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I started in showbiz in '48 and did a commercial on "Space Patrol", among other roles, before becoming Mouseketeer Lonnie on "The Mickey Mouse Club" 1955-59. The Space Patrol director, Dik Darley, was the director of the Mickey Mouse Club for thefirst year; then Syd Miller (partner Don O'Conner) directed years 2 & 3 - year 4 was reruns. My memory of the Space Patrol show is vague, given the time factor and the one shot on a commercial. The sets, as you know, were skeleton, there was little rehearsal and we did it in one take because we were live and on kinescope, just like the "Colgate Comedy Hours" of which I did 13. I was doing another cereal commercial on the Lone Ranger show for General Mills. I was more of a Space Patrol fan than the Ranger but, of course, I did not tell him that. The Dik Darley connection of directing Space Patrol then moving over to The Mickey Mouse Club is interesting trivia, but I do not recall Dik and I talking about it. The "direction" was so helter-skelter on "Buzz's" show and, like soaps, more from the booth than on set. I'm just glad to be part of one of my favorite shows. I was also in the Peanut Gallery and on Linkletter but as a little'n before turning pro in 1948. I made a swift $25 doing my Jimmy Cagney like song and dance act for a Policeman's benefit at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where I lived at the time and before turning 6 in '49. Thanks Lonnie for your insight to the show. If anyone remembers which show Lonnie did the cereal commercial for, please pass it along to the Academy. We are searching for the show and would like to make reference to Lonnie's appearance on the site. Don't forget to stop by Lonnie's website, especially if you remember The Mickey Mouse Club and the fun we all had there. Cadet Ed 
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