Prince Albert (tobacco)
Prince Albert is an American brand of tobacco, introduced by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1907.[1] It has been owned since 1987 by John Middleton Inc.[2]
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History [edit]
Prince Albert is one of the more popular independent brands of pipe tobacco in the United States; in the 1930s, it was the "second largest money-maker" for Reynolds.[3] More recently, it has also become available in the form of pipe-tobacco cigars. (A 1960s experiment with filtered cigarettes was deemed a failure.[4]) The blend is burley-based and remains one of America's top-selling pipe tobaccos.
The tobacco was personally named by R. J. Reynolds after Edward VII, who was known as Prince Albert before being crowned King.[5] The portrait of Prince Albert was based on one acquired by Reynolds at a tea party with Mark Twain.[5]
The Van Dyke Parks song Clang of the Yankee Reaper references the tobacco with the line "The sun never set on the Empire / Prince Albert came in a can."
Prince Albert's cigars are available in packs of 5. Prince Albert's pipe tobacco is available in 1.5 ounce pouches and 14 ounce tins.
Varieties [edit]
Cigars [edit]
- Prince Albert's Soft Cherry Vanilla
- Prince Albert's Soft & Sweet Vanilla
Pipe tobacco [edit]
- Prince Albert
- Prince Albert's Cherry Vanilla
- Prince Albert's Soft Vanilla
"Prince Albert in a can" [edit]
The brand is the basis of a practical joke, usually made in the form of a prank call. The prankster typically calls a store and asks if they have "Prince Albert in a can." When the unsuspecting clerk responds "yes" (because the tobacco is typically packaged in a can, though other forms of packaging also existed), the caller follows up with, "Well, you'd better let him out!" or "Then why don't you let him out before he suffocates!?"[6][7]
In pop culture [edit]
- The joke was used in the 1990 horror miniseries Stephen King's It where Pennywise (Tim Curry) taunts one of his intended victims (he says "Well ya better let the poor guy out" as the closer).
- In Weird Al Yankovic's parody of TLC's Waterfalls (TLC song) "Phony Calls" on Bad Hair Day, the lyrics include the reference "Little Melvin has a natural obsession/Askin' for Prince Albert in a can/He gets a kick each time he makes a collect call/To some guy he doesn't know who lives in Japan".
- In Death Masks by Jim Butcher, Harry Dresden makes an offering of Prince Albert tobacco to a loa he'd summoned. Later, Molly Carpenter tricks their Russian friend Sanya into prank-calling a number of stores, under the guise of helping Harry with his shopping list. Sanya doesn't understand why asking if they have "Prince Albert in a can" causes people to hang up.
- In the Family Guy (season 2) episode "Fifteen Minutes of Shame", Stewie makes the stereotypical prank call to a talk show called The Diane Show.
- Brendan Fraser's character buys Prince Albert pipe tobacco while stockpiling supplies in the film Blast From the Past.
- In Retail (comic strip) on 3-11-11 Cooper takes a call for Prince Albert in a can. Assuming it is a joke he hangs up, only to notice that the store does in fact sell "Prince Albert" in a can.
- In the Wings (NBC TV series) episode Airport '90, Lowell calls Faye from within the terminal in an attempt to prank her using the Prince Albert in a can joke.
- In an episode of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Brad Sherwood parodies Alexander Graham Bell's first phone call with the joke.[8]
- In Series 6 Episode 17 of Cheers "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" Woody asks Frasier to use the joke if Rebecca answers the phone.
- In Season 1, Episode 6 of the Powerpuff Girls, after Big Billy of the Gangreen Gang botches a prank call, Ace grabs the phone and says "Prince Albert... the Fridge!"
- In an episode of Dexter's Laboratory, one of Dexter's experiments starts carrying away the fridge. Mom calls out to Dad, "Honey? The refrigerator's running!" Dad, in the bathroom, replies, "And Prince Albert's in the can!" (at which a stereotypical price pops out of the toilet).
- In an episode of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch", Aunt Zelda prank calls a shop and asks for 'Prince Albert in a can." When she hangs up, the shopkeeper opens a can and finds a tiny Prince Albert inside.
References [edit]
- ^ "International Directory of Company Histories". Thomson Gale. 2006. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
- ^ Associated Press (July 7, 1987). "R.J. Reynolds Sells 2 Tobacco Brands". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
- ^ "Pipe Dream Girl". TIME magazine. November 23, 1931. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
- ^ "Where There's Smoke There's a Filter". TIME magazine. November 18, 1966. Retrieved 2007-08-28.
- ^ a b Bryan Burrough. Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco. HarperCollins. p. 44.
- ^ Transcript of Interview with Prince Albert of Monacco, CNN Larry King Weekend, September 15, 2002
- ^ Penny Candy and Radio in the Good Old Days, By Tony Stein, The Virginian-Pilot, October 23, 1994
- ^ Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Season 4. Episode 10. ABC Family.
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