The Making of a McDonalds Commercial 1973

Watch the full version of Adland at TVTVNow: www.tvtvnow.com/
Behind the scenes with Ronald McDonald (played by King Moody), the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese. Also interviews with director Howie Morris and ad man Keith Reinhard.
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[@MacTonight]

LOL. "It requires more precision. You really got to know what you're doing." "Everyone, Places please!" "What are we doing?"

[@livywithane]

Every person ever

[@summer20105707]

I never realized how much effort went into a McDonalds commercial.. Thanks for showing me this. I appreciate seeing the Directors point of view. It looks like its a tough job. The made the commercials look like a real life candyland. McDonalds just doesnt produce the same kind of ads they used to. Very creative.

[@led.zepper]

McD's copied H. R. Pufnstuf, and got in trouble for that.

[@riciabrown7800]

I remember these commercials, I was 5 or 6. I loved them! I had reoccurring dreams at night of McDonald land being across the street.

[@jonnytorch-er5ig]

King Moody will always be Ronald to me.

[@CrystalBallASMR]

mine too

[@LindaMerchant-pm8vn]

Or the original first Ronald McDonald

[@jonnytorch-er5ig]

@@LindaMerchant-pm8vnI think that was Willard Scott.

[@bcrkris]

Mayor McCheese was voiced by Howard Morris ( Professor Littleoleman, High Anxiety) doing an Ed Wynn imitation. It appears that the director Howie Morris is the same Howard Morris who also did countless cartoon voice overs, especially with Hanna Barbera.

[@jccw227]

And he was Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show

[@chumshot1]

OMG Ernest T is actually from NY :O Howard Morris can do awesome accents

[@filmcarteldotorg]

I love how the interviewer is smoking up a storm during the interview. Awesome.

[@radioman66]

The late Howard Morris was Ernest T Bass on Andy Griffith Show. Also did many voice overs for cartoon characters in the late 60's and early to mid 70's. He was Mayor McCheese and using the same voice as the mummy on Groovie Ghoulies, was Jughead on Archies, Drack on Groovie Ghoulies, using that same voice on Tennessee Tuxiedo. Ronald is the late King Moody who played him until 1975 then I believe came back to play him until 1984.

[@tdivad]

WOW, he's been a favorite character actor of mine for years, who know Howard Morris directed commercials as well. God bless KZbin

[@pernelldh]

He was known for his role of Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Return to Mayberry." Also he directed "With Six You Get Eggroll" (1968) starring Doris Day and Brian Keith.

[@jedhawkins1769]

I haven't seen this in almost nine years. It was one of the first KZbin videos I watched when I was 10 years old.

[@blica1]

that set would be any kid's dream ! it would've been mine too ! lol ! and now i'm off to have BIG mac myself !..yum !

[@aliassmithandjones9453]

50 years later I still love that Christmas jingle

[@MikeBurchett]

I LOVE the fact that they were able to say, "Merry Christmas" without being persecuted. Wish it were still that way today. McDonald's has a special place in my memory. I think McDonald's will forever be an American icon.

[@darkhelmut76]

this is classic,thanks for posting

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Howard Morris,the director of these wonderful commercials,was Ernest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith show, as well as the voice of “ Jet Screamer” on “The Jetsons”. It sounds like Walker Edmiston is doing the voice of Mayor McCheese. The McDonaldland characters were inspired by Sid and Marty Krofts “H.R. Pufnstuf”. I also see Billy Curtis out of costume. I remember these commercials from the 70’s and how McDonalds used to have a playland with

[@Rtkat3]

I never seen a 70's commercial on this website that featured the Fry Goblins. Also in the 80's, Captain Crook was called "The Captain."

[@southernfratdude]

this mcdonald land is where the playgrounds design came into play...and now those playgrounds are GONE! (so many children hurt on many different rides) LOL

[@bcrkris]

I meant Ernest T Bass, sorry

[@Nash1a]

@MediaBurnArchive Thanks! I'll check it out. Watching some of these old McDonalds commercials takes me back to my childhood as much as watching the old holiday Peanuts cartoons.

[@catholicpriest1]

Look at that comb over on Howard Morris, may he rest in peace.

[@CrystalBallASMR]

OMG i had no idea Howie Morris directed these!! AND he was the Mayor McCheese voice doing an impersonation of Ed Wynn!!

[@Destructopancake]

The old Hamburglar was terrifying, and The old Ronald Mcdonald seemed like a really awesome guy.

[@Bestmanme08]

I know for a fact that a Greek-American guy played Ronald in most of the 70's national televised ads! Not King Moody (who played Shtarker on Get Smart)!

