Though the first Red Vines twist didn’t appear until the 1950’s, Red Vines’ history with Hollywood goes way back. When first they met, films were still in silent black and white, and the American Licorice Company still made only black licorice.
Heading West
The Chicago-based company first expanded westward in the ‘20s, settling in San Francisco and later extending to Union City, California. This latest addition put American Licorice a stone’s throw from the “original Hollywood” of northern California.
Chairman of the Board, John Nelson, shares his recollections of the close tie between American Licorice Company and the original days of film. “A lot of it started up in Northern California near here [in Union City], in a town called Niles,” says John, referring to the film industry prior to it’s move to Southern California. John first joined American Licorice in the early ‘80s at age 25, and has seen Red Vines (and later, Sour Punch) candy appear in movies and television ever since. But the very first appearance of an American Licorice product on screen was in 1925, shortly after the company’s arrival in California.
“[We] bought a licorice company out in California, and that year is actually the same year we made the famous shoe for Charlie Chaplin,” says John. Though not a huge fan of the candy, Chaplin was a good sport and ate the now infamous black licorice boot in his classic film, “The Gold Rush.” “I don’t know, it all kind of happened really quickly,” John says, “I always thought that was kind of interesting, what the connection was.”
A Red Vines Man
In the decades that followed the arrival of the Original Red twists, Red Vines quickly found their place among fans as the perfect movie candy. Fans, for instance, like Tom Hanks. “American Licorice used to go to this trade show every year in Las Vegas, and basically the show is all about the movie theaters,” John shares. The National Association of Theater Owners conference brought together theater owners from all across the country, and typically included a Hollywood tribute of some kind. This particular year, John notes, “They honored Tom Hanks and he came and spoke. Not only did he mention [us], but the whole speech was about Red Vines.”
That day in 1995, Tom Hanks declared himself ‘a Red Vines man.’ From time to time, he still mentions his devotion to Red Vines, and the candy’s quintessential role in the movie-going experience:
And nobody wants to make their own greasy cheese nachos at home. You want to get up there, and say, “Give me a double slug of Coke and I’ll have the cheese nachos, and please tell me you have Red Vines.”
Courtesy of The Washington Post; Transcript: Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks talk new movie at The Washington Post. Dec. 14, 2017.
Raining Red Vines
Much like Mr. Hanks’ speech, Red Vines’ appearance at the 2017 Oscars was also a pleasant surprise. John recalls seeing the iconic candy dropping from the rafters while watching the ceremony. “I remember when that happened, I think everybody in the company was getting texts like crazy from their friends… I think I got a million. I don’t think I ever got so many texts in my life as that hour after that happened.”
After noting that Red Vines made a repeat appearance at the Academy Awards the following year, John shares his feelings as to why moments like this continue to happen. “I think that Red Vines in particular is synonymous with the movie industry,” he says. “We’re so lucky that the brand is here in California, and the movie industry has been really great to us through the years as far as promoting it and talking about it. It’s always been positive. Really positive, and it’s been a great thing for us as a company.”
There is no argument that special moments like these contribute to the brand’s popularity, especially in California and along the West Coast. But these moments are much more than free publicity. “It builds a lot of pride, I think, for people that work at the company, and that’s been wonderful, too,” shares John. “The candy is fun to begin with. But when you’re associated with Hollywood here and there, that’s really cool.”
Recent Red Vines Moments
The Red Vines brand has made many proud appearances in TV and film, including a few recent cameos:
- Alvin & the Chipmunks
- Ninja Turtles
- Space Jam
- Euphoria
- Venom
- Zombieland
- A Black Lady Sketch Show
- 13 Reasons Why
- How I Met Your Father
For more highlights from our 100+ years in candy-making, visit us at redvines.com!
