I think it was around this time, either pre- or post-"Diamonds are Forever" that Burt's name was being floated as a possible replacement for Sean Connery as James Bond. I think it was Burt himself who said that Bond should be played by a British actor. That being said, there is a movie of his from this period, "Impasse" from 1969, that was shot in the Philippines, and the 1970-1971 television series "Dan August", that, I think, showed he had the acting chops to pull off a "serious" Bond if the producers wanted to go in that direction. There's a sequence in "Impasse" where Burt meets up with the criminals for a "drop" and he gets into an altercation with them. It shows that he at least had the physical part down.
The correspondence episodes of M*A*S*H were always among the best. This is one of the reasons that I thought it was a mistake to put Voyager so far from home. No problem, he owes Radar a favor. I wonder if he even had a role at that point, or if he's another character that they just kept bringing back until he became a regular, like Miles O'Brien and possibly Georgette. The Greatest American Hero? This always cracks me up. "Girl Scouts of America." Imagine the Twittering! I get a kick out of the weird pronunciations that turn up fairly frequently, like "Cousteau." Speaking of good sports. I assume the "comic relief" was based mostly on the performances of the Lovejoy family. Talk about a slow connection. Altercation! Not too bright using such a distinctive vehicle for a getaway car. With a big "$" on the bag, I hope. Well, that turned out to be a very sad story. Subtle, and well done. Ah, yes, the old "it's the harder part" line. Not the inventor of Eggs Benedict. "The other kids always called me a traitor. I never got over it." Closing narration provided by Rod Serling. "Peter Brady learned the hard way... that you can't change history... in the Twilight Zone." That's pretty much the impression I got. Hopefully. He seems to be in good shape. But then there was Betty White. Presidents seem to become different people (for the most part) when they're no longer dealing with the morons, psychopaths, and mental defectives of their own party. My favorite example is the cute friendship between Bush II and Michelle Obama. I'm thinking ahead to the Millennial Generation, who hopefully may reach maturity by age 75 or so. He's right, he couldn't be James Bond. He could certainly play a Bondian character, though, perhaps Bond's American counterpart. Hey, Anne Francis. Now I want to see a James Bond, American Agent, Honey West crossover.
50th Anniversary Cinematic Special Snoopy, Come Home Directed by Bill Melendez Starring Snoopy, with Charlie Brown, Lucy Van Pelt, Linus Van Pelt, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Sally...and introducing Woodstock Released August 9, 1972 I have a memory of having seen this in the theater...and if it was a flop, that makes it more likely to have been during its original release. I also recall catching its TV debut, which I read was in 1976. Linus: Nice going, Charlie Brown. It took that rock 4,000 years to get to shore, and now you've thrown it back. Lucy (Robin Kohn): I'm going to destroy you economically, Charlie Brown. Fueling his anger, Charlie Brown cut his thumb while making Snoopy's dog food. Charlie Brown: I hate it when he does that. The "you're not our crowd" line in the "No Dogs Allowed" song has echoes of segregation. He's accompanying Charlie Brown, who's trying to get Sally (Hilary Momberger) interested in reading. Snoopy's enjoying the literary antics of The Bunnies when he's kicked out. That's some angry thumb-sucking! Charlie Brown's flustered because Snoopy's getting letters and he isn't. "I had fourteen pen pals once, but I did all the writing!" Snoopy sports his dog dish as a traveling hat. Animal abuse! Meanwhile, back in Peanutsville.... Charlie Brown: I'm depressed, Linus. I need an encouraging word to cheer me up. Linus: Happiness lies in our destiny, like a cloudless sky before the storms of tomorrow destroy the dreams of yesterday and last week. Charlie Brown: I think that blanket is doing something to you. Snoopy also has a Tardis suitcase that holds a sleeping bag and filled kettle among various other items. Afterward, Woodstock makes a nest for them to sleep in. Peppermint Patty tries to get Charlie Brown out of his funk by taking him to a carnival, where she discusses love with him. Which involves Snoopy attempting to disguise himself as a surgeon! I remember crying over this scene, and talk about something sticking with you...when I was looking up the clips and the Peanuts started pacing around, it hit me in the gut. After Charlie Brown tells Linus how he came to own Snoopy... Charlie Brown: Just what I need, a blanket-carrying Sherlock Holmes. He fainted before hearing it and during the story, as well. This is also Franklin's onscreen debut, though he doesn't get any lines. Frieda is played by Linda Mendelson. And he sings... Someone left the typewriter out in the rain... _______ I shudder at the thought of that. Huh? The episode was generally directed and played with a quirky/comical tone, though there's a pretty high body count offsetting that... If it makes you feel any better, I had to look up the police code for the other post...you'd think they'd be burned into my brain by now. Indeed...it smacks of contrivance. Nope, just a paper sack. That's another good one...and it owes to the happenstance of their always being seated next to each other at state events. I'm anticipating that around that point, they'll get a taste of their own medicine as younger generations blame them for all the world's problems.
