Whoopee cap
George Lindsey as Goober Pyle wearing a typical whoopee cap
A whoopee cap[1] is a style of headwear popular among youths in the mid 20th century in the United States. It was often made from a man's felt fedora hat with the brim trimmed with a scalloped cut and turned up. In the 1920s and 1930s, such caps usually indicated the wearer was a mechanic.[2]
In popular culture
Television and film
- The character Goober Pyle in The Andy Griffith Show wears this.
- In the 1974 film Death Wish, Jeff Goldblum wore one in his screen debut as the truly deviant 'Freak #1'.
- Leo Gorcey wore a similar beanie playing opposite James Cagney in the 1938 film, 'Angels with Dirty Faces'.
Other media
- The Archie comics have Jughead Jones wear this cap.
- The Encyclopedia Brown novels have the primary antagonist, Bugs Meany, don this cap.
- They popped up in several popular songs of the day, including "The Whoopee Hat Brigade", which was recorded by many different bands.