Axel and His Dog, August 4, 1955

Axel and His Dog was a local children's television show that aired on WCCO-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, from August 1954 to March 1966. This episode was originally broadcast on August 4, 1955.

Clellan Card starred as Axel Torgeson, a nutty Scandihoovian who lived in a tree house. Clellan had introduced the Axel character on WCCO radio way back in 1937. Axel's fractured version of "The Night Before Christmas" became an annual tradition, and his silly "Birdie" rhymes are still remembered by countless Minnesotans.

Don Stolz, the director of the Old Log Theater in Excelsior, MN, portrayed Axel's dog, Towser, and his cat, Tallulah. Neither "aminal" was ever seen onscreen, except for their large paws.

The show ended in March 1966, shortly before Clellan Card died of cancer. Card is the subject of a new book called "What a Card! The Story of Clellan Card and 'Axel and His Dog'" by Julian West, published by Beaver's Pond Press. The book comes with a 2-hour DVD that includes this show plus 17 more.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Axel
• Clellan Card
• Don Stolz
• Axel and His Dog
• WCCO
• classic TV
• children's television
• local television
• treehouse
• tree house

[olddude521]

Is it just me, or could this have been the inspiration for White Fang and Black Tooth from Soupy Sales's show?

[tasseltoes]

Good guess, olddude521, but in fact, it was the reverse. Harry Jones, the director of "Axel and His Dog," told me that he saw a kinescope of Soupy Sales talking to White Fang on his show out of Detroit, and Harry liked the idea of not being able to see the creature. So Axel's dog, Towser, and his cat, Tallulah, were never seen onscreen except for their paws. That fascinating fact and many more can be found in the book, "What a Card!"

[KaleidoscopeKidd]

Is it just me, or does he kinda look like hitler?

[tasseltoes]

You're not the only one who thought so, KaleidoscopeKidd! But apparently they didn't get any complaints about it back in the day...

[tasseltoes]

Check out the new book, "What a Card! The Story of Clellan Card and 'Axel and His Dog'" by Julian West, published by Beaver's Pond Press. The book comes with a 2-hour DVD that includes this show plus 17 more.

[Mortskcab]

My dad says that you can not be a true Minnesotan untill you seen Axel and his dog!

[kindredbandyou]

This was broadcast the day after I was born! Love you, Axel!

[lowellriggsiam]

I am pleased to see that footage still exists.

[lamb7]

Birdie with the yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill, cocked his shining eye and said, "What's that on the road...a head?"

[goldfieldstattoo]

Birdee, with his yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill, cooooked his shiney eye, and said, "How do you like your Olive, Oil?" Fifty five years later, these two still stick with me. Axel, what a pal!

[goldfieldstattoo]

Birdee, with his yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill, cooooked his shiney eye, and said, "How do you like your Olive, Oil?" fifty five years later, these two still stck with me. Axel, what a pal!

[goldfieldstattoo]

Birdiee, with his yellow bill bill, hopped upon my window sill, coooked his shiney eye, and said, "How do you like your peanut, brittle?

[TomBarristerX]

Most shows opened with Axel singing: "Birdy with the yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill, cocked his shining eye and said", followed by some silly pun or play on words, and finishing with Axel making a cuckoo sound. The cartoons were classics in themselves: the two I remember best were the five-part serials Clutch Cargo and Space Angel.

[Tigermoon1950]

@KaleidoscopeKidd How do we know YOU don't look like Hitler? Hmmmmm...

[randy6508]

@KaleidoscopeKidd 

It's you