The power of gentle imagination

I believe in the magic of make-believe, the power of one’s imagination and the beauty of simplicity. So did Mr. Dressup. For those who didn’t grow up watching this kind and creative man, watching the documentary entitled “Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe” will make you wish you had.

While enjoying this film, I felt tension leave my body, my heart rate dropped and a silly smile spread across my face. From what I can recall, I had a similar reaction when my brothers and I tuned into Mr. Dressup many years ago.

Ernie Coombs (Mr. Dressup) delighted Canadian children for 30 years, filming 4,000 episodes. This documentary beautifully honours his life’s work, and is incredibly informative for those who only knew his as Mr. Dressup.

Coombs was born in Maine and came to Canada along with Fred Rogers. The two worked together at WQED in Pittsburgh, where Rogers had his own show for which Coombs was a puppeteer. Rogers had accepted a contract at the CBC as they offered more resources and freedom to develop his dreams for children’s programming. When Rogers decided to return to the US, Coombs decided to stay and eventually became a Canadian citizen.

The film features many other Canadians such as Peter Mansbridge, Fred Penner, Michael J. Fox, Yannick Bisson, and more, who reflect on how Mr. Dressup impacted their lives in meaningful ways. Some of his family members, including his two children, also share memories and describe what it was like having Mr. Dressup for a dad.

Coombs never forgot the child within and when new shows with a faster pace and fancier puppets were released, he proved that he could still be successful in his gentle and unassuming way. He would use one black marker to create an entire story from a simple drawing. He could create endless crafts with toilet paper rolls and construction paper. When he put on just a hat from his Tickle Trunk, he instantly transformed into something or someone else.

When asked where Coombs found inspiration, he replied that it was his mother, “Who was the kind of person who found something great and wonderful in everything.”

It’s amazing how easily life can become frantic and stressful. “Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe” humbly reminds us that it can become the opposite if we take our time, are curious and kind, and remember the simplicity and wonder of being a child.