The Clown Who Held One Line for 13 Years

Picture a 1950s living room, a kid cross-legged on the carpet, and a clown in a wild costume sprinting across the screen. He never says a word, and nobody finds that odd.

That clown was Clarabell on Howdy Doody, one of early television's biggest children's shows. He never spoke on air, relying on mime, a honking horn for "yes" or "no," and a seltzer bottle.

The seltzer was aimed at host Buffalo Bob Smith, who got sprayed on a regular basis. Kids howled at it, and the silence made the character feel like a puzzle they wanted to solve.

Behind the greasepaint, the actors changed. The first Clarabell, Bob Keeshan, later became Captain Kangaroo, though he was reputedly let go in 1952 after a salary dispute.

Lew Anderson was the third and last Clarabell, playing the part from 1954 through the end of the series. Viewers kept wondering who was under the makeup, and the mystery became part of the clown's appeal.

Then came the series finale on September 24, 1960. In that last episode, Clarabell finally spoke, lips trembling and a tear visible in his eye.

His words were just two: "Goodbye, kids." After years of horn honks, that quiet farewell became one of early TV's most remembered moments, and a mute clown's only line.