Tom Bosley in an ad for the 1956 Studebakers. Tom Bosley October 1, 1927 - October 19, 2010 I read that he got his start on TV doing Studebaker commercials.
It's too bad the ad is in black and white instead of full colour. That way we can actually see the nice colour options the Studebaker cars were available in.
@agbjr57 Then it makes that it an in-joke...especially his comment the first time it's seen on camera-- "I finally buy a new car and the company goes out of business"
@Rich8951 Studebaker was bleeding money in 1956, had aging models they could only facelift, had labor problems and not much of a future. The Lark was not to be until 1959. They had to make do with what they had and hope for better days. There wasn't much money for advertising, they had to do what they could to try to survive.
A portion of this commercial was featured in the early eighties PBS Documentary entitled "Studebaker - Less Than They Promised". To my knowledge this documentary has never been for sale on DVD. I have a crappy VHS version I taped back in 1984.
"Could be his mid-'fifties association with the auto maker inspired the writers of "Happy Days" to have Mr. C trade-in his postwar DeSoto for a brand new red '62 Studebaker Lark!" I doubt it, it was a joke: Mr. C was replacing a DeSoto with a Studebaker.
It's too bad the ad is in black and white instead of full colour. That way we can actually see the nice colour options the Studebaker cars were available in.
Seattlecarnut 1 week ago
@agbjr57 Then it makes that it an in-joke...especially his comment the first time it's seen on camera-- "I finally buy a new car and the company goes out of business"
tomservo56954 1 month ago
Where's the dealership?
5610winston 2 months ago
TOM...TOM BOSLEY
grinnellalarms 2 months ago
damn! he looks young!
pelucitadered 2 months ago
@Rich8951 Studebaker was bleeding money in 1956, had aging models they could only facelift, had labor problems and not much of a future. The Lark was not to be until 1959. They had to make do with what they had and hope for better days. There wasn't much money for advertising, they had to do what they could to try to survive.
AlaokDibar 5 months ago
Handsome looking guy, Tom Bosley was way back then.
Seattlecarnut 6 months ago
55 years later: wouldn't mind living that dream right now!
startover942 10 months ago 2
A portion of this commercial was featured in the early eighties PBS Documentary entitled "Studebaker - Less Than They Promised". To my knowledge this documentary has never been for sale on DVD. I have a crappy VHS version I taped back in 1984.
RabidKoala 1 year ago
"Could be his mid-'fifties association with the auto maker inspired the writers of "Happy Days" to have Mr. C trade-in his postwar DeSoto for a brand new red '62 Studebaker Lark!" I doubt it, it was a joke: Mr. C was replacing a DeSoto with a Studebaker.
Drivermatic 1 year ago