Sheriff John lives. . .

Short article in today’s LA Times about local 60’s kiddie show icon Sheriff John:

For Southern Californians who grew up watching television in the 1950s and ’60s, the death of “Engineer Bill” Stulla last week at age 97 sparked memories of another beloved Los Angeles children’s TV-show icon: “Sheriff John” Rovick.

A staff announcer for KTTV-TV Channel 11 when the station first went on the air in 1949, Rovick began portraying the badge- and khaki-uniform wearing Sheriff in 1952 as the host of “Cartoon Time,” a live, late-afternoon show that won an Emmy Award in 1953 for outstanding children’s program.

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Along with showing cartoons, he’d offer up a mix of safety tips and patriotism (he led viewers in the Pledge of Allegiance), have chats with occasional visitors and, of course, offer birthday wishes to his young viewers and sing “The Birthday Cake Polka” (”Put another candle on my birthday cake . . . “).

Growing up in SoCal, kids used to watch this show every day. I remember watching on my birthday, disappointed when he didn’t mention my name. My sister used to get me to eat foods I didn’t like as a kid by telling me they were Sheriff John eggs or Sheriff John broccolli.

I was surprised to hear the guy was still alive. . .