In his later years, Orville became a pop culture icon as the spokesperson for Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popcorn. On his TV commercials, he appeared as a wholesome, Midwest-American with a Barney Fife smile who sold the public a popcorn that was guaranteed to be fluffier, tasty and pop every kernel - mostly (each kernel was slowly dried to an exact moisture level of 13.25 percent to get a 44:1 expansion ratio).

Recalling his early days in the popcorn business, Redenbacher told the Associated Press "We tried to sell the different processors on the idea that people would pay more for a better quality product, that this was a good marketing concept. They said we were crazy, and we tried to prove them wrong."

Convinced that his popcorn was superior, Orville, aka "Reddie", drove around the country selling his gourmet popcorn product. He initially sold the popcorn under the name of "Red Bow." In 1971, he introduced Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn.

Orville's popularity as a spokesperson began in 1971 when he was asked to sign autographs at Marshall Fields, a downtown Chicago department store who were one of the first retailers to carry Redenbacher's popcorn. The media picked up on his folksy, "born on a small corn farm in Indiana" banter and an advertising icon was born. To market his product (and as proof they really met the man) Orville distributed stickers or cards that read: "I met Orville Redenbacher."

In a few years, Orville's popcorn became a success and in 1976, he and his partner, Bowman sold their operation to corporate giant Hunt-Wesson Inc. (owned by ConAgra since 1990). Orville agreed to stay on as the product pitchman and continued to sport his trademark dark-rimmed glasses, bow-tie, suspenders and his parted-down-the-middle of his head white hair..

A New York Times article by op-ed columnist Gail Collins once said of Redenbacher: "Like other immortals—Colonel Sanders, Frank Perdue, Dr. Scholl—Redenbacher had a negative glamour that inspired trust. He looked like a man who would spend 40 years crossbreeding 30,000 popcorn hybrids in search of 'the perfect kernel."

William E. Smith, executive director of The Popcorn Institute in Chicago and a lifelong friend of Redenbacher stated "Many people thought he was a media creation, but what people saw on television, that was him. In all of our industry, he was one of the great gentlemen and great personalities."

In 1975, Orville published a cookbook entitled: The Popping Corn Book: Orville Redenbacher's Authorized and Complete Popcorn Lovers Guide. It featured recipes like "Sister Mabel's Caramel Corn", "Popcorn Pastels", and "Harvest Pumpkin Ball." Orville followed up that book with Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Book (St. Martin's Press, 1984). In 1996, a look at the life of Orville Redenbacher was published called Popcorn King: How Orville Redenbacher and His Popcorn Charmed America by Len Sherman (Summit Publishing Group).

Because Orville guaranteed that every one his kernels would pop, there was the occasional letter in the mail that proved otherwise. In 1984, Orville told the Los Angeles Times "Every once in a while, someone will mail me a single popcorn kernel that didn't pop. They'll tape it to a piece of paper and mail it to me. So I'll get out a fresh kernel, tape it to a piece of paper and mail it back to them." (Unpopped kernels left among popped kernels are known as "Old Maids.")

Gary and Orville

In later commercials, Orville appeared with his grandson (Gary Fish) who continued his grandfather's promises of quality. In 1987, Gary Fish actually changed his last name to Redenbacher as an heir apparent in the marketing phenomena.

Unfortunately, on September 20, 1995 Orville Redenbacher had a heart attack and drowned while taking a bath in his whirlpool spa at his condominium in Coronado, California. Redenbacher is survived by two daughters, Gail Tuminello, of Valparaiso, and Billie Ann Atwood, of San Jose, Calif.; 12 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. At Orville's request, his body was cremated. Redenbacher's second wife, Nina died in 1991. His first wife, Corinne, died in 1971.

Time magazine called Redenbacher "the Luther Burbank of popcorn." His popcorn brand still remains among the top choices of popcorn lovers everywhere.

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