[@anthonysbarra1924]

0:01 I'm guessing this was inspired by "May The Force Be With You" before "Star Wars" came out.

[@larutan619]

You remember looking forward to 50 cent gift certificates? You are officially the oldest person to ever surf the interwebs.

[@TheBronyCraft]

Very interesting and Surreal. Really makes me think how commercials are made these days.

[@winogirlll]

The Hamburglar looks like Roman Polanski and is about the same height.

[@SirMikeyD]

OMG ... fascinating on so many levels ... first, that this behind-the-scenes footage was ever shot at all, much less that it still exists ... for valuable insights into corporate myth-making ... as well as confirmation of long-buried, hazy memories (was that Charles Nelson Reilly voicing-over Mayor McCheez?) ... and even just to contrast early '70's work attitudes with today's. Awesome! Thanks MediaBurn for posting!

[@Suddenlyits1960]

Walker Edmiston was providing the voice of Mayor McCheese. It was loosely based on Ed Wynn.

[@arqivist2077]

@@Suddenlyits1960 Close, but not right. It's actually Howard Morris doing the voice. He was also a director on some of the McDonaldland commercials. Beyond this, Morris is best remembered as the voice of the gopher in Walt Disney's Academy award winning Winnie-the-Pooh cartoons. Walker Edmiston, a voice actor frequently used in the Sid and Marty Krofft puppet shows that McDonalds plagiarized, provided similar Ed Wynn style impressions to characters like Dr. Blinky on H.R. Pufnstuf, and Magico the Magician on The Bugaloos.

[@Zooba57]

The Andy Griffith Show character he played was Ernest T. Bass, not Jones, but I can see where you mixed it up with Jughead Jones. ;)

[@AnimationReCreation]

I wonder where they went for lunch during filming...

[@SpectrumChris]

You just don't see these other McDonald's characters around anymore (at least I haven't at any Mickey D's here in Massachusetts). In fact, you barely see Ronald himself these days. The playgrounds are prety much gone, too. I think it's because we, as a nation, are starting to grow up (we're leaving many of our old childhood things behind; that is what people do when they're growing into adulthood). I also noticed more salads and other healthy choices at McD's, along with Starbucks-type coffees.

[@dusterdude238]

hey Ernest T bass! I wondered why all the McDonald windows were broken LOL!

[@ivabender3564]

Howard Morris Was for sure one of the Greats! He also was the voice of cartoons Archie's Jug Head as well as Hanna Barbera's Squiddly Diddly! Don't ever let his Goofy Acts Like Lucille Ball as well Fool You! They Were Natural Born and Gifted Directing Talents! McDonaldLand was a Great time and Era! Sad such DeCensortising in Kids Had to take away alot and slowly phase it all out over time! With the exception of Mid Fifty Year Olds Like Us OldSchoolers Still Have an appreciation for that Lost Culture! King Moody For Sure was the best Ronald McDonald of All Time! Thanks! For Sharing this and God Bless!

[@williameich2751]

I feel like I was watching the beginning of an urban legend lost tape, and some shit was about to go down.

[@flybydeath]

Well said Mayor McCheese!

[@animatronicentertainmentfa8227]

I really wish someone recreated the set for a museum or something.

[@ScootsNBhistorybehindthegaming]

holy shit its the running of the mcdonalds at the begging XD

[@SBarsinister]

I live in Chula Vista, Ca and I remember the MacDonalds on the corner of Third and Napples had a MacDonald Land theme to it. It had a couple of slides, a merry go round, a Grimmace cage that you go in and rock back and forth. There was also a train but didn't move. They tore the play ground down to make a bigger parking lot. I have a few photos from my birthday. I can't find any photos of this MacDonalds any where on the web.

[@steve7onfire]

nice to see this in color

[@BigSplenda1885]

The most shockingly out of date part of this ad compared to today is they said Merry Christmas!

[@Calkan58]

That is Felix Sella that's playing the hamburgler. He played cousin Itt on the Addams Family TV show.

[@Marchant2]

I always wanted to visit McDonaldland when I was a kid. I was hoping they'd have a plastic surgeon who could give me sesame seed buns.

[@FishRock77]

This is the genius video of KZbin. Minds dissected and orchestrated perfectly. Kids smelling McDonald's mentally! WTF!

[@JesseScott2016]

Anyone able to restore this in color?

[@Mike-0201]

Isn't this the start of King Moody as Ronald? He has that flat hair his first year or so when he took over the role, I think.

[@victortinajero5543]

Actually, this is later than 1973. if it had been '73 it would have been Bob Brandon as Ronald, not King Moody. King took over the Ronald McDonald role from Bob in 1975. Bob played Ronald from 1970-75, King played Ronald 1975-85...

