CollectiBlog

Say It Loud: I'm a Doll and I'm Proud

lisasutton — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:14:05 +0000

Around the time All in the Family was raising consciousness on television, I was busy starting my own little color-blind community of toys. I was a huge fan of all the Norman Lear comedies as a kid, and also though Flip Wilson was the funniest man on earth. Another hugely influential moment in my life was when I met my first celebrities (yes, plural). Through a family friend, I got to go to a field shoot for Laugh In, where I was introduced to Teresa Graves (who would later star in Get Christie Love.) I also shook hands with Ruth Buzzi that day, but I got the impression that Teresa was really groovy.

That being said, it doesn’t surprise me when I look back to buying my very first Barbie doll that I chose one that I thought looked exactly like Ms. Graves. My older sister had a few of the lily-white, buxom beauties before I was initiated into that world, but when it came time for me to actually go out and pick my own, I went straight for Christie, Barbie’s black friend. I think I may have given my Jewish grandmother a near heart attack when I picked a doll of color, but the phrase "Black is Beautiful" rang true for me, even as a suburban white girl. I eventually got her hunky boyfriend Brad, and a Country Camper for them to travel in style. To this day, I'm fairly convinced that the Christie doll was influential in naming TV's Christie Love.

Truth be told, I think what I really wanted was a 1969 Julia Barbie, based on Diahann Carroll’s TV nurse. I never got one, but in later years, I did pick up a Flip Wilson pillow doll that flipped over to become his alter-ego, Geraldine. I also may be the only person this side of the Rockies with a Rodney Allen Rippy doll as well.

Over time, Barbie has increased its diversity by introducing a range of ethnicities and body types. This past year, Mattel announced it would, for the first time, be designing a black Barbie with realistic features. Although the makers of Barbie are forever making strides, they did hit one unfortunate snag when they introduced an officially licensed "Oreo Fun" Barbie in 1997. It was all about the cookies and cross promoting, but there was some outcry and that particular doll vanished quickly (not unlike the 1993 Earring Magic Ken.) I missed that one — I was too busy playing with my Mr T., Jimmy "JJ" Walker and MC Hammerdolls to notice.

50 Years in The Twilight Zone

lisasutton — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:13:10 +0000

While concentrating on The Brady Bunch’s 40th anniversary last fall, I somehow missed an equally as important milestone in television history: The Twilight Zone turned 50.

Rod Serling’s creepy yet beautifully crafted suspense-drama with a twist debuted Oct. 2, 1959 and has remained one of the best quality programs of all time. It's been oft-imitated, but never surpassed (with the exception of a handful of sub-par episodes, though I still love all 156 of them.)

The Twilight Zone was an instant hit, and since it has endured, there've also been several very cool products released referencing the show. Of course, my personal favorite was not meant to be a collectible, the Vogue Brikette doll, which was used to make the original "Talky Tina." The originals don’t have June Foray’s voice, but they aren’t homicidal, either. Like Talky Tina, the wildly popular Chatty Cathy doll from the same era was also voiced by June Foray. I had one of these as a kid, and according to my mother, I hid it in the closet and refused to play with it. Coincidence?

For the most part, the collectibles related to The Twilight Zone in its original run were of the paper variety –- comic books, newspaper comics and anthology books of stories from the show. In the early 1980s, a mini-Zone Renaissance occurred as Twilight Zone Magazine appeared monthly, and terrific book The Twilight Zone Companion was published. Several Twilight Zone soundtracks were issued as well in anticipation of Twilight Zone, The Movie. The ultimate item in this era was The Twilight Zonepinball machine, which featured theme song music and a very creative variety of chutes and targets.

In 2002, Sideshow toys released a series of four 12-inch dolls that were as surreal as the show that inspired them. A Kanamit for “To Serve Man,” the space alien from “The Invaders,” a pig-faced Doctor and Nurse from “Eye of the Beholder,” and my personal favorite, the Gremlin from “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” All soon sold out and now sell well above their initial list price.

In 2009, several awesome items were added to the line-up, including a Hallmark Keepsake Ornament and a trio of bobble-heads including a must-have Mystic Seer (you know, the fiendish thingy that almost kept William Shatner from ever leaving that diner.) A 50th anniversary trading card set was also released with photos and facts straight from the Zone. In the ultimate endorsement, the U.S. Post Office issued a Twilight Zone stamp as part of its fall TV Memories series .

Each incarnation of Zone collectibles seems to get better, so I look forward to another 50 years of relics from another dimension.

The Most Famous Reindeer of All

lisasutton — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:20:08 +0000

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer actually began life as a poem by an advertising copywriter at the Mongomery Ward department store in 1939. Robert May's "Rudolph" poem was handed to millions of shoppers in illustrated form and was popular enough to be distributed for a decade of Christmases. It was also turned into a variety of products sold exclusively through the store.

Rudolph took on a life of his own when Max Fleischer turned the story into an animated short in 1944. A few years later, it was adapted to musical form by May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marx — who also penned the Christmas classic "Rockin' around the Christmas Tree." It became an enduring holiday hit after it was recorded by the famous singing cowboy Gene Autry in 1949; that version remains the third top-selling single of all time (Bing Crosby’s "White Christmas" and Elton John’s "Candle in the Wind" tribute to Princess Dianna hold the top two single spots.) The "Rudolph" song was such a big hit that Fleischer reworked the cartoon to include the song as well.

Illustrator Richard Scary helped to popularize the story again in 1958, when Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was published by Golden Books, but the most famous Rudolph of all came in 1964 when the Rankin Bass company created its timeless stop-motion TV special. Johnny Marx returned to create the unforgettable Rudolph soundtrack. The show was sponsored by General Electric, so the characters appeared in print ads for various GE products. Apart from that and the soundtrack LP, it would be decades before any toy collectibles would grow out of the annual favorite.

It wasn’t until 1998 that the first serious roll-out of Rudolph and friends"Island of Misfit Toys" were released. Sold exclusively at CVS drugstores, the limited-edition dolls sold out in a matter of weeks; by the end of that holiday season, it was clear the world was hungry for Rudolph and his pals. The next year, a second set of plush dolls was released with an expanded cast of misfits. At that point, licensed products for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer cropped up everywhere, and have been available in abundance ever since.

Picture books, coloring books, ornaments, lapel pins, key chains and action figures are among the now annually issued items based on the Rankin Bass special. They can be found everywhere from specialty shops to your local toy store. Some of the nicer items are keepsakes made by Enesco, including a variety of snow globes, cookie jars and ceramic dioramas. For the truly bold, there are also lawn displays with Santa, Rudolph and Bumble.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer has become a Christmas essential, clearly earning his title as "the most famous reindeer of all."

'Eight Is Enough' for Any Holiday

lisasutton — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:24:24 +0000

The holiday season seems to come around faster each year. Although it seems to start in stores the day after Halloween, in my family the official start is on Thanksgiving, the annual converging of our blended group. With visions of families swimming in my head, the Bradford clan of Eight Is Enough is front and center.

I've always been a sucker for '70s TV dramas, and Eight Is Enough remains one of my favorites. I'm constantly searching for an announcement that the series will be released on DVD, but alas, a legitimate release will not be appearing under my Christmas tree this year. Instead, I'll have to recreate the magic of the 1977-1981 ABC series in my head (and on YouTube), using the various available products that were released over time.

The whole thing started with the 1975 book Eight Is Enough by Tom Braden. Although it's out of print, it's easy to find the tome that was later adapted into the heartwarming TV series. The original version had a generic family (perhaps Braden’s real kids?) on the cover, who later was portrayed by eight actors on the show.

Eight Is Enough: Yes, Nicholas, There is a Santa Claus: Part I (Ep. 213)
by Classic_WB_TV

As a companion to the original story, I highly recommend the new memoir Eighty is Not Enough from the actor who played the head of the Bradford family on TV, Dick Van Patten. With 70-plus years in show business, he's had a fascinating life and career — in addition to being one of TV's favorite fathers. Not only does he write in-depth on the series, he shares stories about dozens of other Hollywood and Broadway luminaries he's rubbed elbows with in his career. It's pretty well known that he was close to Farrah Fawcett (there's a great family pic with Farrah in the book), but before reading it, I had no idea he lived next door to Michael Jackson.

There wasn't a whole lot of actual Eight is Enough memorabilia produced, but there's enough to create a fun collection while waiting for reruns to surface. The sheet music for the theme song (originally sung by the eldest Bradford, Grant Goodeve) could keep you busy for hours, as could the Picture Puzzle that depicts the whole Bradford Clan including Dad and Abby.

Probably the most common item is the 1980 View Master Eight Is Enough Family Album. On the other end of the collectible spectrum is the Eight Is Enough Kite Fun Book, which depicts what looks like Nicholas flying a kite with someone else's dad while three bears frolic in the foreground and the seven other Bradford kids look on. It was part of a series of giveaways from various electric companies depicting TV families promoting kite safety.

