A reader has a question about Paramount Potato Chips. Can anyone help him out?I lived in Flint on Melbourne Ave. in the 60’s and went to Civic Park Elementary and Scott Elementary school. I live also on Dort Hwy. at Lippincott Ave. in a trailer park just west of the Paramount Potato Chip factory. I was looking to find out of Paramount was still in business. Any info on Paramount would be appreciated.
Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.
I worked with the artist who designed Slim Chipley, Dal Oliver. He once worked with Walt Disney and he made the handmade animation of Slim Chipley for TV ads. I don't know who wrote the jingle "I'm Slim Chipley, the guy you see on the Paramount Potato Chips bright sack, I'm the flavor deputy, protecting cripsness in every snack. They're delicious, and so nutritious, yesiree they're pips! Paramount Potato Chips!" The meme is forever etched in my brain, along with the memory of the greasy aftertaste and sthe sick feeling from not knowing when to stop. I think they used cottonseed oil. There was a guy from an '80s punk rock band in Flint who had Slim Chipley tattoed on his arm. I think he was in Rats of Unusual Size.
ReplyDeleteMy brother bought a huge red Paramount Potato chip can featuring good old Slim Chipley. am going to take a picture of it and post it very soon! Its awesome!
ReplyDeletewhats better then Flint Memorabilia!
Flintstoner80
Believe the words to the Slim Chipley song were written by a guy named Mel Moss, who worked in marketing for Paramount.
ReplyDeleteI know one guy who does have a Slim Chiply tattoo, and that's Dan Cronin.
ReplyDeleteDan Cronin, our old Greenway Ave neighbor?
DeleteHi Jim!
We LOVED Paramount potato chips..............I could never leave them alone.........ate the entire bag and didn't feel the least bit guilty. YUM!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Lisa my dad worked at Paramount Potato Chips he delivered the chips to the stores. Now he is passed on he died in 2004, and I agree with you there are no chips made today like them and there never will be.
DeleteWould your Dad happen to have been Bill? My dad worked for them too and I am trying to find some of the people he worked with. My dad was Rick/Curly, I am Brooke. Please contact me if your Dad was Bill.
DeleteHi Lisa my name is Brooke and my dad delivered for Paramount too. His name was Rick/Curly. Did your dad happen to be Bill? I am looking foranyonecwho may have worked with my dad, please reply through here, I will keep an eye out for the next few days
Deleteo slim was a bad ass dude when i was a kid
ReplyDeleteI use to love to go right to the factory and buy them by the case. Gosh they were good. Does anyone know when they went out of business?
ReplyDeletejerry cox: I lived off Fenton Rd.On Neubert St. I believe Paramount stated on Vermilya St. Ne
Deleter Fenton Rd. in the early 50s"
If I remember correctly -- they went out of business in the late 80s/early 90s -- but before 1992.
ReplyDeletewent OOB in April 1992
DeleteWent OOB in April 1992
DeleteI just did a search of MLive.com and there was a story in August of 2008 where the county was trying to buy the Paramount Potato Chip building on Lippincott and the timeline on the side of the article has Paramount closing its doors in 1995. If you're interested in reading the article -- here is the link to it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2008/08/planning_commission_recommends.html
This is cool! My name is Michael Oliver, my grandfather was Dallas Oliver, who my younger brother is named after. My grandpa also used to do the "old newsboys" covers back in the day. He has long since past, and the last time I seen him I was only 14.I remember he had a statue of "slim" on a piano in his basement. He was also an accomplished wild life painter.
ReplyDeleteHere is the jingle (only from memory):
ReplyDeleteI'm Slimchiply the guy you see
on the Paramount potato chips
bright read pack.
I'm the flavor deputy,
protectin' crispness
in every sack.
Their delicious
and so nutritious,
yes siree, their pips!
Par-a-mount potato chips.
bright "red" pack
DeleteSlim chiply,slim chiply, yes hes the one...
DeleteI too am related to Dallas Oliver. My name is Richard Sowles. Dallas was married to a woman named Barbara for many years until his passing....I have original artwork painted and signed by him as well as him appearing in many super 8 home movies hunting with my grandfather Richard Tanner who is Barbara's brother....If you too are related and would like to exchange more information look me up on facebook...
ReplyDeleteI would love to get the original recipe for the barbecue seasoning that they used for their chips. Would anyone know if this would be possible?
