When Golden Records issued Captain Kangaroo's 1961 remake of Howdy Doody's version of "A Christmas Carol" from 1955, the gauntlet was laid down.
So, who's the winner in this battle of former castmates?
Captain Kangaroo was played by Bob Keeshan, who had played the original Clarabell the Clown on "The Howdy Doody Show" back in the day. By Christmas of 1961, "Howdy Doody" had been off the air for a year or so and "Captain Kangaroo" was settled in for a long run.
A hip kid would then want a Captain Kangaroo record, so in the short term, that version would have been the winner.
Looking back over time, however, I think the Howdy Doody gang did a better job with their version of "A Christmas Carol," as adapted by Mary Rodgers.
Part of the reason is that I just think it sounds better. Buffalo Bob Smith is a better singer than Bob Keeshan, so there's that.
Also, I like how the Howdy Doody version uses its cast of characters to inhabit the roles. Howdy is Bob Cratchit, Dilly Dally is Tiny Tim and Captain Scuttlebutt is Scrooge.
With the Captain Kangaroo version, we don't really know who's playing whom. I do like the idea of Captain Kangaroo telling the story to Mr. Green Jeans, however, and the whole thing works well within the flow of the album.
All in all, I'm glad that this ballad was adapted for a slightly newer audience of kids!
