Month: October 2013

A Puzzling Big John, Little John Flashback

Do you remember watching Big John, Little John — “your favorite Saturday Live TV show” on NBC? The short-lived Saturday morning television show featured Herbert Edelman as John Martin aka Big John, a 40-something science teacher, who drinks from the Fountain Of Youth, resulting in being randomly changed into a his 12-year old “Little John” self (played by Robbie Rist; who also played Cousin Oliver on The Brady Bunch). Since no one can tell when the rejuvenation will begin — or end — hilarity ensues. The series producer was Sherwood Schwartz (writer, creator, & producer of Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch & other classics).

This is one of the few merchandizing items from that 70s TV show, a jigsaw puzzle made by H-G Toys Inc. (puzzle number 440-06), now available for purchase in our Etsy shop.

I personally do not recall this show; if you do, you can reminisce by watching the old episodes on DVD (finally released last October).

big john little john puzzle

Professional Gianting Is Over

While researching old news, I stumbled across this story of economic hardship and the ever-changing employment market from 1917:

gianting-the-thing-of-the-past

“There’s nothing in professional gianting any more, states R. E. Madson of Norfolk, Neb. , a 20-year-old youth who stands 7-1/2 feet in his stockings…”There isn’t enough money in the circus business any more to attract a real big man,” said young Madson.  “There’s no reason why a man who is a few inches, or a foot or two over the scale, should not use his brains and live like a man and not a freak.  I don’t find it hard to do.”

There’s a certain amount of naivete in Madson’s quote, and not just because he’s promoting his movie in North Dakota.  Here’s Ralph Madsen a couple years later:

ralphmadsen

 

The movie that Ralph Madsen was promoting in ND in 1917 doesn’t show up in his IMDB listing, but Madsen did have other plans to use his intellect and skills.   Madsen was an expert in livestock raising and veterinary care, and being a skilled rancher seemed to be his goal in life.  Based on the picture above and others,  young Mr. Madsen apparently discovered that you can take a giant out of the circus, but you won’t ever completely get the circus out of the giant.

Cigarette Butts — Get It?

The part of the cigarette that’s left when you’re done smoking is called a “butt” — and back in the day, millions were made on toilet-themed ashtrays. These are just a few we’ve had. The one sans donkey is a bit confusing… It has one small potty or chamber pot for matches, another for ashes, and the center toilet bowl is for “cigarettes”. Perhaps the “butts” thing didn’t translate well. Or maybe this is for fancy folk who have both the inclination and the time to separate their ashes from their butts.

vintage cigarette butt ashtray toilets

Both vintage tobacciana items were made in Japan (one in Occupied Japan) and are china Lusterware pieces. You can find lots of other versions of vintage toilet ashtrays on eBay, naturally.

We don’t always talk about our antique business here (we mainly do that here — sometimes here), however, I have to say that neither of these items were clean when we got them from the estate. So I had to take a tweezers and pluck out each old cigarette butt from the miniature toilets. It was very difficult to do with that toilet the donkey’s pulling because the bowl’s hole is so much smaller (however, butts can — and do — go where the bowl widens at the bottom). Not that you really care; but that’s the facts. The butt facts.

PS I wonder if women always made men put these toilet seats down too?

made in japan lusterware ashtrays