Tuesday, July 10, 2018

CHIMPS #5


6 comments:

Bob Swaney said...

J. Fred Muggs remembers.

Eric said...

And Zippy. I once read that one of these chimps gave Dave Garroway a bad bite on the hand during a live broadcast. Keeping his injured hand out of sight, he carried on as best as he could.

Chic Silber said...


This little lady is Phoebe B Beebe

Zippy was another very famous chimp

name that was worn by 6 other chimps

over a multi decade carreer in film

& TV appearances

Chic Silber said...


This was from the original

"Today Show" on NBC live from

WNBC NY every weekday morning

Chic Silber said...


Muggs was born in French Cameroon

He became popular in Trefflich's NY pet shop

A "name that chimp" contest led to his name Mr. Muggs

The Today Show later added "J. Fred"

Carmine "Bud" Mennella and Leroy "Roy" Waldron

former NBC pages who became known as "The Muggs Guys"

bought him for $600 when he was 10 months old

Mennella & Waldron trained him

He appeared on several other TV shows before

becoming the mascot of "The Today Show" in 1953

They bought the little female in 54 as a sidekick

As of a few months ago the 2 chimps were alive

& well in their Florida retirement home

My exwife Kandy was good friends with them

(The Muggs Guys not the chimps)



Mr.Lee said...

I came very close to buying the big truck they used for a chimp transport