The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[RJDiogenes]

I picture Paul slouching down in his seat.

Hence my surprise that you're good with its origin point here.

Who knew what was to come, and "Jive Talkin'" was a fun song. The problem isn't with Disco as a genre, it's that it just overwhelmed the radio and so much of it was so bad.

Ah...that was probably around '78 off the top of my head. By mid-'79, they were already warming up for the Dark Phoenix saga. That was when I picked up my first random issues of the book, though I didn't get into it until the immediate aftermath of Jean's death. I picked up the funeral issue and subsequently found a copy of the death issue still on a stand.

Okay, looking over the Fandom Wiki, it looks like the book began it's decline with #110, with the following Magneto storyline being kind of mediocre. That was followed by the Savage Land and Moses Magnum stories, which were just awful. Starting with #120, the quality began drifting upward, though it fluctuated a lot, the Arcade storyline being particularly bad, but the Proteus storyline was pretty good, as was the Hellfire Club. Then we got into the Dark Phoenix Saga, which was definitely a big improvement, despite the weird editorial stuff that resulted in last-minute changes. Then, starting with Kitty Pryde joining the team, they were off on another Golden Age for a while.

They scoff at judges and lawyers.

They haven't met Shannon.

Christopher Lee lying with his hands on his torso? I would've thought that was a gimme.

See? Kicking myself. Ouch. I guess I didn't recognize him from that angle.

I will note that I described it as the most mediocre, not the worst; and by "to date," I meant in 50th Anniversaryland. The worst to date in 50A would have to be DAF.

Nah, I'm not arguing. Some things you like just because you were at a certain age.

I read that he neglected to lobby for it in a timely manner.

Ah.

Hot damn--Poitier as any Bond villain would've been pure awesome!

Seriously. There's another guy who's a Pulp character come to life.

There are much better ones than this. "Nobody Does It Better" and "Live and Let Die" are the top of my list.

"Live and Let Die" is definitely at the top of my list, but I don't care for "Nobody Does It Better."

It's a bit extreme...Bond's been persuasive in other situations without threatening to snipe a guy in the groin at close range.

Well, the thing is, would he have really done it? He knew the guy would crack easily.

That was setup for the fake third nipple.

Oh, okay, that makes sense. I guess I just assumed that Bond did that himself.

I neglected to quote the final punchline, when Bond's returning to Hip after having seen Fat. While removing the nipple and tossing it in the bushes: "I think he found me quite titillating."

They had a knack for that in those days. Plenty O'Toole comes to mind.

Yeah, they probably don't do that anymore. Politically incorrect, I'm sure.

I held back on going off on a rant about it, but I imagine that his early Bond films being written by these guys informed Moore's inability to take the character seriously. I've seen Moore in dramatic roles, he could've been a great straight-faced Bond. I'm probably repeating myself from the DAF review a few years back.

I enjoyed the somewhat lighthearted, High Adventure spirit of that era-- and they didn't let us forget that Bond was deadly serious beneath his charm, as with those two scenes noted above.

Resisting the urge to post a screencap, while wondering if it would be a rules violation...

I think it should be a violation of the laws of physics.

There's even a shallow drinking in that clip!

Yes, I saw. Somewhat awkwardly set up, but that's okay.

Except Bond was in the martial arts togs that the school put him in, so he probably didn't have anything on him.

That's what I was thinking. But, of course, the writers are in control, so it could have been done.

Vacationing.

Well, I got that much. But he doesn't seem the type to leave the country, let alone journey to Thailand-- to say nothing of the preposterousness of him being there at the same time and place as Bond.

I'm not quite that far along yet.

Enjoy your youth while it lasts.

That's a given.

Clearly Marvin Hamlisch took note when scoring the most impressive Bond stunt ever:

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That's how you do it! There must've been standing ovations in the theater.

That is definitely very impressive.

Don't get me going--nowadays kids wouldn't even appreciate that somebody really did that. Defying gravity comes too cheaply with CGI. I read that the show Top Gear tried to replicate the stunt, and failed...though the stunt company involved in devising the stunt toured with it in the '70s.

True. I love what CGI and AI is able to accomplish, but they are, like most things, a double-edged sword.

I thought you'd appreciate the freebie! That was the first thing that came up on a general search of the tail number.

Looks like the airplane database is back among the living, though.

It's a very impressive-looking locale.

I love it, and I wouldn't mind seeing it in person myself.

The film even gave us a good implied rationalization for why the dummy had a loaded gun...in the teaser they showed Nick Nack taunting Scaramanga about finding a weapon. In fact, it just occurred to me that maybe it was meant to be another firing dummy, though we didn't see it being used in that fashion.

They must have hired Chekhov as a consultant.

I read, I think from an account by Moore, that afterward some of her body hair was singed.

Still better than the Sumo.

Captain Oveured.

I've long thought the same thing, having watched FI well before seeing TMWTGG.

Google searches deny everything, but I'm having a hard time buying it.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Okay, looking over the Fandom Wiki, it looks like the book began it's decline with #110, with the following Magneto storyline being kind of mediocre. That was followed by the Savage Land and Moses Magnum stories, which were just awful.

I found that part of the run to be relatively weak myself.

Starting with #120, the quality began drifting upward, though it fluctuated a lot, the Arcade storyline being particularly bad, but the Proteus storyline was pretty good, as was the Hellfire Club. Then we got into the Dark Phoenix Saga, which was definitely a big improvement, despite the weird editorial stuff that resulted in last-minute changes.

The Hellfire Club storyline is officially considered part of the Dark Phoenix Saga. The Proteus arc really kicks it off, though, starting with Jean's return in #125.

"Live and Let Die" is definitely at the top of my list, but I don't care for "Nobody Does It Better."

Well, they were both #2's; while "The Man with the Golden Gun" apparently didn't chart anywhere.

Well, the thing is, would he have really done it? He knew the guy would crack easily.

I'd like to think he wouldn't have, but it's hard to tell what they were going for.

