Roosevelt Franklin
Encyclopedia
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
during the early 1970s. He is purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
with shaggy black hair that stands on end. His name is word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
on the name of US President Franklin Roosevelt. Sesame Street cast member Matt Robinson, who also played Gordon, provided Roosevelt Franklin's voice.
Franklin is an intelligent boy who often speaks in rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
or scat
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
. Franklin began to appear less frequently in episodes created after the mid-1970s until he no longer was on the series.
Roosevelt Franklin usually appears in scenes with his mother, voiced by Loretta Long
Loretta Long
Loretta Long is an American actress best known for playing Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, having starred on the show since its debut in 1969....
, who plays Susan on the series, and Roosevelt frequently recited poetry. Later scenes are set in a classroom, in which Roosevelt appears to fill in for an absent teacher.
Franklin is featured on a 1971 record album called The Year Of Roosevelt Franklin, which was reissued in 1974 as My Name Is Roosevelt Franklin.