Freckled marionette Howdy Doody was kind of a big deal at the onset of the 50s, so it was no surprise that LIFE magazine hosted a lookalike contest. 
Wondering what galluses were? A pair of suspenders. Nobody says that now.
Poor kids. Surely George Ford grew into those ears. I imagine he never lived this article down. Pity.
The winner was five year old Billy Oltmann (Old Man at this point). Cute as a button in his bandana and western wear!
Time to celebrate his big win with Hostess Twinkies!
I Don't Get It 
So, Kerbey, was it a compliment or an insult when your mother entered you into a Howdy Doody lookalike contest? After all, that puppet surely was never described as handsome.
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I guess that’s why they said one of the boys looked like a more handsome Howdy Doody. I would think it was more of an insult.
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Little Billy Oltman is such a cutie in his plaid shirt and bandana! Galluses is a funny word.
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I don’t know anybody who’s worn them since Mork though.
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Yeah those were big in Ork. 🤣
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Ha!
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I remember watching Howdy Doody. He was a big deal back then. I hope you are right about George and his ears. The kid that won does look like Howdy. Curious to see what he looks like now.
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Me, too but I couldn’t find anything!
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https://youtu.be/DIslhp9vqqw I just could not resist.
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Well, whoever was operating him was quite skilled. Cereal was a big deal. I would have enjoyed watching it.
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Howdy Doody look-likes must have had superior hearing. I hope those kids ultimately grew to fit their ears.
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Those kids could come from no other era, could they? It shouldn’t be the case that facial proportions are decade specific but it really does seem to be true of the mid-20th century.
PS We still use the word galluses in Scotland though it is dying out in favour of braces.
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Braces? Then what do you call the metal on teeth?
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We also call those braces. In the UK, suspenders are a lingerie item, the things you hold your stockings up with, attached to a girdle.
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Oh, when the groom throws the garter belt at a wedding, I see.
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Oh man. This is getting to be more of a pickle. That is a different thing again. Ha ha! The garter that suspenders attach to goes around the waist and has the bits that dangle (suspenders) for the stockings to attach to. I have zero clue what the American word for that device is because I don’t wear such a contraption.
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Them Twinkies aged better than that show. 😀
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D’oh!
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😀 LOL
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My brother and I used to love watching the Howdy Doody show. I think the only doll Steve had was Howdy Doody. Maybe GI Joe later.
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Howdy Doody is absolutely terrifying!
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