Local Legends presents

Judy Splinters and Shirley Dinsdale

A small child spends a year in a hospital overcoming the trauma of being badly burned when a croup kettle tips over on her. A puppet by the name of Judy Splinters comes along to help bring the little girl out of her shell.

Well, it worked.

Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet pal Judy Splinters both started out on a radio station in San Francisco at the age of fourteen. Judy, designed by Shirley's artist father along with bartered ventriloquist lessons with one of her father's clients, sent Shirley far into the world of show biz. It was 1942 when Shirley and her mother decided to take a trip to Los Angeles from the bay area. They never returned. Shortly after arriving she signed with the William Morris Agency and her act moved to Eddie Cantor's radio show. She also did quite a bit for the war effort for the Hollywood Victory Committee. That's when KTLA called. Her first show was a five-minute spot everyday where she wished viewers a Happy Birthday. As television grew so did her audience, giving her the opportunity to have her own show. She traveled across the nation to New York and Chicago appearing on local telecasts.

Shirley Dinsdale and Judy Splinters

She didn't want to go to a local awards banquet, however. She had just finished her show and was looking forward to a big date that evening when KTLA's bosses told her she had to go to an evening event to represent the station. Not knowing what the show was, all she was told was that she had to go. Shirley and Judy soon found out why the station's bosses had been so adamant that she attend when she accepted the very first Emmy award ever given out. It was for "Most Outstanding Personality".  "Judy accepted with me. She complained that she didn't get the Emmy and I did. I didn't know that night, but I realized quite quickly that it was a big deal." Shirley said. Television was a new industry and there was no national or taped programming. Emmy results were buried on page 6 of Variety. A regional award at the time, tickets went for $5.00 with 600 hundred in attendance. "It was very different then," Shirley said. "It's hard to explain to people. It was a very innocent time". Needless to say the awards show grew and fifty years later, Shirley still has her award which looks much the same now as it did in 1949. "Mine is an old lady now," says Shirley.

Shirley accepting her Emmy.

By 1953 though, Shirley decided she had different plans for her life ahead of her. After a six-year television career, Shirley married and left broadcasting. "I came to a turning point in my life, I went on to do other things. TV wasn't the only thing in my life," she said in a 1998 interview. Shirley at the age of 40, entered Stony Brook University and found her second career doing respiratory therapy and cardiopulmonary therapy specializing in bypass surgery and transplants. "Both careers were new careers because of that, they were both exciting."

Shirley and Judy at the first Emmy awards

In 1999, Shirley Dinsdale, passed away at the age of 71 and has two children, two grandchildren all of whom were entertained by Judy Splinters. If first impressions make a difference Shirley Dinsdale has had more than most. From her first meeting with Judy and creating the first puppet show on KTLA to winning the first Emmy, Shirley led a rich life.

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