Ann Dvorak Sells A “3-Way Medicinal Treatment” For Hair!

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 324

1945Ad001

One aspect of Ann Dvorak that has not been discussed on this site is advertisements with Ann endorsing products. I am not sure how this worked back in the day, but I am guessing these types of ads were worked into studio contracts as opposed to the multi-million dollar deals that modern day celebs make independently. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I don’t have too many Ann Dvorak ads, and this is definitely the most colorful one. I love how “Mange Medicine” is so elegantly listed. Was that a major problem in humans in the 1940s? I also like that Glover’s 3-Way Medicinal Treatment could cure one of “annoying scalp” and “excessive falling hair.” But hey, if Ann Dvorak says it’s good stuff then it must be, right?

4 Comments

  1. Mike November 20, 2013

    I can remember my mom telling us kids to wash thoroughly, because she didn’t want us to catch the mange!

    You have probably seen just about every picture/photo out there of Ann, and can recognize her face instantly. But I see this shot, and do not immediately make the connection. It’s that chameleon quality she has.

    Don’t do it quite as much nowadays, but still enjoy visiting antique shops/flea markets and running across ads from old magazines like Life, Look, etc. Especially those involving the classic stars. I’ve purchased many; they’re relatively cheap, and in a decent frame, make for nice wall hangings. My favorite – the elegant Claudette Colbert (in left profile, of course) purchasing Chesterfield cigarettes.

  2. admin November 20, 2013

    Now that you mention it, I think my grandma used to warn us that we were going to get mange if we didn’t bathe properly!

    I grabbed a bunch of ads of actresses endorsing flatware which had hung in the kitchen of multiple residences over that last 10 years.

  3. Scott November 20, 2013

    Agree with Mike on not immediately making the Ann connection with the likeness in this ad. She almost looks a little, here, like the Donna Reed of that period.

    I found a LIFE magazine from 1942 that has in it an ad with a smiling Pat O’Brien (“star of Columbia Pictures’ Two Yanks In Trinidad”) claiming that if you mix it with tomato juice with French’s Worcestershire sauce you can make a ‘WOW’ cocktail.

    How do you make a ‘WOW’, you ask? According to the directions in the ad —

    “It’ so easy! Just take as much tomato juice as you want to serve. Add a little — a very little — pepper and salt. Then for each glass of tomato juice add one teaspoonful of French’s Worcestershire. Mix well – serve very cold.”

    Just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, right? Please. No need to thank me.

  4. Mike November 21, 2013

    Yes, Scott, I was scratching my head over who the picture in the ad reminded me of, and you’re right, a definite resemblance to Donna Reed. A visit to the Donna Museum in western Iowa is on my to do list.

    I wonder if that “WOW” cocktail was a favorite at the Hollywood “Irish Mafia” get togethers during the 30s – Pat, Jimmy Cagney, Frank McHugh, Lynne Overman, Spencer Tracy……………… I’ve read about those dinners in a couple of books. I have all the ingredients at home; gonna give it a shot!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *