Long before Panic at the Disco another famous band was running around town in their Long Johns!
In June 1949, Spike Jones and His City Slickers as his band was known along with some other buddies marched in a parade right up Market Street in San Francisco all the way to the Curran Theater in their long underwear. They played musical instruments as they strutted around in public.
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| Along the way, they met up with James C. Petrillo who at the time was the Musician's Union president. |
Spike Jones, a great band director as well as a satirical funny man, thought it a great idea for him and his band to appear in their "Union Suits" in support of the musician's "Union." For some reason, Spike wore an Indian headdress as well as a cowboy gun and holster over his underwear.
All agreed, it was not a normal day in San Francisco when Spike Jones was around!
To see the video of Spike
Jones' Petrillo Parade in 1949 San Francisco, highlight, copy and paste:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1w16PRMwFM
* I wish to thank Stan the Man from Southern Arizona for introducing me to the Spike Jones parade. Stan is a movie fan so I have a feeling this blog will receive more posting suggestions from him in the coming months! Thanks, Stan!
Spike found a great deal of humor in one-piece long underwear. On another occasion he appeared with Marilyn Monroe and Ken Murray at the 8th annual Los Angeles Times Charity Football Game in 1952. This time Spike wore a red Union Suit while providing half-time entertainment to a large crowd. Proceeds from this charity event went to the Boys Club of Los Angeles.
A few years later Marilyn would attract John F. Kennedy, a suitor who favored Union Suits as well. (See my Union Suit Fan posting of May 26, 2016, "Presidential Underwear.")
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