What’s the Password?
Share:
in January 1933, was a special project of Kay Kamen’s that he felt would promote
all things Mickey – especially the Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse movies and
Mickey-themed clothing?
And the magazine did just that – over a total of
9 issues that lasted through September. As you can imagine, issues of this
magazine are extremely rare collectibles – and they feature a certain word
that’s almost as difficult to pronounce as the magazines are to find.
The word is a special password that was announced in the magazine and
used consistently throughout. It was, in its plainest form, “Spingle Bell —
Chicko,” but when something extraordinary happened; the doing of a good deed,
for example, or the release of a new, noteworthy product, all you’d have to do
was add a “K” to the end of the password to signify it. One terrific example of
this is in an ad featured on the back cover of one of the magazines. The wool
sweaters featured in the ad clearly have Minnie’s seal of approval, as she gives
them a “Spingle Bell — Chicko – K.”
To promote the password, copies of
the Mickey Mouse magazine and a very rare pinback were issued as free giveaways
at various clothing stores and movie theatres. This pinback is extremely
difficult to find today – as it was only produced for two months – January and
February of 1933.
Any collector that can find it gets a “Spingle Bell —
Chicko – K” in our book!
�k�
�
�(�<�i�>�T�h�e� �M�r�.� �B�i�l�l� �S�h�o�w�<�/�i�>�)�,� �a� �D�V�D� �c�o�l�l�e�c�t�i�n�g� �h�i�s� �e�a�r�l�y� �f�i�l�m�s� �(�<�i�>�T�h�e� �M�r�.� �B�i�l�l�
�
�C�o�l�l�e�c�t�i�o�n�<�/�i�>�)� �a�n�d� �n�o�w� �a� �n�e�w� �W�a�c�k�y� �W�o�b�b�l�e�r� �f�r�o�m� �F�u�n�k�o�.�<�b�r�>�<�b�r�>�A�n�d� �d�e�s�p�i�t�e� �h�i�s�
�
�m�a�n�y� �d�e�m�i�s�e�s�,� �M�r�.� �B�i�l�l� �w�o�n�’�t� �j�u�s�t� �g�o� �a�w�a�y�.� �H�e�’�s� �s�t�a�r�r�e�d� �i�n� �n�e�w� �s�h�o�r�t� �f�i�l�m�s�,�
�
�c�o�m�m�e�r�c�i�a�l�s� �a�n�d� �o�t�h�e�r� �a�p�p�e�a�r�a�n�c�e�s�.� �<�b�r�>�<�b�r�>�A�c�c�o�r�d�i�n�g� �t�o� �h�i�s� �c�r�e�a�t�o�r�’�s� �w�e�b�s�i�t�e�,�
�
�t�h�e� �N�e�w� �O�r�l�e�a�n�s� �n�a�t�i�v�e� �W�i�l�l�i�a�m�s� �w�a�s� �1�7� �w�h�e�n� �h�e� �d�i�s�c�o�v�e�r�e�d� �S�u�p�e�r�-�8� �f�i�l�m�.� �
�
�”�F�o�r�t�u�n�a�t�e�l�y�,� �I� �h�a�d� �n�o� �a�p�t�i�t�u�d�e� �f�o�r� �a�n�y�t�h�i�n�g�,� �s�o� �M�e�d�.� �S�c�h�o�o�l� �w�a�s� �o�u�t� �o�f� �t�h�e�
�
�q�u�e�s�t�i�o�n�,�&�#�8�2�2�1�;� �h�e� �w�r�o�t�e�.� � �H�e� �m�a�d�e� �h�i�s� �o�w�n� �s�h�o�r�t� �c�o�m�e�d�y� �m�o�v�i�e�s�,� �a�n�d� �t�h�a�t� �l�e�d� �t�o�
�
�h�i�s� �o�w�n� �U�H�F�-�T�V� �s�h�o�w�.� �<�b�r�>�<�b�r�>�W�i�t�h� �M�r�.� �B�i�l�l�,� �W�i�l�l�i�a�m�s� �m�a�d�e� �t�h�e� �m�o�v�e� �t�o� �N�e�w� �Y�o�r�k�,�
�
�w�h�e�r�e� �h�e� �m�a�d�e� �m�o�r�e� �f�i�l�m�s� �f�o�r� �<�i�>�S�N�L�<�/�i�>� �a�n�d� �d�i�d� �s�t�a�n�d�-�u�p� �a�t� �t�h�e� �I�m�p�r�o�v�.� �S�e�r�i�e�s�
�
�c�r�e�a�t�o�r�-�p�r�o�d�u�c�e�r� �L�o�r�n�e� �M�i�c�h�a�e�l�s� �h�i�r�e�d� �h�i�m� �a�s� �a� �f�u�l�l�-�t�i�m�e� �s�t�a�f�f� �w�r�i�t�e�r� �a�f�t�e�r�
�
�t�h�r�e�e� �s�e�a�s�o�n�s�,� �w�r�i�t�i�n�g� �t�h�e� �2�0�-�p�l�u�s� �M�r�.� �B�i�l�l� �s�k�i�t�s� �f�r�o�m� �1�9�7�8� �t�h�r�o�u�g�h� �1�9�8�0�,� �a�s�
�
�w�e�l�l� �a�s� �m�a�n�y� �o�t�h�e�r� �s�k�e�t�c�h�e�s�.� �H�e� �l�e�f�t� �t�h�e� �s�h�o�w� �w�h�e�n� �t�h�e� �o�r�i�g�i�n�a�l� �c�a�s�t� �d�i�d�
�
�f�o�l�l�o�w�i�n�g� �t�h�e� �1�9�7�9�-�1�9�8�0� �s�e�a�s�o�n�.�<�b�r�>�<�b�r�>�H�i�s� �c�a�r�e�e�r� �c�u�r�r�e�n�t�l�y� �i�n�v�o�l�v�e�s� �w�o�r�k� �o�n�
�
�d�o�c�u�m�e�n�t�a�r�i�e�s� �a�n�d� �e�d�u�c�a�t�i�o�n�a�l� �D�V�D�s�.�<�b�r�>�<�b�r�>�<�/�d�i�v�>�
�
�
�
�
�
�<�/�b�o�d�y�>�
�
�
�
�<�/�h�t�m�l�>�
�
���f��� ���y���e���s���t���e���r���y���e���a���r���,��� ���t���h���i���s��� ���i���s��� ���j���u���s���t��� ���t���h���e��� ���c���a���r���
���
���t���o��� ���t���a���k�
