Maybelline's era of teen marketing was born in 1955 when Elvis Presley caused the first musical riot on record

Excerpt from The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It. 

       Although Tom Lyle knew that much of the company's success was due to his own daring eye for advertising combined with Emery and Arnold’s exceptional talents, he also knew that without Rags, Maybelline would simply not have been able to stay constantly at the top of the fast-growing cosmetics market.

      For his efforts, Rags was paid solely on a commission of one and one-quarter percent of gross sales, which had risen from $359,000 at the time of his employment in 1933 to its 1955 level of over $7,000,000 a year. Knowing that this tremendous rise in sales was directly due to Rags relentless work and devotion to the company, Tom Lyle decided to not only raise Rags' commission to one and one-half percent, but give him three percent of Maybelline’s stock.  To seal the deal, Rags would also be made Executive Vice President in charge of Sales, positioning him as an equal with Tom Lyle and Tom Lyle, Jr. --in other words, as family.

       With Rags securely placed as a jewel in Maybelline’s crown, Tom Lyle could direct his next move on the cosmetics chessboard.  Although he continued to target both the sophisticated, intelligent woman in her 30s and the more mature woman in his world-wide advertisements, as 1955 continued a new brand of female was emerging. This girl differed from both the World War II pin-up girl and Rosie the Riveter.

       Thanks to movies like East of Eden staring James Dean, and Blackboard Jungle, featuring the song “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets, “The Rebel" had become the latest cultural icon. Maybelline sales soared as heavy make-up appeared in every teenage girl's purse. The era of teen marketing was born in Jacksonville, Florida, that year, when young girls jumped out of their seats to dance at an Elvis Presley concert--the first first musical riot on record.

Be sure to visit my teenage Blog called SAFFRONS RULE at http://saffronsrule.com/

                                 Rock Around the Clock

Maybelline's Romeo and Juliet.

So there was this boy, named Jim Hughes, and every time Shirley Hewes was with him she felt butterflies...... and just about everything about him, made her smile.

Jim loved Shirley for her sweetness, her smile and the way she believed in his dreams. You see Jim loved the theatre, it was in his blood, he couldn't help it - being born with Movie Star, good looks - the likes of James Dean and Gregory Peck.  All he wanted, was to be recognized for what was inside him, so when he won a scholarship to the Goodman Theatre School in Chicago, Shirley couldn't have been more proud.

Jim quickly rose to the ranks of some of his classmates, who included, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway.  Jim especially loved directing and eventually taught acting at a college, where one of his favorite students was Karen Black.  Now you can see the quality of acting, Jim, possessed.

 
Beautiful, sweet, Shirley, with the eyes of an angel, and the spirit of Juliet herself, met her Romeo, in 1945, when she was 18, and he was 20, fresh out of the Service, during WW11.  It just took one look and Shirley knew - someday they'd be married.

And so they were, in 1947. Jim didn't continue his acting career, instead  was welcomed into Shirley's family's business, De Luxe Mascara, (a branch of the Maybelline Company,)  but, he never gave up the same kind of heart and soul, he'd once put into his acting. 

 

 
Shirley's parents, Mabel and Chet Hewes, (if you've been following the Maybelline Blog, you know that Mabel is Tom Lyle Williams, sister and Maybelline's namesake) loved their son-in-law and appreciated everything he did to help make De Luxe a thriving business. 
 
Today would have been Jim's 87th Birthday, and I know that if he were alive today, he'd want his three girls to know, how proud he is of them, and that they were the greatest joy of his life.



Romeo and Juliet.

Happy Birthday Jim, a true Romeo - who loved his Juliet with all his heart.

Maybelline's, "Little Prince".

There once was a Little Prince, named Richard Lyle Williams, who came into this world unexpectedly, but who's presence brought untold joy to everyone he touched in his lifetime..... 

Painted by Maria Pace Wynter.

Quote from ‘The Little Prince’:  “A single event can awaken within us a stranger totally unknown to us. To live is to be slowly born."  by author of The Little Prince,  Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Little Dick Williams parents, Noel J. and Frances Williams were quite surprised when Frances announced she was expecting at 42 years of age.  They were happy of course when their angel arrived and gave him everything a little Prince might expect in his lifetime.



Dick with his cousins, June and Marilyn Haines.



He was so adorable, that all his little girl cousins fawned over him and soon he realized he'd been born with a gift for charming the ladies.  Dick's parents were painfully aware of how special their boy was, and though strict by nature, were incapable of saying no to anything his heart desired.  When Dick discovered his love for wheels, (like most of the boy's in the Williams family,) he received a real motorcycle for his 16th Birthday, and our - James Dean - with movie star good looks was born. 

At 17, Dick was known for his Peter Lawford, charisma, style and cocky wit and was used to getting what ever he wanted, when he wanted it..... But, our Little Prince met his match when he fell in love with the most popular girl in school.  Beautiful, talented, feisty Ann Flynn. 

So like all storybook Romances go, Our Prince and Princess, Dick and Ann Williams, were married in 1955 and lived happily ever after. But that's another story!!!!

So in Dick Williams case, he was surely born with it, and yes, it was Maybelline!!!!

Stay tuned all this week for more fairytale romances, from The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It...