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06/12/05 Captain Ernie fan Lori Ekstrand Garlock wrote:
Oh my! What fun your page was! I know we used to go on Captain Ernie for our birthdays ALL the time! I have photos of us on the risers and in the waiting room, I thought I had one of me and the Captain. I will have to look again! One of my fondest memories is that on one of our many visits, I got to be the one to say "Here come the Three Stooges!"
Thanks for the memories!
Lori Ekstrand Garlock
3 Date: 2005-06-11 02:34:29
Steven Smith ( no email / no homepage) wrote:
I ran across your Captain Ernie web site and boy did it bring back memories. I grew up in Muscatine and now live in Barstow, California.
I remember one summer day a friend and I were playing out side in my grandpa's yard. We could see a couple of other yards with kids also playing. 3:30 rolled around and my Grandma stuck her head out the back door and announced "Captain Ernie's on." We went running for the TV and as I was heading for the door I saw every kid doing the exact same thing at the same time. Juvenile delinquency must have dropped at 3:30.
I was on the show in November of 1971. It was part of my sixth birthday present. Three of my cousins (I am an only child) went with me. My mom was into macrame at the time and she had made a macrame vest and a belt with a peace symbol belt buckle so I looked like the proper little hippy at the time. They set us up on the bleachers and put me in the front row. While waiting for Captain Ernie we watched cartoons on the monitor, one cartoon that stuck in my memory was a long one dealing with a sea adventure. It wasn't a Popeye or anything like that it seemed to be a historical tale.
Captain Ernie came out and started the segment with me! I remember the microphone seemed to be as huge as a basketball. He commented on my hippy clothes and I said that my mom could make him a set also.
One of other fun thing I remember doing is writing to Captain Ernie. I would send him drawings and postcards regularly. I didn't want to win the Mountain Dew, I wanted the Lawrence Welk musical spoons. I was fascinated by the idea of playing spoons. I never won. What can I say I was a weird kid.
I don't remember the post cards. At that time when it was your birthday they put you name and age on a piece of Manila card stock, like a trimmed file folder. I also remember getting a McDonald's coupon which was worthless because at the time we didn't have one in Muscatine.
Auctioned on ebay by kim6284 on 3/23/06, this is one of the thousands of cards for free hamburgers given out by Ronald McDonald himself on Captain Ernie's Showboat that Steve is referring to! McDonald's was a regular sponsor on the show and Ronald would make a special appearance on The Showboat for a decade. Even if Ronald McDonald was not there that day, every child received one of these cards, at least during the 1971 time period, just for being on the show!
I also remember Ernie doing the weather on the noon news. For the longest time I couldn't get my head around Captain Ernie doing the weather.
Captain Ernie also gave me a bit of fun in my late teens after I moved to California. The county paper, The San Bernardino Sun. in 1985 or 86 did piece on local kid show hosts. They had a bit in there about Captain Ernie and also had picture. At the time I was working at the coffee shop in Victorville. One of my regulars was from Iowa. So we got to talking about Captain Ernie and it turns out she was on the show also. We started asking around and found 5-6 or six more Captain Ernie vets. We started and informal club for a while and met regularly for coffee.
Glad to see Ernie is still around, tell him to send his measurements I'll see if my mom will make him a vest and belt. -- Steven W Smith
2 Date: 2005-06-08 19:15:28
Bill ( no email / no homepage) wrote:
At last! A tribute to the Cap'n! Being an old man now, I remember Cap'n Ernie when he was Uncle Ernie and an occasional stand in for Cap'n Vern, who replaced the bearded Cap'n Ken. If memory serves, Ernie had a sometimes cartoon show on Sunday mornings on WOC. One of my earliest childhood goals was to visit the Dixie Belle. I lived in Clinton, just north of Davenport, and wondered why the Dixie Belle never sailed upriver. Cap'n, if you're still kicking, thanks for turning me on to the Stooges, the great Warner Bros. cartoons, and I forgive you for Touche' Turtle, Lippy the Lion and Wally Gator.
1 Date: 2005-06-06 04:57:43
Terry ( no email / http://www.geocities.com/sandyshamburgers/index.html) wrote:
I remember Uncle Ernie from my childhood. This of course was before he got promoted to Captain Ernie! By the time Ernie got promoted, I was in grade school. In the grade school I attended, every student I knew watched Captain Ernie's Showboat. I recall discussions at length on the playground about the latest Three Stooges episode he had played the day before, or the newest toy craze advertised on his show. Does anyone besides me remember 6th Finger? "SIXTH FINGER, SIXTH FINGER, MAN ALIVE, HOW DID I EVER GET ALONG WITH FIVE?" The unofficial school song on the playground was the Highland Potato Chips theme that played on Captain Ernie's Showboat. "HIGHLAND POTATO CHIPS ARE THE CHIPPIEST CHIPS AROUND." I also remember mailing in my post card hoping to win a case of Mountain Dew! The "secret" on the playground to winning was to watch the wire barrel everyday as it went round and round for the drawing of the card. If the wire barrel was near empty, that meant that Captain Ernie had just trashed all of the old cards that were submitted and your odds were much better of winning. I also recall when an imposter calling himself "Grandpa Happy" tried to compete with Uncle Ernie on another local station. Grandpa Happy enjoyed more television promotion and advertising than the Maytag repair man. I remember my mom making me tune into Grandpa Happy on his first day on the air in spite of my protest. The next day on the playground, I found that all of my buddies had Grandpa Happy foisted upon them as well. No doubt the latest of a series of adult conspiracies to ruin our childhood. On the second day, I protested to the point where my mom allowed me to change the station back to Captain Ernie. By the end of the week, about half of my playground pals had done the same. By the second week, the whole school had tuned back into Captain Ernie except for a few nerds who are now more than likely techno geeks! I understand that the webmaster for this site communicates with Uncle/Captain Ernie on a regular basis. Please give my regards to my favorite Uncle/Captain. Let Ernie know that he brought much joy into the lives of a great many Quad City children during his tenure are WOC. Thank you, Ernie!!!
7/26/05 Captain Ernie fan Jewel Schultz wrote;
Captain Ernie,
I used to watch your show every weekday when I was a little girl. You have no idea what a comfort your shows were for me. We picked up your signal in Mt.Union, Iowa.
What are you doing now? Are you still in Davenport? I am guessing you are about 70-years-old and my husband thinks you are somewhere around 85-years-old. Which one of us is closer?
Sincerely,
Jewel Schultz 
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: another Uncle Ernie
Hello,
I am just curious. Didn't a Robert Dean Gann fill the role of Uncle Ernie, or at least host the cartoon show, at one time? Thanks, Carl Gann
Hi Carl, you are correct!
Captain Ernie said that he was a disc jockey who would fill in for him on the Showboat. He also said that Robert was a chiropractic student who eventually finished his degree. Ernie said that Robert was a really nice guy and he and Ernie became good friends.
Since you mentioned Uncle Ernie, I specifically asked him again if it was on the Showboat or Uncle Ernie as to which Robert filled in for Ernie while he was gone. Ernie said that he is sure that it was on the Showboat.
Thanks again for the email!
10/19/05 Captain Ernie fan Gerry Marr writes;
Ask any child who grew up in the WOC viewing area in the 60's and early 70's who Captain Ernie was/is and they will all have some great memory to share.
This was my first time to come across this site and it literally brought tears of joy to my eyes and took my breath away. The last time that happened was 24 and 26 years ago when my children were born. This site is a true "time machine" and Captain Ernie is a true "icon!"
My three sisters and I watched Captain Ernie every day after school in East Moline from 1964 thru 1974! Thank you for the website and thank you Captain Ernie! Something as special as what you did stuck with many of
us! I pray for your health and continued quality of life!
Thank You!
Gerry Marr
Phoenix, AZ
10/20/05 Captain Ernie fan Glenn McAtee writes;
“Captain Ernie”
I want you to know how much my friends and I enjoyed Captain Ernie and the Dixie Belle when we were kids. We were talking at work today about childhood TV shows and yours came up. I did a Google search and found this wonderful website and have sent the link to my co-workers. I was supposed to be on the show with my Cub Scout troop but something happened and I didn’t get to go but I did have the pleasure of meeting you in person at the 11th St. Precinct in the Village of East Davenport one night after work back in 1988. We were in a large group at a table and one of us yelled out “Captain Ernie” and you came right over and chatted with us for several minutes, we all got a real kick out of that. When I was very young we would go to Davenport shopping and when we would cross the Centennial Bridge I would practically break my neck trying to spot the Dixie Belle LOL I was a little slow to catch on and at one point whether or not the Dixie Belle was a real boat or not was the subject of many a playground discussion. Oh, to see the world through the eyes of a child again, it was a much simpler place…………
Thank you for some great childhood memories! :o)
Your fan,
Glenn McAtee
Date: 2005-12-02 16:35:57
Captain Ernie fan Chuck Henson not only won a prize on The Showboat, he met the Captain in person & shares this tremendous picture to prove it!: We met Ernie and others on the fantastic cartoon cruise on the "Celebration Belle" in Moline a few years ago. My wife Jean had her picture taken with him while she was wearing his cap! Here is a picture of that occasion which I believe was in 1999.
By the way, great site!!
12/12/2005 ... Captain Ernie fan Daryl Lawrick wrote:
Unbelievable! I can't believe I accidently ran into this page! I remember the lineup from 1965 and 1968. I used to watch religiously until we moved to San Diego in 1970. I tried to plan my time after school around Captain Ernie. I read you don't have ANY videotapes of your show. Do you think you may be able to post more pictures? Do you know of anyone who has any type of video? God bless you wherever you may be....
01/01/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Christopher Vinzant remembers Captain Ernie;
The memories of nearly 40 years ago watching Captain Ernie are brought back by reviewing your website. Thank you!
01/11/06 Captain Ernie fan Jeff Kitchen wrote:
Whoever you are, I about fell on the floor when, sitting here daydreaming I did a Google image Search on
CAPTAIN ERNIE and immediately recognized his picture, which led me to your site.
That face, which had long ago left my memory, just leaped off the screen and back where it had resided 33 years before.
I grew up in Davenport. I’m 43 now and in 1970 when I was 8 I got to go on his show. I remember like it was yesterday. I remember that at the halfway point of the show he’d have all the kids lined up on those bleachers and he’d go around talking to some of them. Well, when he got to me and found out my last
name (Kitchen) it brought back a memory from when he was in the army, or navy (I can’t remember) and he told me that he had served with a guy whose last name was the same. I remember him asking me why I was squinting and how bright the lights were in that studio, just blinding!
I was very surprised by the info that there remains NO tape of any of his shows. I have wondered now and then if WOC had any copies and if there existed a tape of the show I was on. If I could get to see it once again it would have been a thrill but now I know.
A couple of guys named Wallace & Ladmo were HUGE out here about the time Capt. Ernie was doing his thing (Don McGonegle explains the show on this page) and I like to tell people here that even though I was a hick from the sticks we had the same kind of entertainment.
The information on your site is wonderful, but it’s the picture of Ernie that I’m relishing now. I never thought I’d ever see that face again. I wonder if he knows how many of us are out there like me sitting somewhere hundreds of miles from Iowa and a millions years from those magical days
when our little worlds revolved around kick soccer, yo-yo's, 5-speeds and Captain Ernie.
Thanks again!!
Jeff Kitchen
01/14/06 Captain Ernie Fan Frank Nelson asks;
My wife insists that Uncle Ernie's mustache was real. I think she is full of beans. It looks like a Groucho Marx glue on special to me. So Ernie, if you are reading the mail on your site, settle this arguement once and for all. We were two of your biggest fans in the 1960's. Frank and Marie.
You win Frank! Uncle Ernie's answer was that the mustache was fake. It really irritated him to wear it on the show. He could not wait to get it off but it was a big part of his Uncle Ernie persona!
01/24/06 Captain Ernie Fan Rod Taylor remembers the Showboat;
I want to thank you for establishing the website to honor Captain Ernie. I was just thrilled when I found it!
God Bless Captain Ernie! As I approach age 52, I want to thank you Captain Ernie for the precious memories! As an ADHD child, your show kept me mesmerized. I can never thank you enough! I sincerely hope that over time more photos will be added to the website. Now that my family is raised, I am on a quest to acquire the cartoons and 3 Stooges that I once watched on your show. I was speechless when I found out that none of your shows were recorded. I will have to keep an eye on Ebay to see if anyone is willing to part with any memorabilia. I once lived in Illinois Quad Cities, but have been a Tennessean these past 24 years. It seems like only yesterday I would sit down to watch your show after school!
Rod Taylor
Cleveland, TN
01/31/06 Captain Ernie fan Matt Johnson wrote;
I can't believe Cap'n Ernie has his own website! This is outrageous! I feel like I am ten years old again tuning into channel six to spend the afternoon with my best friend, good old Cap'n Ernie! I remember on the playground at school when everyone was practicing the Three Stooges eye poke. The things you could learn on television back then! We also liked the way Moe would stick a finger up Curley's nose and drag him behind. We had that move perfected on the playground too. You should have heard it when we all practiced our Curley Woob Woob Woob. How do you spell that by the way?
All I can say Cap'n is wake up and go to sleep. Yuck, yuck, yuck! Thank you so much for all of the wonderful memories. I cannot imagine surviving childhood without you. Captain, my Captain! - Matt
02/16/06 Captain Ernie fan Tim Brown writes;
Hello!
Just ran into your site and yes I remember watching the show when I was
in grade school. A remember he came to Galesburg and appeared at the
Orpheum many times.
There was one cartoon serial that I remember. I never was able to see it
all the way through. I remember it was about a giant robot built by
some
king. I think I've found it: the name of the series was "The Curious
Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird" (click here to see the cover art for this cartoon). I tracked it down on the net today and
actually found it on Ebay! I've attached a picture of the dvd cover.
Maybe the robot looks familiar! Sounds silly but after 40 years I'll
finally be able to see all of it!
Meanwhile, I've been scouring the net to find trailers with something I can recognize. Still looking although I've found a few trailers here and there.
I DID find the attached picture (click here to view it); maybe it'll trigger some memories for a few of your visitors...
Thanks for the site. Very interesting.
Tim
02/18/06 Captain Ernie fan Roger Gilbert writes;
I was fortunate to be on the show three times in the 70's. I still have two postcards that I received on the show!
Roger
02/20/06 Captain Ernie fan Barb Watts writes;
I remember as a child my mom took me to be in the audience of the Captain Ernie show and he had a magician on the show. I was picked from the audience by the magician to assist him in a magic act! I remember being very excited that the magician had picked me and I will always have a warm feeling about this memory. Barbara Watts ( formerly Galley)
02/21/06 Captain Ernie fan and 1987 IMCA Modified National Champion Shane Davis writes;
Im 47 years old and have enjoyed growing up in the quads. Ernie and several others played an important role in my life. God Bless the Captain!
I was a guest on Captain Ernies Cartoon Showboat in the 60's with my cubscout troop 242. We were given twinkies at the end of the show!
02/21/06 Captain Ernie fan Pat Waters remembers Captain Ernies Showboat!;
I Grew up with Captain Ernie. Lived in Clinton Iowa watched it everyday!
02/26/06 Captain Ernie fan Joe Kussatz lived next door to Captain Ernie and provides this incredible picture from 1971!;
-Joe Kussatz, Arizona
03/05/06 Captain Ernie fan Joe Peterson remembers The Showboat and won a special prize on the show!;
Do you have any segments on tape or know how to obtain them? I was on the show one time with the scouts. I barely remember it but I do remember that I got a prize, it was an Etch A Sketch!
I loved the show very much. I had to watch it ever time it was on and loved everything about it! If you see the Captain, tell him that we love him & miss him. I believe that somehow he inspired me for the job I have now and that is an assistant engineer on a towboat. Take care, Joe. 
03/08/06 Tracy Allard not only remembers The Showboat and early WOC children's programming... she also lived it!
I found this page when I googled "Cactus Jim" and just about jumped out of my seat! Thank you so much for bringing back sooooo many memories. My best to Ernie and his family. I'll be checking back from time to time to see what has been added.
Tracy provided an incredible peek into the early years of WOC children's programming. Click here to read her account as well as an incredibly rare photo of WOC's very own beloved Cactus Jim!
03/08/06 Captain Ernie fan Captain John wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, I have an idea for you. How about a Captain Ernie reunion show? Would channel six go for it? I want my children to have the opportunity to see your show and see what true quality children's programming is all about. Could we start a petition right here on your website? Could you give us a button to push and a petition form we fill out online? I am sure I can get at least 100 of my friends at work who would sign it. Maybe you could also give us an online page we could print and post in the break room. Once you get this going, remember I came up with the idea and have three children and two parents who want to be part of your studio audience. The Quad Cities not only misses you, the youth of the Quad Cities needs you. Best wishes to you, Captain Ernie!
Is there any interest in a Captain Ernie Reunion Show? WOC would only be interested if there were enough Captain Ernie fans interested. A great place to start would be to write to KWQC TV 6. KWQC TV
805 N Brady Street
Davenport, Iowa
52803
(563) 383-7000
How about this one.... How would you like the Celebration Belle Riverboat to do another Cartoon Cruise with Captain Ernie? They are located at 2501 River Drive, Moline, IL 61265
Phone: (309) 764-1952 -or- (800) 297-0034 Fax: (309) 764-1966
Give them a call & let them know that there is interest! If enough Captain Ernie fans contacted them, maybe they would do it again and wouldn't that be a blast!
