Durward Kirby - Cultural References

Cultural References

Kirby's name was spoofed in the animated series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, where a man's hat was called the "Kirward Derby". It supposedly had magic powers that made its wearer the smartest person in the world. Kirby considered suing, but his business manager pointed out that it would only bring more attention to the show. (Jay Ward, producer of The Bullwinkle Show, offered to pay Kirby to sue him.)

In the Mary Tyler Moore Show episode "Phyllis Whips Inflation" (Season 5, Episode 18; aired 18 January 1975), the character Phyllis Lindstrom explains that the drop in the price of her Polaroid stock is because the company hired Laurence Olivier to do their television commercials. She says they should have saved money and hired Kirby (a reference to his Polaroid commercial incident).

In the movie Pulp Fiction (1994), the character of Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman) orders a "Durward Kirby" Burger. This is a humorous reference to the soundtrack in the scene, when "Bullwinkle" is being played.

The eponymous title track on the album Scraps by the band NRBQ includes the line: "I know a Melarooney boy named Durward Kirby; I yelled in his ear and wondered if he heard me."