Cinnamon Bear Episode #1

Read Time:15 Minute, 48 Second

I am so happy to say that Cinnamon Bear time is here! I cannot contain my excitement! Cinnamon Bear will be played every day except Saturdays, right here, from now until Christmas Eve. Remember, these are short, 11-12 minute episodes, so even if you have to binge-listen (as I often do!) it’s still a very attainable goal to join in on our adventure! Get your kids or grandkids into it this year… chances are you will love it just as much as they will! (if not more!) I have transcribed every episode for you, so if you need to go back to see what was said, or better yet, would like to read along like a child’s audio book, you can. I don’t mind telling you that I still love reading like that, no matter how old I get!

I’d like to touch on a few background things before we get going.

First off, you will probably recognize the voice of Mother. She is Verna Felton (July 20, 1890 – December 14, 1966), a very familiar voice we all know and love from many things. She was a veteran of radio and television, much loved in the community. More modern audiences may remember her as Flora, (the pink fairy in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty) and Cinderella’s fairy godmother (Walt Disney’s animated classic) as well as some other Disney roles. Old Time Radio fans will recognize her as Junior’s mother, (The Red Skelton radio program), Dennis Day’s mother on Jack Benny, Hilda Crocker in December Bride, as well as many, many other things. I simply love Mrs. Felton’s expressive voice acting. She truly was a veteran of radio!

Judy, played by Barbara Jean Wong, (March 3, 1924-November 13, 1999) was a fourth-generation Chinese-American. She did much radio work, including performances on Lux Radio Theatre, Hallmark Playhouse, and most notably, Amos’s daughter in Amos and Andy, radio’s most popular show of all time. After she married, Barbara Jean became a teacher, retiring in 1992.

Our announcer is John (Bud) Heistand (January 16, 1907-February 5, 1987). He worked on a bunch of radio shows as announcer or narrator, including Burns and Allen and Jack Benny. He also worked in TV on different shows, acting in bit parts and playing recurring characters. Interestingly, he was the brother of Elizabeth Heisch, who created the show with husband Glanville Heisch. I think Bud is great! He gives you the idea that he is sitting inside your radio waiting for the next episode to narrate. He seems just as excited as we are!

In September 2021, Cinnamon Bear fans and OTR collectors alike got the exciting news that the actor who plays Jimmy Barton on this wonderful series was discovered! According to the archives at The Library of Congress, he was Bobby La Manche, and there isn’t much known about him except he was born Robert Lomench in Cleveland, Ohio on May 11, 1924, and that he was a P-39 pilot for the US Air Force during WWII. The only other thing that I personally have heard his voice in was an episode of the radio program That Was The Year where they were showcasing the year 1910, though he played numerous minor roles for TRANSCO, which is the production company that churned out our wonderful Cinnamon Bear program.

Read more about the cast discovery in this fascinating article by Karl Schadow, who brought all this information to light: https://www.hollywood360radio.com/newsletter-september-2021/ Note: You’ll have to scroll down, as this is a web newsletter with other articles ahead of it.

As for the real star of the show, let’s talk about the voice actor who played Paddy O’Cinnamon, our beloved Cinnamon Bear. Buddy Duncan (October 31, 1883-November 25, 1960) was a little person, although on the tall end, because he is reported to have been 4’11”. He starred in a series of silent films called Ham and Bud with Lloyd Hamilton for the Kalem Production Company in the teens. He played with Biograph, Nestor (playing Jeff in the Mutt and Jeff series), Majestic (playing with Fred Mace), Kalem (aforementioned series), and Vitagraph after Kalem was purchased by them. He also appeared in Clover Comedies put out by the National Film Company, and in Bud and his Buddies for an indie film company called Schiller Production company. Between 1912 and 1942, he had made 167 films.

You’ll find that this show is filled with radio veterans; The Cinnamon Bear is practically a who’s who when it comes to voice acting.

Download all of Cinnamon Bear’s episodes at once at https://archive.org/details/CinnamonBear. You can also listen to each episode on archive without downloading.

Now, without further ado, let’s listen… to our beloved Cinnamon Bear.

The Cinnamon Bear Episode 1 – Surprised By The Cinnamon Bear
Opening: Cinnamon Bear Theme
Male Voice: And here’s the Cinnamon Bear!

Announcer: This is the story of the Cinnamon Bear and his very marvelous adventures with Judy and Jimmy Barton. But we can’t very well meet the Cinnamon Bear until we meet Judy and Jimmy. They are twins, and they live in a big, old fashioned house. At this very minute, they’re in the upstairs sitting room, and from all I can hear, Judy and Jimmy are busily engaged in that very pleasant task of writing letters to Santa Claus. Let’s listen.

 Judy: How are you getting along with your letter, Jimmy?
 Jimmy: Aww, pretty well. I guess I’ve got about everything down here.
 Judy: Now, don’t go asking for everything the way you did last year.
 Jimmy: Aw, you girls are all alike! I betcha if we counted the things in your letter, and the things in mine, you’d have the most!
 Judy: I betcha I wouldn’t either!
 Jimmy: You would!
 Judy: Well, I won’t argue about it, but I betcha my letter’s more dignified than yours. Now stop bothering me, so I can finish it. (to herself) Let me see… P.S. and Santa, there’s just one thing more I’d like. A nice red v...l… that’s not right… (louder) Jimmy, how do you spell velocipede?
 Jimmy: Uh, velocipede. Uh, v...a… Aw, you’re too old for a velocipede, anyway.
 Judy: Oh, (laughs) I guess maybe you’re right.
 Woman’s Voice: Judy! Jimmy!
 Judy: Yes, Mother!
 Jimmy: We’re in here, Mother!
 Mother: Have you finished those letters to Santa Claus yet?
 Jimmy: Uh huh!
 Judy: Yes.
 Mother: That’s good, because we’ve something very important to do.
 Jimmy: What’s that, Mother?
 Mother: What do you suppose I have in these cardboard boxes here?
 Jimmy: I know! Our Christmas tree ornaments!
 Judy: Yes, and you promised us we could help you go through them to see if any of them were broken.
 Mother: That’s right!
 Judy: Oh, let’s hurry Mother! I can’t wait!
 Mother: Just a minute, I’ll put them right here on the table.
 Jimmy: Oh, boy!
 Judy: I hope that little pink Santa Claus didn’t get broken.
 Mother: We’ll see.
 Judy: Ooo! Aren’t they beautiful?
 Jimmy: I’ll say! I like those big gold ones ‘specially.
 Mother: Everything seems to be pretty much in order. All the tinsel is here, the lights, everything seems to be here, except uhh..
 Jimmy: Except what, Mother?
 Mother: Well, I can’t see the silver star anywhere.
 Judy: You mean the big one we always put way up on top of the tree?
 Mother: Yes, but I don’t see it in any of the boxes.
 Jimmy: Aw, gee, Mom. I’d feel most awful if anything happened to that old silver star.
 Judy: Me, too. Well, we’ve had it on top of our tree for years and years! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the silver star! (starting to cry)
 Mother: Now, don’t cry, Judy. It’s probably just misplaced. I remember Uncle Jed took some things up to the attic last year after Christmas. Perhaps he put it away up there.
 Jimmy: Could we go up and look for it, Mother?
 Mother: I don’t like to have you running around in that old attic. You might get hurt. Besides, it’s too cold.
 Judy: But, Mother, please! We’ve just got to find the silver star! We have our sweaters on.
 Mother: Alright, but you’ve got to promise to be careful, and not stay too long.
 Jimmy: We won’t, Mother. Honest we won’t. Where should we look first?
 Mother: If Uncle Jed put it away, it’s probably in that big trunk in the corner by the window. Be careful you don’t hurt your fingers when you open it.
 Judy: We’ll be careful. Come on, Jimmy!
 Jimmy: Okay! Here we go up the stairs!
 Mother: Now, don’t run, children! Y-You might fall and get hurt!
 Judy: (loudly) Alright, Mother dear! (whispering) Last one up’s a 'fraidy cat!
 Jimmy: Gee, Willikers! These sure are steep stairs.
 Judy: Yeah. They're lots steeper than Mary Louise has at her house.
 Jimmy: I bet these are the steepest stairs in the world!
 Judy: Sure, they are!
 Jimmy: Whew! Here we are. I beat, and you’re a ‘fraidy cat.
 Judy: You didn’t either beat. I got here at the same time, and I’m not a ‘fraidy cat!
