Replay the BOO

The Omen (1976) One of the spookiest looking kids in movie history.
Why won't anyone kiss Dracula?
He has bat breath!
The Birds (1963) Nobody tops Hitchcock . Scatter the birdseed and millions of crazy killer birds siege a small California town.
Why is it safe to tell a mummy your secret?
It'll keep it under wraps!
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) The last scene does it for almost anyone!
What do you call a friendly mummy? Chummy!
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) A classic B horror film, as scary as the remake, but with a twist.
Why wouldn't the ghost cross the road? He had no guts!
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) “I don’t know nothing about birthin no babies”. Increasingly paranoid about neighbors, her doc, and even her husband as her pregnancy develops.What kind of monster loves to disco?
The boogieman!
Dracula (1931) A standard for Vampire & Dracula movies. Can you say: I Vants to Trink your BLOOD.
How does a werewolf sign his letters? Best vicious!
The Shining (1980) Hear spooky twin girls calling you to come play with them “forever, and ever, and ever,” and Jack Nicholson’s famous line “Here’s Johnny!”. The ultimate in horror film frights will have you sleeping with the lights on.
Where does a baby ghost go while its parents are at work? Dayscare!
Night of the Living Dead (1968)The greatest zombie movie ever made. Just dress those dead in thrift store clothes and teach them to drag their feet.
What kind of dog does Dracula have? A bloodhound!
Amityville Horror (1979)If your new home tells you to “get out”, LISTEN!
Children of the Corn (1984) Order the popcorn w/extra butter.


HAPPY.... HOWL-O-WEEN!!!!
B O O O 00000000

McCain & Burma-Shave

Oct. 22, 2008 from The Onion.
Tuesday by endorsing a series of rhyming Burma-Shave-style billboards that accuse the Democratic presidential candidate of being out of touch with the current political landscape. "Barack Is Sipping/Fine Champagne/While U.S. Jobs/Go Down The Drain/ McCain '08," read the five consecutive 2-by-5-foot bright red wooden signs erected along a 1.5-mile stretch of South Dakota highway, emulating an advertising medium first popularized by the Burma-Vita Co.
So what started in the 1920's as a unique ad gimmick and perhaps one of the longest running commercials to keep a captive audience, auto travellers, in the "instant messenger" mode were the Burma-Shave signs.
The first sign wasn't catchy, witty, clever and didn't rhyme,,,
Shave the modern way/No brush/No later/No rub-in/Big tube 35 cents drug store/Burma-Shave Humorous versus soon developed. Customer campaign contests added many funny, low key ones. Some semi-risque, but Burma-Shave made sure the jingles were not offensive, like these from '52...
Pedro walked/Back home by golly/His bristly chin/Was hot-to-Molly/Burma-Shave OR
Substitutes/Can let you down/Quicker/Than a/Strapless gown/Burma-Shave

• Around/ The curve / Lickety-split / A beautiful car / Wasn't It? / Burma-Shave''53
• Dinah doesn't / Treat him right / But if he'd / Shave / Dyna-mite! / Burma-Shave-'55
• The monkey took / One look at Jim / And threw the peanuts / Back at him / He needed / Burma-Shave'55
• Said Farmer Brown / Who's bald / On top / Wish I could / Rotate the crop / Burma-Shave-'59
• If daisies / Are your / Favorite flower / Keep pushin' up those / Miles per hour / Burma-Shave
• 1960 saw the last group of original signs until 1963:
• Henry the Eighth / Sure had / Trouble / Short term wives / Long term stubble / Burma-Shave
• Angels / Who guard you / When you drive / Usually / Retire at 65 / Burma-Shave

• One sign Never Used: Listen birds / These signs cost / Money / So roost a while / But don't get funny / Burma-Shave
• M.A.S.H.'s final episode featured a "berma-shave" type good-bye to Hawkeye:
• Hawk was gone / Now he's here / Dance 'til Dawn / Give a Cheer / Burma-Shave
• Other Classics:
• We can't/Provide you/With a date/But we do supply/The best darn bait/Burma-Shave
• Proper/That's rough/And overgrown/Is better than/A chaperon/Burma-Shave
• She eyed his beard/And said no dice/The wedding's off/I'll Cook The Rice/Burma-Shave
• The hobo/Let his/Whiskers sprout/It's trains--not girls/That he takes out/Burma-Shave
• Is he/Lonesome/Or just blind--This guy drives/So close behind?/Burma-Shave
• Distance/To him was bunk/They pulled him out/Of some guy's trunk/Burma-Shave

A fitting end: Shaving brushes/You'll soon see 'em/On the shelf/In some Museum/Burma-Shave. Chuck Sable, Curator, William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design said its his favorite.
But its hard to keep a good product down, and in 1996, the American Safety Razor Co. brought back the Burma-Shave name and logo and put it on a shaving brush and mug set.

'50's Best Sellers - Part 1

1950
THE CARDINAL, by Henry Morton Robinson, 588,000 copies. Fiction.
Later an independent '63 film, produced directed by Otto Preminger, portrays the life of a fictional Irish American, Roman Catholic priest from his 1917 ordination to his appointment to a cardinal on the eve of World War II and his family trials; his climb up the ladder of the church hierarchy back in his Boston parish and later in Rome within the Vatican. Social issues include of interfaith marriage, sex outside of marriage, abortion, racial bigotry, and the rise of Fascism.
BETTY CROCKER PICTURE COOKBOOK, 300,000 copies
Non-fiction. The birth of new-age cooks begins with the cookbook.

1951
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, by James Jones, 249,000 copies. Fiction.
Winner of the National Book Award for fiction in 1952. It is loosely based on Jones' pre-World War II Hawaiian Division's 27th Infantry experience and the unit in which he served, Company E, "The Boxing Company". The 1953 film, 1979 minseries, and 1980 dramatic series were all adapted from the novel.
LOOK YOUNGER, LIVE LONGER, Gayelord Haauser, 287,000 Non-Fiction.
In 1951 the Food and Drug Administration seized copies of Look Younger; Live Longer, which promised to add five “youthful years” to your life, on the grounds that it was promoting the sale of one brand of blackstrap molasses.

1952
THE SILVER CHALICE, Thomas B. Costain, 221,000 copies. Fiction.
The is the fictional story of the making of a silver chalice to hold the Holy Grail.
Two years later Warner Bros. released the film staring Paul Newman, in his first studio role, as Basil the craftsman.
THE HOLY BIBLE, 2,000,000 copies
1953
THE ROBE, Lloyd C. Douglas, 188,000 copies. Fiction. A Roman soldier, Marcellus, wins Chirst's robe as a gambling prize and sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe. A quest that reaches to the very roots and hearts of Christianity set against the vividly lined background of ancient Rome.
The Robe remained on the list for another two years and included a movie version released in 1953. "The first motion picture in CinemaScope, the movie miracle you see without glasses."
THE HOLY BIBLE, 1,100,000

1954
NOT AS A STRANGER, Morton Thompson, 178,000 copies. Fiction
Adapted in a ‘55 film was Stanley Kramer's directorial debut and featured Olivia de Havilland and Robert Mitchum.Dr. Lucas Marsh blinded by ambition, looses his idealism after marrying older woman Kristina Hedvigson in order to make it through medical school. Indifferent toward his wife, dedicated only to his work; he climbs his way to the top of the medical profession by using others. Then forced to face his morality after his misjudgment leads to the death of a friend.
THE HOLY BIBLE, 710,000 copies

1955
MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, Herman Wouk, 191,000 copies. Fiction.
About a woman who wants to become an actress and in ’58 made into a movie starring Natalie Wood.
GIFT FROM THE SEA, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 430,000 copies. Non-fiction.
Anne was a pioneering American aviator, author, and the spouse of fellow aviator Charles Lindbergh. The book centers around the sea and the awesome, incredible symmetry of seashells.

