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Click HERE to listen to Sally "Hobo Kelly" Baker |
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Hobo Kelly is probably one of the most beloved and well-known Children's show hosts for kids growing up in the Los Angeles area in the 1960's. Sally Schurman was raised on the north side of Chicago where she worked hard to eliminate her neighborhood trademark, a pretty Irish brogue that reveals a family history of Irish roots that go back through 12 generations to the county of Cork. Sally began her children's show in Peoria, Ill around 1960-61 before moving out to California. She appeared with her show on a UHF station in San Bernardino that ran for a year just prior to her stint on KTTV. |
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Hobo Kelly bumpersticker! Want Some ORIGINAL Hobo Kelly gear of your own? Click on the bumper sticker above!! |
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Hobo Kelly and Her Puppets began on KTTV in 1965 and was wildly successful. She started out weekday mornings from 7:30 to 9 am on channel 11 and in her first 11 months on the show, received some 350,000 pieces of fan mail. Hobo Kelly received more fan mail than all the other KTTV shows on at that time combined. Many children maintained a running correspondence with their young Hobo friend who magically "sees" her audience through oversized glasses that she dons from time to time. After being on the air for 14 months, she was asked by Mayor Yorty to raise the Irish flag over City Hall for St. Patrick's day. She was the reigning TV Queen of the City of Angels, passing her special brand of Hobo Magic on the kids of Los Angeles. |
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KTTV's letter head for the Hobo Kelly show. Did the artist know that Sally is a she? |
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More ideas on how to present Hobo Kelly to Los Angeles |
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A character look is settled on. The original art for her logo. |
Original sheet music to the Hobo Kelly Theme song. Click HERE to hear it. (Real Media only) |
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Original sheet music for the Ring-a-Ding-Ding song. |
Click HERE for Hobo Junction music. (Real Media only) |
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Sally Baker writes lyrics as well. This one is about a kitten named Muffen. Her vocal range was F below middle C to G above. |
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Station Fan Photo. |
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Click on the letter above to see what Dolores is talking about! |
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According to the note that accompanied this 1966 article, Variety wasn't entirely correct. |
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Sally Baker (married to another broadcasting original; Walt Baker) was truly a pioneer for women in broadcasting by producing, writing and starring in her own show on a daily basis. One of the first women in television to really control the content of her show and what went out to the kids, her husband Walt Baker was the director on the show making it a truly family affair. In a sea of cowboys and skippers, came her lovable character of Hobo Kelly, a stand out from the start. Many will remember her huge toy machine that she would fill with junk and then miraculously as she cranked it the junk would turn into fantastic toys to be given to a lucky mischief maker from her viewing audience pulled at random from a large turning tub. |
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Click HERE to see Sally and Fred Rice contract for the Hobo Kelly character. There seemed to be Hobo Kelly merchandise possibilities everywhere. Little of it seems to have survived to today. |
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Jumbo Mouse? |
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Hobo Kelly at the circus. Like to read a proposed Hobo Kelly TV game special? Click HERE. |
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The magic paint that she used to paint the screen and expose pictures with was a popular feature on her show. It stressed a creative magic spark for all children and carried on to her later show, The Froozles. The Hobo Kelly make-up would take about 45 minutes to put on and almost as long to get off. "It's like cleaning a carburetor," she says. "I use endless chemicals." Preparation of some 175 different sound effects went into the show each week. By 1971, the Hobo Kelly Show is seen on KCOP channel 13 in Los Angeles, KPTV channel 12 in Portland and WTCN in Minneapolis. |
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Click to see Sally "Hobo Kelly" Baker on "What's My Line?" (Real Media only) Special thanks to Greg Hough for providing the video!! |
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Proposed Hobo Kelly hand puppet prototype |
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Mod Patch proposal |
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Hobo Kelly made many personal appearances in the LA area, handing out little gifts and winning even more hearts. Living in North Hollywood with her husband and two daughters, Kelli and Kathleen in 1966, she would often do local shows as well. During Easter week of that year she would rush from her show at KTTV studios in full costume to the Valley Music Theater for two performances daily with Les Poupees de Paris puppets. (Hopefully she didn't have to hop a freight from KTTV to Woodland Hills.) |
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At the Hollywood Bowl Hobo Kelly is swamped by Mischief Makers |
Los Angeles Home Show publicity photo reads: "Here we are at the Home Show," says television star, Hobo Kelly, to tow of her young fans, four-year old twins, Michael and Robert Flory. Hundreds of youngsters are expected to visit the Hobo Junction set at the Los Angeles New Style Home Show, Aug. 20-29, at the city's Convention-exhibition Center. Hobo will be there daily to clown with the youngsters. |
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At the Los Angeles Home Show; the view from the inside of Hobo Junction |
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Hobo Kelly was such a popular show from the start that soon talk turned to going "national" not unlike Bozo. Included would be product endorsements like the one above in this food contract. Click HERE to see more info on her food contract. |
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Spurred by her enormous success, The Hobo Kelly Show aims to go national. |
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The unfortunate response from the east coast network headquarters. They decide not to pick up the Hobo Kelly Show for a national audience. Kid's shows are already on the slide down in network popularity. |
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After her run as Hobo Kelly, you could still catch Sally Baker in the very popular and delightful (not to mention award winning) show from the mid to late 1970's called "The Froozles" where she used some of the very same effects she had perfected at Hobo Junction. The Froozles remained in syndication for quite awhile proving that Sally Baker's talent was appreciated and exceptional. |
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Would you like to see more Hobo Kelly? Click on HOBO KELLY PHOTO GALLERY |
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