Announcer: Stay Tuned, New Orleans' Classic TV Commercials.

Is made possible by the WYES Producers Circle A group of generous contributors dedicated to the support of WYES' local productions.

Additional funding is also provided by Clean Fleet Auto Body.

It's your car, it's your choice.

Group Health Plans of Louisiana.

New Orleans Cuisine Magazine.

And by, Hi, it's Dr. Scamoza, I examine the crawfish.

Oh you all right.

Oh you nice.

Oh look at that.

Oh you nice.

1825 Tulane.

Bartender, give me a glass of Jax beer.

The beer with the real beer taste.

♪Jingle jangle jingle.

♪Here comes Mr. Bingle.

♪With another message from Chris Kringle.

♪At the beach, at the beach, ♪at Pontchartrain beach.

♪You'll have fun.

♪You'll have fun every day of the week.♪ Watch these K and B customers as our hidden cameras roll.

Where you hiding at?

Where am I hiding?

Why I-I'm right here.

I'm in the freezer.

This is weird.

Yeah.

The uglies are coming.

The uglies are here.

Mmm-mmm.

McKinzie's custard pie.

This weekend only a dollar ninety-nine.

Slice that roast beef real thin, Rosemary.

You get more juicy flavor that way.

And pile it up.

I'd like to buy a living room set.

Do you have any credit?

No, I receive social security and welfare.

You have to see the special man.

Let her have it.

♪Miller the Killer.

♪Miller the killer.

♪He kills them all.

♪Miller.

♪ Look up the word classic in Webster's Dictionary, and here's some of what you'd find.

Of recognized value.

Enduring.

Historically memorable.

This shows celebrates New Orleans classic TV commercials.

Some of them are only 30 seconds long.

Enduring and memorable pretty much sums them up.

Even at the end of the day they were all about selling seafood or doughnuts.

Clothes and furniture.

Cars.

Everything from a pie eating pitch man, to the special man.

A seafood salesman turned character actor.

And even something as simple as a little singing out in a dress.

Little Girl: Rosen-berg's.

Rosen-berg's.

1825 Tulane.

Rosen-burgs.

Rosen-burgs.

1825.

Tulane.

Remember that?

That was great.

Yeah.

18-25 Tulane.

With that little blues-ie.

Tulane.

18-25 Tulane.

I don't know if I've ever been to Rosenburgs.

I mean, I lived here my whole life and I dont' think I had ever been to Rosenburgs.

But I do know exactly where it is.

Ronnie: Most advertisers would kill for the kind of recognition that a little girl named Betsy gave a now defunct furniture store.

The voice and image of Rosenburgs' tiny spokes model are unmistakable.

She has her parents to thank for her fame.

Her mom and dad Barbara Elliot, and her late husband, Bill, were advertising folk.

And when Betsy was just about four--.

My husband had brought a tape recorder home because he was working on this jingle.

He had the music.

And he was trying to write lyrics that would be commercial lyrics.

And it was who's got furniture you can't eat.

♪Who's got prices you can't beat.

♪Who's got the friendliest terms in town, ♪a dollar a week and no money down.

♪Rosenburg.

♪Rosenburgs.

♪18-25 Tulane.

Betsy came up and said she wanted to sing.

And so he said, well honey, she was little, what can you sing?

And she said, I can sing Rosenburgs.

Betsy: Rosenburgs.

Rosenburgs.

You have a lot to gain.

Rosenburgs.

Rosenburgs.

18-25.

Tulane.

Ronnie: For the Elliot family, advertising for Rosenburgs was now a family affiar.

First on radio in the 1950s, and then on TV, mom, Barbera did the pitching, and Betsy did the singing.

At first, her some-what grading voice wouldn't seem like the ideal jingle, so the store tried it.

Only temporarily.

But people kept coming into the store and they'd say where's the little girl?

You know, we like that little girl.

She's so cute.

Or, she's terrible.

But they liked it and the talked about it.

So we put her back on.

Ronnie: And even now decades later, with just parking lot asphalt and a chain link fence to mark the address, ask anyone what's at 1825 Tulane, and they know.

It's like how do you get to be a great pianist, it's practice, practice, practice.

Well this was it.

Repetition, repetition, repetition.

And the voice was annoying in a way.

'Cause, I had one lady in a class with me one time and we were just talking and I don't know how the whole class was talking about radio, and she said something and she said I don't know how they put those things on.

She said that little voice is so annoying.

Betsy: 1825 Tulane.

She had no idea that I was her mother.

If repetition helped make Rosenburgs commercials the stuff of local legend, originality helped a seafood salesman with a one of a kind name embark on his TV career.

Like the furniture store, Al Scarmooza's place would forever be known by its address.

1826 North Broad.

Oh my God, that's a Gamoozie dessert.

How you feel?

I feel bad.

Oh take this grawfish good-medice--.

I feel good.

I feel good.

I feel good.

♪Seafood city is a very pretty.

♪Down on Broad and St. Bernard.

♪Seafood city.

♪1826 North Broad.

Ronnie:Seafood City.

Named because it took up nearly a whole Gentilly neighborhood block, became a landmark.

Helping the crawfish craze take off in the 1970s.

But Al Scramooza's success really started boiling well before that.

In the 1950s.

He originally advertised on radio, then realized TV was where he and his seafood could shine.

And sing.

I would go around, you know, the boiler room on good days.

And I always had a happy feeling about my self, you know, when I'd work.

I'd been in the boiling room and I'd-I'd sing, you know, and I'd tell jokes and et cetera.

Keep it moving, you know, and that's my nature.

And I just made up the song, you know.

♪Everything is pretty down at Seafood City.

♪Down on Broad and Saint Bernard.

♪Stay with Al Scamooza and you'll never be a looser.

♪1826 North Broad.

Receptionist, please bring my vitamin--.

Ronnie: Born showman and salesman, Al Scramooza cooked up some of the most original, call 'em campy, commercials for seafood you've have seen.