In the book "Nobody Does It Better: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of James Bond" there's a chapter detailing the search for Sean Connery's replacement, both after 'Thunderball' and 'Diamonds are Forever' and the producers had a list of American and British actors for the role of James Bond and the top two American actors that received serious consideration both times were Burt Reynolds and James Brolin.
Rated PG-13 for Violence. I definitely didn't see it in the theater, and I'm not sure if I saw the TV premiere. I don't remember it as well as I expected. This was a B.C. strip as well, except it was the actual rock that thought the thought. Snoopy started it. Imagine fighting over the Blanket of Inner Peace! He held his own with Linus and beat the tar out of Lucy, but he's no match for Clara? The super-strength of psychosis, I guess. That was a totally insane, off-plot interlude. Maybe that's why Snoopy wanted it, to partake of its psychoactive qualities. How about a Peanuts Special where Linus's blanket makes the rounds and we see its effects on all the individual characters? "What do you mean 'my kind?'" What the hell is going on in this movie? Oh, yeah, childhood never lets you go. Donna Summer? Well, I guess I can see why that didn't do better at the box office. Maybe they should have released it to midnight theaters, along with Rocky Horror. We're hit with the revelation that Snoopy had a previous life, he's reunited with his original owner-- who has a mysterious, never explained illness-- but we learn nothing about her or their relationship or their life together, Snoopy is kidnapped and abused in a bizarre interlude that does not connect to the main plot, such as it is, in any way, then Snoopy decides to go back to the girl who abandoned him, for no compelling reason, since we learned nothing about their past together, but they are kept apart because the same rule that led her to abandon him is still in place, which they should have foreseen-- and nothing is made of the fact that cats are allowed, but dogs are not. So the status quo is reset, but in no emotionally satisfying way, because no actual decision was made. It is also never explained why Woodstock did not accompany Snoopy the second time, even though Snoopy appears to be his only friend. Meanwhile, Peppermint Patty messes with Charlie Brown's head with all kinds of weird mixed messages and Charlie Brown's anguish at losing Snoopy is never acknowledged. I think they had an opportunity here to explain Snoopy's dismissive attitude toward Charlie Brown, because his previous owner abandoned him to an orphanage, which would lead to a general distrust of pet owners, but all we really got was a drug-addled phantasmagoria of violence and unchained emotion. Or am I overthinking again? The guy who reviews the outgoing mail owes Radar favors-- many, many people owe Radar favors. I did think that. Damn these people and their lack of respect for tradition. And mostly with justification. Both bad choices, and there were no good choices. I wonder if they would have been expected to fake the accent or if the producers were just going to abandon the essence of the character.
50 Years Ago This Week December 31 Another leap second (23:59:60) was added to the end of the year, making 1972 the only year to have two leap seconds, and thus the longest year in human history. Died: Roberto Clemente, 38, star of the Pittsburgh Pirates, killed along with four other people while on an errand of mercy to earthquake victims in Managua. At 9:22 pm, his DC-7 crashed into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Clemente's body was never found. Clemente was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame in 1973. 1973! January 1 The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark entered the European Economic Community (EEC, generally referred to as "the Common Market", a predecessor to the European Union. The addition of the new members brought the number of Common Market nations from six to nine. Exxon Corporation, the largest oil company in the world at the time, was created by the merger of Standard Oil Company of New Jersey and Humble Oil. The gasoline stations of the merged companies, operating under the names Esso, Enco and Humble, would all be rebranded as Exxon stations during the year 1973. In the 59th Rose Bowl college football game, the #1-ranked USC Trojans of the Pacific 8 conference defeated the #3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes of the Big Ten conference, 42-17. The #2-ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners, had beaten the #5-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions the night before in the Sugar Bowl. Died: Sergei Kourdakov, 21, a Soviet Russian KGB agent who had defected to Canada on September 3, 1971, was found dead in his motel room at the ski resort town of Running Springs, California, from a gunshot to the head. Walter E. "Jack" Rollins, 66, American lyricist who wrote the words for more than 500 songs, and was best known for "Frosty the Snowman" (1950) and "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" (1949). January 3 The 93rd United States Congress opened with the swearing in of new U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators. The seats of Democratic Representatives Hale Boggs of Louisiana's 2nd district and Nick Begich of Alaska's At-Large district were declared "presumed dead" by House Resolution 1, nearly three months after the plane carrying both Congressmen was lost on October 16, 1972, over a remote region of Alaska. Although both Boggs and Begich won their re-elections while officially missing after the crash, the House resolution renders their seats vacant at the start of the 93rd Congress and orders special elections to fill both seats. Antonio Won Pat became the first delegate from the U.S. territory of Guam to have an office in the U.S. House of Representatives, appearing as the territory's non-voting delegate. Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst for the RAND Corporation who leaked top secret U.S. Department of Defense documents to multiple newspapers, went on trial for violations of the Espionage Act of 1917. The documents, published as the "Pentagon Papers", led to Ellsberg's indictment. Although initially barred from testifying in his own defense, Ellsberg would have the charges against him dismissed on May 11 because of prosecutorial misconduct including the wiretapping of his office and the burglary of his psychiatrist's office. CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting System sold the New York Yankees baseball team for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led by George Steinbrenner, with Robert Nederlander, E. Michael Burke, Lester Crown, John DeLorean, Nelson Bunker Hunt and Marvin L. Warner as junior partners. The price was $3.2 million more than the price paid by CBS for the team in 1965. The Golden Corral chain of steak restaurants opened its first of almost 500 locations in the United States, starting with a steakhouse in Fayetteville, North Carolina. U.S. Air Force General John C. Meyer, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command, was booed by airmen at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, where he had paid a visit days after directing Operation Linebacker II, the "Christmas Bombing" that took place from December 18 to December 29, 1972. January 4 In Derry (also referred to as "Londonderry") in Northern Ireland, a crowd of almost 300 children threw stones and bottles at six British Army soldiers who had come to a Roman Catholic neighborhood to investigate a complaint. Four soldiers were hurt before the patrol commander fired a rifle shot over the heads of the children. An annular solar eclipse took place, visible mostly over Chile and Argentina. January 5 Mandatory screening before boarding of all airline passengers went into effect in the United States under orders of the U.S. Department of Transportation, after notice and comment was announced on December 5. As its first order of business, the members of the Canada's House of Commons, liberal and conservative, voted unanimously to condemn the American Christmas bombing of North Vietnam that was carried out from December 18 to December 29, 1972. The resolution, introduced by Mitchell Sharp, the MP who was Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, began with a statement that the House "deplores the recent large-scale bombing in the Hanoi-Haiphong area," and added that the body "requests the government of the United States to refrain from resumption" of the bombing. The move infuriated U.S. President Richard M. Nixon. U.S. President Nixon issued an Executive Order to partially put into effect his 1971 proposal for reorganization of the federal government, consolidating much of the authority under three members of his Cabinet whom he elevated to the additional role of "White House Counselor". Caspar Weinberger, whom he had nominated for U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), was designated as "Counselor for Human Resources" and had "responsibility for health, education, manpower development, income security, social services, Indian and native peoples, drug abuse and consumer protection". James T. Lynn, nominated as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was designated as "Counselor for Community Development" to handle community institutions, community planning, housing, highways, public transportation, regional development, disaster relief and national capital affairs. Earl Butz, at the time the United States Secretary of Agriculture, was named "Counselor for Natural Resources" in charge of "natural resource use, lands and minerals, environment, outdoor recreation, water control and park and wildlife resources." Many of the named duties were under the authority of agencies not affiliated with any Cabinet-level department. The move was intended to reduce the number of staff in the White House from 4,000 to 2,000. NASA announced the cancellation of the NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application) project, a joint effort of NASA and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission to develop a nuclear-powered rocket engine for long range space missions. Over 17 years, $1.4 billion USD had been spent on the development before U.S. President Nixon canceled the program as a cost-cutting measure. The American rock band Aerosmith, composed of Boston musicians Steven Tyler, who sang lead vocals, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford, bassist Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer, released its debut album of the same name, distributed by Columbia Records. Future United States President Joe Biden was sworn in as the junior United States Senator from Delaware at a chapel at the Wilmington General Hospital in Wilmington, Delaware, where one of his sons was still hospitalized after a December 18 auto accident that had killed Biden's wife and his daughter. January 6 U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was officially declared the winner of the 1972 United States presidential election with the certification by Vice President Spiro Agnew of the electoral vote. The final result was Nixon, 520 votes; U.S. Senator George McGovern of South Dakota; and John Hospers, a Libertarian candidate who received one of Virginia's votes from Roger MacBride, a "faithless elector". Agnew also announced his own re-election, with the vote of 520 for him, 17 for Sargent Shriver and one (from McBride) for Theodora Nathan, who became the first woman in U.S. history to receive an electoral vote. Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week: Leaving the chart: "Dialogue (Part I & II)," Chicago (10 weeks) "992 Arguments," The O'Jays (8 weeks) "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)," Jim Croce (12 weeks) New on the chart: "Danny's Song," Anne Murray (#7 US; #1 AC; #10 Country) And new on the boob tube: Hawaii Five-O, "The Child Stealers" Adam-12, "O'Brien's Stand" The Brady Bunch, "Love and the Older Man" The Odd Couple, "Sometimes a Great Ocean" Mission: Impossible, "Incarnate" Love, American Style, "Love and the Cryptic Gift / Love and the Family Hour / Love and the Legend / Love and the Sexpert" All in the Family, "Archie in the Hospital" Emergency!, "Drivers" The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Lou's Place" The Bob Newhart Show, "Let's Get Away from It Almost" _______ Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the month. _______ What's a heroic journey without some random hazard? (And speaking of random hazards, Clara's song turned out to be a real earworm...!) There was another odd bit of racially related business in the film...at the library, the only book with a readable title on the spine bore a term that's considered offensive today. Likely meant to be the children's story, though the full title wasn't used. This! Pretty harsh for a Peanuts movie. Not only do we get insight into Charlie Brown and Snoopy's past (Charlie Brown's mother took him to the puppy farm after an early childhood bullying incident), but Snoopy's loyalty to Lila and conflicting desire to not abandon Charlie Brown show us that he's more attached to his masters than he appears to be. And the Clara incident underscores how Snoopy's got a really good anthropomorphized gig with Charie Brown that he might not enjoy with another owner, including Lila. Ah...unclear referent, then; I thought you were talking about Hawkeye. My brain don't burn as easily as it used to. It's the '70s, man...the paper bag is authentic to the period. At any rate, Gen Z seems to be coming into the spotlight, with their defining characteristic being that they think they're the first generation who ever had to suffer the indignities of menial service/retail industry jobs. People who don't approve of what Moore brought to the role need to look at the alternatives. Moore not only kept the franchise alive, but thriving into the '80s, proving that there was a demand for Bond well beyond the '60s.
The thing is, from what I've read and come to understand over the years, is that Moore really wasn't even the producer's first choice to replace Connery. Reynolds, we've already discussed. Timothy Dalton was interviewed and turned down the role because he thought he was too young for the part. The leading candidate, the actor on top of everyone's list, who read, and screen tested for the part multiple times, was Michael Billington, recently of the Gerry and Sylvia Anderson series "U.F.O." I've seen the complete series and he probably would have portrayed the role of Bond closer to Connery and Craig and the movies would have reflected this, rather than the light approach taken by Moore and his movies. (Try to imagine the first scene as a meeting between Bond and "M", then between Straker and Foster as between Bond and Blofeld or some other villain in his lair and that might help.) Would that have made his Bond movies more or less successful, I don't know.
