L.A. Vintage Commercials: Cal Worthington
If you, like me, were a latchkey kid in the LA area in the 80s, you may well have passed more than a few, or perhaps a few hundred, post-school afternoons watching cartoons. I spent countless blissful hours of my tender youth vegetating in this manner, but if you asked me to recount the plot of a single Voltron or G.I. Joe episode, I’d draw a blank (except for the Scooby-Doo where Phyllis Diller guest-starred).
What do I remember? The commercials. Not all of them of course, but the really good ones, the ones with the themes and the jingles that bring back the smoggy-lunged, air conditioned, TV-brainmushed afternoons like they were yesterday. And to my surprise, I found that I’m not alone in this. I went to college on the east coast, and whenever I ran into anyone from southern California, all I had to do was sing a few bars of the Pete Ellis Dodge jingle and baby – we had a stew goin’. Instant cultural camaraderie – like the ethnicity I always wanted but never had.
I’ll begin with perhaps the most famous and beloved of all these commercials, the Cal Worthington genre. Cal is a car-selling cowboy; the closest visual equivalent I can think of is the Sam Elliott character in Lebowski. Cal was a throwback to the days when California still had a bit of a wild-west aesthetic, though why he bought ad space for his several Ford dealerships during children’s cartoons remains unclear to me.
The genius of the Worthington commercials was severalfold. First was their jingle – a simply and catchy tune that wormed its way into your head like a weevil, based on its uncanny similarity to the camp ditty “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Even trickier was his lyrical sleight of hand. The song’s chorus “Go see Cal” was often replaced with the sound-alike nonsense phrase “Pussycow” so that impressionable young viewers such as myself were titillated. Did Cal just say “pussy”? Is there something adult-themed going on at Worthington Ford? I swore years ago to find out, but never got around to it.
The Cal Worthington commercials stuck in the adolescent brain also thanks to their thematic bait-and-switch. The introduction to these ads invariably promised “Cal Worthington and his dog Spot”yet the animal accompanying Cal was never a dog. It was an elephant, a tiger, a goat, or some other god-forsaken fauna, but the promised dog never materialized. Watching these ads as a nine-year-old, I first realized: grownups are filthy, filthy liars.
To be fair to Cal, though, making these commercials was hard work, because showbiz animals, like human actors, piss all over you. The difference is that with animals it’s not merely a euphemism. Cal braved both a mighty geyser of elephant urine and a close-up stream of baby-goat whiz to bring us these classic ads. Thanks pardner. And for what it’s worth, Cal’s business still appears to be going strong, and while I may have an unhealthy obsession with the guy, at least I’m not as stalker-y as the person who created this cyberhagiography.
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[…] L.A. Vintage Commercials: Cal … – I swore years ago to find out, … The reason I remember that show is that a couple of people I worked with at the time … Doctor Ross Dog Food, … […]
State, at best a middle of the pack D-1 school, beat Appalachian State last year.
Weekly candy crush saga cheats Wrap up is without question beginning to feel a little outdated.
Use a clean, long bladed, sharp knife for the task.
Didn’t Alan Sloan have a radio talk show for a while – or am I thinking of someone else.
“Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims, Phil & Jims”
My wasted youth…born in 71.
The announcer for Dialing for Dollars in the
1960’s on KCOP-TV channel 13 was Alan Sloane.
Remember him?
He was also the stations announcer.
Here’s a link to some Johnny Gilbert videos… on of which is “Dollar For Dollars”…
http://www.johnnygilbert.tv/video.html
It was a show called “Dialing for Dollars” and it was on KCOP Channel 13. “Bowling for Dollars” was another show. I just couldn’t remember who the “Dialing” host was. Here is the link for the history of the show…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialing_for_Dollars
Jim, you are correct, Chick Hearn lol. My wife says it was Johnny Gilbert on KCOP, she just got thru mocking me for the Chick Hearn comment. And yes I do remember that shot at mid court WOW! I wonder whatever became of that kid that would sit way up in the nosebleed section and announce the play by play into a tape recorder hoping someone would discover him.
Ray – re Chick Hearn, I think you are thinking of “Bowling for Dollars”. The reason I remember that show is that a couple of people I worked with at the time were on – neither of them won anything.
Chick was the best. The way in which he did the Laker games is what got me following the Lakers in the first place. Yeah, I’m old enough to remember Jerry West. Remember his mid-court shot at the buzzer at the Forum ?
I believe the host was Chick Hearn, he used to be the play by play guy for the L.A. Lakers in the Jerry West Days, boy that really dates me!
I remember Dialing for Dollars! Specifically, being home sick from school, and lying on the sofa watching Channel 13 in Los Angeles. Did Paul Winchell host it? I don’t remember.
Does anyone remember “Dialing for Dollars”? I loved watching that show. Wasn’t Paul Winchell a host of that show for a time? It was among the few interactive TV shows of the day.
“I’ll stand on my head to give you a better deal!!!!!”
SoBay:
I believe the show you are thinking of was “Star Shoppers”. I am not sure, but I think it was on KTTV channel 11, and hosted by Bill Welch.
Re the Beach Boys performing locally. In very late 1962 or very early 1963 they did a show at Bellflower High (where I graduated from). They put on a great show.
January 18, 1969 all 38 passengers and crew members were killed. It was a United Airlines flight.
All his commercials aside,you want to know what kind of man Cal Worthington REALLY is? Around 1969, an airliner crashed after taking off from LAX, killing all on board (I’m not positive about the year, there were actually 2 within a couple of weeks. This was the second crash). Many commercials were live back then, and channel 13 movie was sponsored by Cal. For the rest of the night, every commercial he did was filled with news about the crash and ongoing rescue efforts, with requests for prayers for those on board. He flat said selling cars wasn’t as important as caring about fellow human beings. Even after all these years, I can remember him fighting to hold back the tears as he kept us informed of the ongoing rescue efforts. Yes, he was a car salesman, but he was a human being first.
In the very early days of television in LA (mid to late ’50’s??), there was a daytime game show. It was on ‘location’ at different grocery stores around LA – usually in the parking lot. The “host” would hand out grocery products and place them into grocery bags – one of his tag lines was “hold the bottom of the bag”.
Does anybody remember the name of the show? …and/or the host’s name? (It seems as though he also did the broadcast of the Rose Parade and may have also been a newscaster)
“Pussy Cal Pussy Cal Pussy Cal!” My whole childhood, I thought that’s what was said. Glad I’m not the only 1. It wasn’t until I came back from college 1 summer and they flashed on the screen “Go See Cal! Go See Cal! Go See Cal!”. I nearly fell out of my chair. I also liked the theme to: “Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach Fwy, Firestone Exit, South Gate”…with the bouncing white ball to the lyrics.
I believe it was either ’62 or ’63 that the Beach Boys performed in the parking lot at Music City. Sometime before that I saw them perform at the Torrance YWCA.
When talking with folks from other parts of the country, they can’t believe that often SoCal kids had record players in their cars. Does anybody remember Motorolas’s Vibrasonic?
Christian,
Try this site: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/06/ice_cream_truck.html
It has a variety of ice cream truck chimes. Maybe yours is there.
The ice cream truck we used to hear when I lived in Hollywood around 1959 or so was very distinctive. Still trying to find a sound clip. Any ideas?
Also would love to have a cartoon clip of “Dr. Ross Dog Food” commercial.
I didn’t know the Beach Boys performed at the Wallachs Music City store at Hawthorne and Artesia. That was a great store. I hung around there from 1967-1969 before going into the military. I know a couple of the Beach Boys were raised in Hawthorne, so that makes sense they did a neighborhood concert.
I was in Long Beach in 1971 and was invited by friends to see a concert held at a huge church near downtown given by the California State University. The choir gave a great performance in the first half and just as the second half of the concert started, they surprised the packed church with a concert by the Carpenters. They gave a great show with their band and the entire college choir backing their vocals. Karen Carpenter looked great and sang really well. I’ve never been a Carpenters fan, but gotta admit they did a wonderful job and it was a memorable experience.
SoBay: yep .. recall “Harvey’s” with amused heart- burn! Can still hear the ring of “Be there or be Square” in my ear. Anyone remember the “Johnny Otis Review”? (he recorded “Willie & the Hand Jive and the original “Harlem Nocture”) Major R&B bus touring company .. Hank Ballard & the Moonliters, Etta James, Jackie Wilson. I’m so grateful that I grew up in LA with it’s amazing musical heritage. It was possible to wake up to Hank Williams’ “Cold Cold Heart” on the radio, sock-hop with the Beach Boys at lunch period at Hawthorne High, Phillie Shuffel after school and attend the Van Cliburn master’s Beethoven recital at the Hollywood Bowl in the evening. We had our pick of every rose in the bouquet of music. Afro-Cubano Jazz (pre and post Castro) Easy Listening (KPOL AM & FM) .. pick one. And if you heard something you liked .. you went to Wallach’s Music City. If they didn’t have it or know where you could find it .. you didn’t need it or it didn’t exist! Yep .. we were blessed.
The Beach Boys once performed at the Wallach’s Music City at Artesia & Hawthorne.
“El Monte Legion Stadium – Be There or Be Square”
“Harvey’s Broiler” in Downey, great cruise destination in addition to “The Wich Stand”
Post #26 and #27 – Does anyone have links to those PSA’s ? All the signing I know I learned from those spots.
Thanks! But Pamela got 256, which is way more digicool. I hope it makes it to 32767.
Anybody remember free movies at the Loyola Theater courtesy of Marina Federal Savings?
Congrats on being commenter #300 on the Cal Worthington post.
That’s pretty special.
I hope it makes it to 400.
You stay cool now.
Regards,
E.L.
Regarding Firesign Theatre: They did actual commercials for a Pasadena VW dealership (Jack Poet), pre-Ralph Spoilsport. They would do crazy things like say “look at the beautiful engine on this car!” open up the front of a Bug, “oh, looks like someone sold the engine!”
At the end of the commercials they would use the tagline “THC! Take Home a Car, today!” The commercials got pulled after a few days. IIRC. I think you can find them on the interweb thingy.
Ouch Robby ….you be tell’n you age dear! Welcome to the pseudo-adult crowd. Ahhh … I certainly fogged up a few windows at The Edwards. My cruise route was from the A & W on Hawthorne Blvd up to The Wich Stand on Slauson and back again. Occasionally, if we had money, a pass at Tiny’s (Naylor on Sunset/La Brea. Don’t ever recall anyone saying Tiny Naylor’s .. it was either Tiny’s or Naylor’s).
Robby, it’s great to find somebody from Monrovia! What was the Lyric for you, was the Crest for me. $2.00 would get me and my brother in on a Saturday (again, 2 movies and a cartoon), buy us enough candy to make us sick and still leave a dime to call mom for a ride home. I too remember the Big Sky, and playing on the playground equipment in my pajamas, in the dark!
My mom and dad used to hang at Bob’s in Pasadena, before they got married. Where, and what, was Henry’s? The building that housed the post office is still standing, but I can’t remember what it is now.
Bugs, you were there before me. My Aunt & Uncle lived just a couple blocks away on Burton during that time. We didn’t move to town until ’62.
yes I remember the school dist. building on lynwood, I delivered the Monrovia News Post to them. as far as I know the Post office has always been on Palm. I dont remember it being on foothill, I remember the Lyric show, we used to see two movies and a cartoon on sat. afternoons, for 25 cents, also I remember seeing king kong at the monrovia show accross from library park. I remmeber the big sky, edwards, foothil drive movies, I graduated in 63 I worked at Lou Moodys wilshire gas station at highland and foothil in Arcadia. being teen in those days was great. crusing between henrys and bob in Pasadena.
Oh, and Robby, do you remember when the Monrovia Unified School District building was on Lynwood, just south of Foothill, between Myrtle and Primrose? Not only is the building gone, the entire STREET is gone!
Hey Robby! Sounds like you go back a bit further than I do. By the time I came along, there was no trolley, and MD had become MHS. I went to First Lutheran on Magnolia for elementary school, and graduated from Monrovia High in ’76.
We lived on Stedman. But I do remember our local Woolworth’s, Art’s Yardage, Ball’s Children’s Store, the toy store on Myrtle Ave., and spent many happy hours at Monrovia Library. Don’t know if you know it, but they’ve built a beautiful new library. Thankfully, the tree that I used to sit in to read, was spared. Do you remember when the post office was on Foothill between Primrose and Stedman?
Pamela, I grew up in Monrovia, I went to Monroe, Clifton and MD, do you remember any of the little neighborhood markets , like Mrs. Mishiski on Alta Vista and Palm. My Grandma lived on West Walnut, and I can remember taking the trolley down colorado blvd to Myrtle , to go shopping. My Dad was a fire Inspector at the Monrovia Fire Dept.
Bugs, loved your comments on Colorado Blvd! I remember when I was little, taking the bus with my mom to go shopping. (raised in Monrovia). I too remember Robinson’s. And I remember my grandma wouldn’t even go around the corner to the “little store” without her stockings, girdle, heels…the whole nine yards! My grandma smoked, and not only would she not walk down the street with a cigarette, she would SIT to have a smoke! It was considered unladylike to do otherwise. And ladies NEVER wore slacks!!
Hi Bugs.. you win!! Remember that Ciro’s was that name back in the 1930s. Take a look at the cartoon from the 1940s below, which actually spoofed Ciros!
HISTORY OF CIROS
1930s clover club, where ciro’s would be located.
1938 closed for a year.
1938-1939 Club Seville, with glass dance floor placed over pool filled with live fish.
1940 became Ciro’s on sunset strip
1954 Sammy Davis Jr. made his comeback here after his near-fatal auto accident, where he lost his eye.
1965 reopened for 1 year as “rock and roll” club
1966 became “twisters” club called ‘Crazy Horse’
1967 became ‘It’s Boss’, a “Go-go” dance club.
CIRO’S SPOOFED BY NAME IN A CARTOON BY WARNER BROTHERS IN THE 1940s…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEzKuKY3xFc
Christian: Clear up a old question for me. A friend of mine and I get in to an argument over Ciro’s vs Crazy Horse Review. I say it was originally Ciro’s and BECAME the Crazy Horse in the 60’s … about the same time the Moulin Rogue morphed into the Hullabaloo (eck!). So many of the old-school palaces went either dark or tacky at that end of Sunset.
Here is the original HUDDLE on La Cienenga artist conception. It opened in 1952….
http://www.synthetrix.com/huddle/Huddle2Rend.jpg
For dozens of memories of Old L.A. in the 50s and 60s, especially of classic motel designs… go to…
http://www.synthetrix.com/potf.html
I went to Lindberg Elementary from K through 4th. Lived at 3365 Virginia till 1955. Moved to San Gabriel and attended St. Andrews in South Pas. Got expelled from Ramona Convent … twice. Married a boy from Cantwell Catholic .. eloped actually. Got through the Southeast Asia thing (we never called it Viet Nam .. that was years later) had 3 daughters (now 7 grand kids) went nuts between the mid 70’s and early 80’s, regained balance (but not much smarts). Have lived long enough to collect Social Security and marvel at all that has happened from then to now. Gezzzzz .. just goes to show you how quickly time passes when you are not paying attention. hehe.
I remember Putney Station. I ate there. I also remember the Bob’s Big Boy accross the street on Hawthorne Blvd next door to the Akron store.
I also remember getting milk from Scottsman’s dairy in Compton. If I remember right it was on Sante Fe off of Pine.
I have to apologize… it wasn’t Googies on Restaurant Row on La Cienega.. it was called HUDDLE and it was a “Googie Style” coffee shop. Here is a photo of it and Sarnaz…
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/restrow2.jpg
On Fairfax and Sunset was “Carolina Pines, Jr.” which had wonderful southern style cooking. Here it is from the 1950s…
http://www.synthetrix.com/apc/87.html
Yes, I went to St Emydius, Hosler and then Lynwood High. Spent many, many afternoons at the plunge. We’d always stop afterward at Thrifty’s for an ice cream cone.
I remember we had RELIANCE MILK at my cousins house in Norwalk in the 1950s and we got CARNATION MILK in Echo Park and Silverlake. When we moved to La Cienega Heights we got ADOHR FARMS MILK. We had Challenge Butter, Helms Bread that was delivered and Kneudson’s cottage cheese.
My grandmother lived in Long Beach and on Pine Avenue there was a beautiful Buffum’s store with a lunch room. At South Bay Center in North Redondo Beach there was a lunch room at May Co. which was nicknamed “Garbage Gardens”. Across the parking lot was a bowling alley with a restaurant called “The Steak Knife” which had great food. In the mid-1970s, the South Bay Center had a collection of railway cars made into a restaurant called “PUTNEY STATION”.
Googies was great in downtown L.A. but I enjoyed the one on La Cienega near Beverly Drive on Restaurant Row. Across the street was SARNAZ and TAIL OF THE COCK.
Speaking of La Cienega and Beverly Drive… how many of you remember the REXALL DRUG STORE which was called “The largest drug store in the world” and took the entire ground floor on the southeast corner? They had everything there including a massive magazine selection that was about 40 feet long. They sold books, records, perfumes and candy on a massive scale. The building is still there, but remodelled and floors added and doesn’t resemble it’s former art deco appearance. Here is a photo of it….
