Bromo Seltzer Truck in front of the Tampa Theater

This vehicle in front of the Tampa Theater was helping to promote George White's 1934 Movie Scandals, with Alice Faye, Rudee Vallee, and Jimmy Durante. The movie was based on Whites long-running revues on Broadway, modeled after the Ziegfeld Follies. The Follies became famous for their dazzling chorus line, known as the Ziegfeld Girls. The movie follows several “scandals” within the backstage escapades of 1930s variety shows.

Emerson’s Bromo Seltzer, a cobalt blue-bottled effervescent elixir of “5 medicinal ingredients” for the relief of gas, headaches, and neuralgia, was likely a promotional partner for the studio. This vehicle, decorated like a float, was parked in front of the Tampa Theater during the movie's run. The original Bromo Seltzer was discontinued due to the toxicity of its ingredients, particularly the sodium bromide. It was reformulated with acetaminophen and may still be available in some markets.

Bromo-Seltzer for Headaches float in front of Theatre (1934). Florida Photograph Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection