Jingle, jangle, jingle
Here comes Mr. Bingle
With another message from Kris Kringle
Time to launch your Christmas season
Maison Blanche makes Christmas pleasin’
Gifts galore for you to see
Each a gem from MB!

My father is a 5th generation New Orleans boy and having been a child of the 50’s and 60’s, he definitely remembers this jingle just as vividly as he can recall trips to Maison Blanche. Consequently, it has been an essential decoration for our holiday season – well, not so much singing the catchy tune, but making our stuffed Mr. Bingle a comfy place in the living room is definitely a ritual.

I am hard-pressed to find many people outside the Crescent City (unless of course they have any family ties there) and sometimes Tennessee who are even aware of this charming character. Though now a registered trademark of Dillards, Mr. Bingle still evokes many a nostalgic moment for those aware of his history, especially if they were alive at the time it unfolded.

It all began with a Canal Street landmark in the shape of the aforementioned Maison Blanche (which, in spite of its French namesake, was founded by a German), a department store that has since vanished from the retail landscape after being bought out by Dillard’s. Back in its heyday, it was to New Orleans what Macy’s is to New York City or what Harrods is to London. Today, however, Maison Blanche is best remembered for introducing Santa’s little snowman assistant adorned in angel wings, candy-striped gloves and an ice cream cone hat. That snowman, known as Mr. Bingle, was born when Maison Blanche was seeking just that – a special little character to suit their advertizing needs. This would be achieved by the work of a close companion to the store, Emile Alline.

Alline had been an employee for MB (as the store was called for short – fittingly sharing the initials of its icon to-be) since 1937. A decade later, as the store’s display director, Alline designed the Mr. Bingle emblem. He had taken a trip to Chicago that same year and noticed a scraggly-haired Dickenson character by the name of Uncle Mistletoe in a department store local to Chicagoans, called “Marshall Fields.” Although the nature of this Uncle Mistletoe character was the polar opposite of what Alline’s creation was to be, he did provide direct inspiration for Alline’s vision. When Mr. Bingle was sprung into fruition, his name was partially influenced by Maison Blanche president Mr.Herbert Schuartz, who was adamant that the little snowman share the store’s initials.

Alline didn’t stop at the design and creation of Mr. Bingle, who would be on display as a giant paper mache mannequin next to Santa Clause in front of the store (which later evolved into flying form). The character had to also come alive in the spirit of Christmas which would inevitably be celebrated to its fullest in a city like New Orleans. In 1947, in the wake of his establishment, Mr. Bingle would become a puppet and marionette show, staged from the store’s huge dress display windows and voiced by master puppeteer Edwin “Oscar” Isentrout who was then working in the French Quarter. These shows were around fifteen minutes in length and performed every day during the several weeks leading up to Christmas. Countless local children gathered along Canal Street to watch. They were mesmerized, and Mr. Bingle was an instant star. From that season forward, Oscar Isentrout would continue this beloved tradition for the next thirty-seven years. His performances were no doubt successful in that he loved the character every bit as much as the children did, as shown in the quote below:

They cannot divide him or the Christmas cheer he spreads. They just keep multiplying him. Now there’s a lot more of Mr. Bingle to go around. When you saw Mr. Bingle downtown, you knew Christmas was near and it was difficult not to say Mr. Bingle and Christmas in the same sentence. This special little character’s snowman body was adorably adorned with an ice cream cone hat, candy cane in hand, red ribbon with bells and holly wings. The holly wings were so he could fly. He was created as Santa’s helper. His voice was the most magical of all. He had a characteristically high pitched squeaky, raspy voice that captured the hearts of many a child and adults alike.

A local TV show followed along with many radio appearances, also with Isentrout providing Mr. Bingle’s voice. The show would air for fifteen minutes each weekday just before the evening news. As with the puppet shows, Mr. Bingle was a hit, and a first local television hero for the children. The sick and terminally ill in the local Childrens’ Hospital enjoyed an especially close kinship with the beloved mascot, as Mr. Bingle would pay them frequent visits every holiday. The character was also sold in the form of plush toys and stuffed animals.

Maison Blanche eventually expanded into a chain of seven stores, and along with that expansion came the growing population of their cherished Mr. Bingle. The state of Tennessee would eventually enjoy the tradition at the department store Lowenstein’s, which merged with with MB in 1950, and the advertising of Mr. Bingle would appear nationwide and various regional department stores owned by the Mercantile company (which had acquired the MB chain shortly before they were bought out by Dillard’s). Mr. Bingle also made an appearance at the Citrus Bowl in Florida in 1989.

Sadly, beloved puppet shows came to an end with Isentrout’s death in 1985. The spirit of Santa’s little helper known as Mr. Bingle has all but been immortalized in the minds of old time New Orleanians. The Dillard’s chain currently owns the Mr. Bingle trademark, which they purchased along with Maison Blanche. The flying paper mache figure displayed above the entry doors of both the Canal Street and Metairie locations respectively became a staple for Dillard’s Metairie location over Christmas until the chain sold it to New Orleans’ City Park in disrepair. In 2005, Mr. Bingle saw his long awaited return to the Greater New Orleans area in his original flying form when the original MB figure was refurbished and featured at the “Celebration in the Oaks” light display held annually at City Park.

Celebration in the Oaks at City Park

Mr. Bingle collectibles were available at 21 Dillard’s locations in ten states during the 2007 holiday season, in addition to a special order option on Dillard’s website. Ironically, however, these select locations did not include New Orleans where the cultural icon originated (although did include four New Orleans suburbs).

The original two-story tall paper mache figure that guarded the Canal Street entrance continues to be a popular attraction each year at City Park’s “Celebration in the Oaks.”

Holding the family Mr. Bingle.

To Learn More, See the Links Below:

• Mr. Bingle Official Website
• City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks
• Mr. Bingle Fans
• Mr. Bingle Jingle Jangle Christmas