The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

55 Years Ago This Week

April 9 – The Boeing 737 made its first flight. A pair of test pilots (Brien Wygle and Lew Wallick Jr.) guided the plane on its takeoff from Boeing Field in Seattle, flew over the Pacific Northwest for two and a half hours at speeds of up to 530 miles per hour, then landed at the nearby Paine Field about 20 miles away near Everett, Washington.

April 10

• The AFTRA strike was settled just in time for the 39th Academy Awards ceremony to be held, hosted by Bob Hope and telecast at 10:00 pm on ABC.
• Academy Awards went to A Man for All Seasons for Best Picture, Best Director (Fred Zinneman), and Best Actor (Paul Scofield). Elizabeth Taylor won the Best Actress award for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
• Oral arguments began in the landmark Supreme Court of the United States case Loving v. Virginia, challenging the Commonwealth of Virginia's statutory scheme to prevent marriages between persons solely on the basis of racial classifications. Two attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Philip Hirschkop and Bernard S. Cohen, appeared on behalf of Richard Loving, a white man, and his wife Mildred Jeter Loving, an African-American woman. The Court would rule unanimously in favor of the Lovings on June 12, and interracial marriage would become legal in all of the United States.

April 11

• Thailand allowed American B-52 bombers to begin flying bombing missions in Vietnam.
• Walter Cronkite returned to the CBS Evening News for the first time since the start of the AFTRA strike on March 28. During his absence, Arnold Zenker, the network's manager of news programming, delivered the news, announcing each day that he was "sitting in" for Cronkite. On his return, Cronkite opened by joking, "Good evening. This is Walter Cronkite, sitting in for Arnold Zenker. It's good to be back." During the strike, ABC producer Daryl Griffin substituted for regular anchor Peter Jennings, and Chet Huntley operated without David Brinkley during NBC's nightly Huntley-Brinkley Report.
• Paul McCartney conceives the Magical Mystery Tour film project while flying back to London Airport from the USA.

April 12 – The 2,100 seat Ahmanson Theatre opened in Los Angeles, three days after the dedication of the Mark Taper Forum, and joined the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in completing the long-planned Los Angeles Music Center. Prior to the presentation of the first Ahmanson production, Man of La Mancha (known for the song "The Impossible Dream"), actor Gregory Peck told the audience, "Tonight marks the realization of what seemed an impossible dream. Tonight, we become a more sensible community. Since we in Los Angeles did not inherit great cultural monuments, we had to create our own."

April 13

• Conservatives won the Greater London Council elections.
• Gary L. Scott, a science teacher at the high school in Jacksboro, Tennessee, lost his job for violating a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution. Scott was dismissed by decision of the Campbell County Board of Education one day after the Tennessee House of Representatives had voted, 58–27, to repeal the Butler Act of 1925. The action, which revived memories of the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial", would lead to the successful repeal of §498-1922 of the Tennessee Code on May 17.
• Casino Royale, a comedy intended as a spoof of the first James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, had its world premiere in London, with David Niven portraying Bond. The film would then make its American debut in New York on April 28. One critic noted that "reviewers were generally unkind".

April 14 – In San Francisco, 10,000 march against the Vietnam War.

April 15

• A group of 20 U.S. servicemen marched at the forefront of a parade from New York's Central Park to the United Nations Plaza, behind a banner "Vietnam Veterans Against the War" as part of at least 100,000 protesters in a demonstration organized by the Spring Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam, marking a new development in which American vets would join the anti-war movement. Six of the veterans would form an organization of the same name after the march. What was described as "the largest peace demonstration in decades" in Manhattan lasted for four hours.
• The march...drew hundreds of thousands of people, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Harry Belafonte, James Bevel, and Dr. Benjamin Spock, who marched and spoke at the event. A simultaneous march in San Francisco was attended by Coretta Scott King.
• When the New York marchers reached Sheep Meadow in Central Park, a group of protesters set fire to an American flag, and the Associated Press photograph ran in newspapers across the U.S., prompting the Congress to pass the first federal prohibition against flag burning.
• Later in the day, a group called Veterans for Peace in Viet-Nam would be among 60,000 protesting the war at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
• Scotland defeated England 3–2 at Wembley Stadium, with goals from Law, Lennox and McCalligog, in the British Championships. The defeat marked England's first loss since they won the World Cup, and ended a 19-game unbeaten streak.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra
2. "Happy Together," The Turtles
3. "This Is My Song," Petula Clark
4. "Bernadette," Four Tops
5. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," The Monkees
6. "Western Union," The Five Americans
7. "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James & The Shondells
8. "Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
9. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin
10. "Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
11. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
12. "Penny Lane," The Beatles
13. "There's a Kind of Hush," Herman's Hermits
14. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," Harpers Bizarre
15. "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)," Buffalo Springfield
16. "Beggin'," The Four Seasons
17. "At the Zoo," Simon & Garfunkel
18. "With This Ring," The Platters
19. "The Happening," The Supremes
20. "Dry Your Eyes," Brenda & The Tabulations
21. "Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
22. "I'm a Man," The Spencer Davis Group
23. "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
24. "I've Been Lonely Too Long," The Young Rascals
25. "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
26. "Sock It to Me, Baby!," Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
27. "California Nights," Lesley Gore

30. "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," Jimmy Ruffin

33. "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb

36. "On a Carousel," The Hollies

38. "You Got What It Takes," The Dave Clark Five
39. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," The Monkees

45. "Get Me to the World on Time," The Electric Prunes
46. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats

48. "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," Johnny Rivers

50. "I'll Try Anything," Dusty Springfield

52. "My Back Pages," The Byrds
53. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

55. "Dead End Street Monologue/Dead End Street," Lou Rawls

57. "Yellow Balloon," The Yellow Balloon
58. "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," The Mojo Men
59. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings

61. "When I Was Young," Eric Burdon & The Animals

65. "Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

68. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane

71. "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck
72. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes

82. "Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

84. "Sunshine Girl," The Parade

88. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick

98. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood
99. "Happy Jack," The Who

Leaving the chart:

• "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," The Supremes (11 weeks)
• "No Time Like the Right Time," The Blues Project (2 weeks)
• "The Return of the Red Baron," The Royal Guardsmen (7 weeks)
• "Ruby Tuesday," The Rolling Stones (12 weeks)
• "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," The Casinos (13 weeks)
• "Ups and Downs," Paul Revere & The Raiders (8 weeks)

Recent and new on the chart:

"Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

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(Apr. 8; #27 US; #1 AC; #27 UK)

"Alfie," Dionne Warwick

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(Apr. 8; #15 US; #5 R&B)

"Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

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(#25 US; #15 R&B)

"Happy Jack," The Who

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(#24 US; #3 UK)

"Sunshine Girl," The Parade

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(#20 US)


And new on the boob tube:

• Gilligan's Island, "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
• The Monkees, "Monkees, Manhattan Style" / "Monkees in Manhattan"
• The Rat Patrol, "Mask-a-Raid"
• The Invaders, "Panic"
• Star Trek, "Operation -- Annihilate!" (season finale)
• Dragnet 1967, "The Big Bookie"
• Tarzan, "Man Killer" (season finale)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E., "The Cap and Gown Affair" (season finale)
• Mission: Impossible, "The Traitor"
• Get Smart, "A Man Called Smart: Part 2"

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Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the month or year and Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day, with minor editing as needed.

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That's weird. I heard that last weekend for the first time in decades (I left the AT40 station on, and it was playing when I started up my car). What a terrible song.

Pretty sure it came up in the Other Thread at the appropriate time, but maybe you didn't click.

Don't think the beer had really reached America at the time of song.

That's what I was wondering...I'd never heard of it until the '80s, but I wouldn't have been the target demographic prior to that.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

All this talk about Paul Simon had me checking out eBay for some of his CDs. I ended up bidding and winning an auction for an out of print 'The Complete Paul Simon Album Collection'; new and still sealed in the box for $50 plus shipping and handling. The cheapest I could find on Amazon was $184+. 'Graceland' was either the second or third CD I ever purchased and I'm familiar with his Greatest Hits, so this is gonna be a bit of a deep dive for me.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Oral arguments began in the landmark Supreme Court of the United States case Loving v. Virginia, challenging the Commonwealth of Virginia's statutory scheme to prevent marriages between persons solely on the basis of racial classifications.

I don't remember this specifically, but I remember what a big deal it was in the late 60s. By the late 80s, when I was involved with a Black social worker at the maternity hospital where we worked, nobody thought twice about it. Now, in the 21st century, the fastest-growing demographic in the country is so-called "interracial"-- and the Woke Folk are pushing self segregation.

On his return, Cronkite opened by joking, "Good evening. This is Walter Cronkite, sitting in for Arnold Zenker. It's good to be back."

Now there's a guy who's whirling dervishly in his grave.

The action, which revived memories of the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial", would lead to the successful repeal of §498-1922 of the Tennessee Code on May 17.

Thus proving Darwin correct.

When the New York marchers reached Sheep Meadow in Central Park, a group of protesters set fire to an American flag

Now there was one of the great tactical errors in the history of tactical errors.

"Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Definitely my least favorite Bond theme.

"Alfie," Dionne Warwick

Little known fact: The Alfie in the song was Alfred E Neuman. Their affair was brief, but torrid.

"Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

That's a song.

"Happy Jack," The Who

Second-tier Who is still good Who, but are they trying to be the Beatles in that video or what?

"Sunshine Girl," The Parade

I don't think I've ever heard this. Not exactly one for the ages.

Pretty sure it came up in the Other Thread at the appropriate time, but maybe you didn't click.

I can pretty much guarantee that I didn't click.

 

[The Old Mixer]

50 Years Ago This Week

April 10

• United States President Richard Nixon and Soviet head of state Nikolai Podgorny signed the Biological Weapons Convention, in their respective capitals of Washington and Moscow. Representatives from 74 other nations signed the treaty at the Washington ceremony.
• Tombs containing bamboo slips, among them Sun Tzu's Art of War and Sun Bin's lost military treatise, are accidentally discovered by construction workers in Shandong.
• The 6.7 Mw  Qir earthquake shook southern Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent), killing 5,374 people in the province of Fars.
• The 44th Annual Academy Awards are held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

April 12

• The table tennis team from the People's Republic of China arrived in Detroit to begin their tour of the United States.
• The X-rated animated movie Fritz the Cat is released.

April 13

• The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.
• The United States Senate voted 68–16 to approve the War Powers Act, which would limit the power of the President to commit American forces to hostilities without Congressional approval. The legislation then moved on to the House.
• The first destruction of an enemy tank by Cobra attack helicopter was made by CW2 Barry McIntyre, in the course of the Battle of An Loc. The maneuverable and destructive Cobras were able to stop entire columns of North Vietnamese tanks, and turned the course of the Easter Offensive.
• Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton, a USAF EB-66 navigator who had been shot down on April 2, was rescued. He had spent 11½ days behind enemy lines. During the rescue operation, five aircraft were shot down, eleven U.S. servicemen were killed, and two men were captured. The rescue operation was the "largest, longest, and most complex search-and-rescue" operation during the entire Vietnam War.
• The television show My Three Sons broadcast its 380th, and final, original episode. The last prime-time rerun was on August 24, 1972.

April 14

• On what would become known as "Bloody Friday", the IRA set off a wave of bombs in Belfast, starting with 14 explosions in commemoration of the 14 dead during the "Bloody Sunday Massacre". At least twenty bombs exploded in the space of eighty minutes, most within a half hour period. Nine people were killed.
• The Grateful Dead played their first paying concert, in front of a foreign language crowd, in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Tivolis Koncertsa.

April 15 – After a ten-day strike postponement, the 1972 Major League Baseball season opened, including the Detroit Tigers' 3–2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Cancellations were not rescheduled, and teams played an uneven number (154, 155 or 156) games, an imbalance that allowed Detroit Tigers (86–70) to clinch the AL East pennant a game ahead of Boston (85–70).


Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," Roberta Flack
2. "A Horse with No Name," America
3. "I Gotcha," Joe Tex
4. "Rockin' Robin," Michael Jackson
5. "Heart of Gold," Neil Young
6. "In the Rain," The Dramatics
7. "Puppy Love," Donny Osmond
8. "Betcha By Golly, Wow," The Stylistics
9. "Day Dreaming," Aretha Franklin
10. "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done," Sonny & Cher
11. "Mother and Child Reunion," Paul Simon
12. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," Robert John
13. "Roundabout," Yes
14. "Jungle Fever," The Chakachas
15. "The Family of Man," Three Dog Night
16. "Doctor My Eyes," Jackson Browne
17. "Look What You Done for Me," Al Green
18. "Taurus," Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band
19. "Baby Blue," Badfinger
20. "Vincent" / "Castles in the Air", Don McLean
21. "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," Wings

24. "The Way of Love," Cher

27. "Without You," Nilsson
28. "Rock and Roll Lullaby," B. J. Thomas
29. "Everything I Own," Bread
30. "Jump into the Fire," Nilsson
31. "Back Off Boogaloo," Ringo Starr
32. "Down by the Lazy River," The Osmonds
33. "Slippin' into Darkness," War
34. "Do Your Thing," Isaac Hayes
35. "Oh Girl," The Chi-Lites

37. "I'll Take You There," The Staple Singers
38. "The Candy Man," Sammy Davis, Jr. w/ The Mike Curb Congregation
39. "Hot Rod Lincoln," Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen

41. "Take a Look Around," The Temptations

43. "Morning Has Broken," Cat Stevens

46. "Tiny Dancer," Elton John
47. "Rock and Roll," Led Zeppelin

49. "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," Paul Simon
50. "Taxi," Harry Chapin

53. "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All," The 5th Dimension

60. "Legend in Your Own Time," Carly Simon
61. "Nice to Be with You," Gallery

72. "Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love," Love Unlimited

78. "Sylvia's Mother," Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

80. "I Saw the Light," Todd Rundgren

96. "Changes," David Bowie

Leaving the chart:

• "Ain't Understanding Mellow," Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eager (18 weeks)
• "Bang a Gong (Get It On)," T. Rex (15 weeks)
• "Precious and Few," Climax (15 weeks)
• "Runnin' Away," Sly & The Family Stone (10 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Changes," David Bowie

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(#66 US; re-enters in 1974, reaching #41; #127 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time [2004])


And new on the boob tube:

• Emergency!, "Crash" (season finale)

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Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the month or year.

_______

Definitely my least favorite Bond theme.

It's kinda catchy, but not up there with Herb's stronger numbers.

Little known fact: The Alfie in the song was Alfred E Neuman. Their affair was brief, but torrid.

This one's a bit of a meandering snoozer.

That's a song.

Decent, but doesn't really stand out.

Second-tier Who is still good Who, but are they trying to be the Beatles in that video or what?

Their first Top 40 single on this side of the pond. A bit odd that "Happy Jack" did so much better than "My Generation," but they're breaking out.

I don't think I've ever heard this. Not exactly one for the ages.

Decent, upbeat, catchy bit of sunshine pop.

I can pretty much guarantee that I didn't click.

You may have even said as much at the time, but I'm not gonna try to dig it up.

 

[RJDiogenes]

The X-rated animated movie Fritz the Cat is released.

I remember that. I never saw it, but it was a big deal at the time, both as a curiosity (heh) and punchline fodder.

an imbalance that allowed Detroit Tigers (86–70) to clinch the AL East pennant a game ahead of Boston (85–70).

Wait'll next year.

"Changes," David Bowie

Now there's a great song and artist. My best friend from high school worked with him for a while before he died. I had no idea this was originally released in 1972.

This one's a bit of a meandering snoozer.

It's actually not that bad, but she's certainly done better.

Their first Top 40 single on this side of the pond. A bit odd that "Happy Jack" did so much better than "My Generation," but they're breaking out.

It's often weird to see how classic songs fared on their original release.

 

[J.T.B.]

"Alfie," Dionne Warwick

Little known fact: The Alfie in the song was Alfred E Neuman. Their affair was brief, but torrid.

This one's a bit of a meandering snoozer.

