Ideal Thunderstreak TV Commercial 1967 Ideal Toy Corporation

more at http://quickfound.net/

Originally a public domain film from the Library of Congress Prelinger Archives, slightly cropped to remove uneven edges, with the aspect ratio corrected, and one-pass brightness-contrast-color correction & mild video noise reduction applied.

The soundtrack was also processed with volume normalization, noise reduction, clipping reduction, and/or equalization (the resulting sound, though not perfect, is far less noisy than the original).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_Toy_Company

Wikipedia license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Ideal Toy Company was an American toy company founded by Morris and Rose Michtom. During the post–World War II baby boom era, Ideal became the largest doll-making company in the United States. Their most popular dolls included Betsy Wetsy, Toni, Saucy Walker, Shirley Temple, Miss Revlon, Patti Playpal, Tammy, Thumbelina, Tiny Thumbelina, and Crissy. Their last big hit was the Rubik's Cube...

Corporate history

Morris and Rose Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in Brooklyn when they invented the Teddy bear in 1903. After Michtom's death in 1938, the company changed its name to the Ideal Toy Company, and Michtom's nephew Abraham Katz became chief executive.

During World War II, the company's value rose from $2 million to $11 million. The company's dolls were so popular during the post–World War II baby boom era, they began selling dolls under license in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

Key Ideal employees during the 1950s, '60s, and '70s were Lionel A. Weintraub and Joseph C. Winkler. Weintraub, the son-in-law of Abraham Katz, joined the company in 1941 and rose to become president, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer. Winkler joined Ideal in 1956, rising to vice president by 1971.

In 1951, Ideal partnered with competitors the American Character Doll Company and the Alexander Doll Company to establish the United States-Israeli Toy and Plastic Corporation, designed to produce material for toys in Israel and the U.S. Ideal CEO Abraham Katz was named president of the new company.

In 1968, the American Character Doll Company filed for bankruptcy, and Ideal acquired the defunct company's dyes, patents, and trademarks, as well as specific products like the "Tressy" Gro-Hair doll.

In late 1971, Ideal joined the New York Stock Exchange; valued at $71 million, it was one of the U.S.'s top three toy companies.

By 1970, Ideal had outgrown its manufacturing complex in Hollis, Queens. The company wanted to build a new plant in College Point, Queens (later the site of Shea Stadium), but was unable to strike a deal with the Lindsay administration. Consequently, the company opened a new facility in Newark, New Jersey, in the early 1970s, while continuing to operate its factory in Hollis.

Ideal had earnings of $3.7 million in fiscal year 1979-1980, but lost $15.5 million in fiscal year 1980-1981. (Sales both years averaged c. $150 million.) Trying to maximize profits on the Rubik's Cube craze, in May 1981 Ideal filed civil suits against dozens of distributors and retailers selling knockoff cubes.

In May 1981, Joseph Winkler was named Ideal's president, succeeding Lionel Weintraub, who remained chairman and CEO.

In 1982, the company moved its headquarters from Hollis, Queens, to Harmon Meadow, New Jersey. It was sold to CBS Toys later that year for c. $58 million.

In 1987, CBS sold Ideal to Viewmaster International, which renamed itself View-Master Ideal in the process.

In 1989, View-Master Ideal was bought by Tyco Toys of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, for $43.9 million. The Ideal line remained part of Tyco until Tyco’s merger with Mattel, Inc., in 1997...