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Classic Treasures from the DisneyHistory Vault... from the Worldwide Disneyana Specialists of Saturday'sToys
Item: Mickey Mouse Club Cover& Feature Article -The Modern Millwheel of General Mills
Date: August 1955
Description: The officialemployee magazine of General Mills (aka GMI / General Mills International)...sponsor for the upcoming daily episodes of Walt Disney'sMickeyMouse Clubon ABC Television.
Far beyond "rare"... this magazine had limiteddistribution in 1955... being sent only to General Mills employees long beforethe "Mickey Mouse Club" was introduced to television viewers.At the time, the costume Mickey wore for this cover illustration would haveactually been inspired by the coonskin cap worn by Fess Parker in theblockbusterDavy Crockettepisodes that been introducedon Walt Disney'sDisneylandanthology series inDecember 1954. Today, it is nearly impossible to find another example of thispublication and this one remains in remarkable condition after more than 70years!
The cover feature Mickey Mouse in costume as DavyCrockett... aiming his pop gun at Donald Duck nephewsHuey, Dewey andLouie with their bow and arrow (with rubber dart tips and costume headbands)...along with Pluto... as they built a fort made with boxes of General Millscereals including Cheerios, Wheaties, Trix, Kix, and Jets (aka "SugarJets") and even the early Pick-a-Pack variety box. The original logofor the new program is featured on the flag flown above the "fort"...two months before the program premiered on October 3, 1955.
The feature article also notes that GeneralMillswould serve as sponsor for additional new programs including"Tales of the Texas Rangers" (Saturday mornings on CBS) and"Wyatt Earp" (starring Hugh O'Brian) Tuesday nights on ABC.
In addition, the article mentions the company's ongoingsponsorship on the "Burns and Allen" television show (George Burnsand Gracie Allen) as well as the "Garry Moore" television show (threeyears before Carol Burnett joined the program).
In essence, long before the program became a national crazefor kids... this served as one of the first national publications to featuredetails of the new programming.
Finally, the Betty Crocker "All-American Homemaker ofTomorrow", Miss Deloris Arnett, is featured at only 18 years of age in herhome state of Alabama during a nationwide tour to promote Betty Crockerproducts from General Mills.
Measurement: 6" x9" (30 pages)
Condition: Excellent