Hi it's Dr. Scramooza, I examine the crawfish.

OH, you're all right.

Oh you're nice.

OH, look at this.

Oh you're nice.

OH they say cardiac arrest, no good.

They brush your teeth-say--.

Every commercial that I ever made, whether it be radio.

Whether it be TV, or whatever, was something I thought out myself.

I-I had no writers.

I was the writer.

I had no producers, I was the producer.

I had no directors, I was the director.

Dr. Schamooza, I've been having a bad neck ache, can you help me please?

Here's a prescription for three dozen clams for three weeks.

You should have vibration all down your spine.

Thank you Doctor.

Ronnie: The Concept of Scramooza as seafood doctor came at a party where he says he worked his charm and struck up a conversation with some nurses.

You know, I said to myself, you know what, this gives me a good idea for a commercial, you know, just picture, you know, someone needing medicine and these nurses, you know, over here, you know, could give it to 'em.

Give 'em the medicine to make 'em feel good.

And the thought of what could be better medicine than crawfish.

There you go.

Ronnie:The commercial cast often included Al Scramooza's employees, friends, and family.

Seafood City, very pretty.

1826 North Broad.

Ronnie: In fact, that's his daughter singing backup on the jingle.

And then, there's that familiar send off.

1826 North Broad.

It was a friendly gesture to end the commercial, you know.

And kind of like just waving at everyone to let them know, you know, hey, I'm just one of the-one of the people-one of the other people, you know.

Ronnie: Up until he shuttered Seafood City in 1993, the crawfish king says his secret formula for marketing success was simple enough.

Humor, originality, and a familiar refrain.

Branded on our brains through repetition.

Al: And I took every, every deal and every bargain that the radio stations and the TV stations would give me.

If they had stuff left over that they couldn't sell at the last minute, they want to do with me, I took it.

I used to buy the all night spots for 10 dollars a piece.

And I'd load up on those.

I mean, 10 dollars a piece, you know, I mean, I-I'd take seventy of them if they had 'em, I mean.

I'd saturate the whole entire night.

If you-if you went to sleep you would dream about me if you had your TV on.

Ronnie: And what a dream that would be.

At Seafood City.

1826 North Broad.

Sure, a trip to Seafood City meant you could get your fill of crawfish and crabs, but what about dessert.

For lots of people, there's only one way to answer.

Mmm-McKenzies.

And for that, we have a man named Dick Bruster to thank.

Dick Bruster used to eat the cake.

The doughnuts.

He was the doughnut man.

The old pie eater, Dick Bruce.

And he was the voice and the mouth of McKenzies.

Ronnie: The late Dick Bruce started his career as a staff announcer at WDSU.

But he's so much better remembered for his taste for pastries from McKenzies Bakery, which he exstole the virtues of, usually in live commercials.

And he was sort-of psudo-homie.

Hi mom.

It's Dick Bruce again from McKenzies.

And today we have these wonderful doughnuts.

And oh are they good.

16 cents a dozen.

Mmm.

And he'd bite it and eat it.

And enjoy it assumedly.

The joke was that Dick Bruce was always either eating or drinking something.

He never wanted a client that he wa-didn't have to eat or drink.

And he would be drinking his beer or he would-and McKenzies Baker-.

it was Dick Bruce here, but it was-I just-you know, got these great-.

Something for the weekend--.

Buttermilk doughnuts from McKenzies.

Bite.

Mmm.

You know, and then talk with crumbs falling out of his mouth.

Dick Bruce would stand there very tall, sort-of debonair looking guy, and he would eat pie.

And while he was eating the pie, he had a-just a kind of mouth and facial expression.

They'd show a close-up of his mouth.

And while he was eating the pie, he'd smile with a mouth full of pie and go mmm-mmm.

And then we-that really did sell pies.

TV Announcer: And this weekend's special is apple pie.

As only McKenzies can make 'em.

Mmm-Mmm.

Oh so good.

A treat the whole family will go for.

McKenzies--.

Ronnie: Dick Bruce paved the way for a new generation of pie lovers.

In the 1980s, McKenzies commercial stars were eating their way through weekend specials.

♪ Oh, McKenzies.

Here they are and we bake 'em fresh seven days a week.

McKenzies buttermilk drops, only $2.29 a dozen.

Their taste is guaranteed to be a smile wide.

McKenzies buttermilk drops, made with the finest, freshest ingredients and cooked in soybean oil.

Great with coffee or milk.

Create a McKenzies sensation for your whole family.

Bring home the McKenzies buttermilk drop.

♪ McKenzies.

♪ You taste the difference.

♪ Like it or not, these days, many commercial writers think they don't need jingles, or even words to sell their product.

Some classic local spots also used just a few simple ingredients.

In this case, po-boy fixings, two pairs of hands, and two ladies named Rosemary and Annie-may.

For the time saver convenience store.

Oooo-Annie-may, you see where they're fixing up the old Orphium show?

Oh, I remember when I took little oy-man with me to see Frankenstein there.

Sliced that roast beef real thin, Rosemary.

You get more juicy flavor that way.

And pile it up.

A whoel quarter pound I'm putting.

Who's ol-win--.

My cousin.

He wasn't little for truth.

We just him that 'cause he's daddy was big oy-man.

Put them red, juicy, plump tomatoes-not--and lettuce.

Funny, I don't remember no lue-oy when-just when Frankenstein's monster was about to sit up with the lightning crashing down in the laboratory.

I'm messing with my fresh homemade maynes--.

Just when Borris Carlof starts moving one of his fingers, little oy-win starts crying 'cause he has to go to the bathroom.

And he's scared to go by his self.

Oh you're yacking so much Ann-may, we're never going to finish these roast beef po-boys.

Say, whatever happened to lu-oy.

He's in the undertank in Chalmette.

Oh ain't that nice.

Yeah.

They were Ninth War people.

And they talked like that.

