Puppets who instill
T.S. Warren
|
More important than Jim Henson? John Conway engages Chichimus (left) in conversation
|
Ottawa film salutes Canada's unsung TV puppet pioneer
"Lights! Action! Cue the puppet!"When CBC Television broadcast for the first time on September 8, 1952, one of its first stars was Uncle Chichimus, a peanut-shaped glove puppet with a bald pate and two unruly tufts of hair.
Unlike today's TV puppets, who range from the familiar warm 'n' fuzzy to the downright twisted (such as the Comedy Channel's Puppets Who Kill), Chichimus was a cranky and pompous chatterbox. And instead of Sesame-speak or four-letter words, Chich used proper English, not surprising since his creator, puppeteer John Conway, had been a young English prof at UBC before chucking it all in to go on the road with his puppets.
Yet despite his quaint ways, Chich and his needle-nosed niece Hollyhock were to become a made-in-Canada TV hit, entertaining kids and adults alike seven days a week. In fact, when the two puppets were stolen, it was front-page news in The Toronto Star, which in vain offered the kidnappers a reward. A duplicate set of puppets were made, but it signalled the beginning of the end for Conway. The CBC cancelled the show and turned its attention to a Canadian version of the American show Howdy Doody.
Born long after Chich's glory days, Ottawa puppeteer Mike Artelle was inspired to meet Conway after reading about him, and visited him in 1998 at his Ottawa retirement home to talk about his life's work. Conway had moved to Ottawa in 1961, where his creations appeared in a show called Cartoonerville that ran on CJOH until 1966. He died
in 2003."He was so remarkable that after I left I realized I should have been recording the whole thing. That's how I got the idea to do the documentary," says Artelle, 31, of his first film apart from a 20-minute film of his own puppetry entitled Fuzzy Fables.
Made on a puppet-sized budget of $10,000, the result is John Conway and Uncle Chichimus, a 43-minute documentary that traces Conway's early days, Uncle Chichimus's rise to stardom, Conway's rather shabby treatment from the CBC and the innovations in puppetry that he pioneered, but for which he never received recognition.
Using archival footage, photographs and interviews with Conway (none of which were made available by the CBC), the film's tone is straightforward rather than sour grapes.
"The whole time I was making this film, I wanted to say 'Shame on you CBC,' but I didn't want to do that kind of film," reflects Artelle. "My goal was basically just to show people the culture that we're missing out on-I just wanted to put it out there. Maybe one day CBC will do a Life and Times on this guy."
Fittingly, Artelle's documentary will have its premiere on National Puppetry Day (Saturday April 23) at the main branch of the Ottawa Public Library. It was previously screened for the Puppeteers of America convention at the University of Connecticut.
"I thought I was going to get tomatoes thrown at me when I said how Conway had paved the way for Jim Henson," laughs Artelle, revealing just how passionate things can get in puppet circles.
But in the end, the Yanks were interested in hearing how it was Conway who dispensed with the traditional puppet stage, using the television screen to frame the puppets, which became the standard for puppet shows.
Inspired by Conway, Artelle has begun experimenting with glove puppets rather than marionettes in his own work. "The appeal of the glove puppet is that the puppeteer can operate two characters at a time, you can pick things up, basically you can just do a lot more on your own."
Even to the layperson, puppets seem suddenly 'hot' again, and Artelle agrees. Puppetry lost its cachet when the merchandising of TV puppet programs meant that people began to equate puppets with popular toys, he says. "An animated program is considered an art, but because of the stigma of toys, a puppetry program is not taken seriously."
He credits the sophisticated puppetry of Canada's Ronnie Burkett (Tinka's New Dress) with helping to change that perception, pointing out that there were recently three puppet shows on Broadway, among them the Tony Award-winning Avenue Q, a hip satire of traditional children's programming.
Because his mostly black-and-white documentary doesn't have "all the bells and whistles" kids expect from movies and television, Artelle is asking that kids be at least 12 to attend Saturday's screening.
JOHN CONWAY AND UNCLE CHICHIMUS
OTTAWA PUBLIC LIBRARY AUDITORIUM
120 METCALFE STREET
SATURDAY APRIL 23, 1 AND 3 P.M.
(TWO SHOWS), FREE, 728-7043
| I knew something was missing! |
|
I am old enough to have forgotten about the kidnapping of these little stars but I do recall watching them on our old Admiral 17 incher. I knew there was something missing in the CBC's museum on John street in Toronto. They are celebrating Children's entertainment and profiling Mister Dressup and the Friendly Giant and that wonderful US program Sesame Street....but no Uncle Chichimus! Thanks to my curious mind I came across this revealing article. And thank you for putting it on the net!
|
|
Tim Dineen
|
|
|
|
| The Puppetmaster.......... |
|
TS Warren's article on puppets is fascinating and showcases a lost art (??).
How many kids remember Mr Dressup with the gender neutral Casey and his law abiding dog Finnigan?
How did Ernie Coombs look so comfortable talking to his pals that enjoyed perching on the back of the Sears couch and joining Mr Dressup explore his tickle trunk?
