Bil Baird
Encyclopedia
William Britton Baird professional name Bil Baird, but often referred to as Bill Baird, was an American puppeteer
of the mid- and late 20th century.
One of his better known creations was Charlemane
the lion. He and his wife Cora Eisenberg Baird (1912–1967) produced and performed the famous puppetry sequence for The Lonely Goatherd
in the film version of The Sound of Music
.
He wrote The Art of the Puppet (1965) and also provided the puppets for Dark Shadows
. 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. 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.
, Baird grew up in Mason City, Iowa
. 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. 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.
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.
In a career that spanned over 60 years, Baird and his puppets performed for millions. They toured Russia, appeared in "The Lonely Goatherd
" sequence in the film The Sound of Music
(1965), as well as in the ABC-TV 1958 television special Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf, graced many World's Fair
s, and were part of five Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
s. 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 -awarded by the Lotos Club
of New York,, 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.
Bil Baird's children Laura and Peter sold nearly all of the Bil Baird Marionettes at auction. This 800-lot auction sale, held at The Greenwich Auction Room, 110 East 13th Street, NY, NY over 2 days September 19-20, 1997. Marionettes depicting Elsie the Cow and her family were sold to a Pennsylvania toy dealer; Olly Oilcan from the 1939 Chicago World's Fair sold for $11,000.00.
In December 1988 Bil Baird's Marionettes played at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York. The play "Pinocchio", from the book by Jerome Coopersmith was produced by Arthur Cantor, and performed by puppeteers Peter B Baird, Pady Blackwood, Randy Carfagno, Larry Engler, William Tost and Richard Weber. Mary Rogers was the composer and Sheldon Harnick wrote the lyrics. (Playbill Vol.88 No.12).
Puppeteer
A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object, such as a puppet, in real time to create the illusion of life. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the audience. A puppeteer can operate a puppet indirectly by the use of strings, rods, wires, electronics or directly by his or...
of the mid- and late 20th century.
One of his better known creations was Charlemane
Charlemane (puppet)
Charlemane, the mangy-maned lion, was a hand puppet created and operated by Bil Baird for the CBS's The Morning Show during the 1950s....
the lion. He and his wife Cora Eisenberg Baird (1912–1967) produced and performed the famous puppetry sequence for The Lonely Goatherd
The Lonely Goatherd
"The Lonely Goatherd" is a show tune from the musical The Sound of Music that makes use of yodelling.This song tells the whimsical story of a goatherd whose yodelling is heard from far off and by passers-by, until he falls in love with a girl who wears a pale-pink coat, with her mother joining in...
in the film version of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
.
He wrote The Art of the Puppet (1965) and also provided the puppets for Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows is a gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements...
. Baird also created the expandable nose Peter Noone
Peter Noone
Peter Noone is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor, best known as "Herman" of the successful 1960s rock group Herman's Hermits.-Early life:...
wore as Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
in the 1968 musical adaptation
Pinocchio (1968 TV program)
Pinocchio is a 90-minute musical adaptation of Carlo Collodi's classic story. It aired on NBC on December 8, 1968 as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame series....
of the Carlo Collodi
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
story that aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as a Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The second longest-running television program in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2011...
special. Baird's choice of his professional name inspired Termite Terrace cartoon writer Edward Stacey Pierce III
Tedd Pierce
Tedd Pierce , was an American animated cartoon writer, animator and artist. Pierce spent the majority of his career as a writer for the Warner Bros. "Termite Terrace" animation studio, working alongside fellow luminaries such as Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese. Pierce also worked as a writer at...
to add a second "D" to his own professional name, calling himself Tedd Pierce.
Life history
Born in Grand Island, NebraskaGrand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 48,520 at the 2010 census.Grand Island is home to the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center which is the sole agency responsible for training law enforcement officers throughout the state,...
, Baird grew up in Mason City, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
. 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
Tony Sarg
Anthony Frederick Sarg , known professionally as Tony Sarg, was a German American puppeteer and illustrator. He was described as "America's Puppet Master", and in his biography as the father of modern puppetry in North America.Sarg was born in Cobán, Guatemala, to Francis Charles Sarg and his...
production of “Rip Van Winkle”, which cemented his interest. 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
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, he began work with childhood idol Tony Sarg
Tony Sarg
Anthony Frederick Sarg , known professionally as Tony Sarg, was a German American puppeteer and illustrator. He was described as "America's Puppet Master", and in his biography as the father of modern puppetry in North America.Sarg was born in Cobán, Guatemala, to Francis Charles Sarg and his...
in New York City in 1928.
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
Flahooley
Flahooley is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Sammy Fain.The allegorical tale is set in fictional Capsulanti, USA, site of the headquarters for B.G. Bigelow, Incorporated, the largest toy corporation in the world...
, a fantasy about a mass-produced laughing doll who unintentionally threatens the American industrial system.
In a career that spanned over 60 years, Baird and his puppets performed for millions. They toured Russia, appeared in "The Lonely Goatherd
The Lonely Goatherd
"The Lonely Goatherd" is a show tune from the musical The Sound of Music that makes use of yodelling.This song tells the whimsical story of a goatherd whose yodelling is heard from far off and by passers-by, until he falls in love with a girl who wears a pale-pink coat, with her mother joining in...
" sequence in the film The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
(1965), as well as in the ABC-TV 1958 television special Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf, graced many World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
s, and were part of five Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
s. 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 -awarded by the Lotos Club
Lotos Club
The Lotos Club is a gentleman's club in New York City. Founded in 1870 by a young group of writers and critics, Mark Twain, an early member, called it the "Ace of Clubs"...
of New York,, 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.
Bil Baird's children Laura and Peter sold nearly all of the Bil Baird Marionettes at auction. This 800-lot auction sale, held at The Greenwich Auction Room, 110 East 13th Street, NY, NY over 2 days September 19-20, 1997. Marionettes depicting Elsie the Cow and her family were sold to a Pennsylvania toy dealer; Olly Oilcan from the 1939 Chicago World's Fair sold for $11,000.00.
In December 1988 Bil Baird's Marionettes played at the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York. The play "Pinocchio", from the book by Jerome Coopersmith was produced by Arthur Cantor, and performed by puppeteers Peter B Baird, Pady Blackwood, Randy Carfagno, Larry Engler, William Tost and Richard Weber. Mary Rogers was the composer and Sheldon Harnick wrote the lyrics. (Playbill Vol.88 No.12).
External links
- Bil Baird, Master Puppeteer
- 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.