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/rexall1.jpg
Christina: Long Beach Blvd… across the PE tracks. THE PLUNGE!!!!! Gezzzzzz .. I haven’t heard that in 50 years. Did you grow up in Lynwood??
Pamela: I remember JW Robinson’s on Colorado Blvd use to have the most wonderful luncheon room on the 3rd floor. The elevator tender was always in uniform and announced what each floor had (Ladies Ready-To-Wear, notions, leather goods, etc). Sometimes they would have a special buffet and a fashion show. When I was growing up Colorado Blvd was what Rodeo Drive is now. When a lady went shopping on Colorado Blvd, she never was seen without her hat, gloves, shoes & matching bag and her seams were straight, her hair combed and her make-up on. One never was seen with rollers and you NEVER smoked on the street .. it just wasn’t done. Nothing giggled or bounced due to the abundance of rubber in your gurdle .. even if you wore a size 6. Good training at the time I guess .. but being far from a size 6 now .. I’m grateful for elastic waistbands and a much looser fit.
Bugs, was that the Rexall on Long Beach Blvd or the one by the (plunge) natatorium?
Does anybody remember old downtown Pasadena? Nash’s, Buffum’s, Hertel’s? Remember the days when the department stores had the little lunch rooms? I know that some of the higher end department stores still do, but somehow, it’s just not the same.
Or how about Googie’s in downtown L.A.? LOVED that place!!
Does anyone recall Shasta Cream Soda? I use to go to the Rexall drug store in Lynwood that was next to the Buster Brown shoe store (remember the foot x-ray machine?). Rexall drugs had the most wonderful soda fountains and real, live “soda jerks”. I remember my father, mother and I going into the drug store to get a Rx filled and I wanted a chocolate malt and the soda jerk said that it would make me fat … to which I commented in full 5 year-old voice .. “My Daddy likes fat girls!”. My father giggled .. my mother didn’t .. as she was on a constant battle with the bulge. I got my malt and my father got the silent treatment. We had Kneudsen’s deliver our milk in glass bottles and other dairy products every other morning. To this day, when I pick up a container of milk, I still shake it to make sure the cream at the top (which always stuck to the little round lid), gets mixed properly! Obviously, it’s not necessary anymore, but .. hey .. I’m an old woman. Good heavens .. that seems so long ago.
I remember White Rock. I also remember Royal Crown Cola and Yoo-Hoo. There was a little luncheonette in South Gate down the street from Mom’s day job (Jorgensen Steel). It was called Kosher Murphy’s. I can still taste those pickles. I also remember Adohr Farms had a plant in South Gate too.
I remember the Wheel-O and I have a Slinky on my coffee table today… and everyone who comes over plays with it. My sister had a Chatty Kathy.
Oh gosh, the Root Beer Floats were amazing. Do you remember White Rock or Mission Sodas?
The pickles were wonderful. At the A & P supermarket in La Cienega Heights in the 1960s, there was a brilliant Jewish Deli. It was next door to Adohr Farms Milk. They had wonderful sandwiches made on yellow egg rolls and their pickles were in a glass barrel on the counter with a sign… “A NICKEL A SCHNICKEL ONCE WAS A RHYME, WHAT WAS ONCE A NICKLE IS NOW A DIME” .. and they were wonderful, crisp and very delicious.
My mom actually worked for Cal Worthington as a switchboard operator at the Dodge store (that’s the one that eventually became Pete Ellis Dodge). I remeber the grilled cheese and potato salad.Do you remember the dill pickle spears? They were way better than the pickles from the grocers. If we were really well behaved, we maybe even got a root beer float. The toys I remember the most were the slinky, chatty cathy and there was one called the wheel-o. Anybody else remember that one?
Christina… How fun you actually saw Ralph Williams make the Ford commercials! Ha! I liked his dog “Storm” and the cars, but my favorite announcer was always Dick Lane.. “Whooooh Nelly!”
You mentioned the lunch counters. My grandmother took me to the Woolworths counter on Hollywood Blvd. back in the mid-1950s (I was very small) and the grilled cheese sandwiches with that real butter and Wisconsin cheese were amazing. I also remember they had a dynamite hamburger with the best potato salad ever. I recall she went down the aisles with those wooden floors and milk glass lights overhead and instead of shelves they had a toy department which had counters that had glass dividers. In each cubicle was a different kind of toy. I ran over to the big bin with the rubber cars. They were each a different color and they were 4 to 6 inches long and would flex and not break. They each were in a different color, blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, purple and red. There were sedans, convertibles, panel trucks and even a fire truck. It seems they were only a quarter each and they did have metal axels with pure white rubber tires. I’ve seen them occasionally in antique stores now for 20 bucks a piece in good condition. I had 50 or more of them as a kid. I also had an Revell HO train set and Texaco toy 1/24 gas station. But when I went into the military in 1969, my mom took my old box of toys down from the garage and gave them to my 7 year old brother. When I got back, literally everything I had was destroyed, had a marker taken to them or the dog was using it for a chew toy. Yikes.
So many memories. How about the lunch counter at Woolworth’s or Thrifty’s and K-mart had submarine sandwiches and apple dumplings with caramel sauce. When Ralph Williams (the Lonely Lynwood Ford Dealer) commercials were filmed, my brother and I would ride our bikes up to the corner to watch. My Mom would let us ride the bus to Long Beach to go to the pike in the summer.
Here is the channel 9 TV studio where Steve Allen and Engineer Bill were broadcast from in the 1950s. The building is still there. I think it’s part of the Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) if I am not mistaken.
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/KHJ.jpg
Here is the channel 9 TV studio where Steve Allen and Engineer Bill were broadcast from in the 1950s. The building is still there. I think it’s part of the Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) if I am not mistaken.
Here is the Moulin Rouge and to the left, you will see “Mark C. Bloome”, the tire dealer I mentioned. Nice photo!
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/MoulinRouge1.jpg
Oh gosh, I remember Maywood Bell Ford… do you remember Mark C. Bloome, a tire dealer next door to the Moulin Rouge on Sunset Blvd? How about “George Allen Motors, which was a Rambler/Nash dealer?
Sure I recall Stans Drive-In. That was on the south east corner of Sunset and Vine, if I recall correctly. They had the best milk shakes.
How about the Hollywood Ranch Market a few blocks further down Vine Street? They had the famous 10 cent cup of coffee and as kids we used to watch the automatic donut making machine. The smell was heavenly. They were open 24 hours a day. They were across the street from the channel 9 studios where they broadcast Engineer Bill’s Cartoon Express and the Steve Allen Show. Steve used to interview common folks over at the Ranch Market for his show.. something that Jay Leno did on the Tonight Show over the past few years. Here is a photo of the Ranch Market…
http://www.yesterdayla.com/Graphics/RanchMarket.jpg
Just thought of another car dealership: Maywood Bell Ford…:”In the little town of Bell, California”. HA! HJ Caruso. I’d forgotten that one.
Just stumbled upon this wonderful link. I goggled “Betty White Joe Yokum Handy Hints” (very old KTLA Ch 5’s 15 minute mid-day filler before he went on the air at KFWB) and this came up. I am one of the ancients who grew up in LA from mid 40’s until my elopement to Alabama in 1964. Good heavens .. so many memories. KFWB, Channel 98 Color Radio, Bill Balance (especially during the frequent and very funny times he would be “sanctioned” for some sort of verbal ooopppss!). KRLA, KHJ, KFI, KPOL. Von’s Market, Ralph’s, Market Basket, Safeway, Farmer’s Market, Gower Gulch, Wallach’s Music City (It’s Music City, Sunset & Vine), The Pike, Marineland, POP, Redondo Beach (well before Kings Harbor), Palos Verdes in the Spring when the flower farms were in bloom, Foster’s Freeze, McClary’s, The Witch Stand, Stan’s Drive-In .. yes, Cal Worthington, HJ Caruso, Earl Scheib, Frank Sennes Moulin Rogue, The Palladium, Shelly’s Man Hole, The Pink Poodle, The Arden Theater, salt water taffy from Avalon, fresh hand-made warm flour tortillas on Brooklyn Ave, Olvra Street, the MTA Bldg @ 6th & Los Angeles, Clifton’s Cafeteria… Gezzzzz! Safety was never an issue. I use to ride from my aunt’s house in Belmont Shores up Long Beach Blvd on the bus (remember pay zones?) to the PE/Red Car in Lynwood, transfer to downtown, pick up another bus in front of the May Company on Broadway and ride all the way out to Redondo Beach … for about a buck 50, day or night .. no one bothered me except to ask why I was out so late. Sack dresses, poodle skirts, head scarves, died-to-match skirts and angora sweaters, t-strap flats and Virgin Pins. Running the Bristol Circles in a pearlized pink VW bug named Sputnik Jr (baby moons on front, mags on back … of course) lobbing a full quart of Amway Dish Drops at the fountain on Highland (hell/pledge week), watching the LAPD watching drag racers on the LA river bed (modified and lowered racers had to pass the 2-pack high stack of cigs for a full 360 around the car to avoid getting busted), swiping the pledge rocks from El Camino JC and leaving them at East LA JC without getting caught, sneaking in the back door at the Crescendo to listen to the George Shearing Quintet .. only to get run out the front door by a rather indignant bartender, first time fully baked in the ladies room of the Red Velvet on Sunset, waking up on the sand at Pismo, knowing that it would never be as scary or as wonderful again. Can’t believe 45 years have passed so quickly between the then I knew and the now I know, but WOW … I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for listening to an almost old woman prattle on.
Hmm……..all this talk of food is making me hungry! I remember going to the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market in the 50’s. So many sights and smells for a little kid!
One place had fresh horseradish sauce. To draw attention to their display, they had a “kicking horse”. Every time the horse (or was it a donkey (?) kicked it’s rear legs, a “puff” of horseradish went out. It was funny to see unsuspecting people get a jolt of fresh sauce.
The pet store at the Farmer’s Market was always an interesting place to see new and exciting animals too.
How about Powerine, Douglas, Richfield, Signal, Flying A and Hancock Gas stations to name just a few?
Ok, I stand corrected. Thanks for the update. What other shows did Patrica Blake play in, I can’t remember?
Does anyone remember the name of the deli on Hollywood Way and Magnolia Blvd in Burbank? They had the best corned beef sandwiches in the valley.
How about Newberrys department store on Magnolia and the other one up on the Golden Mall (San Fernando Road)in burbank?
The best place for hot dogs was a place called The Hot Dog, it was next to the Travelodge on Hollywood Way and then moved up to that goofy intersection of Hollywood way and some other street that formed a pie section of the road.
How about Larry’s Hot Dog on Burbank and Ontario?
Hey Mike,
Patricia Blake played “Baby Daphne”… earlier she played a princess on another local cartoon show, so Daphne was a change from her previous incarnation.
It was Elizabeth McRae who played Sutton’s girlfriend on Gomer Pyle, though there is a resemblance. Pat Cowley played in the TV series “Don’t Eat the Daisys.”
Next to Sherriff John, and Hobo Kelly, Baby Daphne was the best. I liked her tennis shoes. Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t she the same women that played on Please don’t eat the daises and possibly Sgt Carter’s girl friend in Gomer Pyle USMC???
Thanks Christian. A friend of mine recalls bartending when Engineer Bill came on (during Happy Hour). “Red Light”, “Green Light” and of course “Happy Highball”. They did a lot of business during that time of day!
I’m so glad to see somebody else remembers Baby Daphne! Nobody I know ever heard of her. And my mom couldn’t stand her…..”MAAAKE UUP!”
Do you guys remember “Baby Daphne’s Cartoon Castle” from 1966 to 68 or so? She was really funny and many adults watched her antics from 9 until 10 am weekdays…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lB7CiPYGuw
Doug, You probably missed it, but here is Engineer Bill again….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvdlE45XEI
More TV shows:
Cannonball, Rescue-8. The Whirley Birds and of course Route 66
Engineer Bill?
Red Light…..Green Light…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3WDdzuwW3M
And “Sherry Lewis & Lambchops!”
Hey Jeff…. I remember “Beanie and Cecil”…
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16zsa_beanie-and-cecil-monstrous-monster_fun
How about “Pinky Lee”?
http://www.archive.org/details/Pinky_Lee_Show
And also “Soupy Sales”!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8VtY_li3Sc
And “Lloyd Thaxton’s Dance Party”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZqaHd06xk
And “Hollywood A Go-Go” with guest star, the late Bobby Fuller….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXN8354RT-4&feature=PlayList&p=802C65C999BFEBE9&index=20
Christian, there should be a way to record those tapes to CD’s. I know someone out there will know.
I lived in Pasadena so we supported the local station. All time favorites? KFWB in pre-news days and KSFO (San Francisco) in the 70’s!
My grandmother wrote for radio before the days of TV. She had some of her stories on KHJ and Mom helped with sound effects for the ball games when she was a little girl. We’re talking Hollywood in the 30’s here! Seems to me one of the studio’s was above the Earl C. Anthony car showroom.
Or was it Yeakel Plymouth? How about Beany and Cecil?
went to grammer school 1949-50 with son ken yeakel
in manhatten beach ca kens dad bob yeakel had auto business in la and plymouth dealer in downey and
comption. ken [adopted] and brother, dad bob, and
two others were killed in plane crash in 1960
How about Bob Yeakel Oldsmobile?
I do have a couple of old reel-to-reel tapes of my mom on KMPC and her show she had with my step father. They were recorded about 1956. I played them about 15 years ago, so I know what they are… but no longer have a deck to play them on. Would sure like to have CDs made of them.
In the 1960s I wasn’t a fan of KRLA. If you remember, there was a war between KRLA and KHJ and I was a huge fan of KHJ. I collected the little printed “BOSS 30” list of the top songs. I wonder why we cared what song was number 1 or not, but it was akin to a scoreboard and we wanted our favorite songs to be on the list. If our favorite song became number 1, we bragged at lunch hour to all our friends. Seems silly today. There is a wonderful website that has a decade of these little “BOSS 30” lists for EVERY WEEK here….
http://home.earthlink.net/~khj93/gallery/gallery_1965.html
On these little lists, you will see many of the D.J.s I used to love to listen to.
“Humble Harve” came from KRLA with much fanfare in 1967 and they held a contest to attend the “Humble Harve Hello Happening” on Feburary 18, 1967. Every hour they would take a lucky caller who would get 2 tickets and 2 sweat shirts in the mail. The party was held at the Hollywood Palladium and there must have been a thousand kids there. I took my girlfriend Esther to the party. Among the musical guests were “The Sopwith Camel” who sang “Hello, Hello” and “The New Vaudeville Band” who sang “Winchester Cathedral.” I will never forget that afternoon or the long ride on the bus back home to La Cienega Heights, where I lived.
KMET….deedle dee!
Christian, Johnny Magnus is alive and going strong. He was a DJ on Music of Your Life until a few years ago! Do you remember when he would do the Weather Forcast “to a beat”? Cool!!!
Do you have an Air Check of your Mom’s show? I remember the name but was [probably too young to understand and know the music). Would be neat today! Something different.
Love the old KMPC and KRLA!
Hey Mike,
I went into the air force in 1969, so about 10 years earler. I am in Palm Springs now. Yes, Tom Hatten is still alive. He is 83 and looks great. Here is his page…
http://latvlegends.com/TomHatten/TOMHAT.htm
Here is Engineer Bill… a great show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvdlE45XEI
Great stuff!
As far as Ralph Williams was concerned he was the biggest crook of them all. He made Cal Worthington look like a saint in comparision. I always remember when he would come on it would be like this…”Hi folks, Ralph Williams here and my dog Storm” he would always nudge at the dog and the dog would then bark mainly because he was so damn old.
Christian, I forgot I do remember Tom Hatten…is he still alive?
Christian,
I agree KMPC was the best station for music. Growing up in So Cal was a good thing back in the early 60s and 70’s. In 1979 I joined up with the Air Force. I now live in Minnesota, but think of when things were a lot simpler. I used to shop at the Akron on Hollywood Way in Burbank all the time. My frineds and I used to go to the Santa Monica Pier and then down to Pacific Ocean Park (POP), that place was awesome. Do you remember when Hollywood Blvd would have those green christmas tree that would turn around. How about when Hobo Kelly had that long pole with a microphone hooked up to it and talk with Santa on that old sleigh with the ramp.
Where do you live now? How about the old tunnel going up to griffith park on the west side toward the old Hollywood Sign.
As far as people I had met while living in Beautiful Downtown Burbank,
I had met alot of the stars that were on the Hollywood Squares, Doc Severitson, Ed McMahn, Jerry Dumphy from CBS news, Bob Hope, Dick Rowan and Dan Martin, some of the cast from Laugh In. I would go with my Grandmother and my Aunt to Television City in Los Angeles and go and see the The Price is Right, Tattle Tales, Match Game and several times to see Carol Burnett
Mike, Thanks for the great recap. I was raised in Hollywood in the 50s and my mom had a radio show on KMPC on Sundays called “Bolero Time” which featured Xavier Cugat, Desi Arnaz and other Latin American artists. I remember Johnny Magnus, Dick Whittinghill and Bill Balance. Betty White recorded radio commercials for the station and remember her there, as well. They played the best music all the way through the 60s like Dionne Warwick, Sinatra, Count Basie, 101 Strings and David Rose. A romantic mix of music. My mom rode in the Santa Claus Lane Parade on Hollywood Boulevard in the early 1960s and I still have some snapshots in a white convertible.