And they would make these big sandwiches.

And you're going to have your sandwich.

And you're going to put all this mayonnaise on it.

And they would talk to each other in that tone of voice.

They were wonderful.

And you never saw them on camera.

You only saw their hands when they were making the sandwiches.

And Rosemary say Ann-may put some more cheese on there.

Put some more lettuce.

Put some more tomatoes.

On a sammich--.

On the sandwich, and remember, you know, and then they'd start talking about their family at the same time.

You know, Rosemary, on cold days, my momma used to heat our sandwiches in an oven for lunch.

Remember the ovens with the high legs and the matches and the ceramic dispensers.

Annie-may we don't have time to talk about your momma and them funny looking ovens.

Huh--.

Ronnie: The commercials were conceived in the early 1980s by the Fitzgerald Ad Agency.

And inspired by a man who had an eye and an ear for local culture.

Former Times Picayune columnist Frank Schnieder.

They were written by one time theater critic Joe DePoppa.

And stared Sheral Ceatat and Becky Allan.

Joe Depappa came and ta-asked--.

I think so.

Yeah, Joe DelPappa Knew us from theater.

Right.

And uh-he called and asked us to come and we auditioned for it.

We-they had about five or six women there.

And um-they wanted somebody with New Orleans accents.

And they were going to show our hands.

And um-and we-us talking.

And then the food styalist was most important because they had to make the tomatoes look good.

Had to spray it, you know with water or whatever they used.

Hmm-how do you know how to make mayonnaise, Annie-may.

I was a little girl at McDonald when I seen my momma mixing the stuff in one of them little orphan Annie shakers in it with a plunger in it for mixing the--.

Narrator: The scripts, performed by two of the best character actresses the city had ever seen helped the commercials become instant classics.

The sandwiches became quick sellers.

The sale of sandwiches went up like 10 thousand dollars.

It just-from the-from the ads.

So then, that-that's why they loved us.

Because it was like a-a soap opera.

'Cause every time it was a different, you know, situation.

Rosemary put some more ham on that sammich--.

Mayonnaise, Ann.

Mayonnaise.

My momma taught me to make it with the orphan Annie-.

I hate mayonnaise.

Guess who I'd seen at homeses, Rosemary.

Who?

Aster.

Aster.

Ooh that girl's still got them floating hips like her mamma?

Yeah.

And them white pants don't do nothing for it.

You told her we making 'em ham and Swiss po-boys fresh everyday for time saver.

Yeah.

And you told her how we put a whole quarter pound of ham on each sandwich.

And I made my mayonnaise fresh.

Uh-huh.

And we use real Swiss cheese.

And plump tomatoes.

And crispy clean lettuce.

She knows Rosemary.

She takes a po-boy from the time saver down to the hospital everyday.

Her momma's sick?

No, Ester's a nurse.

What?

That girl used to faint in a doctor's waiting room.

Say Annie-may, you remember how you and me and Ester used to sit on them cement lions in City Park and eat them po-boys form the grocery on Dumaine Street?

Yeah.

You know, I think the ones we making for Time Saver are better, Rosemary.

Oh yeah.

If you want a real homemade po-boy sandwich, guaranteed fresh, stop by any of our time saver stores.

It's a meal in itself.

Ronnie: You could say that Rosemary and Anne-may's star status helped popularize the local accents that some people may have frowned upon, Including English teachers and the actresses' mothers.

I told you, my mother oh, she just believed in diction, you know.

And so all-all my own life she was, you do it this way.

And then after I started doing these commercials, I'd find her saying to my friend, that's my daughters.

She was very proud.

Yeah.

Oh, big trouble, Annie-may.

Get out your St. Jude Novena, the ham smells burnt.

Burnt, it ain't burnt.

It's smoked, Rosemary.

And we'd go to maybe the Beverly Dinner playhouse.

And we'd walk out.

That's what they wanted us to do.

Annie-may and Rosemary.

And we'd walk out and they'd say, do it dawlin.

The were doing it and didn't know it.

Do it dawlin.

It was very funny.

Ronnie: Time Saver tried to corner the market on convenience when it came to sandwiches, but for years, local convenience was really spelled with only two letters.

K and B.

♪ Look at almost any corner.

♪ And what do you see?

♪ A big purple sigh that says friendly K and B.

♪ Ronnie: K and B's commercials advertised its chains wide range of products.

For years, it was where you went to get your pictures developed.

TV Announcer: Go ahead, shoot those pictures with wild abandonment.

K and B now has a special on processing.

Only $1.97 for a roll of 12 exposure Kodak color.

And two--.

Ronnie: Shop for school supplies, and, of course, take home some ice cream.

They had coffin freezers.

And they were always as you went toward checkout.

And there was nothing there to flag you to-to make you look in the freezer and say oh, let me pick up a thing of ice cream.

So we said what if we could bring attention to the freezer somehow.

And it just developed into like the talking thing.

Stop people as they were walking by to check out by saying hey, you know, hey there.

TV Announcer: What would you say to a talking ice cream freezer?

Watch these K and B customers as our hidden cameras roll.

Where you hiding at?

Where am I hiding?

Well I'm-I'm right here.

I'm in the freezer.

This is weird.

Why, you never talked to a freezer?

No, but I didn't eat ice cream before.

Quit talking to the freezer.

Not too fattening.

K and B lime sherbert's not too fattening.

Not too-too fattening.

But it taste good though?

Delicious.

Made right here in New Orleans by K and B themselves.

Yes, chocolate.

Yes, chocolate's a good flavor.

Well in that case, I think I'll buy some chocolate.

I just told you.

What?

Chocolate.

What's your favorite kind of ice cream?

It's not chocolate.

It's not?

How long have you been eating K and B ice cream?

About 40 years.

You failed to mention the banana split too.

He wand the divinity, I want a chocolate chip.

I love it.

What would you say to K and B's talking freezer?

You gotta be nuts.