As requested, click here, print and fill out the petition and send it to KWQC-TV 6!
03/13/2006 Lynne Daleb knows Uncle Ernie!...
Captain Ernie is really my Uncle Ernie! I live in Nashua, NH where Ernie grew up and it was always a joy to see and spend time with him as a child whenever he would visit. I never realized how popular he was until I was older, but as his niece he was always a star to me!
03/13/2006 Angela Ratter can top Lynne Daleb.....Captain Ernie is her dad!
Hi,
My name is Angela Ratter and I am the Captain's youngest daughter.
Living with my father was a magical thing. I got to visit the station and set regularly, got to play with Sidney on the weekends, and had special one-on-one time with Ronald McDonald who was on the show every week. He was always so nice to me, but I have to admit I didn't even know his real name. If I did, it probably would have taken the magic out of it, so I'm glad I didn't. To me, he WAS Ronald McDonald! Watching my dad on TV was great because it never felt like he was far away and when I did miss him, he'd simply take me to work with him and let me be on the show. No matter where we went, he was recognized enthusiastically and asked for autographs. I remember one occasion when we'd gone to see a movie at Showcase Cinemas in Milan, and the ticket taker outside the theater was beside himself to see Capt. Ernie! While my dad went to the restroom, this ticket taker said to me, "Do you know who that is?" I said, "Of course I do. It's my dad." He replied, "No! That's Captain Ernie!!" The poor guy was shaking! He looked at me quite seriously and said, "Could I have your autograph?" I tried to talk him out of this, of course, and persuade him to ask my father for one, but he was so nervous. I wrote on his piece of paper: Capt. Ernie's daughter. My father and I always laugh about that one.
I do vaguely remember one Christmas show because I was on it! I was pretty small, maybe around 4 or 5, and I was sleepy since my dad had woken me up to be on it. I guess he wanted me sleepy as that was part of the show. Anyway, I do remember a tree, and Santa sitting in a big chair. I was sitting on the floor by his feet, I think. Another thing about Christmas was all the handmade ornaments my dad received from fans! We had TONS of them!! I don't think my parents ever bought an ornament.
I really appreciated your article about him because it recognizes my father not only for the unbelievable legacy he left, but also for being a wonderful person, which he is. As a father, he was fun to be around and always, always made time for my brother and sister and me. I never felt unimportant to him. He'd spend hours with me after he got home playing games that he'd made up. My favorite was the Catalog Game. We'd open a J.C. Penney catalog, and my dad would say he was going to buy something for someone and which thing on that page would it be? This captivated me for hours, and I've shared this game with my children as well, who also adore the game. More important than the game itself was the time spent with him. I could not have imagined a better father! Today, he continues to be my bright light, who can cheer me up in a second or remind me of how much I am loved. When he visits, he spends countless hours now playing with my kids; in fact, there are some games they play ONLY with their Papou (Greek for grandpa) and no one else.
This website has filled me with lots of memories and warm fuzzies. Thank you!
Angela 
October, 1970. In this clipping from the Quad City Times, Captain Ernie and Ronald McDonald make a special Halloween appearance at the new Showcase Cinemas in Milan Illinois! Captain Ernie, Ronald McDonald, Tarzan, color cartoons and a Halloween Costume party - top that!
03/14/2006 Captain Ernie fan Diane Bower wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, When I was little I used to watch your show as did everyone else in the Quad Cities. I had two favorite parts to your show. #1 When the humane society would bring in the pets for adoption. I used to beg my mom for every dog you featured. They were so cute! #2 When you would have a studio audience member give you a number and you would make it into a cartoon character. I think on your Uncle Ernie show you had the kids send you numbers. Here is the question that I have always wondered about - What were the hardest numbers for you to work into a cartoon? And, did you practice all of the numbers off air so you automatically had an idea what to do with them? You were so good at it that it looked rehearsed. Here is the part of your show I hated - The Three Stooges. I only hated The Three Stooges because my older brother would watch and try out every stupid thing they did ON ME! I am signing your petition and sending it to KWQC. I am going to get some of my friends to sign it too!
Hi Diane! Captain Ernie said that the hardest number to draw was number 4. He then said that the second hardest number to draw was number 5. The reason he gave was that those numbers do not conform to anyone's face so you really have to stretch to make them work! He never practiced the numbers because the whole fun of it was to find out if he could draw a face out of what was presented to him at the spur of the moment. Here you go Diane, he gave it a shot with the near impossible "44" just for you!
03/14/2006 Captain Ernie fan Angela Grossinger wrote;
Hello Captain Ernie, I was just reading your response about the characters you made out of numbers. That was my favorite part of the show too when I lived in Bettendorf as a child. Here is my question for you: did any of the Captains that preceded you draw characters from numbers? Where did you get that idea? Did you invent it? You are the only one I have seen do the number characters on tv. Sent with love to you and your family and your extended tv viewer family as well. I miss you Captain Ernie. Angela Grossinger 
03/19/2006 Captain Ernie fan Heather Johnson wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie,
I had my first crush on you. I was about 8 years old and I intended to marry you when I grew up. We were going to spend our happy life on the Dixie Belle, traveling up and down the Mississippi with our crewmates - Popeye, Gumby, Deputy Dog and Huckleberry Hound. I was counting on you to protect me from The Three Stooges. Well, time has passed and I just want you to know, all of us little girls of the 1960's are still in love with you.
03/19/2006 Captain Ernie fan Don McCordy asks;
Where did the name of the boat come from? Who made up the Dixie Belle?
Don McCordy.. you asked where did the name of the Dixie Belle come from and who came up with it. Ernie has no idea. It was created before he joined WOC and if he had to guess, it was all Captain Ken Wagner's idea. Ken was the artist for WOC and the first Captain of the Dixie Belle so his best guess goes to him. Don McGonegle also answered you with the following; Ken also did all of the lettering and decoration detail on the Dixie Belle. Just exactly where he got the name, I don't really know. I don't think it was taken from any other tv station anywhere and I don't know if it might have been the name of a real riverboat steamer in history. I know that Ken used that same name when he took the job in Minneapolis. He also did all of the detail painting on the Treasure Chest and Ivan built the chest as well (as shown in the picture on this site).
If any of the WOC alumni who visit here have the answer, please email me!
03/10/06 Captain Ernie fan Melvin DeBarr was not only on The Showboat, Ernie knew more about Melvin than what was expected!
Hello and thanks for a great website! I well remember being on the Captain Ernie show twice as a child. He interviewed me and told me he knew my school principal, Mr. Joe Kussatz and that he was a very nice man. And then he asked me how my father "Big Mel" was and that really blew me away! It was so great to know that Captain Ernie knew who my father was! Sadly, my dad passed away in 1979 but being on the Captain Ernie show was a memory that will last forever. My brother and I got to go backstage and have pictures taken with the Captain and Sidney, and for years he was our after school TV friend. Best wishes to the Captain and thanks again for the great website.
Melvin DeBarr
Great Mills, Maryland
UPDATE!!! 03/19/06....
Attached are pictures taken from my 1968 appearance on the Captain Ernie Show. One is of me and my brother Steve with the Captain and Sidney, and one is the Captain interviewing me on the show with my brother sitting behind us. Sorry that the pictures are a bit fuzzy but it's been a few years since they were taken! If you'd like the names of the other kids in the show, let us know and we'll try to identify them.
Hope you enjoy the photos!
Melvin DeBarr
What a great picture of Sidney and the treasure chest! The Captain Ernie's Treasure Chest writing appears to be attached rather than painted on as you can see the shadows on the wheel spokes!
03/19/06 Captain Ernie fan and Melvin DeBarr's mom comes to the rescue with answers to questions about the pictures!
I am Mel's Mom, Mary Byron. He asked me to reply for him as his home computer needs a doctor...and I can answer some of your questions.
The photo of the children on the risers WAS taken at the start of the broadcast. That day, we were celebrating Mel's 6th. birthday. What Mel is holding is a place card, with his name and age on it....that the Captain could refer to, on air.
I'm sure I used a flash camera in taking that picture...but don't remember getting scolded for doing so. *grin*
The photo of Mel and his brother, with the Captain and Sydney was taken after the show. If memory serves me right, the Captain was tidying up, and I simply positioned the boys right in front of him.
The children there to celebrate with Mel are:
Bottom row, next to Mel are Keith Kling and Mike Styvaert.
Back row. Michelle Fick, Mel's brother, Steve DeBarr, Mel's cousin Sherry Bourn, and, with his face blocked, Mel's cousin Rodger Bourn. Not shown but present on the show that day was Kenny Bourn who was another one of Mel's cousins!
You can tell the Captain, that BIG Mel, was the WOC plumber. *grin* (I think he was working for the old Ryan Plumbers at that time). And he WAS big! 6'4" with black hair...and very handsome. :-)
My sons and I are happy to see your website, and to know that Ernie is well. Our very best wishes to him. We're especially happy to have our pictures posted on the site, and that you are excited to have them. Thank you!! We'll be checking in from time to time in the hopes of seeing more wonderful pictures pop up.
Take care...and the best of luck with the site.
Sincerely,
Mary Byron
03/22/06 Captain Ernie fan Cathy Blithe - Fletcher wrote;
Dear Captain,
I remember telling my mom I wanted to be a part of your studio audience for my birthday. This was about the time I was ten years old which would have been 1967. My mom claimed she called WOC and the waiting list to be on your show was months long. How long was the waiting list? To this day I regret that I did not cry, scream, hold my breath and throw stuff until she signed me up. I am signing you petition for a reunion show and want to know how I can be a part of your studio audience? I need to go to the top of your studio audience list. After all, I have been WAITING ALMOST 30 YEARS!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the great question Cathy! Ernie said that your mom was right! He said that the waiting list was months to get in to see the show. Parents would book their children way in advance because of birthdays and scout outings, etc and the show was always booked.
At this point he has not heard from KWQC as far as their having any plans for the show but he is ready to go if they ever ask!
Ernie also mentioned that there were always kids that lived on the blocks around WOC and he would make room and sneak them in!
03/25/06 Captain Ernie fan and Captain Ernie's daughter's buddy Rita O'Connor wrote;
I work with Captain Ernie's daughter, Angela, in Clermont, FL. Yes, we have met Captain Ernie. Actually we lived in the Q-C from 1984-1999. All of my friends from the Q-C say it was the best show ever. Thanks for all of the info. on the website. Captain Ernie ROCKS!
Rita O'Connor
03/25/06 Captain Ernie fan Janna Mobley asks;
How do I reserve a seat on the Captain Ernie reunion show? What is the date of the show? Thank you, Janna
03/28/06 Captain and Uncle Ernie fan Tracy Burke lived next door to Ernie!
My memories of the Memos family come from their stint as our neighbor.
Uncle Ernie & family moved next door to us in 1965 or 66, in a house on Moline's 7th Street by Hamilton School.
He was only an Uncle then, not a Captain. It was a thrill to find out who our new neighbor was. Both he & his wife were
interesting, energetic, gregarious people to be around, and I remember both kids, Zach & the girl (maybe Angela?).
Angela was either 4 or 5, Zach maybe 6-7.
I was in 4th or 5th grade at the time, and until I bumped into this site, I had forgotten about a very nice thing he did for me.
He let me come with him one Sunday morning to the studio to watch him do the live Uncle Ernie show. At WOC, he treated me like a
distinguished guest. I felt privileged & important and was on my best behaviour, which wasn't easy....
He gave me a tour of the studio area, introducing me to people and showing me the news set with a big heavy black&white teleprompter
on a cart. He took me into a tech room and showed me how a technician would slide graphics into an area where they would be
seen onscreen by viewers. It was Sunday morning and there was no studio audience and very few
people around, at least on the Uncle Ernie set.
He also took me downstairs to a dressing room and I watched him put on his big mustache using Spirit Gum. I think
he gave me an old can of it and I held onto it for awhile. He also explained to me that the pie that they were going to shove
into his face was not a real pie, but made of shaving cream.
It was a special day for me, and thinking back on it now, it was a very generous thing for him to do for a neighbor kid.
A year or two later as Captain Ernie, when my older brother was hospitalized out-of-town with a serious illness, Capt. Ernie mentioned
him on the air and gave an address for get-well-cards, and my brother got quite a few.
Not long after he became Captain Ernie, they bought a house and moved to Davenport. It was fun while it lasted, and a
very pleasant childhood memory.
I hope he & his family are doing well and that he's (presumably) enjoying retirement.
Regards,
Tracy Burke
04/03/06 Captain Ernie fan and Classic Radio B97 morning guy, in Hilo, Hawaii, Darrin Carlson wrote;
I LOVE THIS SITE!!! I grew up in Davenport and went to Wilson Elementary. Captain Ernie was the first celebrity I ever met as a kid. I was in awe of him and speechless in his presence.
I remember he was also a weatherman too on WOC. I always thought it was weird when they referred to him as just ERNIE MIMS. "That's Captain Ernie!!"
I remember going to the WOC studios. I was on his show twice when it was my birthday. I recall holding up a sign with my name, age and school on it. I can still remember being blinded by those bright studio lights.
Afterwards, we were supposed to sit down on our signs and Captain Ernie had to keep telling me to put my sign away because I kept showing it. I'm 41 now and live in Hawaii, but seeing your site sure brought back some great memories..
Mahalo!
Darrin Carlson
04/07/06 Captain Ernie fan George DeSmit was on The Showboat and can now reveal the 40 year old secret!
Ahoy Captain Ernie! One of my friends told me about your site. I could not believe it. I was on your show when I was in second grade. I was part of a Cub Scout Troop who visited. We were all very disappointed. We were expecting to see the Three Stooges live on your set. I remember our troop leader trying to explain to us that they were only on film. We were sure they were just being mean and hiding from us. From the bleachers we did a few eye pokes, a couple of spread out you guys and once we got our Ho Ho's we were all happy again. By the way Ernie, that terrible smell was coming from little Jimmy Cordera. He had a sick stomach that day. Sorry Jim if you happen to read this. I kept your secret for almost 40 years. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK! Take care Ernie.
04/07/06 Captain Ernie fan Linda Myers asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I cannot believe I stumbled onto your website. What a surprise! I remember you used to interview the children in the audience. I think it was usually the children with birthdays. I know you were broadcasting live, but did you have a five second delay back then? Did the children ever say anything that you really did not want to go on the air? Did you ever have to bleep out any of the kids comments? I think that is why my mother would not let me go on your show. She was afraid I was going to reveal some deep dark family secret. Either that or she was afraid I was going to tell you about my little brothers bad habits!
Linda .... Ernie said that "Did the children ever say anything that you really did not want to go on the air? Did you ever have to bleep out any of the kids comments?" is one of the most asked questions about the show. He said that he never talked down to children when he interviewed them. He just simply talked to them in normal conversation such as "oh, I see that it is your birthday". As a result, he does not recall anything ever being said by the children that was worthy of being bleeped. There was one little girl, however, whom he asked how she got such beautiful curly hair. She answered "it gets that way every time after I go potty".
04/20/06
Captain Ernie admirer Holly Wilson wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, What is your secret? How do you stay so sexy after all of these years? XOXOXOXOXOXOX0 Ernie's answer....the pictures on the site were taken forty years ago and I guess that you could still call me sexy if you like old and grey!
04/26/06
Captain Ernie fan John Williams wrote;
Hello Captain Ernie,
I noticed that your website reads "THIS IS THE UNOFFICIAL CAPTAIN ERNIE'S SHOWBOAT WEBSITE!" Does that mean that Channel 6 owns the Captain Ernie character?
To the best of Ernie's knowledge, WOC has no copyright on the Captain Ernie Character. The vast majority of appearances that he made were for WOC and part of the job. For example, he would go to store openings. He recalls being at the grand opening of Jovan Foods across from Duck Creek Plaza, for example. He said that sometimes someone would say hey, so and so has a birthday, could you be there and he would go but it was pretty much an afterthought. So, no, he did not do freelancing as Captain Ernie but appeared as the Captain as it was appropriate to do so... great question!
This website was started as a fan site to show Captain Ernie how much he meant to us growing up in the Quad Cities. The idea was that this would be a great place to share memories, photos, etc. and to give back to him a thank you for the fun times which he gave to us all those years ago.
So the main intent of "Unofficial" in the title is to let everyone know that this is not a KWQC production but instead a thank you from his fans to Ernie.
04/28/06 Jack Kirby was not only on Captain Ernie's Showboat, he saw something every kid dreamed of seeing in the 60's and 70's!
I remember the Captain Ernie's Showboat program. My cubscout troup was on there we had a good time. That seems like a million years ago. I saw the real Batmobile "WOW" I am now 46 years old.
Jack .... you did not present a question but fyi, Ernie does remember the Batmobile on the show! He said that the Batmobile was on tour and he is a car enthusiast and to have it on the show was a really big deal at the time.
05/03/06 Captain Ernie fan Jason Schmidt writes;
My dad says he was on your show and he got to pull the winning post card out of the "drum." Dad said he was given Twinkies after the show. I sure wish there was some video available so I could better understand the format of the show. Is there a picture somewhere of the "drum?" My dad said you spun it around first to mix up the post cards. He does not remember how he got chosen to select the card.
