About this project

Kay Kemble (1911-1989) is a character invented for this project. Kay sang on radio commercials as a child and went on to lead Big Bands and swing ensembles in the 30's and 40's. She worked at Scott Air Field as a WAAC enlistee and a civilian. She produced war bond rallies, and her all-female band promoted a popular shampoo brand. In the 80's there was renewed interest in Kay's musical career.

Kay informally adopted the orphaned niece and nephew of her partner Wilmetta "Teeny" Stockton, and in the early 70's the family moved from St. Louis to New Orleans. After Kay and Teeny's deaths, family members remained in New Orleans until displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In 2014, I arranged to archive, organize, and restore Kay's memorabilia. Most items were damaged due to age, hurried packing , and lack of funds for formal archiving.

I've "become" Kay in reproduction radio broadcasts, and created artifacts to represent damaged or destroyed items in the collection.



Thursday, August 18, 2022

The most unlikely perfume brand movie tie-in of the 20th century

 

 


 

The company which makes Jergen's hand lotion once made perfume branded after one film version of "Ben-Hur." Since this movie ad is from 1930 and the box is very Art Deco,  the marketing people were thinking of the silent 1925 version with Ramon Navarro and Francis X. Bushman as the dueling charioteers. Neither Conrad Nagel nor Leila Hyams were in "Ben Hur," but they were about to co-star in the unmemorable film "Hell in a Circus."



Someone on YouTube has added an amusing modern musical soundtrack to the chariot race scene:




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