Saturday, February 02, 2008
J. Fred Muggs
Today in 1953 J. Fred Muggs, one of the most celebrated of all TV chimps, started work on the NBC Today Show. He co-hosted the show with Dave Garroway. He made the show and increased the ratings to make the morning show a success. J. Fred Muggs and his live in girl friend, Phoebe B. Beebe, are still alive and living in the Tampa Florida area. His trainer Carmine Minnelli died in 2002.
J Fred Muggs created a minor incident with Great Britain due to his antics during the showing of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. He was refused entry, while on tour, to England due to this.
Like many co hosts Dave Garroway and J Fred Muggs did not get along. Dave Garroway accused the chimp of biting him. Mugg’s trainer accused Garroway of spiking Mugg’s orange juice with drugs to make him look bad. J Fred Muggs as he got older got meaner and in 1957 was dropped from the show.
# posted by Howard @ 7:30 AM 
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My father had his engineering office in Pittsburgh near KDKA radio where Dave Garroway worked. They often ate lunch together, and Dave thought my father's name was hilareous. So Dave named his chimp, J. Fred Muggs. Now, I tell people that J. Fred Muggs is my adopted brother, and if they know of Muggs, they are amused.
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