Another Letter
Dear Bruce,
First of all, I want to thank you for appreciating my work. I spent seven of the happiest years of my life working “Doctor Wiggles’ Giggle Factory.” Even though the show completed its run almost thirty years ago, it is good to see that current generations are appreciating the “magic” we created in the studio.
My role as Sammy the Squirrel was a rewarding one, in that I find squirrels to be misunderstood creatures. While many people consider them a nuisance, I appreciate their work ethic, their playful behavior and their bravery (how many animals do you know that so freely run into traffic!). All of these qualities are ones that we would hope to instill in the young ones who watched our show. That’s why I always urged them to “be the squirrel.” Ha ha.
I noticed that your return address was to the Pensacola Correctional Institute! I suppose you are looking for guidance after being led in the wrong direction. Perhaps you were influenced more by Brutus the Beaver than Sammy the Squirrel!!
While I am thrilled to received mail from my fans, I didn’t quite understand parts of it and I hope (in our future correspondence) that we can clarify these points.
First, you mention Cecilia the Canary’s cat several times. You say that her cat is sweet and that you bet she has a really wet cat. Later in the letter, I believe you said something about having a rooster and that you wanted to put it inside her cat. This confuses me greatly because, as far as I know, the actress that played Cecilia the Canary (the lovely and talented Lucille Donovan) has never owned a cat, as she is allergic to fur. Furthermore, I am surprised to hear that they let you keep poultry on the premises of your correctional institute. This is some sort of work program perhaps?
I was also confused by your questions about the hand puppets we used intermittently on the show. The Wally and Molly, the penguins, were hand puppets operated by Vincent, our prop master. You mentioned that you wanted to see your sea men inside the puppets. Am I to presume that you are incarcerated with former Navy men? I don’t know what happened to the puppets after the show’s cancellation, but I will do some poking around to see if I can find those puppets for your sea men!
I’ve enclosed a headshot and resume, just in case you know anyone in the business that you could talk to upon your release. You never know who knows who!
Best wishes on your rehabilitation!
Bernard “Sammy the Squirrel” Jacobs