Happy 50th Anniversary of New Year's! I still say 2021 was the longest year in human history, although 2022 gives it stiff competition. Here comes adolescence. I remember that. We had Esso around here. You can even find mention of this in one of my old, nostalgia-themed poems. That's remarkable. Definitely not something you see too often. Y'gotta wonder.... Decent band. They pretty much peaked with Rocks. I'm sure I haven't heard this in decades. I remember it mostly from early 80s Oldies Radio. It's fine, I guess. Anne Murray was not exactly a dynamic talent, though she managed a few popular singles, including a Monkees cover. True, but you should really have at least three, to establish a pattern. One is just an aberration. It was pretty catchy. That's a good point about the significance of the Clara interlude. The whole thing would probably scan better if I actually watched it. I can dig it. Not for the Beagle Boys. Well, they can't very well expect Millennials to do any work-- they were sent by god to save the world on social media. When I said there were no good choices, I meant among American actors. That's just a road not to be taken. Moore is actually my personal favorite-- he's "my" Bond. Well, that's really very interesting. I'm not sure what I think about that yet, especially running on about two hours sleep. I'm very familiar with Billington as Paul Foster, because I was a big fan of the show (got the DVDs!), and he does seem to have a bit of Patrick McGoohan to him at times. But the thing is that he lacks intensity, despite his outbursts. I don't know if he could carry a big-screen, larger-than-life hero role.
Multiple bullets were dodged. Less, I'd say. The trick to being a successful cinematic Bond is to own the role, to make it your own. Connery, Moore, Brosnan, and Craig each did this in their own way. Dalton tried to play Bond as the character from the Fleming novels and audiences didn't respond well. I can't see Billington having carried the series for another seven films the way Moore did. For the record, Dec. 31, 1972, was the first Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve. This would be another case where I'm not 100% sure if I actually caught the first one, but I do remember it being the new thing. This is another of those things I think I recall...can't say if it was Exxon specifically, but local service stations changing their names as new oil conglomerates emerged. As for the Canadian House of Commons thing, I picture Nixon scribbling furiously to update his enemies list... A nice-sounding bit of mellow early '70s business. This was written by Kenny Loggins and originally recorded by him and Messina. I was gonna tell you that it's on Paramount Plus, but apparently it's not anymore. Seems that I caught it just in time. I wasn't referring to you, just to general criticism of Moore.
Having slept on it, I think the reason Moore was chosen over Billington, was that Moore was "known commodity" with a "proven track record." If you had asked a typical (US) moviegoer in '71-'72 who Roger Moore was, their most likely response would have been "The Saint" or, to a lesser extent, "The Persuaders". Ask that same person who Michael Billington was, and you probably would have gotten a blank stare; unless they had somehow seen "UFO" when it was in syndication. The producers needed someone with name recognition who could get butts in the seats and carry the franchise forward into the '70-'80s and Moore was that person.
I have often wondered what Hawkeye’s Crabapple Cove looked like…as close as I could find https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/76-Heath-Rd-Bremen-ME-04551/123006702_zpid/ It looks exactly as I had envisioned it as a child.
Which, you might agree, is an excellent way to choose a Bond. And they're still using Dick Clark's name, several years after he's gone, which I have to give them props for. "We invade in the morning. The people will welcome us as liberators." Damn. I would have watched it, too. I'm very curious now. Ah, okay. Except for the house price. A million bucks probably could have bought Hawkeye's Crabapple Cove ten times over in 1955. The town's website has a nice gallery, and it does look like how I would imagine it.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2) _______ Mission: Impossible "The Puppet" Originally aired December 22, 1972 It's not an accident that Paul Ostro (John Crawford) ends up shot while hunting with his brother Leo (Roddy McDowall, who still can't do an American accent), after Paul won't agree to undertake a new criminal enterprise that Leo has come up with. There are two guest agents at the briefing, Hank (Richard Devon) and Khalid (Joseph Ruskin). Jim's scheme involves his theory that Leo is using a face-bandaged imposter as his titular yes-man. Barney arrives at Ostro Manor as the substitute cook while "Paul" is persuading other criminal figures, including rival Larry Gault (John Larch), to put up money for Leo's scheme. Jim, posing as an old associate of Paul's sans disguise, arrives with Casey to discuss a lucrative deal involving oil. Puppet Paul initially doesn't seem to recognize Jim, but when Jim drops more details, Leo