♪ TV Announcer: A fashion forecast in color.

As D.H. Holmes presents the international look.

American designs at home anywhere in the world.

The international look from Holmes.

At home, the world over.

And the international choice in color this season, from the Maja Rajas of India, Raja Red.

Female Announcer: Raja red.

In sports wear.

Livacious and sparked with color.

The Raja Red of the long pull over.

It's neck softened by the silkyness of a paisly scarf.

Raja red and the paper dolls silhouette.

Thrice exciting because thrice new.

Ronnie: Didn't take long for commercials for clothing stores to become a staple of local TV.

You might call this D.H. Holmes film, produced by WDSU, one of the city's first infomercials.

It was narrated by Channel 6 stars Mel Evan and Terry Fletridge.

Back when Canal Street was shopping central, attracting customers to the stores was key.

TV Announcer: So what's new?

It's the town square look.

By Cover Girl.

It's so neat.

So with it.

So Cover Girl.

So step out in Cover Girl shoes from Labishas.

Where young ideas take shape.

Well the clothing stores here.

I mean they-they were a big business.

They were Canal Street retailers.

They depended on newspaper so much.

Well the newspaper was still the number one outlet.

But um-they were finally convinced to go into television.

TV Announcer: A special invitation from Tommy Godshow to view the newest fashions highlighting the gayla social season for home entertaining.

For a member of the wedding party.

For festive club parties and for sparkling Mardi Gras balls.

Tommy Godshow invites you to see everything that's new and exciting at Godshows for the gayla social season.

♪ Should a woman expect to be utterly fascinating in her new dress from Godshows' high fashion little go-tour?

Might she even indulge in a bit of fancy?

Ah, but seriously, for the real excitement in high fashion, udner the direction of Tommy Godshow, come to Godshows.

Then let it happen.

Ronnie: One Canal Street store, Daileys, hit a nerve with a catchy message that New Orleanians can still sing.

And their jingle was in sort-of Andrew sisters harmony.

Tell Dailies who you are and where you work and how you want to pay.

For happy, easy credits happen by the daileys.

I love that.

Daileys.

1010 Canal.

Ronnie: One of the city's best known department stores, Mason Blanch advertised on TV year round.

But at Christmas time, commercials for M B kicked into high gear.

With its television version of a familiar holiday character, Mister Bingle.

It as almost a kids show.

It was the little puppet Mr. Bingle live on TV in the evenings.

Mr. Bingle, M.B.

Mason Blach.

The whole thing was a commercial for Mason Blanch.

But they almost made it like a kids puppet show.

And everybody would watch that because one station, and if that's what the kids wanted to watch, that's what you were watching on TV.

Ronnie: The Fitzgerald Advertising Agency handled the Mason Blanch account.

And so ad writers there also provided scripts for the little snow man turned pitch man.

Peter: And suppose you were selling moolie graters, which were a big thing.

It was a-it was a device.

You put a piece of garlic into it.

Squeezed it.

And garlic came out.

And-and that was the big thing.

So you begin with something with Bingle and Garlic.

Bingle would-you'd work it into the story.

And now, and then he'd read the commercial.

On a que, I came in and my lines were usually uh-something that led up to me getting hit in the face with a pie.

And uh-I always got hit with a pie.

Three times a week during the Christmas season.

We had all the different puppets and-and we'd script them.

Ron: And that was one of my first writing assignments at the agency.

And it had so many products you had to cut to.

And you built this little scenario around the different types of toys that we were presenting.

♪ Jingle, Jangle, jingle, ♪ here comes Mr. Bingle.

♪ With another message from Christ Kringle.

♪ Well here it is.

The day before Christmas.

Gee, I guess this is-.

Ronnie: By the time Mr. Bingle appeared with local actress Linda Mince in the 1970s, The sales pitch had been toned down a bit.

But the spirit was there.

Bingle's long time pals were there too.

Dr. Walrus.

Pete the Penguin.

And Ms. Holly.

Merry Christmas everybody.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Goodbye children.

Merry Christmas everybody.

It wasn't that long ago that even the idea of a TV commercial was a foreign concept.

Then again, TV itself wasn't all that familiar.

So for those people we call pioneers, making a career out of it was even more of a challenge.

They worked for outfits, for names like Bower-line.

Walker-saucay--.

Swagert, and Fitzgerald.

And to say the new medium was a great unknown to them was an understatement.

I-I really didn't know.

I knew it was new.

And I knew it was a great new medium, but I-I have no idea of what I was going to be doing.

Anyway, everything in those days, needless to say, was live.

There was no color.

There was no video tape.

Everything was live.

Ronnie: In the earliest days of local TV, advertising went hand-in-hand with programming.

Especially in the case of the first station, WDSU, which had its roots in the old D. H. Holmes department store.

Terry: The funny thing about-see, this was black and white television.

So people were made up in black and white and a little gray.

And so all of us weirdos were running around D. H. Holmes in black and white and gray makeup.

But the Esso reporter was in the window of D. H. Homles.

They had a Canal Street window.

TV Announcer: This is your Esso reporter with headlines of the world.

Presented by Esso Standard Oil Company and your nearby Esso dealer.

Rmemeber, first, last, and always, your best buy is at the Esso sign.

Good evening everyone, this is Alleck Gifford reporting--.

Alex: Esso reporter was a news cast that was sponsored by Esso Standard Oil Company of New Jersey.

And uh-it was one of the first of the television newscasts that went on around the country.

There were Esso news casts in practically every major market in the country.

But here's the interesting thing about that as compared to what happens today.

The Esso news cast was controlled by Esso.

Esso insisted on the number of stories that were in the news cast.

On the type of stories that were in the news cast.

There had to be a piece of music behind every piece of video.

Newscaster: Fort-five year old Ludwig Wid-kitz-witz today refused to leave his room at Turo Infirmary and return to his ship, the Polish freighter, General Bim, which is to sail for Eurpe tomorrow.

