Any jokes about Martha Washington Candy Stores?

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Any jokes about Martha Washington Candy Stores?

Postby scottp » Fri Jan 08, 2010 1:19 am

I had never heard of the chain until I went searching for the sense behind some OTR show references--
1930-- "Cliff and Lolly"-- a Negro dialect character, asked if he knows who George Washington is, says, "He's de man what's wife makes de candy."
1940-- George Burns, when asked what he'll do if Gracie becomes president, says (approximately) "I guess I can always start a candy store."
(not sure of date)-- Fred Allen show, someone says (about a hotel room maybe) "I think Martha Washington slept here-- I found two gumdrops in my bed."
Did Jack's show ever refer to Martha Washington candy?
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Postby shimp scrampi » Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:38 pm

Never heard a reference on Jack's show, but I LOVE this kind of oddball reference stuff to long-forgotten pop culture that turns up listening to OTR. Thanks scottp!
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Postby scottp » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:49 pm

Here's one more--
Rudy Vallee show, 1935, "young west coast comic" Eddie Stanley reads a letter from home--
(approximately)
"Your little brother Skippy doesn't want to be like George Washington anymore-- he says Look how it turned out with Martha and her candy stores... and if George Washington is 'The Father of' a hundred million people in our country, how did Martha have time to make candy?"

I found some other info through Google, that all the Martha Washington stores in the NYC area closed in the early 30s and the man who had operated them had to start over (at an advanced age) with a new line of fruit- and vegetable- based candies. I think that was from Time magazine. That MIGHT be the inspiration for the "look how it turned out" remark...
But there were other stores besides his, in other parts of the country.
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