As
a child, I generally didn’t collect military toys, preferring instead sci-fi,
horror, and fantasy merchandise. But I
made a happy exception for this incredible toy, the awesome “Navarone Playset.”
Apparently, his toy was “loosely” (meaning unofficially…) related to Alistair Maclean’s
1957 novel The Guns of Navarone, which concerned a team of Allied soldiers
launching an assault on a German fortress on the (fictional) Greek island of
Navarone.
In
real life, there was no Battle of Navarone, but that inconvenient fact did not
prevent Marx Toy Company, in 1976, from producing this multi-level mountain
fortress, replete with two armies. As
you can see from the graphic, it originally sold for under $15.00 dollars.
The
version of the toy I own today, however, is not from Marx at all, but rather
from Mego. Thus I can only assume that
Marx sold the Navarone Playset mold at some point between 1976 and 1980. When I was a kid, I’m pretty certain I owned the original Marx version, and not the Mego re-do. This molded-in-black Navarone (from Mego) is for my son, Joel.
Anyway,
the Mego version you see here in photographs urges one to “Recreate the World War II Battle of Navarone with this unique and
exciting action playset.”
Navarone
comes with:
“Two foot-high mountain
2 complete armies (92 soldiers)
4 military vehicles
2 long-range cannons
Complete play area in front and
back
5 play levels
Working elevator
Working hoist
Authentic WWII flag
labels.”
John your Marx/Mego Navarone playset review reminds of the ‘70s because I had forgotten about the Marx Toy company. It also brings to my attention the two most important annual publications in my ‘70s boyhood were both released every September. They were the FALL PREVIEW TV GUIDE and the SEARS CHRISTMAS CATALOG with all the latest toys which I remember this Navarone playset being in 1976.
ReplyDeleteSGB
Don't forget the Penney's christmas catalogue.....
ReplyDeleteI loved this playset. There was also one that was a Martian-landscape there in bright colors, but that's about all I remember.
ReplyDeleteThe Mego Corporation purchased the molds from the Quaker Oats company (they bought out the Marx toy division in the early 70's) of the Navarone, Battleground and Fort Apache playsets. For the most part they kept them the same other than the occasional playset box change in the early 80's. I personally have owned all three sets of both Marx and Mego. The Mego Navarone set that I have in my possession is mint and the mountain is the grey mountain, not black as in the later years. The set came w/out the playmat and grey howitzer but everything else is the same. Great set with even greater memories!
ReplyDeleteLooking to buy one. Please help!!
ReplyDeleteHow is takes me back! I spent many of days. Having my soliders attack the mountain. I wish I could have given this playset to my son.
ReplyDeleteI am glad my dad gave me his a d still had the comic and all the pieces and the box
ReplyDelete