He's been undergoing--.

The sponsor controlled the news cast.

Ronnie: But Esso wasn't alone.

Good evening, this is Bill Stanely with the world tonight.

Details to follow.

All brought to you by Conico.

Conico, hottest brand going.

Ronnie: Oil companies weren't the only ones to have a presence in local TV by far.

We'll have more news following this message.

Ronnie: Once you got the news, you wanted to hear the sports and weather.

That's where the old Jackson Brewing Company Came in.

One of a handful of local beer labels around at the time, Jax sponsored weather forecasts from Nash Roberts and brought us the Jax World of Sports with Mel Elvet.

And he'd do his world of sports.

I'm not a sports man.

I don't know frigging thing about sports.

And I had to help him with the-with the score cards.

And who are the Phillies.

And what are the Pirates.

And I don't know all this stuff.

And he had-we're having Phil Resuto on tonight.

Who the Hell is he?

You know.

I don't know all this stuff.

I'm not a sports guy so I was not impressed by Mel or his show.

Now the weather, that interested me because, you know, it was something else.

This is the high pressure system that dropped down behind the cold front that came through yesterday morning.

It settled pretty well down in the--.

Ronnie: A sponsor and a weather forecast, Jax also tied its name to the man who became this city's weather guro.

Nash: It turned out to be a real good client and a good mix.

And me with my fishing and hunting and outdoors stuff, I always had these little commercial segues that had to do with having beer in my ice chest.

Uh-uh--Filling an ice chest full of snow with the Jax in there when we went on vacation.

We threw everything into the commercial.

And it-it worked out pretty well.

Ronnie: Jax Beer also built a following by making the most of the new media.

And creating commercials that New Orleanians of a certain age remember.

TV Announcer: Here's a sight that's all in a day's work at the Jax brewery.

Checking the golden brilliance of Jax.

A brilliance that comes from scientific skill and a special process we call polishing.

See what I mean.

One golden moment of enjoyment coming up.

♪ ♪ Hello mellow Jax little ♪ darling-darling.

♪ You're the beer for me.

♪ Yes sir-yee.

Come into a whole new world of pleasure with Jax, your friendly companion.

Out in the Atlantic, whether it's being the master, or in the southwest where a man can match his skill with a nimble drop.

No matter where, Jax is there.

Sure as you like this kind of living, Jax is your kind of beer.

West, refreshing Jax beer conquers a man sized thirst.

East, Jax satisfies a man's call for beer with life and spirit.

♪ Hello mello Jax Little darling.

♪ You sure look good to me.

♪ Hello mellow Jax they say, right across the USA, ♪ you're the beer for me, yes-sir-yee.

♪ Man and nature have created none finer.

And one of my specialties in those days were pouring beer.

Boy could I pour a beer.

I was-and I didn't drink much beer at the time.

But you had a glass.

And you hit the side of the glass.

And the foam would perfectly form.

Well, of course, once in a while we'd let the announcer do it.

Bob Nelson had to-to do it.

And he'd says, and you just open the top of a Jax, and nope,--there was no-it wouldn't open.

He just kept reading through the commercial.

He couldn't pour the beer because the cap wouldn't come off.

Hello, Honey, HI, Oh, HI dear.

Listen I just--.

Ronnie: Some of Jax's most memorable local commercials used animated sales people.

Created and voiced by the '50s and '60s comedy team of Mick Nickles and Elaine May.

Together as comedians, and in solo careers.

The pair owned Tony, Grammy, Emmy, And Academy Awards.

Nickles as a director, and May as a screenwriter and comedian.

But here, they were drafted to help sell beer.

Bartender, give me a glass of Jax beer.

The beer with the real beer taste.

Never heavy.

Never harsh.

It's premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients.

Yes ma'am.

Coming right up.

Bartender.

Yes ma'am.

Bartender, are you making fun of me?

No ma'am.

I wouldn't do that.

I wouldn't make fun of you.

Then why are you talking that way.

I talk this way.

I wouldn't make fun of you.

Really?

Here's your glass of Jax beer with that real beer taste.

Sir.

Uh-uh.

I wonder if I could have a glass of Jax beer.

The mellow, bright, clear light beer.

Yes ma'am.

Coming right up.

Here it is, a glass of Jax beer with Jax real beer taste.

Bartender.

Yes ma'am.

Bartender.

I thought you said you weren't making fun of me.

You were too making fun of me.

I was not.

I was not making fun of you.

I was making fun of her.

And remember.

Jax beer is premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients to give you real beer taste.

Don't just ask for beer.

Say Jax.

The real beer.

Uh-Mr. Gunbiner.

Yeah.

Do you have trouble with your rs?

No.

why?

You're saying premium b-ewed beer.

It's premium brewed and real beer.

Yeah.

That's what I said.

Premium.

No.

No.

See you're saying pwe-mium, with a W. It's premium with an R. P-wemium.

No, no, it's not what I mean.

It's premium.

With an R. Premium.

R-say arrrr.

Rrrrr.

Premium r p. rrr.

Premium.

Premium.

Grr.. yes.

Real real.

I think I have.

And remember.

Jax beer is premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients to give you a real beer taste.

Don't just ask for beer.

Say Jax, the beel-jeer.

Mr.

Gunbiner.--.

I'm awefully sorry.

Pardon me.

Do you serve elephants?

Yes.

Yes we do.

Well, I'd like a-I'd like a bottle of uh-wait a minute.

I have a slip of paper here.

I'd like a bottle of uh-mellow Jax with a real beer taste.

Premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients.

Do you have that?

Mellow, bright, clear and light.

Yes we do.

Jax, the beer that once you tried, you'll never again be completely satisfied with any other beer.

Yes, I have the beer you mean.

That's what it says on this slip.

That's what I'd like.

I'd like some of that.

Well, all right.

It says here it's my favorite beer.

Oh, well then, I'll get it for you right away.

Thank you.

