The Bootleg Files: The Burt Bacharach-Angie Dickinson Martini & Rossi Commercials

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 828: “The Burt Bacharach-Angie Dickinson Martini & Rossi Commercials” (1970s television advertisements for the Italian wine brand).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There is no commercial reissue channel for old TV commercials.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe someday in an anthology of 1970s commercials.

When Burt Bacharach passed away earlier this week, there were endless tributes to his genius in creating instant-classic pop tunes and the scores for film and stage productions. Personally, my fondest memory of Bacharach came in a series of delicious television commercials for the Martini & Rossi wine brand that paired the composer with his glamorous wife, actress Angie Dickinson.
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The Bootleg Files: The Rula Lenska / Alberto VO5 Commercials

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 780: “The Rula Lenska / Alberto VO5 Commercials” (series of TV commercials from the late 1970s).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There is no perceived commercial value for a home entertainment anthology of these commercials.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Sorry, darling.

I did not plan to write another television commercial-based column, but yesterday on Twitter I read that the British actress Rula Lenska turned 74. I had not thought of Rula Lenska in ages, and for those of us who were watching television in the 1970s her name and image occupied a unique space.
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The Bootleg Files: The Nancy Walker / Bounty Paper Towel Commercials

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 777: “The Nancy Walker / Bounty Paper Towel Commercials” (1970-1990 television commercial campaign).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived value in compiling 20 years’ worth of commercials.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

If you were watching U.S. television in the 1970s, it was impossible not to find Nancy Walker somewhere on the dial. She was simultaneously appearing on two popular shows at the same time – “McMillan & Wife” and “Rhoda” – and turned up in guest starring appearances on various series and variety shows; she also had notoriety for starring in two of the fastest flops of the decade, “The Nancy Walker Show” and “Blansky’s Beauties.”
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The Bootleg Files: Crazy Eddie Commercials

Posted on May 28, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 768: “Crazy Eddie Commercials” (long-running campaign on New York City-area television for an electronics retailer).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No commercial reissue value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe in an anthology of vintage commercials, but that’s unlikely.

If you were living in the New York City metropolitan area in the 1970s and 1980s, then you had to be familiar with the advertisements for the Crazy Eddie electronics retailer chain. These promotional spots could be found in publications, on billboards and on radio, but most people would clearly remember them from the 7,500 television commercials produced for the company.
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The Bootleg Files: Laurence Olivier Polaroid Commercials

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 767: “Laurence Olivier Polaroid Commercials” (1973-74 television commercial campaign).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No commercial reissue value.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Maybe in an anthology of vintage commercials, but that’s unlikely.

Have you tried sitting through television commercials lately? Really, who creates this crap? Either they are dismally unfunny (particularly for the insurance companies) or they are hard-sell to the point of discomfort or they are so vague and hazy (especially for medical products) that you wonder what exactly is being sold.
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The Bootleg Files: The Euell Gibbons Grape Nuts Commercials

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 760: “The Euell Gibbons Grape Nuts Commercials” (series of 1970s television advertisements).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived commercial value for a DVD full of old breakfast cereal commercials.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

If you were watching American television in the early 1970s, you probably remember Euell Gibbons and the series of commercials he did for the Grape Nuts breakfast cereal brand. If so, you might recall the bizarre line that turned Gibbons into one of the most unlikely figures of pop culture in the decade that good taste forgot.
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The Bootleg Files: Jane Russell Playtex Commercials

Posted on May 15, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 728: “Jane Russell Playtex Commercials” (series of television advertisement featuring the buxom star selling bras and girdles).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: All old-time commercials get bootlegged.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Not likely.

Jane Russell became a movie star in the 1940s thanks to producer Howard Hughes’ infantile preoccupation with bosoms. But she maintained her stardom as a result of her droll talent for light comedy and a tough-broad-with-a-heart-of-gold persona that captivated audiences.
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The Bootleg Files: Hawaiian Punch Commercials

Posted on January 24, 2020 by Phil Hall

BOOTLEG FILES 717: “Hawaiian Punch Commercials” (long-running series of comically violent advertising).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No perceived commercial reissue for a home entertainment anthology of these commercials.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Utterly unlikely.

In concept, the notion of an advertising campaign anchored on deliberate physical abuse seems like a spectacularly bad idea – especially if the target audience is children. However, one of the most successful campaigns in advertising history involved a series of television commercials for a sugary drink that featured a strange little man who almost always punched a pleasant but dimwitted soul in the face, knocking him flat on his back.
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