The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

A couple of things I remember reading about High Noon when I checked the movie out a couple of years back...in its time, it was criticized for being "un-American"; and it was a favorite of Bill Clinton, who screened it in the White House theater multiple times.

Now we're talking.

An enjoyable piece of proto-R&R.

Okay, wait a sec....

Don't make us disavow you...

What's wrong with Charlie Chaplin? He never said a thing.

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

One of my favorite childhood shows, except for that really scary episode.

Still hung up on the guy in the cardboard robot suit with a funnel for a nose?

In the Grumman F-11 Tiger, whose career in the fleet only lasted about four years, being thoroughly outshined by the F-8. But it was a good-handling airplane, and top speed and range didn't matter much at an air show, so the Blue Angels stuck with the Tiger for almost 12 years before switching to the much bigger, two-seat F-4. I think the six-ship delta maneuvers and landing in the video were first done with the F-11. When I was a kid there was almost zero information readily available about the F-11, it was kind of forgotten despite its long run with the Blues.

A fun fact that I ran across while skimming its Wiki page:

The F-11 Tiger is noted for being the first jet aircraft to shoot itself down. On 21 September 1956, during a test-firing of its 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, pilot Tom Attridge fired two bursts midway through a shallow dive. As the trajectory of the cannon rounds decayed, they ultimately crossed paths with the Tiger as it continued its descent, disabling it and forcing Attridge to crash-land the aircraft; he survived.

_______

On the topic of potential comic book references in vintage songs...the following line in "Randy Scouse Git" from Headquarters came to my attention:

The being known as Wonder Girl is speaking, I believe​

A deliberate reference? Would we have a hardcore, dyed-in-the-wool Monkees fan in the house who might be able to shed some light on this?

_______

When "Mary Had a Little Lamb" charted a couple weeks back, it escaped my attention that it was listed as a double A-side with the following track:

"Little Woman Love," Wings

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[DarrenTR1970]

On the topic of potential comic book references in vintage songs...the following line in "Randy Scouse Git" from Headquarters came to my attention:

The being known as Wonder Girl is speaking, I believe​

A deliberate reference? Would we have a hardcore, dyed-in-the-wool Monkees fan in the house who might be able to shed some light on this?

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Well, since you asked. I checked my Monkees Complete Recording Sessions book and in it, Micky says it's a reference to his future wife Samantha Juste (presenter on BBC's "Top of the Pops" and mother of actress Ami Dolenz), whom he was dating at the time.

The two met when Micky and Mike flew to England to promote the single "I'm A Believer" which had just reached number one on the British charts.

In Harry Nilsson's biography, she recalls that it was Micky's hard partying with Harry that led to the subsequent disillusion of their marriage.

In the documentary, Mickey is interviewed and he recalled a time Harry showed up at Micky's doorstep, the two went out partying and Mickey got so blackout drunk, he woke up a week later in a hotel room in a different state, not knowing how he got there. That's when he realized it was time to get off the "Harry Train".

 

[gblews]

Also in August, "Juke" by Little Walter & His Night Cats (#1 R&B) is released

Also in July, "Rock Me All Night Long" by The Ravens (#4 R&B) is released.

This was the music my mother and her friends partied to. My sister and my brother and I would laugh our heads off watching them dance.It wasn’t until years later that I gained an appreciation for jump blurs. Not only was this music a precursor to rock n roll, it also eventually gave rise to doo wop , r&b and soul, which led to the first “boy band” era in the early 60’s.

There is a pretty good movie that came out about 10 years ago called “Cadillac Records” which chronicles the rise and fall of Chicago’s legendary blues house, Chess Records ,
which was home to great blues artists, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolfe, Chuck Berry, and more. I do recommend

on September 19, George Reeves's Man of Steel flies into American households:

I loved this show so much as a kid. If played as a straightforward adventure/drama. I was expecting the same from Batman ‘66. But alas, what a disappointment.

 

[scotpens]

55 Years Ago This Week
July 7

• Pan American Flight 100 from New York landed in London, becoming the first commercial airline flight to make a fully automatic landing without the intervention of the crew. The four-engine Boeing 727 used the new Precision Approach and Landing System (PALS), guided by signals from Heathrow Airport. The 111 passengers on board Pan Am 100 were not informed until after the "no hands" landing, but applauded the announcement.

What's the source for that info? According to this linked article, the world's first automatic landing of an airliner on a scheduled commercial flight took place two years earlier, in 1965. The aircraft was a three-engined Hawker Siddeley Trident owned by British European Airways (BEA), flying from Le Bourget airport (Paris) to Heathrow (London).

In any case, the Boeing 727 is also a tri-jet.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Still hung up on the guy in the cardboard robot suit with a funnel for a nose?

You weren't there, man. You don't know what it was like!

"Little Woman Love," Wings

Well, it's better than "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

 

[The Old Mixer]

Well, since you asked. I checked my Monkees Complete Recording Sessions book and in it, Micky says it's a reference to his future wife Samantha Juste (presenter on BBC's "Top of the Pops" and mother of actress Ami Dolenz), whom he was dating at the time.

The question then would be, was the nickname based on the comic character, or independently derived?

I loved this show so much as a kid. If played as a straightforward adventure/drama. I was expecting the same from Batman ‘66. But alas, what a disappointment.

I find that Batman views better for me as an adult, as it has that tongue-in-cheek humor; whereas Superman is generally weakly written.

What's the source for that info? According to this linked article, the world's first automatic landing of an airliner on a scheduled commercial flight took place two years earlier, in 1965. The aircraft was a three-engined Hawker Siddeley Trident owned by British European Airways (BEA), flying from Le Bourget airport (Paris) to Heathrow (London).

July 1967 - Wikipedia
July 1967 - Wikipedia

Well, it's better than "Mary Had A Little Lamb."

A fluffy, relatively indistinct little ditty, but reportedly some stations preferred to play it over the other side.

 

[scotpens]

Wikipedia isn't always the most reliable source of information. At the very least, we know a 727 doesn't have four engines!

 

[Kor]

The Green Hornet TV series was good as a more straightforward masked hero show without the wink-wink absurdity of Batman '66. Unfortunately, I think the Green Hornet is still not officially available on a modern home video format due to complicated issues of licensing and distribution rights or whatever.

Kor

 

[The Old Mixer]

Wikipedia isn't always the most reliable source of information. At the very least, we know a 727 doesn't have four engines!

It's where I've always quoted the news items from...can't promise they'll be accurate.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Living here in Boeing country I can assure you that the 727 has three engines. The very first 727 is on display at the Boeing Museum of Flight. I've been onboard it. It's the only tri-engine plane that Boeing built, the rest being either two or four engines.

 

[The Old Mixer]

_______

Really Big Anniversary Viewing

_______

The Ed Sullivan Show
Season 18, episode 40
Originally aired June 26, 1966
Season finale

Performances listed on Metacritic:

• Jerry Vale (singer) - "The Song Is You" & "It's Magic" medley
• Birgit Nilsson (Metropolitan Opera soprano) - "Pace, Pace, Mio Dio" (from Verdi's "La Forze del Destino")

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

​

• The Swinging Lads (two singers and four musicians) - perform "Sermonette"
• Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (comedy team) - reporter interviews a man who spent 24 years inside a whale
• Nancy Walker, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Julia Meade - do a delicatessen sketch

[This was also listed as being in an episode we already covered, but it looks like the clip is no longer available.]​

• London Lee (comedian)
• The Arirang Ballet (Korean dance and instrumental group)
• Joyce Cuoco (12-year-old ballerina) - performs a solo dance
• The Yong Brothers (balancing act)
• The Berosini Chimps (animal act)

_______

 

[RJDiogenes]

Season finale

Kind of weak for a season finale. More like running out of steam than a big finish.

Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara (comedy team) - reporter interviews a man who spent 24 years inside a whale

I'm sure that was good.

Nancy Walker, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Julia Meade - do a delicatessen sketch

[This was also listed as being in an episode we already covered, but it looks like the clip is no longer available.]​

​

That was great. It still seems like it's the only actual skit they ever did.

• London Lee (comedian)
• The Arirang Ballet (Korean dance and instrumental group)
• Joyce Cuoco (12-year-old ballerina) - performs a solo dance
• The Yong Brothers (balancing act)
• The Berosini Chimps (animal act)

Probably entertaining, but you'd think they'd have some bigger names scheduled for the finale. Their best item was a re-run from a previous episode.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

July 14 – In Charles M. Schulz' Peanuts Linus van Pelt makes his debut, though he only appears on screen on 19 September. [Shouldn't that be "on panel"?]

Linus is often overlooked as one of the most important sidekick characters (let's face it, he was as much a sidekick as a best friend to Brown) in comic strip history.

Also on September 19, George Reeves's Man of Steel flies into American households:

Sheesh...the Tired Uncle of Steel.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Kind of weak for a season finale. More like running out of steam than a big finish.

Probably entertaining, but you'd think they'd have some bigger names scheduled for the finale. Their best item was a re-run from a previous episode.

Like most shows of the era, I'm sure that didn't have proper finales in mind...they were just fading into the summer reruns.

Sheesh...the Tired Uncle of Steel.

George Reeves kept the Man of Steel healthy during the transition between the Golden and Silver Ages, when the superhero was an endangered species.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Sheesh...the Tired Uncle of Steel.

For me George Reeves has always been Superman of Earth-2 and Christopher Reeve the Superman of Earth-1. Both brought their own dignity and interpretation to the role.

 

[The Old Mixer]

It came to my attention today that "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is a waltz...I wonder if anyone ever danced to it...

 

[RJDiogenes]

Linus is often overlooked as one of the most important sidekick characters (let's face it, he was as much a sidekick as a best friend to Brown) in comic strip history.

He was often a mentor character, I think.

Sheesh...the Tired Uncle of Steel.

No, that's me.

Like most shows of the era, I'm sure that didn't have proper finales in mind...they were just fading into the summer reruns.

True, they cared more about premieres in those days.

It came to my attention today that "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is a waltz...I wonder if anyone ever danced to it...

Probably many, but they weren't necessarily waltzing.

 

[TREK_GOD_1]

He was often a mentor character, I think.

At times, he would seem to be wise beyond his years, but he was more of a follower to Brown.

 

[The Old Mixer]

At times, he would seem to be wise beyond his years, but he was more of a follower to Brown.

Rule 1 of Charlie Brown: Nobody refers to him as just "Charlie" or "Brown". He is, however, sometimes referred to as "Chuck".

 

[Nerys Myk]

That blockhead!