Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION The Anywhere Machine Goodbye Mr. Moose, Dancing Bear

"So many kids grew up loving Captain Kangaroo—and Gus "Cosmo" Allegretti played a big part in that.

"The actor and puppeteer, responsible for such characters as Mr. Bunny Rabbit, Grandfather Clock and Dancing Bear on the classic children's show, died July 26 in Arizona. He was 86 and had emphysema, friend and attorney John Munzel told reporters

"Allegretti was working as a set painter on Captain Kangaroo but ultimately became talent after he volunteered to create a replacement for someone else's puppet.

"Captain Kangaroo was the longest-running nationally broadcast children's show of its day, airing on CBS from 1955 until 1984 with Bob Keeshan in the title role.

"In addition to creating the hand puppets Mr. Bunny Rabbit and Mr. Moose, Allegretti was also either the voice or hand (or both) of Dennis the Apprentice, Miss Frog, Mr. Whispers, Dancing Bear, Grandfather Clock and Uncle Ralph. He was also TV Fred, who appeared behind the blackboard in the Captain's Treasure House, and the artist behind the Magic Drawing Board."

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/entertainment-eonline/20130807/b446830/

One of the funniest lines I ever heard on TV was a line that I'm sure Gus ad-libbed. Bunny Rabbit had just turned down an offer of fame and fortune that would have required him to leave his friends. As he and Mr. Moose were going down into their hutch, Mr. Moose said "And we could have had a real swimming pool with real water instead of this stuff we use now!" Almost forty years later, I'm still floored by the sheer absurdity of that line.

RIP, Gus.