Dec 02, 2013 Black Jack chewing gum in Homeland (2013, Showtime, screen capture) Black Jack is a brand of American chewing gum with a rich history. It’s an aniseed-flavored chewing gum made by Cadbury Adams. Black Jack was made by Thomas Adams back in 19 th century when Adams experimented with rubber and created chewing gum. In 1884 he began adding. This nostalgic gum was made famous in the Christian Slater movie 'Pump Up the Volume', where he references a Cherry Coke and Black Jack Chewing Gum. It has a black licorice flavor, which is definitely an acquired taste and the texture can be a bit different at first because you have to chew it for a bit before it becomes solid.
Beemans gum (originally Beeman's Gum, see image at right) is a chewing gum invented by Ohio physician Dr. Edward E. Beeman in the late 19th century.
History[edit]
Edwin Eugene Beeman originally marketed the gum, which is made of pepsin powder and chicle, as an aid to digestion. It became a part of the American Chicle Company in 1898, and continued on after the purchase of American Chicle by Warner-Lambert in 1962. Production ceased in 1978 due to lagging sales. In 1985, as part of a nostalgia campaign, it was brought back to the market along with Clove and Black Jack chewing gums.
The original wrapper had a pig logo, but was later replaced with a logo featuring the Beeman's name in scroll and a picture of Dr. Beeman. The current wrapper design has a white and red background with white and black lettering. Beemans is sporadically produced by Cadbury Adams as a nostalgia gum, along with the other historic gums Clove and Black Jack. Since then, because of regular demand, all three brands have been introduced with huge popularity. In 2015 the company announced it would no longer produce any of these popular gums. The gum is sold sporadically in the USA by the Gerrit J. Verdburg Co.[1][2]
The gum is prominently featured in major movies The Right Stuff, Hot Shots!, The Rocketeer (in which the gum serves a key plot element), and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, used in the latter for character Mutt Williams (Shia Labeouf) in Indy home scene. Most recently the gum features on the inventor's workbench of young Frank Walker in Disney's Tomorrowland, as Frank is working on his homemade rocket jet-pack.
While it has been considered the 'lucky' gum of pilots, Beemans in fact became popular with aviators due to the antacid qualities of pepsin, useful due to the agitation of stomach acid in flight. This, combined with the ear-pressure equalizing characteristics of chewing any type of gum, made Beemans a common sight in cockpits. The sporadic availability has led some aviators to buy it by the carton whenever possible.[citation needed]
Beemans Chewing Gum no longer contains any pepsin.[citation needed]
Advertisements[edit]
Beeman's Pepsin Gum - Advertisement - 1897 |
References[edit]
- ^Conte, Erin Del (2019-01-22). 'Retro Gum Brands'. Convenience Store Decisions. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- ^'Vintage Gum Nutrtition Facts'. gerritjverburg.com. Retrieved 2019-02-04.
- 'Cadbury Adams USA'. Archived from the original on 2006-06-10. Retrieved 2016-03-22.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
- 'Beemans Chewing Gum'. Archived from the original on 2015-09-25. Retrieved 2010-04-19.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
Black Jack, Beemans and Clove Gum Set to Return This Fall
The lifespan of a candy is never known. What seems like a classic could be gone in an instant, leaving candy lovers wondering how to satisfy their sweet tooth cravings, and feeling that the candy world will never be the same again.
However, for some candies, there is a miraculous comeback story, a happy redemption that reminds us all just how unexpected and beautiful the industry can be. Today, we are glad to report that, long-time favorites Black Jack, Beemans and Clove Chewing Gum will be back on the market this fall.
Gerrit J. Verburg Co. signed the final contracts to take ownership of the three retro chewing gums this summer, a huge step forward in reviving a long-loved trio of gums that have been part of American candy fabric since the late 1800’s.
Three Gums, Three Stories
Black Jack was the first flavored gum in the United States, and the first to be sold in sticks. The gum’s creator, Thomas Adams, purchased chicle in the hopes of turning it into rubber. When that plan failed, he pursued gum instead, and in 1871 Black Jack was born.
Beeman’s was originally marketed as an aid to digestion, due to the fact that the original formula contained pepsin and chicle. It became part of the American Chicle Company in 1898. Known as the lucky gum of pilots, the gum grew in popularity due to its ability to settle stomach acid in flight.
Adams Gum Flavors
The youngest of the three gums, Clove was invented by the Thomas Adams company in 1914. Rumor has it that the strong-smelling gum may have been prized during prohibition for its ability to hide the smell of alcohol.
We Make Candy History Personal
Black Jack Chewing Gum In The 1950s
Each of these gums has a long and storied past, but perhaps the most interesting candy history is the one you bring to the table. Did you enjoy Black Jack, Beemans and Clove in your youth? What do you remember most about the gums? Share your memories of these iconic candies with us, and be sure to sign up so you’ll be notified when all three are re-launched this fall.