Tubby the Tuba creator dead


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Posted by Duneland on September 04, 2002 at 12:31:01:

Did we miss this obituary?

PAUL TRIPP, 91
Created children's record `Tubby the Tuba'



New York Times News Service
Published September 1, 2002

Paul Tripp, a Pied Piper of early children's television who created the musical fantasy "Tubby the Tuba" and hosted his own show, "Mr. I. Magination," died Thursday in New York City. He was 91.

While serving in the Army in China during World War II, Mr. Tripp dreamed up "Tubby the Tuba," the orchestrated story that would help integrate story and symphonic music in children's records.

The finished record became an almost instant hit in 1945.

"Tubby the Tuba" told the story of Tubby, an orchestral instrument disheartened because he, unlike the other instruments in his orchestra, did not have a melody of his own. He could only play oompah.

Eventually, Tubby meets a friendly bullfrog who shares his melody with him. The melody, in turn, is picked up by other instruments and at the end the whole orchestra triumphantly plays Tubby's melody.

With music by George Kleinsinger, "Tubby the Tuba" was often compared with Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," in which a series of characters are given a distinctive musical motif.

It sold 8 million copies and was one of the best-selling children's records of its time.

"Mr. I. Magination" came next. Running as a weekly show on CBS TV from 1949 to 1952, the show put Mr. Tripp on a toy train dressed in the striped overalls of a railroad engineer. Surrounded by young children, Mr. Tripp would tell stories from history and literature.

Two more children's shows followed, with Mr. Tripp most often serving as writer, director and star: "On the Carousel," on CBS, and "Birthday House," on NBC.

He also wrote four children's books.

Paul Tripp was born in Manhattan on Feb. 20, 1911.


Copyright © 2002, Chicago Tribune




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