The Banana Splits elephant. Fleegle would assume the role of leader of the Banana Splits, and preside at club meetings. The characters were played by actors in voluminous fleecy costumes, similar to later Sid and Marty Krofft characters such as "H.R. Pufnstuf". While Snorky "spoke" in honking noises, the other three spoke in English—Drooper with a Southern drawl in the manner of Michael Nesmith, and Fleegle with a pronounced lisp. The Splits' segments, including songs-of-the-week and comedy skits, served as wraparounds for a number of individual segments. In the second season, "The Three Musketeers" segments were replaced with repeats of "The Hillbilly Bears",
The Banana Man Betty Grable. Sam Levine (May 15, 1881–November 13, 1974) bought Proper's original props and gimmicks from Proper's estate, and performed as The Banana Man on "Captain Kangaroo" and "The Ed Sullivan Show". "Allan Jones" of Cleveland, TN purchased the entire Banana Man props and gimmicks sometime in the early 2000's. The Banana Man The Banana Man was a vaudeville character created by Adolf Proper (November 27, 1886–December 17, 1950) who worked under the stage name "A. Robins". The Banana Man (BZ) act consisted of Proper, dressed as a clownish character in a baggy tuxedo, producing an amazing and apparently impossible