BusTalk

[frankie]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Frankie:

WHERE can I find a WAYBACK MACHINE????

I have several WOLVERINE buses (of course, the Jackie Gleason bus is not one of them...dang it!)

I was also surprised to see the small toy autos; as I also collect vintage toy taxis, I also have several of these.

I also have the fire chief car and a US ARMY armored car.

The buses I have that use the same body shell as the Gleason bus are :

SPEEDWAY BUS"

"WOLVERINE EXPRESS BUS"

"SUBURBAN BUS"

The oldest WOVERINE bus I have looks to date from the 1930's (No. 161); to me, I'm reminded somewhat of a 1930's TWIN city bus.

I also have some (large) WOLVERINE locomotives and rail cars in my collection.

Whoever thought that such inexpensive toys would, one day in the distant future, would become valuable collectors items?

Ditto for my large collection of 1950's/1960's Japanese tin litho buses, trains, and trams........

"NYO"

BTW: THANK YOU for posting these AWESOME old ads!!!!!!

(one interesting circa-early 60's Japanese tin friction bus I have is a "generic" Old Look-style bus, bearing the legend "GO THE MOTOR COACH WAY" over the standee windows! The bus is red, white, and blue, and has the door on the left; I purchased mine about 15 years ago, and have not seen another since.)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

One of the RAREST of Japanese tin litho buses was an early 1960's Fishbowl that was a FACCo bus; this was a LARGE toy bus, and, as it also displayed a "COCA-COLA" ad, also makes this rare toy very desirable to Coca-Cola collectors.

This big tin bus was also available as a DC TRANSIT bus, sporting the then-current "ARTICOOLER" legend; I saw one of these for sale on eBay (with the box!) years ago, and, to say the price was ASTRONOMICAL, is indeed an understatement...man, I'd KILL for EITHER of these buses, especially the FACCo version!

I DO have, however, a 1964 World's Fair friction tin litho Fishbowl, however; Mom purchased it for me at the Fair when we first visited (via the IRT #7's new "Bluebirds" from Times Square) ...I still treasure this bus today!)

"NYO"

[frankie]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

Those pics of Gleason and crew in and out of 2969 were taken (if Getty Images was to be believed) on Aug. 22, 1955, the day before filming of the "A Matter of Life and Death" episode (of which dress rehearsals were taken Aug. 23, whereupon Miss Meadows wore her hair as it was actually, and high heels whereas she wore flats while filming, due to Gleason's being about 5' 9-1/2"); plus, acting out the "Don't touch me, I'm sterile" scene (only Gleason was in a different outfit in that scene as filmed). Oh, and Gleason in those rehearsal pics had a cigarette in his left hand.

But back to those outdoor pics: They were taken at West 56th Street just west of Seventh Avenue - right outside the north side of the Park Sheraton Hotel which was Gleason's base of operations at the time. In the uncropped pic of the cast beaming inside #2969, the MONY building peered out in the background; in the shot where Gleason was outside pointing at the front of the bus, one could spot the Seventh Avenue side of the Carnegie Hall building. #2969, throughout its existence, was based out of 100th Street (now Tuskegee Airmen) depot, and mostly held down the 18 - 86th Street Crosstown (now M18 SBS - could that have been the route to which he was reassigned after his layoff was over at the end of the "Brother Ralph" episode, now?). At the time, 100th Street was where NYCO routes 1, 2, 11, 17, 18, 19 and 20 were based. So it wasn't a stretch to have the roll signs set to read the 2 route.

I think one of this bus's brothers or sisters, either 2966 or 2968, was seen traveling past 86th Street in a shot seen in the 1960 Elizabeth Taylor film BUtterfield 8. There are some screencaps on IMCDB or something like that, that would show same. By then it was flagged on the sides as FACL.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Frankie:

"HOW SWEET IT IS!"

That DC TRANSIT Fishbowl indeed is the HOLY GRAIL of vintage toy tin buses; the FACCo. version, likewise!

In fact, the only photo I've ever seen of the FACCo version was in a book (I have a copy, but have no idea where it is at the moment) on collecting Coca-Cola toy vehicles (mostly trucks and some cars, but a few buses as well)

The tin FACCo bus is indeed a MAGNIFICENT representation of a "first generation" Fishbowl, and certainly still has many New York-area bus enthusiasts still drooling today! (Your's Truly included!)

