Casting Needs and Leeds

Peter Leeds (1917-1996) was a jack-of-all-trades American actor who had the distinction of appearing more than 8,000 times on television and heard on over 3,000 radio shows. The actor was a "household face" to the parents and their Baby Boomers during the 1950s and 1960s. In spite of his leading man looks, his work was mostly uncredited, filling needed roles in films of the 1940s and being the straight man for many well-known television comedians for three decades. The 6'1" Leeds was also a dramatic actor and Broadway performer who stayed active into the 1980s. 

On my other site, Forgotten Cinema, I select mostly unknown or obscure movies, highlighting commendable or poor production values, the actors' performances, the dialogue, and the music score, usually with humor. Leeds appeared in seven films (below) that I have reviewed, yet his brief appearances elicited little, if any mention, because his role was not significant to the overall story. The exception is High School Bigshot. As always, Leeds had a genuine style that brought realism to his roles, despite being included in some inferior films. 

1949    D.O.A.     Leo, a bartender

1950    Dial 1119     Martin, a policeman
1953    99 River Street     Nat Finley
1954    The Atomic Kid      Agent Bill
1956    Behind The High Wall     Detective
1957    Bombers B-52     TV quiz show director
1959    High School Big Shot     Carter, a teacher

The Mysterious V-7

Vitalis Hair Tonic's history dates to the mid-1920s when it was introduced by Lewis Brothers, Inc., originally based in New York City. The product was trademarked as "Elbee Vitalis" in 1924, with ELBEE being a phonetic spelling of the founders' initials, L.B. Though initially marketed as a scalp treatment to stop dandruff, by the 1930s, the focus shifted toward styling, and it became a staple in men's grooming routines. Vitalis remained particularly popular in the 1940s to 1950s, aligning with the neat hairstyles of numerous Hollywood leading men.

Bristol-Myers acquired the product from Lewis Brothers, Inc. in 1931, and began extensive national advertising campaigns, including the famous "60-second workout" slogan, which emphasized its use for a healthy scalp and well-groomed hair. The product was further refined with the incorporation of a new greaseless grooming discovery called V-7, which was later identified as trimetazidine, a sedative, years before it was used to treat angina and, more recently, as a performance-enhancing drug. Vitalis's primary active ingredient was alcohol (not for performance), which provided the drying and styling properties. The mysterious V-7 was eventually removed, and the new Vitalis became merely scented water that did not offer any hold.

Despite more rumors of its demise, Vitalis Hair Tonic remains available for purchase through major retailers and online platforms.

Air Show Thrill Seeker

In late 1926, Lloyd Stearman, Fred Hoyt, and George Lyle chartered Stearman Aircraft, Inc., with fabrication in Venice, California, with final assembly and test flights taking place at Clover Field, modern-day Santa Monica Airport. Established in 1927, Stearman Aircraft Corporation had a vital role in the fields of military and general aviation. Wichita, Kansas, was a hub for aircraft manufacturing of the era, and Stearman moved his company there by the late 1930s, now the site of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. Stearman operated as a Boeing division until September 1941, when it was redesignated the Wichita Division, Boeing Aircraft Company.

Arguably, the most famous Stearman was the Model 75 (Navy PT-17), introduced in the early 1930s. More than 10,600 were built. The biplane became the primary trainer for both the United States Army Air Corps and the United States Navy through the 1940s. In the immediate postwar years, they became trusted crop dusters, the ubiquitous aerobatic performer, and the ride for wing walkers at air shows. Many by this time had installed a larger Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine and a constant-speed propeller to increase the maximum takeoff weight and climb performance. Many Stearmans are still active today on the air show circuit.

Will the Real Person Please Stand Up

For those housewives listening to Betty Crocker on the radio since the late 1920s, it must have been quite a shock after World War II to learn Betty had no address nor baked anything. The fictional character was created by the Washburn-Crosby Company, later General Mills, in 1921 to give a personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was selected because it was deemed an all-American name. It was, however, paired with the last name of William Crocker, a Washburn-Crosby director. The portrait of Betty Crocker was first commissioned in 1936. It has been updated numerous times to reflect the changes in fashion and hairstyles (1955 at left). The equally famous red spoon logo was introduced in 1954. The fictitious Betty Crocker has endured to this day.

Before Duncan Hines cake mix hit grocery stores, there was a traveling salesman, author, and amateur restaurant critic who recorded details about restaurant food as well as the cleanliness of those establishments. His notes became a trustworthy guide in a 1938 self-published book, Adventures in Good Eating by Mr. Duncan Hines (1880-1959). For travelers in America during this era, most restaurants were not only few and far between, but also local. An agreement with a 1940s businessman, Roy H. Park, led to the formation of Hines-Park Foods in 1949, which licensed Hines’ name to various food products. Their first was "Duncan Hines Ice Cream." In time, Procter & Gamble sold Duncan Hines to Aurora Foods, followed by a merger with Pinnacle Foods Corporation in 2004, and the eventual acquisition by Conagra Brands. By the way, Mr. Hines did not cook or bake, either.

