I REMEMBER WHEN rapher. Word of Johnny’s visit had spread quickly throughout the neighborhood and a number of people had assembled in the store, including nearby residents, a bevy of kids, and some of the corner shop merchants. There was John from Sanders Barber Shop, Ted from Chotzen’s Pure Oil Station, and Vern Hinkle from Hink and Dink’s Diner. They all came to see Johnny dressed in his natty bellboy uniform with black trousers, a red fitted jacket, white gloves, and a pillbox hat perched at a jaunty angle on top of his head. From behind the soda fountain I watched the proceedings as Johnny walked through the crowd handing out sample packs of Phillip Morris cigarettes to the adoring adults, while the kids got their kicks when he gave his familiar shrill cry. Johnny then posed for some candid photographs with members of the crowd, and as they left so did Johnny and his retinue to repeat the Dressed in his bellboy outfit, Johnny Roventini leaves after his appearance at Haag’s drugstore. routine at the next corner drugstore just a The pint-size bellboy, who died at the age of eighty-eight in 1998, also appeared on such hit few blocks away. television shows as I Love Lucy, Candid Camera, and The Red Skelton Show. I wondered at the time how many and Marilyn, the pharmacist Ray, and the coming back to town since the war with packs of Phillip Morris cigarettes Johnny manager Decker Lee. its rationing was over. Johnny who, you smoked a day and if that was why he Once accepted for the job, I needed say? None other than Johnny Roventini, was so short (just under five-feet tall). to learn the fine art of soda jerking. For the diminutive walking commercial for In those days the only known side effect example, I had to know exactly how many Phillip Morris cigarettes, who was always from smoking was that it could stunt your drops of phosphoric acid were needed to dressed as a bellboy. All of the kids had growth. Johnny continued in his lucrative make the perfect phosphate, what were the seen his likeness before World War II in career as a professional bellboy huckster proper proportions of ice cream, fountain countless magazine advertisements and for Philip Morris for many more years. syrup, and carbonated water to make a heard his high pitched cry “Call for Phillip Later it was said that when Johnny retired tasty ice-cream soda, and how much malt Morrissss” cigarettes on the radio. His call he preferred small yachts and big blondes. powder was required to convert a milk was as familiar to us as the Lone Ranger’s Just a few weeks after Johnny’s visit, shake into a malted milk drink. When I famous, “Hi-Ho Silver, Away!” The use of who should appear on the sidewalk in passed the soda-jerking test I was ready to a bellboy to promote Phillip Morris ciga­ front of the drugstore but an organ grinder don the white shirt and apron of the trade. rettes in print ads started during World and his pet monkey dressed in an abbrevi­ Little did I realize just how much fun War I. In 1933 Johnny was spotted by an ated bellboy uniform. Once again word it would be to work there that summer. advertising executive while working in a spread quickly throughout the neighbor­ Three events happened then that I will New York City hotel as a real bellboy and hood and a crowd of kids soon appeared. never forget. the rest is history. After all, it was a once in a lifetime oppor­ A couple of weeks after I started The appointed day arrived and so did tunity to see a real, live wild animal since the job, the manager announced that a Johnny with his'retinue— an advance man, Indianapolis would not have a zoo until dignitary would visit the next weekend. his handler, a representative of the Phillip the 1960s. Our only other chance to see a The celebrity was “Johnny,” who was Morris Tobacco Company, and a photog­ wild animal was in the Tarzan o f the Apes 54 | TRACES | Summer 2010.