MR. WHIPPLE

It's hard to imagine a time when a mustachioed grocer with finicky store policies and a tendency to fondle was actually beloved by millions. But for more than 20 years, kindly old Mr. Whipple graced our television screens and magazine ads as the spokesperson for Charmin tissue.

In the TV spots, he would berate the female customers for irresistibly squeezing the Charmin packages -- pointing at a large sign and exclaiming, "Ladies, please! Don't squeeze the Charmin!" Surprisingly, his repeat customers shrugged and walked away without so much as a scowl.

But could you imagine being chewed out by a supermarket merchant for, of all things, squeezing a roll of tissue only to see that hypocrite do the very same thing moments later? What a creep!

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Though somehow, actor Dick Wilson made it work. The ornery shop keep charmed consumers and, by appearing in more than 500 commercials, Mr. Whipple is one of the most prolific and widely known celebrity pitchmen. However, not many people know the man behind the toilet paper.

Dick Wilson was born Riccardo DiGuglielmo in Lancashire, England, in 1916. Four years later, his family moved to a city near Toronto, Canada, where the actor assumed his mother's maiden name of Wilson so he wouldn't be typecast as an Italian. Wilson dabbled in radio in his teens and eventually became an acrobatic dancer in New York after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II. By 1954, he moved to California to pursue a life of acting in TV and film. For more than 30 years, Wilson was immensely successful as a character actor. He's appeared in a gamut of classic sitcoms like McHale's Navy, I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, The Partridge Family, and had an ongoing role as a comical drunk in Bewitched. Years later, Wilson commented on his relative anonymity among viewers outside of the Charmin ads. "I've done 38 pictures and nobody remembers any of them. But they all remember me selling toilet paper," he said. But even so, the discrepancy had paid off in spades. According to Canada's Hamilton Spectator, Wilson was earning $300,000 per year and working a paltry 12 days per year. If that meant being typecast as a grocer with busy hands, so be it.

Although Wilson was reticent to get into the ad game, he never took his role for granted and soon respected the art. He once said, "It's the hardest thing to do in the entire acting realm. You've got 24 seconds to introduce yourself, introduce the product, say something nice about it, and get off gracefully." After his retirement in 1985, Wilson didn't think much of modern cinema or accept many roles -- aside from a stint on PBS kids favorite Square One TV as, yes, a grocer. He told the Associated Press, "The kind of pictures they're making today, I'll stick with toilet paper."

Wilson passed away in 2007 at the age of 91. Although his role as Mr. Whipple made him a household name for millions, his unsung work in TV and film entertained even more.

METRO "DYNAMITE"
BLAST FROM THE PAST
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REVISITS MAY, 1998
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Visit The McCarty Metro Archives Page

Less than 80 yrs ago, Automotive repair in 1928...... and on a penny postcard. You can look at all your options for repair costs on the Model T automobile.

Mickey Lolich & Al Kaline
Celebrate 1968 World Series Win

You remember going to Detroit Edison with your Mom to exchange burned out light bulbs for new ones.
You remember Black Bart and the Red Pop Faygo song and 'Which way did he go? He went for Faygo, old fashion root beer.'
You took a 'moonlight cruise' to Bob-Lo with Captain Bob-Lo or went to Edgewater Amusement Park.
You shopped at Hughes and Hatcher, B Siegel, Robert Hall, Crowley's, Shoppers Fair, EJ Korvettes or Federals.
You remember the Big Snow, Buffalo Bob, Howdy Doody, Clarabelle, Phineas T Bluster, Princess Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring
You remember Twin Pines brought milk to your milk chute & Milky the Clown did magic with the magic words Twin Pines
You remember the Good Humor man in a white uniform, ringing the bells as he drove down your street.
You remember when Vernors was made on Woodward Ave., and a bearded troll was on the bottle.
Your Mom got groceries at Great Scott, Food Fair, Wrigley's or Chatham.
Your Mom saved Holden Red Stamps, S&H Green stamps, or Gold Bell Gift stamps, and you licked them into books.
You remember 'Get on the right track at 9 mile and Mack, to get the best deal in town. RoyO'Brien. It's the best deal in town.'
You remember Milky the Clown, Soupy Sales, Johnny Ginger, Poopdeck Paul, Captain Jolly, Sagebrush Shorty and maybe even Sergeant Satko Salute.

YEP, I REMEMBER ALMOST 100% OF THE ABOVE - WHICH MAKES ME "OLD" -- BUT I'M HAPPY TO STILL BE ALIVE TO SAY THAT I FONDLY REMEMBER THOSE GOOD OLD DAYS!!! : )