Jason, Ernie said that your dad has a great memory. He had a wire drum which he would spin with a handle. Inside of it was postcards from kids who had sent them in trying to win something special. Thousands upon thousands of cards were received and it was always full whenever something was given away! Thanks for the question!
05/04/06 Larry Jasper was on The Showboat with Captain Ernie and someone special!
In 1968 I was 20 years old and looking for a job. I went to the job service and checked out the listings to see what was available. One job in particular sounded interesting. It was a special promotion by Kool Aid! Kool Aid at the time had the Kool Aid Bunny who would go around and promote Kool Aid. Kool Aid at the time had Bugs Bunny on the cover of their packages for the sweetend kind. Bugs Bunny was featured on Cyclamate Sweetened Kool-Aid in the early 1970's, I am not sure if this was the tie-in with a bunny but I do know that Cyclamate was banned for causing cancer in laboratory rats.
In any case, my job was to drive the Kool Aid bunny around to his different appointments. One of these appointments was an appearance on Captain Ernie's Showboat! On the Showboat, we gave away superballs and frisbees. Ernie talked to us about different things such as where we had been that week and it was really fun being on the show.
Part of the deal was we were to drive a rented van around (which we stuck the Kool-Aid sign on) and give out superballs and frisbees to kids as they ran up to us to trade in empty packages of Kool-Aid. We ended up at one point driving thru Milan, Illinois and the bunny asked me to pull over at a tavern. He said "watch this" and proceeded to go into the bar and have a few beers. During this time, the patrons were flabbergasted and were calling him saying "Hey there is Harvey!" from the classic Jimmy Stewart film.
You can see in the picture dated May, 1968, it reads "Kool-Aid SWAP-WAGON" Swap Kool-Aid packages for a Super Ball or a Frisbee! These were the outfits we wore on The Showboat! 
05/06/06 Captain Ernie fan Patty Gomez asks;
Hi Captain Ernie,
I watched your show from the mid 60's until about 1968. My little brother started taking an interest in your show about 1968 and I could not stand the thought of us both liking the same program. I was way too cool for that. So, I gave up the Showboat experience and started the chasing boys experience. LOL!
Here is what I was wondering - - - On your very last Captain Ernie Show, what exactly did WOC do? Did you have guest celebrities? Did WOC present you with a Rolex, a Mercedes, and a vacation home in the islands? How much longer did you work for WOC after your show went off the air? What job(s) did you do at WOC after that? Was there a tear in your eye at the end of that last show?
My cousin told me about your site and that you really respond to questions from your fans. Well Ernie, you never had a bigger fan than me!
I still love you in a Captain, First Mate sorta way. I feel like we navigated the Mississippi River together for years. And I loved every minute of it! You will always be one of my fondest childhood memories. Not only are you a local legend, it feels as if you are part of my family. I cannot begin to imagine how many children, now grown ups, feel the very same way.
Love, Patty - - - Toot! Toot!!
Hi Patty... Ernie said that it was not his choice to take The Showboat off the air and he would have continued it. However, it was a management decision and at the time most similar children's programming was being taken off the air and being replaced by syndicated television shows. Ernie tearfully said goodbye to the showboat and continued on with his career at WOC. This included his WOC radio d.j. show as well as other assignments. Most notably, PM Magazine with co-host Paula Sands! PM Magazine was interesting because every episode was done live on location. If the national feed sent a story on someone who was a baker, for example, Ernie and Paula would do their segment live at a bakery! He spent the last five years of his career in sales, retiring in 1994.
Yes, he was given a beautiful watch and it is inscribed "WOC 12/15/60 to 10/28/94" and was given to him by Vickie Anne Palmer at his retirement. He never really received a television send-off and his WOC retirement party was held at the old Beaver's East with some of the regulars such as news anchor Don Ryan in attendance as well as behind the scenes WOC employees. Ernie does not recall the happenings of the final episode of The Cartoon Showboat, however, stay tuned, someone may know!
05/07/06 Captain Ernie fan Tom Bletcher asks;
Hi Ernie, I have two questions. #1 What did you do off camera when the cartoons were playing? #2 Were you a Three Stooges Fan?
Ernie remembers that during the breaks, when the cameras were playing cartoons, he was doing one of three things; 1) setting up the next live segment 2) talking with the kids, keeping them entertained 3) watching cartoons with the kids! Sometimes they didn't want to be interrupted while watching their favorite cartoons! Ernie is a Three Stooges fan. When asked which was his favorite Stooge, he responded that it wasn't Larry because he did not seem to have as much going on as the other two, he just seemed amazed at the chaos that was going around him. It wasn't Moe because of all of the violence involved. It was no question, CURLY!
You may recall being frustrated as a child watching The Showboat because parts of The Three Stooges 20 minute shorts were missing when they were played. It is now revealed by WOC's Jon Book, Showboat Alumni, that The Three Stooges films were trimmed to meet the need of the show, to fit within what time was allowed. Therefore even endings were cut! You may have watched a partial Three Stooges only to watch the same film later in the year 100% complete! Another piece of Showboat trivia involves The Three Stooges as well. Jon reveals that during the mid 1960's, The Three Stooges films were pulled from The Showboat due to pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). Parents during this time period and on into the 70's were putting pressure on television to provide education and to ban violence which resulted in Larry, Moe and Curly banished from the show!
05/10/06
First Mate Jack Jarmine wants to know;
Hi Captain Ernie, As a youngster my favorite TV shows were Captain Ernie's Showboat, My Favorite Martian and Mr. Ed. What were your favorite shows of the late 60's? ______________________________________________ Your First Mate JJ
Jack... Ernie said that like you, he liked watching My Favorite Martian and he also watched and enjoyed every episode of Gilligan's Island.
05/10/06 Uncle Ernie fan Jorge Gomez asks;
Hola UNCLE Ernie, My younger cousin told me about your website. Here is a question I have> When I first started watching you on WOC you were Uncle Ernie on Sunday mornings. Your show was in black and white. When did your show go color? I can only remember Captain Ernie being in color. Jorge... Ernie said that he only recalls The Showboat in color and he only remembers Uncle Ernie in black and white. According to KWQC's webpage; In 1964 film programs that were available in color were broadcast in color and two inch video tape machines were part of broadcast plant. By 1967 all locally originated programming was in full color. Ernie said that the people who would know would be the directors, producers and behind the scene workers during the mid 1960s. Perhaps if they visit this site, they could provide the history of the switch-over and how The Showboat and Uncle Ernie fit into the mix. Ernie does recall that in the beginning of color television they were not to wear solid white shirts. They had to be off-white or blue or some off shade. The reason was white would burn and smear in appearance on the screne. Of course today the technology allows for any color with no problems.
Don McGonegle who was a producer/diretor for Uncle and Captain Ernie said.... Don McGonegle said that Uncle Ernie was in black and white from the start to the end of the show. Captain Ernies Showboat, however, started out in black and white and switched to color in 1967. Broadcast color tape and slides and the national feed were in color but the studio shows were in black & white.
In black and white television you never wore white shirts, it was either silver grey or light blue due to the fact that white would burn on the screen. The same was true in the early years of color television. The Showboat set itself had no changes related to the change to color on WOC, however the makeup that the actors would wear did have to change as it was much more critical in color than it was in black and white.
05/10/06 Captain Ernie fan Harold Cantlin asks;
Hi Ernie,
I was just reading your biography on the first page of your website. I see that you played trumpet in the Air Force Band. I know you have to be REALLY good to make it in the Air Force Band. Do you still play the trumpet and where could I go to see you perform? How old were you when you first started playing the trumpet? Why did you choose the trumpet? Were there others in your family with musical talent? Was there any particular reason you did not pursue a career as a musician like your buddy Tommy Newsom? Speaking of Tommy Newsom, do you still stay in touch with him?
Your trumpet totin' friend, Harold
Harold, Ernie said to tell you that he still plays the trumpet on a daily basis. He started playing at age 12 when he fell in love with Be-Bop and the Harry James Band. He still plays in the public on occasion but things have to line up right for it to happen. Someone like Manny Lopez will give him a call and say "hey Ernie, lets play" and it will just happen. If this website finds out one such occasion, it will be posted here.
Ernie is the only one in his family with musical talent and he did not pursue it due to insecurity regarding job security as a musician. He needed a steady job. He has not seen Tommy Newsom in years mainly because Tommy is more of a studio session player. Thanks for the question & for visiting the site. If you would like to know a little more, click here!
05/10/06 Captain Ernie fan Audrey Durst asks;
Dear Captain Ernie,
I work in the media, but nothing as high profile as what you did in your days at WOC. I know we have some people who are 'famous' come through here every so often. Some are more famous than others and some only wish they were as famous as they think they are. I have to believe that in your days at WOC you must have met some really famous people. Could you give us a list of maybe the 5 most famous people you met during your career? And, of all the famous people you met, who was your favorite?
By the way, I want to be sure and let you know how much I appreciated your show when I was growing up. Like someone said below, or at least in similar words, we turned on the TV, invited you into our homes, and thought of you as family. If there ever were a 'Mr. Quad Cities,' it is you!
Your shipmate, Audrey
Thanks for the questions Audrey! Ernie said to tell you that he met more famous people on The Showboat in particular than he could possibly recall. However, here are some of them; Lorne Greene {Ernie told him "Hey even though you are over six foot tall, you look smaller on t.v." to which Lorne replied "That's because you see me on Bonanza standing next to Hoss!" (Dan Blocker)}, Jimmy Dean, Clue Gulliger (famous actor), Leif Erickson (High Chaparral), John Raitt, Kirby Grant (Sky King), Tim Matheson (Animal House), Martin Milner and George Maharis (Route 66 tv show) and Ed McMahon (while Ernie was working Noon Edition on Channel 6.. during the Captain Ernie years). Again, this list is a drop in the bucket compared to whom he has met but these are the ones who come to mind. They all appeared on Captain Ernie's Showboat for the same reason.... they were promoting something on NBC such as a tv show and WOC was the NBC affiliate! Ed McMahon was from Lowel, Massachusettes which is 14 miles from Nashua, New Hampshire where Ernie grew up so they instantly had a bond. Ernie told Ed that they had something else in common, they both knew Tommy Newsom! So Ernie gave a picture to Ed. Mr. McMahon also took a message reading "Tommy, great seeing you on the tube but you are still as quiet now as you were back then!" (written by Ernie) back to Tommy who proclaimed "Hey! I know this guy!" Ernie as Captain Ernie in full costume also performed one time locally with the ice-capades. He also met Theodore Bikel who played the lead in "Fiddler on the Roof". Ernie is of Greek heritage which makes his vocal sound similar to Yiddish so Ernie and Theodore ended up singing a great duet of "If I Were a Rich Man" together! So, again, Ernie has met many many stars and every one has been just great. His favorite would have to be Jimmy Dean due to Jimmy's affable easy and pleasant to speak to presence.
05/11/06 Captain Ernie fan Norma Gladstone writes;
Dear Captain Ernie, My little boy (now 52) just showed me your website. I am dictating this message to you while he types it. Computers and I do not get along. You were the best babysitter in the world for this mother of four. I looked forward to your show every day because it was the one time in the day where the kids were entertained and not causing a commotion. All four of them would sit spellbound in front of the TV. I don't think I could have survived their childhood without you.
05/15/06 1st Mate Ronnie Gordman asks;
Hello Captain Ernie, I have two questions for you; 1 - From your show, what was your favorite cartoon character? 2 - How do you think the cartoons today compare to the cartoons you were showing? - 1st Mate RG
Ronnie... Ernie said that his favorite cartoon character is Bugs Bunny. He said that as violent as some of the cartoons were on The Showboat in a slapstick way, he feels that some of the cartoons today have really become violent and that is probably the biggest change that he has seen. Thanks for the great question and for visiting Captain Ernie's site!
05/16/06 Captain Ernie fan Carol emailed;
I just want to share a story about Captain Ernie. He lived not far from my grade school, Johnson Elementary, now closed (sigh). And one time he was at the school watching Showtime Pal with his kids. Once the rest of us realized it really was him, we all clamoured around him. Looking back I would have expected him not to be very happy that he couldn't just watch the show in peace. But Captain Ernie really seemed to like us, he didn't seem the least bothered by all of us kids hanging all over him. Captain Ernie, er, I mean Ernie Mims, was/is a truly Nice Guy and I hope he knows how much he contributed to happy memories for all of us in the Five Point area of Davenport. - Carol
05/18/06 First Mate Connie Regis wrote;
Ahoy Captain Ernie from your First Mate Connie!
After all of these years, I FOUND YOU! What a surprise it was when I typed in Captain Ernie's Showboat and you popped right up. I almost fell out of my chair.
You may not remember me but I was on your show when I was about 8 years old. My 7 year old sister was on that day too. You came over and spoke to me and from that day on I had a huge crush on you. You were my handsome Prince errrrr Captain!
You may find this funny but when I was in third grade, my friends and I used to pretend on the playground who the famous person was that we were going to be married to when we grew up. Guess what? Yippers! I always picked you. So even to this day I feel like we have a special relationship.
The day we were on your show we all got a free Super Ball. These were not the little ones you get out of the gum machine today. These were fist size Super Balls! They were not the colorful ones you see today either. They were solid black. I remember bouncing it rather hard on the floor and it came back up and gave me a little bit of a black eye. Ouch! Well, you know what they always said - keep your eye on the ball. Well I did!
Anyway Captain Ernie, I have a special place in my heart for you. And reading the comments below I see I am not alone. I wish my grandchildren had a Captain Ernie on the television to watch. Every child could use a Captain Ernie in their life.
Sent with love and admiration, Connie
05/18/06
Ships Engineer Roger Gilford wrote;
Ships Engineer Roger Gilford reporting for duty, Captain Ernie, SIR!
As a young child I was convinced you really were on a boat navigating the Mississippi. I used to ask my dad to drive slowly over the twin bridges (now I-74 bridge) so I could look for the Dixie Belle. That was way back when they were charging a 10 cent toll to cross the bridge. My dad would play along and for years I was convinced somewhere out there you were transversing the great Mississippi.
Best wishes Captain Ernie and watch out for those sand bars!
Hello Captain Ernie, I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed reading your site. One of my friends at work told me about it. It sure does bring back memories. Did all of the Captains of the good ship Dixie Belle play The Three Stooges? How did that get started? That was always my favorite part of the show. At school, every kid knew every Three Stooges sound effect. I remember one year we had an epidemic of kids going around putting their fist up to some other kids nose and smacking it a good one and making a Three Stooges honking sound. I also remember walking by the Principal's office and seeing about 20 nose honkers waiting in line for their private conference. The nose horn honking stopped really quick after that! Yours truly, Dixie Belle Senior Lieutenant and chief nose honker Robert M. Hansen
D.B.S.L.& C.N.H. Robert Hansen, you are getting a two for one special. Legendary WOC engineer Jon Book was with Captain Ernie when he read his fan mail and this is what Ernie and Jon had to say regarding The Three Stooges and the cartoons on The Showboat!
Jon Book: The Three Stooges packages was separate from the Bugs Bunny Cartoon package which WOC had picked up. I know this because someone at WOC was cleaning up and during this cleaning, I ran across the promotional pack which Columbia had sent the station for WOC to sign them up to play on the air. WOC would purchase a particular package and agree that it would be played for a season or a year.
Ernie: When The Three Stooges originally started airing on The Showboat, I do not know. I do know that Captain Vern said that he was playing them which means that they had already been running no later than 1963. This means that Captain Vern, Don and I all played them. Interestingly, they were pulled from The Showboat in the mid-1960's for about a year due to parental groups complaining about violence on children's television. Now with the cartoons, there were something like 500 total with WOC having 250 of them and WHO having 250. 1/2 way thru the year WOC and WHO swapped their own 250 to make them fresh again to the viewers. That is why you saw so many of the cartoons over and over again in a certain period of time but then did not see them for awhile and the process would continue.
Jon Book: With the Popeye cartoons which were part of the mix, there were older ones and newer ones. I liked the older ones. The newer ones had a fixed animated background and the old Popeye cartoons had original animated backgrounds which they only used like once. Newer Popeyes were similar to Wally Gator in that they would take the same background for seven minutes to strech it out.
Ernie: Do you know how they explained the same cartoons over and over again for years and years? They said that there is always another audience that you are picking up every two years. Kids are getting older and you are getting a whole new group coming in. Even with the same cartoon over and over again, kids like repetition and they would say "Oh! I like this part right here!" Thanks for the great question Bob and for visiting Captain Ernie's site!
05/20/06 Bucking for promotion First Officer Wayne Cooper wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, First Officer Wayne 'Coop' Cooper requesting permission to board the Dixie Belle, I just spent a good three hours reading all of your site. Once I started I couldn't stop. I am nothing short of amazed. Yours is one of the best internet sites I have ever seen. I see all of the great questions here on your message board and wish I had a really good one for you. I am drawing a blank. How about this - did you know each of the prior Dixie Belle Captains? Did any of them give you pointers? What was the best piece of advice they gave you? Was there an on air hand-off from the former Captain when you became the new Captain? Were you nervous on your first Captain Ernie show? Hey, that was pretty good for a guy who was having trouble coming up with a question. Do I get promoted to a higher rank for that? Coop
Thanks for the questions Wayne! Ernie said....
