That's me at 0:09, 0:24, and 11:22. Seymour "Sam" Popeil was a good friend of the family. He lived in a penthouse on the top floor of the Drake Hotel in Chicago (the hotel in Risky Business) and it had floor-to-ceiling rosewood in the foyer and an ice cream bar behind the regular bar. He was a great man and very kind. I was with my father at his factory on my ninth birthday; he found out and did the trick where you tell someone to call the coin toss but you can make it whatever they say with a little sleight of hand, and he gave me a five dollar bill (a lot to a nine year old in those days). I remember the whole scandal where Eloise, his ex-wife, tried to hire assassins to kill him at the McCormick Center, but one got cold feet and went to the police. She did time and then he took her back. He really loved her. My father kept trying to set him up with women during all that to help him out of depression, but he loved Eloise. One of the women, if I recall correctly, was the woman who played my mother in the commercial. She was very pretty, with blue eyes and natural blonde hair. She was French, but she spoke with a German accent, which I would later understand to mean that she was from the Alsace region. The director of photography was this really cool semi-hippie-looking dude who drove one of those silver gullwing Mercedes that today go for a fortune. We shot it at the Golf Mill Trout Farm and it took all day. The hat I'm wearing is at the bottom of a lake in Ontario, Canada, where it blew off while I was crossing a lake in a canoe later that year. It sure was a great memory, all this. My father, Arthur Churvis (aka, Bud Chase) gave the Pocket Fisherman its name when in the early days he used it as a placeholder term for the product in a memo to Seymour, who liked it and it stuck. By the way, at 2:37 on the right side of the screen, that yellowish lid on the clear basket looks like the Popeil Salad Spinner, which I had thought never made it to market. I was a production assistant on that commercial.
My brother and I rotted out brains with countless of Ron’s infomercials in the early 90’s. Fascinating story on a truly legendary salesman (his products though, are quite a different story). Thanks for uploading!
👍🤩⭐️🏆Wow! In 1956 he was 21 years old (born in 1935)! Look at how he carries himself & talks. Not many 21 yr olds today are as well spoken and as sharp as he was. Sad but true. 😞
Ronco records introduced the shortest song edits ever. But you couldn't find those songs elsewhere sometimes. Years later yard sales are goldmines for even scratched up Ronco (and Ktel) records.
We just bought a Ronco Ready Grill at a garage sale for $4. Unused with booklets. We’ve used the hell out of it since. My hubby and I laughed because we are children of the 70’s and were brought up with Ronco products.
Unfortunately as of 2018, Ronco ceased to exist as a company. They filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in April of that year seeking to reorganize. That wasn't meant to be as the company went from chapter 11 to chapter 7 bankruptcy in June of 2018. The company shut down and all of their assets were liquidated.
That's me at 0:09, 0:24, and 11:22. Seymour "Sam" Popeil was a good friend of the family. He lived in a penthouse on the top floor of the Drake Hotel in Chicago (the hotel in Risky Business) and it had floor-to-ceiling rosewood in the foyer and an ice cream bar behind the regular bar. He was a great man and very kind. I was with my father at his factory on my ninth birthday; he found out and did the trick where you tell someone to call the coin toss but you can make it whatever they say with a little sleight of hand, and he gave me a five dollar bill (a lot to a nine year old in those days). I remember the whole scandal where Eloise, his ex-wife, tried to hire assassins to kill him at the McCormick Center, but one got cold feet and went to the police. She did time and then he took her back. He really loved her. My father kept trying to set him up with women during all that to help him out of depression, but he loved Eloise. One of the women, if I recall correctly, was the woman who played my mother in the commercial. She was very pretty, with blue eyes and natural blonde hair. She was French, but she spoke with a German accent, which I would later understand to mean that she was from the Alsace region. The director of photography was this really cool semi-hippie-looking dude who drove one of those silver gullwing Mercedes that today go for a fortune. We shot it at the Golf Mill Trout Farm and it took all day. The hat I'm wearing is at the bottom of a lake in Ontario, Canada, where it blew off while I was crossing a lake in a canoe later that year. It sure was a great memory, all this. My father, Arthur Churvis (aka, Bud Chase) gave the Pocket Fisherman its name when in the early days he used it as a placeholder term for the product in a memo to Seymour, who liked it and it stuck. By the way, at 2:37 on the right side of the screen, that yellowish lid on the clear basket looks like the Popeil Salad Spinner, which I had thought never made it to market. I was a production assistant on that commercial.
Thanks Ron. You made a positive difference in the lives of millions of people!! 👍 Catch ya in the big kitchen!!
Thanks for this video. I bought my Dad a pocket fisherman for his 67th bday back in '74, really brought back some memory's.
My brother and I rotted out brains with countless of Ron’s infomercials in the early 90’s. Fascinating story on a truly legendary salesman (his products though, are quite a different story). Thanks for uploading!
RIP Ron
Remember... "SET IT AND FORGET IT!"
R.I.P., Ron Popeil. You were a legend in the infomercial business.
👍🤩⭐️🏆Wow! In 1956 he was 21 years old (born in 1935)! Look at how he carries himself & talks. Not many 21 yr olds today are as well spoken and as sharp as he was. Sad but true. 😞
@@UntrepidOne-gx5le - I agree.
Ronco records introduced the shortest song edits ever. But you couldn't find those songs elsewhere sometimes. Years later yard sales are goldmines for even scratched up Ronco (and Ktel) records.
He's legendary. I starting cooking using a lot of his products.
RIP... Off to the great rotisserie in the sky...
We have 2 of the Showtime Rotteseries. You can't get them anymore. RIP...Ron.
Rest in peace Ron. You will be sorely missed.
Thanks for the upload I thought this guy was a total tool until watching!
Jason West I’ve been reading about him in Malcolm Gladwell‘s What the Dog Saw. Really interesting fellow.
I had a Mr Microphone. Best gift ever
@Corat omg don't I wish!
@@Blyndtyger76 r/woosh
We just bought a Ronco Ready Grill at a garage sale for $4. Unused with booklets. We’ve used the hell out of it since. My hubby and I laughed because we are children of the 70’s and were brought up with Ronco products.
"They make great gifts!" (cheesy Xmas music in background)
Rest In Peace Ron Popeil 🙏🏿🕊
RIP legend
"come on bassomatic!"
Unfortunately as of 2018, Ronco ceased to exist as a company. They filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in April of that year seeking to reorganize. That wasn't meant to be as the company went from chapter 11 to chapter 7 bankruptcy in June of 2018. The company shut down and all of their assets were liquidated.
RIP Ron Popeil
RIP
I Actually have a Ronco pocket fisherman. I used to have the Popiel pocket fisherman as well.
I have one too. I use it all the time when I fish, and I have caught some nice fish with it
I caught an 8 ft marlin with my pocket fisherman.
Happy Go Lively is the theme
Canned bread!
@@jmal let's a go
I always wondered if he was unhappy when that Australian sounding old man stole Nancy.
Tim Samuelson looks like Uncle Fester
Ron was a smart man
Aka The SlapChop
and now hes gone brankrupt ripperoni
He was worth 200 million when he died. Hardly broke
@@lynettesprague287 bro the company is bankrupt what are you talkin about lmao
RIP Ron Popeil
RIP