ReplyDeleteThose are the ones I want.
DeleteThose were the best potato chips that have ever been made with the possible exception of Better made Red hots.Its terrible to live in a world dominated by Lays wich couldnt hold a candle to paramounts. I knew they went out of business but didn't know about the sex discrimination. thats horrible. A private company should be able to promote who they want to promote, or at least not have the courts fine them so heavily they go out of business. So now kids in the future will never know what a REAL potato chip tastes like, although the ettle chips now are pretty good, even though they often cost too much.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite chips:
1.Paramount and Better made Hots (tie)
3. Krunchers jalapeño- (before they started skimping on the flavorings)
4. Cape Cod kettle chips
No chips will ever be as good as Paramount no not ever. Lisa.
DeleteTry the Dairy Fresh brand...not as good as the old Paramount but they are the closest I've found to them.
DeleteMan i sure do miss those Paramount BBQ chips.... nostalgia.... i have however, found a brand that is pretty darn close in flavor and texture... Uncle Ray's BBQ... they are out of Detroit...but not matter... still got a real good flavor... have not been able to find any big bags,,, just a 7.5oz, 2oz, and 1oz bags... like i said... they ain't PARAMOUNT.... but pretty close... and if i can't get the original... i guess i will have to settle for the next best thing
ReplyDeleteIf if not Paramount it's not a potato chip and it never will be. My name is Lisa my dad used to work for Paramount Potato Chips. He used to deliver them to the stores so I grew up eating them . Every halloween he used to bring home snack size boxes 2 of them for the trick or treaters to eat them. Then I got to eat what was left. My dad died in 2004 I miss him and Paramount Potato Chips so Much.
DeleteI lived in Flint and my Dad would stop at the factory and buy the chips by a big ol' can, it may have been a 5 lbs or so. Their is a chip still made that comes very close to the old slims, and it is made by Dairy Fresh. Real buttery flavor and you have a hard time eating just one. I know Aunt Millies day old stores carry them as well as other places.
DeleteParamount potato chips were the best salty, crunchy goodness ever. I feel sorry for anyone that never got to try them. These chips were part of life when I lived in Flint. My mother always had a bag in the pantry, and when spending a night at Grandmas she always had a bag in the cellar for a late night snack. I now live in Arizona and never stopped craving that that type of chip. I have tried many similar potato chips but nothing even came close. Many years ago I sold potato chips for Clover Club, Poor Brothers, Eagle Snacks, and a few other brands. During those times it was very hard to make a living and to compete against Frito Lay. Next time when you are at a store that sells chips pay close attention on how much space other potato chip brands have compared to Frito Lay products.
DeleteSo, to close a particular sub-loop of this as-always-fascinating thread: was Dan Cronin one of the Rats of Unusual Size?
ReplyDeleteParamount potato cips with Open Pit bbq sauce. Paramount products peroid. Had them shipped to me when I lived in Phoenix ,AZ . Koegel hot dogs paramount potato chips and a Faygo redpop.
ReplyDeleteI worked there when they closed. I was young, about 22. They were an elderly couple that owned it. It was very sad and it was the wife that died not the husband. It was all very sad. Pride can kill in many ways.
ReplyDeletehello-- in about 1978 my brother and his hockey team were in a Paramount Potato Chip commercial. Would anyone out there know how to get a copy of this commercial?
ReplyDeletetressa mcguire tressamm@umich.edu
Tressa.. my name is Steve Hodge and I was in that commercial also. I was the goalie on the on the
DeleteMy brother is Troy SPEACE. Do you remember him
Deletedoes anyone know where I can buy a Paramount Potato Chip can?
ReplyDeleteI'd guess either at an estate sale (if you're lucky), or as a collector item that's being Ebayed or otherwise auctioned.
DeleteHere's one that sold at auction in 2011: http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-paramount-potato-chip-slim-220100097
Hey JWilly, you coming to any Teardown events in the next couple weeks? I hope so.
Deletewww.teardownbook.com
Two places come to mind.
ReplyDelete1) eBay or a similar website.
2) Antique shows.
For the commercial, you might try contacting WJRT. They might know if someone has them. Pete Flanders at Musical Memories might have some ideas, though I doubt he would have it himself.
