Mr. Dressup documentary aims to showcase a legacy of kindness

After 29 seasons and more than 4,000 episodes, Mr. Dressup's place in the Canadian cultural landscape was pretty much cemented. 

But even with that impressive pedigree, London, Ont., filmmaker Robert McCallum didn't think it was enough. Because, he said, those numbers don't come close to showcasing the immense impact Ernie Coombs's TV show Mr. Dressup had on five generations of viewers.

"It's just that kind of stuff that united us. You say Mr. Dressup, we know what you mean, and all those memories flood back in an instant again," McCallum told CBC News. "Coast to coast to coast — regardless of region, regardless of belief — the creative exploration that show instilled in us, plus the values of society." 

It's that legacy McCallum was drawn to uphold and illustrate in his new documentary Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, which follows Coombs's life as he built up the iconic children's show filled with puppets, patience and play that aired on CBC from 1967 to 1996. 

And while a considerable section of the documentary focuses on the particular style Coombs developed on Mr. Dressup, engaging in crafts and talking to friendly characters in a colourful, child-friendly environment, McCallum also says it reveals more about the man behind the name than many might know. 

That includes the connection between Canada's Mr. Dressup, and his American counterpart, Mr. Rogers.

"Of course, these guys were, you know, joined at the hip — it was a philosophy they shared," McCallum said. "Fred Rogers chose Ernie very specifically to come to Canada."

Their journey began in Pennsylvania, where the two men met on what would become a parallel show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. And their like-minded style quickly encouraged a partnership. 

Coombs grew up in rural Maine, where he had aspirations of becoming a commercial artist. Soon shifting to scenery painting for theatres across the U.S., Coombs eventually found himself in Pittsburgh, where he met Rogers and began working with him as a puppeteer on a show called The Children's Corner.   

Identifying Coombs's temperament and philosophy toward working with children on their own level as similar to his own — and, according to Coombs himself, likely taking pity on the fact that he had no other job prospects and had recently welcomed his first child — Rogers brought Coombs with him to Canada for a new project.

Rogers had been asked to bring his style of programming to CBC temporarily, and create his own show for the first time — to be titled Misterogers. After about four years, Rogers returned to the United States, after recommending that Coombs take over for him.  

That recommendation resulted in 1967's Mr. Dressup: the spiritual Canadian successor to Misterogers, and the creation of another children's show that adopted Rogers' unique style of engaging with kids.

"Fred was quite a mentor to him," Coombs's daughter, Cathie LeFort, told CBC News. "And Fred told him to look at the camera as a child. That's the child that you're speaking to."

LeFort said that connection expanded to his off-camera behaviour as well. She recalls how her dad would spend hours at their kitchen counter composing handwritten, personalized letters to young fans who had sent him letters.