 Jimmy: Alright, then, we both beat.
 Judy: Okay… but if we both beat, who is a ‘fraidy cat?
 Jimmy: Ohh… Charlie Simpson’s a 'fraidy cat.
 Judy: Yeah. Gee! There sure is a lot of stuff up in this attic.
 Jimmy: Yeah! Just look at all those suitcases and boxes and things.
 Judy: Yeah, and there’s that old spinning wheel and the music box and…
 Jimmy: Oh! Judy! There’s the old trunk Mother told us to look in.
 Judy: It must be awful full of things. The top isn’t closed all the way down.
 Jimmy: Well, you get on one side, Judy, and I’ll get on the other, and then we can both lift at the same time.
 Judy: Alright, Jimmy. (after lifting) Gee, that was kinda heavy. Oh, look, Jimmy! There’s one of those old crazy quilts right on top! Take it off, and we’ll see what’s underneath.
 Jimmy: Okay… there. Ugh… Smells like mothballs, doesn’t it?
 Judy: Uh-huh. Do you see the silver star anyplace?
 Jimmy: Uh-uh. Just a lot of old clothes and stuff. Let’s lift this top thing out. Come on, Judy, help me.
 Judy: Alright.
 Jimmy: Now, let’s see…. Say! Here’s a small box of ornaments!
 Judy: Aw, but they’re all broken, Jimmy, and the silver star isn’t there.
 Jimmy: Gee, here’s one that’s not broken. It’s a pretty little aeroplane. It’s made out of gold glass or something.
 Judy: We’d better take that downstairs with us. Why don’t you put it someplace where it won’t get broken?
 Jimmy: I better, I guess. I’ll just set it on top of this old dresser here. Find anything else Judy?
 Judy: You bet! Look at this, Jimmy! A little teddy bear with a green ribbon around his neck. Gee, he isn’t any more than four inches high! I wonder where he came from? 
 Jimmy: I don't know. Look! Look what I found, Judy! A real honest-to-goodness telescope! Gee, isn’t it a dandy?
 Judy: It's scrumptious! I bet that belonged to Uncle Jed when he was a sailor.
 Jimmy: I bet so, too. It sure is a wonderful telescope. When I look through it, everything seems a million times bigger. Boy, I bet if I was out on the roof, I could see clear over to England.
 Judy: Farther than that, maybe. You know what, Jimmy?
 Jimmy: What?
 Judy: This teddy bear is the teeniest one I’ve ever ever seen.
 Jimmy: Sure is, uh…. Say, Judy, I bet if we looked at him through this telescope, he’d be a lot bigger!
 Judy: Let’s see, shall we? I’ll lean him against the back of the trunk, and you look.
 Jimmy: Alright. Now, just wait'll I get it fixed… Jiminy Crickets!
 Judy: What do you see, Jimmy?
 Jimmy: Willikers! He looks bigger than anything! Take a look, Judy.
 Judy: Let me see. Goodness! He is big, isn’t he? Why, he looks almost as big as we are, only he really isn’t.
 Jimmy: If you’d move over a little, Judy, we could both look at the same time. There! That’s it. Can you see him?
 Judy: Plain as day!
 Jimmy: Judy! Judy, he moved! The bear moved! Didn’t you see him moving?
 Judy: I thought I did, but…
 Jimmy: Sure he moved! Gosh!
 Male Voice: Grr-ah!
 Jimmy: Judy, listen! He made a noise!
 Judy: Maybe it was just a creaky board.
 Jimmy: No, it wasn’t any creaky board. It was that bear, and I’m gonna talk back to him.
 Judy: Oh, Jimmy, maybe you'd better hadn’t.
 Jimmy: Aw, don’t get scared. He can’t hurt ya. He’s really only four inches high. Hey you! You teddy bear!
 Bear: Grr-oo!
 Judy: Ooo!
 Jimmy: Did you hear him, Judy? Did you hear him? He growled at me!
 Judy: Oh. He did, didn’t he? Say, Jimmy, ask him if he’s a really truly live real bear.
 Jimmy: Alright… Hey, teddy bear, tell us, who are you?

