{"id":5937,"date":"2017-02-02T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2017-02-02T13:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=5937"},"modified":"2017-01-31T16:30:21","modified_gmt":"2017-01-31T22:30:21","slug":"had-it-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2017\/02\/02\/had-it-all\/","title":{"rendered":"Had It All"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dudley LeBlanc\u2019s Tonic\u00a0Hadacol Promised Amazing \u00a0Health Benefits And A Stiff\u00a0Shot Of Alcohol.What Could Possibly Have Gone Wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n

By Brad Goins<\/em><\/p>\n

One assumes that when a politician rises to high levels, he must have something of the con man in him. The politicians we usually find the most interesting are the ones who seem to have been born with the con man gene. The intricate scenery behind politics facilitates the propagation of the short con, the long con \u2014 every kind of con. When a professional con artist starts plying his trade when he\u2019s holding high political office, the results can be wonderful to behold.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Way back in 1943, Louisiana state Sen. Dudley J. LeBlanc \u2014 a con artist if ever there was one \u2014 hit upon a long con that turned out to be the proverbial gold mine. Or at any rate, it sure seemed that way.<\/p>\n

The name of this magical con was Hadacol. And like any great con man, the creator of Hadacol had carefully developed a fascinating and highly detailed story for his highly dubious product.<\/p>\n

LeBlanc said he\u2019d once suffered from a terrible foot pain. He eventually found a doctor who made him pain-free. When LeBlanc asked the doc what medicine he\u2019d used, the medical man replied he\u2019d administered a combination of B vitamins.<\/p>\n

LeBlanc said he\u2019d concocted a brew that contained the doctor\u2019s formula. When LeBlanc created Hadacol, he threw in plenty of different B vitamins as well as a few other vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n

Hadacol wasn\u2019t LeBlanc\u2019s first venture into the health care flim flam business. He\u2019d earlier produced the Happy Day Headache Powders. But the FDA was especially unhappy with this product, and seized all of it.<\/p>\n

While the FDA refrained from raising a ruckus about Hadacol, in 1951, the American Medical Association weighed in briefly on the snake oil, stating that a doctor who prescribed or promoted Hadacol could not \u201cdo himself or his profession greater harm from the standpoint of view of the abuse of the trust of a patient suffering from any condition.\u201d<\/p>\n

For the most part, the FDA must have felt that it would at least do no harm if individuals consumed some B vitamins and some minerals. And the extravagant health claims LeBlanc made for the tonic were apparently not enough to flame the ire of government bureaucrats.<\/p>\n

The Selling Point<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the vast majority of the many thousands who bought Hadacol, its health benefits, or lack thereof, were beside the point. For them, the chief selling point of Hadacol was that its content was 12 percent alcohol (or 24 proof). On the label, the alcohol was described as a \u201cpreservative.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dudley LeBlanc<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Everyone assumed that LeBlanc was targeting the large number of southern counties that were dry at the time. Because Hadacol had the legal status of a medicine (or, to be precise, a \u201cdietary supplement\u201d), anyone could walk into the drugstore and buy it \u2014 no ID required.<\/p>\n

But not every one went along with the pretense. It was rumored that clerks in many drugstores (which already had the reputation of being places where alcohol was kept) served Hadacol to certain customers in shot glasses.<\/p>\n

And the Cocktail Database says that bars in the French Quarter used Hadacol to make what was called the \u201cTassel Cocktail.\u201d<\/p>\n

It may have been served in the cocktail glass in New Orleans. But every bottle of the Hadacol product was manufactured at LeBlanc\u2019s operation right up the road in Lafayette.<\/p>\n

The Best Lines<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to creating Hadacol, LeBlanc created the best line about the tonic. When he was asked how he came up with the name for Hadacol, he often answered, \u201cWell, I hadda call it something.\u201d<\/p>\n

He came up with almost as good a line when he appeared on Groucho Marx\u2019s radio program. When Marx asked LeBlanc what Hadacol was good for, the slick politician answered, \u201cIt was good for $5 million for me last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although LeBlanc also had an elaborate story about how he came up with the name \u201cHadacol,\u201d the everyday person undoubtedly assumed the name was chosen because of its unmistakable resemblance to the word \u201calcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Wealth Of Promotions<\/strong><\/p>\n

LeBlanc was inventive and relentless in promoting his mixture. Advertising promised that Hadacol relieved not symptoms, but \u201cTHE CAUSE OF YOUR AILMENTS.\u201d Particular ailments for which relief was promised were \u201cStomach Disturbances, Gas, Heartburn, Indigestion, Nagging Aches and Pains, and Certain Nervous Disorders.\u201d In addition, it was asserted that Hadacol \u201crebuilt\u201d the suffering individual\u2019s \u201cPep, Strength and Energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dudley LeBlanc and
Groucho Marx<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Advertising copy was just a small part of the battery of hustles LeBlanc worked to bring the public\u2019s attention to Hadacol. He produced a Hadacol comic book called Captain Hadacol. In addition to the usual fliers, t-shirts and thimbles, LeBlanc cranked out Hadacol lipstick and water pistols. He also minted a coin that granted the bearer a 25-cent discount on a bottle of Hadacol. LeBlanc\u2019s face was engraved on the coin\u2019s head.<\/p>\n

LeBlanc organized the Hadacol Goodwill Caravan. These enormously popular traveling shows featured such superstars as Lucille Ball, Minnie Pearl, Bob Hope, Judy Garland, Chico Marx and Hank Williams. LeBlanc also brought in blues and jazz players in an effort to attract black audiences. Adults were required to present two Hadacol box tops for admission.<\/p>\n

Obviously, LeBlanc was a master hustler.\u00a0 And his efforts were rewarded. By 1951, Hadacol was selling $2.5 million a year of product.<\/p>\n

The Economics Of The Con<\/strong><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the FDA or the AMA that shut down LeBlanc\u2019s expressway to success. It was pure, old-fashioned greed.<\/p>\n

In 1951, LeBlanc sold what appeared to be an extremely lucrative Hadacol business to investors for $8 million. But when they got a thorough look at the books, the investors must have experienced some of the nervous disorders that Hadacol didn\u2019t cure.<\/p>\n

It turned out LeBlanc had been spending more in advertising than the tonic had been making in profits. In the last quarter of his ownership, the Hadacol corporation was nearly $2 million in the red. A $650,000 debt to the IRS and an additional $2 million dollars in debt were found in the \u201cAccounts Receivable\u201d section of the sale agreement. LeBlanc\u2019s explanation was that all the debt was caught up in cases of Hadacol that were in transit at the time the deal was made.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Federal Trade Commission complained loud and long about these shenanigans. Those complaints, and media coverage about the sea of debt LeBlanc had created with Hadacol, stopped LeBlanc\u2019s political ascendancy just as thoroughly as his fuzzy accounting had stopped Hadacol.<\/p>\n

LeBlanc, who\u2019d served four terms as the state senator from Vermillion Parish, was attempting to parlay that experience into a desk in the governor\u2019s office. But at some point, the public must have quit thinking of him as a colorful barker and started thinking of him mainly as a swindler. He went down to defeat in the 1952 gubernatorial election. It was his third and last unsuccessful bid for the office.<\/p>\n

LeBlanc devoted the remainder of his life to promoting the interests of Cajuns. In the 1960s, he co-founded the powerful Cajun lobbying group CODOFIL. He advocated for French instruction in Louisiana and successfully pressured the government of Canada to release documents about the Acadians. He died in 1971.<\/p>\n

The PBS documentary Cajun Renaissance Man chronicles the events of LeBlanc\u2019s life. The movie was filmed by LeBlanc\u2019s granddaughter, Michele LeBlanc.<\/p>\n

Effects On Popular Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hadacol was a subject of general conversation only for a few short years. But during that brief period, its effect on popular culture was profound. Hadacol\u2019s reputation as a successful con and a sneaky way to get a cheap thrill made it an easy target for humor.<\/p>\n

The most widespread cultural manifestation of this appears to have been in music.<\/p>\n

\u201cHadacol Boogie\u201d was recorded by Monroe musician Bill Nettles, who often collaborated with Jimmie Davis, Louisiana\u2019s \u201cSinging Governor.\u201d Nettles took Hadacol Boogie to No. 9 on the country charts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hank Williams<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Some claim that same song was the first ever played by Jerry Lee Lewis in public. At any rate, Lewis and Buddy Guy collaborated on a recorded version of the song in 2006.<\/p>\n

Nettles also came up with the \u201cHadacol Bounce,\u201d which would go on to be covered by Professor Longhair.<\/p>\n

