Nitrous oxide. It's a gateway drug. Once again, outrage erupts on Twitter. We certainly have a convenient cluster of dental appointments. The dream takes place on a remote tropical island, where a mysterious figure in a red shirt waves from the jungle, saying, "Help us... help us..." Bummer. I was hoping for a two parter. Aww, that's nice. He probably should have consulted with Mike and Carol and his lawyer, though. There's a good title. Separated at birth, perhaps. Oscar is the model for the self-destruct sequence used on Federation starships. That's true. Captain Stubing would never do that. Gopher would, though. The cruise was a good idea. Going along was not. Show, don't tell. I Capped that. It also reminded me of the time I was going through the singles bin in a little record store in Greenwich Village and found that single under "S" for "Seagulls, A Flock Of." Or Linda Harrison. Cold. My Mother may hit me, but at least she lets me live. Luckily, she conveniently fled to a Caribbean island, despite her fear of Voodoo. I've seen that pop up once or twice. I think I read that it's located in some sort of public gardens. Or something. Wow, a legit Pop Culture reference. De-poisonified, I hope. The name Kelso is often a death sentence. But not this time. Good to see she's recovered from her pregnancy. Reluctantly, though, because he finds coffins comfy. So much for her dreams of being a bullionaire. This was a rather standard plot, but nicely reminiscent of the good old days. That's hilarious. It's weird, but cool, to hear stories of the shenanigans that go on behind the scenes of these so-serious adventure shows. The main point of contention was how to pronounce "Gif." I don't think I remember that. Well, I do like banjo music. Not much. The kid might be better off with the unsuspecting adoptive parents. Ah. Whew. He just didn't want to know. The last bad decision in a long line of bad decisions. Yeah, I can see him admiring her spunk. Unlike some other people we know, he likes spunk. I just realized that I responded to the post that I would have responded to in the morning. Now I'm going to have Retro Lag or something.
Or at least Mike and Carol, yeah. Not the most common-sense place for getting it found. I'm reminded of how I was finding Paul's solo albums under W in the late '80s. But she wasn't an ape! Unclear, though I may have missed a reference to it in the briefing. He'd been lying on the floor. It's interesting how more of the IMF's schemes take into account that their mark is going to realize they're being played, and make them think that it's somebody else doing the playing. You were probably watching Carson like everyone else. It's funny how this just now came up right after I so belatedly covered the film. FWIW, the single edit was barely over two minutes. I'm tentatively planning to get this. Live dangerously!
My friend from the early 80s tracked me down on Facebook a couple of years ago and we've gotten together several times, and we're still laughing about "Seagulls, A Flock Of." True. Well, she was a primate. They should have done an episode where the mark caves in the first five minutes and then we could have seen where everybody lives and how they kill time. If I was up that late, it would most likely be to watch an ancient mystery movie on Channel 38, but you'd think I would have heard about the late-night programming on ABC. I'm not Indy. If Sallah comes knocking with that look in his eye, I'm gonna pretend I'm not home.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2) _______ Love, American Style "Love and the Cryptic Gift / Love and the Family Hour / Love and the Legend / Love and the Sexpert" Originally aired January 5, 1973 In "Love and the Cryptic Gift," Mary Calder (Liz Torres)--already frustrated by the cheap city apartment next to a train that she lives in--is put out when her husband, Wesley (Jack Carter), comes home telling her that he just bought them a pair of cemetery plots. Wes has the plot salesman, Leonard Stilp (Bert Convy), come by the apartment so that he can return the purchase, but Stilp's smooth salesmanship wins over Mary, causing her to invest in several more plots for various family members. In the end, Wes comes home to reveal that he's taken a job as a cemetery's caretaker, so that they can move into the pleasant-looking cottage that comes with the position. In "Love and the Family Hour," service member Wally Smith (James Hampton) can't come home on the night before he's due to be shipped out to take a shot at starting a family with his wife, Karen (Elaine Giftos), because he's been arrested in a speed trap town. Karen rushes to the court to explain what the situation is to the judge (Edgar Buchanan), who can't let Wally off because of an outstanding warrant. The judge charges Karen for indecent exposure on the basis that she came wearing her nightie under a coat, so that the couple can spend the night together in the same private cell. But the freight elevator gets stuck, trapping the couple with the bailiff (Rick Hurst), a peeping tom (Bryan O'Byrne), and a drunk and his abusive wife (Walter Burke and Mickey Fox). When the couple explain what the situation is, the bailiff tries to get everyone else on top of the elevator via the emergency hatch to give the couple their privacy, but the woman, Bertha, falls out of the hatch, which causes the elevator to start moving again. Once they're on the cell floor, the guard (Emile Meyer) refuses to comply with the judge's arrangement for the Smiths, so Wally grabs his gun and retreats back into the elevator with Karen. In "Love and the Sexpert," dry cleaner Leonard Dornbacher (Todd Susman) finds himself hounded by girls and otherwise the center of unwanted attention because of his resemblance to the author of a sex book. Leonard's work buddy, Bill (Dick Gautier), doesn't consider this a problem, and encourages Leonard to take advantage of the situation. The nervous Leonard finally finds himself won over by a return visit from the very attractive and naive Naomi (Misty Rowe), hiding her from Bill, who wanted to score with the next visitor by posing as the doctor's assistant. Bill ends up answering the door for what he assumes will be another potential score, but--OOH, OOH!--the woman who wants to see the doctor is played by Joe E. Ross. _______ All in the Family "Archie in the Hospital" Originally aired January 6, 1973 Archie is laid up in the bedroom from back pain, driving Edith and Gloria crazy. Archie aggrivates his condition when he rushes downstairs to take a call from Stretch Cunningham, being insecure about his absence from work. Seeing how Archie's pain flares up every time he mentions work, Michael surmises that Archie's condition may be psychosomatic. Dr. Spence (John Heffernan) pays a house call, choking on a cigarette and diagnosing that Archie needs to go to the hospital the next day. Archie shares a room with French-accented Jean Duval (Roscoe Lee Browne), who was brought in on the other side of the curtain while Archie was out. After Archie starts to get to know Duval, Lionel and Louise drop by bearing a thermos of chicken soup and Duval mistakes them for Archie's family. When the Jeffersons learn that Archie hasn't seen Duval, they leave without spoiling the surprise. Edith and Michael then visit, and also learn that Archie hasn't seen his roommate, then leave when Archie's pain flares up from thinking about work again. Resuming his conversation with Duval, Archie briefly brings up serving in the war and describes his job, which causes more flare-ups. When Jean suggests a psychosomatic condition, Archie pays attention. Archie offers to give his address to Jean, so Duval walks over to grab a pad, revealing himself. Outraged at feeling deceived, Archie gets out of bed, deciding to leave the hospital and get back to work. _______ Emergency! "Drivers" Originally aired January 6, 1973 Johnny's complaining to Roy about an extra shift he worked in which a driver plowed through an intersection, almost colliding with the squad and getting into an accident. Squad 51 is called to a college football field, and a similar incident happens at an intersection, with a driver cutting them off but not causing an accident. At the field, the paramedics see to Steve (Vic Mohica), a quarterback who's collapsed from sudden back pain. Steve is taken to Rampart, where he collapses again as Brackett is examining him. The paramedics talk shop with Brackett, who diagnoses a muscle spasm in the player, and answers their questions about a case handled by Rescue 110 concerning Dr. Parsons, a former instructor of theirs who had a heart attack after choking on food, playing them a tape of the rescue squad's calls. The paramedics give an unseen CPR demonstration at a ladies' club, following which they respond to another unit's call to a ranch as they're closer. At the scene, they talk to a woman (Jackie Russell, I think) who found an unknown 8-to-12-year-old boy unconscious in a tree. Roy climbs up via ladder, but the boy's upper body is in a hole in the crotch of the tree, so Roy is unable to fully examine him. Johnny informs Brackett that they won't be able to insert an IV as they don't have a parent present for consent. Engine 69 and a police unit arrive to assist. The policeman takes the woman to the local school to try to find the boy's parents. While the firefighters are power-sawing the tree to try to gain better access to the boy, Dr. Parsons goes code blue at Rampart, and Brackett and Morton struggle to save him. Back at the ranch, the boy's mother is brought in and gives her permission. The firefighters have to stop cutting because the part of the trunk that the boy's in is now saturated with oxygen, so Roy continues with some low-tech chiseling. The boys is finally pulled out and ambulanced away. At Rampart, the boy shows rapid signs of recovery, but the paramedics learn that Dr. Parsons passed away. While the paramedics are leaving Rampart, Station 51 and various other units get called to a fire at a junior high. Another traffic incident happens, with Roy having to swerve off into a parking lot to avoid the offending vehicle. Later back at the station, Johnny sits down to type a letter to the chief recommending that cameras be mounted on squad trucks, to be mocked by Chet. But the chief takes the request seriously, having a policeman named Charlie (James Beach) assigned to tail the squad to catch traffic violators. Late at night, Station 51 and other units get called to what turns out to be a trash fire in an alley. Station 51 is then reassigned with various other units to a fire at a four-story urban hotel. On the scene they find various occupants at their windows, and a woman drops down her baby. A ladder gets to work bringing people down while the paramedics search inside and a cherry picker crew sprays the top of the building. The paramedics treat a middle-aged man lying unconscious from smoke inhalation, but they have to move the patient out of the building before they can carry out Rampart's instructions. Outside, Charlie identifies the victim as a known wino. Afterward, the paramedics credit a couple of anonymous occupants who were administering CPR to the wino when they arrived. In the coda, Johnny returns to the station after a couple of days off, embarrassed because Charlie picked him up for not pulling over for a siren while he was on his way home from a date. Something I realized may be crowding so many actors out of the end credits--the one-shot guests have to share them with various recurring characters, including the entire station crew and whatever nurses appear in the episode. _______ The Mary Tyler Moore Show "Lou's Place" Originally aired January 6, 1973 Yet another potential spinoff premise, and a familiar one at that... Lou proudly takes Mary to his favorite bar, McCluskey's, and introduces her to his arm-wrestling drinking buddy Philly (Dick Balduzzi). McCluskey recently passed, his body lying in state in the back room while his widow is looking for a buyer for the establishment. Mary encourages Lou to buy the place. The next day Lou excitedly informs Mary that the place is his...if he can come up with another $1,500 for the $10,000 down payment. Lou tries unsuccessfully to hit up her, then Mary, but bypasses Ted. Ted learns of the situation and offers the money anyway, and we learn that in addition to owning his own place, one of Ted's life ambitions is to marry Marlo Thomas. Now a co-owner, Ted offers Lou unwelcome advise about making the place more like another establishment he's been to that he didn't realize was a gay bar. Lou and Ted are continuing to work at the station, where we learn from Mary and Murray that business at the bar has been bad, and Ted has been trying to get his money back from Lou. An establishing shot closing in on the side tower of Mary's building is used again for a transition into Rhoda's apartment, where Lou drops in on her and Mary, expressing his depression at his failure in running the bar. He's come to realize that McCluskey's personality was the key to the place's success, so he resolves to effect a more loveable demeanor. Lou draws in new customers and goes overboard trying to chat them all up. When Mary and Rhoda drop in, he tries to start a singalong, to their embarrassment. When other guests don't join in, he reverts to his true, intimidating personality, laying down the law that it's happy hour and he expects everyone to join in. When Philly walks out in the middle of the song, Lou declares that he'll have to sell the place. _______ The Bob Newhart Show "Let's Get Away from It Almost" Originally aired January 6, 1973 The episode opens during a session with Mr. Carlin, who's made a short list of his closest friends--including Bob--all of whom he believes don't like him. A three-day weekend for an unspecified holiday motivates Bob to go somewhere spontaneously with Emily. Emily's fear of flying botches the idea of going to San Francisco (with an acknowledgment that she'd previously flown to Mexico City, which I think came up the last time her fear of flying was handwaved at). Bob draws a 300-mile radius circle around Chicago on a map and Emily picks a random spot, which turns out to be the location of a ski resort. The Manager (Allen Garfield) is surprised that they're not there for the snow, and informs them that there's only one other couple staying in the whole place. When the Hartleys get a knock from their bathroom door, they learn that they're sharing that facility with the other guests, Hal and Connie Miller (Chuck McCann--already famous for sharing a medicine cabinet with his neighbors in the Right Guard commercials--and Joyce Van Patten). The Hartleys are trying to enjoy what solitude the place has to offer, but their new neighbors--Hal sporting a leg cast--even sit next to them in the dining area. The Hartleys try to make an excuse to leave, but find themselves feeling obligated to stay during entertainment by juggling chef Sanford Hettie (Danny Rees) and accordion/bass/tuba act the Oom-Pah-Pahs (Rudolph Schmelka, John Meloch, and Joe Kier). Bob ends up getting hamburgers at a place down the road called McCluskey's--coincidence? They're ready to check out early when Hal comes over wanting to talk to Bob professionally about a fight with Connie. Bob listens and offers his advice while the Hartleys continue packing. Emily is impressed afterward--once again claiming to have never seen Bob work before. The fight between the Millers flares up again, and Hal wants Bob to tell Connie what Bob told Hal to tell her. Emily ends up sparring with Connie, which only momentarily gets the Millers back on the same side. In the coda, the manager informs the Hartleys that they're now snowed in. _______
50th Anniversary Listening Released January 8, 1973 - Chart High No. 36 Singles - "Sail On Sailor"/"Only With You" - Chart High No. 79 "California Saga: California"/'Funky Pretty" - Chart High No. 84 I'm not as good as The Old Mixer is in reviewing material, so, I'll try and keep my thoughts as brief as possible. IMO, "Holland" is that last truly progressive/forward thinking album the Beach Boys released, where all the members contributed to each other's songs to some degree. The album was made during an upswing in the Beach Boys popularity as a touring act, thanks in part to manager Jack Rieley's promotional efforts and a revamped stage show which saw the band emphasizing "deep cuts" and current Warner Bros/Reprise material over "fun, sun, and cars", which was saved for the encore. Concerts would now last two hours or more. The decision to record overseas had been mooted for some time, given the band's continued popularity in Europe during their lean years in the States. Holland was eventually chosen, although not without some resistance from band member Al Jardine, who wanted to record in the same villa in the south of France used by The Rolling Stones for their album 'Exile on Main Street.' The band's relocation to Holland was not without difficulties. Upon arrival, the band discovered that all the recording studios were booked and unable to accommodate the band during their stay. Therefore, the band rented a disused barn and had it renovated. While the barn was being renovated, the band had their recording studio, which was currently located at Brian Wilson's house in Bellagio, dismantled and shipped to Holland. Upon arrival and re-assembly, it was discovered that the differences in the A/C and D/C currents meant that the tape machine would not operate properly. Four weeks were spent rewiring the recording/mixing console before it would work. At the same time, finding accommodations for the Beach Boys and their immediate families was proving difficult as well. Housing ended up being scattered throughout a thirty-mile radius of the recording studio. It took three tries before Brian eventually got on the flight to Amsterdam; flying by himself after his wife Marilyn, children, sister-in-law, and housekeeper all flew out on the flight before his, leaving him alone in the airport. After landing, Brian wandered off the plane and into the airport's lounge, where he got drunk and passed out on a couch, where the police discovered him hours later. The story told to the press at the time of release was of a band all working together in the studio to complete the album. However, the truth was that there were never more than two-three Beach Boys in the studio at one time. Carl, along with new members, Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar, would lay down the basic tracks, with Mike and Al coming in later to overdub their parts. Dennis would eventually grow bored/restless and left after two weeks for a rented villa in the Canary Islands where he would record his songs there. Brian, when he was motivated to do so, would come in late at night and work by himself until the early hours of the morning. Most of the time was spent in the bedroom of his rented villa, lying on the floor, stoned out his mind, listening to Randy Newman's album 'Sail Away.' Also, most of the final overdubs and mixing was done back in Los Angeles. Additional songs recorded once the band was back in Los Angeles were Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin's "Hard Time" and "Oh Sweet Something", Dennis' "Carry Me Home", and Brian's "Out In The Country", "Rooftop Harry", "Body Talk (Grease Job)" and "Sail On Sailor". Upon completion in August, the band turned the album in to Warner Bros/Reprise, who promptly rejected it for lacking a hit single. As originally intended, the track sequence would have been. . . A-Side 1 - Steamboat - Lead Vocal: Carl (Dennis Wilson/Jack Rieley) 2 - We Got Love - Lead Vocals: Ricky & Blondie (Ricky Fataar/Blondie Chaplin/Mike Love) 3 - California Saga: Big Sur - Lead Vocal: Mike (Mike Love) 4 - California Saga: The Beaks Of Eagles - Lead Vocals: Mike & Al (Robinson Jeffers/Alan Jardine/Lynda Jardine) 5 - California Saga: California - Lead Vocal: Mike (Alan Jardine) B-Side 1 - The Trader - Lead Vocal: Carl (Carl Wilson/Jack Rieley) 2 - Leaving This Town - Lead Vocal: Blondie (With Ricky) (Blondie Chaplin/Ricky Fataar/Carl Wilson/Mike Love) 3 - Only With You - Lead Vocal: Carl (Dennis Wilson/Mike Love) 4 - Funky Pretty - Lead Vocals: Carl, Alan, Mike & Blondie (Brian Wilson/Mike Love/Jack Rieley) The song thought to be the weakest, "We Got Love" by Ricky Fataar, Blondie Chaplin and Mike Love, was dropped. Van Dyke Parks, onetime collaborator with Brian on the abandoned "SMiLE" album, and now Warner Bros. executive, heard Brian's demo for "Sail On Sailor", and, with his encouragement, helped Brian finish the song. Dennis was originally tasked with singing lead vocal but left after the first take to go surfing. Carl had a go at it as well, but, in the end, suggested that Blondie sing lead. (If there's one thing I'm disappointed in in the box set is that they didn't include the Dennis or Carl takes as bonus material; unless the vocals were lost/recorded over. It would have been interesting to see how they would have approached it.) One final bit of trivia. The band was having trouble coming to grips with the rhythm/tempo of the song, until Carl called Brian at his home and Brian said that it should be played like a Morse code signal, "S.O.S." This is what the song needed, and it gave the Warner Bros./Reprise executives the strong leadoff track and single that they were looking for. The album received near-universal praise upon release, most critics calling a return to form after the previous album "Carl & The Passions: 'So Tough'". However, it also marked the end of the Beach Boys as a creative force. One of the conditions upon signing the Beach Boys to the Warners/Reprise label was the completion and release of the abandoned "SMiLE" album by the end of '72. Carl made several attempts to wade through the endless reels of material, but ultimately gave up, even though it was announced in the press and in concerts at the time of its imminent release. As a result of their failure to complete and release the "SMiLE" album, on January 1st, 1973, Warners/Reprise took back the $50,000 advance they gave the Beach Boys prior to the recording of "Holland". Even though the album charted lower than "Carl. . .", it stayed on the charts longer and sold more units, it lost money due to Warners/Reprise taking back the $50,000. This further soured relations between the label and the band, who had seen all four of their albums submitted initially being rejected as lacking in strong material. This was the last album produced by Carl, who had held the role unofficially and officially since the band signed to Warner/Reprise four years earlier. It was to be the last album of new material in almost four years. An attempt at an album in '74 at Caribou Studios, Colorado, would be abandoned after only a few basic tracks were laid down. It was the last album with manager Jack Rieley, who was fired in the summer of '73, after he chose to stay in Holland and tried to manage the band from there. After his firing, Mike Love's brother, Steve took over co-managing duties along with James William Guercio, the Beach Boys touring bassist and producer of musical groups Blood Sweat & Tears and Chicago. Their arrival coincided with the Capitol release of the compilation double album "Endless Summer", that was made up of pre-"Pet Sounds" songs, which went to No. 1 on the US charts. With their encouragement, along with Mike and Al's, the stage show would be revamped to emphasize more oldies and less deep cuts and newer material. One of the results of this was that the proposed live album, due to be released that summer, drawn mostly from the two Thanksgiving shows at Carnegie Hall the previous November, was rejected by Warner/Reprise as not having enough 'classics' on it. Reluctantly, Carl would re-sequence and expand the album into a double, drawing more upon the oldies being played by the band. (Both Thanksgiving shows are included as bonus discs on the box set, and showcase the band as a tight performing unit, with the surprise appearance of the Rolling Stones song "Jumpin' Jack Flash" as the final encore.) This live album would also be the last to feature Blondie and Ricky as members of the band. Blondie would be gone by the end of the year, fired by Steve; Ricky in the spring of '74 to join Joe Walsh in his touring band. Another side-effect of the removal of the recording studio from Brian's home would be the near total withdrawal of Brian from everyday activity, choosing to spend most of the time in bed, rarely venturing out. Much like Dennis who became restless and turned to alcohol and drugs following the injury to his hands and his inability to play drums; Brian, without the studio in his home, had no release for his creative muse and his drug and alcohol intake increased, along with his paranoia/schizophrenia. There's a story of Paul and Linda McCartney, who were in Los Angeles at the time, helping record Ringo's forthcoming "Ringo" album (which should be showing up as a 50th anniversary listening), arriving at Brian's house and Brian staying locked in the bedroom, crying uncontrollably thinking they were there to steal his ideas.
