28 December 2010

Cinematic product placement, 1951

A hat tip to Peter Osgood, who posted the following item at a board discussing the King William's College quiz:
In John Huston's The African Queen (1951), Gordon's was the brand of choice for Charlie Allnut, the hard-drinking riverboat captain, played by Humphrey Bogart.  The Gordon's label is clearly shown in a pivotal scene in which Katharine Hepburn's teetotaling character, Rose Sayer, tosses crates of the beverage into the river.  The appearance of Gordon's gin in The African Queen is frequently cited as one of the first examples of movie product placement.
Photo from Poster Art.  It looks more like a publicity still than a movie screencap.

1 comment:

  1. Rose Sayer was right to toss that stuff in the river -- it's crap! If Capt. Allnut had had taste, he'd have laid in a supply of Bombay Sapphire.

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