Checking on their reality

[johnbasalla]

Every once in a while I see the name of a product or business on a TV show or movie. Then, I go and see if I can find anything about them. I want to find out if they ever existed or if they still are around. Here are two... one from movies and one from TV.

BEKINS VAN LINES - A big Bekins truck with a large logo on its side appears in near the end of a 1936 Three Stooges short. It is used in the fade out gag. Bekins is a long established provider of transportation services. I emailed them about their company's appearance in the film. Based on the email I got back, they were entertained by the discovery.

SECURITY LIQUID GAS CORPORATION - This appeared during the last act of a 1975 edition of "EMERGENCY!" In the show, it was supposed to be carrying some very flammable liquid. there was a dangerous automobile accident. The car, with the driver still inside, was partially stuck underneath the truck. The truck looked legitimate with the name on it and all. I searched on the internet for a company by this name, and came up with nothing. That kind of makes sense as few companies would want one of their trucks in a storyline about dangerous liquid that might explode.

Your turn.

 

[cd637299]

This one shocked me....

Some "Quick Draw McGraw" cartoons had the dog Snuffles, who was known for going ecstatic after swallowing a dog biscuit. Usually the box of dog biscuits that Quick Draw had on hand had the name "Gro-Pup" on them. I hadn't the foggiest idea that Gro-Pup actually existed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_jv3nVtxuo

It was a Kellogg's product, not for my breakfast, though Kellogg's was the original sponsor of Quick Draw.

cd

 

[onairb]

'Crazy Like a Fox' was a CBS detective comedy-drama, set in San Francisco. The opening credits included a the obligatory shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Transamerica Pyramid, cable car, and a MUNI bus advertising "KOIT-FM 96"..as well as one or two local businesses with signs I couldn't make out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODbyBMOXUis

'Newhart''s opening credits had a Mobil gas station sign as that car rounded a corner and onto the road to the Stratford Inn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeUc_8YJf1k

 

[rnigma1]

There was a B-western from the '30s that featured a Goodyear blimp in one scene.
"The Seven Year Itch" had Marilyn Monroe holding a bag of Jay's potato chips in one scene. I had thought this was a takeoff of Lay's, but I was surprised to see bags of Jay's in a Big Lots store.
There were a couple of instances where signage revealed west coast filming of shows taking place on the east coast. A "King of Queens" episode had the protagonist driving his delivery truck on the highway and bypassing a Los Angeles Times truck. "Judging Amy", set in Hartford CT, had a character drive past a Carl's Jr. (this was before the merger with Hardee's).

 

[cd637299]

'Crazy Like a Fox' was a CBS detective comedy-drama, set in San Francisco. The opening credits included a the obligatory shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Transamerica Pyramid, cable car, and a MUNI bus advertising "KOIT-FM 96"..as well as one or two local businesses with signs I couldn't make out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODbyBMOXUis

As radio stations go in this thread, I remember the opening of "The Doris Day Show" riding past the KSFO (also San Francisco) studio building. I assume she was riding in a cable car.

cd

 

[onairb]

'Crazy Like a Fox' was a CBS detective comedy-drama, set in San Francisco. The opening credits included a the obligatory shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Transamerica Pyramid, cable car, and a MUNI bus advertising "KOIT-FM 96"..as well as one or two local businesses with signs I couldn't make out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODbyBMOXUis

As radio stations go in this thread, I remember the opening of "The Doris Day Show" riding past the KSFO (also San Francisco) studio building. I assume she was riding in a cable car.

cd

Yes, she was. I couldn't find the open for season 5 by itself, so I had to sit through a couple of minutes of a full episode to get it. First time I'd ever seen the show, and it definitely didn't age well; Doris and Peter Lawford playing middle-aged hippies!

 

[KeithE4]

"The Seven Year Itch" had Marilyn Monroe holding a bag of Jay's potato chips in one scene. I had thought this was a takeoff of Lay's, but I was surprised to see bags of Jay's in a Big Lots store.

Interesting, considering Jay's was based in Chicago and only marketed in the Midwest. IIRC, The Seven Year Itch was filmed in New York.