This ALPS clown was featured on the musical toy themed cover of the book "Collecting Battery Toys" by Don Hultzman.    An excellent choice as this is another 1950s magical musical character toy known by all as The Happy Fiddler Clown.

The box proudly advertises this Happy Fiddler is "Playing a Tune on his Violin" as he "Realistically draws the bow across the violine strings", and you can "Watch him turn his head and sway from side to side".  The box also makes a reference to the great toy importer of the day ... "It's Cragstan for Toys". 

So is this sitting and swaying musician playing a Fiddle, or a Violin?  Actually these words are synonomous (a violin is a fiddle, a fiddle is a violin).  The difference is really the type of music played on this bowed instrument.  Speaking of music this musician really needs some practice as he emits a series of screeching that is pretty creepy.  While we dont know how the mechanism makes this noise we suspect it was modeled after a child learning to play this difficult instrument on the first day.

Special Note:  While the quality of this toy is typical of ALPS toys, the violin while looking like it is made out of wood is actually beautifully crafted from lithographed tin.