I did not know Ken Wagner, I never met him, he was long gone before I got there. I knew Vern quite well. Don Warren took over the show next and I knew him too. He was not the Captain for very long, he was kind of a transitional figure.
Vern was in essence my boss. While he was doing Captain Vern, he would go back to his office and be the program director. We had to confer with other things that I was doing on tv.
I can not recall any baton type thing like "Well, I am leaving now.... and here is the new guy!" It seems to me that I just went in there cold and introduced myself like "Hi! I am the new Captain of the Dixie Belle" or something like that.
They already knew me from Uncle Ernie and I may have gone in there and said "Hey, look! I am not a janitor anymore, they made me Captain of The Showboat!", I seem to recall.
Many people tried out for the job as Captain when it was open. This included our own local guys at the station. Jim Boyd, for example, was a weatherman and he came up with some kind of ventriloquist act or something. I think that it was Ray Guth, the station manager, who eventually said, "Hey listen, the best guy for the position is a guy who the kids already know" or something like that. He liked something about me, perhaps the way that I ad libbed and that is how I was promoted to Captain!
I was not nervous and I enjoyed the leap from janitor to Captain!
For these questions, yes you are promoted! Give yourself another star!
05/23/06....Captain Ernie fan Nancy McNealy wrote;
My Dear Captain Ernie,
Here I am at age 53 feeling like I am 10 years old again. The sound of the Dixie Belle whistle almost gave me a heart attack. The last thing I was expecting was that whistle to blast. The whistle also brought back some wonderful memories.
I see that you answer questions. Here goes...
#1 Do you still have the Captain Ernie uniform (and does it still fit)
#2 Do you still have your captains hat
#3 Was the uniform and hat handed down to you from the former captains
#4 If you were to pick one thing as the 'highlight of your career' what would it be
Well, I have to fess up - I had a crush on you too! I swear every little girl in the Quad Cities was in love with you. My friends and I would play 'house' when we were little and you were always the husband. I remember some times we would pretend we were on the Dixie Belle. I am blushing here telling you this.
You were, and always will be, a true Quad City treasure. You deserve a bigger than life statue somewhere on the Mississippi river front. Love, Nancy
Nancy....no to # 1, no to # 2, no to # 3!
The highlight of my career was working as Captain Ernie on the Showboat and the thing which stood out to me in that role was interviewing the celebrities, meeting the really big names who occasionally appeared on The Showboat!
05/25/06 .... First Lady of the Showboat Dixie Belle, Debbie Jones wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, My sister told me about your wonderful internet site. I am totally enjoying it. When I looked at your fan mail, I had to laugh at all of the women who had crushes on you when they were children. I can relate to that! I used to sleep at night holding my Captain Ernie picture card that I got when I was on your show. I had to give up my Captain Ernie photo when you lost your head. Yep, I kissed it so much that you became the headless Captain. Quite a sight I must say. So, I see that I get to ask a question. Hmmmmmmmmm! When your show was running and you were at the absolute height of your popularity, did you ever go out in public dressed incognito? And, if so, what did you use for a disguise? First Lady of the Showboat Dixie Belle, Debbie Jones P.S. Looking at your guest book, I can see you are just as popular as ever! Debbie.... I never went around dressed like Captain Ernie on my own time. I have always gone out casually, just being myself and was usually recognized. I dressed like everyone else and enjoyed the recognition!
05/27/06 ... Captain Ernie fan Claire Brooks wrote;
Dear Showbiz Kid, Did you ever consider making the leap to network tv? - Claire
Claire...
I was never good enough. That would be my answer. I had some offers from some bigger stations. I did not feel, however, the itch, the need to go beyond. Family was established here. Money is not always everything.
One reason why I did not make any drastic leaps is that you are dealing with ratings all of the time. You never know, you might go somewhere and the ratings flop and you are out in less than six months but here I felt secure.
05/31/06 ... Captain Ernie fan Cathy Blithe - Fletcher asks; Dear Captain Ernie, I hope you do not mind me writing to you again. I wanted to congratulate on how your website has developed over the last several months. And I cannot stop checking your message board to see the new posts and answers. I have been telling all of my friends about your website and I see several of them have written to you. Other than Grandpa Happy, were there any other shows over the years that you competed against on channel 4 or 8 that were really tough competition? Did your show always have the largest audience in its time slot? This so much fun getting to ask you questions. I know many of the questions before mine were much better but I just had to ask something! I can't stand by and let my friends have all of the fun! When I come up with some really good ones I will write you again, if that is okay with you. We adore you Captain Ernie. Cathy P.S. Your horn blast really got me. Here I am on your website minding my own business when out of nowhere - HONK! HONK! It never did that before and that is what really caught me off guard. Is it safe to come out from under the table now?
Cathy... Jungle Jay and Aunt Polly were competition to The Showboat. Jay was on Channel 8 and Polly took over for Grandpa Happy for a bit before Grandpa Happy came back to the show. Neither were competition for The Showboat, our show was always heads and shoulders over those two. Jungle Jay may have actually been during the Captain Vern and Captain Don years.
The Showboat was always number one in the ratings, not because of me but because of the overall product that it was including the quality of cartoons as well as the excellent give-aways on the show. Thanks again for the questions and feel free to ask more, its great to hear from you!
06/01/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan John Toot Toot Haggle & his wife, peeking over his shoulder, wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, My 2nd grade class was on your show years ago. Miss Johnston our teacher arranged it. Her popularity with the students really went up! Now that I read your guestbook entries and read the comments of all of your female admireres, I have to wonder if Miss Johnston might of had a thing for you. Miss Johnston, if you happen to read this I was only kidding! Miss Johnston also took us to the Wonder Bread factory for a tour. In second grade I was more into Deputy Dog, Popeye and Wally Gator. As I got older I was into the Three Stooges. That was a great marketing ploy you had to keep the older children interested in your show. My wife is reading over my shoulder and she says I am supposed to ask a question. I am a marketing guy so I will ask a marketing question; What was the target age group of your viewers? Were your viewers split evenly boys to girls? Were you making a conscious effort to appeal to both girls and boys? John Toot Toot Haggle
I wont haggle with you Mr. Haggle, I later went into tv sales for Channel 6 and here is the way that it worked... The demographic was from the age of awareness, one and one/half to two years old - you tell me, up to the late teens. That did not count out other age groups. We actually had a college group come to an airing of The Showboat for example. A lot of college kids told me along the way that they were watching The Showboat for the cartoons and Three Stooges to sit and chill out and to overcome the stress of a busy day studying at school. Mothers and adults as well enjoyed the show but we did not focus on them. The main focus was on young people and items on The Showboat covered a broad range. Ho Hos and Ding Dongs for example appeal to nearly everyone. The show was geared for both boys and girls equally. P.S.... Regarding Miss Johnston, I had a thing for her! The lovely Miss J. did not escape my eye!
06/01/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan
Nancy Where's the $!&#*@& boat Debonet wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie; I was on your show some time around 1968. I do not remember the exact date. I have to tell you that I was a bit disappointed. The set was pretty sparse. For a child expecting a ride on the good ship Dixie Belle it was a real letdown. I could not figure out where the rest of the boat was. My friends were all saying the same thing. I remember we were given Ho Ho's on the way out. I kept looking back over my shoulder trying to find the stupid boat. I just knew it had to be back there somewhere. I have to wonder how many other kids who were on your show also had a problem with the boat not meeting their expectations. Oh well, I am almost over it. Nancy "Where's the $!&#*@& boat?"
Nancy, it is pretty hard to have a real boat in the studio so we did what we could with the set that we had. Yes, others did express disappointment as well. During the years of the show, the real Dixie Belle was sailing up and down the river and continued to do so for many years. It is now on dry dock.
06/02/2006... Ernie really is his Uncle, Captain Ernie fan Jeff Carrico wrote;
My brother turned me on to this website and I am flat amazed. It's terrific and you couldn't honor a nicer guy.
I was on the show before, I think I got to be a deckhand or something--we had a little skit. It was great fun and it makes me smile to think about it till this very day. My brothers and sister agree.
Captain Ernie, you will always be Uncle Ernie to me. Drop me a line.
06/02/2006 .... Ernie really is his Uncle too, Captain Ernie fan Kent Carrico wrote;
Dear Uncle Ernie,
You were always my favorite Uncle and an incredible influence on my life.
Your talent, sense of humor, charm, and kindness to everyone comes from an amazing place deep in your heart, which is why this brilliant Website is evoking so many warm remembrances from so many 50-something people.
I can’t imagine a kinder, more loving, funnier man alive than Uncle Ernie Memos…and folks, could he wail on trumpet!
Love,
Kent
06/02/2006 .... Captain Ernie fan Chuck Sanderson wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie,
I am enthralled reading your website and revisiting my childhood with every word and picture. What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful and deserving man.
I know the Dixie Belle was a real boat. My dad pointed it out to me and my brother every time we crossed the Mississippi at night on I-74. We used to listen for the famous horn to honk. My dad always pretended he heard it. What wonderful childhood memories those are and they all can be attributed to you.
I heard about your website at work. I know my friends at work are all reading this and I hope they will contribute their memories to your guest book as well. I had a great time reading everyone's memories. I could relate to each and every one.
Thank you so much, Captain Ernie! The Quad Cities is a much better place because of you. We all share a common bond in having grown up with you.
Chuck
06/02/2006 ... She really was his first mate Patty Ann Memos(Carrico) wrote;
I was Capt Ernie's first mate for 23 years. It was a blast! Love you Ern! 06/02/2006 ...
Captain Ernie fan Sue Gretchum wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, What a joy it is to find your website! This is the Quad City memory lane. You deserve a street named after you. How about we turn Brady street into Captain Ernie Street? You are the Quad Cities walking talking living icon! I watched your show every week day as a child. It was always a fun time in the afternoon when you came on. Love, Sue
06/02/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Don Gretchum wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, My wife Sue is thinking way too small. We need to rename the Quad City Airport CAPTAIN ERNIE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT! Now there is a landmark worthy of your greatness Captain Ernie. I remember having your show pretty much timed when I was in high school so I could turn it on just in time for the Three Stooges. DG
06/03/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jason Gretchum wrote;
Hi Mr. Ernie, My Dad was trying to explain your show to me. We concluded that you were the Pee Wee Herman of his generation. My Dad says that may not be the best comparison but it was the best we could come up with. I say forget the street and airport name and just rename Davenport CAPTAIN ERNIEVILLE and get it over with! Sorry I never saw your show. I wasn't born yet. Jason
06/06/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan
Donna Schmeck wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie,
I must be having a mid-life crises brain block. For the life of me I can't remember who filled in for you when you were on vacation or were sick or whatever. I think I might remember Don Wooten hosting the show for you. Is that correct and were there any other guest hosts? Was there ever a guest hostess? I never missed your show no matter what. I should know this. I hope this is just a brain cramp and not a sign of things to come!!!
I think it is really cool that you and the other WOC celebrities of the 1960's and 1970's chose to make the Quad Cities their home after they retired!
I love your website. The horn blast is great! My cat is still hiding under the bed trying to figure out what that noise was.
Love ya' Ernie!!!
Donna
Donna, Charles King would fill in on some occasions. Robert Gann was a chiropractor who was also a WOC dj and worked behind the scenes at WOC, he also filled in. Those are the only two that I can come up with but the WOC alumni who frequent this site could probably come up with some more! If I recall correctly, Gann would come on the show as Cousin Bob which would explain why he was on the show when I was absent. Another who may have filled in would be WOC personality Doug Dahlgren. He was a guy who made it big in his career, if he was not on the show, he most certainly would have done an excellent job on it.
06/09/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Sally Scholl is the daughter of Hank Nicoll who was an engineer at WOC and worked there for 27 years. Sally said;
I truly love this sight! Can't believe I found it!
I use to be on the Captain Ernie Show all the time!
I was just a young girl, but knew my dad's job was stressful!
The hours were long & swing shift weeks.
I remember some years having to get up at 3 a.m.
to celebrate Christmas before my Dad had to work.
It took many people to keep that place running.
Many names are missing and have probably been forgotten.
I remember an Al Otting, my middle name comes
from his wife's name Joann. She was a teacher with a wonderful passion
for kids and endless energy. She taught my 6th grade.
I remember the WOC Christmas parties, and how beautiful
my Mom always looked in her long sparkling gowns.
I remember a basement of Televisions and TV tubes,
my Dad would fix up TV's for others as a hobby.
Mom died in 1979 when I was 17, so if I recall
my Dad retired in the early to mid 70's.
Which would make him one of the early pioneers
of WOC Broadcasting.
He was a WOC Engineer for 27 years and received a gold watch at his retirement.
Sally Scholl (Nicoll)
Florida
Sally, Ernie received a watch at his retirement too. He also had this to say...
Sally, you might get a kick out of this... unfortunately I contributed to the stress of your dad, Hank Nicoll because he was riding on audio control during my show! I had a terrible habit of not riding on the same voice level. Everytime I got through a show, he would say #$)%! Mimms, I am always having to ride that pot (potentiameter). He would always have to ride that thing because during the show I was always yelling something like "HEY LOOK OVER THERE!!!" just trying to be natural. I used to fight with all of those guys telling them to use a boom mike and they wouldn't have to sit there and ride the controls.
You can't effect natural honesty and believability if everything is one level. I can't be humble just say "Oh look at that, there is a big explosion". You say "LOOK AT THAT.... ITS AN EXPLOSION!!!!". I would say something like "HEY LOOK AT THAT A BIG CATFISH!!!" and the needle would jump and he would have to back off of it or whatever he did.
I think that you, Sally, will be amused that we have that direct connection - that Captain Ernie remembers that unfortunately he contributed to Hank's stress because he could not maintain voice level while dad Hank was riding audio control!
He worked most all of the shows. He was in the control room and was always the audio guy. They would switch around sometimes but he was pretty much the regular audio guy and will always be considered a dear friend to me.
06/09/2006 ... Donna Schmeck, I am happy to let you know that WOC alumni Doug Dahlgren has added a response to your question. Mr. Dahlgren is a nationally known air personality who was at WOC early in his career and was one of the guys who "made it big!". Mr. Dahlgren has worked at stations in Iowa, Chicago, Miami and Indianapolis, among others, including WCFL in Chicago! Thank you Mr. Dahlgren for helping out on Ernie's site & for the terrific pictures you have shared as well!
Great website and very accurate. It brought back some very pleasant memories. I had no idea Ernie did the show for so long.
I did the show a couple of times but remember very little about it. I was at WOC from ’64 through ’68, doing afternoon drive radio, noon TV weather and Saturday night weather. I even got to fill in for Don Wooten on HBF a couple of times. He was a great (bright) guy but I’ve lost track of him.  Mimms, Big Band leader Si Zentner and Dahlgren. Special thanks to Doug Dahlgren for this picture. Ernie and I had a blast together. He and I were both jazz freaks and we’d go to all the big band and jazz concerts at the Celebrity Club in Moline. We saw Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Si Zentner, Woody Herman, Al Jerreau (h*ll, even Martin Denny). I’ve attached some pictures of that era. One of which, you might be able to use. Somewhere there’s a shot I took of Ernie on his kid’s trike in his driveway but I’ll be darned if I can find it. It was sure fun looking at your pages! All the best, Doug Dahlgren
Click the banner below and then scroll down to go to Doug Dahlgren's terrific pictures!
Dear Captain Ernie, Your site has brought a smile to this 52 year old little girl's face! It is like going back in time, to a very good and special time. Time that my friends and I shared with you and you with us. One of my friends named her boy Ernie after you. I am not sure how much he knows about you and your show. I am going to make sure he sees this website so he can understand who his namesake is and how huge an influence you had on the children of the Quad Cities. How did your parents react when they found out you wanted to make a career out of show business? They must have been so thrilled and proud the first time they saw you on television. I am certain the other boats and barges must give way out of respect when they see you and the beautiful Dixie Belle coming down the Mississippi. With love, Charlene Regarding the Dixie Belle, if she were still afloat today, the local gambling boats might be a little concerned because she would give them a ride for their money!
06/10/2006 .... Captain Ernie fan Don Franklin reporting for duty asks;
Helllllllllo Captain Ernie, Don Franklin here reporting for duty on the good ship Dixie Belle. I was on your show twice. I think I was 6 the first time and maybe 8 the second time. It was a thrill for me and looking back on it a bigger thrill for my mom. You would've thought my mom had just met Elvis! How many Captain Ernie uniforms did you have? I saw the one with the groovy striped jacket. It looked like you had a navy one in the other pictures. My favorite part of your show was when you would have the cats and dogs from the humane society on for adoption. And of course, like every other boy in the area, The Three Stooges were my kind of guys. Thanks for so many years of fun! - Don
Don.... I think that there were three changes. There was that striped one and the blazer. Then I switched to turtlenecks to make myself more seaworthy and to establish my own identity on The Showboat! So all three apparel changes that I can remember are shown on the site.
06/10/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Linda Davis wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, What a wonderful tribute to the Quad Cities favorite Captain! This is so much fun getting to send off a note to a living legend! I am almost speechless...almost. Did you ever play your trumpet at the Col Ballroom? I remember they used to have a big band night there in the early to mid seventies. I saw a couple of bands there. One in particular that I remember was Stan Kenton. Q1) Who was the best trumpet player you ever saw? Q2) Who was the best trumpet player you ever got to play with? If you ever need a jazz piano player, look me up! Yours very truly, Linda Davis
Linda, I would give it a tie to Maynard Ferguson and Smokey Stover. More recently, I would give it to Manny Lopez. He and I belong to a mutual admiration society. If I ever get a gig going, I hope you know all of the changes (chord progressions). If not, get youself a fake book & away we go! By the way, I play better impromtu than just straight music!
06/11/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Peggy Ostemeyer asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I noticed in your pictures that in your early days you did not wear glasses. Did you start wearing glasses because you needed them or to add to the persona of the Captain Ernie character? I think you look so much sexier with the glasses! Love, Peggy
Peggy, I started wearing glasses out of necessity. My eyes were getting old and I simply needed them. Thanks to your comment, I will keep them as part of the act!
06/13/2006 .... Riser wigglin' Captain Ernie fan Glenda Robertson asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I was on your show with my little sister in 1970. You had quite a crowd that day. I remember that if anyone wiggled, the girl on the end of the risers would fall off the edge. There was a whole lot of wiggling going on that day. It was a better show than the cartoons. Your TV audience at home must have heard the thump every time she fell off. That poor girl probably has a complex to this day. The fun was over when the bouncer, our teacher, came over during the commercial and removed a couple of the boys. Were all of the kids on your show well behaved, with the exception of us of course? Did you ever have to have anyone removed? Is there one really bad kid you could tell us about that sticks in your mind? I am hoping this leads to a funny story. Love ya' Captain Ernie! - Glenda
Glenda -The kids were absolutely always well behaved! There was never a problem with any child who appeared on the show. Had I known that there was wiggling on the risers, I would have encouraged the camera to focus on it so we could all enjoy the fun! Again, they were all angels!
06/14/2006 ... Dixie Belle Senior Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Showboat' Handley asks;
Hi Captain, Your site is the best. I really enjoyed reading all of the comments on your guestbook. It all brings back such good memories. When I grew up all we had were the two TV local stations. WQAD had not been born yet. By the time I had outgrown your show and moved on to cars and girls, my little sister had taken my spot in front of the TV. And while she watched your show just as I had, she also had a new choice that she watched every day. She had Sesame Street on KIIN. Was there any change in your viewership when KIIN took the air? Did you consider Sesame Street to be competition? Dixie Belle Senior Lieutenant Commander Steven 'Showboat' Handley -----------------PS we had some very accomplished "nose honkers" in our school too! I can't tell you how hard I laughed when I read that story in your guest book.
Steven, our viewership never changed. We maintained our ratings no matter who went against us including cable tv. Sesame Street was a different show with a different audience. Incidentally, Commander Handley, on the radio side of WOC, one of my bosses was a Don Handley!
06/17/2006 ... Captain Ernie and Uncle Ernie fan Robin Myers asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, What a surprise it is to run across your website. I typed WOC Television into Google and your site was the 3rd one down. This site rivals some of the best on the internet. I did not know you played the trumpet. Did you ever play it on TV? I watched you as Uncle Ernie and as Captain Ernie and I can't remember you ever playing. By the way, I was totally confused as a child as to how you could go from being a janitor one week to a riverboat captain the next. Only in America! Best wishes, great health and prosperity be with you. - Robin
Hi Robin - I did play the horn on tv. I don't recall playing the horn on The Showboat or as Uncle Ernie although others who worked for me do recall that I did. I did play the trumpet for The Tree of Lights which aired live on WOC. The Tree of Lights raised funds for The Salvation Army.
I don't know what the circumstances would have been for myself to play on The Showboat. There is nothing worse in my opinion than a guy taking out a horn and just blowing it with no musical accompaniment such as a band or a rhythm section. Don McGonegle who worked with me on both The Showboat and Uncle Ernie does recall that I played it on at least one of the shows so we will have to run it by him at some point to see if he has any further details!
06/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Linda Thorpe writes;
My Dear Captain Ernie, After all of these years, I have to confess, I was one of those girls who had a huge crush on you. You were just so darn cute! _______________________________________ Kissy, kissy. Hugs, hugs. Smoochie, smoochie. Love you Captain Ernie, Linda
06/21/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bill Stark asks;
Hi Captain Ernie, I miss your show and would still be watching it today if it were on the air. I would watch just so I could see the 3 Stooges. What happened to quality TV? Did you have a sit down meeting with the WOC station manager when the decision was made to take your show off the air? How did they tell you? I can't believe that there wasn't lots of phone calls complaining. Did you feel like your show had run its course? Were the ratings on the way down? Bring back Captain Ernies Showboat! - Bill Bill - I do not recall that there was a meeting. I believe that it was just said "o.k. we are not going to be running with the show anymore." That may have come from Ray Guth who was WOC's station manager.
The Showboat ended at a time when nationally kiddie shows were being taken off the air. One explaination was that the parent groups were complaining due to the violence on the cartoons and The Three Stooges. I however believe that the ruling that children's shows were giving sponsors an unfair advantage by encouraging kids to buy items such as Twinkies, Ding Dongs, etc. lead to the ending of the show. Regardless, I never wanted The Showboat to go off the air. If it was up to me, it would have gone on!
06/26/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Connie Roberts asks;
Dear Captain, I can remember your first Uncle Ernie show. I was about 10 years old at the time. You had me convinced that you were the janitor at WOC. I couldn't wait until the next week to see if you would show up again. Did you have formal training as an actor? You sure had me convinced. Love you always Captain Ernie! Connie Roberts
Hi Connie, thanks for the question! I never had formal training. I guess that my performance came from natural ability.
06/28/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Gina Blomberg writes;
What a site I found on accident. Of particular interests was the lyrics to the song "I love the moona and the Juna". I have actually sung those to my kids and tried to explain to the about your show. After I found this site, I called my sister and we fondly recalled getting Ding Dongs, Twinkies, and if I remember correctly, McDonald's hamburgers. Quite a big deal in the 60's.
06/30/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Kevin Sneed wrote;
I wanted to give my heartfelt thanks to all (especially to Mr. Jon Book, engineer extraordinaire!) for putting up a website to one of my greatest childhood icons, Captain Ernie! If you were a kid in the sixties like I was, you NEVER missed the Captain's show! What a great time that was!
If you read this e-mail, Mr. Mims, please accept my gratitude for putting on such a great show and making my childhood so special! God bless you!
-Kevin Sneed
07/02/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Deborah Yohn wrote;
I live across the street from Captain Ernie and was on his show several times!
07/05/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jane Hoover asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I found your website a day too late. We could have gotten you on a parade float in the Amvets 4th of July parade in East Moline. Would you be willing to ride in the Amvets parade next year? I know you would be a hit. - Jane Hoover
Hi Jane, thank you for the honor of asking me to be in the Amvets 4th of July Parade! So much time has gone by since I was on the air. When I think of a parade, I think of children. Today's children do not know who I am and would be saying "who is this guy?!" It is a year away and but I will give it some consideration!
07/05/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Doreen Lambert wrote;
Oh my GOSH! Here I am enjoying reading your website in the quiet of my study and out of nowhere comes this huge horn blast. It knocked me out of my chair! I need to catch my breath. It was a sneak attack! Everybody duck and cover!!! I recognize that honk. It was the Cartoon Showboat horn! Oh my Gosh. You got me Cap'n Ernie. Here I was thinking happy thoughts. I was feeling like I was ten years old again and you gave me a heart attack!
07/08/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Joe Baker wrote;
Ahoy Captain Ernie, My Cub Scout troupe was on your show. We were given Highland Potato Chips when the show was over. We all started singing the Highland Potato Chips song >Highland Potato Chips are the chippiest chips around.< You were also promoting the Shoop Shoop Hoola Hoop and some of the kids got to be on the air demonstrating their inability to do the hoola hoop. I remember Bobby Gorton got to draw the winning card out of the drum. Bobby was really digging in there. He looked like he was on a mission. We all thought he must be looking for the card he sent in. If I remember right, the winner got a case of Mountain Dew. I think the audience participation was one of the factors that made your show such a hit. It was fun to see your friends on tv and to know that some day you might get your turn to be on the show. You were every kids best buddy! JB
07/08/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Sherry Volkman wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie,
I love your website. My sister told me about it.
Luv ya! Sherry
07/11/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Samantha Frakes wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, Your website was the topic of discussion at work today. We all love it! The guys at work are all practicing their Three Stooges sound effects. Everybody is really getting into this! Sorry, no smoochie, smoochie's from me. I am happily married. Love you anyway! Sam
07/12/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jim Jenks wrote;
I think we should all get together and demand an official CAPTAIN ERNIE DAY in the Quad Cities complete with a CAPTAIN ERNIE DAY PARADE! JJ
07/20/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mark wrote;
Lived in Davenport for a little less than a year but I never forgot Captain Ernie. Too bad the tradition of home grown programming has faded away. Thanks for keeping the memories alive!
07/21/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Randy Newman asks:
Captain Ernie, Are there any recordings of your trumpet playing available? Where could I get a CD? Could you maybe post a sample on your website? - Thanx, Randy
Hi Randy! I only have one cd of my playing and that was thanks to Manny Lopez. They told me that I sound great on it but I know that it was not one of my best performances. If I am able to make or receive a copy in the future while I am playing with a band, it will be placed on here for you to enjoy.
07/23/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Betty Jo Sanderson knows where the Showboat was docked!
Dear Captain Ernie, I was just wanting to let you know that we used to watch you in Clinton, Iowa everyday after school. For those who were wondering where the Dixie Bell Show Boat was docked, it was in Clinton kind of under the bridge. Everybody should know that! My Mother and Father would point it out to me everytime that we crossed the bridge. I can even remember me and my sister Holly waving to you. Love you Captain Ernie, Betty Jo.
07/24/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mike Goodman remembers one of the terrific toys advertised on The Showboat and asks;
Hi Captain Ernie, I stumbled onto your website by accident. When I first saw it listed I thought I had read it wrong. What a surprise it's to find this! So my question is this - did you ever buy a Slippery Slide for your kids? Let me tell you my story that still brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. I can't stop laughing. Here it goes --- I saw the Slippery Slide on your show and kept begging Mom for one. You used to advertise it in the summer. It was like an air matress but you filled it with water and it had holes in it that would make it a little bit wet and a whole lot slippery. The commercial showed kids running and diving on it head first smiling ear to ear and skidding about 50 mph. You just saw them whiz by the camera but you never saw them get off at the other end of it. So it is my birthday on July 1st and guess what I got? I got my very own Slippery Slide! We set it up out back in the yard and I got to go first. Here I go running and I leap head first off the grass onto the slide just like the ad and I end up at the other end with a mouth full of grass and mud and a scraped chin. Next it was my older brother John's turn. John starts from running from the house next door, hits the slide face first and goes off the side and dislocates his shoulder. Next was the neighborhood bully who wasn't even invited. He takes off running and hits the mud puddle before you get to the slide goes airborne and goes about five feet and slides off the side and breaks his arm. This was a better show than the 3 Stooges!
Hilarious Mike! Thanks for the question too! Always terrific to bring up the baby boomer toys that were advertised on The Showboat! Especially the dangerous ones like slip and slide & klick-klacks! Ernie happened to have a microphone on him today and here is your answer! This will play on Windows Media Player. It is around 41 seconds long so you may only want to attempt this with a high speed connection.
Here is Ernie's answer in written form ... Hi Mike! This is your Captain speaking and yes indeed we did have a slippery slide at our home but we never had the problems that you developed. I guess our kids were more cautious or we got the "short" variety. It was nice to hear from you and I am sorry about your mishaps and I would say take it easy the next time around but NEVER GIVE UP! Its like a guy who crashes in an airplane and he goes right back up again. I want to hear that (1) you have done this and (2) you succeeded and that (3) I wasn't responsible for your injuries! Good Luck!
There were only four known pictures of Captain Ernie's Cartoon Showboat. Thanks to Del Keifer, the Quad Cities Ronald McDonald, there are now five. This is the first known picture in 32 years of a full shot of the kids on the risers with Ernie. It is in color. Absolutely outstanding. Ronald is holding his "pogo-cello" which had one string. While he keeps the beat, Ernie is ringing the bells! Someone was taking a few hundred pieces of an estate up to Wisconsin and Del was asked to come over and see if he wanted anything. There he found the pogochello, added a pie pan with a lid for the mid section and painted it Ronald McDonald colors! Absolutely outstanding. Can you imagine if these kids, now all 38 to 43 years old knew that this rarest of the rare pictures existed and that they were the ones in the picture?!! Can anyone think of a way to find out whom they are and let them know?! INCREDIBLE!!!! 
07/26/2006 ... Zachary Memos is not only a Captain Ernie fan but he is also Captain Ernie's favorite son! Ernie's talented children include Zach who followed in his father's footsteps and made it big with his acting ability in the state of Florida. You may actually remember his appearing on WOC's PM Magazine as well as Romper Room and of course Captain Ernie's Showboat with his dad! Ernie can recall several times that Zach and he had a great time on The Showboat and at least one occasion where Zach performed a skit with him!
07/28/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Paul Henderson wrote;
Captain Ernie my good man! A friend at work told me about your website. I never would've guessed it would be this good! You have one of the best celebrity websites I've ever seen, including national celebrities. AND - WELL DESERVED! Thank you for all of the great childhood memories. Thank you for the great cartoons. Thank you most of all for THE THREE STOOGES!!! I learned everything I needed in life from your show. WOOB, WOOB, WOOB! NYUCK, NYUCK, NYUCK!!
07/29/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Todd Richadson posts the #100 message on Captain Ernie's extended messageboard (congratulations!) and asks;
Hey Cap'n Ernie, What song are you and Ronald McDonald playing in that picture on the 1st page of your website? It looks like you guys were singing too. I remember buying a Frisbee after seeing it advertised on your show. I took it to school with me on the first day of school to play with it on the playground and every kid there had brought their Frisbee too. And we all had our Ho-Ho's in our lunch. And we all had our P.F. Flyers tennis shoes. And we all drank Mountain Dew! What an influence you had on the kids of the Quad Cities! Your advertisers should still be sending you royalty checks! Say hi to Ronald for me. I still eat at McDonalds and I am sure your show taught me that too! You need to go back on the air and advertise a weight loss clinic for all of us baby boomers who listened to you! How did you stay so thin? Weren't you eating Ho-Ho's, Ding Dongs, Highland Potato Chips and McDonald's too???
Yes Todd, like you, I was pigging out at the time on the Ho-Hos, Ding Dongs and McDonalds. However, in the later years I got into "the good diet".
!
07/30/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Laura Lippert also happens to be Ernie's daughter! Welcome aboard Laura!
Thank you for this wonderful website! I am the Captain's middle child, and there isn't a more deserving man than my father to pay tribute to. Growing up with Captain Ernie wasn't always easy (kids teased us quite a bit), but my father loved his job, and was as great a father as he was a Captain. I have countless, precious memories, but the times we share now are the most special. I think I might possibly be my dad's #1 fan! Thanks again for the wonderful tribute, and great memories!
Date: 07/30/06 ... Captain Ernie fan Steve Greene wrote;
Great site. I was one of the kids but I have trouble remembering the exact year. My main memory is the gift given to the studio audience. I do not remember what the other kids received, but it seemed it was usually a couple of interesting little things. When I was there, they just had little bags of potato chips. When Captain Ernie learned of this, he called out in front of the kids to someone off the set (this was not on the air) "Chips? Is that it? Cheap!" (or something to that effect). The kids got a kick out of that. I am glad to see the link to the Grandpa Happy show -- I was on that too. I think WQAD had Romper Room if I am not mistaken -- was that local? Thanks again for the site.
Hi Steve, thanks for visiting Captain Ernie's website & for your message! If Ernie has anything to add to your hilarious "Chips" story, it will be posted here. Romper Room was on WQAD, however, in a shock to the younger baby boomers, Romper Room started on WOC with Miss Barbara followed by Miss Gwen and then Miss Donna! If anyone is in touch with any of these three, please pass the word along for them to contact this site and a WOC section on Romper Room will be added!
Legendary WOC engineer Jon Book adds.... Yes, Ernie indeed had some quips,
Is that all we have for the kids today? Chips? Where's the Ho Ho's or Ding Dongs? As I said on another part of this website, we had to lock up the treats because the night crew had them for their dinner during their shift between 630 - 10pm. Yesiree, I was right after all and Steve's memory proves it! Most often the chips were high eating items and so were Ding Dongs, the Ho Ho's were so so!
A lot of the kids, if they only got one treat, really BOO'd a lot (off air) but kids thought it was ok if they only got a McDonald's hamburger card and 1 treat. Being on TV was
really the best treat of all, that and a couple of V fingers, (like my favorite
martian TV Show) behind their friends head while the camera panned the kids
left to right, happened every once in a while. I dont remember that any kid
(while I filled in for some staff) put any obscene gestures on the screen. I
think they were too scared to see themselves on the black and white tv
monitors located on either side of the bleechers (out of camera range)!
I do think the way the kids got back at the crew was to spill their cookies
on the studio floor on the way out due to the heat the lights generated.
I think i only had to clean up the floor once for that situation, but thank goodness
for RED sawdust!
07/31/2006 ...
