376. MORE LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS

More Little Golden Books found in a thrift shop! This popular series of children's books, started by Simon and Schuster in 1942, are well known for their great illustrations, quality and affordability. and  Many of the Little Golden Books have become bestsellers, with editions dealing with nature and science, Bible stories, nursery rhymes, and fairy tales and derived from TV shows and movie tie-ins like Sesame Street,  Disney, Looney Tunes, Barbie, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, Rin Tin Tin, Captain Kangaroo, and even Donny and Marie Osmond Show. Collecting Little Golden Books has not  caught on in the Philippines, owing to the unfamiliar subjects of the books, but for someone like me who grew up exposed to American TV shows, the books hold a special nostalgic appeal.

374. GENE AUTRY COLLECTIBLE BOOKS

One of my favorite Western stars was Gene Autry (b.1907/d.1998), the cowboy performer who first sang the popular Xmas carol,"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". In fact, turned many Christmas songs into hits, including "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", his own composition "Here Comes Santa Claus" and "Frosty the Snowman". I have "Rudolph" among my old records somewhere.

 Autry appeared in over 93 films from the 30s thru the 50s,  and in his own  "The Gene Autry Show" TV series. He personified the straight-shooting hero—honest, brave, and true, and became a role model for many American kids.

He also had a huge hit with a weekly show on CBS Radio, Gene Autry's Melody Ranch. His horse, Champion, also had a CBS-TV and Mutual radio series, T"he Adventures of Champion." As always, his shows generated merchandise that kids went crazy for--from coloring books, Little Golden Books, paper dolls, toy guns, character watches, children's and play guitars. 

Gene Autry was never famous in the Philippines, but somehow, Autry items found their way here, like these assorted books which made good reading for young cowboys (and a nice collection for the Western collector).

352. Antique Prints: FEMME et HOMME DES ILES MANILLA

Once upon a time, I entertained the idea of collecting antique prints--and the very first ones I got were this pair of Philippine costume prints of a man and woman from Manila. The hand-colored plates were torn from an antique French travel book about the Philippines. It dates from, perhaps, late 1790s to the early 1800s. The "india' in swathed in a dark cape, and she is draped in a sarong,

The male "indio"  version is just as interesting--he wears a loose pair of shorts that fall down to his knees and his head is covered with some scarf to protect him from the harsh sun. He holds a rather large, embroidered handkerchief. How's that, for macho effect?

I am posting the rest of the pages of the book that came with the prints--in the French language,  I chanced upon these nice Filipiniana pieces being sold by a local dealer on ebay some 2 decades ago--and who has since passed away. I just wished I got more information about these prints--which remain in storage to this day. C'est la vie!!

326. TV-BASED BOOKS: If You Can’t Watch ‘Em, Read ‘Em!

 My favorite bookstore isn’t one of those established but expensive bookshops with fancy book titles, but an unpretentious used-book sale chain that goes by the name—Book Sale. I tell you, everything with a ‘sale’ in its name has got to be my favorite. For in this messy jumble of books, one can find unexpected collectible titles—and my nifty collection of TV-base books is proof of that. Whenever I can’t get enough of my fave TV series, I buy their book counterparts, so I can read the story at my own pace; no commercials too!

 My treasure trove of pop culture books include those based on 60s spythriller “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. that had Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Russian partner Ilya Kuryakin (David MacCallum) using gimmicky weapons against the evil THRUSH network. Also from the 60s is “Garrison’s Gorrilas”, a war drama about 4 convicts recruited to be commandos by Lt. Greg Garrison. Two favorite sci-fi series are: “Land of the Giants”, which features the story of survival of the Spindthrift spaceship that crashed in a planet full of giants; and “Space 1999”, that starred husband and wife team Martin Landau and Barbara Bain.

Jack Lord’s “Hawaii 5-O” initially got my interest with its catchy theme song, but I was not a big fan; I got the book anyway. Sonny and Cher had a TV show of the same name, so I got Cher’s book bio too. I could certainly relate to “James at 15” starring Lance Kerwin as I was still in my teens when the show aired. The plots revolved around teen angst, mostly, and James aged in the series, the title updated to “James at 16” on the next season. Last time I saw Kerwin, he was on the horror flick, Salem’s Lot. The last book is all about boy bands from the 60s—Monkees, Bee Gees and raiders. I can’t help but smile at the now-archaic buzz words that every teen spewed out in the 60s, like “outasite”, “groovy”, “freaky”, and “dig it!”

 Next time you’re in Book Sale, scrounge around and look for these classic TV-based books from the 60s and 70s. You can still enjoy them not just thru TV replays, but thru book reprints!

311. Advertique: PLANTERS PEANUTS' PRES. OF U.S.A. PAINT BOOK

One of the earliest Chirstmas gifts I can remember was a 1960s coloring book of the U.S. Presidents given out by Planter's Peanuts---that peanut company with that ever-present Mr. Peanut mascot gracing the front page. The coloring book, purchased by my Mother from Johnny's grocery in downtown Angeles City, featured all the American presidents--from Washington to Kennedy. It was one of the few color books that I did not keep, so when I found this smaller paint book version--I knew this would be a perfect substitute!

Planters Peanuts was founded by Italian Amedeo Obici in 1906, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In 1916 the company held a contest to create a company logo and the contest was won by a 14 year old . schoolboy named Antonio Gentile who drew a Peanut Man. Artist Frank P. Krize, Sr., improved it by adding a top hat, a monocle, and a cane to the drawing, and Mr. Peanut was born. By the mid-1930s, the raffish figure had come to symbolize the entire peanut industry, appeared on packages, advertising and premium items like this paint book.

The paint book features side-by-side illustrations of the U.S. presidents--one in black and white and one in color, to be used as a color guide. Defining events from the president's term are also drawn; in the case of Pres. Kennedy, the age of space exploration is shown. The paint book is unused and dates before Kennedy's assassination.

Planters Peanut products were available in limited quantities in the Philippines--through the military PX goods mostly. Even today, Planters are imported, available in select groceries and supermarkets like S& R. It just goes to show how popular the brand has become globally, with Mr. Peanut winning acclaim as one of the most recognized character trademark in marketing history.

309. So Big, Yet So Little: BIG LITTLE BOOKS

I found this neat cache of books in a little shop called Round Trip Collectibles--a collectible store in Metuchen, years ago. I think I paid 5 dollars for the lot--7 Big Little Books, as old as the late 1930s and as recent as the late 60s (in the case of Batman). These kiddie readings saw print first in 1932, published by the Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin. They were small, they were compact and had simple captioned drawings opposite each page of the text. They soon became big hits among children, so competitor like Saalfield, copied this format. Back then, each book cost just 10 cents each.  Great graphics, great stories, great size and price...what more can you ask for in a book?

240. Before They Were Famous: ALFIE ANIDO'S YEARBOOK

Remember Alfie Anido? He was one of the so-called Regal babies launched to stardom in the late 70s to 80s (the others were Willima Martinez, Snooky Serna, Jimmy Melendez, Gabby Concepcion, etc.). Well, back in 1973, he was a chubby elementary school graduate whose batchmates include President Noynoy Aquino, designer Pepito Albert and senator Teofisto Guingona III!

That's what I found in his Ateneo Yearbook, which I picked from the recent Greenhills Antiques Fair. Just 14 years old here, Alfie was a member of the Varsity Football. Upon graduation, he remained in Ateneo to pursue a management course.

While in college, he started appearing in commercials and in fashion shows, and was soon discovered for the movies. He was teamed up with former Miss Magnolia finalist, Dina Bonnevie, whom he supported in the 1980 hit camp film "Temptation Island".

Just a day before his 21st birthday, on 30 December 1980, Alfie died, reportedly of suicide. But rumors abound that the Enriles had something to do with his untimely death (he was with Juan Ponce Enrile's daughter, Katrina, at that time). In Enrile's recently published memoir, he revealed that Fabian Ver was behind the rumor linking his family to Alfie's death, a rumor that has become a sort of an urban legend in Philippine showbiz. Who would think that only 7 years before that, Alfie was a happy, chubby, cute young Atenean, with perhaps just his football games in his mind?

237. ANNE SHERIDAN PAINT BOOK

Coloring books are one of my fave collectibles--I saved a few from the 60s and 70s, which were largely based on TV programs like Brady Bunch, Partridge Family, Bonanza, etc. But the earlier coloring books--or paint books--were based on glamor girls, screen hunks, vamps, vixens and singing stars of Hollywood. The lovely Ann Sheridan, the original "Oomph Girl" is one such subject of this large (11 x 14), scarce paintbook that dates from 1944.

Ann was the winner of the "Search for Beauty" contest that earned her a screen test at Paramount Pictures. At 18, she was put under a contract under the name Clara Lou Sheridan. She moved to Warner Bros. in 1936 and became a leading star of many comedies and light romance movies
She remained active in the 60s, appearing in "Another World" (1964) and the western series "Pistols 'n' Petticoats" (1966). 

This paint book has 48 pages of Ann to color, showing her activities on and off-screen. It was publihsed by Whitman Co., a leading juvenile publications company. This is an ebay find, worth about $25, with a few pages colored.

230. AMORSOLO ART IN A SCHOOLBOOK

I was scavenging for old reading materials at a thrift shop at the famous Cubao Expo when this book with a familiar green cover caught my eye. Yes! It’s the same textbook we used in Grade 4, if I remember right—entitled “Your Country and Mine”.

 It was authored by Catalina Velasquez-Ty, Tomas Garcia and Antonio A. Maceda, published in 1954 by Ginn and Company, a well-known American publishing firm that had offices in Boston, new York and—Manila!

Once I leafed through the pages, I was transported back to my grade school days, when I used to admire the beautiful full color artworks that appeared in the book.

Little did I know that the illustrations were done by Cesar C. Amorsolo (b.1903/d. 1998) – Fernando Amorsolo’s nephew. His father, Atty. Alejandro Amorsolo also painted. Orphaned at the age of 6, Cesar went on to live with his uncle Fernando, whom he would serve as his assistant for 30 years.

Coming into his own, he painted in Manila, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, where he stayed for 7 years. Gifted with a fine hand, his paintings of rural scenes carry the same unmistakable Amorsolo lighting. Ginn and Co. often commissioned him to do artworks for their books printed in Manila, doing illustrations in oil, pastel and occasionally, watercolor. Cesar Amorsolo belongs to the so-called Mabini artist group who painted in the folk genre for the tourist trade.

195. His Own Paint Book: MICKEY ROONEY

The child wonder of the silver screen of the 30s and 40s was born born Joseph Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn, New York, to a vaudeville family. At 14 months old, he crawled on stage wearing overalls and a little harmonica around his neck. His father, Joe Sr., picked him up and introduced him to the audience as Sonny Yule. He began performing officially at the age of 17 months as part of his parents' routine, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo. At 3, he was cast by Hal Roach to participate in the Our Gang series in Hollywood at $5 a day.

Soon, Joe Jr. was getting bit parts in films, working with established stars such as Joel McCrea, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Jean Harlow. While selling newspapers, he also enrolled at the Hollywood Professional School, where future stars like Nanette Fabray, Judy Garland, Lana Turner went. In 1938, he graduated from Hollywood High School. He got his name "Mickey" from the "Mickey McGuire" short film series in which he was featured in 1925.

He popularized the character "Andy Hardy" with Judy Garland in 1937 and which made him a superstar. He an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. He has had one of the longest careers of any actor, to date spanning almost 90 years actively making films in ten decades 1920's to 2010's. He is the last surviving male star from 1930s Hollywood.

This paint book dates from his juvenile years when Mickey was at the peak of his career. It's a large (10 1/4" x 16") vintage coloring book printed by Merrill Publishing Company, Chicago in 1940, # 3496", with over 30 coloring pages.

187. CORONATION COLORING BOOKS

On 2 February 1953, Princess Elizabeth was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, and named as Head of the Commonwealth after her father's death, the late King George VI, on 2 June 1952. Over eight thousand invited guests attended the historic coronation at the Westminster Abbey. Commemorative souvenirs were made by the hundreds of thousand to mark the ascension of a new monarch--and this very nice coloring book was just one example produced in the U.S. The Coronation Coloring Book has the painted portait of the new Queen on the front cover, while inside, there are pages and pages of illustrations of the various stages of coronation for kids to color.

This second example is an unauthorized 50s edition paint book that features generic coronation scenes, obviously capitalizing on the Queen Elizabeth fever. It is a thin book, made in Britain, and most likely cost a pence or so. Royal commemoratives are making a comeback after the recent wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleston this year. They may have mugs, plates, tea sets, key chains and coins--but did they have coloring books? I bet none!

175. GRACE KELLY Coloring Book

Grace Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was a true Hollywood royalty as she became a princess in real life. She bcame an actress at age 20 and won an Academy Award for "The Country Girl". This very desirable 1954 coloring book of her, made by Whitman, was printed at the peak of her career and designed to appeal to starstruck kids. At age 26, she met and married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and retired from her movie career to fulfill her duties as Princess Grace. The royal couple had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stéphanie. She also retained her American roots, maintaining dual US and Monégasque citizenships. On September 14, 1982, she lost control of her automobile, crashed and died after suffering a stroke. Daughter Stéphanie, who was in the car with her, survived the accident. In June 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her #13 in their list of top female stars of American cinema.

172. SHIRLEY TEMPLE Crayon Book

Another nice example of Shirleyana---inspired by the child star Shirley Temple, who turned 83 this year! Unbeleivebale how time flies. One day she' "On the Good Sip Lollipop", the next, she's the U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia! But before her career shift, little Shirley regaled us with such hit movies as "Bright Eyes", "Curly Top" and "Heidi". Her years as a child star spawned merchandise of such variety---from the most expensive child-size Shirley Temple dolls with their own doll buggies to more affordable paper items such as this "Shirley Temple Crayon Book"--whose only connection with Shirley is the diecut photo cover. The inside pages feature blank pages for doodling, sketching and scrawling. But maybe you need a little drink of Shirley Temple first--for a bit of creative inspiration..

170. BEWITCHED Fun and Activity Book

This popular, award-winning comedy show that had for its premise an ad executive marrying a witch who can't resist using her magic to solve problems--was created by Sol Saks in 1964. The stellar cast headed by Elizabeth Montgomery (as the witch-wife, Samantha Stephens), Dick York (the original Darrin, the harried ad man, replaced later by Dick Sargent), Agnes Moorhead (as the catty, meddling mother-in-law Endora who does not approve of her mortal son-in-law), George Tobias and Sandra Gould 9as the suspicious neighbors, the Kravitz) and David White (as the slave driver boss, Larry Tate). Tabitha, the Stephens' daughter who also had some powers, was portrayed alternately by twins Erin & Diane Murphy.

In its successful 8 year run, "Bewitched" won 4 Golden Globes, plus a couple of acting Emmys. The series was the basis of many TV collectibles including a Samantha Stephen doll, pocketbooks, coloring and activity books such as this one. In 2005, Nicole Kidman reprised the role of Samantha Stephens in the movie version of "Bewitched", but the original 1964 series held more magic for the show's millions of spellbound fans.

168. Color her Ferocious: BETTE DAVIS COLORING BOOK

Color her feisty, fiery and ferocious!
Bette Davis (b.1908/d.1989) was a stage actress before making the move to the silver screen in 1930. Her first films ("The Bad Sister", "Seed"), didn't create any ripples so she was dropped from her Columbia Pictures contract. She was picked up by george Carliss who cast her as the lead in "The Man Who Played God", and her career took off. In 1934, she played the shrew, Mildred, in "Of Human Bondage" and won critical acclaim. She became well known for playing unsympathetic characters but was praised for her ability to shift from role to role--be it in comedy, historical drama, crime stories or romances. She would earn 10 Oscar nominations, winning two (Best Actress in "Dangerous" and "Jezebel"). Not only was she the 1st female president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but she was also the 1st woman to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. At the height of her fame, many authorized merchandise were produced to cash in on her popularity as a Hollywood celebrity. Her last appearance was in "Wicked Stepmother" (1989). She died in France the same year, later in October. Her memory lives on in this coloring book I picked up from a U.S. thrift shop and in the 80s song that Kim Carnes popularized and which I kept imitating as I type this entry:

"She'll tease you
She'll unease you
Just to please you
She's got Bette Davis eyes.."

149. STARSKY & HUTCH: TV's Streetwise Cops

One of my fave cop-and-criminal TV series in 70s was "Starsky & Hutch", produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and aired by ABC from 1975-79. Army veteran David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and the blond former Marine Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson (David Soul), were the California cops who prowled the streets of Bay City in theirred and white Ford Gran Torino, looking to chase some criminals on the loose. The two were a study in contrast--one intense and aggressive, the other, cool and reserved.

Starsky & Hutch were ably supported by their underground informant, the jive-talking Huggy Bear (Antonio Fargas) and their non-nonsense boss, Capt. Dobey (Bernie Hamilton). The unforgettable theme music was composed by Lalo Schifrin.

For 4 years, Starsky & Hutch thrilled its worldwide audience with their action-packed adventures, but the level of violence had TV network officials worried. Over time, Paul Michael Glaser lost interest in the show while David Soul pursued his other passion--music--making a #1 hit out of the song, "Don't Give Up On Us".

After the 4th season, the ratings declined and Glaser quit, thus releagting the two cop icons to TVland Heaven. The characters were briefly resurrected in 2004, with a film version entitled "Starsky & Hutch: They're the Man" starring Ben Stiller (as Starsky) and Owen Wilson (Hutch).

This hardbound, "The Starsky & Hutch Story", an authorized edition based on the TV series was released in 1977, for David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser fans who can't get enough of these two cute Southern California cops!

146. CAMAY ALBUM OF MOVIE STARS

Here's a great example of an advertising premium from the popular soap, Camay, made by then Philippine Manufacturing Corporation (PMC), the future Procter & Gamble.


It is an album of beauteous Filipina movie stars of the 50s, with detachable color photos and biographical sketches of famous actresses of the day like Carmen Rosales, Tessie Agana, Linda Estrella, Rosa Rosal, Norma Vales and Nida Blanca.


It is often hard to find an album with all the pictures intact, but this example has them all. Camay has since undergone many relaunches--at one point, even the pronunciation changed into a more Americanized --Cah-mey!


But its association with stars and beautiful women remained. In fact. Camay Girls were some of the most recognizable women on TV in the 60s thru the 80s, a list that includes Pacita Goyena, Tina Artillaga, Maritess Revilla, Cita Revilla, Claudia Bermudez and Zsa-Zsa Padilla. In the 90s, Camay had all but disappeared from the product shelf, but the images of the legendary beauties who promoted the soap lingerin our memoroies--and in albums such as this!

131. THE OSMONDS YEARBOOK

Back in the 70s, nobody can talk about the Jackson 5 without referring to the Osmonds. They arrived in the entertainment scene almost the same time, with the same "singing brothers" concept. Clearly, the Jacksons, led by Michael Jackson, became bigger stars, but the Osmonds too had their share of worldwide fan following. The boy band started in 1958 as a barbershop group featuring Alan, Wayne and Jay. They became Disneyland fixtures until Andy Williams spotted them and gave them a break on his popular show. Soon, the toothy Osmonds--which now included Merrill and Danny started making waves with "One Bad Apple", "Crazy Horses" and the now-classic "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". Osmondmania was on!! Danny emerged as the lead star, and the '1ts family of entertainment' expanded to include Jimmy and Marie osmond who also found fame as a solo artist (remember, "Paper Roses"). Why, the Osmonds even visited the Philippines and perfomed at the Araneta Coliseum at the height of their careers!

As usual, lots of merchandise--from dolls, posters, coloring books and 'annuals' such as the ones pictured above, were produced to satisfy obsessed fans. Donny and Marie went on to have a successful TV show as well which ran thru the 80s. Post-Osmond fame, the family suffered financial setbacks but recovered. Donny became a Broadway hit with "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Marie became a businesswoman, designing dolls. Jimmy opened the Osmond Family Theater in Missouri, while the rest of his brothers formed a much in-demand country group. Recently, Donny and Marie were seen on "Dancing with the Stars", where Danny emerged as the grand winner. Today, the Osmonds continue to perform as individual artists and as a group, bringing back their music to their baby boomer fans in the U.S. and around the world.

127. Coloring Book: BEN CASEY

Before Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, there's Ben Casey--a medical drama series on TV that ran from 1961-66. Its main star, the heartthrob Vince Edwards played the role of the young, hunky doctor Ben Casey, a surgeon at County General Hospital. He was mentored by Dr. David Zorba (played by Sam Jaffe). The show found stiff competition from Dr. Kildare, also a medical drama series from NBC, which starred the equally cool and handsome Richard Chamberlain as the intern James Kildare. Both Ben Casey and Dr. Kildare even hit the airwaves on the same year. The audience was divided between the suave Dr. Kildare and the smoldering Dr. Casey, who was more intense, more brooding, more gritty--and more hairy! (blame it on Vince Edwards' Italian genes) . And, in the early ratings game, Ben Casey dominated its time slot. Both shows however generated a lot of merchandise like comic books, dolls, game boards, LP records and authorized edition coloring books--one example of which is shown above. The book, published in 1963, had pages to color of the doctor in action at the hospital.

Eventually, after 5 years, both shows were cancelled. Vince Edwards continued to act in Film and on TV (he made a TV movie in 1988, The Return of Ben Casey) until he died of cancer in 1996.

125. CINDERELLA: A POP OUT BOOK

There's a growing legion of pop-out book collectors today, first introduced to the world by Edward Nister and Lothar Meggendorfer in Germany and Britain in the 19th century. They charmed kids with their 3-dimensional structure and their all-action features that moved and transform elements on the page.


I remember buying this fairy tale pop-out book for five pesos from a local grocery store in Balibago, Angeles City that had all sorts of things to sell, other than canned foods and drinks. On the second floor, Johnny's Grocery had a sort of a department store with a mini-book and stationary section. This is where I found this 1971 "Made in Czechoslovakia" Cinderella, illustrated by Czech artist, Voitech Kubaska.


These collectible books were originally printed in the Polish language but the American versions were carried by Brown-Watson. The elaborate pop-out pages were retained, with surprising action scenes on every page, like this ballroom party scene--Cinderella and the Prince were revealed by pulling a tab that raises the curtains, with a retinue of guests standing in welcome to honor the pair. Alas, my "Jack & the Beanstalk" pop-out books has been lost, but I hope I can find a similar one on ebay which occasionally lists these books--at prices that will make your eyes, well, pop-out.