There were Eight Is Enough posters, a fan club kit, an appearance on the cover of TV Guide and countless issues of teen magazines like Tiger Beat featuring the show's young stars — most commonly covering Willie Aames, who became a break-out idol because of the show. In more recent years, Aames re-invented himself as "Bibleman," though many will remember him as Buddy from Charles in Charge.

The holidays come and go, but families are forever… especially those on TV. Although I'll be celebrating this season with my real family, I'll also be celebrating with the Bradfords through my small but humble collection of Eight Is Enough artifacts.

Photo Courtesy Bill Morgan/TVToys.com

Forget the Tricks — Bring on the Treats!

lisasutton — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:42:22 +0000

Over the years, Halloween has become a bigger holiday for adults than for children. That’s pretty understandable, since the past few generations seem to include legions of people (myself included) who refuse to grow up. Each year at this time, a variety of seasonal candies that seem to be exclusive to second-most-popular holiday suddenly appear on store shelves. Although some can be found year-round, here is my list of confections that bring back a cornucopia of sweet and spooky memories for me:

DUM DUMS: Made small on purpose for the wee ones, Dum Dums remain the perfect small treat for little goblins.

TOOTSIE ROLL FLAVOR ROLLS: You can get the chocolate ones year round, but I’d only dare to eat cherry, vanilla or banana at Halloween.

WAX LIPS: I must confess, as much as I loved wearing wax lips, (they always got a big laugh) eating them was another story… to this day, I get nauseous remembering the one and only time I tried to consume one of the waxen wonders.

PIXY STIX: It's as fun to say as it is to eat! Interestingly — Pixy Stix were originally created as a drink mix, but kids figured out way back in the 1930s that it’s much more efficient to dump the sugary powder right into your mouth.

SWEETARTS: The grown up offspring of Pixy Stix, SweeTarts are for neat freaks who prefer their tangy, sugary substance in pill form and not all over the bottom of your trick-or-treat bag.

CARAMEL APPLE SUCKERS: Caramel apples are about the only way you can get me to eat fruit most of the time, but on Halloween, rumors of nefarious practices with homemade treats ruined the real deal for most of us decades ago. I don’t know if anyone ever really got a razor blade in an apple or were poisoned with a popcorn ball, but the invention of Caramel Apple Suckers made the real ones obsolete, anyway. If you don’t count tooth decay, these remove the risk.

CANDY DOTS: Crunchy, compact and colorful. These throwbacks have been popular since the 50s, but I defy you to eat a whole strip without getting any paper along with the pretty little candy buttons.

ORANGE [CIRCUS] PEANUTS: While our parents pilfered the chocolate bars out of our bags, as kids, we were left with some puzzling remnants. Orange Peanuts (a.k.a. circus peanuts) remain one of the most bizarre of all Halloween treats: slightly chewy, fruit-flavored candy in the shape of a peanut. Apparently, they are supposed to be marshmallow soft, but inevitably, the ones I got were always stale and crunchy.

CANDY CORN: The No. 1 Halloween treat, hands down. According to Brach’s Confections, each year Americans eat enough candy corn that if the kernels were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth 4.5 times. ‘Nuf said.

Photo Courtesy: C Squared Studios

Those Singing Bradys

lisasutton — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:56:49 +0000

Every living Brady fans knows the Brady Six (a.k.a. The Silver Platters) did a handful of musical performances on The Brady Bunch, but you have to be a of a certain age or a superfan to know they had a musical career off screen as well.

As Chris Knight tells it, his mother came up with the bright idea when the Brady’s Friday night neighbor, The Partridge Family started selling millions of records. Why not have our kids sing, too? Most of those darned Partridges don’t even sing! Within a few weeks of the suggestion, the Brady kids were herded into the recording studio and slapped out the hastily recorded Merry Christmas from The Brady Bunch, replete with 12 traditional holiday tunes guaranteed to make you wish you were wearing ear mufflers. One single was released: Thindy thinging "Frothty the Thnowman."

The Christmas LP sold well enough, and about a year later it was followed up with Meet The Brady Bunch, which contained the big hit from the TV show, "Time to Change." The next LP was The Kids from The Brady Bunch, which had images from the Brady’s Saturday morning cartoon and featured "It’s A Sunshine Day."

The Bradys hit the polyester trail on the state fair circuit and played actual live gigs around the U.S. They were paired with such chart-topping groups as Tony Orlando and Dawn, Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods and even The 5th Dimension. Younger fans wont get the significance of these groups, but they were huge in the '70s and they surprisingly often opened for the Bradys.

