Mug Find... The Islanders... HELP, info needed

Michigan had it's own 120 mile yard sale last weekend. I found some small stuff (damn fork & spoon, etc), but was getting depressed at the lack of any serious finds...
Until...

$10 for this set of a pitcher, 2 mugs, 2 shots, salt & pepper & salt again shakers, and a lighter (!) The seller said his father worked for the company that designed them. As far as I can tell, they are some kind of merchandising for the MGM TV show, THE ISLANDERS, from 1960.

Interestingly, the glaze in the pitcher is poorly done, and the 2 salt shakers are slightly different, leading my wife (a product designer herself) to believe that these are samples or proofs. Has anyone ever seen these? were they widely produced?
any info ???
-Z

I've never seen these before.
If it was from the Islanders of Stockton, CA., you would be rich. But don't hold your breath. Sorry, I could not help.

This Island thing IS indeed a little confusing:

There was THE ISLANDER on La Cienega in L.A. (BOT p. 12), THE ISLANDS in Phoenix (BOT p.155), and, the horn of plenty for quality mugs, THE ISLANDER in Stockton.

There also were The Islander and The Isle apartments...

However, THE ISLANDERS appears to have been an ABC series from 1960-1961 with William Reynolds and James Philbrook (?):

"The story of pilots flying their airline in the Spice Islands of the East Indies. Smugglers, escaped convicts, stolen goods, and mysterious beautiful women were always keeping them busy."

Great score!

I don't have any knowledge to add about those mugs, but I have the same ones, except for the lighter. Here's a pic of some of em:

My set has a halfsize mug too, and some kind of vessel with a lid and 4 holes - dunno what that one's for. When I got these, my first thought was the MGM casino, but that's obviously wrong for all kinds of reasons (1960 is too early, etc.).

-Randy

Z-
That is a hellofa find, no matter where it came from!
I was thinking it could be a prop from the show...which I've unfortunately never seen.

I can't imagine it being anything other than something like that with the "MGM" copyright.

Very interesting! Very good deal.
CONGRATS!

-Stingray

Since THE ISLANDERS TV show was only on for a year & a half, I'm wondering if these sets were the 1960/Tiki equivilant of all the HULK merchandinsing that's frickin' everywhere these days... ie- lots of product, but no show to back it up.
-Z

I recently found one of the half-size mugs but the markings on the bottom are different. The designer's name is left off, but in big letters are the words "Bamboo Bomb." Now we seem to have a drink to go along with these, as soon as someone (re)invents it.