Who is “Daphne”?
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From Leah Weisse, GBH Archives
I work in the WGBH Archives and we recently posted this Twitter clip.
Mr. Rogers appeared on the 2nd WGBH Channel 2 Auction offering a plush cow to @gbh viewers in 1967. 🔊 for sound effects. pic.twitter.com/xFJhkAHM3v
— GBH Archives (@GBHArchives) April 13, 2022
It is Fred Rogers auctioning a giant Plush Cow with a little girl riding it, as he turns it about. He calls the little girl “Daphne.”
Does anyone know who Daphne is? (Not to call out but to get a story behind the clip!) If so, send an email.
Thanks, as always for all the great info you contribute!
That marvelous moment when Mr. Rogers visited WGBH was directed by me. There is only one small video left of that event. If you wish to see it go to fredbarzyk.com Chapter 1, Video 6. It is in at 11:58 -14:36. It was included in a sampler of a comedy show we did. We felt it was necessary to intro Mr. Rogers to historians in the future. The comedy Special MOTHER’S LITTLE NETWORK did a bit on Mr. Rogers that was probably in bad taste but that was we did back in those days. He thought it was funny, thank God. Fred
Wonderful story! I have never forgotten standing in that LONG line with my mother, Peggy Charren, and younger sister. Eventually, we were able to meet Mr. Rogers. He was as kind and wonderful in person as he seemed on the screen, or maybe even more so. This was the year before Action for Children’s Television was created. – Debbie Charren
When Bob Kennedy was shot, we were in the middle of the Auction. I think it was a Tuesday night. I shared an apartment with Joe McMahon who was a special assistant for Edwin Brooks, Mass Attorney general, later a senator. He, Joe, got the call about Kennedy. It was midnight or later. I then called Hartford (Gunn) and we organized a very early meeting in the Berlin Conf rm. The decision was to halt the auction. Knowing kids would be inundated with news about death, we decided to see if we could get Fred Rogers to come in for a special broadcast aimed at children — about death, etc. (I knew Fred from having worked with him in Pittsburgh way back in 1954) We set up a barnyard in the GBH parking lot. Put the word out and kids and parents were lined up around the block to see “Mr Rogers.”
I don’t remember him being associated with the stopped and re-started auction. I believe we restarted the auction quite a few days later. Perhaps not.
Perhaps these stories don’t connect. It’s my only knowledge of when Fred was at WGBH.
Anyone else have some memories?
Jack
Jack,
I remember WGBH having a “Meet Mr. Rogers Day.”
The line of Mommies and Kiddies extended out of Studio A, down the stairs, out the door, to North Beacon Street, along North Beacon all the way to the Charles River.
AND IT STARTED TO RAIN!
A rising panic set in and some executive came up with a plan and told Fred.
“Fred, we are going to put a hundred folks in Studio A. You go in to talk to them. We will have a hundred kids in Studio B and we will switch you over to talk to them. We will empty A, bring in another hundred kids and switch you back and forth.”
“Oh, no” said Fred. “I have to speak to each individual child!”
So for almost five hours, Fred Rogers sat on a low box in Studio A, so he would be at eye level with each child.
They hugged Fred, gave him papers, drawings and cards and each child got to be eye to eye with this human being who knew the true worth of every child and what this afternoon meeting meant to each one.
Great ideas, Chas! While I worked that Auction, I have no recollection of seeing
MisterRogers in GBH studios, so I have no idea who “Daphne” might have been.
Any chance the child is somehow related to Fred’s family? Worth asking anyhow.
First was it shot in Boston?
During the actual auction ?
Was it shot during a non auction visit by Fred prior to the auction?
Check in with WQED.
Try making it into an on air search by creating a mini story/ GBH history quiz /mini pitch – voice over black and white video after showing it.
Then a podcast once mystery is solved.
A ‘thank you only’ stand alone pledge spot.
Good luck.