I was on 2 of the local TV shows, “Cartoon Express” with Engineer Bill and the following year in 1957 I was on “House Party” with Art Linkletter. My favorite show of all was Sheriff John. I also watched “Popeye” with Tom Hattan and his “squiggle pictures”.. do you recall that?
I still sing the commercials for Dr. Ross Dog Food, Thrifty Drug Stores, Brillcream, and Bardahl.
Oh sure I remember Market Basket markets. There was a big one at Pioneer Square in Norwalk (which was the outer edge of the suburbs back then and ZODY’S, White Front and the Akron. Gosh, the Akron was a great store!
We used to go to the Redondo Beach pier, but a 25 cent “drop line” which was green fishing line wrapped about a yellow plastic holder and drop the lines over the pier. We used to catch sunfish and halibut right on the pier and use the public wash tables to clean the fish and take them home to eat them. Yeah, it was safe in those days. On the pier was “The Fisherman Grotto” which had the best deep fried scallops and home made clam chowder on earth. Does anyone remember Castagnolas or Tony’s on the pier? Just a few blocks towards Palos Verdes was the Plush Horse Inn and the Velvet Turtle restaurants. Both were very elegant.
Great memories!! Thanks!
I came across this blog and website last week, boy do I remember all of those commericals. I grew up in Burbank during the 60’s through the late 70’s. Cal Worthington was always my favorite.
Ralph Williams I hated. Don’t forget Jack LaLaine, who is still alive and plugging his juice machine. He like Cal Worthingthon have not aged one bit.
My favorite radio stations were KMPC 710AM with Dick Whittinghill, Roger Carroll, Gary Owens and Johnny Magnus. Then later when they moved over to KPRZ – Music of your life. Then KHJ 93. I agree with everyone else on Tom Hatten doing his Popeye drawings and hosting Movie for a Saturday/Sunday eveningson KTLA 5. Who can’t forget Hobo Kelly(Sally Baker)on KCOP 13, Sherriff John(John Rovik) on KTTV 11. I think Baby Daphine(Patricia Blake- Please don’t eat the Daisies)was on KHJ 9. I also remember Felix the Cat, Rocky & Bullwinkle (which is shown on WGN 9 out of Chicago on Saturday nights now).
Who can forget Zody’s on San Fernando Road in Burbank, along with the old Cornell Theater where all seats were $0.49. And Bob’s Big Boy on Riverside Drive and San Fernando Rds. And PicWick recreation center with the famous round swimming pool with the rough floor. How about the old Market Basket, Alpha Beta, Vons, Hughes and Gleason grocery stores?
And how about the 4th of July at McCambridge park. I used to work that event almost every year from age 10 to age 18. How about watching the Santa Claus Lane Parade with Hobo Kelly on KCOP and Bill Welsh on KTTC 11. Does anyone remember when Hobo Kelly would host the annual Toys for Tots toy drive for the LA area Marine Corps.
How about the sporting goods store on Victory Blvd near Olive I think it was called HUMES that would put out live Christmas trees with lights on them and have giant pine cones attached to every one of them. How about the Cast-a-ways resturant up on the hill? I could go on forever
I used to work in downtown Los Angeles. I sure remember that Giant Felix Chevrolet sign.
Sure could go for a Tommy’s Burger at Beverly & Rampart. The Pantry Restaurant was just down the street on Figueroa and we would even make it over to Philippe’s near Union Station. This was in the late 70’s and places may have changed, but they were the places to go in my day!
Ralph Williams: ” Hi, friends, Ralph Williams; president and owner of Ralph Williams Ford, the world’s LARGEST Ford dealership, located at One-Five, Eight Hundred, Ventura Boulevard, in the city…of Encino…where we have literally acres and acres and acres of new and used cars and trucks for you to chose from….”
That’s how I remember it. You could instantly tell he was a crook.
And how about, “Se habla Espanol at Giant Felix Chevrolet”.
The Shrine Auditorium right down the road, where I saw The Doors perform when I was 18.
Doug – just for the hell of it I did an internet search and son of a gun – Sambo’s does still exist !
Before he went to work for Ralph Williams, Chick Lambert used to host late night movies. He was then working for Brand Motors Ford City, which I believe eventually became Ralph Williams Ford. Chick had his dog Storm even back then.
Doug – you mentioned Sambo’s – I believe (but not totally certain) that the Sambo’s chain went totally belly up many years ago.
Reminds me, I recently saw an old picture of a Tiny Naylor’s and Dupar’s restaurants recently. I still have my Sambo’s red/white/blue thermos from 1976. It’s good for a 25 cent refill of coffee if only I can find a Sambo’s Pancake House!
Read an interview in the 80’s from a former Worthington employee. Seems to me they used to spot cars getting off the Freeway and would get ready to “greet” the customers when they came anyway near the car lot. Such high pressure might work, but not for me!
I believe that was good ol Ralph Williams Ford on Ventura Blvd. in Encino. He also was a surprise guest on Johnny, he popped out of a box or from behind a door and went right into his speech: Hi friends Ralph Williams here.
By the way, my Mom and Dad would drive along Ventura Blvd. at night and the his salesmen would come right up to our car as were stopped at the light and tried to direct us into the lot. LOL
As another Southern California native I’ve just bumped into this site – perhaps someone can help my aging memory out a bit! For years I’ve been trying to remember the Southern California (LA?) car dealership that was the frequent sponsor of late-night movies before good ol’ Cal W. got into the act. If my memory serves, Johnny Carson used to lampoon him a bit after he moved to L.A. Can anyone help?????
For those of you wondering if there are any Ralph Williams commercials available, go to YouTube and doa search for “Ralph Williams”. You will find a commercial parody done for a Ralph Williams dealership near San Francisco by Chick Lambert – his sales manager. Chick refers to Williams as a “bald-headed p***k” who will rape everyone in the San Francisco bay area and spend the money on prostitutes, booze and crap tables in Las Vegas. I literally doubled up from laughing so hard.
Se habla espanol at Lou’s garage! I think that is some of the first Spanish I ever heard.
Well, with the passing of Walter Conkrite a lot of memories came back. Yes he was part of our nightly family and he was a personal comfort to us during the death of JFK, RFK and MLK and Vietnam. He was the Anchorman of our era bring the news and the world into our living rooms every night. It was an eveing ritual for us kids. Dinner, Walter Conkrite and then Bed. R.I.P.
Yeah! The Happy Wanderer! What a great show. I’ve included a link to a website that includes a little info about the show and the theme song! Here’s the link… http://www.qsl.net/n7jy/wanderer.html
Wow… you guys are thinking of stuff I almost forgot about. I saw a movie about a year ago made in the mid-1940s and one character stuck out and I couldn’t put my finger on who it was. It was Dick Lane and all those memories came back. I also remember Hub Furniture, the “Destruction Derby” and “Roller Derby”.. what fun!
Talking about the old TV stations, I was on both “House Party” and “Cartoon Express” with Engineer Bill as a boy. Great memories, but another show I loved was the travel show with Hal Linker and his wife and son. They went to Europe, South America and Asia. Their theme song was “The Happy Wanderer”… do you recall that?
Doug,
I had almost forgotten about Hub Furniture, if I remember the commerical use to show the stores sign an animated wagon wheel with a broken spoke. I think the loan co. was Aames Home Loans. Does anyone remember Lou’s Garage they were a sponsor when Dick Lane called the wrestling at the Olympic Auditorium, Lou’s gave away “Beatle Wigs” with every tune-up or something like that.
RIchman 95171 was the phone number for Lou’s Garage. Completely rebuilt motors for less than $200. 8 cylinders were more.
Dick Lane! Who couldn’t forget his announcing trackside at the “Jalopy (Destruction Derby) Races”! As a kid I remember those old Hudsons racing around. Bet they wouldn’t do that today! The Hudson’s would be too valuable! Seems to me one of the sponsors was Hub Furniture and Loan (or maybe that was during the Wrestling Matches). Someone must know.
I too remember the car ads he did, but not the name of the dealership. Dick Lane and KTLA were icons on early Southern California TV!
Remember when KCOP was a Chris-Craft station with all those travel shows?
Ha! There was a place in Altadena where my parents and all their high school friends used to park and neck. The guys called it “dick lane.”
Ah memories. Yes, I too remember Frank Taylor Ford and no Sunday selling. Remember Central Chevrolet with Dick Lane? He would stand and advertise a car; when finished, the car would be driven away replaced by the one behind it. He used to slam his hand on a fender while making a point. One time, he left a dent in a fender. Another tine, he was almost runned over by an approaching car. Live TV! (By the way, this was the same Dick Lane that appeared on the early Spade Cooley shows, wrestling and roller derby on KTLA. He liked to say “Whoe Nellie”.) It is great remembering these oldies but goodies. Many I had forgotten. Does anybody remember Fletcher Jones Chevrolet. I think he was at 4610 Crenshaw Blvd. Thanks, all, for the memories. Keep them coming.
Just happened to ‘surf the web of former car dealers in the Crenshaw area and saw this post.
Fletcher Jones Chevrolet was on 51st and Broadway before they moved out of Los Angeles in the mid-60’s.
I used to walk across the street from my dad’s business office to see the first fastback Sting Ray Corvettes.
Thanks for remembering. Seems to me Frank Taylor Ford(?) comes to mind. This was in the early to mid 60’s.
My next-door neighbors in the 1960s were the Taylors of Taylor-Slatin Ford in Huntington Park — could the “Taylor” dealership you are thinking of been that one? Taylor-Slatin Ford was on Pacific Avenue and it closed in 1971. I believe there was another dealership with Taylor in the name somewhere in the L.A. area, so perhaps I could be that one too.
You might check YouTube for some of the old Ralph Williams ads.
Does anyone remember who the car dealer was that honored Sunday by being closed? I think I remember “Taylor” something……….
what i’d like to find out is:who was the salesman who did the commercials for Leon ames ford during the all night movies back in the 1960’s in it he would introduce himself and his dog storm.
Even as a 9 year old watching Ralph Williams’ commercials I knew he was a shyster. His hard sell approach was so over-the-top compared to some of the pitchmen one sees on TV today. I kind of miss the simplicity of those long ago days when someone like Ralph Williams could actually be on TV. He didn’t pretend to be your friend and made no bones about it. He wanted your money and even as a young child I understood that. In a weird kind of a way, it somehow seems refreshingly honest.
The Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles may be able to help locate these commercials. As I remember him, Ralph Williams was rather dull as a personality, but I liked his dog. I remember the announcer for Stanley Chevrolet during the late 50s who advertised 2 cars for the price of one. You would get the “quality used car” and the second one “for the wife” would be free. Of course, it looked like something they would never be able to sell. I would love to see those again.. lol. I would also love to hear Molly Bee singing the commercial. There is a youtube video of a man playing a guitar singing it, but it’s not the exact same melody I recall.
Does anyone know if any of Ralph Williams’ commericals still exist and are available for viewing? I have seen the Chick Lambert commercial where he rips Ralph a new one but I would really enjoy watching an actual Ralph Williams commercial.
I may have this reverse, but before Leon Ames Ford, there was Ralph Williams Ford. Whichever one was first, there was some legal problem causing the second to take over. As I said, I may have the order reversed. Does anybody remember?
Yes, I do remember Giant Felix Chevrolet at Washington and Figuraoa. I went to Virgil Jr. High in the mid-1960s and across the street was Leon Ames Ford… and in 1963, the “Monte Carlo Edition” Fords were introduced. They had Landau vinyl roofs and simulated wire wheels along with those white wall tires. The ’63 Thunderbird had an optional 425 horsepower engine… making most of todays engines seem wimpy… but gas was cheap back then.
Does anyone remember “Giant Felix Chevrolet” Washington & Figueroa? How about “Hunter Boat Sales” Hi Bill Hunter here from Hunter Boat Sales.
And my favorite: Don Adams here for “California Pines” in beautiful Modoc County, Just a few short hours from Los Angeles, we do the outside and you finish the inside as a family project.
The good ol days.
OK, If you remember those Hughes Air West ads, you must remember the PSA, Air California and Western Airlines ads too!
“Come on and fly with us, you fly with the Best, PSA, The Best in The West” and “Our Smiles aren’t just painted on!”
Boy, this thread has had a long shelf life! Found my old post from 2007 :)
Just a couple other SoCal things that came to mind while perusing the updates… Wild West stores, with the Beach Boys jingle “W-w-Wiiiiild West… your California clothing store!” And does anyone but me remember Char-Burger and Baker’s Tacos?
And re: the Hughes AirWest spots – they were “The Big Banana in the West!”
Bob Spreen Cadillac, where the freeways meet in Downey.
[…] and it for the most part remains the same as any standard American muscle car you might purchase at Cal Worthington Ford. The main salient difference is under the hood: Formula D cars have a retooled cam-shaft with a […]
Oh, man. It seems like another lifetime ago remembering all these commercials, which by the way I now can’t get out of my mind! They were horrible, weren’t they. Someone should compile all these. I’ve found a few you guys mentioned and a couple others:
Pup N Taco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPavwQmPU68
National Lumber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKv1T37Wvk
Phil and Jims
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaaROqaVEl0
Santa Village
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY0myB7Zd3Y
Carpeteria
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCsprx1ZEK0
GEMCO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xMXUR8fa9k
Alpha Beta
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtOcX5tbvLg
Ole’s Hardware Store
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPn9VRqPruk
Dial Chevrolet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GVMFT2ePCY
Pete Ellis Dodge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Ezn8eLfm8
In-N-Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ79FiVu3uQ
Nancy’s mention of Doye O’Dell brought back a memory of long ago. My Mom, aunt, cousin and myself got to meet Doye and the musicians he was working with while they were rehearsing for a show sometime during the early 1950’s. Can’t remember the location for certain, but I am thinking it was somewhere where he was making an appearace rather than at the KTLA studio. I think I was 5 or 6 years old at the time.
Re: Doctor Ross Dog Food, yes indeed, that was it. I can even remember the melody. It was a catchy tune and played a lot on TV. By knowing the melody, you can’t help but recall the words. Very clever advertisement.
Another clever one was Mission Pak which advertised every Christmas season starting in the early 50’s. Mission Pak shipped gift fruit baskets as Christmas gifts.
Say the magic word,
Say Mission Pak,
And it’s on its merry way
No gift so bright, so gay so right
Give the Mission Pak right away.
To be honest, that is how I remember it, but it may not be 100% right, especially the last 2 lines. But I think it is close.
So was it … “Doctor Ross Dog Food is Dog Gone Good. Woof!”
What memories.
I recall in 1949, TV was catching on. KTLA would come on around 4pm with a test pattern. 30 minutes later, test pattern would be replaced with an animated drawing of the Paramount Studios logo (the mountain). (Paramount owned KTLA back then. The background music to that animation was Sleigh Ride. Then Stan Chambers and Ken Grau would appear and give you the schedule for the evening. KTLA would go off the air around 11pm. As a kid, one of the programs I liked came on at 6pm, Doye ODell, a singing cowboy. He would show a cowboy movie divided into 3 parts spread over 3 shows. At 6:45 was Handy Hints with Dorothy Gardner and Dick Gartner(?). At 7 was the Shell News with Gil Martin. On Sunday evenings, Charlie Ruggles had a sitcom comedy show sponsored by Dr Ross dog food.
I recall some of the other stations that were around in 1950: Ch 2 was KTSL, 4 was KNBH?, 5, KTLA, 7 KECA, 9 KHJ? (a Don Lee station), 11 KTTV, 13 KLAC.
As a kid, TV back then was sheer magic.
What memories.
JeffL – thanks for bring back so many great memories!
(I thought I remembered Western Airlines as being
the o-o-o-o-o-o-only way to fly. Remember the bird?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfmRKHtzfFs)
“Evelyn Woodhead” was a spoof commercial on (I think) one of Cheech and Chong’s albums. It was actually the Evelyn Wood speed-reading course.
Helm’s had a bakery in Beaumont (where I lived), and it smelled soooo good! I bet you could toot-toot one of those Helm’s whistles today and anyone of a certain age who grew up in SoCal would begin salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs.
Remember the Jewel Tea Vans?
I remember the dog Storm (and later “Storm, the second”) as being Chick Lambert’s dog. Ralph Williams came across as huckster all the way, while Chick would come across all sincere and low key. Cal Worthington said in an interview I saw that he saw him and said “Well if he’s gonna have a dog, I’ve gotta have one, too!”.
Firesign Theater spoofed Ralph Williams as (who knows why) “Ralph Spoilsport”. “…two-way see-through wind vents, edible steering column, chrome fender dents, and factory air-conditioned air, from our fully factory equipped, air-conditioning factory!…”; “…for you friends, a special price: only two-ninety-five, HUN-dred dollars”! ; …in the beautiful city of, EM-physema!”; and so on.
The Fuller brush man, who sold those hairbrushes with the coarse black bristles and brown plastic handle that were so durable my father’s still using one that’s over 40 years old and looks almost new.
A friend of mine talks about living near JungleLand and sneaking in under the fence in a place where a drainage swale created a gap. She says the staff knew it was happening but didn’t sweat it.
“Fright Night” with Seymour, who would pop up in one corner of the screen from time to time during the movie to make some sarcastic comment; and would recap the movie during breaks and then run a snippet of the movie to illustrate. It would always be a joke of some sort.
Watching old cartoons in the afternoon. In high school, I would come home and watch “Rocky and His Friends” or “The Bullwinkle Show”. Oh and the space-puppet shows like “Fireball XO-5”, with all their cool machines and such. And reruns of “The Twilight Zone” and “The Outer Limits”.
Roller Derby: Trailer-park girls being violent. Strange but cool and a little sexy. Go T-Birds!
Hobo Kelly always sorta weirded me out when I was little. My little-boy brain could not grasp why a hobo would be obviously female.
Before Miller’s Outpost there was “Lou Miller’s Levi’s and More”.
The PantStop, where they sold jeans for 5 bucks.
Fedco, where, in order to get a membership card, you had to work for a local, state or federal Govt. or a government contractor. Those were nice stores with all kinds of stuff, from fine crystal to groceries. Sorta pre-Costco/Sam’s Club.
Thrifty ice cream, a nickel a scoop, sugar cone no extra charge.
Hughes Air West, the o-o-o-o-o-o-only way to fly.
Channels 5, 9, and 11 were pretty strong competition to the network stations, while channel 13 was always sort of cheesy.
Wolfman Jack: “X-E-R-B! Fifty thousand watts of so-o-o-o-o-u-ll powah!”
Here’s a question: Did he say “Hot mercy baby!”, or “Have mercy baby!” It always sounded to me like he said “Hot Mercy!”.
I remember going down to Tijuana to get the car reupholstered, get furniture reupholstered, buy weird stuff like bullwhips and handmade marionettes and cowhide leather stuff that had the hair still on it. And of course buy fireworks and “firewater” (Mexican booze that my Dad would try to smuggle back in the bottom of the trunk and which was usually found and confiscated at the border).
And I always just heard “Go see Cal” in those commercials, though my grandmother thought they were saying “pussycat”.
Does anybody else remember Baby Daphne in the mornings?
Wow! Hadn’t thought of that one in eons! I remember the Schick Institute and the “It’s not your fault; you’re not alone”, but I don’t remember Schick Institute having the second part of the name.
Hey does anyone remember this one?
It’s not your fault
You’re not alone
The Shick Shadel Institute
First I ever heard of rehab (though not last, obv.). Often kids on the playground would say “aw, Shick Shadel Institute” as a way of expressing “aw, shit” without getting in trouble.
i remember pussycow and devry during nanny and the professor, and the evelyn woodhead speed reading class ,,,,, how can u read so fast?????????
Coast Federal
Brings you more
9th and Hill
On the ground floor
Open your savings account at Coast
Coast Federal Savings
You’re right! I could/can sing the jingle, but it didn’t dawn on me that the tune was “Pop Goes the Weasel”.
I just found this on YouTube; remember Engineer Bill and drinking milk to “Red light/Green light”(…”and a lead bell for those who miss.”)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzvdlE45XEI
Oh, and the jingle was to the tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel!”
Pamela — Now I remember that too. Thanks!
All I can remember of the Coast Federal Savings commercials, was the bunny who stacked the blocks to read “Coast Federal.”
Baby Boomer here, lived in Riverside (The “Inland Empire”) in the 60’s and 70’s.
Listened to K/MEN 129, KFXM, and “The Real Don Steele” on 93/KHJ.
Does anyone remember the jingle for Coast Federal Savings? It went something like this:
Sung:
“Half a million dollars now,
Coast Federal Savings.”
Spoken (male voice): “9th and Hill, Los Angeles
And this is what I remember from the Mission Pak commercial:
“Say the magic word, say Mission Pak,
and it’s on its merry way.
No gift so right, so gay, so bright.
Give the Mission Pak magic way.”
I just noted some of the well-known “wrasslers” from the Olympic Auditorium being mentioned above. One that sticks out in my memory is Ray “Thunder” Stern. Ray was not only one of the top wrestlers of his time but also a very good aerobatic pilot. I got to see him perform in his Pitts Special at a couple of airshows during the early 1970’s.
Jim
I noted the Stanley/Dial Chevrolet being mentioned. Molly Bee – the singer that did those jingles passed away at the age of 69 a few days ago. She was on the Pinky Lee show, Cliffie Stone’s “Hometown Jamboree” and I remember seeing her often on Steve Allen’s show during the 1960’s.
I also noted Jim Healy mentioned above. Used to listen to him on the radio on the way home from work every day. A fellow Healy fan once remarked that if you were stuck in a traffic jam it was easy to recognize people who were listening to Jim. They were laughing instead of cursing the trafic.
Jim
Christian,
How about Lion Country Safari or KWIZ Radio,
K-W-(“p-o-p”)-I-Z Radio?
White Front Base Ball score jingle
Watch out, coming your way, the White Front score board for today- Angles 6 Dodgers 2- You always win with White Front, ’cause White Front knows the score.
Hey Nancy… Tommy’s is still there and the food is still the same…. yum! They still make an amazing chili dog.
Talk about radio stations of the past… remember the “beautiful music station” KPOL which played Montavani, 101 Strings and Paul Mariaut records? Do you recall when 93 KHJ actually printed out a little “BOSS 30” list and we all got the list to see if our favorite record was number 1?
http://93khj.blogspot.com/2008/04/khj-boss-30-july-28-1965.html
Busch Gardens, The Japanese Deer Park, Movieland Wax Museum, Pacific Ocaan Park, and Nu-Pike in Long Beach were the best!
Remember when the Busch tour was just a ride around the beer plant? No Busch Gardens back then.
Little bit of heaven, 94.7, KMET… twidle de
Well, the best hamburgers to my memory was TOMMY’S out on Rampart. You could go there after a show with all your friends piled in the car and feed the multitude. The biggest burgers i have ever seen and cooked right on the grille in front of your eyes. What a great place that was.
Restaurants:
McGoo’s Pizza (Hollywood)
Copper Penney Restaurant (Valley)
Peaks Hamburgers (Valley)
El Chollo’s
The Garrett (Hollywood)
Radio:
KHJ DJ’s Sam Riddle, Lord Tim
Tina Delgado’s alive, alive
Humble Harve “Spread Love”
Wink Martindale
TV:
“Fury” – the story of a horse and a boy who loved him (Parodied in the movie Airplane – “Joey do you like Gladiator movies? Peter Graves played the father in the TV series Fury and the boy was named Joey)
“Wednesday Night Wrestling” (with woah-nelly Dick Lane) Freddie Blassie, the Destroyer, Tricky Ricky Starr and Lou Thez usually ending with the interviews called “Wrestler’s Lament” sponsored by Lou’s Garage “se hable espanol” where you can get “a complete motor overhaul that includes new factory piston rings, align the valves, set the timing, you get your gaskets and oil, all parts steamed cleaned a thorough motor tune up and a 90 day or 10,000 mile guarantee all for $39.95 for most sixes”
“Roller Games”: Ralphy Valaderes, Shirley Hardman, Danny Riley and the sin bin
“Chucko the Clown”
“Joe Pyne” (with Fred Wiffletree)
“I Married Joan”
“My Little Margie”
Newscaster George Putnam
Sportscaster Jim Healy
Million Dollar Movie
Sea Hunt
Misc.:
Good Humor Ice Cream Trucks
Pacific Ocean Park (POP)
I always heard it “Pussy Cal”. Thought I was mistaken or misremembered when I searched the internet with that term and only came up with porn references. Then I remembered it was Cal Wothinging Ford. Does anyone remember the annoying “Fall into the Gap” commercials and the ridiculously cheap jeans they advertised. Back then the Gap was not what it is now. Also, does anyone remember who was the guy that always made fun of Gov. Deukmeijan on his show? He had one of those mechanical capuchian monkeys that beat little symbols together.
I lived in Claremont and Pomona in 78-81 and then moved to Bakersfield. It seemed my childhood was very surreal growing up in Cali compared to people who aren’t from there.
I really enjoyed this stroll down memory lane.
See Posting # 73 among others. How about one of the other drug stores in town:
Thrifty Drugs:
“Save a nickel, save a dime.
Save at Thrifty every time.
Save a dollar and much more,
at your Thrifty Drug and Discount Store.”
Remember that famous “tube tester” in every store?
Going back to the “Dial Chevrolet” Jingle. I believe it was originally:
Stanley, Stanley, Stanley Chevrolet
Two blocks off the Santa Ana Freeway
11980 East Firestone
Stanley Chevrolet
Anyone remember the “Curry’s Mile High Ice Cream Cone” jingle?
or
Thriftymart Drugstores?
“Whatever you put in your shopping cart you save and save at Thriftmart, THRIFTYMART”
Anyone remember the old jingle for Downey Savings? It was sung to the same melody as “Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main”…
Saving, saving,
The Downey Savings way…
The dollars mount in your account
Each and ev’ry day!
Saving, saving,
Insured?
You bet!
Okay!
To gain the goal you’re saving for,
Start your account today!
I used to sing that to my parents all the time and drive them nuts. And how about the song for Cormier Chevrolet?
If you thing you’d like a hand…
in buying a Chevy today…
Come on down to discount land…
Cormier… Chevrolet.
As for Sheriff John? I loved that show! He read my name on the air the day I turned five years old (thanks mom!) — I felt like he was singing that birthday song to ME!
I have a different memory of the old Sav On jingle. The tape that STILL rolls in my head hears:
Sav On! Sav On!
Great radio bargains every day
Save your money in every way (at)
Sav On Drug Stores, Sav On Drug Stores
BOOM! BOOM!
SAV ON!
Ahhhh, memories…!
Nancy… you can find the lyrics right here…
THE BIRTHDAY CAKE POLKA
From the TV Show “Sheriff John’s Lunch Brigade”
“Sheriff” John Rovick – 1952
Put another candle on my birthday cake
We’re gonna bake a birthday cake
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
I’m gonna have a party with my birthday cake
Come on and take some birthday cake
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
We’ll have some pie and sandwiches
And chocolate ice cream too
We’ll sing and play the day away
And one more thing I’m gonna do
I’ll blow out the candles on my birthday cake
And when I do, a wish I’ll make
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
(Musical Interlude)
Put another candle on my birthday cake
We’re gonna bake a birthday cake
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
I’m gonna have a party with my birthday cake
Come on and take some birthday cake
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
We’ll have some pie and sandwiches
And chocolate ice cream, too
We’ll sing and play the day away
And one more thing I’m gonna do
I’ll blow out the candles on my birthday cake
And when I do, a wish I’ll make
Put another candle on my birthday cake
I’m another year old today
(Happy birthday to you)
I’m another year old today.
Nancy, you can find the entire song online.
“I still remember parts of the Sheriff John bithday song. does anyone know it all?”
Well, for Nancy, and anyone else interested, here (at least for the next 48 hours) it is: http://ken.strophyx.com/Birthday.wav
I still remember parts of the Sheriff John bithday song. does anyone know it all?
My mom took me to see Sheriff John at a local market in the early 1950’s. Little Oscar was there handing out weenie whistles but ran out of them before he got to me ! Was I ever ticked off ! Never did get one.
I forgot FRITOS and the “Frito Kid” helped sponsor “Frontierland” at one time. This brings to mind the “politically in-correct” FRITO BANDITO. Hey, I still have some of those advertising items!
Anyone still have their Oscar Meyer WienerWhistle?
Wow, and to think this website started with a comment about Cal Worthington!
Engineer Bill came to the old Pioneer Market on Sunset Boulevard in the Echo Park area around 1962 and it was great seeing Bill Stulla again. I was on the show around 1957. He remembered me! He was there with the Oscar Meyer Weeniemobile and “Little Oscar”. Speaking of advertising icons, does anyone remember the “Frito Kid”? I remember seeing his image on the advertising at Disneyland back in the mid-1950s right after the park opened. Fritos was a sponsor in “Frontierland”.
I remember way back when — when Worthington Ford was Worthington DODGE! Must have been the early 70s. I used to watch tv late at night when I was babysitting, and I can’t remember most of the shows or movies I watched– but I remember Cal Worthington’s commercials by heart. Not to mention that goofy rabbit in Trix are for kids!
Hey Ron,
I remember some of the regulars on Steve Allen, even though I was going to school at Micheltorrena on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake at the time. Molly Bee was a guest on Steve’s show. Do you rememember “Gypsy Boots”, the health nut who advocated a healthy lifestyle and natural foods? He indeed lived a LONG life… he finally died in 2004 at age 89… and is buried at Hollywood Forever, of course. Do you recall he had “Mr. America George Eiferman” who used to work out at “Muscle Beach” in Santa Monica used to be an occasional guest dazzling the audience with his “dancing muscles”. He passed away in 2002 at 77. Do you recall “George Carlin, Tom Poston, Don Knotts (doing his nervous man routine) or the “hip hypnotist” Pat Collins? Those were great folks!
My mom did commercial announcements for “George Allen Motors” a Nash/Rambler dealer. Her Nash was “Peaches and Cream” in color back in 1954.
We used to eat at Coffee Dans on Hollywood Blvd. That was a great little place near the Egyptian Theater as I recall.
Helms Bakery and the big oak wood drawers that smelled like cinnamon rolls and crumb donuts. Yum.
Christian
Ron:
Thanks for sharing all of your neat memories with us. I was in high school during the time that Steve Allen was doing his show from the Playhouse. During the semesters I could only stay up late enough to watch him on Fridays, but during Christmas and summer vacations I hardly ever missed him. In a post above there are the lyrics to the Stanley Chevrolet jingle. I remember that Molly Bee – the young lady who sang that jingle – was a guest on Steve’s show many times. I also seem to recall that Phyllis Diller and Tim Conway were frequent guests early in their careers. Remember the “funny phone calls” ? One night Steve called Johnny Carson.
Oh yes – saw a restored Helms Bakery truck at a car show not long ago.
Did Engineer Bill come to WHITE FRONT?
A Shirley Temple was usually 7-up and grenadine. A Roy Rogers was the same as an S.P. but with coke instead of 7-up.
“Wallachs Music City” was at Sunset and Vine not Hollywood and Vine. Across Vine St. was NBC before it moved to Burbank. When the “Tonight Show” was still based in New York it would do the show from there periodically. I think I was in the audience once, along with “Queen for a Day” and “It Could be You” with Bill Leyden. Across from NBC, on Sunset, was what to become the “Aquarius Theater”, named for the tune in “Hair” which ran there for quite some time.
A friend and I somehow got ahold of Tom Hattens phone number and kept doing the “Prince Albert in a can” bit. Poor guy was either a partier or had a night job. He pleaded us to please stop so we did. I don’t recall if that was before or after we snuck away from a line at KTLA, found the “Popeye” set and half-destroyed part of it (an accident I swear).
One time Engineer Bill came to a big store called the White (something or other, I forget). For some reason a friend and I went there with decorated paper bags over our heads. Engineer Bill had us take the bags off and filled them with candy. Score.
The Steve Allen Playhouse was across La Mirada (I think) from the Hollywood Ranch Market. Once Steve took the entire audience out of the studio and into the Market where he got on a soapbox and ranted about something or other. Another time he got into a big plastic bowling ball and was bowled down La Mirada. Another time, Professor Julius Sumner Miller put Steve into a box and blew him up. Another time, they put raincoats, hats and pies under each of the audience-members seats then they had a huge pie fight. Too much more on this subject to write here.
A friend of my fathers worked at Allied Artists (now KCET studios} so I was able to get onto the lot. While climbing around in an attic I found all of the pods from the original “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”. Good lord, what would they be worth now?
My grandfather would take me to “Kikos” a Mexican restaurant in Burbank. There was a hostess with a beehive hairdo. Some two or three decades later I went there again and the same woman was there with the SAME HAIRDO. The first movie I remember seeing was “Rebel Without a Cause” also in Burbank, at the “Cornell Theater”.
There was a club on Vine St. called “Shellys Manhole” named after Shelly Manne, a noted jazz drummer.
A Helms bakery truck still came to our neighborhood in the early ’70s. A TV producer lived in the building and when we heard the jingle we’d both run out,like little kids, to wave the truck down. I was in my 20’s and he was probably in his 50’s.
There was a local TV show (on KABC) called “The Hub Talent Hour” sponsored by Hub Furniture Store. It was co-hosted by Dick Lane (of wrestling fame) and Dee Parker. I went on it to do a ventriloquist act. Unbeknownst to me, Dee decided to come sit down with me at the beginning of the act (this was live TV you understand). Problem is, a major part of the act was that the dummy had laryngitis and Dee kept trying to talk with him and screwed up the whole bit. All I remember after that is that some baton-twirlers won the competition.
But I digress.
Cal Worthington ” would eat a bug to sell you a car. I need your used car. I want your used car.”