A third LP came out called Phonographic Record with a cover shot of the Bradys in the turn-of the century costumes. Could a pie fight be far behind? The final Brady LP released was Chris Knight and Maureen McCormick, pairing the two simply because they were receiving the most fan letters at the time and not based on Chris’ musical abilities — though Maureen had a pretty good voice and had a few separate solo singles apart from the LP. Eve, Barry and Mike each had solo singles apart from the group as well.

The Brady Bunch went off the prime time schedule in 1974, but that was not the end of their singing careers. Due to the popularity of the Donny & Marie show, producers Sid & Marty Krofft decided to carbon copy the singing Osmonds and cast TV’s favorite family in The Brady Bunch Varity Hour in 1976. It had to be seen to be believed, but the entire cast (minus hold-out Eve Plumb) came back to sing and dance in glittery outfits to the disco hit tunes of the day and do comedy sketches with the likes of Tina Turner, Farrah Fawcett Majors and Charo. Even H. R. Pufnstuf himself made an appearance.

Each of the Bradys LPS was released on CD at some point, though they're no longer available; however, a greatest hits comp is still in print and easy to find. For fans of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour (or those of you who just like reading about bad television) a brand new 300-page, glitter-laden book called Love to Love You Bradys, co-written by Susan Olsen (a.k.a. Cindy Brady) and yours truly has just been released where you can read the whole “only in the '70s” story.
Photo courtesy: Lisa Sutton

Boasting about Brady Treasures

lisasutton — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:44:04 +0000

I learned a long time ago not to brag about my collection, but for a long time I used to boast proudly that I had the world’s biggest Brady Bunch collection. OK, so it probably was never true, but I do have enough Brady-related goods that it would be hard to find a person with more. Darn, am I bragging again?

Compared to the Partridge Family or Monkees, there isn’t all that much vintage Brady stuff out there, so it’s not too hard to get a modest collection going. When The Brady Bunch debuted 40 years ago, the target audience was ripe for merchandising. Before the show even aired, there were items in the works, which are now probably the two most sought after of the Brady collectibles: The Kitty Karry-All doll and the Brady Bunch Lunch Box. The first season also spawned a series of paperback books that were sold in schools via the "Weekly Reader" program.

One of the most pricey items in the Brady milieu is a complete set of bubblegum cards. They were tested as a set of 55 in 1969 and more widely released in 1971 as a full set of 88. With a display box and wrapper, the set routinely goes for over $1,000. 1971 also saw the arrival of a pair of comic books with first-season press photos on the covers.

As The Brady Bunch grew in popularity, so did the list of items available. Afan club kit was released via Tiger Beat magazine in 1972; back then a whole slew of teen magazines featured articles on the Bradys. Some paper dolls and a View Master set appeared around that time. 1973 saw the biggest increase in Brady merch when the Larami company licensed the name and put out a dozen or so carded toys that had nothing to do with the Bunch, but had their picture on the blister card. The Fishin’ Fun Game, Chess and Checkers set and Toy Tea Set had nothing to do with the show, but were found in five-and-dimes across the country around the same time Davy Jones was singing at Marcia’s prom.

The Whitman company produced several paper doll sets and coloring books, but also manufactured a magic slate and frame tray puzzle. The eco-themed Brady Bunch Game is another highly sought-after item from this era, and has a way-before-its-time green theme that involves picking up trash as you go around the board.

Not including the Bradys' record collection, there are around 50 or so items that were sold in stores. Over the years, newer items have been added to the list, which is good to know for collectors since many of the vintage items are very difficult to find.

Lisa Sutton is co-author of Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour. She lives minutes from the real Brady House in Southern California and has an enviable collection of Brady memorabilia and knowledge, garnering her the official title of "Bradyologist."
Photos courtesy: Getty Images

Photo courtesy: Lisa Sutton

The Brady Bunch Turns 40

lisasutton — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:00:11 +0000

The Summer of '69 packed a cultural punch that may never be equaled. The first men landed on the moon just weeks before a million hippies landed at Woodstock. The Stonewall riots rocked New York around the same time the Manson Family terrorized Los Angeles. News of the Vietnam War was still being served daily with our dinners, and the world was ready for a breath of fresh air. That breath — often thought of as a last gasp of TV innocence — came on Sept. 26, 1969 with debut of The Brady Bunch.

Although it was a sweet family sitcom, The Brady Bunch was actually a bold concept; two families coming together to become one. At the time it was happening in real life, but not on TV. It was never explained what happened to Carol’s first husband or Mike's first wife, but it didn’t really matter. The theme song explained the story well enough to convince millions to welcome the Bradys into their homes on a weekly basis for five years of prime-time viewing.

