E-Mail I just have to tell you of the fond memories I have of watching Sandy with my brother... and trying to Catch Max.

When our family gets together we often talk about the "Good Old Days" when television was an art and people like Sandy were the artists who painted and sculpted the lives of little girls and boys and brightened each and every day. We loved you and miss you, and will remember you forever.

Jan Stark

I'm very pleased to see that there is finally a web site about Sandy. I watched him during the sixties and remember both the charaters and the puppets. I especially liked his Christmas Carol with Marvin Mouse. Please respond and I'd enjoy hearing from any fans.

Cliff Heitz

WNEW fan. Married with kids now in NJ.

Hello Cheri....My name is Jose Madera, I am now 47 yrs. old and remember your husband fondly on channel 5 in NYC...On his morning show, he had a classical piece that was his theme song...I had the recording of it at one time and somehow lost it.. I would luv to be able to buy it again.. Can u tell me what the name of it was??Please e-mail me with your reply... He was a big part of my morning and afternoons after school....Thank you so very much...
Dear Mrs. Becker, As a little girl I use to watch your husband on the "Sandy Becker Show" and "Wonderama" all the time. My fondest memory was when I won a drawing contest from his show and I can still remember the prize of drinking glasses with a whale on them. They were plastic and were in the shape of soda fountain glasses. How I wish I still had them!!!! Because of that contest I had the dream of pursuing art and became an art major in school and later a photographer. How I wish my little boys had shows as great as your husband's were. I know you must get alot of mail remembering Sandy. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Ruth Krems

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I have only the fondest memories of Sandy & The Sandy Becker Show.

What a talent!

Geeba Geeba, Hambone, the Bananna Fannas. Sandy himself. Loved him -- he was a true television innovator. Pee Wee's Playhouse owed (all the good stuff) to Sandy.

Wish we had tapes. Hard to believe nobody was farsighted enough to keep them.

J. Appelbaum

Mrs Becker:

Thanks for sharing your memories of Sandy with his fans. I am 41 now and a physician living in Pennsylvania. But, I grew up in New Jersey watching hours and hours of cartoons with Sandy's voice and watching Wonderama. My brother have been E-mailing back and forth old photos from our childhood and he thought it apporopropriate to send me a picture of Norton Nork which brought forth a cascade of wonderful memories of Hambone and Greba greba... things I didn't even know were still in the attic of my brain.

Thanks again,

Mike Jones

Mrs. Becker,

I just came across Sandy Becker's Page on the Internet, and I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed Mr. Becker and his Sandy Becker Show.

In the '50's, I was a little boy living happily with my family in an apartment building in the Bronx. Outside, there was a magical and mysterious world of fire escapes, the "super" (our building's superintendent, whom I only heard about from my parents but whose title charged my imagination), and the rumble of the El.

Inside there was TV! I favored cartoons like Loonie Tunes and Merrie Melodies, but even so, the best was the Sandy Becker Show. I didn't know why until I was an adult, when I realized how special was Sandy's warmth and humor. He was like an extra parent, caring and funny and there for you every day.

Once I was school age, I was amazed and delighted to see a puppet on the show with my name. But was I embarrassed when my mother sent my picture to the show and Sandy showed it on the program!

My best to you,

Danny Moran

Dear Ms. Becker,

I was the biggest Sandy Becker fan on the planet. He blew Captain Kangaroo away!!!

As I view the current crop of children's TV programs, I only wish that Sandy was still around today.

all my best,

Nate Mishaan

it's really wonderful. i'm sure when more people know about the site there will be many visitors. as someone who grew up in the early 60's watching Sandy it was like coming home. any chance of getting space angel or diver dan on the web?

with best regards and thanks,

Paul Smith

a sandy fan

Cherie,thanks so much for all these great memories. I am 42 years old and had forgotten what many of Sandy's characters and puppets looked like. All I remember is loving his show, and being really entertained as a kid. Unfortunately, I couldnt download any of the audio since I have Web tv......Was there ever a dog named "Beewee" on his show? Many years ago, I nicknamed my brother Beewee which we've always said came from something we saw on Sandy's show... His name evolved into Beegie and then Beeg which I still call him today! He`s a 39 year old doctor.

