Hot Dog Express - Page 2

Little Oscar as big news

The first Wienermobile was snug inside. Mayer needed someone small enough to squeeze in and pop his head out of the trap door in the back.

It just so happened that Meinhardt Raabe was the perfect fit. Raabe, who became Little Oscar in 1937, was a three-foot, six-inch-tall salesman at Oscar Mayer, and a natural performer—a gem of a Little Oscar too.

In fact, Raab took a brief leave of absence to head to Hollywood, landing the role of his career—the munchkin coroner in the 1939 film classic 'The Wizard of Oz.' It was Raabe who declared the Wicked Witch of the East "really, most sincerely dead!"

Jerry Maren, another munchkin from the 'Wizard of Oz' cast, became a popular Little Oscar during the 1950s. He also doubled as the Buster Brown comic strip character on television, just one of his countless movie and TV roles in a career that spanned more than 50 years.

During that same era, George Molchan also joined the Little Oscar crew. Molchan stood just ten hot dog buns high, but he towered in the history of mid-20th century advertising and in the hearts of the people he encountered.

Molchan zigzagged the nation in the Wienermobile for 20 years, handing out hot-dog-shaped Magic Wiener Whistles that could play the secret 'Little Oscar Song.' Following that traveling gig, he continued to dress in white, from the tips of his shoes to his chef's hat, greeting patrons at the company's Florida restaurant at Disney World.

Although not the last Little Oscar (there were a total of seven), Molchan was the hot dog company's longest-reigning one, proudly claiming the distinction of being "the only one who was hired as Little Oscar and who retired as Little Oscar."

Memories with mustard

For many, their first encounter with the odd-looking Wienermobile is etched in their memories forever. Seeing one rambling down the road was like spotting a flying saucer.

"The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was so exciting to me," says Yolanda Zesati, who grew up in a San Jose Eichler, but who now resides in Huntsville, Alabama. "When I was young, I would fantasize about winning a free ride inside of that monstrosity shaped like a hot dog. I assumed it had steaming hot food inside being served to kids and adults. A 24/7 hot dog express!"

Bay Area resident Joan Nelson Schuller recalls, "One afternoon, I returned to the office after an unsuccessful sales call and was feeling down. I turned into the parking lot, and what did I see? The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile!

"I sat in the Wienermobile's driver's seat. It turned my day right around." For years afterward, Schuller kept a small plastic Wienermobile poised on her work desk to remind her of that special day.

Bruce Ferrell and Lori Heiger had their own memorable encounter with a Wienermobile. "My wife and I went to our neighborhood grocery store to do our usual Sunday shopping," recalls Ferrell. "When we pulled into the parking lot, our eyes grew wide when we saw the familiar yellow-and-orange Oscar Mayer Wienermobile parked at the entrance. I was giddy like a child at Christmas!

"We were allowed to go inside the vehicle. Thrill! We looked around, studied the interior, and then it was back to reality and our grocery list, but this time holding a complimentary coupon for Oscar Mayer wieners in hand.

"For a brief moment in time, it was a joy to see this piece of history up close—a vehicle that many consider a part of their lives."