One of Bacharach/David's most widely-respected compositions, its time changes and push-pull orchestration tell the story through more than just lyrics. Warwick is superb, her precision with the intervals and impeccable phrasing highlight once again her sophistication and confidence while also putting across the vulnerability in the lyric. The brilliance of B/D's ace comes through as always and she charts higher than Cilla Black's and Cher's earlier efforts.

 

[The Old Mixer]

50th anniversary viewing update: It seems that the last couple of S1 episodes of Emergency! are old enough that they've dropped out of my Comcast app, and I've been watching remotely away from my DVR prior to service expiration, so that brings a premature end to the '71-'72 season for our purposes.

I remember that. I never saw it, but it was a big deal at the time, both as a curiosity (heh) and punchline fodder.

Seems like something I'd heard name-dropped in the past, but didn't realize it was porn.

Now there's a great song and artist. My best friend from high school worked with him for a while before he died. I had no idea this was originally released in 1972.

This isn't the Bowie single that John sings on, but sounds like it is. The album, Hunky Dory, is on the list that I used to do reviews from.

its time changes and push-pull orchestration

I think that's what loses me. Seems like a song begging for a stronger hook.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It seems that the last couple of S1 episodes of Emergency! are old enough that they've dropped out of my Comcast app, and I've been watching remotely away from my DVR prior to service expiration, so that brings a premature end to the '71-'72 season for our purposes.

Well, that sucks. I was enjoying the Emergency! reviews. Have you found out yet what you have available at your new digs?

Seems like something I'd heard name-dropped in the past, but didn't realize it was porn.

Actually, that's about the only thing I know. Now I'm curious, so I might do a little research.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Well, that sucks. I was enjoying the Emergency! reviews. Have you found out yet what you have available at your new digs?

Hasn't been a priority for various reasons, including that I haven't fully moved yet and do have Internet access where I'm at. I may have an opportunity to continue watching Emergency!, but just missed those two episodes as it happens, and would have to wait for them to roll around again.

 

[The Old Mixer]

Meanwhile...

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Solid Catch-Up Viewing

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The Mod Squad
"Return to Darkness, Return to Light"
Originally aired March 17, 1970

A blind woman's plans to marry are wrecked when Pete and Linc discover her husband-to-be is a man of many aliases.

Linc gets a call from Janny Wills (Gloria Foster, reprising her role from Season 1's "A Hint of Darkness, a Hint of Light"), who invites him to dinner to meet her fiance, Dr. Frank Tarver (Ivan Dixon, who was finishing his last season of Hogan's Heroes at this point). Afterward Janny's open with Frank that she wants to be sure that her feelings for Linc are only friendship before going through with the marriage. After the party, Linc and Janny catch up, and he learns that she's the administrator of Tarver's free clinic. Linc happily gives Janny his blessing when asked.

The Mods have Janny over at Linc's for a private celebration dinner, but Frank is delayed by a visit from a gun-toting man named Edwards (Karl Swenson), who wants the doctor to sign a statement admitting to malpractice on his deceased daughter back in Cleveland. Tarver turns the tables after a struggle and lets Edwards go, keeping his gun. When Frank shows up for dinner sporting an injury, Linc doesn't buy his excuse, finds the gun in his jacket, and starts checking on him. Later on the street with Janny present, Edwards tries to run Tarver down, but Frank is saved by Linc.

Linc confronts Frank, producing the gun and wanting the truth. Frank asks Linc to trust him while he deals with the situation. The Mods continue to snoop, but are hesitant to involve the Cleveland police until Julie turns up a yearbook photo of a pre-med Frank Tarver who doesn't look like Kinch. Greer turns up that the real Tarver disappeared after being implicated in a scandal. Later, a thumbprint of the Tarver they know turns up not one but four previous identities, including a GI, a football coach, an attorney, and a professor of medicine.

Meanwhile, Linc and Pete ask Janny about how she met Frank and learn that she put up the money to start the clinic; they try to break the news to her that Frank isn't who he claims to be, causing her to go on the defensive. A call from a desperate Frank arranging a rendezvous causes her to start to realize the truth, and she secretly calls a cab and slips out. While the cabbie is upstairs looking for Janny, Edwards, who's been staking out her place, pretends to be the cabbie so she'll lead him to Tarver, who's hiding out at an abandoned house in Chatham that they were planning to rebuild. Frank is confronted at gunpoint, and reveals the truth to Edwards and Janny that he's a con artist named John Sawyers--the GI, who never finished school. Edwards is incredulous, but Sawyers expresses pride at the lives he's led. When Edwards won't accept the truth despite Sawyers's pain at having to reveal the truth the Janny, Sawyers tries to get the gun and Edwards fires, wounding John at close range. Greer and the Mods catch Edwards trying to flee the scene outside.

Linc consoles Janny over her fiance not being who he claimed and now having to serve a little time by quoting the poem from which her previous episode's title came; then she accompanies the Mods and Greer in a walk-off from the house in Chatham.

Is there a Chatham in the L.A. area? A quick Google is just turning up results for the familiar one on Cape Cod.

_______

The Mod Squad
"Call Back Yesterday"
Originally aired March 24, 1970

Pete's mother re-enters her son's life when the Squad investigates a murder attempt on a friend of Pete's family.

