“Garfield Goose and Friends” host Frazier Thomas with puppets Garfield Goose and Beauregard Burnside III, with Thomas son Jeff, 5, behind the camera at WGN-TV studios in 1958. | Chicago Tribune historical photo
By Michael Peregrine | Chicago Tribune
Among the scores of celebrated Christmas characters whose memories enrich the holiday spirit, one is truly unique to Chicago. He was real, not fictional, and is best remembered as the daily chronicler of seasonal excitement for several generations of young local television viewers. And to him, it was a high calling.
The local institution that was Frazier Thomas began his career, humbly, as a magician and transitioned to radio and television work in Cincinnati. In the early 1950s, he found TV work in Chicago, first with CBS affiliate WBBM-Ch. 2 and then with the independent WGN-Ch. 9. In 1955, he began hosting a unique afternoon cartoon show that was to turn into a lifetime gig for him and a television classic for Chicago children.
The show, “Garfield Goose and Friends,” featured the puppet Garfield Goose, who fancied himself as the “King of the United States.” The show’s set was modeled after a medieval castle. Wearing a silly uniform festooned with epaulets and medals, Thomas doubled as the show’s host and as Garfield’s “prime minister” and admiral of his navy.
Other puppet characters included Romberg Rabbit, Macintosh Mouse and Beauregard Burnside III. Primitive cartoons such as “Clutch Cargo” and “Diver Dan” were displayed through the “Little Theater Screen,” roughly the size of an Etch A Sketch. Thomas often mixed regal chatter with simple moral lessons for the royal court and also for the children watching at home.
But it was Thomas’ treatment of the Christmas season that particularly endeared him to the kids of Chicago. The big buildup would begin in early December, with the repetitive showing of low-tech holiday cartoons such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Hardrock, Coco and Joe” and “Suzy Snowflake.” Other Christmas content came from appearances by Garfield’s “cousin,” “Chris(tmas) Goose.”
He would supplement this with annual showings of “Miracle on 34th Street” and “A Christmas Carol” (the scary black-and-white version) on his “Family Classics” program on Sunday afternoons.
But things would come to a fever pitch with Thomas’ breathless radar reports from the North Pole as the days wound down to Christmas Eve. Santa’s sleigh was being tracked! He’s on his way! It was the television version of a Christmas sugar high for Chicago kids, guaranteed to make them stay up well past their Christmas Eve bedtimes.
When “Garfield Goose and Friends” ended after 21 years, Thomas went on to host other memorable programming on WGN, never veering from his focus on children’s entertainment. Indeed, he died suddenly at age 66, the day after hosting an Easter Seals telethon.
All of that is cute, but prehistoric in today’s sophisticated digital world. What’s the big deal? Did Thomas shape laws? Cure diseases? Climb mountains? Win championships? No. But of those who have, it’s a fair bet that some of them grew up watching Thomas — especially at Christmas.
For during the long run of “Garfield Goose,” Thomas brought home the joy of Christmas to thousands of young viewers. Indeed, for many Chicagoans age 60 and older, those wonderful things that were “Frazier Thomas and friends” remain the kind of wonderful things that we remember all through our lives.
Thomas, the man who spent a career talking to puppets, made a difference. And in the spirit of the season, that’s worth remembering — that those who affect the lives of others come in all shapes, sizes and flavors and reflect the widest range of motivations.
Some of them may be driven to achieve greatness, some to achieve wealth and fame, some to serve society, and some may be comfortable serving the smallest of niches, such as entertaining children. But kids aren’t very good at saying thanks.
Which brings us back to the holiday season. To paraphrase some Henry Mancini lyrics, it’s a time when we pause to reflect upon the good things. And we think about those people who’ve meant so much to us and for so many years have made us so very happy. And we count the times we’ve forgotten to say thank you.
Thank you, Frazier Thomas.
– Michael Peregrine is a Chicago attorney. He resists the urge to converse with geese.
Read Full Post »