Always a favorite with families, the show never cracked the Top 30 in its original run. It did, however, become a staple in reruns as the perfect viewing for kids when they came home from school. As a result, since its original airdate each new generation has adopted the Brady family as their own, making it one of the most-watched sitcoms in TV history.

Many revivals and re-thinkings of the Bradys would come over the years: The Brady Kids Cartoon, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, The Brady Brides, A Very Brady Christmas and the dramatic The Bradys all had legions of fans tuning in to see what TV’s favorite family was up to.

The continuous exposure kept The Brady Bunch in our hearts and minds over the years, and it evolved into a full-fledged institution in the 1990s. A stage show called "The Real Live Brady Bunch" played in several cities to huge success. As a result, the Jan Brady of that show, Melanie Hutsell, ended up on Saturday Night Live and reintroduced the phrase “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!” to the masses via a series of appearances as Jan Brady on the show's “Weekend Update.” A second Bradymania swept the country, resulting in two very successful Brady Bunch movies.

It’s hard to explain why The Brady Bunch remains so popular, but it has a magical combination of simple plotlines that everyone can relate to with a universal sentimentality based on family values. The groovy threads and retro dialogue doesn’t hurt, either.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the show's debut, Collectiblog will examine The Brady Bunch and its lasting mark on popular culture.

The Bradys: Where Are They Now?

lisasutton — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:38:29 +0000

What happened after that lady met that fellow, anyway? Well, many of the cast members are still hard-working industry types – some of them in front of and behind the camera. Others have written books about, yep, you guessed it… their time on that original '70s show.

Florence Henderson (Carol)
Henderson remains one of the busiest women in show biz. Aside from being one of TV’s all-time favorite moms, she currently tours in an autobiographical musical, "All the Lives of Me." Reruns of her recent talk show, The Florence Henderson Show can be seen daily on RLTV.

Robert Reed (Mike)
Tragically, Reed passed away in 1992 as a result of cancer. He was also suffering from AIDS. He will always be remembered as one of TV’s favorite fathers, and is remembered fondly by all his Brady family members.

Barry Williams (Greg)
One of the most prolific Bradys, Williams became a best-selling author with his autobiographical account of The Brady Bunch in Growing up Brady. He appears regularly on stage and has toured in everything from "Man of La Mancha" to "Tony & Tina’s Wedding." He also has a regular radio program. Current updates can be found on his website.

Maureen McCormick (Marcia)
Maureen made a lot of headlines in October 2008 with the release of her best-selling autobiography Here's the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice. The book was released in paperback on Sept. 9.

Christopher Knight (Peter)
Knight has been keeping perhaps the brassiest profile of the Brady Six: His appearance on VH1’s Surreal Life lead to three successful seasons on the eyebrow-raising reality show My Fair Brady, also featuring his beloved wife and former Surreal Life co-star Adrienne (a previous winner on America's Next Top Model). For the past year, Knight has served as host of the syndicated game show Trivial Pursuit.

Eve Plumb (Jan)
Plumb has had a successful career as an actress and currently does voiceover work. Additionally, she's an accomplished artist with a studio in Laguna Beach, Calif. She recently participated in the group show "New York, New York" at the Wynne-Falconer gallery in Chatham, Mass.

Mike Lookinland (Bobby)
Lookinland first picked up a camera in the mid '70s, when his TV dad gave each of the Brady kids a Super 8 camera to make a record of their experience. He developed an interest in camera work and eventually made a career of it; he has a long list of credits behind the camera. Lookinland's son Scott played him in the TV movie Growing up Brady.

Susan Olsen (Cindy)
Olsen co-authored the new book Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of the Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Always a fan of animals, Susan is an advocate for animal fostering and is actively involved with PreciousPaws.org.

Ann B. Davis (Alice)
Everyone’s favorite live-in maid has hung up her feather duster. Davis is now retired after many years of performing on the stage and small screen, though she occasionally returns for Brady-related reunions, most recently on the 2007 TV Land Awards.

Robbie Rist (Cousin Oliver)
Brady Fans know him as Cousin Oliver, but Robbie Rist has a long list of credits both as a child actor and an adult. Aside from providing the voice of Michelangelo on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Robbie is an accomplished musician and plays in several bands in the Los Angeles area.

Sherwood Schwartz (Creator)
The mastermind behind The Brady Bunch received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2008. Always busy, Sherwood and his son Lloyd Schwartz (a producer on the show) have written a forthcoming book about the show, Brady, Brady, Brady. It is due for release in 2010.

Credits: