Tubby Moves on


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Tubby on September 01, 2002 at 06:55:21:

Paul Tripp, 91, Early Children's TV Host, Dies

By WILLIAM H. HONAN New York Times


Paul Tripp, a Pied Piper of early children's television who created the
musical fantasy "Tubby the Tuba" and appeared as the host of his own show,
"Mr. I. Magination," died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 91.

It was while serving in the Army in China during World War II that Mr.
Tripp
dreamed up "Tubby the Tuba," the orchestrated story that would make him
famous and help to open the way for the integration of story and symphonic
music in childrens' records.

The finished record became an almost instant hit when it was released in
1945.

"Tubby the Tuba" told the story of Tubby, an orchestral instrument who is
disheartened because he, unlike the other instruments in his orchestra,
did
not have a melody of his own. He was relegated to playing Oom-pah.

Eventually, Tubby meets a friendly bullfrog who shares his melody with
him.
The melody, in turn, is picked up by other instruments in the orchestra
and
at the end the whole orchestra triumphantly plays Tubby's melody.

With music by George Kleinsinger, "Tubby the Tuba" was often compared with
Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," in which a series of characters are
given
a distinctive musical motif.

Critics heaped praise on the production.

The record sold eight million copies, making it one of the best-selling
children's records of its time. Renditions were played in concert halls
around the world conducted by artists like Eugene Ormandy, Leonard
Bernstein
and Arthur Fiedler and narrated by performers like Danny Kaye and Carol
Channing.



Follow Ups: