Click to see the original post and her photo. I was reading a page in your blog from Tuesday, July 14, 2009, on the ref’d. Howdy Doody character. Noticed that someone told you that the “puppet” replaced the live actress, Judy Tyler, after her death in an auto accident. Actually, the original character was a “puppet” and Tyler replaced the puppet in 1951 or 52, in a “mystical” smoke filled episode of the show where the Princess was changed to a live person. Tyler left the show in 1953 or 55(depending on the source you read) to pursue an acting career, and was in a Rogers & Hammerstein musical, Pipe Dream, then got a role in Jailhouse Rock, opposite Elvis. She was killed in a car accident shortly after finishing that in 1957. She was replaced as the Princess when she left the show in 1953 or 55 by actress, Gina Genardi, who was replaced by Linda Marsh, or vice versa(depending on the source) until the end of the show in 1960.
http://www.doodyville.com/trivia.cfm & all the sites about Tyler & Howdy Dowdy). Why am I writing this? I don’t know. I guess for the same reason you do your blog, and was “googling” for info on Howdy Doody & other old TV shows when I saw yours.
Good luck,
Ford
