There has been a lot of buzz lately over the upcoming Mr. Rogers movie titled “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.” It’s remarkable how much Tom Hanks looks like Mr. Rogers proving once again why Tom Hanks is the greatest actor of our generation. He effortlessly slides into roles and takes on an unforgettable cinematic journey.
While most of us in Canada probably know who Mr. Rogers is, we grew up with Mr. Dressup. Coincidentally, Fred Rogers and Ernie Coombs (Mr. Dressup) were actually very close friends in real life. Coombs’ career took off here in Canada while Rogers’ career flourished in the U.S. and each educated and entertained millions of kids over the generations.
I grew up in the post-Casey and Finnegan era of Mr. Dressup and was entertained by the new characters of Chester the Crow, Lorenzo the Racoon, Annie, Granny, and Alex. The tickle trunk was the best, his craft projects ALWAYS worked (unlike mine), and his illustrating skills were off the charts. Mr. Dressup had it goin’ on! It was a sad day in Canadian television when he retired in 1996 and even worse when he passed away in 2001.
I think we’re about due for a movie about the legendary Mr. Dressup and it begs the question who should play Mr. Dressup? I think you need a Canadian actor who knows and remembers the show vividly. For me, that man is Mike Myers. I believe he’d look the part and knock the role out of the park! Sometimes we tend to overlook our own entertainment greats in this country and I believe it’s time we put Mr. Dressup up on the big screen.
