A St. Paddy's Day episode, apparently. He's getting a little testy about the whole thing. She's doomed. Very, very doomed. "Hello, editor? Let's talk about this. Meet me by the stairs." But of course. Yet said nothing. "Hi. I'm James West and this is my partner, Artemus Gordon." "We'll also be spreading a rumor that you can't hold your liquor." There's four: The Howells, the girls, the boys, and the Professor-- he needs me time to think big thoughts. I think Ginger had the Professor cooking up bamboo and coconut sex toys after the first week or so. The Castaway Cast-Offs. Oh, right. It's forgettable. I forgot to say that. Haha. Definitely sincere in this case. You don't like "Seasons In The Sun?" That's a pretty good song. No, I didn't mean he died of the virus, I just mean it must be terrible to die with the world in such dire straights. I'd rather die watching the Moon landing or the Berlin Wall coming down than seeing the world shutting down from disease or something. Okay, that time I was messing with you. You're right, it is hard to tell when I'm when I'm being serious. Let the tape recorder run. I've been working from home for about twelve years now, so I seldom go out during the week. That happened to be the week that I had to go to CVS to pick up my medicine, so technically I did get out more than usual during the self-quarantine. I'm actually not worried about myself at all, which is either a rational estimation of the odds or a character flaw. I'm mainly worried about my Aunt who has COPD and one of the members of my forum who is elderly and disabled and had a stroke. Normally I send her Whole Foods gift cards when she runs low on money, but now I've set up home delivery through Amazon Prime-- easy enough to do, but the delivery windows are practically nonexistent.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing _______ Mission: Impossible "Death Squad" Originally aired March 15, 1970 This one is indeed a total format breaker...no tape scene, no portfolio, no briefing. It starts with Barney, who's on vacation but using an assumed surname, having a romantic evening in Country of the Week with an artist named Alma (Cicely Tyson). When he leaves, she's confronted by a jealous man named Luis (Val de Vargas). Stopping down on the street to buy her flowers, Barney hears her scream, runs up, and finds himself attacked by Luis with a knife. Barney sidesteps a lunge and Luis falls through a window down to the street below and lands on his knife. The complication is that Luis was the brother of the chief of police, Corba (Pernell Roberts), who arrests Barney despite multiple testimonies that Barney was only acting in self-defense. Alma calls Jim--also there on vacation using an assumed surname--who calls a lawyer...but Chief Corba quickly gets to the lawyer, causing him to drop the case...and makes the flower man "disappear" as well. The guy in the cell across from Barney, a petty crook named Riva (Leon Askin, a.k.a. General Burkhalter from Hogan's Heroes), informs Barney that they're in the cell block reserved for condemned men. Meanwhile, Jim calls in Paris and Willy, who get a briefing after they arrive. Jim has some identities planned for them, but otherwise this situation better delivers on the idea of this being an impromptu mission. They're not going in with omniscient intel, but figuring things out as they go. Interpol Inspector Willy informs Corba and his right-hand man, Lt. Jocaro (John Schuck), that Jim and Barney are really emerald smugglers. Police transferee Sgt. Paris reports to Jocaro, whose greed they plan to use against him. Paris makes sure Jocaro knows that he's got a lot of money and likes to spend it. Meanwhile, working on his own initiative, Barney rigs up a torch in his cell to work on the lock while Riva watches. Corba pays a visit to Jim, and goes down to the block to find Barney breaking out. Jim gets a visitation with Barney, which is being spied upon. Jim feeds Barney essential parts of his script via a couple of messages written on a matchbook cover. Meanwhile, Paris and Jocaro have a private party with a couple of paid ladies. When Paris fake passes out, Jocaro searches his wallet to verify his identity. Fake coming to, Paris fake confesses that he's a fence who's interested in a prisoner recently executed by the death squad, as he may have had an emerald hidden in his possessions. Jocaro goes looking for the gem, which leads Jim and Willy to the warehouse where their gallows are hidden. They find a cabinet containing belongings of executed prisoners, as welll as a vat of sulfuric acid where the bodies are disposed of. Then they get to work rigging the gallows. Barney and Riva brought in for their dual execution, but their ropes keep going and they fall through a second trap door into the basement. Alongside Jim and Willy, they make it out to the car where Paris is waiting, their getaway aided by Paris having sabotaged the police van. Barney retrieves Alma to take her to New York, telling her that they've gathered enough evidence to have Corba hanged. Impromptu Mission: Accomplished. _______ Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Season 3, episode 26 Originally aired March 16, 1970 (season finale) The opening gags have lots of mentions of this episode featuring the wedding of Gladys and Tyrone. The last Quickies of the season: Carol Channing makes the Farkel scene. The Cocktail