Captain Ernie fan Rod Smyth wrote;
Ahoy Captain Ernie, Do you remember when you advertised the musical spoons? I think you even had a guy on your show demonstrating them. Well check this out - I wanted spoons too! But my Dad was a cheapskate and would not buy me some musical spoons. He was a welder at IH and he took two spoons and welded them together for me at work. I had the industrial strength spoons and all of the kids at school were jealous. The only bad thing was if you did like the guy on your show and tapped them on your knee a few times and then a couple of times on your head, you got a concussion. These were some serious spoons! My favorite food that you advertised was Bonomos Turkish Taffy. Not sure if I spelled that right. It came in sticks about the size of a cigarette. I am telling my friends about your site. I spent hours reading it and still have pages I haven't read. You really are Mr. Quad Cities! And to set the record straight once and for all the Dixie Belle Showboat was docked under the twin bridges which is now known as the I-74 bridge. That boat the chick saw in Clinton was some dumb gambling boat. Duh!
Hi Rod! I do remember the musical spoons and that they actually were not musical, they were rythmical! They just created a beat as if you were tap dancing. There is no way that I know of to put two spoons together like that and get a tone! It is more of a click-clack sound. You could play it along with a song and keep the beat!
As far as the song we were singing, I can not recall but I was playing the bells like they were moraccas.
08/02/2006 ... Kenner Super Give A Show Projector Queen Gayle Foster asks;
Did the advertising rates go up at Christmas time when the parents were all wondering what toys to get us kids for Christmas? I remember at Christmas season you used to advertise more high priced items like this. Gotta go, it is time to sit my grandkids down and give them a give a show slide show! They only tolerate it because I give them cokes, cookies and popcorn before we start. You see I am still the projector queen. Hi Gayle! I remember the Kenner Give A Show Projector! I would not know if the items advertised were more expensive at Christmas time as I was unaware if they were. However, I do know that the advertising for toys at Christmas definitely increased since it was a seasonal thing. You had a lot more sponsors that wanted to be on the show but there was not a lot of room on the show for them because it was so popular. We had quite a few national accounts advertising with us. I am sure the word got out when the product's sales team called the national office and said this show ranks #1 here with so many viewers and they wanted to get their product on.
08/03/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Milinda Hopkins wrote;
Hi, great website! I just wanted you to know that I grew up watching the Captain Ernie Show and it was fun seeing the website, it brings back great memories for me!
08/03/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jodie Stewart asks;
In one word - WOW! Captain Ernie your website is the best! It's like going into a time warp. This is so much fun! I love it! I saw on the first page your hippie striped jacket. Where are the pictures of you with your hippie hair cut? Did you do the hippie thing? I always thought you looked a little bit like Ringo Starr. I am dying laughing about all of the Dixie Belle sightings. My parents did the same thing! I think we even saw it one time when we were visiting my cousins in St. Louis! That must've been the biggest joke our parents played on us since Santa Claus. I was totally convinced! Hi Jodie! I think that if you look at my pictures on the site, yes I did change with the times! You can see the longer sideburns and my hair was combed over my forehead. It was kind of a look like The Beatles. My sideburns were not exactly lambchops but I certainly was wearing them long in the early 70's compared to the 1960's photos!
As far as spotting the Dixie Belle, that was the message I tried to convey to a lot of the children who were confused or disappointed when appearing on the show. I told them that when they were coming across the bridge, take a look and it will be coming down the river! I told this to the kids who would say "look at this, the Dixie Belle is only cardboard!"
08/04/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan John Healy wrote;
Captain Ernie Sir, How about going on one of those public access cable channels and doing a show for us one more time? Thanks for the question John and for visiting Captain Ernie's site. Ernie was too modest to answer your question but if enough people demanded a reunion show it is safe to guess that the answer is yes!
08/04/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Chad Hudson wrote;
This site is the bomb. Keep up the good work. I think we should annoint Captain Ernie the king of the Quad Cities. Long live the king!
08/10/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Marty Chambers wrote;
Whose idea was it to kick the show off with the mighty blast from the horn of a Mississippi River Valley showboat? Captain Ernie is the greatest! Hi Marty, I honestly dont know! Probably one of the production people like Don McGonegle were behind it. They most likely thought that they needed something like this to be a show opener to make it seem more authentic, to have the sound of a boat horn!
It would take someone like WOC alumni and now Circa 21's Ed Jones to find out the answer. If anyone is swinging by Circa 21, please ask Ed and let us know what he has to say!
08/12/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan John Monroe wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, You brought happiness to so many children. The pages of your readers website comments attest to that. The love from your heart radiated through the television screen every afternoon. God Bless Captain Ernie.
08/12/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Carl Johnson wrote;
08/13/2006 ... Captain Ernie Secret Admirer Sandra Wells asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, So, after all of these years we meet again! It's a great surprise to find you've got your own website. I enjoyed it to the max! When you first started as Uncle Ernie, I know cigarette comercials were still on the air. Did you guys make sure at WOC that no cigarette ads came on during your show? Were there any rules about the kind of ads you would accept? I only remember toys, pop, fast food, cookies and chips ads. Psssssst...quick before my husband sees this...I had a secret crush on you when I was in gradeschool. I still think you're a cutie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XXXOOOXXX Hi Sandra! We absolutely kept those kind of advertisements off the show. We had nothing of that nature such as booze and cigarettes on the show. The guys who directed would know for sure because they knew what the commercials were and it was basically common sense that we would not have put adult type commercials on a kids show. There really was no thought put into it and all advertisements were appropriate for children.
08/16/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mike Homrighausen wrote;
A natural thing is to become reflective on our past. Something we all do. Oftimes extremely pleasant memories surface.
This happened when I discovered this site.
Many fond pleasurable early life experiences about my early years and my first exposure to television re-kindled thanks to this well thought out website and the links that are included in it.
Wow...Sandys Hamburgers...(I also remember Henry's Hamburgers...<10 for $1.00>)
A few of my memories...
- My father installing a stacked dipole antenna in our rural front yard.
- Watching my father hook up the flat lead brown antenna wire to the B/W Motorola round screen TV in our living room.
- Seeing Captain Ernie's show appear.
- Coming home from school and watching Captain Ernie's Cartoon Show Boat on the Dixie Belle.
(We hurriedly did this before doing the farm chores)
- The 3 Stooges and the Looney Tunes cartoons.
Ernie Mim's early television contributions legacy to east central Iowa residents is clearly a gift.
A Gift that will endure both in our hearts and our memories.
Thanks Ernie...
Mike Homrighausen
08/16/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Brian Cook writes;
Hi Ernie, Your website is amazing. I remember, as a child, long before remote control, protecting the tv from my big sister changing the channel. There I stood, body over the knob that tuned the station, determined that only over my dead body was someone going to make me miss my Showboat experience for the day. You were the highlight of my day as a child. After a hard day at school it was comforting to come home, lay down in front of the tv, and leave your cares behind and dream of being with you on the mighty Dixie Belle. Hey...about that boat. PLEASE CAPTAIN ERNIE TELL US ALL THERE REALLY WAS A DIXIE BELLE BOAT! Hi Brian! I will not disappoint you, there were all sorts of boats going up and down the Mississippi. When your parents took you for a ride by the river, it could be that one you saw really was the Dixie Belle!
08/17/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Sally wrote; Was there someone on Capt'n Ernie's show named "Big Foot Barney"? I swear there was but everyone I talk to says there was not. I am wondering if I got him mixed up with another show now. Could you settle this for me? Thank-you. I used to watch all the time and on Sunday morn. before church, which is probably why in my little girl's white bible on the inside cover I have the address written for Captain Ernie's Showboat at WOC TV Channel 6 in pencil. Brings back the memories every time I see it. - Sally
Hi Sally! To my knowledge there was not a Big Foot Barney on the Dixie Belle. It is conceivable that there may have been a character that appeared in one of our cartoons that was Big Foot Barney but that would be for that particular episode. If any one knows the origin of Big Foot Barney, please let us know!
08/18/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Joan Gutherm asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, Your website is wonderful! So many memories. When WOC first started broadcasting in color, did you change anything on the set? Were there any colors added or changed? Did your uniform stay the same? Was it a big deal for those of you working at WOC when they flipped the switch and went color? What was your reaction when you first saw yourself on TV in color? Thank you Captain! Hi Joan! Nothing was changed during the switch from black and white over to color. Things occasionally changed on the show to go along with the times such as my blazer over to a turtleneck shirt. Things like this happened just for the sake of change but had nothing to do with the switch to color. The set itself remained the way that it was in black and white. The colors that first appeared when the broadcast turned into color were the same as it was when you were viewing in black and white. The red on the railing and the green on the Dixie Belle were exactly the same as before. I was not able to view myself so much on tv because the broadcast was live on the air. However, there were monitors that I could see while the show was on but they always had them facing the kids so they could watch the cartoons and what was going on. I wanted to be looking at the camera anyway even if there was a monitor so there really was not much of a reaction by me when I saw myself in color. I was busy on the show!
08/21/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Ralph Jones asks;
Did you like being on the radio or the tv better?
Hi Ralph! I liked being on the tv better! It was more personal, you are dealing with a live audience there and I like talking with people. In your mind you can see the people that you are talking to and when you are on the air you can figure that they are seeing you on tv as well. It has more of a personal touch. On the radio you get to play your favorite songs but it does get old after a while. In radio you always have a four hour job and that is a long time in isolation. You are watching the clock and you are so busy and at the same time you are afraid that the music is going to run out. I still to this day have dreams of that happening!
08/23/2006 ...
Captain Ernie fan Karen Colmette asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I loved your show. It seems like it was just on. My how time goes by. When and where was your last public appearance as Captain Ernie? More importantly, when and where will be your next public appearance as Captain Ernie? I want to come see you! I want to tell you in person how wonderful you are and how much I enjoyed growing up watching your show. Would it be okay to give you a great big hug? Karen Hi Karen! 1) The last appearance had to have been on the Celebration Cruise in Moline on the Captain Ernie reunion a few years ago. I appeared with Captain Vern, Miss Donna and Miss Gwen from WOC's Romper Room. We re-dubbed the boat "The Dixie Belle" for that day. There was quite a turnout! We also had the WOC Television 50th year anniversary in 1999 but that was for everybody on WOC, I was just one of the people featured. So I would call the Celebration Cruise the last appearance. 2) When is the next appearance going to be? Whenever they call upon me! You will know about this by way of this website. 3) Absolutely it would be o.k. if you gave me a hug! A hug a day keeps depression away!
The Celebration Cruise was a nostalgia cruise. There were just the four of us and we mingled with the fans. There were two decks and a top deck. On the second deck they had a monitor set up and they were playing the old original cartoons. Most of the children of the fans were up there the whole time because they were saying "We don't know this guy! Who on earth is he?!" I still had a whole bunch of children coming thru to greet me because the parents told them that they had to do it. We were handing out picture cards if I remember correctly and we were signing them. It was all thru KWQC. The current manager was involved and I remember that Gary Metivier was there as well. Marsh Lense interviewed me at that time. It was a really good thing going having the old kids show host all there at the same time. !
08/26/2006 ... Burlington Trumpet Man Jimmy Jarmaine (JJ) wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, Just read on your website that you play the trumpet too. What's your favorite tune to play? Mine's Flight of the Bumble Bee. That always pulls them outta their seats! JJ-The Burlington Trumpet Man Hi JJ! I am not the classical type although I did appreciate the Harry James version of the Flight of The Bumble Bee. I was more into modern Bee-Bop type jazz. I did play symphonie concert music as well in the Air Force Band however I prefer to play Bee-Bop improv!
08/30/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Carla Mendoza writes;
Dear Captain Ernie,
Me and my sisters loved your show. I think we knew everyone of your cartoons. I remember one Christmas when we all got a Gumby and Pokey. We played with them so much the wires inside were sticking on the outside. We saw them on your show and we loved the Gumby cartoons too.
Me and my sisters always wanted the pets you had on your show from the animal shelter. I remember a friend of mine got a puppy that was on your show. She had to be there right when they opened the next day to get it for her. She was a real celebrity after that one. Every kid in school came over to see and play with the puppy. It was special because it was like a gift from you.
Were the children in the audience ever allowed to adopt a pet when they were there? That must have been a really popular part of your show. Do you have any idea how many pets got adopted over the years? I think you really did a good thing finding these pets homes.
Me and my sisters will be there whenever your next public appearance is. Be sure to put it on here because we look here all of the time. We all like to read the comments people leave for you. I wished I had a really good question for you too.
We all love you in our hearts like a special second Father.
Love, Carla
Whenever Henry Reimers from the Humane Society had a dog on the show, it went back to the Society after the show and he would say "Now, we will be open tomorrow morning and the first person who comes through that door gets this dog!" Then people would line up and be waiting for him to open in the morning. They may have even spent the night in front of the building just to be first in line!
This line "the first one through the door gets the puppy" that he used worked! If they were not there first then I guess they thought that maybe the person who was first in line would look at the dog and say that they did not want it after all. Then that next person would say "well then I will take it!", that was the hope of the people in line. He said that he was able to adopt out a whole bunch of animals that way.
The kids on the show were not able to take the dog which appeared on the show that day home with them. They had to get in line and then go through the process like everyone else! There were papers that needed to be signed and other things I am sure, stuff like that as well.
As far as how many animals we were responsible for being adopted, I would say that the day after his weekly appearance on The Showboat, there were always many other animals in addition to the one which appeared on the air which were adopted on that particular day. There is no way to estimate how many pets were adopted as a result. Henry said that he just loved appearing on the show and presenting the animals this way. It was like a leader item that your local store uses to get you in to shop. They advertise that you can get batteries, for example, on sale today. Then when you are in the store you look at other things to buy as well. It worked the same way with those animals! People would go in because they wanted the animal which they saw on tv and since it was taken they would say well shoot, lets look around while we are here. While looking they would see a cute little puppy and they would take it home with them!
09/04/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Glenn Lego writes;
I grew up in Mount Carroll, Il which is in the Sterling/Rock Falls
area, and
I remember watching Captain Ernie all the time evenings after school.
I
don't remember so much him falling off the Dixie Belle set and all his
fans
thinking he'd fallen into the River. But I do remember a few years
before
that when Wes Holly had the afternoon kid's show. This was about the
time
Rock singer Buddy Holly was killed in his airplane crash and a lot of
people
thought it was Wes and the WOC switchboard was jammed because of that
incident. I really enjoyed seeing the website highlighting the history
of
WOC TV and radio. In the early 1970's my brother and I took a tour of
WOC
one day and found it very interesting .
09/07/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Nancy Parker asks;
Dear Capt. Ernie,
I remember being in the second grade and having show and tell. Everybody would show up with the latest toy you had advertised and we would sit through an hour of everyone demonstrating their Super Ball or Wheelo or whatever the newest toy was. I remember one little boy broke out the light above when he bounced his Super Ball. We even had a show and tell Give-a-Show Projector brought to class one day. B-O-R-I-N-G!
Do you remember the March of Dimes back yard carnivals? Or it may have been Easter Seals. We had one or two every weekend in our neighborhood. There would be 50 to 100 kids showing up at any given time. All the mothers would bake cakes and cookies and have a bake sale there too. The community really responded. If Captain Ernie said it was good, it was good!
Could you post a current picture of yourself with your Captain Ernie Showboat Jacket and Cap on? If I were to print it out, is there somewhere I could go to get it autographed by you?
Love, Nancy UPDATE ... 09/16/2006 ... With special thanks to legendary WOC engineer Jon Book, Captain Ernie had current pictures taken for Nancy and everyone who visits this site. 09/19/2006 ... Independent film producer Tor Lowry is not only a Captain Ernie fan, he also got his start in show biz by appearing on The Showboat!
Love the site! I was on the Captain Ernie show way back when (late 70s I think??). I remember sitting on bleacher type seats and Captain Ernie doing his routines between cartoons. He's a legend in the Quad Cities and for good reason. Tell him hi for me! Thanks, Tor Lowry
09/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie traumatized fan Jan Hopkins asks;
Dear Captain Ernie, I used to love you and your show. Except for the 3 Stooges. My brothers would sit on either side of me and if there was an eye poke, I got poked in the eye. If they smacked Curley in the nose, I got smacked in the nose and they did the horn honk. When Moe ripped out Larry's hair, guess what? Yep! You guessed it. A handful of my golden locks. I think I was on Survivor before they invented the show! My favorite cartoon character was Bugs Bunny. What was yours? Your #1 traumatized fan, Jan Hi Jan! I am sorry for all of the abuse you took! I did caution everybody most everyday on The Showboat not to emulate what the 3 Stooges were doing. I would tell the kids "that is why we laugh, they are being silly and people just don't do those kind of things!" As far as my favorite cartoon character, I am a member of your club, it is really hard to beat Bugs Bunny!
09/26/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Tim Frazier asks;
Hi Capt'n Ernie, Did you ever get snowed in so bad that you could't make it to work? Who would fill in for you when that happened? Did you ever get snowed in so bad that you could't make it home from work? It must've been a real bear getting up and down Brady and Harrison when it snowed. Any winter snow stories?
Here is Ernie's answer in written form ...
Hi Tim! This is your Captain speaking, Captain Ernie. There was a time (you know, I worked radio & tv both and before I wore my Captain Ernie cap I was a d.j. kind of guy) when I couldn't get into work, I was the sign on radio guy. We did have a heavy snow and nobody was moving except the police.
