Episode: “The Hucksters” (1980)
REVIEWED BY MARK A. LARSON
Editor & Publisher
A perfect mix – Milwaukee, beer and baseball.
Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the beer-producing capital of the world – then home to Miller, Pabst and Schlitz – was truly a rockin’ place for baseball in the 1950s.
After the Braves relocated to Milwaukee’s new County Stadium from Boston in 1953, they led the major leagues in attendance for six straight years, averaging two million-plus fans each season.
The team finished in first- or second-place in seven of their first eight seasons in brewski town. In fact, they never had a losing record during their 13 years in Milwaukee.
The Braves took the National League pennant in both 1957-58 – capturing the World Championship in 1957 when they defeated the Yankees in that year’s Fall Classic.
All three cards: 1959 Topps
Record-breaking home run hitter Hank Aaron led the team, along with fellow slugger Eddie Mathews and perennial 20-game winner southpaw Warren Spahn, along with star pitcher Lew Burdette. (Aaron, Mathews and Spahn are all Hall of Fame members.)
In 1974, ABC television launched “Happy Days”, a sitcom set in late ’50s Milwaukee. It ran for 11 seasons (255 episodes) and spawned a very successful spin-off, “Laverne and Shirley,” which was also originally set in suds city.
“Happy Days” centered on the Cunningham family: Richie (the son); Joannie (the daughter); Marion (the mother) and Howard (the father). Other characters, including fan favorite Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli, were also featured. Howard owned a hardware store in Milwaukee.
In “The Hucksters” episode, Howard returns from a convention in Chicago convinced television advertising will boost sales at the hardware store. However, his attempt at making a commercial himself was a complete flop, with business actually decreasing. Howard then decides to hire a slick-talking, smarmy ad-man to produce a commercial.
At first, the whole Cunningham family is poised to appear in the ad. However, during rehearsals preceeding a live airing of the commercial, the ad-man replaces each of the family members with inappropriate actors – even substituting a dog for Joannie. Obviously, the tone of an average family-owned hardware store is completely altered.
Finally, the ad-man springs one more surprise on the Cunninghams. He brings in a celebrity to endorse their store. Surprisingly, it’s not another clown, but highly-respected local baseball hero Hank Aaron.
Aaron pops in quickly during the final rehearsal and says “Hammerin’ Hank wouldn’t buy his hammer at anyplace but Cunningham’s Hardware.”
Right before they go live, Fonzie questions Howard about the way the director has created a false impression of the “family” hardware store. Howard has second thoughts and informs the audience about the sham commercial and makes a genuine pitch for the store.
The final scene of the episode is good. It shows Aaron visiting the Cunningham home. Richie tells their famous guest that he had him autograph his glove before the 1957 World Series and proceeds to bore him endlessly with a family album showing photos of himself in Little League. Soon Aaron politely says he has to leave.
Before departing, Aaron apologetically tells Howard he really thought the commercial was “on the level.” Howard thanks him and as Aaron opens the door to go, Richie yells across the room “Hit a home run.” Aaron smiles and answers “Don’t I always?”
Looking back, the 1950s really were the heyday of beer and Braves baseball in Milwaukee … and Hank Aaron was a huge part of that.
NOTE: To find out if this show is available in your area, use a search engine and type in: “Where to watch HAPPY DAYS” … In general, know that some television programs are currently only available on DVD, so check your local library … Others may not be available at all at this time.
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