- This article is about the puppeteer. For other uses, see Bill Baird (disambiguation). Bill Baird may refer to Bill Baird, an American pro-choice activist Bill Baird (athlete, an American football player
William Britton Baird (August 15, 1904 – March 18, 1987), professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American puppeteer of the mid- and late 20th century. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object — a Puppet — in real time to create the illusion of life The twentieth century of the Common Era began on
One of his better known creations was Charlemane the lion. Charlemane, the mangy-maned Lion, was a hand Puppet created and operated by Bil Baird for the CBS 's The Morning Show during the 1950's He wrote The Art of the Puppet (1965) and also provided the puppets for Dark Shadows. Dark Shadows is a Gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966 to Baird also created the expandable nose Peter Noone wore as Pinocchio in the 1968 musical adaptation of the Carlo Collodi story that aired on NBC as a Hallmark Hall of Fame special. "Noone" redirects here For the common misspelling of "no one" see the Wiktionary entry noone. Pinocchio (piˈnɔkːjo in Italian is a fictional character that first appeared in 1883, in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, and Pinocchio was a 90-minute musical version of Carlo Collodi 's classic story. Carlo Lorenzini ( November 24, 1826 &ndash October 26, 1890) better known by the Pen name C The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Hallmark Hall of Fame is a long-running irregularly scheduled anthology program on American Television. Baird's choice of his professional name inspired Termite Terrace cartoon writer Edward Stacey Pierce III to add a second "D" to his own professional name, calling himself Tedd Pierce. Warner Bros Cartoons Inc was the Animation division of Warner Bros Edward Stacey "Tedd" Pierce III ( August 12, 1906 &mdash February 19, 1972) was an American Animated cartoon
Life History
Born in Grand Island, Nebraska, Baird grew up in Mason City, Iowa. Grand Island is a city in and the County seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. Mason City is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. Baird traced his love of puppets to the moment when his father made him a simple string puppet when he was eight. In 1921, he attended a local performance of the Tony Sarg production of “Rip Van Winkle”, which cemented his interest. Anthony Frederick Sarg ( April 21, 1880 - February 17, 1942) known professionally as Tony Sarg, was a German American By the time he was fourteen, Baird was creating his own puppets and giving performances in the attic of his parent's home.
A graduate of the University of Iowa and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, he began work with childhood idol Tony Sarg in New York City in 1928. The University of Iowa, is a major teaching service and Research university located on a campus in Iowa City Iowa, on the banks of the Iowa River The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's premiere fine arts colleges located in Chicago, Illinois. Anthony Frederick Sarg ( April 21, 1880 - February 17, 1942) known professionally as Tony Sarg, was a German American
In 1934, Baird formed his own company, the Baird Marionettes. Their first performance was at the Chicago’s World’s Fair.
In 1951, Baird's Marionettes performed some of the roles in the Broadway musical Flahooley, a fantasy about a mass-produced laughing doll who unintentionally threatens the American industrial system. Flahooley is a musical with a book by E Y Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg and music by Sammy Fain.
In a career that spanned over 60 years, Baird and his puppets performed for millions. They toured Russia, appeared in The Sound of Music (in "The Lonely Goatherd" sequence), graced many World Fairs, and were part of five Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades. Rodgers and Hammerstein 's The Sound of Music is a Musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews in the lead role " The Lonely Goatherd " is a Show tune from the musical The Sound Of Music that makes use of yodelling. During the 1964/65 World's Fair in New York City, Baird's Marionettes hosted "The Show-Go-Round", an elaborate musical exhibit in the Chrysler Pavilion.
Baird was a recipient of a multitude of awards and honors, including the Medal of Achievement -- LOTOS Club of New York City, Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Iowa, and was honored in 1980 by the Union International de la Marionette and Puppeteers of America at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
External links
Bil Baird's children Laura and Peter contracted to sell nearly all of the Bil Baird Marionettes at auction. This 800 lot auction sale was held at The Greenwich Auction Room over 2 days. Jesse Bien was the auctioneer. Peter Baird, Paddy Blackwood and other puppeteers exhibited the marionettes with each pull of a puppet string eliciting another bid from the audience. Marionettes depicting Elsie the Cow and her family were desired by many but sold to a Pennsylvania toy dealer. Prize lot, Olly Oilcan from the 1939 Chicago World's Fair sold for an astonishing $11,000. 00.
- The MacNider Art Museum in Mason City, Iowa owns and displays a large selection of Bil Baird marionettes, hand puppets, and ephemera including marionettes used in The Sound of Music.
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