The Secret Lives of "B's"

As the drive-in market grew so did the "B" movie industry. In '45 there were 96 Drive-Ins, ten years later 3700.
"B" movies were the less publicized second-half of a double feature. Most "B's" of the 50's-60's genre were si-fi and horror; made on a low "Budget" with "B" actors and "B" scripts. These movies established actors such as John Wayne and Jack Nicholson and steady work for "A" movie actors such as Vincent Price and Karen Black. Bela Lugosi and Pam Grier worked in B's most of their careers.
The "King of the B's, Roger Corman, produced and directed "The Raven" '63 and featured Vincent Price and a young Jack Nicholson.
"Rocketship X-M" '50, is noted as possibly "the first post-nuclear holocaust film an ATOMIC BOMB cinema".
"The Tingler" '59 featured William Castle's Percepto gimmick: At the film's climax, buzzers attached to select theater seats would unexpectedly rattle a few viewers, prompting either appropriate screams or laughter. "GUARANTEED: "The Tingler" will break loose in the theater while you are in the audience. As you enter the theater you will receive instructions how to guard yourself against attack by THE TINGLER."
"The Hitch-Hiker" '53 is often referred to as the only classic directed by a woman and actress Ida Lupino, on a small budget and with an extremely intense focus on its 3 lead characters.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" '56, selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being culturally, historically significant. June 2008, the American Film Institute recognized it as the 9th best film in the si-fi genre.
"I Was A Teen Age Frankenstein"
"Body of a Boy,
Mind of a Monster,
Soul of an Unearthly Thing"
Starred a 20 year old Michael Landon

"Bloodfeast" '63..."Nothing So Appalling in the Annals of Horror." Drummed up publicity by distributing vomit bags to theatergoers with the warning ....
"You May Need This When You See Blood Feast."

"Homicidal" '61 was released with a "fright break" that allowed patrons to receive a refund if they were to scared to stay for the climax of the film.

"Godzilla" '56, first in a series for the low, low budget of $30,000

"Them!" ‘54 black and white si-fi film about man's encounter with a nest of radiation-giganticized ants. Billed: “A horror horde of crawl-and-crush giants crawling out of the earth from mile deep catacombs.“It starred James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon and James Arness. And the first drive-in movie Mom and Dad took me to see.


Female Jungle ’55 black-and-white B-movie notable for being one of Jayne Mansfield's first films. It's rumored that Mansfield was paid $150 for her role in the film. The movie, which was held from release for over a year, was later reissued as "Hangover".

And HANGOVER is an appropriate substitute for THE END on this post.

Bow-Wow!!!

God gives us a Guardian Angel supplemented with “Angels in Waiting”, our pets. This one is dedicated to DharmaWoWo….

TV’s "Lassie",1954-1973. A weather beaten farm in the American Midwest teamed Lassie for the show's first 10 seasons with Timmy, and then adult forestry workers and finally, with the juvenile inmates of a home for troubled children. The series received two Emmy Awards. Rudd Weatherwax (who had trained Pal for the six MGM films), also trained the several portrayers of Lassie for the television series.
TV’s "Peter Pan" (’55 NBC in RCA Color) with Nana, the Newfoundland dog.
Walt Disney’s, "Old Yeller" (1957), a children's film, originally a novel by Fred Gipson.
Pete the Pup (or "Petey"), a Pit Bull with a ring around one eye. "Petey"'s famous circled eye was added on by Hollywood make-up artist Max Factor in the Our Gang (later known as The Little Rascals) shorts produced by Hal Roach and later, MGM. It filled the after school and week-end TV time slots for the 50’s kids. A number of dogs played the role.
Black Tooth, "The Biggest and Sweetest Dog in the USA" and White Fang, "The Biggest and Meanest Dog in the USA" on the "Soupy Sales Show". In ‘53 the show originated locally in Detroit, Michigan and in Oct. ’59, an ABC national TV broadcast.
"Fred", "Little Ricky's" puppy in "I Love Lucy".
"Yukon King", in "Sergeant Preston of the Yukon", a TV show that aired 1955-58.
"How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?", popular song by Bob Merrill, 1953, recorded by Patti Page.
“Old Shep", as sung by Elvis Presley and many other country performers.
"Topper" ,was a TV situation comedy series 1953-55, CBS. Both ABC ‘55 and NBC ‘56 repeated episodes. Cosmo Topper (Leo G. Carroll) a bank VP is married to the sweet but somewhat dumb Henrietta (Lee Patrick). They lived in a Los Angeles suburban home purchased from the estate of a fashionable young couple, George and Marion Kerby (Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys), now-former clients of Topper's bank, who died after being swept away by an avalanche. Their alcoholic St. Bernard, "Neil", who was unable to rescue them, also died with them. Cosmo finds his house is haunted by their ghosts and "Neil". Only Cosmo can see or hear them.
"The People's Choice"- NBC, 50's sitcom. An ex-Marine city councillor, Socrates "Sock" Miller, played by Jackie Cooper, who had frequent run-ins with the city's mayor, John Peoples. These run-ins were aggravated not only due to the fact that "Sock" disagreed with the Mayor's policies, but that "Sock's" girlfriend was the mayor's daughter, Mandy." Sock" had a pet Basset Hound, "Cleo", whose sarcastic observations were made audible to the audience (but not the cast). "Cleo" was voiced by Mary Jane Croft.
Bullet the Wonder Dog, Roy Rogers' German Shepherd on "The Roy Rogers Show".
"The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", an ABC TV series, 1954-1959 featured Duncan's Rin Tin Tin IV as the lead dog, and Rin Tin Tin II. Although some of the work was performed by a dog owned by Frank Barnes called J.R. and another of Duncan's Rin Tin Tin line dogs named Hey You. Rin Tin Tin, a German Shepherd found in a trench by an American soldier, has appeared in films since 1922. All subsequent dogs in the part have been descendants of the original.
The first living thing sent to space by Russia in 1957, was "Laiki", a stray female Husky dog.