Cinnamon Bear: 
 I’m the Cinnamon Bear
  With the shoe button eyes,
  And I’m lookin’ for someone
  To take by surprise.

I go prowling and growling
  Each night after dark,
  But the folks say my growl’s
  Just a cinnamon bark.

Though I growl -- Grr-ah!
  And I growl – Grr-oo!
  My victims only say….
  “Oh, who’s afraid of you?”
  I’m the Cinnamon Bear
  With the shoe button eyes,
  And I’m huffy and fluffy,
  And tough for my size.

I devour lots of honey
  And cinnamon buns,
  Just to make me ferocious,
  But nobody runs.

Now I’ll growl – Grr-ah!
  And I’ll growl – Grr-oo!
  And if you’ll act afraid,
  I’m much obliged to you!

 Judy: (laughing) Oh, that was wonderful, Cinnamon Bear!
 Cinnamon Bear: Grr-ah!
 Judy: Jimmy, let’s pretend we’re really afraid, huh? It’ll make him feel good.
 Jimmy: Aw, alright…
 Judy: Oh! Don’t give us a scare like that again, Mr. Bear.
 Cinnamon Bear: Grr-ah!
 Jimmy: Oh, Judy, I’m scared.
 Cinnamon Bear: Grr-oo!
 Judy: Ooo, Jimmy! Hold my hand tight!
 Cinnamon Bear: Children, did I really frighten ya?
 Judy: Terribly!
 Jimmy: You just about scared the daylights out of us!
 Cinnamon Bear: Well, I promise not to frighten ya anymore. That is, not until me ferocious nature gets the better of me again. Now would you be kind enough to tell me your names? I always keep a record of the people I scare.
 Jimmy: I’m Jimmy.
 Judy: And I’m his sister, Judy.
 Cinnamon Bear: I’m much obliged to meet ya, I’m sure. Me name’s Paddy O’Cinnamon.
 Jimmy: That sounds Irish.
 Cinnamon Bear: Eh, sure. I’m slightly Irish. That’s why I wear this green ribbon around me neck. But tell me, what are you two doin’ up here?
 Jimmy: Well, we lost the silver star that goes on top of the Christmas tree.
 Judy: Have you ever seen it, Cinnamon Bear?
 Cinnamon Bear: A silver star? Did it have five points?
 Jimmy: I… Well, I think so.
 Cinnamon Bear: Sure, I’ve seen it. Lots of times.
 Judy: Oh! Show us where the silver star is, Cinnamon Bear!
 Cinnamon Bear: Oh… It’s not here now. It’s gone.
 Jimmy: Gone?
 Judy: Oh, dear. What shall we ever do now?
 Jimmy: Well, who took it?
 Cinnamon Bear: Why, the Crazy Quilt Dragon, to be sure.
 Judy: Who is he?
 Cinnamon Bear: Oh, just a dragon. Not a very good one, at that. He’s terribly fond of shiny, bright things. Every day for the past month he’s been running into the trunk to admire the silver star, and this afternoon it got the best of him, I guess. He just upped and ran off with it.
 Judy: (crying) Oh! Oh, Now we’ll never never see the silver star again.
 Cinnamon Bear: Here, here, here. Now don’t carry on like that. You can get the silver star back. Well, maybe.
 Judy: How?
 Cinnamon Bear: By goin’ after the Crazy Quilt Dragon! Chase him! I’ll help ya.
 Jimmy: Will you really?
 Cinnamon Bear: Oh, sure I will! Crazy Quilt’s no great friend of mine. And besides, you were both very obliging and got perfectly terrified when I growled at ya.
 Judy: Oh, you’re the most wonderful Cinnamon Bear in the whole wide world!
 Cinnamon Bear: It’s very nice of you to say it!
 Jimmy: Well, if we’re gonna catch up with the Crazy Quilt Dragon, we’d better get goin’.
 Judy: Where do you think he went, Paddy?
 Cinnamon Bear: Well, if I know Crazy Quilt, he probably headed for the Lollipop Mountains.
 Jimmy: The Lollipop Mountains? Well, how do we get there?
 Cinnamon Bear: Ya see that little hole in the wall by the music box?
 Judy: Yes.
 Cinnamon Bear: Well, we just pop right through there.
 Jimmy: Oh, but Paddy, Judy and I can’t get through that little hole.
 Cinnamon Bear: Oh, yes you can! It’s very simple! Really. All you and Judy have to do is de-grow.
 Judy: What do you mean ‘de-grow’?
 Cinnamon Bear: Oh, just de-grow. Get smaller and smaller and smaller until you’re only four inches high, like me.
 Jimmy: Gosh, we can’t do that! Why, it’s impossible!
 Cinnamon Bear: Nothing’s impossible. I can show you how to do it in a jiffy.
 Judy: Whew! That sounds most magical.
 Jimmy: Willikers! Show us how, Paddy. Quick!
 Cinnamon Bear: Alright. Now listen very carefully, and I’ll tell ya how to de-grow.

Announcer: Well, well! If the Cinnamon Bear can show Judy and Jimmy how to de-grow until they’re only four inches high, then as Judy says, it really will be most magical, and maybe they’ll be able to catch the Crazy Quilt Dragon and recapture their precious silver star, after all. Anyway, be sure to listen next time and find out just how the Cinnamon Bear manages to make Judy and Jimmy only four inches high.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Duncan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cinnamon_Bear
https://www.hollywood360radio.com/newsletter-september-2021/
http://www.hollywoodheritage.com/newsarchive/summer00/Duncan.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Jean_Wong
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0383205/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verna_Felton
https://archive.org/details/CinnamonBear
https://www.radioarchives.com/The_Complete_Cinnamon_Bear_p/ra031.htm