PARAMOUNT POTATOE CHIPS, VERNORS GINGER ALE FROM THE FACTORY, LANSING/ EAST LANSING BILL KNAPPS, & GO TO THE MALL IN FLINT WE GOT THE BEST CONEY DOGS, UP STAIRS PEOPLE LOVE THESE , PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY SAY I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO GET BACK TO DETROIT, FLINT, LANSING MI GET THESE ITEMS BUT TOO MANY GONE,
ReplyDeleteHello -- I am writing a book about Detroit-based potato chip companies and would love to talk to anyone who worked for Paramount or another chipper! Please contact me at kdybis at gmail dot com. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle, Ed Dewan started Paramount Potato Chips next to his house on Dort Hwy. As a kid in 1959 we would visit them and eat the warm, freshly made chips---amazing! He and his wife, Josephine had no children together and treated us as there own! They had the first color tv I ever saw. I remember watching the Wizard of Oz at their house--a great memory. He sold the company and also had a candy shop. Can you ask for a more perfect Aunt and Uncle?
ReplyDeleteWho are you? My aunt was Josephine Dewan, Ed's wife. Betty
DeleteI don't know what happened to my post but here it is again. I also grew up in Flint, Mich. I remember Paramount potato chips. They were my favorite along with New Era as a close second. I have found an excellent replacement. Shearers Classic is just as good as Paramount was. You have to make sure & get the Classic style. You can find them at Kroger. Not sure if they're at all Kroger stores but when I'm in town from AZ I get them either at Dye & Corunna or the Miller Rd & Dye store in Swartz Creek. You can check other stores too. Meijer used to carry them
ReplyDeleteHow ironic that you can buy a close chip to Paramount chips at Kroger . Because I used to work there and we made the Kroger store own brand of chips for years ! It was called COUNTRY OVEN chips and they were displayed in the stores from boxes that had a perforated front on them so they’d just tear that out to expose the chips inside . Glad you found a way to extend your Paramount joy!
DeleteMy Sacred Heart Catholic School "Brownie" Troop toured the Paramount Potato Chip plant after school, when I was in the third grade, from 1961-1962. We each received individual potato chip "snack packs" upon our departure from the building that day. Our Troop Leader, Mrs. Povlick, also arranged for us to visit the WJRT-Channel 12 television studios that year, as the "Mr. Magic" children's program aired, from 4-5 p.m. I seem to recall that his "real-life" name was "Frank Cady," but I could be wrong. Each girl received a complimentary small white card, with about a four-inch sample of videotape stapled to it, as a "souvenir" of our outing to the station that afternoon. "Videotape" was, of course, a new break-through television broadcasting development at that time.
ReplyDeleteI did too, although if you remember, the factory was on Dort Highway where Taystee Bread eventually wound up...I was in third grade from 60-61 and also toured WJRT..Frank Cady was Bozo's name and I went to school with his son KIM...
DeleteYes, I was there too! Sacred Heart, Mrs. Povlick's Brownie Troop, the Paramount Potato Chip Factory and Bozo @ WJRT!!!
DeleteJosephine Dewan was my mother's sister. She was married to Ed Dewan. The two of them founded Paramount Potato Chips. They had a beautiful ranch home on Dort hwy not far from I75. I spent 2 wks in the summer with them and would help them staple bags of chips. Would also catch chips off conveyer belt in coffee filter ... what a treat hot off the press! Betty
ReplyDeleteJosephine Dewan was my mother's sister. She was married to Ed Dewan. The two of them founded Paramount Potato Chips. They had a beautiful ranch home on Dort hwy not far from I75. I spent 2 wks in the summer with them and would help them staple bags of chips. Would also catch chips off conveyer belt in coffee filter ... what a treat hot off the press! Betty
ReplyDeleteThe only trouble with the staples is sometimes you would be eating the potato chips and bite into a staple that accidentally got in the bag.....Can you imagine doing that today..
DeleteDoes anyone have a recording of the commercials for Paramount? Pls email me, I'd like to use them for YouTube. MultipleChips at Gmail.
ReplyDeleteYou me, I was in two of the commercials for Paramount potato chips. I was the goalie into of the commercials that were found around 1976
DeleteSteve Hodge can I get a copy of the commercial. My name is Tressa Speace McGuire
DeleteThis obituary in the Saginaw News states that Jean Rockwell Beach created the Slim Chiply character. https://obits.mlive.com/obituaries/saginaw/obituary.aspx?n=jean-rockwell-beach&pid=191517175&fhid=9278
ReplyDelete