Party, with Carol Channing: Carol takes tips from Teresa on how to be a soul sister. Carol as Mildred, a woman who seems to get around a lot. Ernestine calls another operator: The Whoopie Award goes to the gas company. The main event--Gladys and Tyrone's Wedding: The last Joke Wall of the season: This is as far as I recorded Laugh-In before I lost Decades, so that'll be it for the show for our purposes unless something changes. It strikes me that I could follow along somewhat with the plethora of clips on YouTube, if only there were a way to identify which episodes they were from without actually watching the full episodes. _______ "Easy Faller" Originally aired March 19, 1970 Ann delivers the magic freeze-frame words this episode, but she's referring to a hypothetical girl that Donald might meet on their ski trip to Vermont. Ann isn't into skiing, but wants to spend the time with Donald, who loves it. Donald injures his back while trying to demonstrate for Ann how the skis are made to come off before twisting his ankles. Ann calls Donald's doctor, Goldfisher (Warren Berlinger)...he's the man, the man with the chiro touch. Donald can't move, so he's forced to sleep in Ann's bed. You can see where this going... Donald is self-conscious about being a bad pill-taker...I can relate, I was like that as a kid. Donald's also concerned about missing an exclusive interview with Jean Paul Lemairre (Albert Carrier), so Ann calls him to have him come to her place. Before he gets there...you guessed it...Lew drops by. When he hears Donald crying out from Ann's bed, he naturally assumes the worst; but the situation is explained inside of an edit and he helps Donald to get dressed and out into the living room, enjoying Donald's pain along the way. After another edit, Lemairre is leaving following a successful interview. Lew leaves at the same time, insisting that Donald vacate the premises shortly. In the coda, Ann is trying to help Donald get to the stairs, and injures her own back while attempting to support him. This one had bad audio issues on iTunes, which may have distracted me from noticing some "Oh, Donald"s. "Oh, Donald" count: 9 "Oh, Daddy" count: 1 _______ The Brady Bunch "Lost Locket, Found Locket" Originally aired March 20, 1970 (season finale) So Jan's middle child issues are established here, though Marcia is not yet the bane of her existence. Everyone in the family treats the locket as a mystery to be solved, but the boys in particular. They notice dropped Y's on the typewritten mailing label. Seizing this clue, the parents investigate each other--Carol and Alice go to Mike's office at night to check out his typewriter, and get in hot water with the security guard, who threatens to call Mike; while Mike is checking out Carol's typewriter at home. That night Jan wakes up and discovers the locket no longer around her neck, which triggers some melodramatic crying out that presages her famous "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" The boys come up with the idea of reenacting the crime, so the next night everyone does exactly what they were doing the night before. On cue, Jan cries out, but it's because she realized what she did before going to bed the previous night--leaned out the window to look at the Little Bear. Leaning out again, she spies her locket, which fell onto the tree outside the window, and Mike retrieves it. Later Alice takes Jan aside and privately confides to having sent the locket, showing her the typewriter that she keeps in her bedroom closet, which has been dropping its Y's. _______ Hogan's Heroes "Crittendon's Commandos" Originally aired March 20, 1970 This is Bernard Fox's sixth of eight appearances as Crittendon. The prisoners are assigned to pick up a group of commandos whose target is Field Marshal Rommel, who's recuperating from an injury at a nearby hospital. The prisoners have a plan to pick them up in a stalag truck disguised as German guards who've captured them...but when they rendezvous with the commandos they discover that Crittendon's in charge, and he blows the plan, insisting that the commandos make their way to the stalag on foot. Crittendon's the only one who makes it, after his men were surrounded and captured and he was accidentally left behind. Rather than send for more commandos, the prisoners decide to do the job in their German uniforms. But at the hospital, Crittendon pulls the switch for the air raid alarm instead of the power, following which he wants to scrub the mission, so Hogan shoots him up with the sedative that they brought for Rommel. In the coda, the prisoners learn that they rolled out the wrong man, his face having been covered by a sheet at the time. Their abductee turns out to have been an Admiral Toddly, about which Mama Bear is pleased, but the prisoners fake an excuse not to do another mission with Crittendon. _______ Adam-12 "Log 74: Light Duty" Originally aired March 21, 1970 We learn that Malloy injured himself falling over a garbage can in an alley while chasing a 211 suspect. Reed isn't injured, but is initially assigned to accompany him manning the front desk of division HQ. They're joined by new academy graduate Officer Doris Mills (Beth Brickell), who sits back and watches them, and gives them an excuse to explain how things work there. Continuity point: Reed says that he's been with the department for eight months. An elderly woman named