I something the matter?

No, I'm just so upset.

Something wrong?

Can I help?

I have an incredibly bad memory.

I don't know what's wrong with me.

Really?

I'm so ashamed.

Really.

Hmm.

It's supposed to be a characteristic of ours.

Never to forget anything.

Yes, among elephants.

I've heard of that.

I forget everything.

I remember nothing.

I have absolutely no memory.

I absolutely remember nothing at all.

Nothing.

I have to write everything down.

It's a maddening problem.

I cannot remember anything.

Goodness, how long have you had this problem?

What problem?

Waitress.

I'd like two glasses of Jax real beer please with the real beer taste for myself and my dog Lewis.

Your dog Lewis.

Yes, he loves that Jax real beer taste.

You see, he knows Jax is premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients.

Oh yeah.

And I suppose he's a talking dog.

Yes, as a matter of fact, he is.

Oh come off it would you.

Lewis, listen to me.

Lewis.

What's on top of a house.

Ruf.

You see waitress.

Now, just get the Jax.

Wait a minute.

Oh, you're skeptical.

Just a minute please.

Lewis, Lewis, when I'm playing golf too hard, and I hit the ball too hard, where does it go?

Ruf.

Now how about that Jax beer, lady.

All right, just a second.

Let me ask him a question.

Sure.

OK. Go ahead.

Say Lewis.

Who was the only president of the United States of America to hold office for three consecutive terms.

Coolidge.

Bar maid.

Yes.

I'd like a bottle of mellow Jax for myself and a bottle of Mellow Jax with the real beer taste for my horse.

Oh, I thought that was a horse.

You'll have to get that horse out of here.

I just want a bottle of mellow Jax for him.

No, I'm sorry.

We don't allow horses in here, in the first place, and we don't server beer to horses in the second place.

And it just-just--get your horse out please.

He's got to have a bottle of Jax.

You know it's premium brewed from a hundred percent natural ingredients.

No-no.

You mean, you don't serve horses?

There's a big sign over the bar.

We do not serve beer to horses.

Well can't you make an exception this once?

My horse is parched lady.

We do not make exceptions.

We do not serve beer to horses.

We just won't do it.

Not even mellow Jax.

No.

He really craves that real beer taste.

No sir.

If we serve beer to your horse, pretty soon, every horse in the neighborhood will be coming and asking for Jax beer.

Now just get your horse out of here.

I'm awful sorry, Seamor.

Oh, never mind, Hank, I'm driving anyway.

Ronnie: While the Nickels and May Jax commercials became local classics, they're not always remembered as advertising success stories.

There's only one problem with them.

They appeal to the cocktail drinker and not to the beer drinker.

Well, the complaint was from the beer company, they didn't sell much beer.

Everybody loved the commercials and they received many awards.

Uh-the deal was, I don't think they sold a lot of beer.

But they were everybody's favorite commercial.

No, it was not great advertising.

It's artistic advertising.

It didn't sell beer, which is the name of the game.

♪ If you like beer with a capital B, ♪ with a real beer taste, with a capital T. ♪ Mellow Jax.

♪ Smooth and clear.

♪ Real beer taste for sure.

♪ Real beer taste.

♪ Jax.

Ronnie: Jax had memorable commercials, but wasn't by any means the only local brewery to advertise.

Dixie even recruited Pete Fountain and family for its spots.

Dixie, that's my beer.

That is the best.

Drew.

There you go buddy.

Beautiful.

How about that.

Isn't that beautiful.

you blue eyed devil.

Boy, you.

Ronnie: In the early days of local TV, being live made things more exciting.

And for the ad agencies and their staff, it also meant there was no tape to replay your mistakes.

Oh God yes.

But for some reason, you adapted to it.

I-I remember-I remember there was an announcer selling a piece of furniture for Barnettes.

You know, one of these sleeper beds that opened into a comfortable bed in a manner of seconds.

He pulled out part of the-the bottom of it to roll it out, and a piece of stick came out of the-the.

The post and stick was all it was.

Immediately go to black.

Bill Slato was one of our wonderful announcers in those days.

And he did the Blue Plate commercial.

TV Announcer: Spread the word.

Peter: We had a live commercial for Blue Plate mayonnaise.

And a gorgeous slice of lettuce with a-two beautiful tomatoes on it.

Put it on a plate.

And his job was to scoop in uh-spoon full of mayonnaise and put it right on the tomato.

But, of course, he was light handed.

So he took a spoonful of mayonnaise and went right past the tomato, onto the table.

So there was a glob of mayonnaise here, untouched salad here.

And he just read the copy.

That was the way it worked.

One of the most famous was the one about the lawnmower.

People that-these lawnmowers that start on every pull and so forth and so on.

We guarantee it.

Get live on there, you pull that sucker and it didn't go.

We had what was called an electronic oven.

It was fabulous.

And it had a-gizmo plate that you could see.

So we would aim the camera at raw bacon in there on paper.

And you could see beautifully frying before your eye.

This was a miracle.

So we go on the air.

Go.

And we lit up.

Camera zooms in on the bacon.

And we blow a fuse.

The whole damn studio's out.

And, of course, the electronic oven is what did it.

And the bacon's lying there limp, but you keep going.

And that was it.

I don't think they sold one of those things.

But it was-it was-this was the kind of things that happen to you.

In live television, no predictability.

None whatsoever.

Ronnie: For example.

Who would have predicted this young actress named Betty White would be doing her best to sell coffee a few years before she became a national TV star.

Try it.

I did.

And I enjoy new Luzianne more than I ever enjoyed coffee before.

It's smooth, mellow.

Luzianne in the bright white can.

♪ Ronnie: Pitching Luzianne Coffee and Tea helped local broadcasting favorites Bob and Jan Car come up with a still familiar greeting.

As she's want to do, she would start first.

Yeah.

And I would say this is Jan. And this is bob.