[@francisbeausoleil4620]

There's a cleaner version on YT and the copyrights at the end of the commercial clearly says 1973. I think the wiki (and some other sources) have the years of Bob and King messed up. Rich Seidelman could probably clear things up (Perhaps Beatles-Hairdo Ronald marks the start of King Moody as Ronald?) This particular video is part of the documentary AdLand which shows the behind-the-scenes for many commercials. The documentary credits King Moody and the copyrights is from 1974.

[@frc1968]

Too many hatemongers making comments on here. Save your poison for politics and leave McDonald's alone. No one is forced to go into McDonald's. If you don't like McDonald's don't got there or watch and comment on the KZbin videos. Some of us actually have fond memories growing up with McDonald's commercials and having our parents take us in for a meal which we considered a treat. Back then 50 cent gift certificates actually did buy something and we looked forward to getting them.

[@crowdedenz87]

50 cent gift vouchers? What will that get you today? Maybe an ice cream cone?

[@GuitarSamurai62]

Where can I get these commercials?

[@bcrkris]

Check our Howard Morris as Ernest T Jones from the Andy Griffith show and you will immediately recognize that voice. He was also Jughead Jones in the Archie cartoons.

[@JackieAprileJr]

this is back when they made good LSD.

[@VideyoJunkei]

THis was shot on video in 1973? that would explain the black and white! nice to see this...thank you

[@bloggaloggs]

I heard somewhere that Grimace (character not shown in this clip) was supposed to be an anthropomorphic taste bud. Can anyone confirm this?

[@Musiclover19]

The cop's name was Big Mac. Also in McDonaldLand there was Grimace, Captain Crook, and later on Bridie the early bird

[@alanrobledo1573]

If anyone can answer this question I have: where was this filmed?

[@jody808]

i'm surprised i never had McNightmares from these commercials, lol

[@jenniferbice8998]

I never did. All they did was make me want to beg my mother to have lunch or dinner at McDonald's (my mother liked Burger King more than McDonald's).

[@MikeJehmszClassic]

It seems that this video has the old comments system..

[@acholl980]

He was the funniest character in High Anxiety.

[@mechanicalmusic]

Nice comb-over!

[@Rompcom]

proving once and for all the producers were NOT high when they came up with McDonald land.

[@livywithane]

Imagine someone still having that 50 cents gift certificate...🤑

[@THECLARENCES]

Totally tubular to the max! xoxo The Clarences

[@AmericanPride1234]

Funny I began noticing back in high school that no one actually eats the food in the commercials. Especially Ronald. Turns out one of these clips that’s addressed. Because all the makeup he wears. 6-10-20

[@thatDonOguy]

Dose anybody have a copy of a 1980 McDonald's spot with Slim Pickins? He mentions a special deal with movie soundtracks from MCA Records...

[@MatthewBLamont]

I didn't know that Howard Morris not only did some voice work, but directed those commercials.

[@drcorey]

and they got sued for ripping off the Kroft brothers ideas.

[@funkmike]

That's true--Sid and Marty Croft originally developed the McDonaldland characters, but then McDonald's broke their contract with them, but kept their ideas.

[@MaestroDrake]

What is the terminology for that? Alan Moore would start a fist fight today.

[@jzerony]

I always liked that Ronald McDonald (Howard Morris) - he's kind of a laid back 70's lay about, isn't he? heh heh

[@oldbob1951]

Howard Morris had such a long career and did many different things; but in his later years he was puzzled that he was remembered mostly for his Ernest T. Bass character.

[@RSNJex]

the food back then was probably WAYY better back then

[@cowboysfan782008]

I remember this time for McDonalds, and it was a rip from H.R. PuffnStuff. My kids are 2 and 4, and my wife has trained my older one to think that McDonalds is gross. The combination of a lack of excercise and the processed food, are the reason kids are fat. I recently read that KFC chicken in 1970 was about 1/3rd as fattening as today. (Free range chickens). It is amazing how when you don't eat fast food, and then you do, how that crap sits like a lump in your gut! Esp McD's!

[@77799steve]

Isn't that producer Ernest T Bass from The Andy Griffith Show?

[@PrimeStone]

Wow

[@Rtkat3]

You got that from a skit featured in an episode of "Robot Chicken."

[@Rtkat3]

He was redesigned over the times of his appearance.