Now that's an interesting bit of business--very familiar from radio exposure way back in the day, as far as I can recall, despite it not having been a Top 40 single; and I did not know it was the Beach Boys! I had to look up if there was a cover version that I was more familiar with.
Omnipresent character actor. Omnipresent hunky character actor. That's cute. Another candidate for a spinoff. Omnipresent cute character actor. Madness in the true LAS tradition. Omnipresent dumb blonde character actor. That's almost more like a Tales From the Crypt ending. "Don't give me those big college words, you meathead." Omnipresent Voice-of-the-Gods character actor. Archie uses Jewish penicillin? That's a bit anticlimactic. What was Duval's reaction? This should have been the A-plot. It doesn't seem like that should be necessary for life-saving treatment. Why would he bring the woman, I wonder. I take it back. This should have been the A-plot. What a weird thing to have happen totally off stage. Odd that we've never heard of this before, and now it's happening several times a day. I think they should assign Malloy and Reed to run down connections between the various drivers. I suspect an anti-paramedic terrorist group. Might have made an interesting recurring character if the traffic incidents hadn't suddenly stopped as mysteriously as they started. They should have tied this in to the demonstration at the ladies' club. Now that's just silly. What the hell? Did they try breaking a bottle of whiskey over him? Don't worry, it'll never happen. The TARDIS Tower. Don't be a quitter, Lou. Just hire somebody with a bartender personality. Plus which, McCluskey couldn't have been the only guy who worked the bar. I'm kinda remembering this. Maybe a tip o' the hat to one of the crew or something? And that's when the lights go out. And the bodies begin to turn up. Wow. Epic amounts of bad planning here. I'm not sure if that's comedy or tragedy or both. This reminds me of what I've heard about Fleetwood Mac's Tusk, although the Beach Boys seem to have managed the situation better. Unbelievable. Again, comedy and tragedy overlap. No comedy there. Just tragedy. And that's just flat-out heartbreaking. Neither did I, actually, weirdly enough.
_______ 70 Years Ago This Season _______ 1953 National Comics Publications v. Fawcett Publications is settled out of court; Fawcett agrees to quit using the Captain Marvel character(s) and pay DC Comics the sum of $400,000. Subsequently, Fawcett leaves the comics publishing business. January 1 Died: Hank Williams, 29, American musician. Williams' death was attributed to multiple causes, including a heart condition, drugs and injuries from a recent beating. January 7 U.S. President Harry S. Truman announced the United States had developed a hydrogen bomb. Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the professional wrestling promotion that will later evolve into the modern day WWE, is founded by Jess McMahon and Toots Mondt. January 10 Born: Pat Benatar, American singer-songwriter, in Brooklyn, New York _______ On January 10, "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" by Perry Como tops the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart. _______ January 13 "Doctors' plot": The Soviet Union's state newspaper Pravda publishes an article alleging that many of the most prestigious physicians in the country, mostly Jews, are part of a major plot to poison the country's senior political and military leaders. January 14 The CIA-sponsored Robertson Panel meets for the first time to discuss the recent wave of UFO incidents reported in the United States. January 15 Georg Dertinger, foreign minister of East Germany, is arrested for spying. _______ On January 17, the Merrie Melodies animated short Duck Amuck is released. _______ January 19 CBS shows "Lucy Goes to the Hospital", an episode of I Love Lucy in which Lucy (played by Lucille Ball) gives birth to her son. An estimated 44 million people in the United States watch the episode, more than will watch Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration the following day. Born: Desi Arnaz Jr., at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Later in the day, Lucy fictitiously gives birth to "Little Ricky" on screen. January 20 Dwight D. Eisenhower is sworn in as 34th President of the United States. January 31 North Sea flood of 1953: Flooding breaks out in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, continuing until February 1 and eventually resulting in the deaths of more than 2000 people. _______ Also in January, "Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams is released as the B-side of "Kaw-Liga": (#1 Country; #213 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [2004]) _______ February 1 JOAK-TV begins broadcasting from Tokyo, the first television station in Japan. The 1953 NASCAR Grand National Series in the United States begins with a race at Palm Beach Speedway, won by Lee Petty. General Electric Theater airs for the first time on CBS. _______ On February 1, The Naked Spur, starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Robert Ryan, Ralph Meeker, and Millard Mitchell, is released. _______ February 5 Walt Disney's feature film Peter Pan is released in US cinemas, initially as a double feature with the True-Life Adventures documentary short, Bear Country. February 11 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower refuses a clemency appeal for spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. The Soviet Union breaks diplomatic relations with Israel, after a bomb explosion at the Soviet Embassy, in reaction to the "Doctors' plot". February 13 Christine Jorgenson, one of the first American transsexuals to undergo successful sexual reassignment surgery in Denmark, returns home to New York. February 14 A partial solar eclipse occurs. _______ On February 14, "Till I Waltz Again with You" by Teresa Brewer tops the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart. _______ February 18 Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz sign an $8,000,000 contract to continue the I Love Lucy television series through 1955. February 19 The US state of Georgia introduces a book censorship board. February 26 A week before Joseph Stalin's unexpected death, US bishop Fulton J. Sheen, at the end of his weekly TV show, Life Is Worth Living, reads the assassination scene from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, with the names of high-ranking Soviet officials replacing the main characters, concluding that "Stalin must one day meet his judgment". February 28 James Watson and Francis Crick of the University of Cambridge publicly claim to have discovered the structure of the DNA molecule. Joseph Stalin holds a party at his Volynskoe dacha. The party breaks up at 4 AM the following day, March 1, 1953. _______ Also in February, "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" by Ruth Brown charts (#23 US; #1 R&B). _______ March 1 Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke after an all-night dinner with Soviet Union interior minister Lavrentiy Beria and future premiers Georgi Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin, and Nikita Khrushchev. The stroke paralyzes the right side of his body and renders him unconscious until his death on March 5. March 5 Died: Sergei Prokofiev, Russian composer (b. 1891) Joseph Stalin, Soviet leader (b. 1878) March 6 Georgy Maksimilianovich Malenkov succeeds Joseph Stalin as Premier and First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. March 14 Nikita Khrushchev is selected First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. March 17 The first nuclear test of Operation Upshot–Knothole is conducted in Nevada, United States, with 1,620 spectators at 3.4 km (2.1 mi). March 18 The final of the 1953 NCAA basketball tournament for men is held in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, and is won by the Indiana Hoosiers. March 19 The 25th Academy Awards ceremony is held (the first one broadcast on television). _______ On March 21, "The Doggie in the Window" by Patti Page tops the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart. _______ March 24 Died: Queen Mary, consort of George V of the United Kingdom, 85 March 25 Beginning of the Lari Massacre in Kenya: Mau Mau rebels kill up to 150 Kikuyu natives. CBS concedes victory to RCA in the war over color television standards. March 26 Jonas Salk announces the development of a polio vaccine. _______ On March 28, "I'm Sittin' on Top of the World" by Les Paul & Mary Ford charts (#10 US). Also in March, "Hound Dog" by Big Mama Thornton is released (#1 R&B): _______ Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the months and year, as well as the year in film, music, television, and comics. Sections separated from timeline entries are mine. _______ He closed on a note of wry humor, observing that Archie was cured by "that old black magic". All of these bits did tie together as part of a larger background thread about the importance of CPR. The doctor could have been saved if somebody on the scene of his initial choking had known how to administer it. Because nobody did, he was cut off from oxygen for too long. It was believed the boy went to the same school as her kids. After they just showed us the stairs going up to it... "Sail On, Sailor" initially charts in February 1973 and reaches #79 US. It's reissued in 1975 in connection with a compilation album, reaching #49 US, #51 UK. I suspect that my primary exposure to it was from the latter release.
This was absolutely insane. There was no way DC should have gotten away with that. Gadzooks. Doesn't sound like the 50s. Way to undermine your own health care system. These guys were not too bright. More than a quarter of the total population. That was certainly well orchestrated. That's better. Is that supposed to be some kind of a... never mind. Now we're getting somewhere. Well, if he hadn't been afraid to go to the doctor.... Hey, it's pro rescue. The first pro-polio demonstrations break out in Alabama that very afternoon. Sounds like the 40s. Well, that's very different from the more familiar version, but kind of cute. Actually, that rings a bell. Ah, that's cool. Our second PSA of the week. I still think the doctor's death should have been a bigger deal, though. That makes sense. I remembered the song, but I wasn't sure if I remembered it from the original release or Oldies Radio or Lost 45s or what. I bet I remember it from the re-issue in 1975.
_______ Love and the Extra Segments Decades did a Love, American Style Binge on streaming this past weekend, and I picked up a couple of syndicated episodes with segments from the current 50th anniversary season that weren't previously covered. _______ Love, American Style "Love and the Know-It-All / Love and the Perfect Wife / Love and the Sensuous Twin / Love and the Triple Threat" Originally aired September 15, 1972 Season 4 premiere "Love and the Perfect Wife" opens with a narration by Jim Parker, explaining that this tale has a beginning, middle, and end, but not in that order. He introduces what we first see as the end of the story--a couple getting romantic after their wedding while being eavesdropped on via a two-way mirror by a pair of scientists (Burns & Schreiber), one of whom states that they've just witnessed the most important wedding the world will ever know. Then we flash back to what the narrator describes as the middle of the story, in which the scientists are observing the woman, Mary (Phyllis Elizabeth Davis), through the mirror, expressing an investment in her winning over the right guy. They watch as she receives a suitor, John Stone (Angus Duncan), who's impressed with her cuisine, interest in sports, accounting certification, willingness to be a stay-at-home wife, and inheritance--all of which meets the approval of the scientists. To top it all off, she awkwardly confesses that she's inexperienced, and the couple start to make out. Then the narrator flashes us back to the beginning of the story--the scientists finishing the construction of their gynoid Mary. In "Love and the Triple Threat," Sam Bishop (Christopher Connelly) is making out with his girlfriend, Alice (Joan Van Ark), when a gangster bursts in brandishing a gun. Sam introduces the gangster as his brother Louie (Warren Berlinger), and seems disappointed when Alice isn't put off by Louie's trigger-happy behavior. Later when the brothers are alone, we find out that Louie is really Roger, and that Sam is trying to get Alice to dump him because he's not ready to get married. For the next date, Roger tries another disguise, that of Sam's mother, though Alice isn't bothered by her describing Sam's bad habits or the prospect of her living with the couple after they're married. Finally, Roger drops in on the couple in the guise of another, crazier brother, Leland, wearing a flamboyant wig, curly mustache, and flippers and carrying a purse--generally doing a Rip Taylor-style schtick. When Alice thinks that Leland is cute and fun, Roger confesses to who he really is, and Alice tells Sam that it's fine if he's not ready. Then Roger tries to pick Alice up, but she considers the real him to be a creep. _______ Love, American Style "Love and the Girlish Groom / Love and the New You / Love and the Oldlyweds / Love and the Wishing Star" Originally aired October 6, 1972 In "Love and the Girlish Groom," Ollie (Peter Kastner) returns home to his fiancé, Fran (Kristina Holland), while still in his work clothes--which are drag, as he's a female impersonator who does Streisand, Merman, and Garland in a club act. He expresses his frustration with his current profession, which he's doing to get him through law school. Then Fran's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Cooperman (Vincent Gardenia and Marie Wilson), drop in unexpectedly, so Ollie puts his wig back on and Fran passes him off as her roommate, Olive. The Coopermans want to meet Fran's fiancé, so she shows them a picture of an old boyfriend, Mac Gelman, and sets a dinner date with them. Fran then has to call Mac (Robert Pine) to come to dinner and pretend to be her fiancé. At the restaurant and with "Olive" present, Mac gets a little too into the charade, trying to make out with Fran and generally acting like a creep. Fran ends up breaking up with Mac at the table. Fran's mother is so upset that Fran goes back with her parents to their hotel. Ollie returns to Fran's place and is still in his Olive guise when Mac drops by, wanting the payment that Fran promised him, and he starts to make moves on Olive. Fran and her parents return to the apartment to find a note informing Fran that Olive has eloped with Mac. Then Mac shows up at the door again, now sporting a black eye, and offers to introduce Fran to Olive's cousin, Ollie--who's now wearing men's clothes and brandishing a pigskin to play up to Mr. Cooperman's interest in sports. Mr. Cooperman takes a liking to Ollie, and is impressed with his prospects. Mr. Cooperman: Going to law school and working, too--Sounds tough. Ollie: Yeah...it's a real drag. _______ It was the '50s that the teenagers wanted to get away from... Indeed! I'm not crazy about this one... Pseudo-rockin' and catchy. An extremely well-known standard. Nah, that would be crazy... Well, they were innovating the use of the electric guitar. It's pretty cool in its own right, but the decision to remove Elvis's version from the most recent version of the RS list--his highest-ranking song on the original list--and include the Thornton version is wrongheaded, IMO. While Thornton's version was the original recording, both versions were covers of a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller; and Elvis's distinctly different arrangement reportedly owes more to an intervening 1955 version by an act called Freddie Bell & the Bell Boys. Elvis's version is the definitive one, a seminal number in rock & roll history; and the main thing that makes Thornton's version noteworthy is the success of the Elvis version.
I wonder if the writer was an Ellison fan. A popular comedy team who had their own show for a minute. Presumably Beatrice from Vega$. Another genre entry. Did they actually use the term "gynoid?" Another frequent flyer from back in the day. Well, he is. Sam is standing right there. Too bad Tom Hanks was only a teenager. What could possibly go wrong? Not the best LAS twist, but not bad. Way too far fetched. Wow. That's even before Marty McFly. Yeah, you'd think the list would be for the songs that actually influenced the audience.
But she was a long-haired brunette at this point. They showed. I told. But the whole plot was about how Sam didn't want her.
Showgirldom and high adventure were still in her future. Ah, okay. I'd be surprised to hear the term used back then. As far as I know, it's just been gaining traction recently on the Internet. Anyway, the correct term would be gynecoid, as the existing counterpart to the term android, although android has always been used as gender neutral. It seemed like she just thought he wanted to slow down. In any case, I think a private phone call later in the week would have been more the thing to do.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1) _______ M*A*S*H "Love Story" Originally aired January 7, 1973 Everyone notices that Radar's not acting like his usual self. A physical turns up nothing, so the guys ask him outright, and he hands them a record that his girl back home, Linda Sue, made in a department store, cheerfully informing him that she's marrying another man. The guys try unsuccessfully to recruit one of the existing nurses to get radar out of his funk. (A couple weeks earlier and they could have killed two birds with one stone.) Then a new nurse arrives at camp, Lt. Louise Anderson (Peters), and a spark of attraction is ignited as Radar helps her with her bag. Hawkeye scopes out Anderson, finding that she's an aficionado of classical literature and music, and she assumes that he's trying to pick her up. Hawkeye gives Radar some classic literature and tries to coach Radar about faking an interest in that and the music. The guys try to get a conversation going between the two in the mess tent, and Radar mostly flubs it, though he nevertheless gets Louise's attention with his faked shared interests, then ends up letting her do most of the talking. Houlihan files a complaint with Blake because it's against regulations for enlisted men to consort with officers. The guys then pull out the stops to stymie all of Hot Lips and Frank's subsequent attempts to rendezvous, eventually causing her to agree to give up on pursuing action against Radar. Back in the mess tent, Lt. Anderson is still doing all the talking, while Radar is happily nodding off. _______ Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In Season 6, episode 15 Originally aired January 8, 1973 Don is the main guest. The cocktail party: I think that's Duke Hazlett doing the Sinatra-style news intro: Ernestine calls Gene Hackman. A Salute to Good Manners: A hypnotism act: Trouble with an invisible man: _______ Hawaii Five-O "Thanks for the Honeymoon" Originally aired January 9, 1973 McGarrett and Manicote go to prison to negotiate a deal with an armed robber named Toni (former identical cousins Patty Duke), who offers to testify that a drug king named Manola (Lane Bradford) murdered a man named Victor Delgado (Kenneth Ing). Her terms are immunity for her and her partner-in-crime, Marty (Larry Kert); a reduced charge for both that doesn't include Marty having shot a guard; and a wedding with Marty in an outside church and honeymoon in a hotel, to legitimize the baby that she's carrying...with Toni being able to pick her own maid of honor. Toni telling her story on tape segues into her showing Five-O and Manicote the crime scene, describing how she and Marty were used to lure Delgado in for a rendezvous in which Manola started beating Delgado, then the couple were made to split. She tells how she stopped their car and got out to witness Manola pushing Delgado's car over a cliff. Steve and Manicote ask questions designed to trip her up if she's lying, and she offers details that match evidence found at the crime scene. Steve calls for Manola to be brought in, betting that the prison grapevine has already informed him to run. Steve brings Marty to Toni, where he argues that they should get married in the prison chapel for security, but Toni insists on her plan. The couple are taken to a church, where Steve walks Toni down the aisle while the maid of honor, photojournalist Margo Cooper (Carol Lawrence), flashes away and tosses rice afterward. After the wedding, McGarrett surprises Toni by having a chopper pick the couple up and fly them to an alternate honeymoon hotel--all in the name of security. They're taken to a place on Kuilima Point, which is heavily guarded and has the entire sixth floor reserved, with guards on the roof and a command center and quarters for Steve in addition to the honeymoon suite. It turns out that Cooper, who's also at the hotel, is an old flame of Steve's, and the two catch up. Meanwhile, Manola hires an unassuming-looking hit man named Vincent (Richard Collier), who checks in at the hotel and scopes out the security by "accidentally" taking an elevator to the sixth floor. He returns to Manola to report that the place is too heavily guarded, so Manola makes a call to Plan B--a Dr. Harlow (George Herman), who's trying out a poisonous gas on rats. While Steve takes a romantic walk on the beach with Margo, back at Manola's place, Vincent briefs Harlow on the security layout. Back at the hotel, a diversion allows Vincent the opportunity to slip up to the room service cart and plant a canister in it. While Steve and Margo get romantic in his temporary digs, the gas starts going to work. Marty struggles to remove the canister while succumbing to the gas, making enough noise to alert Steve, who smells cyanide and takes hasty precautions to dispose of it, then summons a doctor. While the doctor tends to the couple, Steve has a parting scene with a tearful Margo, establishing that they're just ships passing in the night. Steve then infroms a conscious Toni of how Marty tried to save her, and something she says causes McGarrett to call her out on how she never intended to testify against Manola. Then the doctor comes in to inform them that Marty is dead. Manola subsequently watches a news report about how both died, accompanied by a picture of their bodies taken by Margo (which doesn't seem like the sort of thing that they'd show on the evening news). Days later, Manola is brought in to Steve's office to be confronted by Toni, who now intends to testify for real, and Ben books 'im. I was surprised that Toni's very specific arrangements, including Margo's diversionary involvement, didn't turn out to be part of some larger scheme. _______ Adam-12 "Clear with a Civilian: Part 1" Originally aired January 10, 1973 At roll call, Mac fills us in on the station being shorthanded, and identifies a nose-blowing Reed as "Typhoid Mary". It seems like he should still be home if he's continuing to actively spread germs, but he takes it all in good humor. On patrol, Reed spots one man walking another at shotgun-point; he calls for backup, gets out, and approaches them from behind with his own shotgun, while Malloy drives ahead. On foot, Malloy pulls the hostage into an alley, and after a brief exchange of fire, the man with the gun (Robert Donner) surrenders. The hostage (John Nolan), however, is uncooperative, trying to downplay the situation and reluctantly producing falsified ID. The hostage is arrested as well, and at the station is identified as bookmaker Paul Freemont. Back on patrol, the officers pull over a Mr. Marshall (Jack Manning) for going 40 in 25 zone, though he protests that it's a speed trap. While Jim's handling the ticket, a woman (Peggy Rea) runs over from a market across the street wanting Pete to look at a melon, then elaborates that somebody threatened to kill her. The proprietor (Penny Santon) runs over protesting that the customer is always poking holes in her fruit. Malloy agrees that the fruit is pretty ripe, then advises that the customer buy her fruit elsewhere, and that the proprietor should get better fruit. The customer agrees to pay for the melon to avoid charges for stealing it, and when she comes up short, Pete makes up the difference. An appetite-challenged Reed doesn't want to have seven, so it goes off smoothly with a quick scene edit. Now on night patrol, Reed spots a flashlight in a department store window, so the officers get out and check the outside of the establishment front and back. Everything seems secure, but after they've driven off, Reed wants to go back. This time both see the flashlight. Around back, Reed sees a man climbing down from the roof and arrests him. On patrol again, the officers see a young man walking, try to stop him to talk, and he runs. Reed pursues on foot, chasing him for blocks, and loses him, ripping up his uniform in a tumble. Toward the end of watch, Mac calls the officers back to the station for an assignment, informing them that they'll be working extra hours. While they're on their way, they pull over a Mrs. Dixon (Juanita Moore) for turning right on red without stopping. She protests at first, saying that she has an appointment, then asks where the police station is. Back at the station, Malloy reports to Mac, who informs him that he and Reed are to drive a new police commissioner around on patrol. The commissioner turns out to be Edna Dixon. Jack Webb: Travel with officers Reed and Malloy as they continue their ride with the commissioner. TO BE CONTINUED IN PART II _______ The Brady Bunch "Law and Disorder" Originally aired January 12, 1973 Bobby's little pals and gals at school are already avoiding him as the episode opens, even though he's not yet in uniform. At home, the parents learn what it's about--he's the fuzz, man! They try to encourage him to take pride in his responsibility, and subsequently Carol finds him up at night studying the rules. Back at school, Bobby dons his SM armband and gets to work, writing up students for infractions like chewing gum, littering, and disorderly conduct in the halls. He even ends up citing Cindy and some friends for running in the halls. Carol explains to Cindy that the same standards apply as if Bobby were a policeman. Bobby then brings his law-and-order schtick into the Brady home, reporting his siblings and even Alice for breaking house rules. Meanwhile, the Brady clan has been fixing up an old sailboat that Mike got ahold of, and none of the kids want to go on its maiden voyage if Bobby's coming, clueing in the parents to the tension that his extracurricular role has been causing. After school, a girl named Jill (Shawn Schepps) recruits Bobby's aide in retrieving her cat from a nearby abandoned house. He's reluctant to break rules by entering the domicile, but does so, getting himself and his good suit (which he was wearing for SM picture day) all sooted up. Getting home late to find the rest of the family gone, he puts his suit in the washer with an entire box of soap and comes back down later to find the laundry room over his head in suds. Carol and Alice come home to find him, and the parents grant him leniency on the basis that he broke the rules in the name of reason and justice. They also have a talking-to with him about writing up family members, explaining the circumstances behind some of their violations. Later, as the Bradys are preparing to take the boat out, Bobby splits his shrunken former dress pants. _______ The Odd Couple "I Gotta Be Me" Originally aired January 12, 1973 Felix tries treating his friends to some fine home cuisine and wine tasting, but a fight with Oscar causes Miriam and Murray to make excuses and leave. The next day the roommates pick at each other's eating habits at breakfast, causing Myrna to cut out, but not before she brings up her group therapy sessions. Concerned with how their squabbling is driving away their friends, Felix buys a self-help book and makes a case for the two of them to try the group therapy. Felix and Oscar each separately decide to see Myrna's therapist, Dr. Able (Norman Shelly), ending up at his office at the same time. Cut to the two of them at one of the sessions that Myrna attends, sitting in a (semi-)circle with others. (One gets the impression that there were supposed to be more patients than the two additional ones that we see onscreen.) Felix and Oscar's bickering disrupts the session, so the doctor dismisses them from the room to talk to the two of them privately afterward, at which point he advises them to try an exercise in role reversal. Back at home, Oscar tidies up the apartment in a tux, while Felix wears an undershirt and backwards baseball cap and makes an effort to act dismissively slovenly. Miriam and Murray come to eat Oscar's fine cuisine, and Felix spoils his efforts by acting like Oscar usually does. The roommates break into another fracas, and their friends are about to leave again when Miriam tells them that the real issue isn't what the two of them do, it's how they fight about it. In the end, Felix admits that Oscar did a pretty good him. I thought that the role-reversal gag had more potential than was realized in its one scene in the episode. They should have gotten it going earlier in the story and given it room to breathe. _______
That's overstating it a bit, but I guess the movie was still fresh in everybody's memory at that point. The laugh's on her: It didn't even chart. Hah! Come to think of it, that would have been the better plan to begin with. Too bad this was pre-Charles. You have figured it out, Radar. Seems a little anticlimactic, but nice. It has kind of that still-finding-their-footing feel to it. I like the Lily outtakes. Nice slapstick. Not bad. "They tried to put me in solitary confinement. They failed." "Book the wedding, Danno." "My little gift to you. You've been like a daughter to me these past five minutes." Must be a new guy. I'm sure the guards checked him out. At least, I would hope so. "Yes, I've been dying to try it on humans. Bwahaha!" I wonder if she ever got into his permanent digs. But he kinda died a hero. It seems like they were trying to lull Manola into a false sense of security, but then confronted him with Toni anyway. I was wondering along the way if it was supposed to be another "lighthearted" episode, given the title, and Steve being father of the bride, and the Mad Scientist, and so forth. And did they ever catch that hit man? They should have brought him back at the very end, like a Bond villain. Cop by day, Superspreader by night. He's still sharp, though, even with the head cold. Pete should just wander the Earth, making things right for people, like Caine. I think their car is bugged. So Reed is sick, starved, and all beat up from falling down, and now he's got overtime? Mac must be holding a grudge against him for infecting everybody. This was not so much a part one as an elaborate setup. But I'm going to predict that the young runner is going to play a part two. Once again, gotta run myself. I'll be back.
50 Years Ago This Week January 14 In Italy, agents of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad foiled an attempt by the PLO to shoot down a jet transporting Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir to Rome's Fiumicino Airport....The next day, she became the first Israeli prime minister to meet with a Pope. Elvis Presley's "Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite" concert was performed in Honolulu at 12:30 in the morning local time, to be seen live in Australia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, South Vietnam and Hong Kong, and on tape delay everywhere else in the world. The Miami Dolphins defeated the Washington Redskins, 14–7, to win Super Bowl VII and to complete the NFL's first, and thus far only, "perfect season", with no losses or ties in the regular season or the postseason. The Dolphins finished with a record of 14-0-0 in regular play and then won their three playoff games. January 15 Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. President Richard Nixon announced the suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, to go into effect on January 27. On the same day, with the cessation of hostilities still 12 days away, the U.S. Navy's Strike Fighter Squadron 25 (VFA-25) carried out a bombing attack on 14 North Vietnamese bridges. Four additional defendants in the first Watergate burglary trial accepted a plea bargain rather than risk conviction by a jury and a longer prison sentence. Miami real estate agent Bernard L. Barker and three of his associates, Frank A. Sturgis, Eugenio Martinez and Virgilio Gonzalez all pled guilty before Judge John J. Sirica. January 16 Luna 21, the uncrewed Soviet probe carrying the Lunokhod 2 lunar rover landed on the Moon at the Le Monnier crater at 1:35 in the morning Moscow time (2335 on 15 January UTC). The 8-wheeled Lunokhod rover was dispatched from the lander at 4:14 (0114 UTC) and began transmitting television images from three cameras back to Earth, along with data from telephotometric cameras, an x-ray spectrometer, and x-ray telescope, a radiation detector, an astrophotometer, a magnetometer and a photodetector. The 431st and last episode of the NBC television western Bonanza, ending a run of 14 seasons. Number one in the ratings in three consecutive seasons from 1964-65 to 1966-67, the show had been in the five most popular for nine consecutive seasons until its penultimate season. After the death of popular actor Dan Blocker (Hoss Cartwright) before the 1971-72 season, the once-popular show could not compete against Maude and Hawaii Five-O and was ranked 50th for the year. Lorne Greene and Michael Landon were the only actors left from the original members of the fictional Cartwright family, introduced on September 12, 1959 as one of 32 Western programs on television at that time. Landon wrote and directed the final episode. January 17 Following a referendum in the Philippines, Proclamation No. 1102 certified and proclaimed that the new Philippine Constitution proposed by the Constitutional Convention of 1971 had been ratified by the Filipino people and had thereby come into effect, repealing the limits on the president's term of office. The new constitution made the presidency a ceremonial office and provided that actual control would be in the hands of the new office of Prime Minister of the Philippines, a job which Marcos appointed himself to. The legislature provided for in the new constitution could be suspended by the prime minister, and he dismissed the interim assembly that had been scheduled to take office. January 18 The 28 people killed in the 1972 crash in the Andes of a Uruguayan airplane flight were given a funeral service by a Chilean priest and burial in a common grave more than 400 metres (1,300 ft) from the airplane's fuselage. Timothy Leary, a former Harvard University professor and advocate of recreational drug use, who later escaped from prison and fled the U.S., was returned to the United States after being arrested by police in Afghanistan. January 19 George Bush, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and future President of the United States, was appointed by the Republican National Committee, replacing Bob Dole, the U.S. Senator for Kansas. January 20 U.S. President Richard Nixon was inaugurated for his second term. In his inaugural address, Nixon began by saying that before he started his term, "America was bleak in spirit, depressed by the prospect of seemingly endless war abroad and of destructive conflict at home," but that "As we meet here today, we stand on the threshold of a new era of peace in the world," and asked "How shall we use that peace?" Paraphrasing a line used in John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech, Nixon said "In our own lives, let each of us ask not just what will government do for me, but what can I do for myself?" Nixon is the only person to have been sworn in twice as President (1969, 1973) and Vice President of the United States (1953, 1957). Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week: Leaving the chart: "Corner of the Sky," Jackson 5 (12 weeks) "Long Dark Road," The Hollies (11 weeks) New on the chart: "I Got Ants in My Pants (and I Want to Dance), Pt. 1," James Brown (#27 US; #4 R&B; #51 UK) "Hummingbird," Seals & Crofts (#20 US; #12 AC) "Little Willy," The Sweet (#3 US; #4 UK in 1972) "Love Train," The O'Jays (#1 US the week of Mar. 24, 1973; #1 R&B) And new on the boob tube: M*A*S*H, "Tuttle" Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Season 6, episode 16 Hawaii Five-O, "The Listener" Adam-12, "Clear with a Civilian: Part 2" Kung Fu, "Blood Brother" The Odd Couple, "The Ides of April" Mission: Impossible, "The Question" Love, American Style, "Love and the Missing Mister / Love and the Old Lover / Love and the Twanger Tutor" All in the Family, "Oh Say Can You See" The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "The Georgette Story" The Bob Newhart Show, "The Man with the Golden Wrist" _______ Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the month or year. _______ I wouldn't have had to look that up if you'd used his surname. He had a very "ordinary nebbish" vibe about him. It was all taken in stride. Heaven forbid they should shoehorn in a McGarrett romantic subplot in an episode that doesn't involve him staking out a hotel! His sacrifice was emphasized. Kept her safe long enough to get her into proper protective custody. It wasn't played as lighthearted, more tense...and I got more tension out of it than was probably intended with my anticipation of a more thorough double-cross on the part of Toni and Margo. The hit man wasn't caught to my recollection. "I ain't takin' my shoes off, partner." Ah, yes...I was wondering what was up with that.
More like a jackbooted storm trooper. Pete Malloy may have some thoughts on that. Unless it's to dispose of the body. Classic. This must happen in every sitcom. That's more like the Malloy philosophy. "Nepotism, Bobby. The name of the game is nepotism." But they get a front-row seat to the Oscar and Felix Show. Doctor Able turned out to be one of those behavioral health providers who don't take insurance. I agree. That was probably the most fun they had all season. I remember this. It opened with "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (the theme from 2001). Yet still in black and white. Paraphrasing and completely undermining. He's like the Energizer Bunny. This is a good one. Seals & Crofts had a couple of nice entries in the chart. Another good one. Probably my second favorite of theirs. Oh, yeah, baby, it's the 70s. Oops, sorry-- I forgot that you're not so familiar with M*A*S*H. You'd think that they'd check everybody, though. That's why they broke up. She got tired of asking to go back to his apartment. It was a nice touch. "Even though I live in a place that's 90% beach."
It's one of the moments from this show that lived on in my vague memory. The idea was that he had no jurisdiction at home. The song doesn't live up to its colorful title, but I've gotten it anyway. The intro is striking...overall it's alright. I was never sure if this playful pop classic was supposed to be double entendre or just plain single entendre. "Ballroom Blitz" will be an even more delayed hit in the States. It charts in the UK later in '73, but in the US in '75. To compare and contrast with the derivative "992 Arguments," this is how you do a distinctive-sounding follow-up hit. The important thing at the time was that they stopped him and he didn't get to roam the floor.
Most of Chin/Chapman's material from this era could be considered risque with its lyrical content; which probably didn't hurt sales amongst the audience it was aimed for.
I think Lucy did it first, and then it became a trope. Although it's definitely a Stooge type of thing, too. Actually, I find the intro a bit long, but the main part of the song is very much a sound o' the times. Seals & Crofts mastered that pleasant Summer's day feeling. I think it's an exceptionally silly double entendre.