By today's standards -- complete with color, high-definition, digital technology -- the old, somewhat-fuzzy, black-and-white images from the "Cinderella" show look so very simple. But that same program -- which aired on KLAS-TV from 1956 to 1968 -- also looked so very wholesome!
That was by design according to Nancy Merle Bunker, the woman who wrote, produced, and played the title character: "Cinderella."
"Whatever we could do to help them (the children) become better citizens," is how Ms. Bunker today describes the goal of the program, which aired for one hour a day, five days a week. In all, "Cinderella" appeared on-camera for more than 4,000 hours.
During her 12 years on Channel 8, "Cinderella" hosted more than 30,000 youngsters in the old KLAS studios, which were located near the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Desert Inn Road. Every day, she would ask each child his or her name and age, after which she would follow-up with another question.
"Have you been learning any good habits?" she would inquire. The responses often related to safety tips, such as preventing forest fires or avoiding playing in the street.
"I feel it was helpful to the parents," Ms. Bunker tells Channel 8 Eyewitness News. "The parents told me they encouraged their children to watch."
Now a great grandmother in retirement in Mesa, Arizona, Nancy Merle Bunker was honored in early July by the Clark County Heritage Museum in Henderson, which put on display her Cinderella costume, complete with her tiara and "magic wand." The exhibit also contains a video segment from one of her programs.
"She always treated children with great attentiveness," says Patrick Gaffey of the Clark County Parks & Recreation Department, which operates the museum. "I think the children who appeared on the show and those who watched it were made better people for the attitudes she projected."
The "Cinderella" display is in the main building at the Clark County Heritage Museum on Boulder Highway in Henderson. The museum is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. seven days a week.
