Here I am with Mister Jumbo...(I don't know his real name) but he will always be Mister Jumbo to me. He was a character in a 'Danny Thomas Show' where Linda (that was me) talked to her parents about her friend, the giant that she met at the park. Danny and Kathy thought he was an imaginary friend and didn't believe me...but it turns out at the end of the show...that Mister Jumbo wasn't an imaginary friend at all...he was real...a real giant of a friend...
This episode was very popular when it aired so songwriter Bill Jacoby and I wrote a song about Mister Jumbo and I sang it on the album that I made when I was 7 years old..."Angela Cartwright Sings"...
Sit back if you will...and clear your mind of 21st century fodder...immerse yourself in the innocent and golden years of television where Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Milton Berle made us laugh...when Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley filled the airwaves...read if you will, the pure and simple lyrics of this ode to Mister Jumbo...
Mister Jumbo, Mister Jumbo, he's a nice big man I know,
Mister Jumbo, Mister Jumbo, ten foot tall from head to toe,
When he lifts me on his shoulder, I feel like I'm ten foot two,
He's the strongest, he's the tallest, giant that I ever knew.
He wears a magic coat of red and his pockets are filled with toys,
with peppermint sticks and jelly beans for good little girls and boys,
If I live to be one thousand, I am sure I'll never know
Any giant, any nicer than Mister Jum---bo.
When you meet him, when you meet him, tell him you're a friend of mine
You will love my Mister Jumbo and you will also find
That if you've been oh so very good, he will be good to you
and you will love my Mister Jumbo, and he will love you too.
When life loses it's magic and childlike charm...Just think of my friend Mister Jumbo...And you know you will just have to smile...
ps: It has just occurred to me as I look at these pictures that I am wearing a mini skirt! Long before Twiggy and decades before Christina and Beyonce...this is not a childish flouncy dress with perky petticoats...but a mini dress that one might see Paris in...
5 comments:
Angela, what a wonderful post about Mister Jumbo including the pics! Yes, you were already very stylish back then!
Well, no success here in trying to web search the name of Mister Jumbo (aka Mr. Jumbo)...hopefully someone else will have more success. I did find a post you made stating that the episode was "Linda's Giant" and that your Dad was the voice of Mr. Jumbo...How nice! Reading the names of others who also appeared with you on your show is like a Who's Who of Hollywood's All-Time Greatest Legends: Jack Benny, Desi and Lucy, Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, Shirley Jones, Milton Berle, Jack Haley, Sammy Davis Jr., and on and on. WOW!!
I also web searched for info on the Mr. Jumbo song...I actually found a listing for a 45 RPM promotional copy: Artist: Angela Cartwright, Title (2 sides): Merry-Go-Round/Mr. Jumbo, Label: Ting-A-Ling. It already sold, $3! Hopefully you received your writing residuals!
Angela, as one of your guests used to say, thanks for the memories!
-j
What a sweet memory of Mr. Jumbo and yourself!
And how stylin' you were!
Those are great memories!
thanks for sharing
Bea
You little fashion setter, you!
pattisl
Lemme tells ya. This here's just my considered opinion a'course, but hells bells I'm a'gonna insist it... there just t'wern't NO purdee-er little gal on the planet during the 50's & 60's than our wee Angela. True fact; no fib; full stop.
And if'n her solo moments in 'Sound a'Music' don't quite convince you, then git yerself over t'that there 'Lost In Space' TV show (Mr. Nobody) wot dun featured them classic good looks o'hers that she wuz dun blessed with owning as a face.
I'll be hopin I made myself clear. (All the best to you Angela!)
According to www.imdb.com, "Linda's Giant" was the episode. Mr Jumbo was played by an actor named Robert "Big Buck" Maffei. He was also the giant cyclops in the "Lost in Space" episode called "There Were Giants In The Earth", which aired in 1965!
"Linda's Giant" was the 185th episode of "Make Room For Daddy".
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