Mrs. Higgins (Louise Lorimer) is brought in after loitering for 10 hours at a bus station. Malloy and Mills try to get her story and are able to determine that she's been living in L.A. but wants to go back home to Detroit. Eventually Higgins gives in and has them call her daughter in Bel Air, after she'd been denying knowing anybody in L.A. Reed has issues filling out a form for a complainant who's had a door stolen from his car as he shares more details..first Reed fills it out as a stolen vehicle report, then a as a theft when he finds out that only the door was taken, after which Malloy informs him that because the car was locked, it actually counts as a burglary. All the while, everyone at the station is concerned over a student rally that may get ugly because of a group of agitators called the Sympathizers. After a major 415 is announced on the radio, Boyett takes Reed with him to rally and leaves Malloy as acting watch commander. Mills takes Reed's phone. She and Malloy (still at the front desk) listen via radio as the situation further escalates. Reed is injured by a thrown object and taken to the hospital, and Jean calls, concerned about her husband's possible involvement with the rally. A man named Ed Ligh (Robert Clarke) comes in to pick up his son (Scott McCartor), who was arrested for shoplifting. From what he says to his father, it becomes clear that Ed Jr. is begging for discipline...or maybe attention in general. A man named Bill Bradley (John Nolan) claims to be looking for a brother who may have been arrested. The name of the brother matches a liquor store robber who was brought in earlier and had two partners who hadn't been caught. (I had to go back and find the scene where that happened.) Malloy makes an excuse to go out to the parking lot; sees the third man, who's waiting in the car outside; and draws his gun and brings him in, arresting both. _______ Maybe they had ambitions for a theatrical release (hence the color), and wanted to give him a dramatic entrance. Not necessarily, as his situation will keep them apart. That might have mattered if it supported Jason's account, had Jason been trying to establish his innocence. But he didn't want that info out. Hadn't thought of that! That was always my impression, but the series hadn't yet clearly established that...first they were supposedly in a community hut, then the women split off. Point taken and agreed with. I've gotten familiar with it already, but it's an underwhelming little bit of nothing. Schmaltzy fluff. I'm not alone... Ah, you must do something different from what I thought you did. Best wishes to them. I need to get in touch with my Dad. My sister's his main point of contact as they live near each other in Colorado, but she has health issues of her own and now can't go in to do anything for him.
It's sad, yet somehow appropriate, that Barney spends most of his solo episode in a cell. Were they somehow alerted to this, or did they think they were really going to be hanged? Definitely off format: Instead of an off-screen gunshot sound effect, an off-screen creaking rope sound effect. Whose real name turns out to be Lestat. Or the best, depending on your point of view. Wow, that's a bit sadistic. Mystery solved. But... purpose defeated. Good old Bernard Fox. Because everything happens within walking distance of Stalag 13. Germans threaten their people with being sent to the Russian front, Allies threaten their people with working with Crittendon. Crittendon is rubbing off on them. That marriage is doomed. Malloy's a great cop. When he's injured, the criminals actually come to him. I'll bet that's exactly it. Another great crossover opportunity. I do remember the community hut. Weird. Overly sentimentalized? The guy is dying! Nah, it may be out of fashion, but it's a good song. I probably mentioned running the Midwifery Service, but probably didn't mention that I left there in 2007. Didn't want to be part of the cover up. Now I'm kind of a troubleshooter for a non-profit health insurance company. I'm the guy you get if you call and ask for a supervisor-- or who gets dumped with the nightmares that nobody else wants to deal with. I hope they're okay. I worry most about people who have health issues that make them vulnerable. But keep in mind that most people who are exposed don't get it, most people who get it have only mild symptoms, and most people who get severe symptoms pull through. It's a dangerous disease, especially if it spreads out of control, but on an individual level the odds are in your favor.
It has a particular focus on him, but was hardly a solo episode. That's a good question. I didn't catch it if they clued him in that he needed to go through with the hanging...but I do recall that when offered a hood, Barney refused, and Riva followed his lead. Well, they bonded over their middle child statuses. It was pretty careless of them not to even peek under the sheet. And did they put the sheet over his face? Because I'm sure that patients don't usually sleep like that. Jean's in the final episode of the series, but she has been replaced with another actress... Guess I never paid that much attention to the lyrics...it put me off on a musical level. Spoken like an insurance guy, but comforting.
It always annoyed me that they call him Colonel Crittendon. There is no such rank in the Royal Air Force, he would be Group Captain Crittendon.
