For young Memphians of the 1960's there was one good reason to hurry home from school, Happy Hal's Fun House!  The show featured cartoons such as Sinbad Jr., The Mighty Hercule and Popeye along with live action comedy such as the Three Stooges and the Little Rascals.

The host of the show, Harold "Happy Hal" Miller introduced the cartoons, entertained the live audience with two sock puppets named 'Lil Bo and Monkey and hawked toys from Happy Hal's Toytown.  The toy store became a regular feature with products like the "Baseball Glove that Never Misses" and "Sixth Finger" (a plastic finger that would shoot spring-loaded darts), but the store was not the reason for the show.

Hal Miller was born in Memphis and was always interested in the arts.  He studied dance when he was you and spent two years at Northwestern University School of Speech before being called to serve in World War II.  He did not return to Memphis until 1953 at which time he began to perform in local theatre.  During one production at the Memphis Little Theatre a friend realized that Miller might be a good fit for a new children's show currently in the planning stage at local ABC affiliate WHBQ.  The idea worked and Happy Hal's Fun house ran for the next 17 years.

After his retirement Miller earned a painting degree from the Memphis College of Art.  He also became an accomplished photographer and enjoyed traveling extensively with his wife Bea.  At the time of his death he was president of Artists Link, the Memphis-Germantown Arts League and the Memphis College of Art Alumni Association.

Happy Hal died from cancer at the age of 74 in 1997.  He is interred at Temple Israel Cemetery Memphis Shelby County.

Note: Below are episodes of Sinbad Jr. and The Mighty Hercules, two of the most popular cartoons on "Happy Hal".

From left to right: Monkey, Lisa (a young audience member) and 'Lil Bo