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Main | 1949-1959 Part 1 | 1949-1959 Part 2

Robert O. Burton's original prototype Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit was produced in the late 1940s, most likely 1948-1949. This prototype was found in a security cage by Thomas Olan Coleman during the remodeling of Aladdin's Distribution and Holding Center Warehouse in 1985.

The Hopalong Cassidy prototype served as the blueprint for the production release of 1950. The prototype artwork is a combination of watercolor, pen, and pencil sketchings. The bottle artwork is affixed with a piece of clear tape.

[+] View the Hopalong Cassidy Prototype slide show!

1 9 5 0... Born was the lunch kit as we know it today. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit, or "Hoppy," as it is also called, was Aladdin's "box" of gold. Debuting in 1950, Hoppy would go on to sell 600,000 units in its first year alone, each at a modest $2.39. Aladdin Industries moved to Nashville, Tennessee from its home in Chicago, and literally built their new headquarters with the Hoppy profits.

Victor Johnson, the son of Aladdin's owner, suggested that Aladdin put a character decal on their lunch kits as early as the mid-1940s. The suggestion fell on deaf ears, and it wouldn't be until Vernon Church became sales manager that Aladdin recognized the market potential for such a product.

The first Hoppy kit was a plain steel box with a scalloped decal on the front. The box was produced in red and blue baked enamel. The decal showed Hopalong Cassidy knelt down behind a mound of dirt, ready with a gun in each hand. The lunch box also came packed with a matching steel lithographed vacuum bottle-- setting the standard for kits to come.

Two variations of the decal were produced; one design for the 1950 Hoppy kit (pictured left), and one for the re-release in 1952, which was rectangular in shape. The original boxes sport the old "Chicago" lunch box handles, which were much more thin.

The great Chicago industrial designer Robert O. Burton designed the Hoppy lunch kit. Burton was also known for designing the Kentucky Fried Chicken logo, as well as most of Aladdin's lunch kit art in the 1950s. Buccaneer (1957), Tom Corbett: Space Cadet (1952), Annie Oakley (1955), Robin Hood (1956), and Jet Patrol (1957) are just a few of the boxes Burton designed for Aladdin.

1 9 5 1... This was a quiet year. Aladdin was still counting their Hoppy profits and didn't release any new kits this year, while American Thermos was still two years away from their Roy Rogers kit. In the years to come, there would be an explosion of characters that made it to steel. With TV coming of age in the 1950s, the television shows of the 1960s and beyond would play major roles in lunch kit production.

1 9 5 2... Aladdin released the Tom Corbett: Space Cadet lunch kit, using the same box design as they did for Hoppy. Also produced in red and blue, Tom Corbett featured a rectangular decal on the front of the box. Aladdin still had thousands of plain boxes left over, so a new release was as simple as sticking another decal on the face of the box.

Aladdin releases another Hoppy kit with a rectangular decal on the front. The image depicted on the decal is identical to the earlier, scalloped version. The box was produced in red and blue, just like the original in 1950. The sleeve shows the same artwork as the original bottle.

Until now, Aladdin had the market cornered. However, this was the last year that they would enjoy a lunch box "monopoly." Kids would soon be able to choose between Aladdin or American Thermos-- Hoppy or Roy Rogers. From this point on, it was war between Aladdin and American Thermos.

It was no secret that the two companies actually hated each other. At stake was millions of dollars in revenue. The right character license could mean the difference between a windfall and a bust. In the 1950s, Aladdin could secure a license with $10,000.00 down and five percent royalties. This meant that if they picked a winner, enormous profits could be realized.

Getting the right license wasn't an exact science, and both companies made mistakes. KST (formerly American Thermos) passed on the opportunity to get Batman, and Aladdin got the license. Batman was a huge success for Aladdin in 1966, and KST was kicking themselves over it. Aladdin passed on Peanuts and Barbie, allowing KST to have much success with these properties during the 1960s and beyond.

In the end, both companies did very well. Aladdin and American Thermos (KST) would become the "Coke and Pepsi" of the lunch box world.

1 9 5 3... After the Hoppy kit was released, Roy Rogers sought out Aladdin and inquired about producing a Roy Rogers box. Convinced "one cowboy was enough," Aladdin turned him down. With the success of Hoppy, Aladdin felt they didn't need him, or the hefty licensing fees associated with such a property.

Still not giving up, Roy headed north to American Thermos. American Thermos was reluctant at first, and was not even convinced that character kits would be that profitable in the future. Roy Rogers was persistent, and after three tries, American Thermos agreed to release his box.

In 1953, American Thermos rolled out the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lunch kit. This time however, there would be no decals for American Thermos, but a fully lithographed steel lunch box. The box was beautiful, with its large pictures on the front and back. The band featured a wood grain finish. Also included was a fully lithographed matching steel bottle.

American Thermos had now set the new standard with fully lithographed lunch kits. In year one, the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans lunch kit sold 2.5 million units-- increasing the company's total sales by twenty-percent. American Thermos found out lunch boxes were indeed very profitable. After all was said and done, American Thermos would release nine different Roy Rogers boxes between 1953 and 1957.

Aladdin released the Plaid (gray) lunch kit. They must have been saving their ideas for next year's models, as a plaid kit showed just about no imagination. If you were unlucky enough to carry one, you wouldn't want to get stuck sitting next to the kid with Roy on his side.

It would get better for Aladdin.

Crave more History? Buy these great Lunch Box books today!

Main | 1949-1959 Part 1 | 1949-1959 Part 2

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