K-9 Congressional Medal of Honor Winner - GO BRUTUS!!

K-9 Congressional Medal of Honor Winner

The K9 to the left is Brutus, a military K9 at McChord. He's huge - part Boxer and part British Bull Mastiff and tops the scales at 200 lbs. His handler took the picture. Brutus is running toward me because he knows I have some Milk Bone treats, so he's slobbering away! I had to duck around a tree just before he got to me in case he couldn't stop, but he did. Brutus won the Congressional Medal of Honor last year from his tour in Iraq . His handler and four other soldiers were taken hostage by insurgents. Brutus and his handler communicate by sign language and he gave Brutus the signal that meant 'go away but come back and find me'. The Iraqis paid no attention to Brutus. He came back later and quietly tore the throat out of one guard at one door and another guard at another door. He then jumped against one of the doors repeatedly (the guys were being held in an old warehouse) until it opened. He went in and untied his handler and they all escaped. He's the first K-9 to receive this honor. If he knows you're ok, he's a big old lug and wants to sit in your lap. Enjoys the company of cats.

OGR Commercials

Wheaties - used to attach a real blackboard to the back of the box!

Superman, Editor Perry White and Reporter Jimmy Olsen sitting around Perry's office scarfing up Kellogg's Sugar Smacks. Between munches, Superman says,''Puffs of wheat, sugar-toasted and candy-sweet.''
Cartoon characters in '50s commercials were popular. In '55, Snap, Crackle, and Pop leaped around and sang about the joys of eating Rice Krispies.
“K E double L, O, double good, Kellogg’s best to you”
The little cartoon boy who comes to breakfast wearing his cowboy hat! "I want my Maypo!"
“They’re G- R- E- A- T “- Tony the Tiger for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.

Speedy, the Alka Seltzer cartoon boy… "Relief is just... a swallow away."

TheDoublemint Twins." Double your pleasure, double your fun with Doublemint Doublemint gum.”
“Who likes Beechnut Spearmint gum, we like Beechnut Spearmint Gum, its flavorific”

The square candy called Chunky "What a Chunk of Chocolate, Only Five-Cents."
“N- E- S- T- L- E- S - Nestles makes the very best, C H O C O L A T E.”

“Bryl-creem, a little dab'll do ya. Use more, only if you dare. But watch out, the gals will all pursue ya, they’ll love to run their fingers thru your hair.“

“See the USA in your Chevrolet” and followed with a big smoochy kiss from Dinah Shore.

"Oh, we are the men of Texaco. We work from Maine to Mexico.” Texaco Star Theater highest rated television show of ’50-’51.

