Kukla, Fran and Ollie

Only the Fran of Kukla, Fran and Ollie is a live person—animator Burr Tillstrom’s Dorothy of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. The other “Kuklapolitans” are a troupe of puppet players “drawn together by a mutual passion for show business and chocolate sodas.” They are seen both in professional and private life, animated by Tillstorm’s hands. The quality striven for is whimsy and gentle satire of the James Barrie-Lewis Carroll sort. And while the program is primarily for children, it prides itself on charming adults, too. So excellent, in fact, is this program that it is hereby given the George Foster Peabody Television Award in the category of children’s programs.