Oh, okay, that makes sense. I guess I just assumed that Bond did that himself.

Not his field. As a cosmetic alteration, it brings to mind the false fingerprints in DAF.

Yeah, they probably don't do that anymore. Politically incorrect, I'm sure.

How times have changed. Dalton's Bond was generally perceived as being too PC; and following that, Brosnan's was heavily sold up as being PI.

I enjoyed the somewhat lighthearted, High Adventure spirit of that era-- and they didn't let us forget that Bond was deadly serious beneath his charm, as with those two scenes noted above.

I enjoy Moore's Bond for what he was, but as someone who delved into the books while he was still in the role, I was frustrated by what he could have been.

Well, I got that much. But he doesn't seem the type to leave the country, let alone journey to Thailand-- to say nothing of the preposterousness of him being there at the same time and place as Bond.

Just gotta roll with that sort of stuff.

That is definitely very impressive.

Done only once and there's an accident right there on film...the ski impacting the parachute wasn't intended. The bit of movie fakery going on there is that the ski chase and the jump were filmed at completely different locations. The jump was actually done from a flat-topped mountain.

 

[RJDiogenes]

The Hellfire Club storyline is officially considered part of the Dark Phoenix Saga. The Proteus arc really kicks it off, though, starting with Jean's return in #125.

There were less clear demarcations between storylines in those days, I think. Books were more like soap operas. Nowadays they seem to write for the TPB. Which is fine, really.

Well, they were both #2's; while "The Man with the Golden Gun" apparently didn't chart anywhere.

I don't think "Nobody Does It Better" was terrible or anything, I just don't like it. My opinion is probably colored by my dislike of the movie.

I'd like to think he wouldn't have, but it's hard to tell what they were going for.

The gunsmith couldn't tell either.

Not his field. As a cosmetic alteration, it brings to mind the false fingerprints in DAF.

Hasn't he shown expertise in disguise before? Maybe not, because I can't think of any examples. But you can buy fake nipples in a joke shop. So I hear.

How times have changed. Dalton's Bond was generally perceived as being too PC; and following that, Brosnan's was heavily sold up as being PI.

I don't remember any of those movies clearly enough to have an opinion, but I do remember the female M calling Bond a "misogynist," which made me laugh out loud.

I enjoy Moore's Bond for what he was, but as someone who delved into the books while he was still in the role, I was frustrated by what he could have been.

I have the books, but to date I have only read the first one. The book Bond and the movie Bond are really two very distinct characters who share the same name. I suspect if I had read the books (and liked them) before seeing the movies, I would not like any of the movies.

Just gotta roll with that sort of stuff.

I guess I gotta.

Done only once and there's an accident right there on film...the ski impacting the parachute wasn't intended. The bit of movie fakery going on there is that the ski chase and the jump were filmed at completely different locations. The jump was actually done from a flat-topped mountain.

What kills me is that movies now cost a zillion times what they did back then.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I don't think "Nobody Does It Better" was terrible or anything, I just don't like it. My opinion is probably colored by my dislike of the movie.

We'll be switching shoes in '77. Overall, I consider TSWLM to be the best Bond film.

Hasn't he shown expertise in disguise before? Maybe not, because I can't think of any examples.

Something he noteworthily is pretty much never seen doing. I think in the books he was known to engage in subtle disguise techniques like oral prosthetics to change the shape of his face.

But you can buy fake nipples in a joke shop. So I hear.

Qnion rules.

I don't remember any of those movies clearly enough to have an opinion, but I do remember the female M calling Bond a "misogynist," which made me laugh out loud.

That was my first exposure to the word, and I was well into my 20s then.

I have the books, but to date I have only read the first one. The book Bond and the movie Bond are really two very distinct characters who share the same name. I suspect if I had read the books (and liked them) before seeing the movies, I would not like any of the movies.

I was delving into the two Bond worlds simultaneously, so the books were informing my view of the movies. Part of my coming to peace with the Moore era is that subsequent actors did more to channel the Fleming character. (That's what Dalton was really about, though Joe Sixpack wouldn't have known that.) Moore is very enjoyable for what he does, and he kept the franchise alive and healthy solidly into a new era, where it might otherwise have died in the wrong hands.

I guess I gotta.

I'm reminded of something I learned from DVD extras. Starting with TSWLM, I think, when the car drives up on the beach, there was a tradition of always having a public reaction scene to something Bond was doing, and this scene always included the same extra doing a double-take. E.g., the hover gondola scene in Moonraker, I think he was at a sidewalk cafe. I think he was related to the Broccolis.

A good example of the past not being that long ago just came up...it's being reported that Harrison Rufus Tyler--the grandson of 10th president John Tyler--died this week at 96. No "greats," just the son of a son. Apparently President Tyler had several children late in life by younger wives. Harrison was born over 60 years after John died in 1862.

 

[RJDiogenes]

We'll be switching shoes in '77. Overall, I consider TSWLM to be the best Bond film.

I'll be interested in what you have to say. I don't really remember details at this point, except that I didn't think Barbara Bach had the gravitas for a role like that, unlike Diana Rigg.

Something he noteworthily is pretty much never seen doing.

Okay, so much for that theory.

I think in the books he was known to engage in subtle disguise techniques like oral prosthetics to change the shape of his face.

Maybe I read about that. And I'm just now remembering when he made himself up as a clown, but that was in Octopussy, I think. When I saw MWTGG, I probably just breezed by it as something so simple it didn't need explanation. Certainly not something he would need Q for, unless it had a laser beam in it or something.

Qnion rules.

Qte.

That was my first exposure to the word, and I was well into my 20s then.

Back in the before times it would only come up if you were talking about Jack the Ripper or some such.

I was delving into the two Bond worlds simultaneously, so the books were informing my view of the movies. Part of my coming to peace with the Moore era is that subsequent actors did more to channel the Fleming character. (That's what Dalton was really about, though Joe Sixpack wouldn't have known that.) Moore is very enjoyable for what he does, and he kept the franchise alive and healthy solidly into a new era, where it might otherwise have died in the wrong hands.

Would the book Bond have followed through on his threat to the gunsmith?

I'm reminded of something I learned from DVD extras. Starting with TSWLM, I think, when the car drives up on the beach, there was a tradition of always having a public reaction scene to something Bond was doing, and this scene always included the same extra doing a double-take. E.g., the hover gondola scene in Moonraker, I think he was at a sidewalk cafe. I think he was related to the Broccolis.

Very interesting. Is this still going on? The guy would have to be pretty old by now. Unless he's a time traveler assigned to document certain specific incidents in the life of 007.

A good example of the past not being that long ago just came up...it's being reported that Harrison Rufus Tyler--the grandson of 10th president John Tyler--died this week at 96. No "greats," just the son of a son. Apparently President Tyler had several children late in life by younger wives. Harrison was born over 60 years after John died in 1862.

Remarkable. It's too bad that was not reported more widely.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I'll be interested in what you have to say. I don't really remember details at this point, except that I didn't think Barbara Bach had the gravitas for a role like that, unlike Diana Rigg.

Well, I'm distinguishing between "favorite" and "best" in this case. I just think that overall, as the classic Bond series goes, it's the best exemplar of a Bond film--the one that comes closest to having the "whole package," and the one that you'd show to someone to represent the series.

And I'm just now remembering when he made himself up as a clown, but that was in Octopussy, I think.

Yep, there was that.

Qte.

In the John Gardner revival of the novel series in the '80s (which was my portal to the original Fleming novels), Major Boothroyd had a female assistant whom Bond was shagging nicknamed Q'ute.

Back in the before times it would only come up if you were talking about Jack the Ripper or some such.

There ya go. It wasn't just me thinking that the term as it's become commonly used is an overreach.

Would the book Bond have followed through on his threat to the gunsmith?

Good question. Offhand I'm thinking no, as the whole scenario just seems so "off" to me. One distinguishing feature of novel Bond, which Dalton at least channeled, is that he didn't enjoy his job. He considered killing to be a nasty business, and it affected him. He drank and sometimes popped pills to deal with it. In that scene in TMWTGG, it was probably the result of forcing Moore to do something he didn't want to do, but Bond just seems a little too gleeful about threatening to blow the guy's groin off. TSWLM and FYEO have better examples of Moore in "tough Bond" mode that don't feel so off. Both involve killing killers. Now that I mention it, in TMWTGG, Bond tells Scaramanga that the people he kills are usually killers.

Very interesting. Is this still going on? The guy would have to be pretty old by now. Unless he's a time traveler assigned to document certain specific incidents in the life of 007.

I doubt it's still going on, and couldn't say exactly when it stopped, but I think it may have been going through the Brosnan era. I was unable to find a mention of it in the IMDb trivia notes for TSWLM.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, I'm distinguishing between "favorite" and "best" in this case.

I can dig it. I always try to do that.

In the John Gardner revival of the novel series in the '80s (which was my portal to the original Fleming novels), Major Boothroyd had a female assistant whom Bond was shagging nicknamed Q'ute.

Oh, yeah, I read at least one of those, probably the first one. License Renewed, I think? I recall it being pretty short-- and very different from the Ian Fleming novel I read decades later.

There ya go. It wasn't just me thinking that the term as it's become commonly used is an overreach.

It's ludicrous. I cringe with vicarious embarrassment whenever anybody uses it. But that's pretty typical of contemporary monetized social media politics.

In that scene in TMWTGG, it was probably the result of forcing Moore to do something he didn't want to do, but Bond just seems a little too gleeful about threatening to blow the guy's groin off.

Hmm. I suppose that could be interpreted as him playing it up because he knew the guy was going to buy it.

Now that I mention it, in TMWTGG, Bond tells Scaramanga that the people he kills are usually killers.

Yes, that was in one of the clips. I seem to recall that Connery had some similar lines about doing things for "King and Country" that he didn't really enjoy doing.

 

[The Old Mixer]

---

R.I.P. Hot Lips--Loretta Swit, 87.

---

Post-50th Anniversary Viewing

---

All in the Family
"Prisoner in the House"
Originally aired January 4, 1975

Archie is not happy that the plumber's assistant is a Sing-Sing prisoner in a work-furlough program.

While Mr. Strinski's (Sidney Clute) working on the Bunkers' kitchen pipes, Edith strikes up a friendship with his assistant, Nick Howard (Cliff Osmond), and learns that he's so well-read on poetry because he's a prisoner at Sing Sing who was sent up for attempted armed robbery with a toy gun, and is now in a work-release program by day. Despite Edith not wanting Archie to find out, the first thing she does when Mike and Gloria get home is tell them. When Archie arrives, in a bad mood from having lost a filling at work, he finds Meathead raiding the fridge.

Archie: Why don't you just hop in there, shut the door, and save wear and tear on the light bulb?​

When Archie wants to know why the plumbers have to rush out while leaving the job unfinished overnight (which means having to get by with bathroom water in the kitchen), he learns of the situation and wants to call the plumber's shop to prevent Howard from returning; but Edith, afraid that will mean Nick won't be let out anymore, has one of those moments while trying to stop him.

Edith: Put the phone down, dammit!​

Over breakfast, Mike tries to argue in favor of the rehabilitation program, only to have to listen to Archie's not-so-brilliant ideas for better bank security. Archie's leaving for work when Nick shows up ahead of Strinski, and doesn't want to leave the women alone with him (Gloria now being in bed with a cold), so he uses his tooth as an excuse to stay home. When Edith goes next door for aspirin, Archie finds himself alone with Nick. While Archie tries to dance around the issue, eventually he upsets Nick when he doesn't want him going upstairs to work while Gloria's in bed. Strinski then arrives, also upset at Archie because he'd gotten other customers worked at Kelcy's. When Strinski also breaks the news that he plans to stop using Nick because he's bad for business, Nick's ready to give up the furlough, but Edith talks him out of it by quoting from their mutual favorite poet, Edgar A. Guest. Nick decides that people like Edith make it worth giving the outside a chance; and Strinski goes to try to calm down his next customer, Barney Hefner.

---

Happy Days
"Open House"
Originally aired January 7, 1975

Over the protests of Richie, whose parents are out of town, Potsie invites three stranded college girls to spend the night.

It's shirt-sleeve weather in Milwaukee again, and the guys ask Fonzie--who's borrowing Bag Zombroski's window at Arnold's drive-up--to come over for a poker game they're hosting at Richie's while the folks are visiting friends out of town overnight, and Joanie's spending the night with a friend. Howard expects Richie to take advantage of the situation, asking him what he has planned. When Richie and Potsie have the place to themselves, they try unsuccessfully to get some sleep so they'll have an advantage, then go outside to tire themselves out playing basketball. They're approached by an attractive young woman billed as Ruth (Joan Prather, whom I read will marry into the Sufficient Octet), who tells them that she and her girlfriends' car broke down nearby. Fonzie, making a Cunningham garage call, informs the girls that they need a distributor that he can't get until morning. When Ruth mentions being short of remaining funds for a hotel, Potsie seizes upon the opportunity to invite them to stay at the Cunninghams'. Richie's initially wary of this idea, but changes his mind when one of the girls, Rose (Colleen Camp; though the only time any of the girls' names is mentioned is when Ruth refers to her as Chrissy), comes downstairs in a nightie after taking a shower.

The third girl, witty Penny (Cindy Cassell), having gone out with Fonzie, the guys find themselves paired up with Ruth and Rose, who motivate them to raid the Cunningham liquor cabinet. Ralph comes over to find out why the game was canceled and learns about the girls before he's kicked out. After Penny returns, the girls go up to hit the sack, but the guys get charged up when Ruth casually mentions that she sleeps in the raw. In Richie's room, the guys lament how the slightly older girls must think of them as kids; then try to come up with ways to get their attention, hoping to open an opportunity. After all of their attempts fail, they settle for hitting the hay themselves, and letting Ralph and Fonzie believe that more happened.

But Howard and Marion return unexpectedly early the next morning after a bad night. Howard goes upstairs to find someone in the bed, assuming that Marion beat him there. When he goes to the bathroom, he finds Ruth in the shower, and the girl in his bed turns out to have been Rose. Cut to the Cunninghams amicably seeing the girls off in their fixed car, the situation having been explained.

In the Arnold's coda, Richie has a chat about girls with Fonzie, and Ralph spills the pockets full of nickels he had prepared for the previous night.

EFW: Fonzie's back to wearing his gray fabric jacket in this one.

---

All in the Family
"The Jeffersons Move Up"
Originally aired January 11, 1975

Louise Jefferson has second thoughts about moving [on up (movin' on up)] to the East Side [to the East Side] of Manhattan. Pilot for The Jeffersons.

NOTE: Carroll O'Connor, Rob Reiner, and Sally Struthers do not appear in this episode.

Well we're spinnin' on off (spinnin' on off)​

To our own show (spinnin' on off)​

George is now opening his third store, with more to come, so he's secured a deluxe apartment in the sky-hi-hi.

Louise: George, we are just plain folks.​

George: No, not anymore. See, we was plain folks $47,000.50 ago.​

Edith comes over to give Louise some fruit for her "trip"...movin' on up being hungry business. Very Special Moment Alert!

Edith: Louise...did I ever tell you...I love you?​

Louise: Every minute we've spent together.​

​

Edith leaves with both in tears.

George says that they'll be traveling to their new place by limo, though we don't see the opening credits scene (in which they travel by cab). Mr. and Mrs. J arrive as Lionel and his fiancée are scoping out the spacious new set. (The part of Jenny Willis is now being played by Berlinda Tolbert.) George takes delight in running around the place to flush its four toilets. Just as he's telling Louise that they won't have neighbors bothering them, they get their first visit from the Englishman next door, Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), who asks George to walk on his back. Only as Bentley's leaving does he notice the obvious.

Bentley: Good God, you're black!​

The Jeffersons' next visit is from their prospective in-laws, Tom and Helen Willis (now Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), whom they learn just happen to live right upstairs. The studio audience is distractingly subdued during the ensuing sparring between George and mainly Helen. Laughter and applause pick up after they leave. George feels betrayed, thinking that Louise knew, though Lionel explains that only he did. Next to arrive is George's mother (Zara Cully, the only actor to keep one of the series roles established in "Lionel's Engagement").

George is ready to pack up and move back out (movin' back out) when he learns on a follow-up visit from Bentley that Mr. Whittendale, a banker he wants to schmooze with to enable his business expansion, just happens to live up in the penthouse. The Willises return to learn that George isn't leaving after all...and the laughter is noticeably muted again.

I suspect some sort of production issue with their scenes specifically. I read a trivia item about a previous episode that they always taped the show twice and put together the best takes from either taping. For the Willises' scenes, it sounded like they didn't actually have a full audience, possibly only one person. IMDb doesn't shed any light on the situation, apart from other viewers having noticed the awkwardness, too, which includes long pauses where'd you'd expect the audience reactions to be.

Ned Wertimer appears uncredited as Ralph the doorman; and it seems that hiring Florence will be the subject of the series premiere.

---

Oh, yeah, I read at least one of those, probably the first one. License Renewed, I think?

Yep.

I recall it being pretty short-- and very different from the Ian Fleming novel I read decades later.

He did set his stories specifically in the Fleming novel continuity, though...playing it vague about the passage of time since that series.

Yes, that was in one of the clips. I seem to recall that Connery had some similar lines about doing things for "King and Country" that he didn't really enjoy doing.

Odd that he misgendered QE.

 

[RJDiogenes]

R.I.P. Hot Lips--Loretta Swit, 87.

I just saw that this morning. RIP, Major Hot Lips.

Nick Howard (Cliff Osmond)

A popular character actor. I never would have recognized his name, but I remember this episode and I can picture him.

he's so well-read on poetry because he's a prisoner at Sing Sing

They do overdo it sometimes.

Archie: Why don't you just hop in there, shut the door, and save wear and tear on the light bulb?

But then Joe Friday would burst in, save him, and give a speech.

(which means having to get by with bathroom water in the kitchen)

I'm remembering the work-release guy making some kind of joke about the water knowing where to go, and Edith saying, "How does it know?"

Edith: Put the phone down, dammit!

I think she did it for him. Or I'm remembering a different episode.

Archie's not-so-brilliant ideas for better bank security.

Customers have to walk through a water detector.

Archie's leaving for work when Nick shows up ahead of Strinski, and doesn't want to leave the women alone with him (Gloria now being in bed with a cold), so he uses his tooth as an excuse to stay home.

This would have been a good opportunity to put Mike in that position. Pretty much anybody would have some anxiety in that situation.

While Archie tries to dance around the issue, eventually he upsets Nick when he doesn't want him going upstairs to work while Gloria's in bed.

For his part, Nick should understand this.

Edith talks him out of it by quoting from their mutual favorite poet, Edgar A. Guest.

Which I'm sure will never come up again.

Nick decides that people like Edith make it worth giving the outside a chance; and Strinski goes to try to calm down his next customer, Barney Hefner.

Good episode. Another social-message episode on a more obscure topic (unless it was in the news at the time for some reason, which I don't remember).

It's shirt-sleeve weather in Milwaukee again

Global warming.

Howard expects Richie to take advantage of the situation, asking him what he has planned.

I'm sure we'd be shocked at Howard's sordid past.

Ruth (Joan Prather, whom I read will marry into the Sufficient Octet)

Yeah, she married the oldest kid. Very pretty, but not much presence.

Fonzie, making a Cunningham garage call, informs the girls that they need a distributor that he can't get until morning.

Richie slips him five bucks.

The third girl, witty Penny

I'm thinking this is probably an homage.

Ralph comes over to find out why the game was canceled and learns about the girls before he's kicked out.

Poor Ralph. The writers kind of dissed him there.

In Richie's room, the guys lament how the slightly older girls must think of them as kids; then try to come up with ways to get their attention, hoping to open an opportunity.

An opportunity for what? What exactly do these Midwestern virgins think they're going to do?

When he goes to the bathroom, he finds Ruth in the shower, and the girl in his bed turns out to have been Rose. Cut to the Cunninghams amicably seeing the girls off in their fixed car, the situation having been explained.

That's a bit anticlimactic.

EFW: Fonzie's back to wearing his gray fabric jacket in this one.

I wonder if we're still in the era where the leather jacket and the bike have to go together.

George is now opening his third store, with more to come, so he's secured a deluxe apartment in the sky-hi-hi.

I also remember this one a bit.

Edith: Louise...did I ever tell you...I love you?
Louise: Every minute we've spent together.View attachment 46836

Awww. No analogous scene for Archie and George, though. Or even for the kids.

George says that they'll be traveling to their new place by limo, though we don't see the opening credits scene (in which they travel by cab).

An Untold Tale of The Jeffersons. The limo broke down and they had to call a cab-- while waiting, they were saved from a mugging by their Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

George takes delight in running around the place to flush its four toilets.

I remember that part.

Just as he's telling Louise that they won't have neighbors bothering them, they get their first visit from the Englishman next door, Harry Bentley

Ah, good old Bentley. He was a good character.

Bentley: Good God, you're black!

Roxie Roker

Lennie Kravitz's mom.

whom they learn just happen to live right upstairs.

How convenient!

The studio audience is distractingly subdued during the ensuing sparring between George and mainly Helen.

I don't remember noticing this.

he learns on a follow-up visit from Bentley that Mr. Whittendale, a banker he wants to schmooze with to enable his business expansion, just happens to live up in the penthouse.

Oh, yeah, Whittendale. I completely forgot about that element.

I suspect some sort of production issue with their scenes specifically. I read a trivia item about a previous episode that they always taped the show twice and put together the best takes from either taping. For the Willises' scenes, it sounded like they didn't actually have a full audience, possibly only one person. IMDb doesn't shed any light on the situation, apart from other viewers having noticed the awkwardness, too, which includes long pauses where'd you'd expect the audience reactions to be.

I wonder if they decided to rewrite the scenes and had to shoot them a third time, and had to gather up studio workers for the audience or something.

He did set his stories specifically in the Fleming novel continuity, though...playing it vague about the passage of time since that series.

Not something I think I would have noticed at the time. I think I just assumed it tied in to the movie series.

Odd that he misgendered QE.

I'm almost positive he said "King and Country." In the scene, he was speaking to a woman about having had sex with her, but I don't recall the details.

 

[The Old Mixer]

50 Years Ago This Week


June 1

• U.S. President Gerald R. Ford arrived in Salzburg, Austria for a meeting with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, and slipped and fell on the stairway while descending from Air Force One. Pictures of the tumbling U.S. President were seen again and again, giving Ford a reputation for being clumsy, both physically and in his handling of the presidency.

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​

Right around the corner:​

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June 2

• Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin announced that Israel would remove tanks, troops and weapons from the Suez Canal as a peace gesture to Egypt.

June 3

• New federal regulations, set to go into effect on July 21, were sent to Congress by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The new rules ended separate phys ed classes for boys and girls, and prohibited schools from excluding pregnant students from the classroom.
• Died: Ozzie Nelson, 69, American actor best known for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

June 4

• Israel completed its promise to withdraw half of its occupying troops from Egypt's Sinai peninsula.

June 5

• The Suez Canal opened for the first time since the Six-Day War eight years earlier. Because there were still mines left in the waters from 1967, the American guided missile cruiser USS Little Rock made the first transit, sailing from Port Said, where Egypt's President Sadat oversaw the celebration, to Ismailia.

June 6

• A helicopter landed inside the grounds of the Southern Michigan Prison at Jackson at 11:05 am, picked up long time inmate Dale Remling, and departed again. Remling was re-captured two days later in Leslie, Michigan.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," John Denver
2. "Sister Golden Hair," America
3. "How Long," Ace
4. "Bad Time," Grand Funk
5. "Old Days," Chicago
6. "When Will I Be Loved," Linda Ronstadt
7. "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," Freddy Fender
8. "I'm Not Lisa," Jessi Colter
9. "Love Won't Let Me Wait," Major Harris
10. "Philadelphia Freedom," Elton John
11. "Cut the Cake," Average White Band
12. "Love Will Keep Us Together," Captain & Tenille
13. "Shining Star," Earth, Wind & Fire
14. "Get Down, Get Down (Get on the Floor)," Joe Simon
15. "Only Women [Bleed]," Alice Cooper
16. "Only Yesterday," Carpenters
17. "Wildfire," Michael Murphey
18. "Bad Luck," Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
19. "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)," The Doobie Brothers
20. "Magic," Pilot
21. "The Last Farewell," Roger Whittaker
22. "I Don't Like to Sleep Alone," Paul Anka w/ Odia Coates
23. "I'll Play for You," Seals & Crofts

26. "Shakey Ground," The Temptations
27. "Attitude Dancing," Carly Simon
28. "Jackie Blue," The Ozark Mountain Daredevils
29. "The Way We Were / Try to Remember," Gladys Knight & The Pips
30. "Shoeshine Boy," Eddie Kendricks
31. "Misty," Ray Stevens
32. "The Hustle," Van McCoy & The Soul City Symphony
33. "Baby That's Backatcha," Smokey Robinson

35. "Listen to What the Man Said," Wings

37. "Dynomite, Pt. I," Tony Camillo's Bazuka
"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," B. J. Thomas
38. "Hey You," Bachman-Turner Overdrive

41. "Why Can't We Be Friends?," War
42. "Hijack," Herbie Mann
43. "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)," Tony Orlando & Dawn
44. "Swearin' to God," Frankie Valli

46. "I'm on Fire," Dwight Twilley Band

49. "I'm Not in Love," 10cc
50. "Midnight Blue," Melissa Manchester
51. "Rockin' Chair," Gwen McCrae

53. "One of These Nights," Eagles

56. "Killer Queen," Queen

60. "The Rockford Files," Mike Post
61. "Bloody Well Right," Supertramp
62. "Slippery When Wet," Commodores

65. "Please Mr. Please," Olivia Newton-John
66. "Rhinestone Cowboy," Glen Campbell

68. "Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High)," Charlie Rich

77. "Jive Talkin'," Bee Gees

79. "Sail On Sailor," The Beach Boys

83. "Rainy Day People," Gordon Lightfoot

90. "Just a Little Bit of You," Michael Jackson

Leaving the chart:

• "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," B. J. Thomas (18 weeks)
• "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," Leo Sayer (15 weeks)
• "Trampled Under Foot," Led Zeppelin (7 weeks)
• "Walking in Rhythm," The Blackbyrds (17 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Just a Little Bit of You," Michael Jackson

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(#23 US; #4 R&B)

"Please Mr. Please," Olivia Newton-John

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(#3 US; #1 AC; #5 Country)

---

Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki page for the month, with minor editing as needed.

---

They do overdo it sometimes.

Meaning that's how he found the time to read.

But then Joe Friday would burst in, save him, and give a speech.

Seems more like a job for the paramedics, but they're on the other side of the country.

I'm remembering the work-release guy making some kind of joke about the water knowing where to go, and Edith saying, "How does it know?"

Yeah; the implied gist of the exchange was that it's all the same water.

I think she did it for him. Or I'm remembering a different episode.

So she did.

Customers have to walk through a water detector.

His ideas were a trap door with a chute that took the bank robber to the police station; and having sharpshooters positioned in the mezzanine.

This would have been a good opportunity to put Mike in that position. Pretty much anybody would have some anxiety in that situation.

Mike went to school unconcerned.

I'm sure we'd be shocked at Howard's sordid past.

He did serve in the war.

Yeah, she married the oldest kid. Very pretty, but not much presence.

All the male audience needs is her mentioning being in the raw.

I'm thinking this is probably an homage.

How so?

Poor Ralph. The writers kind of dissed him there.

The guys didn't want him cutting in on their prospective action.

An opportunity for what? What exactly do these Midwestern virgins think they're going to do?

Neck?

That's a bit anticlimactic.

Well, the revelation of the girls, and the guys stammering to explain, played out a little first.

I wonder if we're still in the era where the leather jacket and the bike have to go together.

He was even wearing the fabric jacket at the drive-up while reclining on his bike.

Awww. No analogous scene for Archie and George, though. Or even for the kids.

A Prime Video trivia blurb indicated that this was also filmed during O'Connor's absence.

An Untold Tale of The Jeffersons. The limo broke down and they had to call a cab-- while waiting, they were saved from a mugging by their Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

That would have to be the Electric Company version at this point.

Ah, good old Bentley. He was a good character.

I misremembered him as being the doorman.

Lennie Kravitz's mom.

Did not know that. And she is also distantly related to Al Roker.

I wonder if they decided to rewrite the scenes and had to shoot them a third time, and had to gather up studio workers for the audience or something.

Maybe. Or it could have been a rehearsal. It did draw attention to how the actors pause for the laughter/applause, what with it not being there to fill the space.

I'm almost positive he said "King and Country." In the scene, he was speaking to a woman about having had sex with her, but I don't recall the details.

He did, I looked it up. It was with Fiona Volpe in Thunderball.

James Bond - for King and Country

"Thunderball" (1965) - starring: Sean Connery, Luciana Paluzzi, Claudine Auger, Adolfo CeliCREDITS:United Artists (1965)Director - Terence YoungProducer - Ke...

www.youtube.com

Musta been a habit at that point.

His Majesty's a pretty nice guy,​

And he always has a lot to say​

​

ETA: We were talking about Count Dante? Here he is in my very first superhero comic, on stands the week he died.

 

[RJDiogenes]

U.S. President Gerald R. Ford arrived in Salzburg, Austria for a meeting with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, and slipped and fell on the stairway while descending from Air Force One. Pictures of the tumbling U.S. President were seen again and again, giving Ford a reputation for being clumsy, both physically and in his handling of the presidency.

Poor Gerry. I kinda feel sorry for him, but I still like to make fun of him.

Right around the corner:

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He's not one of my favorite performers, but he was really good at physical comedy.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin announced that Israel would remove tanks, troops and weapons from the Suez Canal as a peace gesture to Egypt.

Hmm. Good plan.

Died: Ozzie Nelson, 69, American actor best known for The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

It's a little surprising that he died so young.

The Suez Canal opened for the first time since the Six-Day War eight years earlier. Because there were still mines left in the waters from 1967, the American guided missile cruiser USS Little Rock made the first transit, sailing from Port Said, where Egypt's President Sadat oversaw the celebration, to Ismailia.

Crazy. I wonder how long an explosive device can survive immersed in seawater like that. Obviously they were designed for that purpose, but there has to be limits.

A helicopter landed inside the grounds of the Southern Michigan Prison at Jackson at 11:05 am, picked up long time inmate Dale Remling, and departed again. Remling was re-captured two days later in Leslie, Michigan.

Nice try, though. I wonder if they got the pilot too.

"(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song," B. J. Thomas

Decent. Moderate nostalgic value.

"Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)," Leo Sayer

I love this one. Strong nostalgic value.

"Trampled Under Foot," Led Zeppelin

Never heard of it.

"Walking in Rhythm," The Blackbyrds (17 weeks)

Good one. Strong nostalgic value.

"Just a Little Bit of You," Michael Jackson

I don't remember this at all, and it's not very memorable.

"Please Mr. Please," Olivia Newton-John

Good one. Olivia at her best. Strong nostalgic value.

Meaning that's how he found the time to read.

Well, I know that, but I mean they made their convict a pleasant, poetry-quoting Teddy bear. Too easy. What's the opposite of a straw man? A brick man?

Seems more like a job for the paramedics, but they're on the other side of the country.

I was thinking of that scene where Friday and Gannon spotted the closed refrigerator in the field. Of course, that was on the other side of the country, too, but quips care nothing for geography.

Yeah; the implied gist of the exchange was that it's all the same water.

Didn't Archie raise some objection to cooking with bathroom water?

His ideas were a trap door with a chute that took the bank robber to the police station; and having sharpshooters positioned in the mezzanine.

Never mind Spider-Man, they should have crossed over with Batman.

Mike went to school unconcerned.

That seems a little out of character. He's been portrayed as both overprotective and hypocritical.

He did serve in the war.

Have they established that? I wonder what capacity.

All the male audience needs is her mentioning being in the raw.

True.

How so?

Witty Penny? I'm thinking that must have been a nod to Penny Marshall.

The guys didn't want him cutting in on their prospective action.

Yeah, but they started off with three guys and three girls. It seems odd that the writers sent one off with Fonzie. Maybe there were just too many characters to deal with at the house.

Neck?

That's about the best they could hope for, but the situation implied more.

Well, the revelation of the girls, and the guys stammering to explain, played out a little first.

Ah, okay.

He was even wearing the fabric jacket at the drive-up while reclining on his bike.

Strange.

A Prime Video trivia blurb indicated that this was also filmed during O'Connor's absence.

That occurred to me for a second, but I figured I must be wrong.

That would have to be the Electric Company version at this point.

That would have been hilarious.

I misremembered him as being the doorman.

When the actual doorman character was mentioned, I first thought that it should be Carlton the Doorman, but that was a different show. I can't remember which one. The Carlton character was just a voice on the intercom, and perpetually drunk.

Did not know that. And she is also distantly related to Al Roker.

And I did not know that.

Maybe. Or it could have been a rehearsal. It did draw attention to how the actors pause for the laughter/applause, what with it not being there to fill the space.

Another possibility is that they had to redub it for some reason. But now I'm wondering, whatever the reason, why they didn't use canned laughter. They often use that to sweeten the live laughter anyway.

He did, I looked it up. It was with Fiona Volpe in Thunderball.

James Bond - for King and Country

"Thunderball" (1965) - starring: Sean Connery, Luciana Paluzzi, Claudine Auger, Adolfo CeliCREDITS:United Artists (1965)Director - Terence YoungProducer - Ke...

www.youtube.com

Musta been a habit at that point.

Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking of. Maybe "King and Country" is a longstanding cliche or something.

His Majesty's a pretty nice guy,
And he always has a lot to say

I'm preparing to kick myself again.

ETA: We were talking about Count Dante? Here he is in my very first superhero comic, on stands the week he died. View attachment 46862

Okay, I definitely remember him now. I didn't give it more than a passing glance at the time, but it's instantly recognizable.

 

[The Old Mixer]

---

70 Years Ago This Month

Cover-dated June

• In the 92nd issue of Batman the character Ace the Bat-Hound makes its debut.

Batman Vol 1 92

"Fan-Mail of Danger!": Overwhelmed by fan mail, Batman is forced to hire a secretary to handle all of it. The lady, however, has a crush on Batman and in order to make her temporal job as Batman's secretary permanent she gives an interview and claims that Batman retur Batman #92 is an issue of...

dc.fandom.com

June 1

• Marilyn Monroe (on her 29th birthday) and her husband Joe DiMaggio attend the première of Billy Wilder's film of The Seven Year Itch, featuring an iconic scene in which Monroe stands on a New York City Subway grating as her white dress is blown above her knees.

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June 7

• The television quiz program The $64,000 Question premieres on CBS-TV in the United States, with Hal March as the host. The series spawns many imitations, including Twenty-One the next year, which will later be the focus of a quiz show scandal that results in congressional hearings.

June 11

• Eighty-three people are killed and at least 100 are injured after two race cars collide in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• Pierre Levegh, 49, French racing driver, was killed in the Le Mans disaster.

June 12

• After the Mercedes team is ordered home, the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans concludes and is won by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb in a Jaguar.

June 16

• As part of an attempted coup against President Juan Perón, Argentine Naval Aviation and Argentine Air Force aircraft bomb and strafe the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires and the adjacent Plaza de Mayo while a large crowd is gathered there to express support for Perón; the attack kills 364 people and injures more than 800. It is the largest aerial bombing ever to take place in mainland Argentina.
• Lady and the Tramp, the Walt Disney company's 15th animated film, is premiered in Chicago, the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen process. Peggy Lee co-writes and sings the songs.

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(included in the National Film Registry)​

June 18

• The narrow gauge Disneyland Railroad in Anaheim, California, makes its first run as an attraction at the new Disneyland theme park.

---

On June 18, It Came from Beneath the Sea, starring Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, and Donald Curtis, goes into limited release.

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June 19

• British Navy vessel HMS Sidon sinks following the onboard explosion of a torpedo. Thirteen lives are lost.

June 20

• A total solar eclipse of 7 min 8 sec duration, the longest between the 11th and 22nd centuries, is visible in Southeast Asia. During the entire Second Millennium, only seven such eclipses exceed seven minutes of totality.

June 22

• Soviet armed forces shoot down a U.S. Navy patrol plane of VP-9 over the Bering Strait. The Soviet Union surprises the United States by paying half the damages and issuing a statement of regret even though the American plane clearly had violated Soviet airspace.
• While approaching USS Oriskany (CV-34) for a night landing in the Sea of Japan, U.S. naval aviator John R. C. Mitchell's McDonnell F2H Banshee crashes into the ship's fantail. The rear half of the airplane falls into the ocean in flames, but Mitchell sustains only minor injuries. Five sailors sleeping on the fantail are injured. The incident will be immortalized in The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, which refers to Mitchell by the alias of "accident-prone Mitch Johnson".
• The Disney animated film Lady and the Tramp is released.

---

On June 23, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (also starring Marie Windsor, Michael Ansara, and Peggy King).

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June 27

• The last Republic serial, King of the Carnival, is released.

June 28

• Jean Moire lands a Bell 47 helicopter on top of Mont Blanc, at an altitude of 4,807 m (15,772 ft).

June 29

• Life with the Lyons, one of the first successful British sitcoms (starring British-domiciled American couple Ben Lyon and Bebe Daniels), premieres on the BBC Television Service, having previously been broadcast only on radio. It will later transfer to ITV.

---

Released in June:

"Gum Drop," Otis Williams & His New Group

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Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki page for the month, as well as the year in film, music, television, and comics, with minor editing as needed. Sections separated from timeline entries are mine.

---

He's not one of my favorite performers, but he was really good at physical comedy.

It really isn't a good presidential impression, but became a classic for what it is, and set the trend for the show.

Crazy. I wonder how long an explosive device can survive immersed in seawater like that. Obviously they were designed for that purpose, but there has to be limits.

Per an AI query, decades or even centuries. WWII mines are still an active threat.

Nice try, though. I wonder if they got the pilot too.

They should've put a giant spring under the pitcher's mound.

I don't remember this at all, and it's not very memorable.

Same here, but I've got it.

Good one. Olivia at her best. Strong nostalgic value.

Definitely memorable. Perhaps this sort of heartbreak is what drives her to mild naughtiness.

Well, I know that, but I mean they made their convict a pleasant, poetry-quoting Teddy bear. Too easy. What's the opposite of a straw man? A brick man?

Oh yeah, I agree. He even committed a harmless crime.

I was thinking of that scene where Friday and Gannon spotted the closed refrigerator in the field. Of course, that was on the other side of the country, too, but quips care nothing for geography.

I still don't remember that. I do remember not remembering it.

Didn't Archie raise some objection to cooking with bathroom water?

Indeed.

That seems a little out of character. He's been portrayed as both overprotective and hypocritical.

It does seem consistent with his general dickishness toward Gloria.

Have they established that? I wonder what capacity.

Multiple references. It came up plot-wise recently when Howard tried to give Richie leadership advice in the ROTC episode (which established him as a mess sergeant); and when Richie tried to cash in on the favor that the agent Howard ran into in North Africa owed him.

Witty Penny? I'm thinking that must have been a nod to Penny Marshall.

I thought you might've, but wasn't sure.

Yeah, but they started off with three guys and three girls. It seems odd that the writers sent one off with Fonzie. Maybe there were just too many characters to deal with at the house.

True, but Richie only had twin beds for the bedroom scene.

Ah, okay.

Actually, it looks like Penny was the one in the shower. The closed captioning misidentified the shrieker.

When the actual doorman character was mentioned, I first thought that it should be Carlton the Doorman, but that was a different show. I can't remember which one. The Carlton character was just a voice on the intercom, and perpetually drunk.

Rhoda.

And I did not know that.

That was the more obvious one, but I've been wrong about celebrities with similarly distinctive names before, like Harold and Elliott Gould; or Roddy McDowall and Malcolm McDowell.

Another possibility is that they had to redub it for some reason. But now I'm wondering, whatever the reason, why they didn't use canned laughter. They often use that to sweeten the live laughter anyway.

If it had been overdubbed, we wouldn't have gotten the Lone Laugher.

I'm preparing to kick myself again.

Her Majesty (Remastered 2009)

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupHer Majesty (Remastered 2009) · The BeatlesAbbey Roadâ 2009 Calderstone Productions Limited (a division of Univer...

www.youtube.com

Okay, I definitely remember him now. I didn't give it more than a passing glance at the time, but it's instantly recognizable.

Same here.