It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood: A Look Back At Mr. Rogers
Mr. Rogers’ Famous Wardrobe
At the beginning of every show, Mr. Rogers would enter the scene and open the closet door. He would remove his jacket and put on one of his sweaters. Apparently, his never-ending sweater supply was actually made up of handmade sweaters made by his mother. He said that he wore the sweaters during each show because it was his way of saying hello to his mom.
The second thing Mr. Rogers would do is change his shoes and put on sneakers. During the shows early years, Mr. Rogers actually did a lot of the puppeteering. He claimed that the tennis shoes were quieter to move around on set than any other shoes, so sneakers it was!
Mr. Rogers on TV and the Characters He Played
Mr. Rogers got his start in TV because he hated TV. He said, “I went into television because I hated it so, and I thought there was some way of using this fabulous instrument to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen.” He instead thought he could use TV to spread a message of good instead of ugliness. This actually went along with Mr. Rogers’ other career choice, which was being an ordained minister. Mr. Rogers actually attained his Bachelor of Divinity degree and was ordained in 1962. He felt that his work through the TV show of engaging and teaching students coincided perfectly with his position as a United Presbyterian Church minister.
Mr. Rogers played various puppets on the show but otherwise when seen on camera he behaved as his true self. He said that children were smart and thoughtful and could tell if you were being inauthentic. He said, “One of the greatest gifts you can give anybody is the gift of your honest self. I also believe that kids can spot a phony a mile away.” Additionally, some of the puppets he played were King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild, Donkey Hodie, Collette, Cornflake S. Pecially, Edgar Cooke, Grandpere, X the Owl, Ino A. Horse, and Larry Horse.