I called the police station as I happened to know somebody there and I said "If I am to help you out in letting people know how to get around, then I need a ride to get on the air so will you come after me?" They did indeed come and save me and took me to work and I was able to assist them.
However, they said keep it hush hush! We don't normally do this type of a thing!
09/30/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Allen Holloway wrote;
I was one of the faithful after school viewers that watched EVERY day Monday through Friday. My first experience with Ernie was when he was the janitor as Uncle Ernie.Your drawing cartoon people from numbers, sent in by children, started me copying your drawing which grew into a artist career as you can see if you look on my homepage. I was one of the kids that had a post card picked out of the treasure chest. I had gotten one of those giant post cards at a novelty shop in the lake of the Ozarks and used that thinking it would give me an edge. It did. I got a case of mountain dew from A. D. Heusing in Rock Island. As an added bonus the Captain hung it up behind the steering wheel of the Dixie Bell. Just a few years ago I visited a church and there was Captain Ernie sitting right across from me. Although I contained my self I couldn't help but think LOOK, LOOK IT'S REALLY HIM. Its the Captain.
Thank you Captain for introducing me to the the Three Stooges, of which I'm still a fan, and thank you for bieng a great part of a great baby boomer childhood
A Captain Ernie fan forever
Allen Holloway
10/05/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Tom Pappas wrote; Always loved the Showboat. After school, sit back and get about 20 minutes of cartoons (the classic Merrie Melodies, Popeye, etc) and then a nice 15 minute 3 Stooges short and of course Ernie. We would even see him at St George church every so often and were amazed that he existed outside the tube. Great memory.
10/05/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Sue Miller with birthday wishes to Captain Ernie;
Thank you Captain Ernie for all of the wonderful memories. It must be rewarding to know that your fans still love you. You really were part of the family. Did you know we all felt that way about you back when you were on the air? Your kindness and goodness radiated through the television room. I don't think any current day celebrities have that relationship with their audience today. It was a very special time. Happy birthday in advance. I hope you have many more happy and healthy birthdays to come.
Hi Sue, the answer is yes and no. I did not know that so many felt that way when I was doing the show. I could however sense from the letters and cards that were coming in or when I was out in public that I received that sense of love, so in that respect, yes.
10/06/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Gene Hamilton has birthday wishes for Captain Ernie;
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Captain Ernie!
10/06/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan David Appleby writes;
Your show kept us occuppied and out of trouble until mom got home. I was on the show twice, once with friends and once with scouts. I loved the time of watching and was very excited to be on the show. Thanks for the memories!!!!
10/06/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Steve Johnson writes;
There are still songs from those cartoons that I can't get out of my head. Especially liked a "Popeye" cartoon where the nephews were playing instruments and Popeye was trying to sleep. Actually a great Big Band jazz tune....Appreciate the trip down memory lane!
10/07/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Don Ferguson has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie and some questions;
Toot toot back atcha Captain Ernie! I never woulda thought that I would ever hear that horn of the good ship Dixie Belle again. It's like being in 2nd grade all over again. I see that you are going to be 74 this month. Happy Birthday. Could you do one of your famous number funny faces out of 74? Maybe this could become a tradition every year on this here website. Is there going to be a Captain Ernie birthday party? Thanks from Don, Moe, Larry and Curley
Don, the birthday party looks doubtful but here is what Ernie had to say!
10/08/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bob Osborne has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie;
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERNIE I MISS WATCHING U ON TV!
10/08/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Capt. John Stephenson has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie and a question;
Happy Birthday Capt. Ernie. I might be a freak but then so are my buddies. We all watched you even when we were in high school. We would act out the 3 Stooges skits in the boys locker room before gym class. What happened to the guy from the animal shelter? I think his name might've been Henry. When I was little I would want the puppies every time he was on.
Hi John, you are correct, you are referring to Henry Reimers. Unfortunately Henry passed away many years ago. He pretty much was the Davenport Humane Society and he was on The Showboat weekly with me. We adopted out many many animals as a result of his time on the show.
10/09/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jeff Ford has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie;
Stop having birthdays Captain. You are making me feel OLD!
10/09/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bill Waddell has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie and asks this question;
Happy birthday Ernie! Did you ever get any parent complaints about any of the cartoons you played? I remember Betty Boop was one of my favorites. It was a little suggestive.
Hi Bill! YES! It was not for the cartoons, however, the complaints were for the violence in The Three Stooges. If I remember correctly, every once in awhile, we had a complaint or two when Popeye and Bluto duked it out as well.
10/10/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bill Sandoval wrote;
I am going to have nightmares for the rest of my life. I just went to your webpage for the first time and the boat horn blaster scared the heck out of me. I had my speakers all the way turned on up. I am gone to tell all my friends to go to your webpage but to be sure to turn the sound up full blast first. I have to go to find my dog. I think that you gave him the heart attack too. I am calling him but he does not come. Maybe he went deaf?
10/10/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mike Gordon has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie;
Happy 74th birthday Cap'n Ernie!
10/11/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Don Hays has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie;
I deserve the perfect attendance award. I never missed your show. Happy Birthday.
10/15/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Vicky (Young) Harris has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie & remembers one episode of The Showboat in particular!;
Not only did I have my own birthday party on the show but also attended several.
I remember one in particular in 1965, it was my friend Marsha Fugate's 10th birthday and I had just had my hair cut a couple weeks prior to the party. I hated the haircut so I pleaded with my Mom to allow me to wear a ponytail hairpiece so that my long hair was still a part of me. She fixed my hair so that it wasn't that noticeable and I attended the birthday party.
Low and behold while we were being introduced (so to speak) the birthday girl (Marsha) informed the entire world that I had a fake pony tail on and even went so far as pulling it off the back of my head. I cried for a very long time, but Captain Ernie told me that it was all right I didn't need to have the fake hair mine was fine the way it was. He managed to turn a horrible moment into something that was easier for a little 9 year old to handle.
Thank you so much for that wonderful memory.
I love the show and watched it all the time, I only wish that my children had a show like that instead of all the junk that is on the television today.
Wow here I am 51 years old and still have the wonderful memories of that special time of my life. And living down in North Carolina and only having an opportunity to visit home once in awhile this is a great web site and really allows that stroll down memory lane.
Thanks again!!!! And a HAPPY 74th BIRTHDAY with MANY MANY MORE WONDERFUL Birthday's to come!!!
Vicky Young Harris
10/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Donnie Taylor has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie;
Happy Birthday to you Captain Ernie! Bring back the Cartoon Showboat. Your fans all miss you.
10/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan
Jeannie (Root) Lehmkuhl has birthday greetings for Captain Ernie and asks;
Happy Birthday Capt'n Ernie! What memories this website instantly brought me as soon as that all too familiar horn sounded! I watched you faithfully everday when your famous 'showboat pulled ashore.' Where on earth could we possibly relive an episode? I would just die to see just one show again!! Hi Jeannie! Since a reunion show is unlikely, the best chance to see the show itself is if someone kept a copy of it on film. WOC occasionally gave out promotional film to sponsors, etc, and there is a chance that one of these cannisters is sitting in someone's basement in the Quad Cities area just waiting to be discovered! I also made many appearances at places such as Hon Industries annual Christmas show for the employees. Perhaps someone filmed the occasion and if that film is found, it would be another opportunity to see The Showboat in action so to speak. Keep spreading the word for memories, pictures and film, you never know what is out there!
10/26/2006 ... Captain Ernie on EBAY! Seller mrh906 has an auction on ebay of a prize which mrh906 won off of Captain Ernie's Showboat. To answer mrh906's question, you betcha that is Ernie's autograph!
This item is from your Midwest youth. It is a 1967 Mother Nature's Workshop Vegetables that grow in the ground. Comes complete in its original box. It was won on Captain Ernie's Showboat on WOC TV6 (now KWQC) from Davenport, Iowa. Many from the area remember Ernie Mims as the captain of the Dixie Belle on Showboat which was shown in afternoons for a number of years. Interestingly enough, Ernie is still going strong and will turn 74 later this month according to the Ernie's Showboat website.
The all plastic garden features 3 beets, 3 onions, 3 carrots, 3 turnips, 2 radish, and a scarecrow that revolves surrounded by a white picket fence. The garden is from Lakeside Industries of Minneapolis, MN, and is recommended for ages 1-7. The garden is in very nice shape, measures about 14 x 8 x 4", the box shows significant creasing.
Also included is a standard copy Cap'n Ernie autograph received at the time when the gift was won on the show. I am unsure, however, if the blue inked autograph written as Capt Ernie on the back is his or from a show helper. I was very young at the time and am uncertain. The item was actually won by my ex-wife on the show. I used the word 'I' in error, as it made for an easier description. But, she and I remain good friends and she brings me her old toys to sell on ebay from time to time.
As she remembers (or has been told by her mother), her older cub scout brothers pack attended the show and she was a tag along. She got picked and won the prize much to her brothers surprize. She was about 5 years old at the time, and in reality, remembers very little.
10/28/2006 ... With just under two hours left on Captain Ernie's birthday, Captain Ernie fan Roger Davis makes Ernie's birthday extra special by singing Happy Birthday To You online to Ernie!
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday Captain Ernie. Happy Birthday to you. How about a Captain Ernie's Cartoon Showboat reunion show on your 75th birthday?
10/31/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Ray Connole met Captain Ernie!
Ernie Mims,
I remember watching you as Uncle Ernie, then Capt. Ernie. I lived in Davenport until 1965 and never forgot the Dixie Belle. When I found this website, I had all these memories flood over me. Sandy's. McDonalds. Popeye, the Stooges and the Warner cartoons. You rocked. I met you twice as a kid on one of your outings. Make that 3. In 1974, I visited Davenport for the summer and my sister and I were out and she said look! to her kids. You were just out shopping in a drugstore and looked at us and did your salute and winked. We went wow! that was Captain Ernie! What a great time to be a kid. From the river to the farmers market and open house at the Arsenal. Arlens, Jewel T and Giefmans grocery. A magic place to grow up and you are part of those memories. Thanks Ernie! ... I talked with my sister the other night and we had a blast remembering you as Uncle Ernie and the Banana man feature. I still remember the Oasis drive in as well as Reifes and their great pork tenderloins. My sister worked at Turnstyles part time before we moved. Speaking of blasts from the past. Remember Richard Nixon riding through downtown? Or the jet pack guy doing a demo downtown as well. The early 60's were an awesome time to be in Davenport.
11/01/06 ... Captain Ernie fan and friend Don Raymond (Don Welch) is one of the KSTT good guys as well as co-creator of WQAD's Chuck Acri's Creature Feature! Don Raymond has a special request and if anyone can help him out please email me!
You can check out Don Raymond's Creature Feature origin page by clicking here!
Ernie was a dear friend of mine and quite a musician. There used to be a place in Rock Island called the Roaring 20's. Lots of times the media from all the TV and Radio stations in the Quad Cities would gather there after the news on Friday nights and Jam. Many were very talented musicians (like Ernie) and many were very good singers (like me). We used to get "hammered" and play until dawn. Ken Gibson who played Vincent Hedges on the Acri CF by the way played SPOONS. Now there was a dying art. A lot of the local musicians from various clubs would also join in. It was in the days where all the media types actually knew and liked each other.
While at WQAD-TV, Bill Flannery and I engineered and co-wrote (along with me) a song that was called THE BIG QUAD CITIES. We had pretty good distribution on it and since I was the singer on the record, I always got a kick out of seeing it on various juke boxes in the area. It was a 45 record and I believe the flip side was called SOMEPLACE NEW. I had one for many years, but lost it when a bunch of my stuff got flooded out. IF anyone who still have a copy would be amazing..but, you never know. It is neither the best record you ever heard nor the worst. It was my singing debut and I felt pretty good about the finished product. The record was pressed somewhere in the Quad Cities. If anyone has a copy of this record and could let me know I would really appreciate it!
Hi Ernie, Here was my list in order of my favorites shows in the late 1960's. #1 Captain Ernie and his Showboat Friends #2 All Star Wrestlers #3 Batman #4 Green Acres Farm #5 The Flying Nuns #6 Green Hornet #7 Mr. Ed The Talking Horse #8 My Favorite Friend the Martian #9 The Munsters #10 The Brady Bunch You are at the top of the list for sure. Do you remember when you used to advertise Sanitary Farm Dairy. Do you remember that? My class was on your show and you had a gal come on dressed like a Indian and she gave everyone a headband and with a feather in it. Some kid asked you who she was and you made some kind of joke about her being Black Hawk's daughter or something like that during a commercial. I remember on the bus ride back home everyone was doing their Indian noises.
Hi Howard! I do remember when Sanitary Milk advertised on The Showboat. I also remember that Iowana Dairy also advertised on the show and I believe that you have the two confused with each other. Iowana had the beautiful Princess Iowana who would come onto the show and hand out Iowampum money which the kids would collect and cash in for gifts at the annual Iowampum auction.
11/06/06 ... Captain Ernie fan and WOC alumni Bruce Nelson wrote;
Hey guys !!! Its Bruce and Hilary of WOC !! We are still married and havin' fun in L.A.
I remember Ernie at the production booth ..
We were just talking about everyone at WOC tonight at dinner !! Hi to John Book as well.
11/24/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan and RV-enthusiast
Timothy Polley wrote;
Great to see this web page, as a Cub Scout, I went and saw Captain Ernies Showboat. HE was like a Dad to all of us QC kids of the 60's and 70's. Thanks Ernie.
12/06/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Daryl Lawrick wrote;
Hi Cap'n Ernie!
Great new pictures of you on the river. You're still looking good! I moved to San Diego in 1970, but I still fondly recall making time for the Showboat before homework in 1964-70. God bless you always!
12/07/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Carl McHenry wrote;
Ahoy Captain Ernie! I remember you used to play a couple of Christmas cartoons every year. The one I remember was Santa sleeping in a big chair while the elves were running around doing their work. What ever happened to all of the classic cartoons? You never see them on tv anymore. Merry Christmas Captain Ernie! The Quad Cities kids of the 1960's and 1970's miss you.
12/14/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Keith Carpenter wrote:
Captain Ernie, you are an icon. Growing up I loved coming home from school and sitting down to watch the Showboat. Because of you, I became a very big Three Stooges fan. The Stooges were my favorite part of the show. To this very day I still watch the Stooges and I'm 50. Thank you Captain Ernie for being a big part of my life. I only wish my grandkids could benefit from all the fun and laughter you shared with me as a kid. I'll end this the way I started. Captain Ernie, you truly are an icon. Sail on Captain, sail on.
12/16/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Tom Horner writes;
I never thought that I was going to ever hear that mighty Dixie Belle horn again. It is like a flashback to my childhood years. The fun times all came back to me and nothing was more fun as a kid as lying on the floor and watching my good pal Captain Ernie. I never missed a show!
I remember my mom always saying I was too close to the television and it was giving me radiation. Now I am sitting about 10 inches from my computer monitor. How do you like that mom?
You know Captain Ernie, when we were all kids, we kind of thought that you were one of US, if you know what I mean. The big joke was on our parents because they were not getting it. I always thought the Stooges just went right over their heads but you me and my buddies all got it!
I remember my dad pointing out the Dixie Bell as we went over the twin bridges. He wasn't fooling me. My friends and I all new it was secretly docked under the Centenial Bridge. Heck! You were broadcasting from Davenport. Why would you dock the ship under the Moline/Bettendorf bridge? How stupid would that be? See what I mean? The joke was on our parents that just did not have a clue.
I always looked forward to seeing the guy from the zoo and the guy from the homeless pet building. You know Captain Ernie, this may sound kind of funny to you but as a kid, when I would tune in your show and there you were, that was kind of your signal to me that everything was alright and we had everything under control. Its funny how a young mind can connect with a guy he has never met but feels that he knows on a tv show.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year my dear old friend Captain Ernie! From all of the kids from years ago in the Quad Cities, we send our love and warm wishes to you. Sincerely, Tommy Horner
12/18/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mariann Harmel wrote;
I hope your enjoying your new razor from Farm and Fleet! It was great talking on the phone and seeing you after so many years. I am going to share your web site with my grandchildren. You made everyone's day at Farm and Fleet. I have my 60th birthday Jan. 1st, wish I could go to the showboat. Have a great holiday season! Mariann
12/18/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Holly Turner wrote;
Always loved your show. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I could spend days reading everything on your website. It sure brings back the memories.
12/19/2006 Captain Ernie fan Gordon Frasier wrote;
Hi Ernie, I saw the link for your site while I was looking at the Sandy's website. Our paper ran a Sandy's Hamburger Fast Food Restaurants article and the web address they gave had a Captain Ernie link. After reading through your website, I think it's time for our paper to do a Captain Ernie feature article! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
12/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Lloyd Simmons wrote;
Grew up in Kewanee Ill.. Like most kids I loved Captain Ernie. Lippy the Lion and Touche Turtle were my favorites.
12/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Debbie Agan wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, you just bought a razor from Farm and Fleet from my future Mother in-law (I hope) Marriann, she is a sweety isn't she! Well, I was about 4-5 years old and my Mom took our whole neighborhood to your show and I was so excited but she made me wear a dress and said that I had to look pretty. Well, all of our Dad's were at home waiting to watch their children on tv, mine was totally shocked because yours truly forgot to put her panties on. That has been the laugh of our family for many years. However, we still loved your show!
