Who can forget the glory days of Howdy Doody? We've covered several fun
facts and characters regarding the long-running and iconic children's program
here at Scoop over the years, but we've never devoted an entire feature to one
of the show's most famed females: Princess Summerfall Winterspring.
We
felt it was her time to shine.
One of two Native American characters to
appear on The Howdy Doody Show, Princess Summerfall Winterspring's
popularity surpassed that of her male counterpart, Chief Thunderthud-Kowabunga.
She was graceful, ponytailed, and dressed in what was considered at the time as
a faithful representation of traditional tribal regalia. Her origins were of
the fictional Tinka Tonka tribe.
Like everyone else on the show, she had
the opportunity to interact with host Buffalo Bob in skits and segments where
she was prominently featured. Along with the other female regulars on the show,
she gave little girl viewers a character easier to relate to than the boyish
Howdy Doody.
The royal girl bears one other significant distinction: unlike the other
puppets, Princess Summerfall Winterspring became a real-life girl in 1951. Her
live-action persona was played first by Judy Tyler (who died in a car accident
at the untimely age of 23), then by Linda Marsh.