Milt Moss, Actor in Classic Alka-Seltzer Ad, Is Dead at 93

NY Times ^ | 1 December 2016 | DANIEL E. SLOTNIK

[oh8eleven]

Milt Moss, a comic actor who delivered the rueful catchphrase “I can’t believe I ate that whole thing” in a memorable commercial for Alka-Seltzer in 1972, died on Sept. 26 in Manhattan. He was 93.

[Company Man]

Such as recent beer commercials

A campaign which had to be terminated early because it was causing sales to drop.

[Bratch]

Direct link to commercial for those who want to avoid giving the NYT hits.

AlkaSeltzer "I Can't Believe I Ate The Whole Thing" TV Spot

[Doogle]

..
spicey meatballs outtakes... LOL
https://youtu.be/NQhwNtY3N2k

[oh8eleven]

I've heard it as "What's the price - thirty twice".
You must be younger than me :)

[Fiddlstix]

The actual "inventor" of Alka Seltzer was Dr. Miles.

In 1932 Alka-Seltzer was just one of many patent medicines sold by Dr. Miles.

In 1932 Alka-Seltzer took its place alongside Dr. Miles’ many other patent medicines: Nervine, Nervine Tablets, Anti-Pain pills, a tonic, an “Alterative Compound,” a Cactus Compound, Little Pills, Laxative Tablets, and Aspir-Mint.

Today Alka-Seltzer as well as the former Dr. Miles company are owned by Bayer Schering Pharma, perhaps best known for its aspirin (Bayer also gave us Heroin, which it originally marketed as a cough medicine).

[oh8eleven]

Thx - the commercial is so good it still makes me laugh out loud.

[Doogle]

Yep

[Fightin Whitey]

Hard to believe it was 45-50 years ago.

I was a kid, and thought he was at least 90 years old then!

[laplata]

There are too many Pajama Boy/Metrosexual types in commercials now. Sad.

[cyclotic]

Heroin probably worked well too. Robitussin with Codeine is about the best cough medicine around.

It will also cause you to fail a pre-employment drug screening. Not that I would know anything about that.

I guess it helped when I told them in advance I’d fail and had the prescription with me.

[oh8eleven]

Robitussin with Codeine is about the best cough medicine around.
Back in the early-mid 60s it was available w/o a prescription.

[wally_bert]

The 70s and 80s beer commercials were some of the best ones.

[cyclotic]

So I’ve heard.

I’ve got a doctors appointment in an hour. I normally get sick around Christmas, I should ask for a pre-emptive prescription.

[Fiddlstix]

Bayer also made Aspirin

In 1897, scientists at the drug and dye firm Bayer began investigating acetylsalicylic acid as a less-irritating replacement for standard common salicylate medicines, and identified a new way to synthesize it.

By 1899, Bayer had dubbed this drug Aspirin and was selling it around the world. The word Aspirin was Bayer's brand name, rather than the generic name of the drug; however, Bayer's rights to the trademark were lost or sold in many countries.

Aspirin's popularity grew over the first half of the twentieth century leading to fierce competition with the proliferation of aspirin brands and products.

[cyclotic]

I’ve heard people say that if aspirin were invented today,it would never receive FDA approval.

Although I don’t think I’ve taken an aspirin for 40 years, I’ve heard it’s a true wonder drug.

[Fiddlstix]

I take a low dose aspirin everyday. Doctors orders cuz I'm an old guy. I use Bayer, of course.

[cyclotic]

The Aspirin name is a classic example of a Generic Trademark. I had a long discussion with the corporate counsel at the company I work for regarding generic trademarks. This was in reference to a product in our field of manufacture.

Generic Trademark is generally what occurs when any version or manufacturer of a product has it referred to in the marketplace as that of one manufacturers product who holds a trademark to the name. Aspirin, Kleenex etc.

Companies work very hard to prevent their products from becoming Generic Trademarks. When you order a Coke and the waitress asks if you want Pepsi is a prime example.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The Markettes also did Out Of Limits, another great instrumental record.

[Fiddlstix]

Yep. That's the way it works. Aspirin was originally a patented trademark of the Bayer company.

As you point out it is that way with many other products.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Hilarious commercial!

And Gene Wilder, who died earlier this year, was the narrator of the Alka-Seltzer commercial about "the blahs."