The Mods witness an altercation outside the police station between Pete's old flame Claire Allen (Superman's future girlfriend Margot Kidder!) and her cousin Doug (Dr. Robinson's pal Mark Goddard) about Claire being kept from seeing her father, Bob Allen. Pete checks out the file of Claire's visit to the station and finds that she's staying at Stately Cochran Manor, so he heads to the old homestead and has a reunion with his mother, Grace (Anita Louise). Later at his own pad, Pete shares with the Mods how he feels that he owes Claire because when he split the Beverly Hills scene, he did it in a way to make it easy for her to put him behind her. He also shares how Claire's brother Dave was killed in 'Nam, following which their father went a little off-kilter, which included misidentifying Pete as Dave.

Pete has Claire over at his pad, where she explains how her father's been involved in some sort of secretive experiment with her Uncle Howard and Doug at the family's chemical company. Doug takes the two of them in to see Bob (Edmon Ryan). They're told that he's involved in timed experiments that limit his availability, and he acts not entirely with it, which includes again misidentifying Pete as Dave. Pete and Claire catch sight of Bob being escorted out by a mysterious gentleman, and Pete tries to pursue them on the road, but is stopped at the gate by security.

Julie reads in the paper about how a conglomerate named Cherokee International has been trying to buy out Allen Chemical. Suspecting a strongarm tactic being used on Bob, Pete reluctantly uses his mother's influence to throw a party to which the other Allens are invited. Julie gains some confirming intel flirting with Doug while posing as a business student. During the shindig, Pete gets a call from Bob asking Pete to meet him at his house, and goes there to find Allen in a running car in the closed garage.

Pete brings Greer into the matter at the hospital, and has to inform a distraught Claire. Bob goes missing from the hospital, and Claire and the Mods meet the mystery man, Anderson (James Farley), who says that he's a therapist who's been pumping drugs into Bob at the order of Howard Allen's doctor. Doug tries to divert the Mods at the plant, but they catch Howard (Morgan Sterne) loading Bob into a helicopter, and while Pete and Linc get into a tussle with some guards, Bob breaks free and drives away. Howard tells the Mods that Bob's trying to kill himself.

At Greer's office, Howard explains that Bob has been punishing himself since Dave was killed by the explosion of an Allen-manufactured defoliant in Saigon, and that trying to sell the company was a tactic to separate Bob from the source of his grief. Everyone rushes to the scene when Bob is spotted at the plant trying to cause a chemical explosion up on a gantry. Greer wants to use a rifle to stop him, but Pete climbs up to talk Bob down, taking advantage of his confusion to pose as Dave.

With Bob now set to get the help he needs, Pete and Claire part ways and the Mods drive off from the plant in Pete's red sports car.

_______

 

[RJDiogenes]

Linc gets a call from Janny Wills (Gloria Foster, reprising her role from Season 1's "A Hint of Darkness, a Hint of Light")

That's a cool bit of semi continuity, but seems kind of random.

Greer turns up that the real Tarver disappeared after being implicated in a scandal.

So Edwards is trying to kill the wrong guy-- nice twist.

Later, a thumbprint of the Tarver they know turns up not one but four previous identities, including a GI, a football coach, an attorney, and a professor of medicine.

Oddly, these identities go back over a hundred years.

Frank is confronted at gunpoint, and reveals the truth to Edwards and Janny that he's a con artist named John Sawyers--the GI, who never finished school.

Yet manages to get by as a doctor and a lawyer, like the guy in The Great Imposter. Was he originally trying to scam Janny somehow with the clinic deal?

Edwards is incredulous, but Sawyers expresses pride at the lives he's led.

Or was he just assumed to be a scam artist when he's really just someone who goes all out at re-inventing himself?

Linc consoles Janny over her fiance not being who he claimed and now having to serve a little time by quoting the poem from which her previous episode's title came; then she accompanies the Mods and Greer in a walk-off from the house in Chatham.

I'm sensing a lot of plot holes, but the character of Tarver is interesting and the twist of the bad guy having a legitimate grievance but going after the wrong person is a good one. But how can they rest knowing that the real Tarver is still out there somewhere, wreaking who knows what havoc?

Is there a Chatham in the L.A. area? A quick Google is just turning up results for the familiar one on Cape Cod.

I was going to say that was a long taxi ride.

Claire Allen (Superman's future girlfriend Margot Kidder!) and her cousin Doug (Dr. Robinson's pal Mark Goddard)

Both of whom are seldom seen outside their notable roles.

Pete checks out the file of Claire's visit to the station and finds that she's staying at Stately Cochran Manor, so he heads to the old homestead and has a reunion with his mother

So Pete's old girlfriend is living with his mother, unknown to him. Was he also estranged from his mother, as the capsule description implied? This is weird.

Pete shares with the Mods how he feels that he owes Claire because when he split the Beverly Hills scene, he did it in a way to make it easy for her to put him behind her.

Pete is telling us that he was a jerk.

Pete has Claire over at his pad, where she explains how her father's been involved in some sort of secretive experiment with her Uncle Howard and Doug at the family's chemical company.

Now we're talking!

Doug takes the two of them in to see Bob (Edmon Ryan).

So what was the deal at the start when she was being prevented from seeing him?

Pete brings Greer into the matter at the hospital

Since it's not a police matter.

he's a therapist who's been pumping drugs into Bob at the order of Howard Allen's doctor.

Ah, now it's a police matter.

At Greer's office, Howard explains that Bob has been punishing himself since Dave was killed by the explosion of an Allen-manufactured defoliant in Saigon

Damn.

and that trying to sell the company was a tactic to separate Bob from the source of his grief.

Okay, that's nice, and another good twist where things are not what they seem, but I could think of about a hundred ways to handle that more simply and intelligently.