Anyway, thanks again.

Hal Gold

Mrs. Becker,

Thank you so much for sharing what you have with us all. I truly adored Sandy Becker as a kid, and reading about him again brought back a lot of fond memories.

Thanks again,

Michael Solomon

NYC (still)

Hi! I grew up watching Sandy and sure would enjoy seeing those shows again!!!! Any idea where I might purchase copies ? Thanks!

Sincerely,

Vincent Jackson

Dear Mrs. Becker,

First I must thank you for letting Sandy's webpage have as many pictures, etc. as you were able to give.

To be truthful, I just can't find the right words to express how my heart feels right now. Your husband was such a huge part of my childhood. Clicking on the different pictures and reading everything brings back some of the fondest memories of my childhood. I clicked on the picture of Clive Clyde...and when it popped up...and I saw that photo...it brought tears to my eyes.

If only the children of today had what we were so very lucky to have when we were young...those times will never come again.

Thank you so much for "sharing" him with us...he lives in my heart always.

Jude Rodamer

Mrs. Becker,

First I want to say that it is an honor to be "talking" to you. Your husband Sandy was a very important part of my childhood and I would give anything to see that kind of television on today because even at 40, I would watch it.

I'm writing to ask about "Hambone". Still, today, after 30 some odd years, I STILL remember Hambone and always, and will forever, associate it with Mr. Becker. Is it me or did Sandy have a record out of Hambone back in the early '60s? I seem to remember playing a single on Capitol Records of "Hambone" and my brother and I (and sometimes my dad) would dance around like Hambone. Is this just me? If it wasn't your husband, would you be able to tell me what version of the song he used?

Again, I am honored to at least write to you and I am sorry that Sandy is no longer with us. With him went an era and a quality that will never be seen again.

Regards,

Gene O'Brien

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I am honored to be able to e-mail you. I am a 46 year old attorney now living in Syracuse, NY who grew watching the Sandy Becker Show. To this day I can remember specific segments and skits from the show. In addition to your husband being an exceeding talented entertainer he allowed young people like myself to push their boundaries of creative expression. Any creative endeavor I undertake reaches back to the foundation Sandy helped me lay. I will forever be in awe of his talent and thankful that I had the opportunity to experience it. He is one of the few people I would liked to have met. I must also add that I consider him most probably the coolest person that ever lived.

Sincerely,

Ed. Gaudino

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I loved the Sandy Becker Show and especially the mouse. I can't remember his name. Those shows were the best.

AMG

I've just visited "The Sandy Becker Page" at http://oaktree.simplenet.com/becker/becker.html and the wave of nostalgia practically brought me to tears of joy.

Sandy was my favorite performer when I was child and I thought the world had all but forgotten his incredible contribution to children's entertainment. His influence on me as a kid remains (One year for Halloween I was "Sinister Simon" and the next I was "Hambone"!)

Your contribution to this site is obvious and I can't thank you enough. Sandy touched many with his genius. Through this website and others like it (tv party.com etc.) his memory will always remain etched in the psyche of many a baby-boomer.

I hope this message brings a smile to your face... You've brought one to mine,

David Meisel

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I'm sure you get a lot of this, so I'll keep it short. I just wanted to say hi. I just recently found the wonderful Sandy Becker pages on the web and was crushed to hear of his passing in '96. One of my dreams was to one day meet him and to thank him for his wonderful talents and the incredible impact he made on my childhood. Best wishes to you and yours,

D.J.Hazard

(Now in Boston)

Oh how I loved Sandy Becker! I still consider him to be one of the greats of television, and his stuff holds up so well in my memory. Here's a story to share with you.

When I was a young boy, probably 1962, my family took at trip up to Niagara Falls. Upon our return I drew a picture of Niagara Falls on a shirt cardboard from one of my father's shirts. My father had been working with Channel 5 in NY at the time for some promotional work, and he knew Sandy Becker enough to give him the crude drawing. Sandy used to put kids' pictures on the air. My brother's name was added to the picture "to be fair" and I can still picture clearly in my head, Sandy holding up the cardboard and saying "And here's Niagara Falls by Andy and Jonny Poretz, isn't that great?"