And we'd like to talk about Luzianne Coffee because we think it s so wonderful.

And then he-he would say no-no, that doesn't sound right.

That doesn't sound right.

So all of a sudden we were getting frustrated and I said well let's just get on with it.

This is Bob.

And this is Jan. From Luzianne.

And here's-and that's it-that's it.

So that's how.

This is Bob and this is Jan from Luzianne and that's it.

That's it.

It stuck.

I'm Bob, and I'm Jan, and we're the Cars.

Both legally and happily.

At home, and here on the magnificent roof of the Royal Orleans Hotel--.

Ronnie: On their finally remembered channel six show, second cup, the Cars help brighten the morning for New Orleans viewers and help pitch products for advertisers.

Be sure to-when you go to your grocery store, to look for the auto packed line of fine foods.

And remember, red bar rice, the jubilee rice, and the autocrat easy cook rice.

Just a minute.

What are the three kinds of rice again.

The red ball rice is the short grain rice.

The jubilee rice is the long grain rice.

And autocrat is the processed rice that cooks in a short length of time.

Got it.

Got it.

Good.

♪ At the beach.

♪ At the beach.

♪ At Pontchartrain Beach.

♪ You'll have fun.

♪ You'll have fun every day of the week.

♪ You'll love the thrilling rides.

♪ Laugh 'till you split your sides, at Pontchartrain, ♪ Pontchartrain Beach.

Ronnie: Those sounds sent New Orleanians back to the beach every summer.

And as the baby boomers grew into teenagers, commercials for the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park reflected their changing musical taste too.

♪ Moving on out to Pontchartrain Beach.

♪ Got my baby by my side.

♪ Moving on.

♪ Moving on out to Pontchartrain Beach, ♪ got to dig the games and the rides.

♪ Moving on out to Pontchartrain Beach.

♪ Get it all together there.

♪ Where can you go for family fun.

♪ Let's go to Pontchartrain Beach.

♪ Good clean homes.

♪ Some family fun.

♪ Let's go to Pontchartrain Beach.

♪ ♪ Kids go together with Pontchartrain Beach ♪ for fresh family fun.

In advertising, the goal was to make the product look good, even irresistible.

One popular local ad campaign did that by giving the merchandise very human characteristics.

This is your old chair main at universal's floor covering department.

Benny: It was a chair.

Like a chair you would watch television in right in front of the TV.

A mid-sized easy chair.

With a very obvious upholstery.

Small print design.

And out of the center of the chair was a gentleman, the chairman, dressed in the exact same fabric as the chair.

Well, first there was the chair man.

And they had him in-but he was from Houston and they had to fly him in all the time they wanted to do more commercials.

Save up to 50 percent now.

Universal's warehouse sale is our greatest event of the year.

He was so sweet.

And so, they auditioned a hundred girls.

And um-I got it and they told me I got it because I was the only girl that looked natural in a chair.

I don't care.

Universal has been selected as a headquarters for Sealy Posturepedic.

The mattress designed for your personal comfort.

And we have special low prices on top of the line Sealy Posturepedics that you just won't find at any other store.

For lowest prices on furniture, bedding at Sealy quality, it's Universal Furniture, right?

It was very comfortable.

And it was like-it was like a real chair.

Just with a hole in the middle so stick it-you know, get in.

It was very funny.

It was plaid.

Mine was ice blue.

I would forget I had the chair on.

I mean, you know, it's like when you're in your Mardi Gras costume, you know, you don't realize how wild you look, you know, until you get home and you look in the mirror, and you went Oh my God, look at me.

And there's still no charge for delivery during Universal Furniture's warehouse sale.

Whether you're the chairman.

Or the special man.

When you're selling furniture, as we've seen over the years, memorable characters can help.

Let her have it.

For some reason, that just soaked in to the New Orleans brain.

I don't know what it was.

But it worked and it worked great.

Everybody remembered Sam, let 'em have it.

I say, I say, this must be Frankie and Johnny's.

Ronnie: The commercials for Frankie and Johnny's Furniture Store have evovled into cult classics.

With promises of easy store credit with no problem.

All thanks to the special man.

The spots hit the scene in the early 1990s with a campaign that developed sort of by accident.

Tell you the truth, we was doing-we was doing the commercial and something came up about let 'em have it, see the special man.

And then we started saying well that would be a good thing to put in the commercial.

If we could put it in that day.

TV Announcer: Frankie and Johnny Furniture is having as sale right now.

You can buy three complete rooms of furniture for only 699 dollars, with only 250 dollars down.

Just 50 dollars down on select items will put you in a great bedroom set or living room set today with no problem.

All senior citizens get a 10 percent discount.

Bad credit.

Or no credit.

No problem.

Are you on welfare or social security?

Are you newly weds?

No problem.

Come see us.

I say-I say-I say-this is Frankie and Johnny's.

The place that let you have it with no problem.

I'd like to buy a bedroom set.

Do you have any credit?

No, I receive social security and welfare.

You should see the special man.

Let her have it.

With no problem.

I'd like to buy a living room set.

Do you have any credit?

No, I filed bankruptcy.

You have to see the special man.

Let her have it.

With no problem.

I say-I say, see Frankie and Johnny's credit man in town for only 50 dollars down I can put you in a living room set.

A bedroom set today.

See the special man.

I go the 50 dollars.

Let her have it.

With no problem.

I got it.

I got it.

With no problem.

Ronnie: In real life, the special man was known as Lester Love Senior.

A legendary salesman who by the time he died in 2001, had become a local icon.

Oh yeah, guy with the big had and the cigar.

Everybody knows big ga-big c-the cigar.

I mean, we walked down the street, people would holler, there's the special man.

And they were, you know, they j-they just-was something that caught on.

Ronnie: The recognition carried over to the other stars of the commercials.

Especially to Frankie in Frankie and Johnny's.

Who dances his way down the store isles and points the way to the all important special man.

I was sitting at Tony Angelo about a month or so.

and I had a lady start pounding on my-my back.