Remember the commercials for Doughboys? ” you could get anything there. You could buy a shoe would kill a horse!”
Say the magic word, say Mission Pack, and it’s on its merry way. A gift so right, so gay, so bright, give the Mission Pack magic way.
Bob… what was the Mission Pack jingle words? I remember the commercial, but can’t quite remember the jingle. Also.. does anyone remember the KENT cigarette commercial words that went something like “Kent with the micronite filter… refines away harsh flavor, refines away harsh taste”? Though I have never smoked in my life, I still think the cigarette commercials were among the most fun and catchy.
[…] from a car dealer named Cal Worthington. He’d get upside down and proclaim, “I’ll stand on my head to beat anyone’s deal.” Well, Cal Worthington was willing to stand upside down to win a deal; liberals are […]
[…] from a car dealer named Cal Worthington. He’d get upside down and proclaim, “I’ll stand on my head to beat anyone’s deal.” Well, Cal Worthington was willing to stand upside down to win a deal; liberals are […]
does anyone remember all the words to the Mission Pack Christmas jingle, this always started off the Christmas season for us, my wife and I remember the words, but not the phone number , I know it was Adams *********, how many can remember when phone numbers had a letter prefix, we lived in Monrovia, and ours was, El for Elliot, and Arcadia was Hi for Hillcrest, and pasadena (sierra marde)was El for Elgin, and ElMonte was Gi for Gilbert, I think covina was Ed , if you can remember the phone number for the Mission Pack, please email us at desertsun92225@aol.com
Hello again Weston, I wrote you a long email. Hope you got it.
Hello Weston,
I will give mom your questions. Meanwhile, yes, LIPO was located on Gin Ling Way in Chinatown. Yes, it was a restaurant. Many non-Chinese used to dine there. Here is an image of a photo cover from 1940…
http://jpg1.lapl.org/sola2/00000920.jpg
Here is a photo of a non-Chinese family having dinner at Lipo in 1940…
http://jpg1.lapl.org/sola2/00000921.jpg
I will have my mom write you what she knows and will post it here. You can go to my website and email me.
Christian: Thanks so very much! I’ve so many questions that I wish I could put to your mother. The research I’m conducting has to do with a book I am writing about the efforts of LA County Sheriff’s detectives to solve a number of related cases during the 1950s and 60s. The story goes that in their off-hours some of these detectives would meet at LIPO or Li Po to hash over the details of the cases. A few starter questions would be: (1) Was the restaurant/bar called “Li Po.”? Li Po was a Chinese poet who wrote several poems extolling the joys of drinking, and his name was attached to a famous bar in San Francisco. I’m wondering if his name was not also used to label the LA establishment. (2) Does your mother have any recollection of LIPO or Li Po being used as a watering hold for off-duty law enforcement officers?
Hi Weston! Oh my God.. yeah, I remember LIPO very well. At least 2 of my aunts worked there back in the 1950s. It was a very beautiful bar and restaurant. I remember going there as a child and eating in the restaurant. The bar was off limits to kids, but I also recall they made me a drink called a “Shirley Temple” and that was the first time I ever heard of that. I felt all grown up after being served that. I was only about 8 years old at the time. I also recall the grand entrance, the ladies in tightly fitted Mandarin silk dresses and the smoke at the bar. My mom could go into far more detail than I could. She is 80 this year, but went to LIPOs quite a bit in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Christian: I’m seeking information about LIPO on Alameda Street that you mentioned in one of your postings. Was it a bar – a restaurant? You have any rememberance of its appearance, nearby buildings/businesses, kind of patrons, etc. Anything you can recall would be a huge help.
Don, if you are interested, Rocket Radio has a website http://www.palmsradio.com They also have a newsletter which is free (I subscribe to it). I have bought many CD’s from them plus California Air Checks through the years. I’m not pushing their products but they are quite interesting. KMPC, KHJ and other Historic Southern California stations have websites with plenty of airchecks on them too. Collecting Air Checks is a major hobby for some.
I discovered a lot of great radio station and ad ‘jingles’ from fairly low priced CDs by a group called Rockit Radio. Their stuff is on Ebay, and they painstakingly list every song and commercial on each CD. Lots of KHJ, KRLA, with the likes of Real Don Steele, Humble Harve, Wolfman Jack, Sav-On Drugs, Wrigley’s gum, Burgie Beer, Der Weinerschnitzel, you name it. They are derived from what are called radio checks, and people used to record the radio broadcasts as they happened. My favorites are from the mid-1960s, complete with radio jingles, weather, news. etc.
Does anyone remember going to the Los Angeles Farmers’s Market (3rd & Fairfax) in the late 50’s and early 60’s? So many unique smells and food for a young kid. I seem to remember a deli booth that had a kicking horse on the counter. Of course that drew your attention and when you went up to look, you would get a “kick” of strong horseradish aroma. Always made the eyes water!!! Manning’s Coffee?
I know, it is hard get good baked products like Helms now. So much has changed. Yes, I remember the little loaves of bread and field trips to Wonder Bread Bakery and Star Kist Tuna. It is amazing what we did as a generation back then. Van de Kamps was great back then too. The little blue windmill and ladies that dressed up in dutch clothes and hat. What about when MacDonalds was new, and not on every corner, things have changed so much now with all the processed food. The tastes just are not the same.
Remember the L.A. Zoo commercials in the early 70’s with a jingle that ends:
At the LA Zoo,
It’s a crazy zoo
?
Hey Teresa…
Helms was the best. Why can’t we find anything that tastes as fresh and good as that today? I remember the field trips to Helms.. and you got that little loaf of bread. I also remember the Star Kist Tuna factory in San Pedro. They gave us tuna cans that were piggy banks with a slot on the top of the can. Wallachs Music City featured records you could play to see if you liked the albums. I went to the one at South Bay Center at Hawthorne and Artestia. Down the street was “THE AKRON” store and “Zody’s” and later “White Front”. Hody’s was also at the northwest corner of Hollywood and Vine. They were good, but I really loved Tiny Naylors at Sunset and La Brea and Carolina Pines Jr., which later became “Copper Penny” in the 1970s.
Hey Nancy, Helms bakery, mmmmmmmmmmmmm. The best donuts and potato chips. I love hearing the whistle and the long pull out drawers and you kept a long card that logged your purchases and paid once a month. I lived in Long Beach and Lakewood until I was 13 and then moved to Huntington Beach when it was a lazy old surf town. Remember when you went on the wonder bread field trips and got a minature loaf of bread? Remember Wallechs Music City across from the Lakewood Center and Vic Tannys next door and Hody’s Coffee shop with car hops. Ok that’s enough i could go on forever.
When I was a little girl my mother owed a little resturant across the street from Stanley Chevorlet, I remember winning a doll in a glass case for singing a jingle that went like this.
Stanley, stanley Stanley Chevorlet two blocks off the santa anna free way 11980 east firestone Stanley Chevorlet. that had to be in the late fifties I live in chicago now and wonder if the resturant is still there?
This should help answer the Cal Worthington bio questions: http://www.answers.com/topic/cal-worthington?cat=entertainment
Per my post #125, Cal was a bomber pilot during World War Two, so that would put him in his early to mid 80’s.
Jim
If he’s still on this side of the grass he’s got to be close to 100. He was running his own TV show close to 60 years ago, and had the car dealerships close to the same time. I don’t remember him as being exactly school age back during the Korean War.
How old is Calk Worthiington form Carlsbad dodge in San Diego, the guy has been around forever?
Cal was old when I was a kid and now I’m in my forties. Does anyone know how old that guy is. We have a running joke that he is 150 yrs. or one year younger than God
Hi –
Does anyone know where to access any of those old Larry Parker got me 2.1 million commercials?
Man, this site brings me back to my youth. Glad to know I’m not alone in the Pussy Cow arena. :)
I wonder if the kids today will one day be reminiscing about, “588-2300 empire today!” or I heard my little 3 year old cousin singing, “key keys key keys from van nuys”. There will always be tv songs for us to fondly remember.
But does anyone know about that deaf woman who would teach a word or two in sign language? Then she’d say, “by for now” in a deaf voice. I’d love to find that on youtube.
Oh and how about the wonderful Me and Sparklets Water Makin’ Friends! Everytime I see a Sparklets truck I sing that song in my head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYygXrHqQiA
NORTON SIMON MUSEUM COMMERCIAL:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RukvxHuAxbk
lET’S NOT FORGET THE GREAT COLTON PIANO, “who would’ve thought that we could afford a piano of our own”.
Mention of the Hollywood Ranch Market reminded me of something. Remember Gabe Dell ? He used to show up on the Steve Allen show dressed in a Dracula costume. I remember one night Steve sent Gabe (in costume) to the Ranch Market to do some shopping. Of course there was also a cameraman there to pick up the reactions of other people in the store. I don’t remember any more than that, but I will bet that the other patrons in the Market as well as the employees hardly batted an eye as they were by then probably used to all of the tomfoolry from across the street !
Never went to the Clifton’s in L.A. Did go to the one in the Lakewood shopping center once in a while though (I grew up in Bellflower).
Jim
Christian, Hey, I still have my crystal radio! It was homemade Mine and in a cigar box. Must have gotten it when I was about -5-.
My grandmother was a “Ghost-Writer” for some radio shows in the late 30’s. The great Gildersleeve was one (I remember seeing a script for one when I was younger). Also the Morey Amsterdam “radio” show on KHJ. Of course it was all pre-TV. My Mom helped out with the sound effects when the baseball games came from the Ball Park via ticker-tape. We’re speaking 30’s(?) here and she was a little girl. I think there was a radio studio in the Earl C Anthony car agency in Hollywood since he owned the radio station at the time. The Baseball team was part of the old PCL.
Yep, KPOL, KHJ, KFWB, KRLA and a big Spanish Station in Pasadena was all I could get on crystal radio. Do you remember: “It’s Music City”….. and “There’s Something about a Muntz TV in Oh, So Many Ways!”?????
OK, here are some names that might also ring a “bell” (ding, ding): Signal, Gilmore, Hancock (with 10-Grades), Flying “A”, Richfield and Douglas to name just a few!
Yes, Cliftons. I still miss that place. Are they still around? When I worked downtown in the 70’s they were still there.
I remember Chinatown and it was always a treat to go there.
The things we remember!
Doug.. oh heck yeah! XERB was a great station.. and the wolfman was so cool. I do remember Tommy’s. I think they are still going somewhere. Speaking of Alameda Street, we used to walk over to Chinatown. My aunt worked as a hostess at LIPO, there at the main gate. Mom worked at the Rice Bowl around 1951 and 1952 while going to radio school, so by the time I was little, we would go there a lot because she knew so many people there. The Phoenix Bakery had these incredible strawberry cream cakes. Across the street was “Little Joes Italian Restaurant”. I was actually baptized at “St. Peters Italian Church” which is in Chinatown. Go figure.
Who could forget Clifton’s Cafeteria. The one with the waterfall over the door was the best one. I used to go to the matinee at the Tower Theater. That is now closed I am told, but what a grand theater.
I recall when the Music Center was being built and as a teenager I walked from the Echo Park area where we lived in 1964 to take photos. I remember the barricades but how pretty the building was when it was finished. The center theater and ahmenson were not yet constructed. They were going to open with Nat King Cole, but he got ill with cancer just a couple of months before his appearance and passed away.
We shopped at the PIONEER Market on Sunset near the Angelus Temple. Do you remember that market? They had a huge diamond lit in neon that revolved on the roof. They sponsored an all night classical radio show and said “we are open 24 hours.. if you come shop for groceries right now, you will avoid the crowds and get the freshest bakery products you could possibly find”. I had a crystal radio and that classical station, the “Beautiful Music station KPOL” and KFWB were the only stations I could tune in… but that was okay and I love that music to this day. Remember the restaurant called TAIX.. they had one near Union Station and another on Sunset at the Glendale Blvd. overpass. A Citizens National Bank was nearby.
Wow.. it’s all coming back to me!
Wow Christian, some great restaurants!
I used to work near 8th and Figueroa in downtown LA. Sure a lot of changes in the past -40- years.
At Beverly and Rampart we would eat standing up at Tommy’s Burgers or at Philippe’s (with all the sawdust and peanut shells on the floor) on North Alameda near Union Station. When I went to the Farmer’s Market in the 50’s I was just a little tyke, but I do remember that oil well.
How about “8228 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, California” where Wolfman Jack had you send your “cash, check or money order” for the goodies he was selling on XERB “the Mighty 1090 over Los Angeles”!
Doug.. wow.. yeah, I remember Van de Kamps. We went to the one on Wilshire on the “miracle mile”. I loved DuPars. There is one at Ventura and Laurel Canyon that still operates today in the old style. They have gooseberry pie, too. A real great place to relive the old days. Farmers market looked like a real farm village and was a series of cottages, not a super mall that it is today. Do you remember the super Rexall Drug store at Beverly and La Cienega? they had any kind of perfume, cologne or magazine on earth in there. It was huge. Part of the building is still there today, but it’s been given a second story. Mens Warehouse is on the second floor and it’s unremarkable today. Across the street was an oil well.. which is now home to the Beverly Center. That was the northern end of La Cienega’s Restaurant Row… some of the restaurants there were “Tail of the Cock”, “Laurys”, “Huddle’s”, and “Sarnez”. Those restaurants were grand and had big driveways. Very classy.
Thanks Jim for sharing the story about Mollie Bee and Steve Allen.
Let’s not forget Van de Kamps and Dupars restaurants. I remember going to the Farmer’s Market as a kid and seeing a deli(?) stand that made fresh horseradish. They had a kicking donkey which drew everyone’s attention. If you went up to the donkey as it “kicked” you got a fresh strong whiff of horseradish. A real attention getter!
Anyone remember those art deco Flxible busses to LAX and Burbank Airports?
Yep, those Grumman Goose aircraft to Catalina and the “Big White Steamship” back to the Mainland was always a treat!
Helm’s Bakery trucks? There was one parked nightly in our garage from 1939-1957. My dad was a Helmsman in Southgate, picking up those yummies from the bakery in Montebello. I’d go with him once in a while to “load up” at 4am…then home to sleep again ’til 8am when dad would go out on his route.
Ever so often he let me go on his route too…. a big deal for a little squirt.
These were the days before all the bakery goods had to be sealed, so kids
could, and did stop the Helmsman and buy a donut or two, maybe a few cookies…..Jim / Anaheim
Jim.. great story. Although I remember the Stanley Chevrolet commercial very clearly back in the 50s (we are about the same age) I didn’t know Mollie Bee did the commercial. I do remember her and the Steve Allen show. Do you remember that his studio was across the street from the “Hollywood Ranch Market” on Vine Street south of Sunset? They had the “5 cent coffee-best coffee in town” sign there forever. I recall they made the donuts in a big machine and we would watch them plop into the deep fryer and cook automatically. The store was open 24 hours a day and Steve used to send folks over there to chat with customers. I remember Gypsy Boots would tell people how much they were poisoning themselves with “poisonous” foods. He may have been right, because he lived to be 89 and died of natural causes in 2004.
Speaking of Hollywood eateries in the 1950s and early 60s … I have great memories of “Tiny Naylors”, “Stans Drive-In”, “Carolina Pines, Jr.”, “Coffee Dan’s”, “Nickodells” (the one at Selma and Gower), and “Copper Skillet” (southwest corner of Sunset and Gower). My memory is a bit foggy on Stans… what corner was it on? Was it at the southeast Sunset at La Brea or Sunset at Vine??
Do any of you remember who sang the Stanley Cheverolet commercial ? Mollie Bee was the young lady’s name. Later, Stanley Chevrolet became Dial Chevrolet, and Mollie re-did the jingle. I recall that Mollie used to appear on Steve Allen’s TV show from the 1960’s pretty regularly pretty good singer.
I sure do remember the Helms Bakery trucks. Saw a restored one at a car show a while back – might have been the one currently at the Petersen museum.
Being an aviation buff since I was seven years old (60 now) I very much wanted to take the seaplane (“Goose” built by Grumman Aircraft) to Catalina but never got the chance.
Jim
KRLA vs. KHJ…. do you remember in the mid-1960s when those 2 rock and roll (called “top 40” stations at the time, were bitter rivals? I recall KRLA had “Humble Harve” and he was a huge draw for the loyal KRLA listeners. I was a KHJ fan. They printed the “BOSS 30” lists every week and put them in all the record stores. In 1966, Humble Harve was brought over to KHJ and threw a huge party. KRLA lost the pop music war in Los Angeles. The party was called “The Humble Harve Hello Happening” and was held at the Palladium. I was there. You got tickets by calling in and you got 2 sweat shirts with the logos on them. That was your entrance fee. We had a ball. There were 2 live bands…. The Sopwith Camel sang “Hello, Hello” and The New Vaudeville Band played “Winchester Cathedral”. It was awesome to hear the hits in real life. My favorite disc jockeys at KHJ were Robert W. Morgan and The Real Don Steele. Years later, Humble Harve killed his wife… but that night was legendary and I won’t ever forget it.