I'm glad to be able to send this to you.

With best regards,

Andrew Poretz

I just learned this evening that Sandy passed away. I am very sorry to learn this yet I'm grateful to the internet and this particular page, that I have the opportunity to express my condolences to you and your family. I only wish I was writing to Sandy to tell him how wonderful his Sandy Becker Show was and how he was so ahead of his time! But I'm sure you have heard that a million times. It is such a shame I can't get his show on videotape and relive a bit of my childhood.

Thank you for your time.

Tom Prescott

Dear Mrs. Becker, I just wanted to send you a quick note to tell you how much your husband meant to me as a kid. The Sandy Becker Show was my favorite show growing up. He was wonderful and brought me so many hours of joy. I wish the shows were still available. It breaks my heart to read that they were erased. May God Bless you and keep you well.

Yours,

George Louvis

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I have just today discovered the Sandy Becker home page on the internet. On a whim, I had conducted a web search to see whether I could discover if any of Mr. becker's old television shows are ever re-broadcast. I was delighted to find pictures and information, and also to discover how popular he must still be with people like myself who watched him all through childhood.

I am sorry to hear that his videotapes are not available- is that true? Many, many grown-ups would have the time of their lives watching those old shows that they loved so much. If any tapes do surface and his show is ever re-broadcast, I for one would greatly enjoy seeing it.

I just wanted to let you know what fond memories I still have of the Sandy Becker Show. I remember it as one of my favorite childhood television programs. Mr. Becker was funny, creative and delightful, and today I tell my own children about his wonderful character "Hambone".

Best wishes,

V. Edwards from Boston, MA

Dear Cherie,

Thank you so much for responding to my message. My name is Dave Zimelis and I currently live in Los Angeles. I am 41, married, no kids, but with 2 dogs and 3 cats. I can tell you that when I was growing up, my two favorite shows were Officer Joe Bolton (on channel 11, I think) and, of course, Sandy on channel 5. My best friend John liked Sonny Fox better and we used to have long arguments over that. But he never could convince me. When I was in college at USC, I happened to meet Joe Bolton when he gave a lecture to one of my journalism classes on the early days of Television. While that was exciting to me, I always wanted to meet Sandy and am sorry I never got the chance. However, as I stated previously, I clearly remember watching his show, and have (for some reason) a very clear memory of one bit he did where he was dressed up as Hambone. In this case, there was a split screen so that there were three of him in costume, and they were lip-syncing to "Wooly Bully" by Sam The Sham (probably about 1965?)

I won't babble on and on, but this is just to express my appreciation for responding. Although Sandy is no longer with us, it is good for me to be in touch with you to share the part that Sandy played in my growing up.

Warm regards,

Dave

Just a quick note to tell you what fond memories I have of watching Hambone, Norton Nork & The Big Professor from when I was a kid growing up in NY. I loved Sandy's show and am AMAZED that there is a page dedicated to him. I loved seeing a picture of him for the first time in probably, I don't know, 35 years or something like that? Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how happy I was to find the page.

With fondest regards,

Dave Z.

Cherie.......

Sorry for the flood of sentiment! Just wanted to let you know that I also remember Schatzie (or was it spelled "Schotzie"?), Sandy's beloved sheepdog. I remember seeing her on Sandy's TV shows occassionally. My most vivid recolection of her was seeing her in the studio at WNBC-AM at 30 Rock in New York. I had gone there on a field trip with my third grade class (Seaford Manor School, L.I.) in ( are you ready for this.....?) 1961 or ' 62. Of all the amazing things I saw that day, (and mind you, thanks in part to that trip, I am still hung up on radio & TV from a hobbyist's point of view), there is one thing, above all, which will always stick in my mind. As we passed one of the radio studios, we kids could see..... a guy in front of a mike.... Wait!....A hero, a legend! He was real! HE WAVED TO US! It was Sandy Becker!!! And do you know who was at as feet by the console while he did his show? (We, his fans, couldn't believe our eyes....) Yup...... Schatzie (or was it Schotzie?).

Just thought you might like to know.

