Ask Vance Blog

The blog of Vance Lauderdale

Archives | RSS

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Help Wanted — MERRYMOBILE DRIVERS!

Posted by Vance Lauderdale on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM

MerrymobileAd-1961.jpg
In the summer of 1961, anyone looking for a job might have noticed these tiny newspaper ads for two competing ice-cream companies.

You could go to 741 S. Cox and knock on the door of Mr. Johnstone and apply for work driving a truck for Ice Cream Circus — a company I no longer remember.

Or — a better option, if you ask me — you could pay a visit to 3065 Broad and apply for a coveted position as a Merrymobile driver. Not only would you be driving a real, honest-to-goodness Merrymobile around the streets of Memphis, but look, you could earn more than $100 a week.

I'd go for the Merrymobile job. Just think of all the stories you could tell your kids. And what an ice-breaker at parties: "I remember that time I was a Merrymobile driver ..." Not many people can say THAT.

Tags: , ,

Comments (4)

Showing 1-4 of 4

Add a comment

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THE MERRYMOBILE WHEN I WAS A CHILD. REMEMBER SKY BLUE POPSICLES? CAN YOU IMAGINE MAKING $100.00 A NICKEL AT A TIME?? THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.

report   
Posted by PURRLL on July 13, 2010 at 8:35 PM

We had a Merrymobile in Jonesboro, too.
It was a rare treat when we came into town to my mamau's from where I lived out in the country and got a drumstick or bombpop from the nice Merrymobile man!

report   
Posted by deede on July 14, 2010 at 3:26 PM

My friends and I used to follow the Merrymobile around our little part of East Memphis, just hanging out. Spent the better part of a few days doing that, circa 1965 or '66. The college-kid driver was glad to have the company.

report   
Posted by Steppendackel on July 15, 2010 at 4:14 PM

And as a gesture of respect for Memphis history, Frayser legend Tim Dwyer (Judge Tim Dwyer - the only boy from the Homeland to ever sit on THAT side of the bench) restored a Merrymobile to its original glory - that is a contribution to Memphis pop culture which could have slipped away forever!

report   
Posted by moondoggie on March 6, 2011 at 4:25 PM
Subscribe to this thread:
Showing 1-4 of 4

Add a comment

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC.
© Copyright 1996-2012 • Visit Our Other Sites! Memphis Flyer | Memphis Parent | MBQ
Powered by Gyrobase