Mr. Varitably Clean

Mr. Clean is a brand name and mascot owned by Procter & Gamble since 1958, after purchasing the formula from Linwood Burton. The original all-purpose cleaner was formulated by Burton, a marine ship cleaning businessman in the United States. He named it “Mr. Clean” based on a bald United States Navy sailor. Though to many, he seemed just as much a genie with his earring, folded arms, and tendency to appear magically at the appropriate time. Mr. Clean made his television commercial debut that same year. He was initially portrayed in live-action versions by B-movie and television character actor, House Peters Jr. Within six months of its debut, it was one of the best-selling cleansers on the market.

The Mr. Clean mascot was conceived in 1957 by Harry Barnhart and Ernie Allen, employees of Chicago's Tatham-Laird & Kudner advertising agency's art department. Mr. Clean's theme song, or jingle, has been around since the product's introduction and is the longest-running advertising jingle in television history. It was written by Thomas Scott Cadden, a pioneering television commercial producer, director, writer, and songwriter from the 1950s to the 1970s. 

Note: Most people assumed Mr. Clean ever needed a first name. In 1963, a Procter & Gamble marketing ploy promoted a “Give Mr. Clean a Name” contest with the odd name of "Veritably" as the winning name. I was a short-term gimmick, I suspect, as the "Mr. Varitably Clean" name is apparently no longer used. Or was it "Veritably Mr. Clean"? Getting rid of that first name is another good use for its Magic Eraser pads.

Putting You in Your Rightful Place

The Hertz Corporation is the world's largest car rental company, handling more than 30 million rentals worldwide with approximately 6,500 locations in more than 140 countries and a fleet of 550,000 vehicles, including 300,000 vehicles in the United States alone. 

In 1918, Walter Jacobs, the twenty-two-year-old pioneer of auto renting, began his Ford rental business with only twelve Model-Ts in Chicago. He sold the company to John D. Hertz in 1923 but remained a prominent figure in the company until his retirement more than fifty years later. In 1925, Hertz pioneered a coast-to-coast car rental network. Together, Jacobs and Hertz swiftly turned the small company into a well-known brand, Hertz Car Rental. By 1932, Chicago's Midway Hertz became the first car rental company to open an airport rental service at Chicago Midway Airport. Hertz was generating annual revenues of about $1 million. General Motors would later buy out Hertz's Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company, renaming the car rental portion of the business the Hertz Drive-Ur-Self System.

Hertz's iconic advertising slogan through the Sixties was developed by the Norman, Craig & Kummel agency in 1959. The television ads were famous for their gravity-defying visuals of a driver being placed magically in the driver's seat (always a convertible) from mid-air. The added jingle, "Let Hertz put you in the driver’s seat," was sung by the expansive vocal range of the a cappella quartet, The Hi-Lo's. It ranks among the "Top 100 Advertising Campaigns of the Century" by Advertising Age magazine. Other ads featured performance cars you could rent, including the brand-new Corvette Sting Ray (left).

Note: Through its subsidiary Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation, the company also rents construction and industrial equipment to contractors and industrial and government markets. Hertz's Claim Management Corporation subsidiary is a leading third-party administrator, while Hertz Technologies, Inc. provides telecommunications services to corporations. Hertz Local Edition specializes in providing vehicles to the insurance community and auto dealers.

The Electric Hand Torch

In the 1890s, Eveready Battery Company, Inc. was marketing what was called an electric hand torch, known today as the flashlight in most countries. By 1913, the company was acquired by the National Carbon Company, Inc., a unit of Union Carbide & Carbon Corporation, later known as Union Carbide. Sales of its Eveready Layerbilt batteries grew rapidly in the 1920s because of the new craze for the radio, which was battery-operated at the time. The company sponsored The Eveready Hour program.

Perhaps the most important battery-powered invention was the portable transistor radio, which was being sold around the world. The long-lasting alkaline battery was invented in 1957. In 1959, Union Carbide formed a Consumer Products Division in order to capitalize on the trend toward portable radios and other battery-operated gadgets. Fast forward to 1986, as Union Carbide was forced to sell its productive battery unit and restructure in an effort to quell a hostile takeover. Ralston Purina Company was the buyer. Eveready began selling its first lithium AA battery in 1992. 

Eveready established an advertising campaign in 1988 with a series of fake advertisements that would be interrupted by a drum-banging pink bunny in flip-flops. The ads went head-to-head with their rival, Duracell, which had its own bunnies. Eveready's commercials appeared to be real ads for a product, then suddenly the rabbit burst onto the screen, with the slogan “Still going...” Despite the popular Energizer Bunny mascot, the humorous ads did little to increase sales.

Purina spun off Eveready in 2000, renaming the business unit Energizer Holdings, Inc. It is one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of dry cell batteries and flashlights. Its stiffest competition continues to be Duracell.