Must have been right around World War II. Ceiling prices were common during and right after World War II because, with so many goods in short supply, there was a fear that merchants would take unfair advantage of the short supply and charge outrageously high prices for their products – in this case, a bowl of soup. One of my favorite episodes of Leave it to Beaver is a story about Wally deciding to take one of his girlfriends to a fancy restaurant. After he had invited her, however, he began to worry that he would not have enough money to pay for dinner, so he called the restaurant and asked the price of a bowl of soup. Wally was stunned when he learned that the price of a bowl of soup was sixty cents! After all of his fretting over the cost of his date, when Wally left the house, he accidentally left his wallet behind. While at the restaurant, Wally realized that he did not have his wallet, and was envisioning having to ask his date to help him wash dishes in order to “work off” the cost of the dinner. However, Ward discovered that Wally had left his wallet behind and called the restaurant and made arrangements for Wally to be able to charge the dinner to Ward’s account. Wally was amazed when the waiter brought the check, addressed Wally as “Mr. Cleaver” and asked if he would like to sign to put the dinner on “Mr. Cleaver’s” account! That episode ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 1962 – so even as late as 1962 – paying as much as sixty cents for a bowl of soup was considered outrageous!
Llewellenbruce over 12 years ago
You know this is an old strip when the price of abowl of soup was only twenty cents.
Buzza Wuzza over 12 years ago
Can you imagine the restaurant that hires Mutt to cook and Jeff to wait tables? I would eat every meal there.
EstrelitaH over 12 years ago
Must have been right around World War II. Ceiling prices were common during and right after World War II because, with so many goods in short supply, there was a fear that merchants would take unfair advantage of the short supply and charge outrageously high prices for their products – in this case, a bowl of soup. One of my favorite episodes of Leave it to Beaver is a story about Wally deciding to take one of his girlfriends to a fancy restaurant. After he had invited her, however, he began to worry that he would not have enough money to pay for dinner, so he called the restaurant and asked the price of a bowl of soup. Wally was stunned when he learned that the price of a bowl of soup was sixty cents! After all of his fretting over the cost of his date, when Wally left the house, he accidentally left his wallet behind. While at the restaurant, Wally realized that he did not have his wallet, and was envisioning having to ask his date to help him wash dishes in order to “work off” the cost of the dinner. However, Ward discovered that Wally had left his wallet behind and called the restaurant and made arrangements for Wally to be able to charge the dinner to Ward’s account. Wally was amazed when the waiter brought the check, addressed Wally as “Mr. Cleaver” and asked if he would like to sign to put the dinner on “Mr. Cleaver’s” account! That episode ran somewhere in the neighborhood of 1962 – so even as late as 1962 – paying as much as sixty cents for a bowl of soup was considered outrageous!
derry1 over 12 years ago
I love the ambiguity:“It’s the ceiling… coming down”! Lie or truth???
quartermain over 12 years ago
Well, you can go to M&J’s cafe and get plastered for only 15 cents—good deal, I’d say.
Sherlock Watson over 12 years ago
Jeff, just tell him that the “plaster” is really a form of tofu; he’ll never be able to prove it isn’t.
alleyoops Premium Member over 12 years ago
We need a ceiling on prices today!
derry1 over 12 years ago
Love this anecdote! The waitress regards the brillo pad as almost part of her and her survival, so it’s good!
quartermain over 12 years ago
how right you are!!
tuslog64 over 12 years ago
Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!Shhhh everyone will want one!