It seems like something similar happened recently-- I think it was on Ironside. The episode focused on a particular character, but she was captive the whole time. I sure hope they extended Barney's vacation. Not unless they're not going to be waking up. Jack Webb planned yet another Dragnet revival in the early 80s before he died, and Kent McCord was going to be his partner. It's not clear if he was going to play an older Reed, but that sure would have been interesting. I find that the music complements the air of finality. The lyrics are great. It's actually a variation on an older Rod McKuen song, which I remember hearing once a long time ago-- and which I just found out right now is a rewrite of a Belgian song. More like a science guy. The numbers that they're giving us tell us that at least 98% of people who are infected survive overall (that's worldwide, so higher in the states). Beyond that, we must keep in mind that those numbers are already skewed toward morbidity and mortality because the vast majority of people being tested are those who are sick or dead. This is not to say that it's not a dangerous disease, because a 2% mortality rate can be catastrophic, depending on how infectious it turns out to be. But they were already finding positives with an unknown vector within about a week of the first identified case in Washington. So on an individual level, if you take reasonable precautions (and you don't have co-morbid conditions), the odds are pretty good. Maybe they wanted the audience to see him as Hogan's peer.
I've heard of that. Don't think Webb and McCord would've made a good pairing for the Mark VII formula, though...each was the straight man of his show. Indeed, Crittendon pulled rank on Hogan in this episode, because he had more time in grade.
That's a good point. They would have to have lightened Reed up a lot in his later years, and I'm not sure if the actor would have been able to work with that. There you go. Otherwise, Hogan could have shut down his silliness and less hilarity would have ensued.
55 Years Ago This Week Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week: Leaving the chart: "Ask the Lonely," Four Tops (8 weeks) "Downtown," Petula Clark (15 weeks) 4 by the Beatles [EP], The Beatles (5 weeks) "Goldfinger," John Barry & His Orchestra (3 weeks) "Goodnight," Roy Orbison (7 weeks) "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," The Beatles (6 weeks) "The Jolly Green Giant," The Kingsmen (12 weeks) "Midnight Special," Johnny Rivers (8 weeks) "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," The Righteous Brothers (16 weeks) Recent and new on the chart: "Subterranean Homesick Blues," Bob Dylan (#39 US; #6 AC; #9 UK; #332 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) "She's About a Mover," Sir Douglas Quintet (#13 US; #15 UK) "Silhouettes," Herman's Hermits (#5 US; #3 UK) "Count Me In," Gary Lewis & The Playboys (#2 US) "Wooly Bully," Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs (#2 US; #31 R&B; #11 UK; #1 on Billboard's 1965 Year-End Chart of Pop Singles) And new on the boob tube: The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 17, episode 26, featuring Little Anthony & The Imperials, Jackie Vernon, Bobby Vinton, Les Marcellis, and Sergio Franchi & Elizabeth Allen Branded, "The Mission" (part three) 12 O'Clock High, "The Mission" Gilligan's Island, "New Neighbor Sam" _______
Quintessential Dylan. And I love that video. He looks about twelve. Ah, the Sir Douglas Quintet. Not their best. Or is it? Also not their best. And again not their best, but catchy. Haha. A classic indeed. Of a sort.
50 Years Ago This Week Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week: Leaving the chart: "Hey There Lonely Girl," Eddie Holman (14 weeks) "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)," Lulu (14 weeks) "Psychedelic Shack," The Temptations (11 weeks) "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," B. J. Thomas (22 weeks) "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," Sly & The Family Stone (13 weeks) "The Thrill Is Gone," B.B. King (14 weeks) Recent and new on the chart: "You're the One, Part 2," Little Sister (Feb. 28; #22 US; #4 R&B) "Come Running," Van Morrison (#39 US) "Make Me Smile," Chicago (#9 US) "Everything Is Beautiful," Ray Stevens (#1 US the weeks of May 30 and June 6, 1970; #1 AC; #39 Country; #6 UK) And new on the boob tube: Mission: Impossible, "The Martyr" (season finale) Ironside, "Little Dog, Gone" Adam-12, "Log 134: Child Stealer" _______ Nah, at least sixteen. A substantial step forward in popular music. And I tried to find some verification for that AC chart peak, which seems wrong...I wouldn't think something like this would have made it into the top 10 of the Easy Listening chart back in the day. Anyway, it's gonna be a bit before Bringing It All Back Home gets its turn in the album spotlight, so I'll drop this spoiler: Me like it! Singles chart-wise...yes. Not much to say about this one...second-hand Ray Charles. This one is a cover of a song co-written by Bob Crewe that was originally a hit for the Rays in 1957. For whatever reason, a separate but simultaneously charting single by the Hermits will be coming our way in just a couple of weeks...one that might be considered the group's definitive hit. That first part is being a little too dismissive of both its chart success and enduring presence on oldies radio. I might have thought this one was from ca. 1963. It'll always remind me of something I read in a letter column in the late '80s...not sure what publication it was, might have been RS...where they'd just done a survey of the greatest songs of either the rock & roll era or the '60s specifically, and somebody said that they owed an apology to everything that had ranked lower than "Wooly Bully".