[@ACcountryFan]

I like the food that McDonald's serves. If I find myself there I typically either get this Grilled Onion cheddar hamburger or any number of other items off the dollar menu. If I'm really hungry and I'm on my way to or from work, I'll get the McNuggets. I hadn't seen a McDonald's commercial in years that featured hardly any of those characters (Grimace, Hamburgler, the Fry Guys, or Ronald himself). Maybe those characters still appear in commercials in other parts of the country, I have no idea.

[@mariaguadalupeguzmangalind5534]

was the director ronald mcdonald?

[@RCA76]

5:08 I guess Ronald is not as honest as he appears to be!

[@Nash1a]

I have a trivia question: This sounds to me like the actor I remember playing Ronald, Rob "King" Moody. Only problem is this video title says 1973 and Wiki says he was only Ronald from 1975 to 1984. So what's wrong? The Wiki note, the title of the video, or is this in fact a different actor playing Ronald? Also, does anyone know if the voice of Mayor McCheese heard in the final version is actually one of Harold Morris's voice charactors? I know he did a lot of voice work over his career.

[@Mike-0201]

This is King Moody. The date might be wrong. This may have been one of his first commercials after he took over from Bob Brandon. The flat top hair was short lived on King Moody.

[@Suddenlyits1960]

King Moody played Ronald from 1969-1985

[@Nash1a]

@@Suddenlyits1960 Now that lines up with what I thought but I didn't have any specific years in mind.

[@nzoomed]

its amazing how long this goes back with the whole "mcdonald land" concept. They got the creators from "Puf 'n Stuff" to design the characters for the commercials. Their ads went well in to the 90's, but then they slowly dropped some off.

[@TbirdsOf1965]

Howard Morris was (obviously along with lots of other stuff) also JET SCREAMER of the Jetsons known for the Eep Opp Ork Ahh Ahh & Solar Swivel songs

[@RedDogLunch]

This is the best Ronald McDonald, Who wasa the actor who played him?

[@SpectrumChris]

@BrooklynChivalry Actually, I agree with you right there. I despise the new tyranny that forces children to grow up too fast. In fact, I take back that part about our nation "growing up" and I'll try to re-phrase it. We, as a nation, scowl at childhood because we turned into a business-culture. We think we're becoming grown-up and sophisticated when we're really becoming uptight, anal-retentive and striving. Sorry about my badly constructed points; I gotta work on them some more!

[@only257]

Cool 😎

[@myeahok]

I have to say I love McDonalds. I too can smell it. But how come everytime I eat it, my bowel movement smells a little off. Im worried about my health when I eat it. Has anyone experienced this? I hope its normal...I dont want to give up my favorite food.

[@nozcr]

Maybe you can answer this: Were Sid and Marty Krofft involved in this? I always thought the googly eyeballs were more like Sid and Marty Krofft rather than the Jim Henson cut plastic spoon eyeballs.

[@OofusTwillip]

McDonalds initially discussed the idea with Sid & Marty Krofft, based on a concept like the Kroffts' "HR Pufinstuf". Then, the Kroffts heard nothing more until the first commercial aired, and they saw it was a blatant ripoff of their work. The Kroffts then sued McDonalds for creative theft.

[@ArmpitStudios]

That doesn't sound at all like Charles Nelson Reilly. Sounds more like Howard Morris himself. He used that same kind of voice in a few places, like Flintstones cartoons.

[@panowa8319]

Howard Morris provided the voice of Mayor McCheese.

[@alanrobledo1573]

@PAT Warner He even voiced the hamburgler in the 1980s according to Wikipedia.

[@Sailorhats]

i know!

[@Moparbarbie337]

I have the mayor McCheese doll for sale

[@Dunes]

Wow,this looks to be like the same video format the residents used for their Vileness Fats movie. Using what they had in the 70's eh?

[@tomkaytv83]

Moshi Moshi Donaldo Des~

[@KernelCrumble]

3:12😂

[@fordtruckman80]

you seen the mcdonald's in Daytona Beach off of Speedway Blvd?I thought that one was awesome..

[@Tidefan324]

50-cent gift certificates. Boy that brings back some memories! Lol! 50 cents would buy a lot more back thenthan now. =)

[@Feshman117]

why dont they show these characters anymore

[@dusterdude238]

I think the voice of the Mayer was Ed Win

[@UpcomingJedi]

@Arkady63 Must have sneaked some weed butter onto the toasted buns. Good stuff.

[@PatrioticPirate]

HEY!!! IS THAT ERNEST T. BASS!!???

[@rjdigs]

They should give credit to Sid and Marty Kroft.

[@mikesilva3868]

Awesome sid and marty krofft filed a lawsuit on McDonald's about these commercials 😎

[@acuralegend1988]

This is when ronald went thru his ziggy stardust phase