Special Features
Broadway's Leading Ladies Go Commercial, Part 1: Florence Henderson, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing and More in Ads from 1950s-70s
Sit in front of a television set long enough, and you'll probably see a familiar Broadway face or two — and not just on your regularly scheduled programs, but in the commercials, too. In fact, there have been so many commercials featuring stars of the Great White Way over the years that we've decided to spend a few weeks looking back at some of our favorites. In part one, we take a look at ads starring Broadway's leading ladies that aired from the 1950s through the 1970s. Look out for Ethel Merman selling Vel with a familiar Jule Styne tune, Florence Henderson in an Oldsmobile ad inspired by a song from The Music Man and even Carol Channing in an ad for Atari.
Florence Henderson for Oldsmobile
Carol Burnett for Pledge
Florence Henderson for Oldsmobile
Lauren Bacall for Instant Maxwell House
Charlotte Rae for Oil Heat
Bernadette Peters for Playtex
Jan Miner for Palmolive
Charlotte Rae for Charmin
Sandy Duncan for Lestoil
Pearl Bailey for JELL-O
Sandy Duncan for Skinny Dip
Ethel Merman for Texaco
Ethel Merman for Vel
Carol Channing for Atari
Carol Channing for American Express