The Rumpus underwent a few modifications during its tenure at Idlewild, including the addition of Laffing Sal, a mechanical laughing lady sold by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. She was probably added to the ride for the 1940 season. Laffing Sal stood in front of the loading area at the entrance to the Rumpus, greeting passengers with her unmistakable shrieks and screeches, created by a concealed phonograph.
Left: Laffing Sal greets visitors to the Rumpus. Standard Pretzel ride cars
can be seen behind her.
Courtesy of Mike Mesich.
Right: Note the mention of “Laughing Sal” in this
1940 advertisement for Idlewild Park.
The Daily American (Somerset, PA) June 27, 1940.
Courtesy of the Idlewild and SoakZone Archives.
Other improvements were slated for the 1942 season; during the previous September, the building was raised about four feet and placed on stacked cinder blocks reportedly to accommodate a new machine shop set up under the ride xi but perhaps flooding from the nearby Loyalhanna Creek during storms also played a part in this decision.xii