Cymbal-banging monkey toy
 A battery-operated musical jolly chimp manufactured by Kuramochi Company | |
| Type | Mechanical toy |
|---|---|
| Company | Louis Marx & Co. |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1930s–present |
A cymbal-banging monkey toy (also known as Jolly Chimp) is a mechanical depiction of a chimpanzee holding a cymbal in each hand.[1] When activated it repeatedly bangs its cymbals together and, in some cases, bobs its head, chatters, screeches, grins, and more. There are both traditional wind-up versions and updated battery-operated cymbal-banging monkeys. The cymbal-banging monkey toy is an example of singerie and kitsch.
History
[edit]The earliest documented toy of a monkey banging cymbals is "Hoppo the Waltzing Monkey" by Louis Marx & Co. in 1932.[2][3][4] The trope of a monkey using cymbals to perform dates back to organ grinders using Capuchin monkeys as part of their performances.[5] Around 1954, a toy using the same concept named Musical Chimp was produced by the Japanese company Alps.[6][7] A variety of toys using the same concept were offered over the next decade by companies such as Russ and Yano Man Toys. In 1972, advertisements started appearing for a toy named "Jumbo Jolly Chimp" or "Musical Jolly Chimp".[8] Musical Jolly Chimp was originally released as "わんぱくスージー" ("Naughty Susie") in Japan[9] and manufactured by Kuramochi Company in partnership with Daishin in the United States and Bandai in Japan.[10][11] Musical Jolly Chimp was battery operated and would bug its eyes out and screech when hit on the head.[9][12] Its chest was often constructed from recycled tin from food packaging.[13] This specific design was featured in a variety of entertainment such as the introduction of Rebel Without a Cause (1955),[14] Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), and Toy Story 3 (2010). This design has switched companies over time as well as had changes to its appearance; its most recent iteration is Yamani's "Curious Cymbal-kun".[15]
On June 21 1990, the toy monkey from Rebel Without a Cause sold for $6,800 at the New York Christie's auction, despite being expected to sell for $1,500. The Los Angeles Times titled their report "Toy Monkey Makes Top Banana."[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ "History". The Classic "Cymbal Banging Monkey" Toy. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ↑ "Toyland is open in our basement". The Times Record. Brunswick, Maine. Senter's Inc. November 28, 1932. p. 8. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Watch the Monkey Play the Cymbals". The Evening Sun. 13 December 1932. p. 25.
- ↑ Schroeder's Collectible Toys Price Guide: Antique to Modern. Collector Books. 1995. ISBN 978-0-89145-621-6.
- ↑ Coronet Instructional Films (1955). "The Monkey and the Organ Grinder". YouTube.
- ↑ "The Toy Everyone One Is Asking For! Musical Chimp". Santa Barbara News-Press. 14 November 1954. pp. C6.
- ↑ Schroeder's Collectible Toys Price Guide: Antique to Modern. Collector Books. 2008. ISBN 978-1-57432-572-0.
- ↑ "Skaggs Drug Centers' Big Bargains!". Tucson Daily Citizen. 19 July 1972.
- 1 2 "わんぱくスージーの箱の箱". smile3retro. 2 November 2012.
- ↑ Dockerill, Kevin (22 May 2020). "Guide to Japanese Tin Toy Trade Marks. Blog Extract". Dockerills.
- ↑ "当時物 バンダイ かわいい動物シリーズ わんぱくスージー 検；玩具 人形 ぬいぐるみ 昭和レトロ ビンテージ". Aucfan. 9 May 2022.
- ↑ "わんぱくスージー / Musical Jolly Chimp をスカベンジ". ちむたんブログ. 28 December 2016.
- ↑ よっちん (4 October 2012). "わんぱくスージー(o^^o)". よっちんの日記.
- 1 2 Archives, L. A. Times (1990-06-21). "SHORT TAKES : Toy Monkey Makes Top Banana". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-05-20.
- ↑ "Curious Cymbal-kun". Yamani.
External links
[edit]
| By type | |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Organizations | |
| Related topics | |
