Ever since there were movie stars there have been star product endorsements.
Corporations and their advertising companies were quick to understand that those larger than life figures floating like angels on the silver screen were potent persuaders. Thus, the synergistic relationship between one product, the movie star, and a consumer product — cigarettes, perfume, makeup, whatever — was born, and continues with increasing power and sophistication to this very day.
The idea is simplicity itself: Buy me, be me.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a peaceful and hopeful Shabbat.
They might not run out and buy spark plugs, but when they needed them, the name Auto-lite would pop into their heads, most likely.
Kishke:
You’re right!, I have the sudden urge to run out and buy Auto-lite spark plugs:-)
Colorless. Hmm. That’s not a bad one-word critique for Robert Cummings. He struck me as light, not funny (“The Devil and Miss Jones”) and even a serviceably youthful lead on which to hang a plot but for which things happened to him not hardly driving events (“King’s Row”). I never found him objectionable, just interesting.
Rita Hayworth holding a giant spark plug? The puns and double entendres that sparks ricochet in my mind. Makes me wonder if this image had anything to do with “The Body Electric” that inspired Bradbury’s title. “Shocking! Simply shocking!”
Larry:
Bob Cummings best role was in his TV show The Bob Cummings Show, in which he played a callow photographer/playboy. He tried, really tried in his Hitchcock’s “Saboteur” but we keep wanting Cary Grant or Jimmy Stewart. In “Dial M for Murder,” again for Hitchcock, he just fades into the scenery. He was really a character actor.
I remember watching “The Bob Cummings Show” when I was little and enjoying it. Never saw reruns broadcast. Also remember “My Living Doll” that introduced Julie Newmar. Other than “7 Brides for 7 Brothers” and, of course, the 1960s “Batman” series, I don’t remember seeing her in anything else. Cummings was good in that show, too.
Julie Newmar was in an episode of star trek tos . She played a pregnant princess whom someone was trying to kill and Kirk and nimoy had to save her
That’s right, Susruta. I remember that now. She was a Klingon and only McCoy could touch her if I remember right.
In addition to King’s Row I thought Cummings effective in You Came Along, The Lost Moment and The Black Book. His choices were unfortunate in Dial M For Murder, but while My Hero (TV) ws not so hot, The Bob Cummings Show deserved its success and so did he. Grand suppporting cast.
i am wondering today with such outspoken stars do they still have the commercial allure? Could say a George Clooney sell shirts today?
I don’t know, Bill. When I was younger, Jim Palmer made a living out of pitching Jockey Underwear.
http://yt.cl.nr/MMt3oN8T_xc
Bill:
Big stars will do product endorsements for big names such a Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Also, quite a few stars do commercials in Japan and Europe, footage that never appears on American TV and cheapens the brand. Woody Allen does tons of endorsements in Japan.