Greer wants to use a rifle to stop him

This is why they don't consult you, Greer!

but Pete climbs up to talk Bob down, taking advantage of his confusion to pose as Dave.

Damn, again.

With Bob now set to get the help he needs, Pete and Claire part ways and the Mods drive off from the plant in Pete's red sports car.

As they theorize on why Pete's old girlfriend is living with his mother.

 

[The Old Mixer]

That's a cool bit of semi continuity, but seems kind of random.

What, bring back a memorable guest who had a strong if episodic connection to one of the main characters?

Yet manages to get by as a doctor and a lawyer, like the guy in The Great Imposter. Was he originally trying to scam Janny somehow with the clinic deal?

Maybe initially, at least in that she was a means to set up a new identity, but he fell for her.

Or was he just assumed to be a scam artist when he's really just someone who goes all out at re-inventing himself?

He was assuming other people's identities and practicing law and medicine without qualifications.

But how can they rest knowing that the real Tarver is still out there somewhere, wreaking who knows what havoc?

Out of sight, out of mind. He was just a plot contrivance.

Both of whom are seldom seen outside their notable roles.

Goddard's popped up in these parts at least once before.

So Pete's old girlfriend is living with his mother, unknown to him. Was he also estranged from his mother, as the capsule description implied? This is weird.

Yeah, part of Pete's whole having left that world behind him...whatever led him to become whatever he was before Greer scared him straight and recruited him to be a Mod. I don't remember whatever exact details may have been previously dropped, but I'm under the impression that Pete's parents cut him off because of whatever he was into pre-Greer. According to a description on the show's Wiki pages, "long-haired rebel Pete Cochran (Cole) was evicted from his wealthy parents' Beverly Hills home, then arrested and put on probation after he stole a car".

Pete is telling us that he was a jerk.

But on purpose.

So what was the deal at the start when she was being prevented from seeing him?

The brother and nephew were apparently trying to keep the whole affair under wraps, but using an odd charade to do so.

This is why they don't consult you, Greer!

True!

As they theorize on why Pete's old girlfriend is living with his mother.

Claire's deal was that she'd been traveling in Europe, out of the loop of what was happening with her family. I think her mother was gone, so I guess she was dependent enough that she needed somebody else to put a roof over her head.

 

[RJDiogenes]

What, bring back a memorable guest who had a strong if episodic connection to one of the main characters?

Yeah, it didn't happen often in those days, so you'd expect something more memorable-- like she gets engaged to Linc but things go awry.

He was assuming other people's identities and practicing law and medicine without qualifications.

Definitely like the guy in The Great Imposter. Which is a great movie, by the way.

Goddard's popped up in these parts at least once before.

I think I saw him once in a Perry Mason, but he doesn't show his face very often.

Yeah, part of Pete's whole having left that world behind him...whatever led him to become whatever he was before Greer scared him straight and recruited him to be a Mod.

I guess that's another odd thing about this episode-- you'd think his reunion with Mom would be a bigger deal, instead of, "Hi, Mom. Long time no see. I'm a cop now."

But on purpose.

Oh, yeah, that's what he tells himself.

Claire's deal was that she'd been traveling in Europe, out of the loop of what was happening with her family. I think her mother was gone, so I guess she was dependent enough that she needed somebody else to put a roof over her head.

It seems like she had access to a decent amount of wealth through the company. I think she just had something going on with Pete's mother.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I guess that's another odd thing about this episode-- you'd think his reunion with Mom would be a bigger deal, instead of, "Hi, Mom. Long time no see. I'm a cop now."

Don't think there was any big reveal here about Pete's job...certainly not to his mom, who was in and out of the episode. In fact, I think he danced around it a bit in their one main scene together.

It seems like she had access to a decent amount of wealth through the company. I think she just had something going on with Pete's mother.

Maybe she just didn't like staying alone.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Don't think there was any big reveal here about Pete's job...certainly not to his mom, who was in and out of the episode. In fact, I think he danced around it a bit in their one main scene together.

So as far as she knows he's still a juvie punk?

Maybe she just didn't like staying alone.

I like to spin out scenarios.

 

[Maurice]

Seems like something I'd heard name-dropped in the past, but didn't realize it was porn.

Actually, that's about the only thing I know. Now I'm curious, so I might do a little research.

The X rating didn't mean "porn" originally. It simply meant not suitable for children, as per A Clockwork Orange, Pink Flamingos, etc.

From the start, however, X was a rating of a different color. Unlike the other ratings, it was never copyrighted, so while a movie can be rated PG only by the MPAA, any producer can call a movie ”triple X.” A little of that goes a long way toward giving a letter a bad name. It didn’t take long to realize the porno industry had co-opted the rating. And any movie that didn’t want to be judged by the company it kept had better steer clear. (source)

NC-17 was meant to replace X, but it's never really worked.

Fritz the Cat has sex, but it's also very violent and not something really suited for children in any way shape or form.

 

[RJDiogenes]

The X rating didn't mean "porn" originally. It simply meant not suitable for children, as per A Clockwork Orange, Pink Flamingos, etc.

Yeah, I checked out the Wiki page on Fritz and it was quite an interesting story. These days, he'd just get an R, I guess.

NC-17 was meant to replace X, but it's never really worked.

That's true, I haven't seen NC-17 used in this century, I don't think. If it goes past R, it's just "unrated."

Fritz the Cat has sex, but it's also very violent and not something really suited for children in any way shape or form.

They should have a rating T, for Twisted.

 

[The Old Mixer]

55 Years Ago This Week

April 16

• The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), the first coast-to-coast soccer league in the United States, held its opening day with five games, starting with a 2:00 pm game at Baltimore that was televised nationally by CBS. League Commissioner Ken Macker kicked out the first ball prior to the contest, and was accompanied by his guest, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The Baltimore Bays won, 1–0, over the Atlanta Chiefs in front of 8,434 fans. In Philadelphia, more people (14,163) turned out to see the Philadelphia Spartans (who beat the Toronto Falcons, 2-0) than baseball's Philadelphia Phillies (9,213). The rival United Soccer Association would debut a month later, on May 26.
• Aretha Franklin's signature song, "Respect", was released by Atlantic Records and would reach #1 by June. Although Otis Redding had written and recorded the song in 1965, Franklin added the chorus "R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me".

April 17

• The United States launched the Surveyor 3 lunar probe at 2:05 in the morning in the third American attempt to make a soft landing on the moon.
• The Joey Bishop Show premiered at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on the ABC television network as a challenge to The Tonight Show and Johnny Carson. Filling the same role that Ed McMahon served on the Carson show, Regis Philbin was Bishop's announcer and sidekick. Bishop's first guest was California Governor Ronald Reagan, followed by Debbie Reynolds, Danny Thomas, and Noel Cannon ("a lady traffic court jurist").
• The last original episode of the CBS sitcom Gilligan's Island was telecast. Reruns would continue until September 4, after which it would be replaced by the first half hour of the long-running Western, Gunsmoke, which had been canceled on February 22; less than two weeks later, the decision was reversed, and the planned fourth season of Gilligan's Island was ended. Gilligan, already popular with children, would become even more popular in syndication.

April 19

• The American Surveyor 3 probe landed on the Moon at 7:04 p.m. Florida time (0004 April 20 UTC). After bouncing three times during the landing on the Oceanus Procellarum, the probe became was the first to analyze the chemical composition of the lunar surface. Using a robotic scoop called the Soil Mechanics Surface Sampler, the probe dug four different trenches and sent data back to Earth, revealing that the Moon soil was "like coarse damp beach sand, being cohesive and clumpy." On May 3, the Surveyor probe would power down as it entered a two-week long "night cycle", when temperatures on the darkened surface fell to -250 °F; after the cycle's end, however, engineers on Earth would try in vain to locate Surveyor's transmitter frequency to reactivate the craft, which "apparently froze to death" and would be declared a loss upon entering its second night cycle on June 1. The bouncing would later be traced to "unexpectedly high reflectivity" from rocks on the lunar surface "at a critical point in the touchdown"; nonetheless, the spacecraft "scored history's longest hole-in-one by hopping into a crater at the end of its quarter million mile flight."
• Kathy Switzer became the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon as a registrant, after listing herself simply as "K. V. Switzer" and being assigned the number 261. Four miles into the 26-mile event, race official Jock Semple tried to pull Switzer out of the crowd of runners, and was shoved to the curb by Switzer's boyfriend, Thomas Miller. Photographs taken by Associated Press photographer Donald L. Robinson would appear in papers around the world the next day. Switzer was not the first person to sneak into the all-male race, and had been preceded in 1966 by Roberta Gibb who jumped in from the crowd at the 26-mile event's start, but she was the first to apply for entry. Switzer would finish the race in 4 hours, 20 minutes, while Gibb, running again without registration, would cross the line after 3 hours, 27 minutes and 17 seconds. Dave McKenzie of New Zealand would win the race in a time of 2:15:45.
• A legal business partnership, the Beatles & Co., is formed to exist precisely ten years on a goodwill of £1,000,000, binding the group together on paper until 1977.

April 20

• A Globe Air Bristol Britannia turboprop crashes at Nicosia, Cyprus, killing 126 people.
• First EMI recording session for Magical Mystery Tour.

April 21

• At 2:00 in the morning local time, Greece was taken over by a military dictatorship led by Colonel George Papadopoulos, Colonel Nikolaos Makarezos, and Brigadier General Stylianos Pattakos with no opposition from King Constantine II or Prime Minister Panagiotis Kanellopoulos. The plotters had followed "Plan Prometheus", a set of instructions created by NATO for response to the threat of a Communist takeover of the royal government. Former Prime Minister George Papandreou, who had opposed the King, was arrested at the age of 79. Konstantinos Kollias was sworn in as Prime Minister the next day. The dictatorship would finally end in 1974.
• An outbreak of tornadoes struck the upper Midwest section of the United States, killing 59 people and injuring hundreds more, mostly in the Chicago suburbs of Oak Lawn (where 31 people were killed) and Belvidere, Illinois (where 21 died).

April 22 – American inspectors were allowed to make a second inspection of Israel's Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, and concluded that although Israel was not developing atomic weapons, the Jewish state "was aiming to reach a point where it could have a nuclear option at a moment's notice"; seven weeks later, on May 28, the Israelis would assemble two nuclear bombs in preparation for war.


Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Somethin' Stupid," Frank & Nancy Sinatra
2. "Happy Together," The Turtles
3. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You," The Monkees
4. "I Think We're Alone Now," Tommy James & The Shondells
5. "Western Union," The Five Americans
6. "This Is My Song," Petula Clark
7. "Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley
8. "Bernadette," Four Tops
9. "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," Aretha Franklin
10. "Jimmy Mack," Martha & The Vandellas
11. "The Happening," The Supremes
12. "Dedicated to the One I Love," The Mamas & The Papas
13. "I'm a Man," The Spencer Davis Group
14. "With This Ring," The Platters

16. "At the Zoo," Simon & Garfunkel
17. "Don't You Care," The Buckinghams
18. "You Got What It Takes," The Dave Clark Five
19. "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey What's That Sound)," Buffalo Springfield
20. "Dry Your Eyes," Brenda & The Tabulations
21. "Penny Lane," The Beatles
22. "There's a Kind of Hush," Herman's Hermits
23. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," Harpers Bizarre
24. "On a Carousel," The Hollies
25. "Beggin'," The Four Seasons
26. "Close Your Eyes," Peaches & Herb

28. "Strawberry Fields Forever," The Beatles
29. "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," Jimmy Ruffin
30. "Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats

33. "California Nights," Lesley Gore
34. "Get Me to the World on Time," The Electric Prunes

36. "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

38. "When I Was Young," Eric Burdon & The Animals
39. "I've Been Lonely Too Long," The Young Rascals
40. "I'll Try Anything," Dusty Springfield

42. "My Back Pages," The Byrds
43. "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

46. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings
47. "Yellow Balloon," The Yellow Balloon
48. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," The Monkees

50. "Casino Royale," Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

52. "Dead End Street Monologue/Dead End Street," Lou Rawls
53. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes
54. "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck

58. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane

65. "Shake a Tail Feather," James & Bobby Purify

69. "Sunshine Girl," The Parade

77. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick

79. "Groovin'," The Young Rascals

83. "Happy Jack," The Who

86. "When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes

94. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood

Leaving the chart:

• "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," Johnny Rivers (11 weeks)
• "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," The Mojo Men (11 weeks)
• "Sock It to Me, Baby!," Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels (11 weeks)

Recent and new on the chart:

"The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood

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(Apr. 15; #34 US; #19 R&B)

"When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes

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(#23 US; #9 R&B; #13 UK)

"Groovin'," The Young Rascals

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(#1 US the weeks of May 20 and 27 and June 17 and 24, 1967; #3 R&B; #8 UK)


And new on the boob tube:

• The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 19, episode 30
• Gilligan's Island, "Gilligan, the Goddess" (series finale)
• The Monkees, "Monkees at the Movies"
• The Invaders, "Moonshot"
• Dragnet 1967, "The Subscription Racket"
• The Avengers, "The Superlative Seven"
• Mission: Impossible, "The Psychic" (season finale)
• Get Smart, "A Man Called Smart: Part 3" (season finale)

_______

Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the month or year and Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day, with minor editing as needed.

_______

So as far as she knows he's still a juvie punk?

She acknowledged that he'd changed, but didn't know the story behind it. IIRC, Pete's dad appeared in an earlier episode...and I don't recall if he learned about Pete's career, but either way she might have gotten wind of how Pete had changed through him.

They should have a rating T, for Twisted.

Video games use T for Teen.

 

[RJDiogenes]

April 17
The United States launched the Surveyor 3 lunar probe at 2:05 in the morning

April 19
The American Surveyor 3 probe landed on the Moon at 7:04 p.m.

That was quick.

the planned fourth season of Gilligan's Island was ended.

And the people responsible for this got away scot free!

"The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood

Here's another one that used to get significant airplay. Catchy, and obviously an influence on the "Fuck You" guy.

"When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes

Pleasant and nostalgic.

"Groovin'," The Young Rascals

Classic 60s philosophical treatise.

She acknowledged that he'd changed, but didn't know the story behind it. IIRC, Pete's dad appeared in an earlier episode...and I don't recall if he learned about Pete's career, but either way she might have gotten wind of how Pete had changed through him.

Sounds like he don't give a damn 'bout his bad reputation.

Video games use T for Teen.

Damn. How about W for Weird?

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I was going to wait for The Old Mixer to finish his review of the seventh season of ‘Mission: Impossible” before posting my thoughts about the proposed eighth season; however, since he seems to have stopped reviewing after the sixth, I’d thought I go ahead and post them now.

After the end of the seventh season, with no indication of whether or not CBS would renew ‘Mission’ for an eighth season, Story Consultant Lawrence Heath had to have scripts ready to shoot just in case.

There were about half a dozen scripts in various stages of completion when the show was officially cancelled by CBS.

The two that were furthest along were ‘Phobia’, in which the IMF must uncover a heroin pipeline in an alcohol rehabilitation center. Casey is admitted by her ‘husband’ Jim. Casey manages to uncover the operation, but is captured and, under interrogation, reveals her biggest fear of insects. When Jim comes to take her out, he too is captured, and a device is implanted in his spine, which, went detonated, would either cripple or kill him. It’s up to Barney and Willy to rescue to the two.

The second story was called ‘The Laundryman’; about a bagman who picks up money for the Mafia. One day at the dentist’s office, he is put to sleep and awakens in a lobby, where he by an angel that he died while under sedation and he is now in purgatory, with an elevator going up to Heaven and one going down to Hell. In order to clear his conscience and be admitted to Heaven, he must confess what he’s done with the money.

Other scripts being written at the time included a story about a rigged Ouija board, one where the team in infiltrated by a double agent and set up for execution, another where the team must recruit an absolute sleazeball in order to complete a mission, and, most intriguingly, a story that would have brought back hitman Eddie Lorca (played by Robert Conrad), presumed dead at the end of the fifth season episode, ‘The Killer.’ This time his target would be ‘The Secretary’.