Charles’ 
Slide of the Week: June 3rd, 2004
Master Puppeteer Bob Baker & His Marionetes - Los Angeles - 1945
Twenty-three year old puppeteer Bob Baker is posing with his collection of “handmade in Hollywood” marionette puppets. Promoted as “the most fascinating plaything you ever had” for many years they were sold in the finest toy shops and department stores in the country. In the sixty years that has passed since this slide was taken he has created zillions of puppets and performed countless shows from here to Timbuktu. Every Easter he’s performed at the Thunderbird Country Club in Palm Springs since the place opened more than fifty years ago. And he’ll be there again next Easter. Today at eighty, he still performs more than 75 dates a year. Bob Baker is a trouper, an original, and a legend. He deserves a big giant shiny award for keeping the next-to-extinct medium alive.
The Bob Baker Marionette Puppet Theater located at 1345 W. First Avenue (at Glendale Blvd.) is celebrating its forty second year. It is the oldest continuously running puppet theater in the country. The current hit production, No Strings, performed by his spirited troupe of young puppeteers, plays every Tuesday thru Friday @ 10:30 am and Saturday and Sundays @ 2:30 pm.
I seriously recommend the show for adults, teens and kids. There is nothing else like it in town, neither the show or the theater (or anywhere else for that matter.) Last year the sometimes snooty Los Angeles Magazine chose The Bob Baker Marionette Theater as the best place in town to celebrate a child’s birthday. And over the years many a Southern California child has celebrated there – I say it’s a great way for an adult to celebrate a birthday too! The after-show party room is almost as mesmerizing as the show itself.
With all that said I’m thrilled to present Bob Baker as my “special guest” in my Variety Show…yee-haw!
Cheers to Bob Baker and you!
Charles Phoenix
Los Angeles
June 2004
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One Comment on “Master Puppeteer Bob Baker & His Marionetes - Los Angeles - 1945”
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January 11th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
I used to live in Silverlake but work downtown, so I’d frequently pass Bob’s theatre, and though I’d heard of his shows I’d never made it in until last week when Charles insisted I catch the Holiday Extravaganza.
More than not being disappointed we had a blast. The large room was full of parents and their toddlers who enthusiastically sang along, clapped, and, yes, slobbered all over the marionettes — perfect.
So was the hanging around talking with the parents as we ate ice cream (hope I didn’t spoil the surprise, but they serve ice cream after the show) and it was so cool to hear people talk about seeing Bob’s puppets when they were children, and now their kids clearly were digging it.
Highly recommended!