The Floppy Show

by Jeff Stein

  For the half-hour afternoon program, The Floppy Show, the on-air foils for Floppy’s jokes were a series of young female cohosts, many of whom appeared on the show while attending Drake University. A total of five women served as Floppy Girls during the first decade of the 30-year run of The Floppy Show.

  The first was Clinton native Patty Whalen, the 1961 Miss Iowa. She was followed by Sally Wilson, who was in turn followed by Connie Foster, who went on to appearances on network TV shows and commercials. Then came Sandy Johnson, who was on the show at the time the classic holiday special Floppy’s Christmas Adventure was produced. The fifth and final cohost was Cheryl Ray.

  Soon Ellett taught himself ventriloquism, and he and Floppy made personal appearances together in cities and towns large and small across the state. Before long, Ellett and Floppy were seen on camera together and became one of Iowa’s great two-man stand-up acts, with very little change in format over the decades. “I gave it about two years when we started,” Ellett remembered in a 1985 interview. “But it has picked up momentum and kept growing.”

  Some thought that doing a daily children’s program in front of a live audience would get old after a while. Ellett disagreed. “It’s not the same to me, because with each group of young people that enters the studio down there, I see a lot of new faces and new little individuals,” he said at the time of the show’s 20th anniversary in 1977. “Just the idea of meeting all the new kids that come, and meeting the parents also, it’s something I look forward to.”

  Favorite cartoons included Popeye and Tom and Jerry. Other favorites featured various Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

  “People say why don’t you get some new cartoons, and our theory is to keep using the same cartoons and bringing new children along,” Ellett once joked. “It’s a lot more economical that way.”

  Floppy was even certified as a K-9 officer with the Des Moines Police Department on March 17, 1966, complete with photograph identification card.

  Des Moines police chief Vear Douglas (right) presents Floppy with his K-9 officer badge while frequent midday cartoon show host and Floppy foil Don Warren (left) looks on. Warren hosted The Don Warren Good Morning Show on WHO radio from the late 1950s into the early 1970s.

  A series of five young women served as the human cohost on The Floppy Show in the 1960s, many while attending Drake University, Duane Ellett’s alma mater. The first was Clinton, Iowa, native Patty Whalen, who was Miss Iowa 1961. After college, Whalen became a business manager. (Both, courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The second in the series of female cohosts was Sybil Byers, who went by the name “Sally Wilson” on the air. She started working in the WHO-TV promotions department in 1961 and was on The Floppy Show from June 1964 to August 1966. (Both, courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The third Floppy Girl, and the one who returned to visit on-air over the years, was Connie Foster, who started on the show while studying at Drake University in 1966. She left the program in early 1968. Many of those who appeared on the show auditioned for alum Duane Ellett to gain television experience much like a later-day internship. (Above, courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The third Floppy Girl, Connie Foster, went on to become an actress in California, appearing in television programs such as All in the Family and Chicago Story as well as commercials for Ace Hardware, but returned to beep Floppy’s nose on Duane and Friend in 1981. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The fourth female cohost on the program was Sandy Johnson. She was the Floppy Girl while a Drake University student from April 1968 to July 1969. She was cohost of the program during production of the hour-long Floppy’s Christmas Adventure special, which enjoyed an annual revival on Channel 13 in the 2000s. The program was unique in that cartoons and riddles were not a part of the show; instead, with a script penned by Duane Ellett, Floppy learns the true meaning of Christmas after feeling unappreciated and running away from home.

  The fifth and final female cohost was Cheryl Ray, whose one year on the show began at the 1969 Iowa State Fair. By this point, since Ellett appeared on camera, the role of the Floppy Girl was to serve as a further foil for Floppy and to allow for broader interaction with the children. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  Television stations that produced local children’s programming often held a special show at Christmastime for the offspring of employees and family; sometimes, material was used on the air, but just as often, the show hosts would entertain the children of coworkers in a private setting. As seen in this photograph from the early 1980s, children of all ages—and their parents—posed for a memorable keepsake picture.

  Christmas was not the only holiday recognized on The Floppy Show. Sally Wilson, Duane Ellett, and Floppy are seen with the children who attended a program around Easter.

  In addition to a goodie bag with snacks provided by show sponsors, those who were on the show received a “class photograph” to remember their day on the air. And to make things easier when sending those photographs to families, a slate typically was included in the frame to note what day the children were on the show; here, January 22, 1979. While the number of children on each show varied depending on the time of year, typically two dozen youngsters were an integral part of the program each weekday.

  Ellett and Floppy were a big hit with Iowa State University (ISU) students and appeared on campus frequently. Given the patriotic theme of Floppy’s box, this photograph with ISU mascot Cy the Cardinal was likely taken in 1976. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  Celebrities who were in touring companies performing in Des Moines often stopped by the midday Duane and Friend program, which had a larger adult audience—just after the noon newscast—to promote their appearance. Here, Kathryn Crosby beeps Floppy’s nose while in Des Moines in July 1979 to perform in Guys and Dolls. She resumed her acting career following the death of her husband, Bing, in October 1977.