And to many cigarette commercials - Lucky Strike, TV Guide voted Lucky Strike's "Be Happy, Go Lucky" the ad commercial of the year in 1950.
Old Gold dancing cigarettes or the bellboy, “Call for Phillip Morris”

Carnation Milk, “the milk from contented cows”, sponsored the '50's George Burns & Gracie Allen TV show. Instead of cutting to filmed commercials, Burns, Allen and guests broke the "fourth wall" a "live commercial" to describe or begin recipes that used Carnation products during the show.

Wonder Bread sponsored Howdy Doody and host Buffalo Bob Smith told the audience, "Wonder Bread builds strong bodies 8 ways. Look for the red, yellow and blue balloons printed on the wrapper."

“Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin“- the Timex Watch torture tests.

Ivory Soap - “99and 44/100 per-cent Pure, it floats”

STOP THE PRESS AND MAKE READY

The advent of TV, magazines challenged....
Cowles Publication, "Flair" at 50 cents/copy, tanks after 12 issues. Its demise; an expensive format of accordion inserts, artful cutouts and peekaboo covers.
"Playboy" ('53) and Hugh Hefner hit the press with its first cover and "first time nude" centerfold, Marilyn Monroe. By '60 circulation was 1.1 million. And like another famous
"bunny" Hef still keeps going and going.
"Mad"('52) , cover caption: Humor in a jugular vein, captures young readers with irreverence for the current scene.
"Jet"('51) drops its "girlie" image and changes to a news digest.
"TV Guide" 's April 3, 1953 premiere issue cover features a photograph of Lucille Ball and Desi and newborn son, Desi Arnaz, Jr. A press time marval, it ran 53 weekly regional editions and a 6.5 million circulation in '59.
"Collier's" life cut short after 38 years, last edition - Jan. 4, 1957.
"Confidential"-"Uncensored and off the Record", the first "rag mag" and a readership of 4.5 million in '55; scoops the poop and libel suits totaling $7 million filed by among others, Robert Mitchum, Maureen O'Hara and Liberace. Cuba bans it after an expose on Dictator Batista. U.S. Post Office tried unsuccessfully to ban it from the mails over the objections of the ACLU. In '57, the State of California charged it with criminal libel and obscene material. Readership dips to 400,000 when "Confidential" is forced to stay away from Hollywood stars and water-down its stories.

THINK PINK, GO GREEN, CLICK-CLICK-CLICK AND THE TOP TEN

The '55 FASHION SHOCKER, PINK, was reserved exclusively for the underworld of ladies girdles. Then a sudden fad made the clothing scene with thousands of PINK men's shirts, ties and hatbands. The PINK Cadillac rolled off the assembly line. Years later, Aretha Franklin memorialized it in song and Henry Mancini glorified a certain Panther. Today, manicured front yards across the U.S. still pay homage to the 50's plastic PINK Flamingo lawn ornament.
'52's GO GREEN. U.S. consumers see GREEN and spent $135 million on GREEN based products including Ennds Tablets, Landers Deodorant, Beech-Nut Gum, Smith Bros. Cough Drops, Park Dog Food and "Chlorodent", the new green toothpaste. The miracle ingredient, CHLORPHYLL, promised to make them "smell daisy fresh". A sweet promise until "The Journal of the American Medical Association" said goats virtually lived on this plant component, CHLORPHYLL, and still smelled bad.
CLICK-CLICK-CLICK Americans reacted to the reality of Atomic Power. Atomic Age Prospectors bought a Geiger Counter, sample ore, claim notices and a snakebite kit for $98.50 and headed for Colorado and Canada. The URANIUM rush was on but few made individual strikes worth $100,000 or more.

1950 Top 10 Artists and Songs....
GOODNIGHT IRENE, The Weavers and Gordon Jenkins
IT ISN'T FAIR, Sammy Kaye
THIRD MAN THEME, Aston Karas
MULE TRAIN, Frankie Laine
MONA LISA, Nat "King" Cole
MUSIC! MUSIC! MUSIC!, Thersa Brewer
I WANNA BE LOVED, Andrew Sisters
IF I KNEW YOU WERE COMIN' I'D'VE BAKED A CAKE, Eileen Barton
I CAN DREAM CAN'T I, Andrew Sisters
THAT LUCKY OLD SUN, Frankie Laine

Upcoming:
Suburbia
The Bestseller Books of the '50's and....
The Periodicals, Long Gone and Alive Today