School Teacher Eleanor Abbott Invented Candy Land During a Pandemic! | Where's the Fun from?

School teacher Eleanor Abbott invented Candy Land, one of the world's most popular games, yet little is known about this amazing woman. A pandemic featuring social distancing, pleads for everyone to wash their hands and thousands of closed businesses happened 71 years ago. Eleanor Abbott survived it and showed us all how to act. She was kind, creative, selfless and generous, and she invented one of the most beloved games in history. Welcome to the Candy Land edition of WTFF? (Where's the Fun from?).
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Credits:
Black and white movie footage courtesy of Prelinger Archives
Candy Land commercial footage from The Playmakers
Milton Bradley photo © John Phelan
Mel Taft photo courtesy of Mel Taft
Print ads from the The Playmakers collection
Music: Indian Summer used under license from Shutterstock Music
Candy Land is a registered trademark of Hasbro.
San Diego Union, The Saturday, December 10, 1988, obit for ABBOTT Eleanor R., GenealogyBank.com
Closed Movie Theater from Standard-Times file
Letters to the editor printed in the San Diego Union
Head Stone photo © Jim Pack
All other photos courtesy of The Playmakers

[@choir37482]

As an adult I still like to play Candy land

[@delvana111]

Tim, I'm so proud of you! (stay 'cool' and keep the positive 'beat' going)

[@SeizethePlay]

Thanks Prole 111!

[@jackpulis8867]

I am giving a speech about candy land on Thursday and this video was very helpful!!

[@SeizethePlay]

Happy to hear it, Jack. Break a leg!

[@brianmurphy9452]

Very interesting. I remember the polio epidemics before there were vaccines. We couldn't go swimming during the summer.

[@SeizethePlay]

Just saw this comment, Brian! Scary time for sure.

[@pinkosmondfan]

I collect Candy Land merchandise. Now I have to keep an eye out for a version with the boy with the brace. How interesting!

[@SeizethePlay]

Cool! Good luck and have fun!

[@alyxescamilla4874]

A LONG TIME AGO CANDY LAND IN A HOSPATIAL IN 1955

[@lefton4ya]

Just found your channel. It needs more love, as it combines two of my UA-cam gotos - games and history of how stuff is made.

[@SeizethePlay]

Hey thanks! It has been great fun for me too. Launched back when Covid first hit, it has been cathartic and very positive to share some fun and gratitude! Please feel free to tell the world about it! : )

[@NFTBoardgames]

Great story!

[@SeizethePlay]

Thanks, Matt!

[@SeizethePlay]

So a few historical points were removed for time that in retrospect, gave some needed context. First, the Salk vaccine wasn't perfected until 1955, so that's why parents sheltered their kids in the summer months after Candy Land was released, up until 1955. Also, Eleanor wrote her letter to the newspaper regarding the need for Fallout Shelters, 4 days after media reported that the Soviet Union had resumed nuclear testing (after a 3 year moratorium). It was a serious threat, as tensions escalated, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later. Scary times.

[@princegeraldhugo8444]

That look fun

[@thegoodgamecompany]

Very interesting and well done! :)

[@SeizethePlay]

The Good Game Company Thanks TGG!

[@naveenkumar-fy7lg]

Is there any visual of Eleanor Abbott?

[@SeizethePlay]

I wish, Naveen. My conclusion is she wanted her privacy. What an amazing woman, right?

[@naveenkumar-fy7lg]

@@SeizethePlay True