A “talking” wooden puppet shaped in the form of a dog’s head would captivate children for 30 years on one of central Iowa’s premier television stations.

A retrospective program held Tuesday evening at the Mowry-Irvine Mansion in Marshalltown presented by Jeff Stein of Waterloo also thrilled 29 older adults in the audience while rekindling pleasant memories of childhood.

“Floppy” – originally known as “Mr. Dog” — was created and made out of balsa wood by the late multi-talented Duane Ellett of Ankeny.

Children in the studio audience would call out “Where’s Floppy?”– and ventriloquist Ellett would bring the puppet to life.

Ellett attended Drake University in Des Moines. He was a musician, song-writer, woodworker and self-taught ventriloquist and employed as a broadcaster at WHO-TV13 in Des Moines.

He had been promoting the Animal Rescue League of Des Moines during public service announcements when he developed the idea of a talking dog.

“The Floppy Show” debuted in 1957 and broadcast until 1987, when Ellett died suddenly at age 65.

Over the years, he amassed a following of hundreds of thousands of fans — children and adults alike — with interest continuing to present day.

The early years of television were live productions and performed in studios. decades before “Saturday Night Live” reintroduced live television as entertainment.

“The Floppy Show and others of similar format helped satisfy Federal Communications Commission regulations that stations provide some degree of educational content to children,” Stein said. “They broadcast on Saturday and Sunday mornings and after school.”

Stein’s program Tuesday night featured archival footage of “Floppy” – with Ellett providing the dog’s voice — interviewing children in the studio audience with age-friendly questions. The children would then ask Floppy a riddle, which stumped the puppet. Children had the option of squeezing Floppy’s nose, which automatically beeped. The beeping was activated by Ellett in a box which supported the puppet’s head, Stein said. Cartoons and other entertainment made up the balance of the show which usually interjected a positive life lesson of respect or safety for the studio audience and viewers.

During approximately the same time period, children in the Cedar Rapids area were entertained by WMT-TVs 2s “Marshall J.” He was succeeded by “Dr. Max and Mombo the Clown,” which broadcast from 1961-1981.

Children in eastern Iowa and Western Illinois were entertained by WOC-TV of Davenport’s “Uncle Ernie’s Showboat,” with a riverboat-themed background to coincide with the Mississippi River.

“I was not going to miss this program about Floppy,” said Deanna Ward of Ames – who recalled watching the show as a child.

Stein asked for a show of hands from the audience of those wearing “Floppy” t-shirts, and several adults were sporting tees bearing a likeness to the chatty and lovable puppet.

“I definitely enjoyed Stein’s program,” said Sharon Depew of Marshalltown. “He knows his stuff and is professional.”

“We were extremely pleased with Jeff’s thorough and historical presentation,” said Michelle Roseburrough of Marshalltown, HSMC president. “It was fun hearing older adults talk about the program of which they were so fond. Our ‘History on Second Tuesday’ events are coordinated by HSMC board member Julie Lang of Marshalltown. She has done an excellent job lining up entertaining and thought-provoking programs. ”

The event was co-sponsored by the Marshall County Historical Society, Humanities Iowa and the State Historical Society of Iowa, Inc. For more information, contact HSMC at 641-752-6664 or info@hsmcia.org.