Shari & Lamb Chop

by Mike McGranaghan

Before Barney, before Mr. Rogers, before Sesame Street, there was Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop. The ventriloquist and her low-tech hand puppet pioneered children’s entertainment on television. Kids today would look at the footage and wonder what the fuss was about. In those early days of TV, though, the impact was significant. Director Lisa D’Apolito (Love, Gilda) explores this vital part of broadcast history and more in the biographical documentary Shari & Lamb Chop.

Extensively using archival footage, the film briefly traces Lewis’s upbringing, which included learning the art of performance from her father, then delves into her arrival on the tube in the 1950s. There had not been a show aimed directly at children until then, so she became a virtual overnight sensation. Famous admirers like magician David Copperfield appear in interviews to put her influence into perspective. You get a really informative encapsulation of how/why Lewis stood out and resonated so strongly with young viewers.

Even more fascinating is what happened to Lewis once the show was cancelled. A string of reinventions followed. She appeared as a singer and dancer on variety shows. She guest starred as an actress on hit TV series. She also became a Vegas headliner. That’s where her career took an unexpected turn, as more adult humor was incorporated into the show. (Lamb Chop occasionally appeared to be drunk.) Lewis’s daughter Mallory offers insight into her mom’s compulsive need to perform. Through those remembrances, a portrait emerges of a woman whose individual identity and professional identity merged until they became one.

Also covered are her marital issues and eventual career resurgence as a children’s performer with the wildly successful ‘90s show Lamb Chop’s Play Along. D’Apolito skillfully combines the archival footage with the current interviews to demonstrate how, for Shari Lewis, life and work became the same thing. You come away with a greater understanding of the forces that drove her and made her a somewhat unique figure in show business.

From a filmmaking perspective, not much about Shari & Lamb Chop is groundbreaking. Nonetheless, it’s a valuable document of its subject’s importance. Older viewers will enjoy the walk down memory lane, but there’s something here for younger viewers, too. No matter your generation, you undoubtedly had a kid’s show that helped shape you – and that show existed because Shari Lewis and her puppet existed first.

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