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.

Charles Wysocki, Part Two

Charles Wysocki (1924-2002) was famously known for his clean, well-designed American folk art illustrations, a subject I focused on in a previous post. Lesser known is his commercial advertising illustrations for Dodge trucks, among other industries. One can see leanings toward his non-dimensional, flat panels approach.

Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actresses found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

RANDY STUART (1924-1996)

Ask any of your like-minded friends and they will readily confess they never heard of Randy Stuart (Elizabeth Shaubell). Blessed with a commanding alto voice and spunky, girl-next-door attractiveness, Stuart got her acting career started with a Twentieth Century Fox contract. Typically buried in the credits, her small roles in, Sitting Pretty (1948), I Was a Male War Bride (1949) and "the girl" in All About Eve (1950) gave her some exposure and provided significant training. In what may have been her breakout role, she played the on-screen sister to Susan Hayward in the forgettable drama, I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951). No stranger to television, she made the rounds in such anthology series as Chevron Theatre and two long-running series, The Ford Television Theatre and the Schiltz Playhouse during the early Fifties. She played the wife opposite Alan Hale, Jr. in, Biff Baker, U.S.A. (1952-54). The likable, energetic couple got caught up in trouble on their international business travels during the Cold War. It was back to the big screen for her “larger” and most famous role as the wife of Grant Williams in the 1957 Universal International’s science-fiction classic, The Incredible Shrinking Man her next to last film.

Stuart appeared for several years in television westerns, most produced by Warner Bros. for the ABC network. She had a recurring role in eighteen episodes of, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, starring Hugh O'Brien, as his romantic interest. She guest-starred four times on Clint Walker's groundbreaking western, Cheyenne, in strong-willed characters during the show’s late years. Stuart was back into the spy business for a Cold War-themed episode of 77 Sunset Strip, followed by roles on Lawman, Bourbon Street Beat, The Roaring 20s, and two appearances on Hawaiian Eye before taking a five-year hiatus. Just as Stuart’s career was winding down, she returned in 1967-68 to play the wife of Harry Morgan's character, Officer Bill Gannon, on NBC's Dragnet. 1975 marked her final role in ABC's, Marcus Welby, M.D., starring a classic example of an actor transitioning from film to television, Robert Young.

Find out more about Stuart's career at IMBD.

Parallels

Depending on the angle or lighting, Virginia Gilmore (1919-1986), above left, and Jane Greer (1924-2001) possessed similar facial appearance. Yet both actresses are better known by only one of their films, Western Pacific and Out Of The Past, respectively. What separates them is their lifespan, perhaps accounting for Greer being the more famous.

The Aubuchon Way

Jacques Aubuchon (1924-1991) was an American character actor who kept busy from the 1950s through the 1980s. He is primarily known for his roles in a wide variety of television series.

Though Aubuchon spent most of his career on the small screen, he was in a handful of films, including Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953), The Silver Chalice (1954), and Thunder Road (1958) to name three. His roles varied from Westerns to modern-day dramas to comedies. His first television appearance was on the comedy Mr. Peepers (1953). He could play an informant, an outlaw, or a criminal. He somewhat specialized in untrustworthy individuals, even in comedies. His mastery of dialects made him a popular casting choice. Aubuchon perhaps is best known for his seven appearances on the wacky comedy McHale's Navy (1962-64) as the hilarious Chief Urulu.

Above, left is Jacques Aubuchon with actor J.D. Cannon 

Horton Hears a Tune

 

Robert Horton (Mead Howard Horton Jr. 1924-2016) was an American actor best known as Flint McCullough in Wagon Train (1957–1962). During his six decades of television, Horton also became known for his voice, leading him into a career in musical theater. After graduating cum laude from UCLA in the mid-Forties, he relocated from California to New York City but the struggling actor returned to California, eventually signing a contract with MGM. It was there he met fellow actors Robert Fuller and James Drury, both of whom became Horton's lifelong friends. 

The ruggedly handsome Horton, who was often not assigned a shirt, made dozens of appearances on television beginning in its infancy, most notably in several episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. About a decade later he had an offbeat role as an amnesiac in the 1965-1966 television western, A Man Called Shenandoah. As a talented singer, in the 1960s Horton recorded on the Columbia Records label and performed in theaters and nightclubs all over America and Australia. He was hired as the male lead in a successful run of the musical version of N. Richard Nash's play, 110 in the Shade (aka The Rainmaker) on Broadway. Before retiring in 1989, he took a brief turn in the daytime soap, As the World Turns.

Transition to Television

There were solid performances by numerous B-movie actors but they never became major film stars. The new medium of television offered a career shift and kept them busy. Some became a household face if not a name. 

PAUL RICHARDS (1924-1974) 

Richards may be best known to television viewers for his roles as a criminal or using his distinctive voice and monotone delivery as a psychologically disturbed individual. The versatile actor may be most familiar in the saddle, however. Throughout the Fifties and Sixties, he appeared on nearly every Western series in the likes of The Rifleman, Have Gun–Will Travel, Bonanza, and The Virginian. Richards performed four times on Gunsmoke. In the very first episode, he is cast as a near-sighted, unemotional gunfighter who outdraws Matt Dillon, nearly ending the series.

His transition to television seemed to be an easy one give his dynamic and realistic performances on the small screen. Between three or four stealthy film roles, he had a minor role as a prisoner in the high-profile film, Demetrius and the Gladiators. He played an unsuccessful mugger to Ralph Meeker's character in Kiss Me Deadly, then a competing oil industry driller framed by Gene Barry in, The Houston Story. Beneath the Planet of The Apes (1970) is probably the worst of the original franchise but Richards, as the skinless mutant leader, makes a creepy impression. Only his voice can be identified.

It was not all Westerns, of course. He starred as Dr. McKinley Thompson in the medical drama Breaking Point (1963) then an appearance on The Fugitive. He later appeared as a villainous lawyer in a 1968 episode of Hawaii Five-O. The early Seventies provided gigs on Burke's Law, I Spy, Mannix, Banacek, McMillan, and Wife, with three appearances on The Mod Squad.

Notes: A native of Hollywood, Richards earned a psychology degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a master's degree in drama, also from UCLA. He gained additional acting experience at the Theatre Wing in New York. For several years, Richards served as the commercial pitchman for General Motors' Pontiac Division. He was also the spokesman for Braniff Airways. In 1967 he was the narrator for a documentary on the building of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis called, Monument to the Dream. American Express hired him in the early 1970s as their commercial spokesman. Richard's single twenty-one-year marriage ended with his death in 1974.

My TV TRANSITION series has moved to Thursdays. Check out these earlier Monday posts from the previous site:

Merry Anders          Steve Brodie        Beverly Garland       
Jack Hogan         Peggie Castle       John Bromfield      
Dane Clark

Frozen Foods And Mountain Fever

 

Clarence Frank Birdseye II conducted experiments and received patents for the development of greatly improved methods to freeze fish for commercial production. In 1922, he formed a company, Birdseye Seafood, Inc. In 1924, he developed an entirely new process for commercially viable quick-freezing: packing fish in cartons, then freezing the contents between two refrigerated surfaces under pressure. Birdseye created a new company, General Seafood Corporation, to promote this method. Birdseye sold his company in 1929 and his patents for $22 million to Goldman Sachs and the Postum Company, becoming General Foods Corporation, which founded the Birds Eye Frozen Food Company. Today, Birds Eye is an American international brand of frozen foods owned by Conagra Brands in the United States, by Nomad Foods in Europe, and Simplot Australia in Australia.

Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and naturalist considered the founder of the modern frozen food industry. One of nine children, Birdseye grew up in Brooklyn before heading to Amherst College and began his scientific career with the U.S. government. By the end of his life, Birdseye had patented more than 300 inventions, many of them food-related but he is also is credited with the discovery of how Rocky Mountain Fever is transmitted.

Tarzan the Olympian

 

On this day in 1924, American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller set a 100-meter world freestyle record of 57.4 at Miami, Florida. He went on to win multiple Gold medals in two Olympic games, 1924 and 1928. The United States swept the medals for the second consecutive Games, winning its fourth consecutive gold medal. Weissmuller beat two-time defending champion Duke Kahanamoku in the final. In total, setting sixty-seven world records. Perhaps not surprisingly, the 6' 3" Weissmuller later became an underwear model which led to a skimpy loin cloth in 1932, beginning his twelve Tarzan films and an overnight sensation. His business ventures enabled him to lead a prosperous life. He also set a near record pace with five marriages, equaling his five Olympic gold medals.