329. DAVY CROCKETT GLASS

Davy Crockett was Disney's hit TV series which aired on ABC in one-hour episodes, starring Fess Parker as real-life frontiersman Davy Crockett and Buddy Ebsen as his friend, George Russel.The first 3 episodes were edited together as the 1955 theatrical film Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, and rebroadcast in color in the 1960s when the Disney program went to NBC.This series and film are known for the catchy theme song, "The Ballad of Davy Crockett".

Disney capitalized on its success by licensing the sale of various types of Crockett paraphernalia, including coonskin caps, coloring books, bubble gum cards--and even 50s glassware such as this, which was part of a set that one had to collect.

Other Davy Crockett drinking glasses came free--in the form of packaging for Welch fruit jelly products. There were glasses of milk white color too, plus related items such as cups, saucers, plates and cereal bowls. This particular example is harder to find as the glass is fluted at the bottom and taller than most plain Crockett glasses.

Fess Parker claimed that his contract called for a percentage of the sales from Crockett collectibles but that this was voided by his contract being with Walt Disney personally,  rather than with the company, costing him millions of dollars of lost royalty from the huge success of Crockett merchandising. As King of the Wild Frontier, he could have gone on a wild rampage!

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.