Puppets are great though aren't they? Never really changing emotions, always knowing the right thing to say and always able to hold their arms tightly above their bodies even though they often had to hold things but don't have fingers.....oh...it's all so confusing when you become an adult....as kids we were way more accepting of things just as we saw them....and puppets were kind of like small people but stiff....and happy.........
I may decide to take the little 'uns to this show, it sure sounds interesting.
Long live the puppets and long live the puppetmasters everywhere........
|
|
Steve Landry
|
{21 votes}
|
|
|
| At last Confirmation that Uncle Chichimus DOES exist |
|
For so many years, decades really, I tried to tell my husband about Uncle Chichimus. He didn't remember ever seeing the show. I remembered but for years could not remember his name. And I couldn't tell you what any of the shows were about. But I remember the show, the characters, the feeling of the old black and white and how much I looked forward to it. Now, fiinally, I have comfirmation that I am NOT losing my mind. My husband told me repeatedly that it was all a figment of my imagination. Not so! Uncle Chichimus and Holly are REAL. Thank you so much for posting this.
|
|
Barbara McTer
|
|
|
|
Just wished there was some video or short clips... it would be a nice touch and a honour for Mr. Conway...
|
|
Stacey Dowe
|
|
|
|
| For all the great kids shows except... |
|
What was the deal with Chez Helene? Butternut Square, Friendly Giant, Uncle Chich..., these shows appealed to kids.
I never met a kid who liked Chez Helene--and my friends were pretty equally divided between English speaking and French. IMDb describes Chez Helene as "an unusual attempt to promote Canadian unity." Seriously, what did it accomplish besides keeping Helene employed? At least it drove us all outdoors for 15 minutes five days a week. I didn't understand why Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock were abducted. I know why Helene never was.
|
|
Steve Publicover
|
|
|
|
I keep calling my husband of 30 years Uncle Chichimus (fondly). I finally decided to google it and there he was - do you have any video?
|
|
Debra Kowalsky
|
|
|
|
| loved it then, found memories now |
|
I saw it here in the maritimes in the late 1950's. The puppetry was simple but good for the
time. I think this was part of it's charm. But the story lines and the visuals concepts were
so out there. I remember Hollyhock spying on her uncle and we see a long pointed nose
sticking through a key hole. Today's psychologists could have a field day with that. The
CBC as usual, unless it's hockey have a sharp pin aimed at everyones balloon.
|
|
george melanson
|
|
|
|
| I was a Personal Friend of John Conway |
|
It is nice to see an article about John Conway and Uncle Chichimus. It is a shame that the rest of the country knows so little about them and their importance to the Canadian puppetry community, and to Canadian entertainment in general. John Conway was the very first person on Canadian television! I was about the only friend John had in the last years of his life. I visited John every second day or so in the retirement home where he resided until his death. Although Mr. Artelle does not mention me, I was instrumental to his getting the documentary about John Conway made. I did all the research for the documentary and many other things as well. Because of me Mr. Artelle had access to personal photographs which Mr. Conway had given me and to materials Mr. Artelle would have had no access to any other way. I did a great deal to get John Conway recognition. I tried numerous times to get him a star on the Walk of Fame in Toronto but they were not interested. I also approached CBC a number of times about doing a Life & Times episode about John and they were not interested either. Fortunately some people were interested in helping me give John his due. I got John Conway an entry in the Canadian Encyclopedia, got him into the Canadian Who's Who, got him a letter from then Prime Minister, Jean Chretien, honouring his 80th birthday, and finally I got John honoured with the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. John was too ill to receive the medal at the time so I went and received it on his behalf. John left me the medal when he passed away but I gave it to the Canadian Museum of Civilization so it could be shared with others. John Conway was a great man and a great talent and I still miss him every day.
|
|
Bradley Matchett
|
|
|
|
Although an American citizen, I grew up in Canada, in and around Toronto, (what a wonderful experience!) moving there in 1947 at the age of six and coming back to the States in 1955. Uncle Chichimus inspired me to create my own puppets both as a child and as an adult (I was a children's librarian for some years).
I have thought about Uncle Chichimus often over the last 50 years, but never tried to find out more about this great program. Then this morning it occurred to me that there must be some information about him on the web, and indeed there was! Thanks for the memories!
|
|
Romaine Ahlstrom
|
|
|
|
Around the office lunch room table, the conservation turned to programs we watched as kids. There was a lot of skeptics when I mention Uncle Chichimus and Holyhock. A web search showed everyone there was an Uncle Chichimus and also brought me to this fine web tribute.
I actually met Uncle Chich in Ottawa in the very early sixties. My cub pack was given a tour of the tv studio and got to be part of the studio audience for the show. Our excitement at meeting Uncle Chich suddenly turned to shock when he appeared on his puppet stage. Uncle Chich is green! Why is Uncle Chich green? He's not green on tv. My cub pack was on the brink of tears. Damage control and counselling quickly ensued as the studio explained, as I recall, that green showed up better on black and white tv.