Fondly,

Steve Black

Dear Cherie,

It was very kind of you to respond to my note, and I thank you for taking the time. Sandy's impact on the many people whose lives he touched will be remembered for a long time. God bless you and yours, and please rest assured that Sandy will live on in the hearts of a lot of grown-up kids for a great, great while.

My thoughts and condolances go out to you. We will all miss him.

Fondly,

Steve Black

My dear Ms. Becker,

Where do I begin? (How many letters have you received with that opening?) I am writing you to let you know how happy I am to have found a number of websites devoted to my Number One childhood hero: Sandy Becker.

I have wondered, for so many years, if I was the only person left on the planet who remembered Sandy. Having lived away from Long Island for many years, I suppose it is understandable.

I grew up on Long Island, watching Channel 5 as a kid. Sandy was a regular in my life as far back, literally, as I can remember. I recall his weekday early afternoon cartoon shows, and I remember his hosting "Wonderama". Mostly, though, I remember him from his weekday evening shows on WNEW-TV where he brought to life such unforgettable characters as: the puppet Geeba Geeba (who still, to this day, reminds me of my erstwhile next-door neighbor in Seaford, L.I.), The Professor, K. Lastima, and the unforgettable klutz, Norton Nork.

Believe it, or not, a bunch of friends and I would get together every day in school and compare notes on Sandy's show from the evening before. We would recreate, in our best Sandy Becker voices, the skits we had seen.

Sandy was a great influnce in my childhood years, and I will never forget him. He lives on, to this day, as a man who influenced my adult life; a man who showed me you can have a sense of humor, and that you CAN laugh at the world. This is the guy, who quite frankly, helped form my sense of humor. (In spite of the tone of this note, trust me, I really do have one! Really..... I do...)

Well, anyway, Cherie, I wanted to let you know that Sandy's memory has not passed on. He is remembered for his creativity, his humor, and his genius; and he is a large part of a lot of kids who grew up remembering what it was like to be a kid......

Especially me.

Sincerely

Steve Black

Dear Mrs. Becker:

I just wanted to say Hi. Chris had given me your address and I had written you a letter just telling you how much I loved Sandy and all his characters. He was a great influence on me and I didn't realize it until I started to think about it since finding this site. I was lucky enough to be a kid in the early 60s and catch Sandy, Soupy and Chuck MaCann at the right time. T.V. for kids today is fine but it's so damn educational! Sandy entertained me but didn't talk down to me. Looking back now I realize how hip he was, and we somehow met halfway. I got hold of some of Sandy's Bloopers from the Net, and they've jogged my memory in a major way. Anyway I'm sure I don't need to tell you anything you don't know. I hope I can find more on all of Sandy's Shows. I remmeber Sandy's Street quiet clearly. If you can, please send Chris some stills form that period-including your son who was on the show. I'm I correct on this? Thanks for reading this.

Bye for now.

Brian McCarty

Letter from Cherie Becker to Al Roker:

Dear Al:

In 1994 Sandy drafted a letter to you as a follow-up to a conversation you all had when he was being interviewed on WNBC.

I have both the first and second draft in Sandy's computer. Although unsigned I thought you would like to have them.

He loved you and your work and I am only sorry that we lost him before you were able to meet. You and Sandy would have great fun together.

If you would like these drafts please let me know.

Cherie Becker

Al Roker's reply:

Dear Mrs. Becker,

I was saddened when a cherished member of my childhood memory passed away. I was so thrilled when I got to talk to him during the Alan Colmes show on WNBC-AM.

I would be honored to recieve those letters. Norton Nork, Geeba Geeba and Hambone helped shape me, at times, much to my mother's chagrin. Your husband was part of a fraternity that has been, too sadly, relegated to the sidelines by the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Fox Kids Network.

Thank you for thinking of me when you came across the correspondence.

Sunny Skies,

Al Roker

Mrs. Becker,

I want to thank you for your generous contributions of time and personal memorabilia to the web page. With your help, Chris Gross is creating a great tribute to Sandy. To all of us baby boomers, these photos are pro- viding a glimpse back to our childhood we never counted on seeing again. If you are interested and do not already have it, I have a video of a thirty minute segment of Sandy's morning show on WABD in 1957 which I would be happy to provide you with. Please let me know and thanks once again.

Regards

Steve Gabriel

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