The legendary \u201cFiddle King of Cajun Swing,\u201d and creator of the Cajun anthem \u201cJolie Blon,\u201d Harry Choates, called his contribution \u201cValse de Hadacol,\u201d which translates simply into \u201cHadacol Waltz.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crowley blues man Elmo Nixon was so sold on LeBlanc\u2019s miracle elixir that he called his band The Hadacol Boys.<\/p>\n

Joe Lutcher recorded the song \u201cGive Me My Hadacol.\u201d And Hank Williams\u2019 Hadacol song (for which Audrey Williams sang along) was called \u201cWhat Put the Pep In Grandma?\u201d<\/p>\n

Other Hadacol-themed songs of the mid-century were \u201cDrinkin\u2019 Hadacol,\u201d \u201cEverybody Loves That Hadacol,\u201d \u201cHadacol \u2014 That\u2019s All\u201d and \u201cThe Hadacol Bounce.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Music Weird blog at blogspot.com provides a large selection of videos of assorted stars and would-be stars singing about Hadacol. The fact that all these songs were recorded between 1949 and 1953 says something about the brevity of Hadacol\u2019s existence.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After the wave of Hadacol ditties, the tonic was the butt of jokes in the even more widespread and influential cultural medium of mainstream cartoons. In a 1952 cartoon, Woody Woodpecker declined to purchase the product \u201cHad-A-Cough\u201d from Buzz Buzzard. And a year later, Daffy Duck was taken in by a traveling salesman who promised him that the tonic Atomcol would build Daffy\u2019s muscles.<\/p>\n

Although Hadacol was on the shelves for less than a decade, today, 65 years down the line, it remains part of America\u2019s folklore and cultural history. On eBay, bottles of Hadacol in their boxes range in price from $10 to $100. Much more frequently offered than the bottles are the recordings of Hadacol songs. These tend to be priced in the neighborhood of $25 each.<\/p>\n

Energy Drinks: A Case Study<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting to compare the case of Hadacol to that of the somewhat controversial energy drinks of the present.<\/p>\n

The most obvious point of similarity is the presence of numerous B vitamins in both Hadacol and the energy drinks. And just as Hadacol also had a complement of several minerals, energy drinks offer a mix of herbs, and in particular the ever-mysterious and ever-present taurine.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Although there are similarities between the two, there is one stark difference. While Hadacol promised to cure \u201cTHE CAUSE OF YOUR AILMENTS,\u201d energy drinks make no health claims. This key difference probably keeps energy drinks flying well under the radar of the FDA. Energy drinks promise to do one thing and one thing only: provide energy. Anyone who\u2019s slammed two bottles of Five-Hour Energy will have no doubt that these tonics do exactly what they claim to.<\/p>\n

The sticking point is one that once dogged Hadacol: manufacturers\u2019 suggestion that the drinks\u2019 energy comes from herbs and B vitamins. A number of nutritionists and other researchers have conducted studies that bear out the notion that whatever energy the drinks provide they provide through the inclusion of concentrated amounts of caffeine. Again, no one is suggesting that B vitamins are harmful. It\u2019s just that they don\u2019t provide noticeable amounts of energy. Any hints to the contrary are misleading.<\/p>\n

So far, the strong suggestions that energy drinks derive their effectiveness mainly from vitamins and herbs haven\u2019t been thought to cross any legal boundaries. But the controversy goes on. Given how many relatively innocuous products are regulated in the U.S., it\u2019s not at all impossible that energy drinks will one day be subject to regulation.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, all the regulation in the world wouldn\u2019t have had the least effect on the antics of Sen. LeBlanc. Truly a Cajun renaissance man, he\u2019s earned a permanent place in the histories of con artists, Louisiana politics and Cajun identity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dudley LeBlanc\u2019s Tonic\u00a0Hadacol Promised Amazing \u00a0Health Benefits And A Stiff\u00a0Shot Of Alcohol.What Could Possibly Have Gone Wrong? By Brad Goins One assumes that when a politician rises to high levels, he must have something of the con man in him. The politicians we usually find the most interesting are the ones who seem to have [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5938,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[38,4,1372,1373],"yoast_head":"\nHad It All - BestOfSwla<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2017\/02\/02\/had-it-all\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Had It All - BestOfSwla\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dudley LeBlanc\u2019s Tonic\u00a0Hadacol Promised Amazing \u00a0Health Benefits And A Stiff\u00a0Shot Of Alcohol.What Could Possibly Have Gone Wrong? 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