  It was hard to know where Ellett and Floppy would turn up—perhaps at a stock car race at an Iowa track (above) or at a charity event with celebrities such as Arte Johnson (right) of Laugh-In fame (below).

  Duane Ellett was a fan of legendary performer Steve Allen, in large part because they were quite similar. Both embarked on broadcasting careers after taking a course on radio at Drake University, both were multitalented performers, and both composed and performed their own music. Allen returned to Des Moines in 1975 to serve as grand marshal of the Drake Relays parade and stopped by the WHO studios for an interview—and a nose beep.

  Floppy had bipartisan appeal, as shown by the photographs on this page. Dick Clark (above) was a US senator representing Iowa from 1973 to 1979. The Democrat became well known for walking across the state of Iowa during his initial run for the office. Robert D. Ray served as Iowa governor from 1969 to 1983, a record at the time. Ray often celebrated the Iowa State Fair’s opening day by making an appearance on The Floppy Show. And as shown in this 1976 photograph below, not even the state’s chief executive could resist beeping Floppy’s nose.

  While the Batman television series only aired for two seasons, Adam West was forever linked to the “caped crusader.” While in Des Moines with the legendary “Batmobile” for an appearance at a car show, West dropped by The Floppy Show on November 4, 1977, and provided audiences with some memorable moments of unscripted banter with Duane Ellett—much of it understood only by parents of the children watching the show. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The Floppy Show attracted big stars, but to the children on the show, there was likely no bigger star than Santa Claus himself—except perhaps Floppy, of course. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  Often Ellett would select one of the older children to hold the microphone while he and Floppy listened to the kids ask riddles. As seen in this late1970s photograph, the children were so eager to get close to Floppy that having someone else hold the microphone was helpful.

  Younger children sought to beep Floppy’s nose; for those a bit older, it was a badge of honor to get Floppy to growl and bite a finger, as in this photograph from an appearance at Tulip Days in P
ella.

  Four

  RIDDLES AND NOSE BEEPS

  A special tradition of The Floppy Show was for children who were celebrating a birthday to get the chance to hold a cardboard question mark, signifying that they were able to ask Floppy a riddle in between cartoons and then to beep Floppy’s nose for luck.

  No matter how many times Floppy was asked “What is the biggest pencil in the world?” or “Why did the man put his car in the oven?”, he always acted surprised when the laughing youngster would say, “Pennsylvania,” or “Because he wanted a hot rod.” Other favorite riddles included:

  Q: Why did the man throw his clock out of the window?

  A: Because he wanted to see time fly.

  Q: What’s the biggest eye in the world?

  A: Iowa

  Q: What kind of train chews gum?

  A: A chew-chew train (choo-choo)

  Some children would make up their own riddles, which may not have made much sense to adults watching the show, but the child and his or her friends found it hilarious, so Floppy did, too, with Ellett praising “original material” being used on the show.

  Ellett admitted there was one time when Floppy was not paying attention and actually answered the riddle correctly out of reflex. The child who asked the riddle was crestfallen at not being able to stump Floppy. He said the guilt over that experience made him determined that Floppy would never again answer a riddle correctly, even by accident.

  And then there was the famous nose beep. While the child was focused on pressing Floppy’s black nose, Ellett would press the button of a buzzer tucked just inside the box from which Floppy appeared; it was a bit of sleight of hand, but the children were all delighted that their touch of Floppy’s nose led to the crisp buzzing sound.

  As an entertainer, working with children has its challenges. Ellett’s efforts to engage children sometimes were ignored due to their fascination with other things; above, a young cowgirl tries to figure out how her stick horse is put together, while below, a boy is transfixed by meeting Floppy in person.

  Floppy’s box took on different forms over time. It was frequently covered in gift wrap around Christmastime. In later years, the cardboard box gave way to a more substantial frame with a soft carpet wrap.

  Despite hundreds of personal appearances a year, in addition to the daily television programs, Duane Ellett clearly loved interacting with children, as seen by his expression in each of these photographs—and the feeling was mutual.

  For many young people, this was their big moment—asking Floppy a riddle. A lot of rehearsal took place to impress their idol (and the nice man holding the microphone).

  This photograph from the early 1970s was used in promotion for the show. The original wall that Floppy would appear from behind is seen in the background, even though Ellett and Floppy had appeared together for some years by this point. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  Children delighted when Floppy would say something that led Ellett to react in disgust or exasperation. Yet Floppy would always get back in Ellett’s good graces by the end, as in this appearance at a school. While Ellett and Floppy were paid for personal appearances at community celebrations and business-related events, the duo donated their time to visit schools and hospitals; often, the hospital visits were unannounced and without fanfare.

  Many parents took photographs of their children with Ellett and Floppy after the show, often sending a copy of those pictures to the host. Both of these photographs were taken in 1971 and were saved in Ellett’s office files.

  While children may have become fond of Floppy at a young age, Ellett could still use school appearances with slightly older children to have a positive impact.

  An eager audience welcomed Ellett and Floppy to Newton for a Christmastime appearance in the 1960s. These events were often sponsored by community business and trade groups so parents could drop their children off at a safe, chaperoned event and then take advantage of the free time to shop in the downtown business district.

  Since Floppy’s expressions were somewhat limited, it fell to Duane Ellett to pick up the slack and, in doing so, help audiences impute more expression to Floppy as well. At this personal appearance, attendees wore name tags, even Floppy, who was easily the most recognizable in the room.

  Ellett and Floppy’s success even made the March 1962 issue of a national television-radio trade publication, known to those in the industry as TVR. The article includes a rare public photograph of Duane Ellett and his wife, Lois, as well as Duane with their three children.

  The difficulty of conveying Floppy’s image in a flat surface is shown by this 1960s-era Floppy mask produced by WHO-TV. But since it said “Floppy” on the front, it was popular with children, even if the resemblance to their favorite puppet was not perfect.

  This flyer from 1974 was to encourage communities and civic groups to hire Ellett and Floppy for personal appearances at their local festivals and events. “Make the Kids Happy in Your Community,” it suggests, and notes that in addition to The Floppy Show in late afternoon, the duo hosts the weekday Cartoon Town program at 12:15 p.m. and the Sunday morning Floppy’s Cartoon Festival, which aired after another WHO-TV local classic, Let’s Go Bowling.

  Thanks to a bit of sleight of hand, Floppy’s nose would beep when a child pressed it. (Spoiler alert! If one does not want to know the secret, move to the next page!) Watch Ellett’s left hand in this photograph. While the child is focused on Floppy’s nose, Ellett presses an unseen button inside the box, which triggers a buzzer. The process was a modified doorbell system, like one would find in a home.

  For many years, Ellett and Floppy traveled in a distinctive vehicle that was quickly dubbed “the Floppymobile.” It can be seen in the background of this photograph, which also proves that one never outgrew the desire to beep Floppy’s nose.

  This photograph from 1974 was used in the publicity flyer seen on page 64. Ellett retired Floppy’s box not long after; it was showing a bit of wear. The girl beeping Floppy’s nose also seems rather determined to get the most sound for her beep!

  From the youngest age, children were delighted at their interaction with Floppy. That was especially true for the girl in the photograph at left, taken in June 1984. She was the contest winner of a beagle puppy, and Floppy appears to take a liking to both. (Left, courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The child pictured here may not remember meeting Floppy, but Floppy is showing a keen interest in the child. Perhaps the child also got a souvenir “I saw Duane & Floppy” poster like the one hanging in the background.

  Taking a group photograph was a staple of a trip to Channel 13 to be on The Floppy Show. The above photograph includes a Floppy Girl, Patty Whalen, and dates to December 27, 1963. The image below is from a show on January 24, 1977. (Above, courtesy WHO-TV.)

  Cub Scouts, Bluebirds, and Brownies all made their way to the WHO Studios, first at 1100 Walnut Street and later at 1801 Grand Avenue. Here, a Brownie is selected for the special job of holding the microphone during riddle time. (Courtesy WHO-TV.)

  The 1970s saw another weekday program produced locally on WHO-TV, PM Magazine, which aired after the 6:00 p.m. news. Here, production staff from WHO-TV and PM Magazine crew members pose with Ellett and Floppy at the start of a new fall programming season, as shown by the “NBC–Be There!” balloons in the background.

  Another chance for families and station employees to share the magic of Ellett and Floppy with their children was at Christmas. This photograph was taken following what turned out to be the last such show, in December 1986.

  Five

  THROUGH THE YEARS

  Ellett and Floppy appeared on WHO-TV after the noon news on what became known as the Duane and Friend program and again after school for their half-hour The Floppy Show. The midday program often included interviews about local events. On weekends, the duo appeared in a variety of half-hour programs over time, from the S.S. Popeye program in earlier years, staged on a set that looked like a ship, to The Floppytown Gazette in the 1
980s, featuring Floppy and other puppets Ellett created publishing a weekly newspaper.

  Tickets to be part of the in-studio audience for The Floppy Show were hard to get, with reservations required one year in advance. Fan clubs sprang up on Iowa college campuses, where wearing a Floppy T-shirt was considered the height of fashion in some circles. “I wish the ratings surveys took into account the college and university groups, because they are the fanatics,” Ellett said.

  Thousands of Iowans outside of Des Moines discovered the duo from their annual performances at the Iowa State Fair, which has honored Ellett with a plaque on the walkway outside the grandstand. Ellett and Floppy also made 200 personal appearances every year at community festivals and events. They visited countless sick children in hospitals, usually without any notice or fanfare.