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Little Orphan Annie
was a fifteen minute juvenile serial show based
on the comic strip by Harold Gray. Debuting in
1931, it was the first late-afternoon children's
serial.
Annie was a waif who was
taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Silo, a kindly farm couple
who lived near the rural junction of Simmons Corners.
The 5:15 time slot and ongoing story lines captivated
the youth audience like nothing before or since.
The action was swift, the plots loaded with danger
and suspense, and most of it happening to characters
who were themselves only ten years old. In the
early years parents reported their children were
often frightened by the show, were unable to sleep,
or were inconsolable when Annie was kidnapped.
Complaints forced writer Frank Dahm to cut back
on the drama.
In the ensuing years, Annie
and her pal Joe Corntassel chased gangsters, criminals,
and pirates. Often lurking in the background was
Daddy Warbucks, a war profiteer who took a distant
though fatherly interest in Annie's welfare. Annie's
dog Sandy too was always at her side.
The legend of Little
Orphan Annie has been solidified in current
generations by the success of the 1983 film A
Christmas Story, in which the main character
waits interminably for his Little Orphan Annie
decoder pin. When it finally arrives and Pierre
Andre read the "secret message" to listeners
with decoder pins, Ralph is devastated to learn
that the secret message is a commercial for Ovaltine,
the title sponser. At times, Pierre Andre would
ramble on for up to three minutes about Ovaltine,
and the latest gimmick on how to get premiums,
Ovaltine-related merchandise. The episode included
here is an example of how the show was used to
push these and other premiums.
The show may best be remembered
for its catchy opening song:
Who's that little chatter
box?
The one with pretty auburn locks?
Whom do you see?
It's Little Orphan Annie!
She and Sandy make a
pair
They never seem to have a care!
Cute little she,
It's Little Orphan Annie
Bright eyes, cheeks
a rosy glow,
There's a store of healthiness handy.
Mite-size, always on the go,
If you want to know--"Arf," it's Sandy!
Always wears a sunny
smile,
Now, wouldn't it be worth the while,
If you could be
Like Little Orphan Annie?
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