the theme music was to the Major Mudd Show? It was a circus style march that I once had a copy of. Any help would be appreciated.
Note: Nice to see I was not the only one wasting their life in front of the boob tube way back when.
Anyone remember Dana Hersey’s “Movie Loft” on TV 38?
Even more scary! I remember YOU, Shane, we worked together.
Very nice information. Thanks for this.
my brother and I were lucky enough to appear on the major mudd show, we lived in East Arlington and Johnny’s foodmaster in somerville had a contest for tickets to the show, you had to toss a frisbee into a shopping cart 3 times in a row from probably 25 feet. I remember we did a skit on bonanza on the show, my brother played “hoss” and I played “little joe”. my brother was also lucky enough to appear on rex trailer’s boomtown. those were the days my friend
Thanks for all this Info .I saw rex and pablo with my cousins a theold armory in lowell.Rrex still teaches at emerson college in boston and I believe has a studio in watertown ma.Havent her of uncle gus in years.does anyone remember the tubes with marbles in them and you had to get the marbles from the bottom through small holes in 4 different compartments? I believe they were called boob tubes(I still have them,my father threw nothing away.)I also remember that Ernie Boch would advertise on major mudd at supper time.”My name is ernie boch come on down”P.S.Does anyone remember the Santa Clause show from the north pole on WMUR Ch.9 tv in manchestr N.H..where a big chute would drop down from the ceiling with letters to santa being read by santa and an elf
at santas desk?
You guys made this lady’s day! I grew up in Waltham and I just turned 50. I almost cried remembering all of the fun kids shows I watched so long ago. Like many others I too was on the Major Mudd show. I don’t remember now what I had to do, but I remember the old ladies dress they put on me and the hat with the tassled sequines that was almost like a shower cap. At that point I think I was missing my 2 front teeth so I looked really goofy. lol. Wish I could get a copy of that show.
Major Mudd was Ed McDonald of Scituate. A real character
He had 6 or 7 children and was a real friend to kids. As someone who grew up in the town I remembering him appearing at St Francis
Church fair and every kid went crazy. Thanks for the memories
Major !!
Wow – I worked on the Major Mudd show – it is so nice to know that the show and Ed are remembered so fondly. If you were a guest between 1969/1972 I probably met you since it was my job to keep all you kids in line so the Major could do his show.
But it was easy, your excitement was palpable and added so much to the show and gave the Major energy!
Thanks for the memories – I am writing a speech about my experiences with the Major and how much fun every day was – by far the most fun job I ever had!
It was sad that Ed died so young – those years bring me so many wonderful memories.
I loved Major Mudd, and got to be on the show when I was 8. I remember being disappointed that it wasn’t really in a spaceship, but inside a building. We walked up a long, carpeted staircase. The Major’s chair had some candy wrappers in it. There were large cables all around the floor, and we had to be careful where we walked. We were put in line, and had to walk up to the Major’s desk, stating our name and address and saluting him. I was worried I would get it wrong. I remember bringing home Good and Plenty candies and an autographed picture.
I grew up in Scituate and remember when he came to the “Dump” to talk to people about recycling, even back then!!!! My dad drove back to get me smiling all the way. “Guess who’s at the Dump?” We drove back together. Seeing Major Mudd at the Dump was surreal indeed, like he had landed on some sort of freakish bad-smelling planet. Very sweet to everyone. Yep, Good and Plenty was passed out…..
Anyone also remember “Community Auditions” – the local TV show who showcased local talent. I still remember the theme song – one of those things that burrowed itself so deeply in my memory that I can’t shake. Same with the number for the Sheraton or something. Ladies singing “800-325-3535!” Can’t tell you what I had for lunch, tho.
Thanks for the Muddsite – its been a slice!
@Carole – ooh, I just came back here and will have to look you up.
@Anita – of course I remember “Community Auditions”! “Star of the day, who will it be, da da daa da da daa!” I don’t remember the phone number of the Sheraton, but I will *always* know where 492-1111 (say it out loud and you’ll remember) will dial.