History of Candid Camera

Officially started out and began airing on radio as "Candid Microphone" June 28, 1947 by creator and producer Allen Funt. It was followed by a series of theatrical film shorts before it's concept came to television as a hidden camera television series on August 10, 1948.

On each succeeding decade the format has appeared on network, syndicated or cable television as either a regular show or a series of specials. Funt himself hosted or co-hosted almost all of the TV versions until a 1993 stroke from which he never recovered. Peter Funt, Allen Funt's son , who had co-hosted the specials with his father since 1987, is now the head producer/host of the format.

The premise of the funny pranks and practical jokes humor show is based on putting real people in fabricated or unusual situations by filming through a concealed hidden camera. Sometimes ranging from office humor and pranks to april fools pranks such as using trick props, a desk with drawers that pop open when one is closed or a car with a hidden extra gas tank. Victims would be told the show's catch phrase, "Smile, you're on Candid Camera." after the joke is revealed.

The show was precursor and pioneer to the more recent wave of prank shows such as Punk'd, Girls Behaving Badly, Just For Laughs Gags, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Boiling Points, Trigger Happy TV, and Howie Do It.

See related products:

History of S. S. Adams Company

S. S. Adams Company is the largest manufacturer and purveyor of exploding cigars in the United States during the middle of the last century. Made more exploding cigars and other gag novelty items as of 1946 than its next eleven competitors combined according to The Saturday Evening Post.

Soren Sorensen Adams is the founder of the million dollar company and evidently where he got the nickname "king of the professional pranksters". He invented and patented many common gag novelties such as sneezing powder, itching powder, the dribble glass and the joy buzzer.

According to Adams the chemical explosive variety had fallen out of favor to non-chemical device since the 1915 aftermath on which a death caused by a homemade exploding cigar rigged with dynamite. Over the history prank exploding cigars have caused many injuries.

In 1906, a cigar shop was sued by Edward Weinschreider for an exploding cigar which badly burned his hand and three of his fingers were amputated.

The intended purpose of exploding cigars is not to cause physical harm as to the butt of the joke but as a form of hostile practical joke. But eventually it did caused a decline in their manufacture and sale due to the high risk of unintended injuries from their use.

Although there have been claims that exploding cigars were used as a means to kill or attempt to kill targets in real life it is still well represented as a fictional plot device.

See related products: