Who Was Captain Penny?

I was born in 1964. That's 50 years ago for you math challenged readers out there. It's funny how old 50 seemed when I was 21, now it doesn't seem the list bit old. Odd how that happens.

I started this blog because I was working on a book that dealt with the folks who hosted children's shows in Cleveland. Mostly those from the fifties, sixties and seventies. In large part because I got tired of being asked why I was so macabre after my last book on Cleveland Disasters, but also because I have fond memories of my childhood and a lot of these folks had something to do with that. And of all those folks my favorite was Captain Penny. I really cant tell you why, I just know there was this period from around 1968 to 1971 that Captain Penny was a real important part of my daily life.

Captain Penny, whose real name was Ron Penfound, had a run that lasted from 1955 to 1971 on WEWS-TV in Cleveland. I don't think it was ever explained why a guy dressed as a train conductor called himself a Captain, but it was a simpler age where we didn't question such things.

The Captain was one of the few Children's Shows that relied on live action more than cartoons. I'd think it would be a good guess to say my initiation to The Three Stooges and The Little Rascals came from the Captain. Again, this was before adults starting fearing watching the Stooges would turn young minds down the road to becoming murderous psychopaths. He did always tell us not to try what we just saw at home after a Stooges short. I mean the man did care that his audience wasn't picking up eye gauging from him.

I don't remember much. I know he was always trying to get me to put something called Bosco in my milk. Seems Bosco was a chocolate syrup you could mix with other things. Once again this was before parents became worried that their little darlings weren't learning about the joys of eating carrots as opposed to chocolate syrup.

I do vaguely remember the Captain hanging out at Animal Shelters and showing us Dogs and Cats we could adopt. And he had a pal named Jungle Larry, who also had an area at the Cedar Point Amusement Park, who would bring in animals a little more unique than dogs and cats. But those we weren't allowed to adopt.

He encouraged us to eat everything on our plates so we could join the Clean Plate Club. Good wholesome Midwest entertainment for Kids mixed with a little learning, that's what the Captain served up. I probably would find in unwatchable now, but at the age of five I was transfixed.

His director Earl Keyes was also a big contributor to the show, as off camera F.W. Nicklesworth and on camera as Wilbur Wiffenpoof. Later of course Keyes became a Cleveland legend himself as Mr. Jingeling.

He was all over WEWS. Hosting the Captain Penny Show around noon, Captain Penny's Fun House later in the day and Captain Penny's Fun Farm on Saturday Morning. You couldn't be five in Northeast Ohio and not know who the Captain was.

Penfound himself started out as a Sports Reporter. Although he was born in Northeast Ohio he started his career in Denver before coming back as the News and Sports Director of WEOL radio. In 1953 he was hired as a sports reporter at WEWS, a job he held til two years later when the Captain Penny show premiered in April of 1953.

After the show ended in 1971 he was the weekend weatherman on WEWS and the public address announcer for the Cleveland Indians. He left town in 1972 to restart his career as a sportscaster in New Hampshire, Unfortunately though he died in 1974 from Lung Cancer. I guess he loves his cigars, but he never let us kids see him smoke.

He used to close his show with “You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool Mom. She's pretty nice and she's pretty smart. Do what Mom says, and you won't go far wrong. “.

Like I said, no idea why I so fondly remember this guy. I just do, and I felt like telling you about him.