BIG Toys Week: Earthquake Tower by Remco
I think this is one of the more infamous toys we’ve ever discussed on PlaidStallions. Remco sought to cash in on the Irwin Allen disaster movie craze (but not pay for it) by creating this playset that emulates a massive earthquake hitting a tower.
Earthquakes are real events, unlike King Kong or Godzilla attacks, the Remco Earthquake tower is well, one of the more morbid toys ever conceived (with this being a close contender for #2).
It’s also, as the theme week would anticipate, really, really big. It’s five feet tall, which means bigger than most kids.
Remco even included a floppy vinyl record of explosions, sirens, and perilous music to help you simulate this environment; it is, however, tastefully bereft of screams. Give it a listen if you like, I put it on Youtube.
If the embed code is showing up on your browser, here is a link to it on Youtube.
I'm guessing the R&D team spent a lot of time trying to create a lawyer-proof burning building before settling for an earthquake. Enjoyed hearing the record. That loop of music sounds more appropriate to a cheap superhero cartoon; wonder if any of the kids who got this were inspired to let their Mego figures do the rescuing.
There was a lot of dubious judgement if you looked for it. The wholesome "Little House on the Prairie" board game was about surviving the elements — while nudging opposing players into harm's way. "Alien" toy commercials, in response to complaints, superimposed a weird subtitle saying something like "SELECT APPROPRIATE MOVIES". And Marx put out a Ben Hur playset that included a little slave market.
This was one of the toys I really wanted as a kid. I'm sure it sucks, but sadly I will never know. I wonder how it would have gone with army men and construction toys.
I hadit and it wasawesome- for awhile. The building was made of cardboardand didn’t really last a long time. All those people plumeting to their deaths? That lasts forever!
Hi Mike Mills,
You could probably make one of these- by yourself, or ask an art-type person to make one.
You could probably do this- by using moving company-like, cardboard boxes, + make your tower pieces out of these boxes, and decorate the tower, to your taste.
The boxes + art of this toy, could probably be made by any adult, in their spare time, over a month or something. 🙂
Right. It's [Max] Mills. Oops. My new resolution, for next year, is- I'll stop using the internet, when I'm sleepy. 🙂
It's odd that I don't remember this playset, but I saw the movie in the theater back in 1974. And I thought Remco had an interesting idea with monsters that glow in the dark and give bear hugs.