While I do have a number of vintage tin Fishbowls (in various liveries, both single- and rear door models) in my collection today, I think it is a SAFE bet that I'lll never own either the FACCo or DC TRANSIT buses.....oh, well, I'm QUITE happy with what I have!

I also have the Corgi DC Transit Fishbowl, which I purchased quite a few years ago....another handsome piece.......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

Greatly appreciate this great "behind the scenes" information regarding "The Honeymooners" publicity photos; I sure wish I could go back in time and see all the goings-on myself!

Yes, "Alice" always wore flats in the apartment, and wore heels only when "going out" (several in my family have commented that my mother looked a lot like Audrey Meadows when she was young; I can personally vouch for that!)

If you see Audrey in the circa-1962/1963 Doris Day film, "THAT TOUCH OF MINK", you'll see the way Mom looked when Your's Truly was just a lad.....Audrey even dressed like Mom in that movie, which also featured some quick 4104 scenes at the old GREYHOUND terminal across from Pennsylvania Station!

Too, recall several "Honeymooners" episodes where Ralph uses the word "depot" instead of "garage": I always thought that this added a distinct "Noo Yawk" flavor to the episodes.

There are also several episodes where the subway was mentioned ("The Aberdeen Proving Crowds", according to Ralph....dang, he should ride the subways today!); the Kramdens and the Nortons would have been pretty familiar with the BMT; recall, also, that Alice's mother (Mrs. Gibson) also was said to live in Astoria, which then would have been reached by the BMT's Astoria line (later the "RR" and the "R")

One of the things I loved about "The Honeymooners" is that it always had that distinct"Brooklyn-ese feel" about it; you could easily believe that the Kramden's apartment set was actually a kitchen in a run-down tenement, somewhere in the borough.

I've also felt (and still do) that the lovely Shelia McCrea had, indeed, quite a task before her, as she prepared to play "Alice" in the new color episodes; Audrey Meadows had indeed made "Alice" into her own person, a woman who, though always pretty and ladylike, was NOT about to be pushed around or bullied by her rotund, loud-mouthed husband, Ralph.

Shelia's "Alice" was at another end of the spectrum, and, yet, she STILL managed to make "Alice" a REAL person, using her own talents and mannerisms.

She had a vivaciousness and wit all her own, and she made it work!

Shelia played in more than forty hour-long "Honeymooners" episodes, including the "Trip To Europe" series......

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

W.B.:

From "BUtterfield 8" (1960).......................

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_308536-Ford-Customline-1956.html

(courtesy: imcdb.org)

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Had Ralph Kramden driven for NYO, he might have driven either of these two buses.......

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?3626

http://bus.nycsubway.org/perl/show?1381

(courtesy: bus.nycsubway.org)

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

NYO Yellow Coaches of the 1930's and early 40's, as seen in
"THE NAKED CITY"*......

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_264123-Yellow-Coach-4502-1941.html

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_264105-Yellow-Coach-718.html

(courtesy: imcdb.org)

*note comments from our late friend and highly respected mentor, Mr. "L."

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Several stills from the original "Honeymooners" opening credits are on this page; also, there are comments on #2629..........

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_959482-GM-TDH-4509-1949.html

(courtesy: imcdb.org)

"NYO"

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

.....now, Fellow Brothers Of The Royal Order of Raccoons, let's fast forward some 50-odd years, and see what the "new" Ralph Kramden was driving every workday.........

http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_133098-GM-RTS-1985.html

(courtesy: imcdb.org)

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[W.B. Fishbowl]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

It would be a tremendous (if not impossible) undertaking indeed to try to document all the vintage movies that featured buses in the background.

Many years ago (well over 25 years ago, at least) I was flipping channels and some sort of comedy skit* was being aired (I have no idea what program this was)

The actors were dressed in 1950's clothes, and were supposed to be on a New York street; the screen in the background projected vintage color film footage, showing a steady parade of New York buses rumbling back and forth.

I know I taped it at that time, but have no idea what happened to the tape (I only watch dvds today)........

"NYO"

*I DO remember one part, though, where an old-timer "Noo Yawk" Irish cop took off to pursue a crook:

"HE'S AFTER ME LUCKY CHARMS!", the cop shouts.