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Hethel, War Stories

Toonerville Trolley

The origin of this trolley was more or less accidental. A young newspaper cartoonist, Fontaine Fox, lived on the old Brook Street car line (now discontinued) in Louisville, Kentucky. For years this route had been getting the cast-off equipment from the trunk lines until it became the joke of the town.

Finally, the managing editor of the local paper asked Fox to draw some sketches caricaturing the antiquated vehicles. This he did, and in so doing, cast the germ for the Toonerville Trolley.

It was not, however, until some ten years later that the famous electric car appeared as a regular cartoon. The direct reason was a trip the cartoonist made in Westchester County, New York, on a shuttle line from Pelham Station to Pelham Manor.

The Toonerville Trolley Series 1920-1923, Betzwood Studios

On this line plied a small, single-truck, one-man car. But what pleased Fox the most was the accommodation motorman and the solicitude he showed for his patrons. In fact, the old fellow had hardly pulled out of the station when he stopped the trolley and walked back to see if he had left a passenger talking to the station agent. Ten minutes later he reappeared fully convinced that the passenger was nowhere to be found. That evening when Fontaine Fox arrived at his destination he pondered over the incident and drew the first Toonerville Trolley with, quite naturally, the obliging Skipper.

By 1920 the Toonerville Trolley became such a phenomenal success as a cartoon it was decided to put it in the movies. The historic Betzwood Film Company was chosen to do the job. This firm was formerly the Lubin Film Company, one of the pioneers in the motion picture industry. Its head, Sigmund Lubin, owned a string of penny arcades, nickelodeons, and theaters in eastern Pennsylvania.

Toonerville Trolley Game Copyright 1927 Milton Bradley

In the Betzwood studios appeared such early stars as Lewis Benison, Tom McNaughton, Raymond Hitchcock, Mary Carr, Marie Dressler, and Gladys Handson. Among the pictures produced were such thrillers as For the Freedom of the World and the Battle of the Shiloh. In one production they staged a real train wreck at Portage, Pennsylvania, costing over $20,000 — a huge sum in that day.

At the outset Mr. Fox and his coworkers realized the success or failure of the Toonerville films would depend upon who played the part of the skipper. It was extremely fortunate they selected an old gentleman named Daniel Mason for this role, for he looked and acted his part to a nicety.

Of course, the other characters were there, including the Powerful Katrinka (Wilma Hervey), Aunt Eppie Hogg, The Terrible Tempered Mr. Bang, Cynthia Snoop, and Mickey (Himself) McGuire, yet none could compare with Dan the Skipper. He out-acted them all.

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P.N. Walker holding 'Puss face' the barracks mascot Dad: No mission the day Roosevelt died Orlin: In front of Barracks #525 Dad: Someone said that there were more people killed and injured on these bikes than in the air he still put it in the bomb bay and brought it home	Orlin: Not married yet, but defintely in love with the gal he'd later marry Orlin: Everyone said these bikes were really hard to ride when you were drunk The censor's stamp on the back of the photos Dad and Jack 'Judge' Pottle
T row L to R V. Gonzalez, PN. Walker, Steinke, (Mo,moo) Meirtz, "Mickey" Carpenter bottom row Piercy, Benedict, Foisy.
In the pictures taken next to the Trolley (artwork by a German POW) everyone has on a parachute or harness, so they were obviously going to fly but not on a combat mission. (Not enough clothes and no pistols.) Dad and Orlin both wore back pack parachutes. The rest of the crew wore chest packs so they just wore the harnesses and picked up the chest pack.
Orlin and Jack Lattanzi-Bamerick-Johnson-Kobylarz-Pottle-Staley 'The Duke'	Bamerick Dad

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click image to enlarge It seems that these belts had a couple of other purposes in London besides holding up your pants.	click image to enlarge And for some reason he was always buying a pair of wings.
click image to enlarge Good Luck From London	click image to enlarge Valentine's Post Card (back)

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