Scooby and christmas lights
by greg-in-washington

Scooby and Twelfth Night / Fort Apache

This post features Scooby and also my Marx Rin Tin Tin Fort Apache playset. Don’t ask me why. Twelfth Night (Epiphany) and some of you thought Christmas was over! The three kings arrived to deliver their gifts to the Christ child. I keep the holiday going as long as I can. The twelfth day of Christmas according to the song is 12 drummers drumming. No wonder I woke up at 5 AM.

It has been two weeks since I last posted here. Some of you are probably tired of looking at my Christmas post–but people are still looking at it! I did visit a few blogs during my vacation. I guess I am not an internet addict after all! I enjoyed doing other things. It is a daunting thought that I must post here all year long. I thought the same thing last year, but I did not run out of steam. I may get off to a slow start. Let’s begin.

Scooby and christmas lights

Scooby reflecting upon Twelfth Night

Scooby catio

Scooby in the frosty catio

Scooby

Scooby enjoys the recliner’s “rumble or cat seat”

Fort Apache

Scooby Fort Apache

Scooby presents Fort Apache

Scooby presents “Fort Apache”. It was a John Wayne film made in 1948. In 1955 a popular TV dog named Rin Tin Tin lived in Fort Apache. When I was young back in 1957 I received a Marx Rin Tin Tin Fort Apache playset, which I had desired for a long time.

Western television shows and movies were the rage. Playing cowboys and Indians with toy cap pistols and figures like those shown below was very popular with young boys. The underlying violence was never realized or condemned by parents. Ritual violence is supposed to reduce aggression. I did not create the violent characters shown, but I am responsible for creating the bloody battle shown here. Political correctness is out the window! Additional figures were added over time. I know how film director John Ford felt, and it was good! Maybe I could do a stop action movie like Gumby?

It was like staging a movie, and frankly, still a lot of fun, bringing back fond memories. It was one of my favorite toys, and that is why I hung onto it. In my set, you may see the white figures of Rin Tin Tin, Rusty, and Lt. Rip Masters from the Fort Apache TV show standing right of the front gate. Scooby was very good in that he did not enter the fray, or do any Catzilla damage! Can you spot the rare Blue Buffalo? He makes pet food now.

Fort Apache

Overview Marx Rin Tin Tin Fort Apache play set (1957)

Fprt Apache

Fort Apache

Fort Apache

Fort Apache battle

Fort Apache

That’s it for our first post of 2016–Scooby and Fort Apache.

27 Comments

  1. It looks like you took great care of your Marx set. I know my husband would be jealous of that! And also looks like Scooby is doing well.

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    1. It spent decades in my parents’ home in a closet in my old room. There were other things as well stored there. It was a literal treasure trove. Scooby is doing well as of today.

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  2. As a child, my friend and neighbour had a Fort and I always had to bring my Barbies, they were the giants :-)) I loved to play with, also to watch Western, specially Bonanza^^

    Yes, the three kings…today we are back to “normal” and I will decorate the casa. Back into the boxes, and I know, time goes by and we are having christmas again.

    Greetings

    N☼va

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  4. Happy 2016! We celebrate as long as we can too. We never take the tree or any decorations down until after today, but I think it will be up until the weekend at least. I love your old toy set, that is great that you held on to it. I see the blue buffalo off to the right of the teepees- he has done well for himself with the pet food 🙂

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  6. Hi Greg! Oh how I love it! Scooby is precious in the catio and the fort, what can I say? I used to love playing with them at my older cousins’ homes! And tracks and cars and Star Wars (which are back!)… So awesomely lucky that yours werent given away or tossed. Brought back good memories. I must add, Scooby was so good! I did chuckle about the Catzilla bit haha!

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    1. Brings back good memories and is cheaper than a shrink. Great escape-ism. Scooby has his good points and bad behaviour-wise. Getting on top of the gas range is the big no no and fear that he might get burned feet. Thanks for your visit.

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  7. I remember Rin Tin Tin and Lassie, Superman before he had muscles, Hop Along Cassidy and the lone ranger. I had a BB gun and a toy 6-shooter and used to watch westerns with my dad.

    That had to be an expensive play set and you’ve cared for it well. Sad to say that some of my soldiers and cowboys became chew toys for the dog.

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    1. I failed looking up the original price for this. Expensive in 1957 I do not know. It was my “big” Christmas wish! There are many of these sets for sale today complete even in their original boxes or simply sold figure by figure. Looks like I got about $400 worth but I am not selling. Thanks for your comment.

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  8. I did not put it up to blog, but to play with. It knocks 60 years off my age when I play with it. I also have enough of the old green army men and their military equipment to launch an invasion! I put all the Fort Apache photos up in the Pictures album on my Onedrive. You have access still.

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  9. I spotted the rare blue buffalo….my brother had cowboys and Indian set but didn’t have tepees or the pan over the fire…..Great looking at it…🐱

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  10. And it is so nice to know that someone else understands that the 12 days of Christmas are the 12 days after and not the 12 days counting up to Christmas….that’s Advent and there are more than 12 days of that….try four weeks.

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      1. Even with only one cat who does not get on the table I have been only using the fake, battery powered candles. Too afraid I might fall asleep and leave a candle burning.
        Friends of mine actually had “fake” tapers on their dining table for Christmas Eve dinner. Ultimately nothing takes the place of a real flickering candle. Sigh.

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  11. I remember all of those Western shows! They were more of them than there are the “so called” reality shows today. After the Westerns came the doctor shows (Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare etc) and then the cop shows and on and on.
    I still have a little stuffed dog that I was given for my first birthday but all the other toys have long since gone.
    Happy New Year to you and yours.

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    1. I have more of my childhood toys than this. Fortunately these things were stored in the closet of my room in my parents’ home for many years before I retrieved them, and they never threw them out. I was lucky. Will they be seen here? Not planning on it, but anything is possible. Only if I can incorporate a cat.

      I forgot about the doctor shows but you are right. For a while there was a mass of “variety” shows as well. One of the Seattle retro stations shows a bunch of them.

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