Stuff From the Box
Hey hey! Gird your loins for more STUFF FROM THE BOX! It's a ringstravaganza today.
We'll begin with this nice brass non-Disney Davy Crockett ring. I don't know a lot about this item, though I have seen one just like it given away with Pepsodent toothbrushes in 1955. Davy became a sensation, thanks to three episodes of the "Walt Disney's DISNEYLAND" tv series, the first of which ("Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter") aired in December of 1954. The three episodes were later reedited into two theatrically-released movies, "Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier" (May 1955) and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates" (July 1956).
Next is this 1940s (some sources say 1930s) Dick Tracy ring, given away by the Miller Bros. hat company. Which would explain the emphasis on Tracy's green fedora! Dick Tracy is a comic character, introduced in 1931 by creator Chester Gould. The strip is perhaps best-remembered for the colorful and grotesque villains such as Pruneface, Flattop, Mumbles, BlogButt, and more.
The shield reminds us that Tracy fights for upstanding Americans everywhere.
And finally, here is a 1947 Terry and the Pirates Gold Ore Detector Ring given away in boxes of Quaker cereals. I wondered about the tie to Terry and the Pirates, since there is no obvious reference to that comic strip, but one site states that this ring has been documented as being offered on his radio program. It looks like a tiny telescope - it is a tube with brass band featuring skull and crossbone design. Aluminum tube has red plastic end caps and when held to the light interior shows dark irregular shapes representing gold ore against a frosty bkg.
I'm sorry that the skull and crossbones is so scary, and I hope that you don't have bad dreams. Looking at these photos, it's clear that some kid chewed on the plastic ends. It was irresistible! I kind of want to get an un-gnawed example now.
Here's a vintage ad:
And here's the cover of a Terry and the Pirates "funny book", from Milton Caniff, legendary comic artist.
I hope you have enjoyed today's STUFF FROM THE BOX!
10 comments:
Major-
And I thought that Dick Tracy ring was special... but then I hadn't yet met the Pirate's Gold Detector Ring. Not very practical to wear, perhaps, but so unique.
Thanks Major, for sharing more Stuff from the Box.
Wait... Are you telling us that Davy Crockett wasn't a fictional character made up by Disney Studios? That he actually existed outside of the Disney realm?... I don't believe it... not for a second! I do like the solid shininess of this ring.
Prithee, tell us more about this BlogButt of which you speak. Surely, he was the most memorable of the Dick Tracy villains!
Hmm, it looks like somebody pried the end caps off the Terry and the Pirates ring to get at the gold inside. Don't try to blame it on "some kid", Major. ;-p
OK, I'm gonna have to go with the gnawed/gold-finding/telescope-like ring today. Because it's just such a weird concept for a ring... or anything else. Even though that heavy, sparkly Davy Crockett ring is calling to me. By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a shiny gold ring with Elvish writing on it, would you?
Thanks for the Stuff, Major.
The strip is perhaps best-remembered for the colorful and grotesque villains such as Pruneface, Flattop, Mumbles, BlogButt, and more.
And let us not forget, "B.O. Plenty" and "Madonna"!
I like the Davy Crockett ring, because he put a kilt on a bar, when he was only three.
Major, thanks for sharing your "Rings from the Box" with us!
As a huge Milton Caniff fan (I even have a copy of his 952-page biography), I think my favorite item is probably the cover of the Terry and the Pirates “funny book,” but that didn’t actually come out of the box and is therefore disqualified.
I guess my favorite ring of this bunch is the Davy Crockett band. I like its subtlety and subject matter and the way that non-Disney retailers were able to cash in on American history on Disney’s coattails.
Thanks again for reaching onto the Box, Major!
My favorite is the Terry and the Pirates ring and "funny book" as it brings up memories of my dad who read and loved that comic strip/book in his childhood. Thanks, Major.
Any ring with a skull and crossbones on it is a winner, even if I never read or understood the comic strip. I remember seeing Terry in newspapers away from home, but our local papers didn’t carry it and seeing one strip at a time didn’t put the story across. Also +1 to Gryffindor for “colloids”.
I have a great joke about Davy Crockett but it’s not suitable for broad distribution.
Thanks Major, Stuff From the Box is always entertaining.
JG
Nanook, it’s hard for me to choose, but the teeth marks on the Gold Detector Ring kind of lower that one on my list of favorites! Now I really do want to get a mintier example.
JB, I was as shocked as you to learn that there was actually a person named “Davy Crockett”, though apparently the difference is that he wore coonskin pants, not a hat. BlogButt is one of the most beloved of Dick Tracy’s foes, he blogged every day for many years! Also, he was devastatingly handsome, unlike most of those villains. Now that you say it, I wonder if that ring WAS gnawed on to get to the “gold”?? So funny!
TokyoMagic!, how can I forget B.O. Plenty! As for Madonna, well, she was fun in her day. The Warren Beatty movie wasn’t great, though it had its moments. I haven’t seen it since it came out. I wish Walt Disney had shown that bar with the kilt, it would have been funny as heck.
Chuck, whoa, Milton Caniff wrote a 952 page biography? “And on Tuesday, I had eggs for breakfast, but had a muffin instead of toast”. Exciting! Yes, sadly I can’t take credit for the Terry and the Pirates funny book. There is quite a bit of non-Disney Davy Crockett merchandise out there, I’ll bet it drove Walt nuts.
K. Martinez, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually read “Terry and the Pirates”, to be honest. I’ve seen examples of Milton Caniff’s brilliant artwork, but my dad was more of a “Pogo” fan.
JG, I agree with you regarding the skull and crossbones! Not too long ago, I was shocked to see that there was still a “Prince Valiant” strip in one of my mom’s newspapers, it seems like such a relic from decades ago. It was well-drawn, but it never appealed to me growing up. Give me “Calvin and Hobbes”! Ha ha, I had to go and look for a mention of the word “colloids”, because I sure wouldn’t have dug that one up! Now I need to hear your inappropriate joke.
"THE DREAM RING OF ALL TIME!"
Yes, that's my favorite of the three rings. I loved mailing in for any prized-offerings, and then waiting F O R E V E R to receive them. But it was a fun part of childhood.
Thanks for sharing, Major.
Update: I just now spoke on the phone with Melissa and she mentioned that her vision is "sort of stable, but not clear" at the moment....she said to "say hi" and that she's thinking of everyone on GDB!
BlugButt was a big villain until CommentsSection took him down.
Given a choice, go with the skull & bones - it'll make you look 37% tougher.
^ "CommentsSection"....LOL!
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