“Stanley, Stanley, Stanley Chevrolet, two blocks off the Santa Ana Freeway…..” I also remember taking a seaplane from Wilmington to Catalina Island for about $5.75, John’s Bicycle Shop in Pasadena (still have that bike bag) and the Northwood’s Inn with those peanut shells on the floor! “K-W-(pop)-I-Z”….”a Chris-Craft Station” (was that KCOP?)..plus “Be There or Be Square”!
Those are all great memories.. yes, I remember almost all of them. We used to visit my aunt Celeste who lived a few blocks down from Stanley Chevrolet in the 1950s and 60s, so I remember passing the big grain silos on Pioneer at the Santa Ana Freeway. I do remember the Helms Bakery Trucks.. and they have a fully restored one at the Petersen Auto Museum on Wilshire Boulevard in L.A. I certainly remember the smell of the cinnamon rolls and fresh donuts in those big oak drawers he used to pull out and his nice uniform and cap. Sure I recall Sheriff John. Sky King was great… never missed that or “Whirly Birds” or Mr. District Attorney with David Brian. Oh, yeah, I remember riding Angels Flight several times. The last time was around 1965 or so. I always took the round trip and came back down the hill to shop at the GRAND CENTRAL MARKET and eat at Cliftons Cafeteria. Wow… those were the days!
had to retype so apologize if up twice… Another 1970’s after school memory. Did anyone apply to win the Joker’s Wild family trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain? The winner was picked after writing a twenty-five word essay (could’ve been more words but not many more). I just know that I did not win. :(
Hi all,
I have a few more to add. My memories take me back to Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Greenjeans. Sheriff John and “Put another candle on my Birthday cake, we are going to bake a birthday cake, put another candle on my birthday cake, I am another year old today. Happy birthday to you, your another year old today. What about Romper Room and that magic mirror? and Sky King “out of the western sky, comes….. SKY KING!!! Does anyone remember riding Angels Flight in downtown L.A.? now you are a real Angeleno if you remember that one. But hold on there, there is one more test. And that is the Helms Bakery Van that used to travel the streets with that distintive whistle calling all us kids out for donuts. Good Memories. Sometimes to annoy my older brother I call him and sing him the Stanely Chevrolet Jingle. Stanley, Stanley Stanly Chevrolet 3 blocks off the Santa Anna Freeway 11980 East Firestone Stanley Chevrolet. God I love that one.. it makes me smile. I also remember that Strawberry Farm where you could get the best strawberries you’d ever want to eat… How about the MacDonalds off Rosemead Blvd, on the way to the beach was it in Lakewood?
How many of you remember those National Lumber commercials and the hilarious antics of Shorty and Cheap Chicken? I do. Not to mention that cheery jingle:
“It’s the good stuff
At the right price.
National Lumber!!”
Funny stuff!
Hi Randy… how great you remember the Dr. Ross Dog Food jingle. Here are the exact words as sung by the cartoon dogs…
“Feed him Dr. Ross food, do him the favor…
It’s got more meat and it’s got more flavor…
It’s got more meat to make him feel the way he should…
Dr. Ross Dog Food is dog-gone good… WOOF!”
The Stanley Chevrolet Commercial in Norwalk off the Santa Ana Freeway (1950s) went like this…
“Stanley, Stanley, Stanley Chevrolet,
Two blocks off the Sannie Annie Freeway,
11980 East Firestone, Stanley Chevrolet”
Savon Drugs went like this…
“Sav-on… Sav-on… Join the Savon hit parade, it’s fun to serve yourself and save at SAV-ON Drug Stores, SAV-ON Drug Stores…(boom boom)… SAVON!!”
What a phenomenon, about the “pussycow” thing. I even remember singing it out loud as a kid and my dad giggled and said “no, it’s ‘go see Cal'”. Ha ha apparently most kids thought they heard “pussycow”.
Anyway, that describes me totally– the latch key kid in the 80s with afternoon TV being my babysitter.
I remember all the L.A. Zoo commercials that looked like a crossword puzzle, spelling words like ‘gnu’ and ’emu’.
And this jingle:
“Well you won’t get a lemon
From Toyota of Orange”
And, ‘how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?’ OWL: ‘A one, a two-hoo!, three (crunch!)’ Though I suppose that one is not LA centric.
Hey, where’s all you fifties kids?
Not one of you have mentioned this jingle that’s been in my head since 1956??
“Dr. Ross dog food will do you a favor,
It’s got more meat and its got more flavor,
Dr. Ross dog food will do your dog good,
Dr. Ross dog food is dog gone good, WOOF!!
And speaking of Tom Hatten, my younger brother actually went on that show. Mom, Dad and I got to be on the set. Kuhl! The other kid won the contest though, and bro received the consolation prize of one-each of one of those woggle boards? You know, that curved-up 1″ thick, 5″ wide and perhaps 40” long. You put a foot on each end and then you just woggle or waddle away. It was probably a Whammo product.
Hollywood Park jingle as I seem to remember it:
They’re off and runniing at Hollywood Park
The happy crowds enjoy life at Hollywood Park
Come out and have a lot of fun
Watching the thoroughbreds run
At beautiful Hollywood Park !
I can’t believe I am still seeing Cal Worthington doing commercials. He was a bomber pilot during WW2 so he’s gotta be in his early 80’s at least ! I guess I have to hand it to him for still being there !
Jim
I was born in Long Beach in ’69 and was raised on these classic regional commercials in the 70’s and 80’s, such as Cal Worthington, Jack Stephan, Larry H. Parker, and the mid-day Dootson truck driving commercials. I seem to recall a ridiculous (Dootson?) commercial where they start the scene with a truck slowly rolling down an empty stretch of pavement and they hit the breaks and the guy fly’s through the windshield and does a ninja roll on the pavement and then proceeds to get up and pitch his truck driving school? Hello! You just were thrown from your truck and you want to give me lessons. Does anyone remember this commercial or am I losing my mind?
I’m taking a stab at the SavOn drugstore lyrics:
“SavOn, SavOn. Join the SavOn hit parade, it’s fun to serve yourself and save at Savon drugstore, Savon drugstore (boom) (boom) SavOn!!”
Love the website.
During the 50’s Cal had a country music show, “Cal’s Corral” on KCOP every weekend that ran (or seemed to run) all day long. I remember that before I remember the car commercials, though I seem to remember some of the car commercials eventually running during the show. I think that he actually did have a dog in the early versions of the commercials, but then they took off into the anything-but-a-dog ones that everybody remembers.
As to the competition, there was a moment that Johnny Carson once asked Ralph Williams about that I actually saw. It may have happened on numerous occasions, but I remember one late Friday night (actually the wee hours of a Saturday morning) in the late 60’s, flipping around the dial to see what if anything was on, only to be met by Ralph and Storm on every single station (2,4,5,7,9,11 and 13) simultaneously. I at first thought I was imagining it, but continued spinning the dial around again to confirm it. That’s what you call serious saturation advertising, even if it was centered on the “getting ready to sleep it off” demographic.
I actually went to Worthington Dodge in Carlsbad (near San Diego) when I was living down there in 1988 and bought a new Dodge Daytona. They were really nice to me and I had the car for many years. I guess it depends on that first impression! haha.
Tom… you ARE officially an “L.A. Guy”… or as some would say.. an “Angelino”. Speaking of which, the actual correct term is “Angeleno”, named after Angeleno Heights, near Echo Park… the first “suburb” of Los Angeles back in the 1880s or so. If you were a transplant back in the old days, you lived there, so the term “Angeleno” was coined to describe those who were not actually born and raised in L.A. Just a bit of trivia. It’s a historic district now.
I came to L.A. from Chicago in 1981 at age 21 and have been here ever since. I have always wondered whether I’m an L.A. guy or a transplant but after reading all this, I can safely say that I’m an L.A. guy now.
I remember Tiny Naylors on La Brea very well and all the Cal Worthington and his dog spot commercials. So I guess I am officially an L.A. guy by now.
I went to a Cal Worthington Dodge place once to buy a car. They seemed so big on the commercials. When I got there, the place was so small and some grease ball salesman came up to me with slick backed hair and gold chains, I just left.
Sorry Cal.
I believe the tattoo artist at the Pike for many years was “Sailor Jerry Collins”… does that ring a bell? He was the mentor of one of the most famous tattoo artists living today, Don Hardy, who has a clothing line and stores on Melrose in West Hollywood today. Sailor Jerry was tattooing in the 1940s, 50s and early 60s, I believe.
Got a tatoo at “The Pike” when I was nineteen.
Don’t know the radio station but I listened to Lucky Lager Dance Time. The program always ended with the standard “Dream”. Wow.
The Carl Wallenda fall was in Puerto Rico, not the Grand Canyon and the video is on youtube.com.
The Carl Wallenda fall was in Puerto Rico, not the Grand Canyon and the video is on youtube.com. Have a blessed Christmas.
i am searching for old born ihe 60s commercil damaged adults
arcive footage of cal worthington
and especialy the one where he was beaten by Kangaroo badlt (it was edited) bu infact he was hurt very very bad.. also carl walenda footage from new of the grand cyn fall to dath.., etc , anything of dryand disturbing footage that was run reduduntly ,to damage a 8 yrs old pretty damn well
i can see it in my mind or any wird commericas or footage that would now NEVER BE AIRED reply or emails Babywithherbroom@yahoo.com
I , too was born at Maywood hospital,4400 east Slauson ave in Maywood. did you grow up in the Southeast area as I did ?
I confess, I was born in the Maywood hospital, Iam a true Angelino, always will be. I currently live (if you can call it that) in Wichita, KS. I do remember early LA tv. When ever I see news from eeeccchhhhh new york. They show aerial scenes of news stories. No body even so much as has a clue That KTLA in Los Angeles wasthe station that innovated that particular style of broadcasting. Television wouldn’t be what it is without the LA contribution. These networks think that news can only be reported from newyork, but LA is a 24 hr city. and FOX is ripping off KTLA morning news with their lame attempt at humor. I’ll take LA television over ny tv any time. Sorry if I osund a little bitter but these are some of the things I don’t like, and can’t do anything about.
I’ve been wanting to find a funny version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” I believe that the KLAC players did many years ago. “Haines at the raines” played it. If anyone remembers that and knows of a way for me to get a copy, I’d really appreciate it! Boy do I miss that old country station….
KMPC was a great station! With a little research on the Internet you might just find some Air Checks from that time period. Who knows, you might even hear one of those ads! My Grandmother was a “ghostwriter” for the old Morey Amsterdam Radio Show on KHJ. Of course those were pre-rock days too.
I hope this doesn’t show my age, but my mom did radio commercials at KMPC in the 1950s for the old “Bolero Time” show. Some of her commercials were for “George Allen Motors” and she did a commercial where she said the newest and trendiest car was the American Motors NASH.. especially in the 2 tone paint job known as “peaches and cream”. In her day, KMPC featured the music of Nelson Riddle, Les Baxter, Tony Martin, Dinah Shore, Billy May, Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney. During the 1950s they also were known as the dance music station and played “Cha Cha Cha”, “Tangos” and other latin dances on weekends. About 1959 or so, they did indeed go to a rock and roll format as Doug states and that continued until about 1964 or so when KHJ and KRLA became so huge they could not compete with the younger hip crowd, so they decided to do the “easy sophisticated rock” of the day like Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Tijuana Brass, Baja Marimba Band, Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66, Tom Jones, Englebert Humperdink, Dean Martin and Montovani. That lasted for many years in the 1960s. Seems that all changed by 1970 or so.
Speaking of B. Mitchell Reed, do you remember one of his slogans? “Two In A Row On The BMR Show!”
Wink Martindale had ” Wink’s Wax to Watch!” (wax meaning an old term for records)…
Re: B.Mitchell Reed. As I noted above I believe KFWB and KRLA were L.A.’s first rock ‘n roll stations, and I seem to recall that Mitch Reed was one of KFWB’s original DJ’s – along with Bill Balance, Joe Yokum, and others whose names I can’t recall now (50 years ago y’know).
Hi Jeff.. I recall the Sav-On jingle going like this…. there may have been 2 versions……
SavOn, SavOn!
Join the SavOn hit parade,
It’s fun to serve yourself and save at
SavOn Drug Stores, SavOn Drug Stores
[boom, boom]
SAVON!
Does anyone remember the “Hollywood Park” jingle? It starts…
“They’re off and running at Hollywood Park….
and ends like this….
“come on and have a lot of fun… watching the throughbreds run… at beautiful Hollywood Park”
The other commercial that I can’t remember the words to was the KENT Cigarette commercial…
“Kent with the micronite filter.. refines away harsh flavor”… etc.
Here’s the Sav-On jingle…
Sav-On, Sav-On, Join the Sav-on hit parade, you will get served and always save at Sav-On Drug Store, Sav-On Drug Store (BOOM BOOM) Sav-On!
My grandmother owned an out-of-town newspaper shop at 34 south Pine in the old State Theater (aka Jergins Trust) building across the street from the entrance to the Pike in the Ocean Center building. During the summers of 65, 66 and 67 I worked at her shop in the morning and at noon, she gave me 2 dollars to buy a burger and play the games at the Pike in the afternoons. Those memories still are with me.
I was a KHJ fan because of the “Boss 30” lists and rooting for my favorite songs to be at the top of the list. They also had the best contests, which I won a few times. They also seemed to play many songs for the first time. I remember very clearly they were the first to play “My World is Empty Without You” by the Supremes in 1966 at Christmas time and we all tuned in to hear it. KRLA was more about the car radio set and they did seem to play more “local L.A. bands” like Sam the Sham, Question Mark and the Mysterians and The Four Seasons.
Yes , I recall we would have to tell our parents the same . sometimes we would really be naughty and skip school and make our way to the pike , use our lunch money and play games on the midway all day long…actually , I grew up near the pike and as a small kid did not even know Disneyland was so close because, my parents always took us to the Pike and that was the only amusement park I knew . I did not step foot in Disneyland till I was 13.
There was another amusement Park (a small one ) in or near Whittier narrows, I think (??) does anyone remember the name of it ?
KHJ was main stream ,as I got a little older I would listen to Kmet or Klos . I remember B. Mitchell Reed , oh, there was another one I can’t think of his name now (this is what old age does to you ! ) but, he also worked as one of the first MTV vj’s ?
We loved the Pike. Our parents did not like us going there though so when we would go there we would tell them we were going somehwere else.
I did not listen to KHJ. They played “bubblegum” music – meant to appeal to pre-teens, and I could not stand Don Steel’s schtick – he was the mold for the “Top-40 DJ”. That said, it was still sad to hear of his passing a few years ago.
Sounds like lots of fun! I was just a kid back then , barely preteen years but, I do remember the radio stations of the times and of coarse the wonderful music. it seems like from what I remember LA was the happening place in those days. (I had an Aunt that was just a few years older then myself and she was in her teens then and I sooo wanted to be like her!) I also remember Where the Action is filming in and around Griffith Park and The Zoo. and all the drag strips where happening at the time, as a kid it seemed very exciting!
In the late 1970’s KRLA was trying to make a come back since by that time KFWB had been all news for awhile, KHJ had faded into rock n roll history and alot of the jocks from those stations where there at the Big 1110 , Wolfman Jack was there , Humble Harve, Real Don Steel, Johnny Hayes, Huggy Boy and such. they would have dances and partys with DJS and special guests. the dances would take place at the old Whophoppers at Universial ( long before the city walk was around) those where fun days. I was able to meet alot of the DJs . I have since wondered what ever happened to them(??) I know there are a few that are no longer with us (Real Don Steel, Wolfman Jack) I had done some traveling around in the late 1990’s and did happen to catch Humble Harve on a station near Salt Lake City Utah don’t know if he is still around these days? I remember the trouble he was in back in the early 1970’s.
I just feel very lucky to have grown up in Los Angeles , I now live up North and still miss my hometown sometimes but, things have changed maybe not for the better there, and that is why I really love sights like this where we can remember when things where alot simpler and as a kid there was no better place then Southern California to be!
P.S.
Do you remember the Pike? ahh, such fun!
“KFWB… channel 98” sure brings back memories… they didn’t play the “hard rock and roll” like Martha and the Vandellas, Chubby Checker or Bobby Rydell… instead, they were the station who played the “soft rock” of the time like Dionne Warwick, the Tijuana Brass and Petula Clark… remember?
Other stations in Los Angeles during the late 1950s and early 1960s I loved as a young teen were KPOL who played “beautiful music” like 101 Strings, Mantovani and Percy Faith, KFAC, the classical radio station and KWKW (“Kay Woubla-Ooo, Kay Doubla-Ooo”), the Spanish station.
93/KHJ and KRLA were the rock and roll stations and they had a long-standing rivalry. Some of the school kids were fans of one and others were fans of the other.. most of us went back and forth on the dial but swore we never did. KHJ had a “Top 20” hit list and printed it on little cards. Almost all of us carried the list in our pockets hoping our favorite songs would make it to the top every week. There was a show one night of the week that had the “countdown” in L.A. The list came out the following day and we would boast our song was now “number 10” and so forth. These little cards are collectors items today.
One thing I have rarely heard is that in those days, KHJ and KRLA did not play “100 percent rock” that so many “oldies stations” play today… rather.. they both would play “softer sounds”, “instrumentals”, etc. as well… like Percy Faith (“Theme from a Summer Place”), Paul Mauriat (“Love is Blue”), Tijuana Brass, Duane Eddy (“Because They’re Young”), and dozens more of these types of songs, as well. Another thing you never hear are the joke songs they played like “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron”, “They’re Coming to Take Me Away.. haha” and “Winchester Cathedral” by Sopwith Camel. Remember those??
I feel blessed that I was in attendance at “Humble Harves Hello Happening” at the Hollywood Palladium in 1966 when Harve, a hugely popular DJ from KRLA, made the transition to KHJ. It was a real slap in KRLAs face that he “went to the other side”. To be honest, I can’t remember why there was such a rivalry (do you guys rmemeber why it was so fierce?). KHJ put together a huge party to brag about it and the first callers on the hour were given 2 free tickets and 2 sweatshirts to the event. I took my girlfriend Esther Singerman who was my classmate at Louis Pasteur Junior High. We saw several groups live, had great food and danced for several hours. It was a great time and memory.
I very much remember KFWB and KRLA from the mid 1950’s on. I believe they were the very first rock n’ roll music stations in the Los Angeles ares. KWWB billed itself as “Color Radio, Channel 98”. As for KRLA, that is where I first heard “Emporer” Bob Hudson, who later with Ron Landry did “Ajax Liquor Store”.
‘come out and have a lot of fun,
watching the thoroughbreds run –
at beautiful Hollywood Park !’
Speaking of Dick “Whoa Nelly !” Lane, I have a DVD of a WW2 movie tilted “Air Force” that was made in 1943. The movie is about a B-17 bomber that was part of a flight of 9 B-17’s that arrived in Hawaii while the Pearl Harbor attack was underway. Dick played the commander of that B-17 flight. I also seem to remember Dick being in the John Wayne war movie “Fighting Seabees”.
I bought a copy of the DVD “Arabian Nights” with Maria Montez and Sabu. It’s a great adventure romantic movie. What really turned my head was one of the character actors… none other than DICK LANE of “Roller Derby” and “Wrestling” fame. I instantly recognized his voice. He was billed as “Richard Lane”. How weird was that? I never knew he acted!!
great site! all of those wonderful memories of early SoCAl t.v. commercials! how bout some of the good old radio stations and commercial jingles? used to listen to KFWB channel 98 (before it became all news!) and good old KRLA 1110 on your dial.KLAC had Haines at the raines and the commercials, one that I had almost forgot but, my husband reminded me of… There off and running at Hollywood park , beautiful running at Hollywood Park come on and have yourself a ball at beautiful Hollywood, beautiful Hollywood , beautiful Hollywood park ! oh yea those where the days ~~~~
You really made me laugh mentioning the Cal Worthington song… He was (is) a L.A, icon. I remember growing up in South Gate and his first car lot was at the corner of where I went to school (early 60’s) we would walk past it everyday and sometimes he would be out there doing his commercials , this was of coarse before spot. but, it was a treat to see all the cameras and Cal too. anyways just wanted to comment and tell you thanks for bringing back some great memories ! Thanks, April M.
Does anyone remember the name of that halloween cartoon about a witch and some kids? It used to come on ktla i believe, and the commercial for the show always had the song “Thriller” playing in the background.
terrance,
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!! I can’t believe I just sat and watched it again! It was strange … a little of what I rememberd … I didn’t remember her horrible outfit or the walk in the beginning. And the editing … they cut out her begininning line, “i’m Candace Bergen….”
But it was wonderful! My OCD can be put to rest! Thank you!
After all these years of trying to find this commercial, someone from YouTube posted this baby up: The Norton Simon Museum with Candice Bergen. Here’s how it goes:
CANDICE BERGEN: (walking ) The Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA. It houses many of the greatest art treasures of the world. Sculptures, paintings and tapestries.
ART MONTAGE
The finest artists are here: Rembrandt, Monet, Rafael, Cezanne, Zuburan, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, Goya, Picasso. Hundreds of others.
Waldo de los Rios’ Mozart 40 playing.
Now, Norton Simon, who brought together the greatest art collections, assembled in decades, is personally directing a creation of an unique setting worthy of these masterpieces.
The Norton Simon Museum is open to the public. Check for days and times. Come see it.
To finally see this go here:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dznuGvA_8Bk
I grew up in Whitier in the late 50’s early 60’s. I remember cal and his nutty commercials. Also diver dan, supercar, thunderbirds, engineer bill (Loved the sleek silver train with the flags on each side GO ATSF)! sea hunt, mr Ed, roller derby GO BOMBERS!!!!! Mickey mouse club, HOWDY DOODY!
ok…you guys are really starting to scare me…the years of therpy all undone from growing up in SoCal- Oh well, Go with it Sarge! I found myself remembering a whole lot more than I barganed for on this site. Remember how Foul Fishman (Hal Fishman) would look into the camera and you would always wonder what is he looking at? The whirly bird thing ended up being a fan because my parents only had the one window room air conditioner. Tom Hatten and Popeye…why didn’t he ever pick my squiggle? Cal Worthington- go see what cow? Out in Chino or what? I thought my dad was going to leave my mom for Elvira. I remember asking my mom to take me to the beach (Newport of course) so we could find Sigmund the Seamonster and of course going around the block trying despretly to locate a way to Sesame Street. The final topper though….anybody remeber watching Yorba Linda’s population go from 20,000 (or so) quadruple? Thats the show that made me leave and never come back
I think KTLA did a history of the station. You might check GOOGLE. Gees Vic Tanney and Dick Haines sure bring back memories!
When I moved to L.A. in 1956 and plugged in my TV, the first thing I saw was Vic Tanney offering me a Lifetime membership in his gym. and I will never forget “Dial for sun, dial for fun, dial BRadwhaw 2-8-6-1-1 (Sahara Hotel commercial) My favorite TV show then was Saturday Morning Special, hosted by the radio disk jockey Dick Haines (Haines at the reins).
Had KCOP ever produce a retrospective show on the history of their station?
On one of my journeys through the internets I stumbled across this. I wonder if Cal would approve?
http://www.senorchips.com/work/spiltmilk.swf
I remember channel 5 called their copter the KTLA TELECOPTER. It was a long time before I finally called them “Helicopters”. Yes, I also remember “Whiley Birds” and “Sky King”, as well. I was also on Bill Stula’s “Engineer Bill” show (drinking milk while he said “red light” and “green light”) and Sheriff John’s gentle voice and his sponsors “Tree Top Apple Juice” and “Farmer John Bacon” and he sang “Put another candle on my birthday cake”.
Jim,
Thanks for the feedback. I guess if you got the “Whirley Bird” helicopter for a $1 and box top it must have been a “National Show”. Seems to me Cannon Ball was about truck drivers who drove a tanker truck? An early Movin’ On type Show.
Doug – I remember all of the TV shows you mention except “Cannon Ball”, and thinking of “Whirley Birds”, I had a toy “Whirley Bird” helicopter that I got by means of the usual $1 and cereal box top. It seems like everything was for $1 and a box top.
A few years back KTLA (5) did a retrospective of it’s 50 years of operation. I believe one of the old clips they showed was of the Dick Lane commercial with the fender falling off the car.
That must have been funny to see the fender fall off. Of course those cars (in any condition) would be classics these days!
Growing up in Southern California I seem to remember some early TV shows from the mid 1950’s that were filmed in the area: WHIRLEY BIRDS, RESCUE 8 and CANNON BALL (about truck drivers) and of course SEA HUNT come to mind. Anyone remember those?
I believe both wrestling and roller derby came from the Olympic Auditorium in L.A. My dad lived not far from the Olympic when he was a kid in the 1920’s so it had been around for a while. Speaking of the Olympic, Dick Enberg and Jim Healey did the Thursday nignt fights from there as well.
I believe Parnelli Jones got his start in auto racing driving jalopies at Ascot.
Dick Lane also used to do car commercials – to emphasize a point he would bang on the fender of a car with palm of his hand. I seem to recall that for one commercial a car was rigged so that when Dick hit the fender, it fell off !
I also remember when Dick Lane announced the Jalopy/Destruction Derby Races! I think those were held at Ascot Raceway (Gardena). Of course he also announced for Roller Derby!
I remember BOTH the Hub Furniture and Channel 13 being a “Chris Craft” station. DICK LANE… remember his famous line “OHHH NELLY!!” whenever he got excited and trying to sell stuff, that’s what he would say. He also was an announcer for the wrestling show. I think from the American Legion Stadium in Hollywood, if I am not mistaken. The building is now a Ballys Gym.
If you watched Channel 5 in the early days you might remember those HUB FURNITURE and LOAN ads. I think Dick Lane did a lot of them. Also, remember when Channel 13 was a “CHRIS-CRAFT” station?
“There’s something about a MUNTZ TV in oh so many ways…”, shall we go on?
“There’s something about a MUNTZ TV in oh so many ways….” Shall we go on?
Speaking of David Horowitz, the producer of his show was Loyd Thaxton – remember his “American Bandstand-like” dance show on Ch. 13 during the 1960’s ?
Oh yes – the Thrifty jingle:
Save a nickel, save a dime,
Save at Thrifty every time !
Save a dollar and much more,
At your Thrifty Drug Store !
Oh yes – saw “Elvira” on TV recently – still looks great !
JIm
If only trigonomitry stuck in my head like the ols commercials. What a great time it was to be a kid. I get the looney toons collections from NetFlix because no one plays them any more. I remember a show called maby Cartoon Jucnction and it would always start with a train pulling in and go over with the train leaving. I think Porkey was the engineer. Geez, the things I do instead of my job…
Test myfunction comment
There is a one-page profile of Cal in the current issue of Hemmings Classic Cars magazine – did you know he used to be a bomber pilot in WWII? He owns a Dodge dealership here in San Diego, and I still see the ads on TV every week (he does ’em on greenscreen from his home studio in NorCal).
I have tried unsuccessfully to find the Sav-On jingle for a long time now – no joy. But as many mentions of the Thrifty Drug jingle as this thread’s seen, I can’t believe no one has mentioned Thrifty-Mart! “Every day’s a savings day at Thrifty-Mart…”
Adding a few memory joggers… remember the Lamb Chevrolet ads on KCOP? Where the lamb would wink at the end? Or the old, sedate Mervyn’s ads with the “Mervyn’s Today!!” jingle and the unnaturally calm old announcer reading something like “little girls’ cotton panties, 3 for a dollar” over the sedate background music? And of course, the 90-second commercials on KCOP, KTLA and KHJ-TV selling record compilations: “To get your 30 giant hits from the Do It Now Foundation, call RI-9 5959, that’s Richmond 9, 5959.”
BTW, there was a Tiny Naylor’s on Del Obispo in San Juan Capistrano too, visible from the 5 freeway where it met the Ortega Highway. It was a sit-down restaurant, not a drive-in. I loved that place – great food and about a mile of counter seating (why do kids love to eat at the counter so much?).
Finally, for our San Diego readers: “See Pearson Ford, they stand alone at FAIRmont and El Cajon!”
when will we start campaigning for our candace bergen commercial???? I have got to see it again in this lifetime!
more latchkey kid stuff from the late 70’s to early 80’s from channel 5, 11, and 13:
1)\The foreign movie with this woman on a plane. Her plane fell from the sky and she landed in the amazon forest in her plane seat. She then had to crawl through the jungle and take maggots out of her legs. loved it!
2) all elvira movies
3) the return of the creature from boggy creek
4) the boy who ran away into the forest and carved out a home in a tree trunk. he lived with his owl. forgot the rest of the plot.
PUSSY COW!!!!! What about those Earl Scheib commercials. Ever few years the price would change…. I’ll paint any car, any price for $__9.95
no ups and no extras” (you fill in the price.) Or what about the show on KNBC “FIGHT BACK” with David Horowitz, or the Sat Show called “Whitney and the Robot”
S-C-R-E-A-M!!! Pete Ellis Dodge!! It took me 28 years to get that jingle out of my head! And now, like a much-hated ex-boyfriend, it’s back!!!
Southern California commercials: Anyone remember HUGH SLATE? Of the law firm Slate and Leoni? They’d prop up that squinty old guy with no neck and he’d read “Dial N-O B-I-L-L-S” off a cue-card. Concerning TOM HATTEN: My mom talked to him last week at a big band concert (May 07)–still fit and friendly. When she told him I’d loved Family Film Festival in my 70’s childhood, he instantly grabbed a napkin and drew an EXCELLENT Popeye portrait on it, with the sailor saying “I met yer mom!” (Hatten used to make appearences at my West L.A. grade school’s October carnival, “The Halloween Hoot,” dressed as Popeye…he also played F.D.R. in the L.A. production of “Annie” at the recently demolished Shubert Theater in Century City.)
At several web sites there is a hilarious Ralph Williams Bay Shore Chrysler commercial spoof done by Chick Lambert, with Storm relaxing on the hood of a station wagon. If I recall correctly Lambert was Williams’s sales manager, and did all of the commercials. In the spoof Lambert referst to Williams as a balled-headed p***k who is out to rape the Bay area, and will spend every dime on booze, prostitutes, and gambling. Just do a google search for “Ralph Williams” and you will find it.
I am a baby boomer who grew up in So. Cal. so I definately remember Ralph and Cal. Also Tom Hatten, Engineer Bill, Skipper Frank and Sheriff John.
“It’s Music City” at Hollywood and Vine!
“It’s Music City” at Hollywood and Vine
ToddS… THANK YOU… we have been racking our brains trying to find the lyrics to that one! You’re fantastic!
SavOn, SavOn!
Join the SavOn hit parade,
It’s fun to serve yourself and save at
SavOn Drug Stores, SavOn Drug Stores
[boom, boom]
SAVON!
We used to only get KTLA and NBC and would spend the entire summer watching syndicated episodes of Magnum and Little House on the Prairie. I used to love the ads for Santa’s Village where “now you can see Santa in the summer time! Visit the animials in the petting zoo! See the good witch’s bakery.” We never did see Santa in the summer time. Damn that Tom Seleck!
Up date on Flicks Candies. Flicks Candy is available once again and still comes in the famous foil wrapper and can be ordered at candycrate.com or you can call them at 1-866-422-6399
Remember the Magic Mountain commercial where the old man shows up on the bus and dances? I finally found out what the song is and so if anyone else was trying to find out what it is, look no further.
it is “We Like To Party” by the Venga Boys
OOPS! Before anyone corrects me… Ralp Williams’ dog was named STORM.
“Hi, friends – Ralph Williams, Ralph Williams’ Ford and this is my dog Storm” Storm was a dark colored German Shepherd. He really did resemble the color of a storm cloud.
King was the name of Sgt. Preston of the Yukon’s dog. It was a TV series about a mountie and his dog, Yukon King. The dog was the hero of the episode abvout 50% of the time.
Funny, I should make that mistake. I must have seen Ralph Williams do thousands of commercials. (He really did interrupt his movies every 5 or 6 minutes.)
I guess I go back a litte further than most of you. I remember that Cal Worthington’s “dog Spot” commercials really started off as a spoof of a competitor’s commercials:
“Hi, friends – Ralph Williams, Ralph Williams Ford – and this is my dog, King” Ralph talked in a nasel rapid fire delivery and King was a stately German Shepard. Willims sponsored Saturday morning westerns that he interupted about every 5 or 6 minutes.
Cal’s pitch was “Howdy, Neighbor – This is Cal Worthington, Cal Worthington Dodge – and this is my dog Spot.” It really was a dog in the earliest commercials – though not as regal looking as King. When the bit got tired, he switched breeds of dogs. When that got tired, he went through the zoo.
Worthington was famous for saying that he’d stand on his head to make you a better deal. He also claimed, “If I can’t make you a better deal, I’ll eat a bug.”
Ralph Williams eventually went to jail for cheating his customers. But Cal kept up his spiel through several dealerships and many different Spot’s.
Worthington finally stopped when he just got too darn old to keeep up the daily grind. I was a 10-year-old rug rat watching his commercials 50 years ago. If he is still around, he must be in his 80’s.
is he still making Commercials or when was the last cal and my dog spot Commercials made?
is he still making Commercials or when was the last cal and my dog spot made?
You are all bringing up some good ol’ memories.
I can’t believe only one of you brought up Phil an d Jims…..I can still hear the jingle in my head.
Anyone remember the old Ortho mattress commercial…where some woman sat on a mattress as it took her around the factory. It was odd.
And I am SO happy someone wrote about Tiny Naylor’s. I used to go there as a very young child and could not remember the name of that place for the life of me. I have tried searching for it for a long time. I was so sad when it was torn down to become a strip mall. I swear, if that place were there now, it would be a gold mine. Such a shame!
and yes.. it was PUSSY COW!!
If you go on youtube you can find some of our old socal ads. Though many of the ones we are mentioning on here I cannot find.
You know, I definitely heard the word “Pussycow”!! That was funny as hell! And those National Lumber commercials? Classic!! It’s like watching a part of my freakin’ childhood!!
I spent too much of my SoCal childhood watching commercials, and I also heard this one say “pussycow” sometimes and “Go see Cal” at other points, and listening to this clip confirms it.
Also the “91 Freeway, Lakewood Exit, Bellflower” was not Cal, but another Pete Ellis location (Ford & Toyota). They had some doo wop guys sing that one.
Oh my gosh….. I found a photo of TINY NAYLORS at Sunset and LaBrea!! It was built in 1949 and torn down in 1983. Here is a link to that photo….
http://jpg3.lapl.org/pics28/00063830.jpg
Hell yes, I remember Tiny Naylor’s. They had one next to the Montclair Plaza too, and whenever I’d drive past it with my Dad he’d say “hey, that’s the place for midget carpenters!” Laffs a-plenty.
Gosh, well I was raised in Hollywood in the 50s and 60s and I have a lot of memories of live TV from those days. I was actually a guest on Art Linkletter’s House Party in August 1957. I was also on Engineer Bill’s show at channel 9, which was taped at the studio on Vine Street across from the Hollywood Ranch Market. The building is still there and I believe belongs to the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. My boyhood hero remains Sheriff John and the Lunch Brigade (“Laugh and Be Happy”) and also Tom Hatten and Popeye cartoons. The commercials were great… remember….
“N.E.S.T.L.E.S., Nestles makes the very best… choc-laatteee!”
“Stanley, Stanley, Stanley Chevrolet, 2 blocks off the Santa Ana Freeway, 11980 East Firestone, Stanely Chevrolet!”
“Feed ’em Dr. Ross dog food, do him the favor, it’s got more meat and it’s got more flavor. It’s got more meat to make us feel the way we should. Dr. Ross dog food is doggone good.. woof”
“Save a Nickel, save a dime, save at Thrifty every time. Save a dollar and much more, at your Thrifty drug store!” … etc.
Does anyone know the entire lyrics to the Savon Drug Commercial?
Does anyone remember TINY NAYLORS Drive In Restaurant on Sunset and Vine? How about Carolina Pines Jr. across the street? Their food was amazing. Coffee Dans on Hollywood Blvd. The Hawaii Theater or the Ivar Theater? Wallachs Music City at Sunset and Vine? Nickodells Restaurant at Selma and Argyle?
[…] If Cal Worthingon’s lighthearted ads are a throwback to the shiny optimism of 1950s-era California (“pussycow” references notwithstanding), then the ads of Larry H. Parker showed us a grimmer, more materialistic side of life. My recollection of these comes mainly from watching the back-to-back episodes of the Twilight Zone that KTLA aired every noon during the summer. […]
What ever happen to the Dr. Demento Show? I miss that show and on KNX News Radio 98 they had Radio Mystery Theater hosted by E.G. Marshall and it was sponsered by the King of Beers
Anybody remember the TV ad for Universal with Adam-12 racing around the back lot? How about going to the movies and eating the candy called Flicks, they looked like chocolate chips.
anybody remember Quisp ceareal[which can be ordered on line at http://www.quisp.com
39: there was also an amusement park at the corner of Pico and Overland.
The phrase that sticks in my mind but I didn’t find captured above is:
A beautiful place to lease or buy a beautiful car.
Bob Spreen Cadillac — where the freeways meet, in Downey.
FYI, Cal also had a dealership in Seattle. So that whole area has a generation of latchkey kids educated in the ways of the “ten-day trial exchange”.
I also remember he sold Yugos on TV, which takes panache for sure.
Also: his wife drove a Zimmer and I have NO idea why I know that (or if it’s true).
Re: 39
It was spelled Akron I believe.
This seems like a prety cool website. How about the Huddle Restaurant on Centinela where National Blvd. ran into the Santa Monica Airport.
Rob, I am with you on that one! That is on my MOST wanted list of ads! I LOVE the art and the music in that ad (Mozart Symphony #40 in Gminor by Waldo de los Rios). I think she also said,”…Renior, Goya, Picasso…hundreds of others”. I can still see the art when hearing that music.
Hi, I’m Candace Bergen at the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California. Hundreds of the finest artists are here: Rembrant, Monet, Rafael, Cesan(?), Picasso, hundreds of others …. Doesn’t anyone have this commercial???? Please , Please put it up somewhere! No one believes me!
Re: Defunct LA commercials
Alright, I did a hunt for info on the Ames ads, and ran across this article o…
I remember the “Johnny Smoke” ads very well and its haunting theme. Very cool. I’d love to download the ad, but have’nt a clue where to begin. If anyone has any ideas, please e-mail me at michaeloriley@dslextreme.com
Anybody remember watching Seymor, Chiller,
Creature Feature and of course Elvira
How about Builders Emporiom with the cartoon guy and chicken? {Hurry up the next commercial is catching up}
I remember the anti drunk driving ad don’t take the car, but the way I remember it, it always cut off at the end and sounded like this-
“Don’t take the car, you’ll kill your sel”
Iron Eyes Cody crying with the trash thrown at his feet. The anti smoking ad Johnny Smoke-How many men will die tonight johnny Smoke. In case you have forgotten it, it was black & white anamation and had cigarette riding a horse like a cowboy. Ben Hunter’s Afternoon Matinee.
Phil and Jims.
Zachary All where the old man seemed to float through the store. Hobo Kelly. Hi I’m Hugh Slate from Slate & Leone call 1-800-NOBILLS he sounded like Buffy on Family Affair the way she said Uncle Bill with a lisp or something.
Savon Drug Stores, Savon Drug Stores, Savon!
Anybody remember the Acron on Sepulveda I think near Olympic Blvd. How about going to the pony rides and amusement park which is now The Beverly Center?
And must not forget Zody’s and Gemco.
Hi gang! I should be more careful and ponder the phrase, “be careful of what you wish for or you just might get it”. The reason I say this is that I recently got some DVDs of cool TV ads shown here in Southern CA and among them are more ads for Carpeteria, Dial Chevrolet with Harland, Lona and Madeline (anyone remember those people), National Lumber, Zodys, Koby’s Shoes and others taht are no longer here. The years of these ads range from 1974-1981 and it was like one of those music compilations of greatest hits form your past. These ads I have not seen in ages. I forgot to mention Ole’s, RB Furniture, Zachary All, FedMart, Thrifty Drugs, Kmart, Miller’s Outpost, Little Folk Shop, Vans Shoes, and many many others! I just wish they had that cool Norton Simon Museum ad which is among my most wanted.
[…] Good explanations of this L.A. ’70s & ’80s phenomenon here and here. I propose this become a new code phrase to determine whether someone is a native Angeleno. e.g.: […]
So am I the only person who DIDN’T hear “pussycow”? Wow haha.
Yeah! I remember the guy with the chicken. He looked kind of like a child molester and he’d get into some sort of fix and he’d be rescued. Only it wasn’t and for Yellow Pages it was for “Aames Home Loan.”
Jingle at the end when the poured the water was: “Aames Home Loan to the Resss-cuuue!!”
[…] Good explanations of this L.A. '70s & '80s phenomenon here and here. I propose this as a new code phrase to determine whether someone is a native Angeleno. […]
For the longest time I also thought he said “pussycow!” Weird!
Do you guys remember those Yellow Page commercials with the guy who would have a bird with him and at the end of each commerical water would fall on his head?
What about those Bryman College or something commercials where they have 4 people say “I did” and the last one is this lady with an accent and she says “I deed.” Classic!
Raging Waters! Where the 10, the 210 and the 57 meet in San Dimas!
I have never ever been to San Dimas, but I shall always know how to get there.
Thanks for a wonderful walk down memory lane. Spent lots (too much) time in front of the tube as a kid in the early/mid 80’s. So nice to know I wasn’t the only kid who heard it as “pussy cow”. Also, I second the request for the Norton Simon museum ads if anyone has one.
In High School we had a teacher by the name of Cal W. (name abbreviated to protect the innocent). We had hours of fun introducing “Cal W. and his baaaaaaald spot”.
pussycow pussycow pussycow!
oh man, I have laughed out loud so many times reading these comments remembering all the old commercials! I remember officer bird! Also, POW, wow I didnt think anyone else remembered that! I tried so many times to call up and get on.
I also remember Fred and Frieda Rated and Larry Parker. For awhile people would say “Larry Parker got me 2.1 million….but I lost my legs” cos they showed just the guy’s face. After awhile he started showing the guy on a motorcycle. lol
can’t forget Debbie Dootson and her school of truck driving.
and this one is later, but it will always stick with me;
dial 1-800 N O B I L L S….NOBILLS….man what was that guy’s name?
Wow! This is COOOLLLL! I grew up watching ALL of these true icons of Local TV and I have now began a hobby of collecting old VHS tapes from the 1980s and compiling these gems on VHS tapes (eventually DVD soon). I have three Pete Ellis Dodge ads, Cal Worthington Ford/Dodge, Slate and Leoni, Alpha-Beta, The Money Store, and recently, a happy reuion with some 1982 spots for CARPETERIA featuring a pretty blonde woman. But of all local spots, the ONE I am looking for is an ad for the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena with Candice Bergen. I am also looking for more ads for Disneyland, Cirucs Vargas, more Carpeteria ads, and (Stanley)DIAL CHEVROLET! I loved that jingle heard mostly on those LATE SHOWS-
Two blocks off the Santa Ana Freeway
11980 East Firestone
DIAL CHEVROLET!
I also love the old station IDs for KCOP with the 13, KTLA pre-1982, KHJ 9 and KTTV in its Metromedia era. You guys should join my Yahoo Group devoted to Los Angeles of the Past:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RetroLand2-SouthernCalifornia/
Take care and happy memories!
Dis is how you say ‘wainbow’, ‘wainbow’
Cal Worthington – his cars were crap but his commercials were amusing. I always thought it was “pussy cow” too. And I remember Officer Bird, though I don’t remember how a bicycle riding parrot kept kids off drugs. Does anybody remember Dickerson’s Rangers? Or the deaf woman on Channel 11 who taught us how to say “hamburger” in sign language?
DF, I remember the parrot/bicycle thing — I believe that was the same campaign that had the ventriloquist dummy that used to say “Say Nope to Dope and Ugh to Drugs”.
Shana, I do remember the Barbizon commercials (80’s high fashion!) and the Faberge Organics (“and they’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on”).
And we all said it was “pussycow”.
Cal and his dog spot? Does anyone know that the “My Dog Spot” gag was really a sort of satire of another car salesman? His name was Chic Lambert and his commercials were on during the late late movie, he worked for Brand Motors and Yeakel Olds. Doodles was not what Tom Hatten called the the things he made drawings from, he called them Squiggles. I believe Cal started out with a used car dealership, pouring sawdust in crankcases and kicking tires. The “Addee-Do” line was originally spoken by a guy name Bob Angelich.
A friend tipped me off the other day that there’s an Long Beach-based folk-punk band called “Pussy Cow.” Apparently they opened for the Muffs some time ago and their playlist includes the irony-laden number “Hope We Don’t Suck.” I’ve never heard them so I can’t comment on the latter.
And that’s the word, from Officer Bird!
BTW, Cal got into some trouble (in the 80s I believe) over some accounting hanky-panky. From what I’ve heard they (are?) used to be a rather shady dealer when it came to financing and the like. But still….the memories.
DF great comments. and i remember that parrot.
More commercials that seemed to populate those dreary afternoons spent watching local L.A. television
Zachary All “they stretch in all the right places”
Adee Do!
Stephan, Jaaack Stephan!
Don’t take the car! You’ll kill yourself!
Thank you for the good writeup. It in reality was
a entertainment account it. Look advanced to more brought agreeable from you!
By the way, how can we communicate?
I was first made aware that the adult world was chockablock with dirty, stinking liars by the humanitarians at Mad Magazine, most specifically the authors of that great Mad paperback book Madvertising, Bob Clarke and Dick DeBartolo. Without them, I would have never began my long, fruitful journey down the path of jaded cyncism that has made be the bitter reprobate I am today.
God Bless those Chaps!
A whole school of interpretation has arisen around the ambiguities of the Cal Worthington commercials, older than Talmudic exegesis and twice as fragrant. Did Cal actually say “pussycow” or is that just my prurient mind making up something dirty? I listened to the soundclips at mydogspot.com a kajillion times and I’m ninety percent sure it’s “pussycow” (at least some of the time), but the ambiguity is part of the genius of Worthington. At the end of the day, the richness of the commercials means that the complexities are endless and these puzzles may never be resolved.
Unrelated question: does anyone remember an 80s-era, LAPD-sponsored don’t-do-drugs commercial featuring a parrot riding a bicycle, or did I just hallucinate that twenty years ago after failing to say nope to dope?
Yeah I remember the parrot. The commercial always ended with the tagline, “Don’t be a nerd, obey Officer Bird.” or something to that affect. Kind of a subliminal insult to tell people that they are subservient to a bird.
And no, it was “Go see Cal” but I like the pussycow interpretation.
One that I bet no one can remember is a hot tub store called Spas To Go (Or was it Spas2Go?) Their pitchman was a guy in an ill fitting green frog suit who introduced himself as “Tugo from Spas to Go”. His woice was slurred and had a hiss as if his dentures were slipping. He always ended the commercial with the line, “Buy today, yoozh tonight!”.
“Larry Parker got me (dramatic pause) 2.1 million!” Ah the memories. Loved the Cal commericals and though it was “pussycow” for the longest time.
Tom Hatten also had a great show on weekend afternoons called The Family Film Festival where he’d show old movies like Sinbad and the Seven Seas. My favorites were “Snow White and the Three Stooges” (where SW was played by some famous ice skater) and Cinderfella (played by Jerry Lewis). Good times….
As long as we are getting all mopey about kid show memories I say bring back Beach Comber Bill, Sheriff John and Engineer Bill! Throw the Cal commericals inbetween them.
Ah, memories, my friend Mieke and I were just talking about the “pussy cow” malappropsim. Apart from these wonderful L.A. kid TV memories (I was a HUGE Tom Hatten fan), does anyone remember the class out-of-job ads like: “Larry Parker” (with Sedrick Wilson boasting getting 2.1 million dollars), Barbizon, the “and so on, and so on, and so on” ad and of coursea kids’ cartoon show that featured a phone-in “interactive” video game called “Powww!”
In addition, I remember seeing a hilarious comedy troupe who were called “The Bastard Children of Cal Worthington.” I can’t remember the club where I saw their act.
As a USC grad during the 80’s who grew up on the East Coast, those commercials were my introduction to Southern California. Oh, what memories.
Did the jingle really say “pussy cow” as is asserted here, or was that just a product of our collective unconscious misinterpreting “go see Cal”, as I had always assumed? Incidentally, the jingle that ended with the Bellflower directions, I believe, was just another Worthington location and not another company. But I do remember, “No you won’t get a lemon- At Toyota of Orange”. Ah, good times.
Cal’s still around, although his ads aren’t as adventurous as they once were. That’s because he now shoots them from his home in Northern California. He just stands in front of a green screen, and the video of his SoCal dealerships are spliced in behind him. One more tidbit: Cal was a country music radio DJ before making his fortune as a car dealer.
You all had dirty minds as kids… I always heard, “Cozy Cow.”
Love those commercials of our youth… Remember Fred Rated?
Holy shit, I totally forgot about the Tom Hatten doodles! Viewers could send in a piece of shit scribble and in between Popeye cartoon’s he’d incorporate it into a masterpiece drawing. I sent in a half dozen doodles but never got the nod.
Tom Hatten hosted Popeye on KTLA. I always wanted to be a kid on his show to draw one of his doodles.
Too funny. I, too, went to college on the east coast after growing up in front of channel 11 here in LA. Several times I encountered fellow southern-Californians who for some reason doubted my geographic provenance. At which point I would sing, “Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach Freeway, Firestone Exit, South Gate” — and all doubt was dispelled.
I lived in SoCal in the late 70s and early 80s and remember the commercials oh so well. (I, too, thought it was PussyCal!)The only TV shows I remember were the Twilight Zone marathons every Thanksgiving weekend and Popeye with the great host (whose name I have since forgotten) on KTLA Channel 5.
Great article. I am dealing with some of these issues as well.
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In northern ca…”Pete-Ellis-Dodge….10-95-West-El-Camino-Real…Sunny-Vale.”
you forgot my favourite part: “i’ll stand on my head to beat anyone’s deal!” you can actually watch some of the commercials on cal’s web archives, my dog spot.
i grew up on guam, but our television consisted of week old tape delays of so cal television. it was years before i actually got to see a cal worthington-worthy mega-car lot, which was sadly, more memorable to me than my first trip to disneyland.
do you remember when cal got a little grey and tired and they tried to introduce cal junior? or was that just my imagination?
Pete Ellis Dodge, Long Beach freeway, Firestone exit, Southgate
na na na
This is such a relief. I always though I had made up the “pussycow” part. Phew.
My favorite LA car commercial moments outside of Cal Worthington’s oeuvre have to be the exasperated cries of Toyota of Orange’s unfortunate lemon-getter and the jingle that ended in “91 Freeway, Lakewood exit, Bellflower.” I have no idea who or what that was for, but damned if it doesn’t get in my head.
I might have spent just as many afternoons watching those commercials and always thought, “what’s a pussycow?” I thought it was probably some white thing and the lingering effects of English being my second language (barely) prevented me from really knowing what Cal Worthington was talking about.