I still have my vinyl copy of Highway 61 Revisited. Loved Subteranean from the first time I heard it. Great album, though I’m sure Dylan’s “purest” folk fans still hate it. This was a classic 60’s “single,” that had little more to offer than fun, but it was a lot of FUN. Lord, I haven’t heard this song in a hundred years. This was when Sly was great, when he used his entire band. I think his massive drug fueled ego destroyed him artistically. But apparently my opinion is in the minority because critics and fans loved There’s a Riot Going On. I’m here for anything Van Morrison did during this period. I loved his vocal style. That thing he did where he would seem to jam too many words into a bar, but always manage end up on the beat was great. Very “churchy.” I was a big Chicago fan. But I think the band split up or something and I HATED all those sappy ballads that came as a result. Smile is the way they did ballads in their good old day.
Sounds like the 70s... are here. I'm not familiar with it, but it sounds nice. I was confused by the title and artist versus the cover graphic-- I had no idea there was a Sly & The Family Stone spinoff. Not his most memorable work, but it sounds like Van. Very nice, with that distinctive Chicago sound. This is a well-remembered song. It's a very nice sentiment. I don't know if it stands up to scrutiny, but it's a very nice sentiment. I'm frequently surprised by the original success, or lack of it, of songs that are now iconic. I'm not saying it's bad, but they did better. Actually this is one that I could have hit with "Sounds like the 50s." Ouch. My feeling is that any theme or subject is acceptable for the arts-- fun is no less valid than profundity.
_______ 55th Anniversary Viewing _______ The Ed Sullivan Show Season 17, episode 25 Originally aired March 21, 1965 As represented in The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show Ed introduces Gary Lewis as Jerry's son and has him take a bow. I would've seen this before, but I didn't realize that Gary was a singing drummer to boot...and with the group's logo spread across two drums. That said, this appears to be a lip-sync performance. The version of the video below has the added benefit of an intro by Adam West! Ed's referring to the set, which has barred gates and a vault door opening to reveal Connie, dressed in a metallic dress that I'm sure must have been golden, who gives a rushed-sounding, vanilla performance of the iconic Bond theme. tv.com says that she also did a number called "For Mama" and a Gospel medley consisting of "Up Above My Head," "Glory, Glory," and "Light of Love". Aided by a female assistant, Beckers weaves in and out of line consisting of a teapot and teacups on saucers and picks them up one by one with one hand to balance them on a tray with his other hand. He then gives extra attention to picking up one very small object...I think it's a sugar cube, but it looks more rectangular. Initially the trombones carry the melody of the lyrics, then more brass kicks in and Woody does a clarinet solo. Following a commercial break in the Best of edit... Accompanied by Woddy's orchestra, Tony performs "Lullabye of Broadway"; then introduces his next number as one of the "better ones" that "they're now writing"...giving credit to Anthony Newley for the slower "Who Can I Turn To". Newley was also one of the cowriters of "Goldfinger," along with John Barry and Leslie Bricusse. tv.com says that Tony also performed "Love Scene" and "If I Ruled The World". Carroll's routine involves dealing with an overbearing salesgirl while shopping for a dress at a department store. Gary & the Playboys are now, of course, miming their fresh new sophomore single, "Count Me In". Gary is briefly shown going over to shake Ed's hand afterward. Also in the original episode according to tv.com: _______ Branded "The Mission" (part two) Originally aired March 21, 1965 Now this one used a color version of the Season 1 credits, with the Season 1 logo. President Grant needs Jason to infiltrate the outlaw band, which he wants to do on the down-low to avoid a messy war. He feels that Jason's status as a coward and pariah who might convincingly portray a grudge against the US Army puts him in a unique position to do this. Jason is to steer the band into attacking Fort Perry, which Colonel Snow is commanding, and get a message to Snow. He goes to see his grandfather before leaving (as John Carradine's character is now clearly identified). South of the border, Jason finds the locals none too friendly, even though they don't yet know who he is, and ends up in a bar fight. Getting the local honcho, Crispo (Peter Breck), at gunpoint, he demands to see the leader of the band, but is then knocked out by one of them from behind. We next see Jason talking to the next man up the chain, Brissac (H.M. Wynant), who does know Jason by reputation. Pretending to have a score to settle with the Army, Jason makes a convincing argument for the band's targets having become too predictable, and offers Fort Perry as a place that he can help them get into and out of. Brissac is taken to the head