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John Conway and Uncle Chichimus
A documentary about a pioneer of Canadian television.
Canadian puppeteer John Conway (1922-2003) is the innovative and talented artist behind the memorable characters Uncle Chichimus and Hollyhock. These two puppets were icons of the early 1950s and appeared on the very first broadcast of the CBC Sept. 8, 1952. They quickly became the broadcasters unofficial mascots and were among the first Canadian television celebrities to become house hold names.
John Conway and Uncle Chichimus was produced and directed by Ottawa puppeteer Mike Artelle in association with the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Partial funding for this project was provided by the Ontario Arts Council.
Screenings
Screenings of this documentary were held at puppetry festivals and special events in 2004 and 2005. These include:
July 2004
Regional Puppeteers of America Festival, at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT.
Aug 2004
Festival des Arts de la Marionnette in Jonquier, Quebec
Oct 2004
Ontario Puppetry Association AGM in Toronto, ON
April 2005
National Day of Puppetry Celebration hosted by the Ottawa Puppetry Club, held at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library
Chichimus web links:
The Canadian Museum of Civilization web site was Chich's first appearance online (1996). In 2008 the museum updated the pages of their web site that featured puppetry, and so the original pages do not seem to be online any longer. The site featured a 3D rotation of Chich in his car (to see a still image from this interactive click on the Canadian Encyclopedia link below). For nostalgia sake, the original web address was http://www.civilization.ca/arts/ssf/ssfchi_e.html
Canadian Museum of Civilization: Art of Puppetry
The CMC's new puppetry web page features many Canadian puppeteers and puppetry companies. This is a link to the page about John Conway. Once you're there, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the "Discover other objects" tab to see all of Conway's puppets fom the CMC collection. Select the "Discover other documents" tab for more photos and archival items about John Conway and his famous puppets.
Canadian Encyclopedia
In 2003 this listing about John Conway was added to the new edition of the encylopedia.
Ottawa XPress Online Article
This article by T.S. Warren discusses the documentary and Conway's career. It is followed by comments from readers and fans of Chichimus.
A historical article for researchers
Here is a nice write up about Conway's work at the CBC. It has many key details and facts. To find the info about Chich, scroll down to the listing titled "Let's See". To start at the main page of the directory, and for another nifty picture of Chich & Holly, click here
Episode list for "The Adventures of Chich" film series:
From the archives at the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Part 1: (produced in 1957)
A1 The Bagpipes
A2 Turnip Town
A3 Doctor Doctor
A4 At the Beach
A5 Prize Tomatoes
A6 The Whatsit
A7 In the Woods
A8 Jams and Jellies
A9 Underground
A10 Wrong Parcel
A11 Mystery Mountain
A12 Midnight Raid
A13 Picking Apples
Part 2: (produced in 1958)
B1 An Afternoon Nap
B2 The Old Family Recipe
B3 The Contest
B4 It's in the Bag
B5 Night Visitor
B6 Way Out West
B7 A Day's Fishing
B8 King of the Gypsies
B9 The Old Tree
B10 The Wooden Shoe
B11 The Candles
B12 The Mischievous Tune
B13 The Belfry
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