I wanted the special man.

Everybody looking in the place, you know.

But it-it was something just-just the way it was.

The guy owned one of the matre-d I said no.

Said that's what we spend the money for, that people know we're around here.

I used to walk in the shopping center, and I'd have people in the back of me doing a little shuffle in the back.

It's always something.

Really.

I mean, it's-it's just caught on real good.

Wherever I go, I mean, I'm recognized by people--.

With No Problem!

A-a--and especially in the church houses that-like, for instance, on-last week I went to a church revival and it-it-was-it--me being there made quite a few people feel good.

They-they felt as though they had a celebrity in their-their midst.

You know, I'm a big thing but that's the way they felt.

I got the 50 dollars.

Let her have it.

She's got it.

Ronnie: Sort of like buying furniture, purchasing a car has always been a major investment.

And with so many car dealers to choose from.

Many try hard with the help of good advertising to separate themselves from the pack.

You know, kids they had a saying.

You name the car, I'll sing the commercial.

Get your Chevrolet from Pursia.

Mike Pursia Chevrolet.

I loved that one too.

Get your Chevrolet at Pursia.

Get your Chevrolet at Pursia.

Mike Pursia Chevrolet.

Buy your Chevrolet from Pursia.

Mike Pursia Chevrolet.

As simple as that.

With an-with an obnoxious little man with a-cartoon with a turban.

Flying carpet kind of character, you know, just a little Turkish guy with a fez.

And it was a very simple cartoon.

Nothing really moved, and maybe his hands, and that was it.

Ronnie: Must have been success in selling cars with exotic costumes and characters.

Along with Mike Pursia's mascot, though he wasn't unique to New Orleans, came a wild man named Bill.

And a car salesman named Trader Joe Paretti.

Barbara: We had a little guy in a Pith helmet, like a trader.

You know, he was-I was-out in the woods.

And we had a jingle for Trader Joe Paretti.

Trader Joe Paretti.

The dealer who is ready to trade with you.

New Orleans number one Pontiac dealer.

Trader Joe the automobile-er.

He'll save you lots of dough.

With about four or five girls on TV doing the cha-cha live.

Ronnie: Much more recent, but just as memorable are a series of spots for a Mississippi car dealer who made you feel like family.

That's a good car papa.

That's right.

Hey everybody, it's crazy George time at Gentilly Dodge--.

Ronnie: Whether you're selling fancy cars--.

Go, come see Gentilly Dodge How often do you paint?

Too often.

Ronnie: Or Aluminum siding.

The goal in advertising is to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Sometimes size matters.

There was one local bank's big one.

This 19 inch GE color TV with AFC is only 299.

And I guarantee it's the lowest price in town.

Ronnie: In Campo, the appliance giant.

TV Announcer: A 12 inch TV for 58 dollars.

An RCA color 19 just 298.

298 is less than last year's prices.

Sounds great I'll take 'em all.

OK.

I'll pull 'em out for you.

Don't take 'em from the bottom.

Well the appliance giant brings prices down to earth.

♪ Campo.

♪ The appliance giant.

TV Announcer: The uglies are coming.

The uglies are here.

They destroy the looks and value of your home by eating your peeling, splitting and rotten weather boards.

Ronnie: Even being ugly seemed to help.

That local business didn't stop there.

There was also a man named Oscar.

TV Announcer: This man is looking for work.

He's a skilled siding installer but doesn't work much this time of year.

The LAS warehouse is full of inventory.

It's time to discount this material.

If you put this man to work now.

LAS will give you tremendous discounts on siding, overhang gutters and windows.

Beware the uglies.

Ronnie: Putting Oscar to work on your house was one thing.

Protecting it from creepy crawly bugs, roaches, and termites was another.

But who would you call for that?

Miller the killer.

He kills them all.

Yeah baby.

♪ Miller the killer.

♪ He kills them all.

♪ Miller the killer.

♪ He kills them all.

♪ Rats or ants or mice and fleas.

♪ Roaches, termites, all of these.

♪ Call Miller the killer.

♪ He kills them all.

It was just, who knows, you know.

It was just one of those things that really caught on with that bass voice.

♪ Call Miller the killer.

♪ Miller the killer.

♪ He kills them all.

♪ Call Miller.

Now we know, there's no way to come up with a complete list of New Orleans classic commercials.

The only problem is some of the best jingles, characters, and live TV moments exists in memory only.

Gone with the turn of the dial.

But there's always room for more.

To find 'em, all you have to do is stay tuned.

Hello.

I'm what is known as an identifiable character.

When you see or hear me, you automatically think of premium, all vegetable snow drift.

The western oil shortening.

When you don't see or hear me, you may think of anything you please.

I think that's very fair, don't you.

If life's little problems are tough on your ties, you want Wemlock by Wembly.

Reach for Wemlock.

And only Wemlock.

The stain resistant, wrinkle proof, washable tie by Wemple.

It quenches thirst and refreshes.

It's the root beer for today's taste.

Because it cools the blood and tones the system, we call Barq's bottled health.

And drink it morning, noon, and night.

Easter's here.

And McKenzies has something special for everyone.

Delicious decorated cakes that say happy Easter.

If you pack a small lunch for school, or a large lunch for work.

For real, old fashioned pie eating enjoyment, make sure there's a Hupig pie inside.

Only a dime.

♪ Real beer taste.

♪ Only Jax's got it.

♪ Oh you ought to get yourself some ♪ mellow Jax tonight.

Announcer: Stay Tuned, New Orleans' Classic TV Commercials.

Is made possible by the WYES Producers Circle A group of generous contributors dedicated to the support of WYES' local productions.

Additional funding is also provided by Clean Fleet Auto Body.

It's your car, it's your choice.

Group Health Plans of Louisiana.

New Orleans Cuisine Magazine.

The culinary encyclopedia of the crescent city.

And by, viewers like you, Thank you