12/19/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan and son of WOC newscaster John Bauman,
Scott Bauman wrote;
Mr. Mimms, I remember being on your show Captain Ernie Show numerous times! I had alot of friends who spent their birthdays on your show just for a chance to have you put the microphone in front of them and be on TV. Of all the things to see on the TV station tour, your showboat prop was the most popular stop. I love your site, it brings back a lot of memories since my Father was involved on the news desk side. You've got pictures I've never seen before of the news team.
Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
12/20/2006 Captain Ernie fan Sherry Conrad wrote;
I was looking over my hubbies shoulder when he was reading about Sandy's and I saw your link. I thought - YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! CAPTAIN ERNIE HAS A WEBSITE? How did you get hi-tech? My parents can't even figure out how to use a cell phone. You always were one step ahead. And then I am reading through it and thinking - WAIT A MINUTE HERE. THIS IS BETTER THAN MOST HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY WEBSITES! Fess up Captain. Are you really doing this website yourself? Did you invent the internet? I am so happy to hear and see that you are doing well. I saw your current pictures - YOU HANDSOME DEVIL YOU! Ooops. Shhhhh...don't let my hubby see that! Still love you after all of these years - SHERRY!
Hi Sherry! Every great captain has a good crew behind him and they take good care of the website for me!
12/20/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Dick Gratner wrote;
Hi Ernie, I was reading the Sandy's website and stumbled across yours. You had a loyal following here in Kewanee. Didn't you used to advertise Sandy's on your show? It sure seems to me that you did.
Hi Dick, yes Sandy's was one of the great sponsors on our show. They used to bring hamburgers, etc onto the show and I would do the ad live, using the burgers as props. My producer used to have the beat the crew away from it to keep them from eating the delicious food before the ad aired! Incidentally, I appeared at one of the special anniversaries of Grant's department store in Kewanee. I wonder if anyone remembers that!?
12/20/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bob Johnson wrote;
Hi Captain Ernie, I went to school with your youngest daughter and had the biggest crush on her. I always thought how cool it would be to be Captain Ernies daughter's boyfriend. I mean that would have almost made me like a movie star or something. Right????? Don't tell her! I would be way too embarrassed. She never reads this message board. Does she?????? I changed my name just a bit just in case. She could still probably figure out who it is.
12/20/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Jan Huchence wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, It's a thrill to see you have your own website. My best friend Sherry called and told me about it. She said to look at the recent pictures of you. She's right. Your gorgeous! Kind of like Sean Connery, you just keep on getting better with age. I was one of those kids who wanted to be on your show but never had the chance to. Luv ya always! Jan P.S. You cant have him Sherry. He is all mine! Wrap him up in red paper, stick a bow on him and send him on over to my house!! Merry Christmas to me! Best Christmas present I ever got! XXXOOOXXXOOO
12/20/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Calvin Jones wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie; Lest anyone forget, we have our own local tv celebrity here in Kewanee. It's Mary from Good's Furniture store! It seems like yesterday that you were showing the 3 Stooges and Mary had pimples. Merry Christmas Captain.
12/21/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Kevin Turner wrote;
What a blast from the past! I grew up in Kewanee and very much looked
forward to watching you every day in the 60's (we moved away in '69).
My parents had good friends in Rock Island whom we would visit often.
His name was Paul (Devere) Wickert and worked for WHBF. He said he
knew
you and I would always ask about you. Do you remember him?
Like you, I'm a musician and have been leading my own group for many
years playing the kind of music you play. What a kick it would be to
have you on a gig down here in Springfield (IL). I also play the organ
for a few horse shows here and always play the theme song to your show.
I'm sure I'm the only one in the arena who knows it's Capt. Ernie's
theme. I have wondered for years....What is the name of the song and
how did it become your theme song? Additionally, I remember you
playing
a song "Macaroni, Caroline's Pony" on a couple of occasions. Do you
have a memory of this? And if so, what are the details surrounding
this
recording?
Thank you! Thank you! for such wonderful memories. My childhood
wouldn't have been the same without you.
Kevin Turner
Captain Ernie fan Jeffrey Davidson wrote;
When I was a kid I watched Capt Ernie showboat on tv. I loved the show!
12/24/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Bill Brady wrote;
Hey there Ernie. I miss watching your tv show. My sisters used to watch too. From my family to yours MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
12/24/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Mark Johnson wrote;
To the good captain -> Merry Christmas to you and a Happy 2007!
Hey Mark, Bill and everyone, thank you and I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! - Ernie
12/24/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Stephen Ray Rains wrote;
Thank you so much for my very happy childhood memories. I still love you Captain!
Steve
I'm 47 years old and have never forgot watching Capt. Ernie everyday after school. What a special time it was.
01/07/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan John Hernandez has a question for Ernie;
Sir,
I was a long time watcher of your show and thank you for the great memories. My question is, did you have a son named Zack? There was this kid in junior high school that claimed he was your son back in 1970. And of course this has bugged me for years if this was true. I think I only knew him for a short time, 7th grade I think. I hope you are doing fine
John Hernandez
01/13/2006 ... Captain Ernie fan Michelle Hanson wrote;
My shoop shoop hoola hoop just broke. Is it still under the warranty?
01/18/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Seabiscuit wrote;
The last time I saw Ernie on TV gas was $.59 cents a gallon at the Standard service station. You could buy a gallon of milk for $.99 at Eagle's. You could get a large milk shake at Whiteys for $.95 You could go to East Moline Downs and play the ponies. You could take a riverboat ride on the Mississippi that really went up and down the river and there was no gambling. You could buy a Daily Dispatch or a Times Democrat for a dime (quarter on Sundays.) Pop was a dime out of the machine in a glass bottle. Candy bars were still ten cents and much larger than todays model. It cost $.15 at the toll booth to cross the Twin Bridges. You could see a first run double feature at the Oasis Drive In for $.50 per person. You could ride the Rock Island Rocket from Moline to Chicago for $15.00 round trip. You did not have to cook tonight, just call Chicken Delight! Everybody drove a Ford, Chrysler or GM car. (Notice I said 'car', not mini-van or SUV.) Every summer everyone went to "the Great Rain Maker" a.k.a. the Royal American Shows. My three favorite stores were; Kresge's, Woolworth's and W.T. Grant's. You could also pay for your lunch at McDonald's with a dollar bill and they would hand you back change. What happened Captain? You went away and everything went kaput!
01/20/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Dave Mayfield wrote;
Great web site! It sure was a blast to read the web site, I remember
well coming home from school and watching the show each day.
Sorry I don't have any pictures but I do have a short funny story. My
Sister Ellen, and her girl scout troop were to be on the show one day.
I
rushed home from school and my Mom and I were watching the show to see
my sister on TV. Just as the camera was panning from right to left to
show all the kids, the camera comes to my sisters face, and poof! our
TV
blew a tube and out it went!
Dave Mayfield
Moline
Thanks for this site! A friend asked me if we had a cartoon clown when I was growing up, and it made me think of Captain Ernie! That led me to a google search, and it was great to find this! I grew up in Davenport and in Kewanee, IL. I remember Captain Ernie, Highland Potato Chips, the visits from the Humane Society, and my own trips to the risers! Good times! Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
01/30/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Lewis Sparks wrote;
I enjoyed Captain Ernie a lot as a child, and remembered hisjanitor character, and was surprised to find all this on the internet.A few years ago,I saw a glass in a thrift shop in St Petersburg Florida, and saw the girl in the plaid skirt on it, and knew it was from a Sandy's, and remembered its slogan"home of the plaid beret".I took it back to the quad cities for a vacation, and showed the glass to a few people, and they hadnt thought about Sandys for years.I remember Capn Ernie was at the grand opening of the Hardees on 38th st Rock Island, it had been a Sandys.Now, does anybody remember Grandpa Happy? Or Jungle Jay? I am 47 and remember them, just wondered if anyone else does.
02/01/2007 ... Uncle Ernie fan Linda Fontane wrote;
Uncle Ernie was my favorite show. I really thought Ernie was the janitor at TV6. I thought that it was kind of a secret between Ernie and us kids that he was sneaking into the studio and playing cartoons when nobody was around to notice. He had the broom and he had a janitor hat. I was buying it all the way. If Ernie should happen to see this post, please let us know if he still has the janitor hat and the crazy mustache. Would he mind putting it on for us one more time and posting the picture? I really enjoyed the number pictures on this site. That really took me back to the 1960's. That was my favorite part of the show. If you are reading this dear captain, I want you to know that a whole generation of middle aged fans still remember you and love you! Fan #1 Linda XOXOXO
02/16/2007 .... Captain Ernie fan John Wingert was on The Showboat!
Dear Captain Ernie, I remember going to your show when I was very young with my older sister. We both had red hair and you referred to us as Fran and Fern Farkel. I don't think she ever got over it but I thought it was funny. John
02/21/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Porky Doda wrote;
Hey Captain Ernie. Name this tune - Tadodadodadoooota dodododadoooododadodadodadotadodododadodado. Hint for you - That's all folks!
Hey Porky, click the link & lets hope it works!
02/24/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Scott wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie,
Somehow I got to your web page starting at Wikipedia. I remember how I used to watch your show every day after school growing up in Burlington. I was just a baby when your show started, but was a fan later on. The funny thing I remember about cartoons from my youth is that we had a black-and-white TV until I was in junior high, but didn't know what I had been missing (visually) until our first color set. I still love those old cartoons, thanks for the memories from those simpler times!
Scott
02/26/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Roger wrote;
Dear Ernie, I never missed your show after school. That was the best thing that kept me going thru school. I used to want to have my mother buy me everything that you advertised. You always did have the best toys. There was a corner drug store in Rock Island that used to have all the toys that you advertised. Everytime you showed a new toy the whole neighborhood rushed to that store. If you showed up at school the next day with the new toy that meant you were cool. I remember when you came out with these knockers that were like two giant marbles on a thick string. You would yank the string and they would knock together. Our school finally banned them after all of us kids had black and blue marks on our arms from them hitting us on the down swing. And some of the kids were using them like a martial arts weapon. What you do is hold on to one marble and swing the other one around like a lasso and just like the 3 Stooges you go around and kabong the other kids. Other than some teeth broken out and a few black eyes I don't think no one really got hurt to bad. What was your most embarrassing moment on the air? RS
Hi Roger! My most embarrassing moment was without question during one of the Showboat episodes. There was a noise in the studio and I did not realise that a live mic was on. Not thinking I exclaimed "WHAT THE %*#*! WAS THAT!?!" I expected letters of protest to pour into WOC but suprisingly no one ever mentioned it!
02/27/2007 ... Alan Thompson is the morning news producer at WBBM-TV Channel 2 in Chicago and has worked as a producer in Greensboro/High Point, NC, Columbus, OH and Tulsa, OK. His father, Max Thompson reveals that Alan got his start in television on Captain Ernie's Showboat!
My son Alan appeared on your show for his 6th birthday in 1968. He introduced the program which would be his first announcement on TV. He later worked for KWQC, and is now working for WBBM-TV in Chicago. Alan is a graduate of Davenport Central.
03/01/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Paul Sergeant wrote;
I remember watching his show nearly every day! Of course I remember Capt'n Ernie. Thanks for the memories, this is a great website. I also knew two of his sons Zack and Casey from Davenport Junior Theatre
03/01/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Brian Flaherty wrote;
I remeber Ernie giving out Hostess Twinkees after the show. I was in heaven, because my Mom would not allow us to have them as they were loaded with sugar.
Glad to see Ernie is still around. Does he make any public appearences still?
Brian
Ernie is happy and retired but you can still see him around town as he pops in to visit friends all across the Quad Cities area if you happen to be in the right place at the right time! He reads every message that is sent to him on this messageboard and really enjoys them all so keep them coming and keep putting the word out about his site! There are tens of thousands of Quad City area Captain Ernie fans with a story to tell!
03/02/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Mindy Humphry wrote;
It was fun to be on your show back in 1970. My mom ate my Ho Ho's you gave us. There mom I told Captain Ernie on you like I said I would 37 years ago! Let me know the next time you take the Dixie Belle out for a spin. It would be a thrill to see you again. Mindy
03/02/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Rick wrote;
Remember a few years back when Captain Ernie returned to do a feature in 3-D about the Creature from the Black Lagoon?? He wasn't on the Dixie Belle, instead I remember him rowing a wooden fishing boat on the Mississippi
03/02/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Jennifer Hunter wrote;
Where is the Cap'n Ernie reunion being held this year? Can you post what the date is to? I want to be sure that I am in town for that. I told my friends about your website and they want to go too. By the way the Dixie Belle is parked right here in Burlington. It always has been. My parents never lie and they told me so.
What a great website! Now if only someone would do the same for WQAD's Dr. Ygor/Jungle Jay...! Never worked Capt. Ernie into my comics -- but we did call a river boat
The Dixie Belle in an early issue of "Wild Dog" (DC Comics -- 1980's)
03/04/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Georgia Zogg writes; I would like to know what he did after the show went off the air? I think that the young kids today would still love him. The children need something light-hearted to think about - outside of all the junk that's on our T.V today. Even us boomers would like to see it again!! I would like to thank Captan Ernie for all the fun and Love he shared with us. THANK YOU SO MUCH....MRS GEORGIA ZOGG
Ernie remained the weatherman on WOC TV 6 Noon edition newscast when The Showboat went off the air. He then joined Paula Gillette who became Paula Sands on her first show PM Magazine. Next he retired from appearing on television, moving over to sales at WOC. He then retired from WOC and today enjoys traveling including visiting his children and grandchildren. He still lives in the Quad Cities and is very active in the community!
03/11/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Robin Hodge wrote;
Hi Ernie, A friend of mine told me about your website here. I feel like I'm back in grade school reading the stories and looking at the wonderful pictures that you've got on here. Will you be announcing your 2007 reunion dates soon? Have you ever thought about having a Captain Ernie look-a-like contest at the reunion? My husband looks like you when he puts on his old black rubber rim glasses and a black Halloween wig. We were calling him Captain Hernia because we were laughing so hard. You've got to see this! He'd win the prize for sure. Give him a Twinkie and a Ho Ho and a Mt. Dew and he is good to go! Robin aka Mrs. Captain Hernia
03/16/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Glenda Finney wrote;
Dear Captain Ernie, After all of these years your still the bomb! Happy St. Patricks Day from the Finneys! Remember to wear some green tomorrow.
03/26/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Cindy Buffington was on The Showboat!
I ALWAYS WATCHED THE SHOWBOAT AND HAD THE LUCK
TO BE ON THE SHOW WITH MY BLUE BIRD OUTFIT (GIRL
SCOUT GROUP) BACK IN 1968. I DON'T HAVE ANY PIXS
OR SAVE THE POSTCARD YOU HANDED OUT BUT IT WAS
A GREAT MEMORY OF A HAPPY TIME. YOU EVEN TOOK
US BACKSTAGE TO SEE THE SET YOU USED THEN.
03/27/2007 ... Captain Ernie spy Roger Donner wrote;
I think I bought every toy you advertised. Do you remember the wand thing that blew gigantic bubbles? I got me one of those in the basement. I got a monster magnet some where down there too. My favorite was my Sooper Snooper. I used to look in my neighbors windows with it. I remember three of us were looking in the same window with our Snoopers when we got caught by Debbie's mom. There went the Snoopers. Never saw mine again. It had camaflauge colors so we didnt think no one could see us. I bet you turned a lot of kids into window peekers with that thing!
03/27/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Debbie Donner wrote;
I LOVE Captain Ernie's Showboat! Is there any way to get some of those classic cartoons he always played. My favorites were "I Like to Sing-a"; the one with the little duck who wanted to be a sailor, "Just like my pa"; the vulture/buzzard who was "bringing home a baby bumble bee"; all of the cartoons with movie star caricatures; I could go on and on. Captain Ernie was the best!
Sometimes these classic cartoons that appeared on Captain Ernie's Showboat also appear on www.youtube.com At the moment (03/27/2007), I Love to Singa is uploaded. Enjoy! Please contact me if the link goes dead so I can remove it. Thanks! Click on Owl Jolson to go to the cartoon.
CLICK HERE to watch I Want to Be a Sailor for the first time in forty years!
04/01/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan Brenda Jackson wrote;
Captain Ernie was the one bright spot that I could always count on in my day when I was growing up in Davenport. No matter how things went at the school I knew Ernie was there for me when I got to home. Thank goodness for Ernie! I was reading the guest book about all of the toys. It really brought back some great memories. Here is a toy I bet no one else will admit to having. I had a Beanie and Cecil Beanie spinner cap. The one with the propeller on the top. Can you imagine I was actually wearing that hat and proud of it too?
04/03/2007 ... Captain Ernie fan George Frakes was on The Showboat & wrote; |
If you have Real Player, click on the picture.
My husband just showed me your website here. I want to tell you about the Mr. Bubble bubble bath you were advertising on tv. I begged my mom for a Mr. Bubble and she finally got me one of them. She poured some in the bath tub then she poured in the water like you're supposed to. I got me in there with those bubbles all around me and about two minutes of fun later and I was screaming. I broke out in these gigantic red welts. I looked like I had a red polka dot suit on from the neck down. And boy did that itch. She put baby powder on them and I was still screaming. I am lucky I didn't get scars from that stuff. Love ya anyways Captain Ernie.
