Which theater candy was named after a Broadway play?

Junior Mints were first introduced in 1949. From the start, they were candies meant for theater-goers; in fact, they were named after a popular Broadway show called ‘Junior Miss’.

The name of the candy is a twist on the name of the play, which ran on Broadway from 1941 to 1943. According to official company history, when James Welch developed and launched the product in 1949, he named the candy after his favorite Broadway show. In 1945, the play was adapted to film, with Peggy Ann Garner in the lead role. In 1949, when the candies hit the market, CBS was airing a weekly radio series, also entitled ‘Junior Miss’, which starred Barbara Whiting.

Welch had cleverly created a product designed to be sold at movie theater concession stands which the public would identify with both a movie and a radio series. The new candy had a name that sounded almost exactly like the play, film, and radio broadcasts, yet was still different enough to avoid licensing and merchandising fees.

Many today may never have heard of the play, but Junior Mints have remained a big hit at theaters’ concession stands for over 70 years.