man, General Arriola (Special Guest Villain Cesar Romero!), and shares the plan with him. However, we see Arriola order Brissac to kill Jason once he's gotten them into the fort. While Jason is training the men to impersonate cavalry officers, Crispo challenges McCord, taunting him for cowardice, and Jason knocks him on his ass. On the night before the raid, Jason and Brissac find that Crispo and some men have killed cavalry soldiers near the border and taken their uniforms. Brissac isn't pleased with this action for the unwanted attention that it might draw, but hands Jason a colonel's uniform. When he's alone, Jason finds that his new duds came from none other than Colonel Snow...which is a problem, as he was the only one besides the president who knew about Jason's mission. Nevertheless, Jason and the band ride out the next morning to proceed with the raid. Tune in next week--Same Brand-Time, Same Brand-Channel! Kamala Devi gets the first end credit, though she wasn't in this part. _______ 12 O'Clock High "Mutiny at Ten Thousand Feet" Originally aired March 26, 1965 https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/the-classic-retro-pop-culture-thread.278375/page-68#post-12235185 _______ Gilligan's Island "Music Hath Charm" Originally aired March 27, 1965 Mrs. Howell gets the inspiration from Gilligan banging on some makeshift drums...but natives on another island hear his playing and mistake it for the war drums of an enemy tribe. Of course, the idea of forming an orchestra with only seven castaways is the show's inherent microcosm absurdity at work. Among other beats, Mr. Howell and the Skipper compete over who gets to be the conductor--add conducting a Navy band to the Skipper's service record. Mrs. Howell ends up conducting, with everyone else manning makeshift instruments. Their first number is "The Blue Danube"...three years before the movie that I'm sure most of us have come to associate it with...but including a drum solo that reinforces the tribe's misconceptions. Soon the castaways find the entire island being invaded. The castaways hide out in a cave, but food and warmth become considerations, forcing them to act. Based upon something that the Professor read about, they try to trick the natives into thinking they're gods via various devices--the radio (which Gilligan drops), a flashlight (which Gilligan forgot to put batteries in, but the Skipper didn't think to test), and a fire extinguisher--getting the Professor, the Skipper, and Mr. Howell captured one by one. When the rest go looking for them, they find everyone at the castaways' camp, where the three men are entertaining the natives by playing their instruments. The natives leave on friendly terms, but Gilligan's attempt to give them a send-off with more drum playing is heard by natives on a third island... _______ Screw them, this is Dylan entering his peak period. This one is a late addition as it escaped my notice when it first entered the chart, but I found that it was moving into the top 30 next week. And yep, it was a spinoff consisting of Sly & the Family's background vocalists, who were headed by Sly's little sister, Vet. As for There's a Riot Goin' On, it's on the Rolling Stone list, so I should be getting to it when it comes up in a couple of years. On the subject of well-known classic songs that surprisingly weren't hits in their day, add the title track of Van's 1970 album Moondance...which will be belatedly released as a single later in the decade, but still won't see chart success...yet went on to become an oldies radio staple. Moondance is slated to be my next album spotlight...hence the inclusion of the modestly charting "Come Running". There were some major shake-ups in the band in the early '80s, which resulted in the change of sound to synth-heavy power ballads. We can enjoy them in their classic prime for the next several years in the meantime. I'm on the fence about getting this one. If it were the same song by a one-hit wonder, I'd probably err on the side of doing so...but in this case, it'd be opening up the Ray Stevens can of worms. Even if I limited myself to only getting his #1's, I'd still be obligating myself to also get "The Streak"...
This is terrible. Maybe she never heard the original. Shirley Bassey had one of the greatest voices of the rock era and knew how to use it. Connie Francis was an average singer at best and proves it by giving a song that lends itself to great voices, the most pedestrian of readings. I’d love to know why this happened.
He seems very happy for someone who just lost his fiancee. Some things just can't be improved upon, and the Goldfinger theme is one of them. Well, that was a drastic reinterpretation. Groovy. And he doesn't have to hide his mustache. Not even grandpa? Because I'm guessing John Carradine must fit into the finale somehow. Good thing Gary Lewis wasn't on the Minnow. There we go. They really were lucky to be stranded on the only island in the region not occupied by hostile natives. And make a memorable appearance in American Werewolf in London. Cute song, but I don't think I want it in my MP3 folder.
...and gained a #1 single. Alas, he wasn't in Part Three. It's interesting, how this three-parter was structured like three separate episodes telling a common story...each part has its own distinct locale/focus. I think Gramps knew that he had something important to do, but not what it was. And he's not in the finale either. I did not know that...no doubt a substantial factor in the song's oldies radio exposure.
He should have added a verse about "Bet you're sorry now-- I'm on Ed Sullivan!" Maybe that's why they didn't go with a theatrical release. That's too bad. I was expecting him to be pivotal. Could be. The movie made a pretty big splash at the time.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing _______ The Ed Sullivan Show Season 22, episode 25 Originally aired March 22, 1970 As represented in The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show Before the performance, Ed goes over to Liberace to admire his fur coat and tries it on himself. Liberace proceeds to deliver a muzaky instrumental rendition of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," accompanied by a likely pre-recorded orchestra. tv.com says that he also did "The Impossible Dream," but somebody probably got their notes confused, as those two are listed as being part of a medley with "Milwaukee's Most Famous Brew"...! Liza performs a song called "If I Were in Your Shoes," which sounds like a show tune. After the song, Ed brings her over and congratulates her for being nominated for an Academy Award for her starring role in the 1969 film The Sterile Cuckoo. Schweitzer starts with some trickery using the usual balls...then he does the thing with three cigar boxes where he keeps the middle one in the air while moving around the other two...which doesn't look that impressive up to a point, and he even accidentally tosses one of the boxes across the stage during his finale. Apparently the song was from the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. McKuen brings some character to his performance that I wasn't getting from the "Oliver" single. Also in the original episode according to tv.com: _______ Mission: Impossible "The Choice" Originally aired March 22, 1970 Vautrain has an interest in horror and illusion, so Jim puts on a public stage show in which he fake electrocutes Paris, who's made up to more strongly resemble Vautrain. Vautrain attends, and has his ally, police chief Colonel Benet (Alan Bergmann), inspect the electric chair. Oddly, Jim and Paris don't seem to let the audience in on the fact that they didn't just watch a man get killed. Jim and Paris are subsequently caught setting up a podium for electrocution at an opening of a peace exhibit that Vautrain will be attending in place of the duchess. Jim and Paris talk openly in the cell that they've confirmed is bugged of their fake plot to have Paris replace Vautrain and pull his electrocution-surviving stage trick (which involves wired gloves made to look like bare hands) in an attempt to awe Theresa, then persuade her to name First Minister Henri Picard (Arthur Franz)--a former flame who's become estranged due to Vautrain's influence--as her successor. Vautrain partially undisguises Paris to find he was groomed to even more closely resemble Vautrain underneath. Impressed with the idea and seeing an opportunity, Vautrain wants Jim to go through with the trick, but with the real Vautrain, to give him an excuse to have Picard executed. Barney and Willy take out Vautrain and police henchgoon Goujon (Sid Haig) backstage, and Paris replaces Vautrain as fake planned to pull the trick at the podium. Vautrain finds himself taken captive with Jim, escapes per IMF plan, and has a confrontation with Paris in Theresa's study with Picard and Benet present. This involves an IMF-rigged shooting attempt using a gun that Vautrain stole in his escape attempt and some planted squibs, such that Paris seems to miraculously survive Vautrain's shot. Vautrain runs out of the room, Paris calls security telling them that the man who looks like him is an impostor, and the sound of shots being fired is quickly heard from the study. Mission: Ac--wait, there's more. Then Fake Vautrain, maintaining his disguise, confesses to Theresa that he's been using tricks to influence her and that he plans to return to the sanctuary that he came from, and persuades her to put her trust in Picard and get rid of Benet. Picard takes Paris aside to thank him, having figured out that he isn't really Vautrain. Can't say this one has aged well, with the weak female ruler who's a figurehead for the right man. _______ "All's Well That Ends" Originally aired March 26, 1970 (season finale) I'm pretty sure we've had at least one other story involving Ann's birthday...I wonder how this lines up airdate-wise with that one. Donald gets the tickets but pretends not to have, planning to spring it on Ann as a surprise. Ann's married-with-children friend of the week, Janie Downs (Mary Robin Redd), is visiting when Donald breaks the fake bad news via phone, so Ann offers to take care of the baby instead of going on what she thought would be a mundane birthday date with Donald. When Donald drops by to pick her up, she already has infant Bobby...who must be just about my age. Donald tries to sell the tickets back to the guy who just sold them to him, who haggles down the price. The baby potentially being sick doesn't come up until Ann and Donald are both watching him. Ann frets that it's the mumps and worries that she'll get them herself. They wind up getting ahold of the baby's doctor, who determines that there's nothing wrong with the child. Ann falls asleep on the couch and, during the commercial break, Donald stays up for when the Downses come back to pick up Bobby and puts her to bed. In the coda, Ann wakes up in her bed to find a note that Donald wrote for her while watching her sleep...meant to play as a purely romantic thing, but I can imagine how it would go over nowadays. And that's all for the penultimate season of That Girl. I'm currently recording Season 5 on Antenna, even though they're likely chopped to hell. "Oh, Donald" count: 17+ (I really should have been keeping track, because that may be a record) "Oh, Doctor" count: 1 _______ Ironside "Good Will Tour" Originally aired March 26, 1970 It appears that I didn't get a recording of this one from Cozi for whatever reason. The top-billed guest was Bradford Dillman as the Prince. _______ Hogan's Heroes "Klink's Escape" Originally aired March 27, 1970 (season finale) The underground station is of course Stalag 13. Burkhalter has security increased because of all the escapes in the area, making the tunnel unsafe to use; and Klink wants to locate the escape station for Burkhalter. Hogan plants an idea in Klink's head...indirectly, via Schultz...to allow the Stalag 13 prisoners to escape so that they can be tracked to the station. Thus Klink suddenly pulls out all the stops to encourage and enable the prisoners to attempt an escape. The prisoners play hard to get on the matter, acting as model inmates up to a point...even finding Schultz's rifle for him when he makes an obvious show of supposedly having lost it. Finally, they have a scripted conversation in front of a bugged ceiling lamp in which they vote to attempt an escape. They have another conversation via the lamp in which they further plant the idea of having Klink allow them to take him hostage, for reasons that I didn't catch. This scene is played as a split-screen pseudo-dialogue between Klink's office, where the prisoners are being listened to, and the prisoners talking into the lamp back in their barracks. Finally going through with their faux escape attempt, they take Klink's car to a railroad tunnel that they need to blow, then return it to the stalag, all while Klink sits in the car blindfolded. When Klink finds that he's back at Stalag 13, Hogan pretends that they've had a change of heart. DIS-missed! _______ Adam-12 "Log 114: The Hero" Originally aired March 28, 1970 Reed and Malloy are on patrol when they see smoke, which leads them to a burning warehouse. There they see a young man (A Martinez) who was already on the scene running into the blaze. He carries out a watchman (John Steadman) just as the fire department arrives. At the hospital the officers learn that his name is Lauro Perez, but he's not very talkative. A detective (Harry Lauter) informs the officers that the fire department believes it was arson, but Perez isn't a suspect. Back on patrol, Reed is putting in a code seven when they're assigned to a 415, possible jumper. Proceeding to an apartment, they find a very drunk man (Jack Perkins) who's been leaning carelessly out a window. Back at the station, Mac has the officers accompany Lt. Chavez (Richard Angarola) from Community Relations, who wants to give Lauro a citation (the good kind), to the Perez home. Lauro's father (Natividad Vacío) and kid brother are very proud, but Lauro seems uncomfortable with the attention and ultimately walks out. After another call that involves Malloy giving CPR to a man with a heart condition, the officers return to the station to attend a press reception for Perez, who finds out that the police have arrested a suspect in the arson case. Reed and Malloy drive Lauro home, where Mr. Perez has them come in for a surprise party for his son, who acts sullen and talks privately with his girlfriend, Rita (Mina Vasquez). After leaving the officers return to the house to find out what's wrong with Lauro. Rita tells them that he was planning to see them and leads them to a church, where they find him praying and he confesses to having accidentally started the fire while trying to burglarize the warehouse for wedding money. Mr. Perez and Rita comfort him, emphasizing that he's still a hero. In the coda, Lt. Chavez promises to do everything he can to help Lauro, whom he feels did earn the citation, though he won't be getting it now. Back on patrol, Reed tries to call in another code seven and is told to respond to two calls. Yep, I think this is the beginning of their infamously bad code seven streak. _______
I remember that. He's a very sincere artist. It's a variation of the Rasputin story. Kind of funny that it involves a Nancy Reagan lookalike, though, since she was the power, or at least the brains, behind the Reagan throne. But, in fact, it was this mad doctor who infected the baby with his own laboratory-created virus. And the next morning, Ann does not wake up-- although she does get up. Romance is dead. Except maybe for the honeymoon episode. I never realized that Ivan Dixon escaped from the show. "Thirty days in the COOLER!" I have no idea where this plot is going. Two calls at once? The dispatcher is really messing with them. She must be one of Malloy's exes or something.