Another day, another relationship saved by a bar of soap! And this time, the stakes are higher than a pair of dishpan hands.Also, the whole family is getting involved. Sticking their nose in, so to speak. The doctor seems to be the uncle of the woman tattling on Jim and Myra. But he also seems to know Jim and Myra too. Really, he shouldn't be gossiping about people like this. Tell Louella Parsons here to stop!
But no. He loves it. And he is seeing patients in his tuxedo for some reason. All they need are a couple of cocktails. Maybe the nurse could shake up some martinis in the tongue-depressor jar for them. Just as long as she remembers to take the tongue depressors out first.
Anyway, Myra's busybody friend/sister/mother is telling Dr. Tux that Myra's given Jim the boot "because he's a little careless about 'BO.'"
Dr. Tux agrees that this shows deep moral failings on Jim's part and who knows what else he's careless with. You have to make an effort in a marriage, for heaven's sake! And not stinking is pretty high on the list.
Jim just hadn't thought of it like that. So who knows what other foibles he is concealing? Hmmm....
Then, Uncle Tux says well, he likes Jim (from a distance) so he'll have a wee word with him. Probably on the telephone.
Jim is the sadsack in the hat, middle row right. Boy, gosh and golly, he had NO idea! "Wow, that was plain talk from the doctor!" I'll bet it was, too.
Cut to the shower scene. Bar of soap, lots of lather, enormous happiness. Although it does take a whole year for the now-happy couple to assure the doctor that everything is copacetic.
Why did it take a year? Well, I noticed something weird in the last picture. Take a look at the doctor's face, as he sits downwind of Jim's bent arm!
And Myra - goodness, she doesn't look all that thrilled either. What is going on? I sense trouble. Jim is oblivious (as always). The doctor and Myra are giving each other a look. Something's gone wrong.
Very, very wrong.
Another fabulous ad (circa 1935) from Ad Access.
20 comments:
Hah, it did take a year! That is quite a bit of soap.
I used to commute to work in a vanpool. One summer, we had a student ride with us to campus a few days per week. We needed Dr. Tux to have a chat with her. Her "lack of consideration" was making us all sick.
Maybe we should have just given her a bar of Lifeboy...
I'm sure there is a correlation between the rising divorce rate and the decline in popularity & sales of Lifebuoy soap.
People screaming & hollering about the sanctity of marriage should be worried about its sanitation.
Dr. Tux has apparently never heard of patient confidentiality, has he?
OH! I just happened upon your blog and so glad I did I LOVE vintage ads too! What a fab blog :)
Your site brings back so many memories. Thank you
Martha
Hmmm. The doctor has opened Jim's eyes to "a lot of things" and he is touching both his wife *and* the doctor...
...who knew that soap had the power to change a faltering marriage to a swinging one??
Eric - It must not be very efficient soap.
Dr. Julie-Ann - Where IS Dr. Tux when you need him?
Bill - Lifebuoy solves all problems!
Tori - No, he hasn't :)
Crazy Suburban Mom - Welcome aboard! :)
MAC - It's fun and brings back memories for me too, the 60s and 70s ones especially :)
Kath - That's some wild and crazy bar of soap!
That's funny, I remember lifebuoy soap in the 70's as a child.
Amy - Me too. I guess these ads worked!
Was here to drop EC. :)
Grace - Well, hi! :)
I'm glad I didn't use Lifebouy very much when I was a kid. These IS something fishy with the way the doctor is looking at Myra.
Myra appears to have aged badly in just that one year of marriage.
They are expecting a lot from a lowly bar of soap to cure acne, b.o. while successfully accomplishing marriage counseling.
Cheers
ceemee- I seem to recall that we used Camay when I was a kid. I'm glad we avoided Lifebuoy - WAY too much drama!
David - Indeed they are. All three attribute strange powers to Lifebuoy. If it was a talking bar of soap with psychiatric training, I could see it. But that's another ad, maybe.
Nice catch on the last frame. Most people wouldn't have picked up on the subtle signals.
unfinishedrambler - Thank you :)
The part that comes across to me as odd is the feeling fresh as a daisy. He's a guy. I don't think guys want to smell like flowers or Girl Scouts. (the only other kind of "daisy" I can think of)
autie - You're right! I didn't catch that, but it IS really odd!
There's a misprint in that last square: "Give the doctor the credit, darling. He opened my eyes to a lot of things."
It should have been "eye". The little brown one, I think. That Lifebuoy lather really does the trick!
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