Later in the decade he made the transition to television, working on “Kukla, Fran and Ollie,” a popular puppet show that began in Chicago and soon went national. While in Chicago he met Dave Garroway, whose easygoing manner as the first host of NBC’s “Today” show would make him one of television’s earliest stars. He later recalled that he “learned from Dave how to ad-lib in a very casual way.”In those days being on the air was rewarding but frightening for Mr. Downs. Mr. Downs recalled those days in “On Camera,” his memoir:“At the end of a piece of music, when I was supposed to say something, my knees would shake uncontrollably. Image Mr. Downs in 1960.

Source: New York Times July 02, 2020 18:00 UTC