Haven't thought of that in years. Thanks for the memories!
|
|
Vonn Bricker
|
|
|
|
| Thank you all for your comments! |
|
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your kind comments and for sharing your memories of Uncle Chichimus! Also had to say a special thanks to Mr. McCauley for his posting, very kind words indeed. I have saved a print out of this site to file with my John Conway research. T.S. Warren certainly wrote a wonderful article about Mr. Conway and I agree with those of you who feel that TV has lost some of its glow. Mr.DressUp was a favourite of mine too! Also wanted to say that perhaps we shouldn't bash the CBC to badly. The CBC is not perfect, but they do exhibit the puppets in their museum in Toronto from time to time, and while I did not get access to any CBC footage (which still confuses me a great deal), I did get permission to include some CBC photographs. If anyone would like more info about the documentary please visit my website at www.webruler.com/artellephant. Its interesting to note how much there is about Chichimus on the web these days. When I started the documentary only the Canadian Museum of Civilization had any online information. Thanks again XPress for helping to give Conway the exposure he deserves.
|
|
Mike Artelle
|
|
|
|
I grew up in a very small town north of toronto & never missed an episode (unless yet another tube blew in our tv). I loved Uncle Chich & his sidekick Hollyhock.
I also remember when they were kidnapped & held for ransom(what year was that?). the story was on the front page of the Toronto Telegram...I am still traumatized!
I was only 4 when the show started so I can't remember episode by episode but I can tell you they had a large influence in my life.
I remember when my (ex)husband & I were buying our first home; the lawyer handling our purchase looked just like Uncle Chich! When I mentioned this to my (ex)husband he replied "I didn't know you had an Uncle Chichimus" Should have known then the marriage was doomed to fail 31 years later..(that clue & the mistress!!) I always thought "city-folk" were smarter than us "country-bumpkins"...how can anyone not know Uncle Chich!!
Thanks for the great memories!
|
|
Pat Smith
|
|
|
|
| Film Review 101/Ottawa puppeteer Mike Artelle's inspired little doc, John Conway and Uncle Chichimus |
|
Well, if nothing else this proves that the CBC has always tended to have its head up its rear when it came to longterm thinking and what was best for television. I could list off a few of their less than stellar choices over the years but for simplicity's sake I'll settle for two: the progressively inferior quality of the children's programming block and the firing of Don Cherry. Granted these are widely different issues but make no mistakes about it, when it comes right down to it the CBC has slowly adopted a certain corporate mentality that has dulled its edge over the other Canadian networks.
~
I'll be honest with you, Uncle Chichimus is well before my time but now having read this article I'm more than a little curious to go look for this doc. CBC dropped the ball then and now.
|
|
Pedro Eggers
|
{2 votes}
|
|
|
I think that it's just plain down right depressing how we as a society keep losing those simple parts of our culture that we used to enjoy and keep advancing towards more and more brain numbing, consumer devouring types of entertainment. What would have been a simple, clean humorous puppet show is now replaced by reality TV shows (that really make no sense to me), poorly put together talk shows, wacked out and mindless cartoons and sometimes gruesome animations.
Personally, I just miss Mr. Dress Up...he was so cool.
|
|
Massey Hoveyda
|
{8 votes}
|
|
|
Once again the CBC does its best to downplay and pretty much ignore one of Canada's great innovators. Congratulations to Ottawa puppeteer Mike Artelle for his efforts to bring to light John Conway's huge contribution to puppettry. I suspect the CBC will get on the Conway band wagon and do their own documentary once Artelle gets the acclades he so richly deserves for recognizing yet another great "unknown" Canadian. Perhaps the CBC will be more helpful in similar, future cases.
|
|
Larry Garnett
|
{6 votes}
|
|
|
Why does everyone think these puppets were so great? As a child they terrified me and even now they give me the creeps. A friend of mine hates to be near hollyhocks. She finds them unsettling, all because of these horrid puppets!
They were even more creepy than kukla, Fran & ollie, and that is saying a lot!
|
|
Susan Irving
|
|
|
|
| Mike Artelle.........a passionate man |
|
I'll make this short and to the point. Mike Artelle is obviously, in my opinion,a man of passion,and, pocessed with a great sensitivity regarding things in life that matter.I was born in 1947 and watched,with great enthusiasm,many episodes of Uncle Chichimus on the CBC,as a child,with my Mom and Dad.Cheers Mike! The world should be filled with more people like you and Uncle Chich and Hollyhock.
Where can I purchase a copy of Mike's documentary or,at least have the opportunity to view it? Many thanks to Mike and many thanks for allowing me access to this site.
|
|
Dave McCauley
|
|
|
|
i grew up watching Uncle Chich on CJOH television when this station went on the air in 1961 There was Uncle Chich,Holyhock and Slimmy. The host of this program was Bill Luxton and Pat Grace.The music was provided by Champ Champayne.It was broadcast every day at 04:00 P.M.for one hour.
|
|
Barry Curran
|
|
|
|