agrees to meeting Jim's supplier. On their way out, Casey stumbles on the stairs to flash some needle marks on her arm. As Leo's leaving for his meeting, Telephone Van Willy gets to work down in a utility tunnel. (Oddly, it's not the same company as in the previous episode.) Augie Leitch (Val Avery), Gault's man inside the Ostro house, shares the detail of Jim's proposal with Gault, including that Casey's a hype. Leo discusses details and terms with Fake Middle Eastern Minister Khalid. Barney gives Puppet Paul a medicinal drink that he concocted, which causes him to have an attack. Doctor Willy intercepts a call to tend to Puppet Paul, while Hank bandages up to impersonate the imposter. Casey is nabbed by a hood and Gault gets info from her by holding a fix over her head. Doctor Willy gets a watch-camera photo of Puppet Paul's chest tattoo as well as a recording of Puppet Paul's voice to cement Hank's disguise. Leo makes Barney finish Puppet Paul's drink, and he resists its effects long enough to get to the kitchen and down an antidote, following which he and Willy help Even Faker Puppet Paul to switch places with Puppet Paul, placing the original fake in Willy's trunk. Willy breaks into the Ostro safe and takes out a box of big cash, putting it in his electrocardiogram case. Jim accompanies Leo to have documentation for the oil scheme checked out, which is being carried in a case with a trick compartment. The two of them are waylaid by Gault on the way out. Out in the van, Willy and Casey unbandage Puppet Paul to verify that he is, in fact, fake. Leo opens the case for Gault, and is bewildered to find Gault's cash is in it. Jim and Faker Paul further implicate Leo, causing Leo to want Faker Paul unbandaged. The injured face underneath the bandages is Paul's (the old "mask under the bandages" trick), and Faker Paul accuses Leo of shooting him and drugging him for compliance. Desperate to get out of his bind, Leo explains his scheme to counterfeit South African currency to Gault, taking him down to the subbasement where the presses are being kept, only for conventional law enforcement to follow them down. The IMFers assemble at the telephone van and drive off. _______ All in the Family "The Locket" Originally aired December 23, 1972 The episode opens with Edith having already lost the titular item while serving tea at church. Edith: Grandma gave me that locket on her deathbed. She put it around my neck and she said, "Edith, I want you to wear this always to remember me by." Those were her last words to me. Those and "Don't marry Archie." Archie is less than impressed with Gloria's attempt to make chicken chow mein using corned beef hash and spaghetti. When Archie sits down to watch TV, we actually see it for once, as the camera looks at Archie through the empty set, its inner workings being out for repair. Archie's not interested in the locket until he finds out that Edith had previously been offered $150 for it by a jeweler. Then he decides to claim it on his homeowner's insurance policy, for twice that amount, to get a new color TV. Talking to his agent, Joe Peterson (John Randolph), Archie learns that he's only covered if the locket was stolen, so he changes his story, and not very convincingly, then learns that he has to report it to the police as well. This causes the locket to be found on a line-up suspect, as it actually was stolen. Not knowing this, Archie comes home with a couple of deliverymen carrying in the new TV. When Archie finds out, it's too late to get back the check he used for the TV, so he wants to take the insurance check anyway. The Bunkers gets a visit by a man from the insurance company, Mr. Fairchild (Liam Dunn), who wants to talk to Edith. Edith actually gives him all the details he needs about the thief, having seen him at the station. Nevertheless, she won't hold back that she knows the locket's whereabouts (with the police as evidence). Archie's stuck with the new TV and its old-fashioned clicker remote that doesn't work. _______ The Mary Tyler Moore Show "The Courtship of Mary's Father's Daughter" Originally aired December 23, 1972 Mary's in the elevator at the civic center, where she plans to dig up some records, when she runs into Dan Whitfield (Michael Tolan), whom we're reminded was her journalism teacher in the Season 2 episode "Room 223". Dan informs her that he's there with his fiancée, Judy Conrad (Barra Grant)--also in the elevator--to pick up a marriage license, and things go awkwardly as Mary tries to catch up despite Judy's visible discomfort. Both invite her to the engagement party. Rhoda goes with her, and we find that Judy wasn't expecting Mary to actually come. Mary tries unsuccessfully to leave early, and learns from the best man, Jonas Lasser (Steve Franken), that Dan and Judy have been fighting about Mary. Judy pulls Dan into the den and they have one there, which everyone can overhear, during which Mary and Rhoda try to split, but somebody's parked behind them, forcing Mary to face the embarrassment of everyone at the party learning that she's the one the couple are fighting about. Following a break, we find that Dan and Judy broke up; Mary's been seeing Dan for weeks, which has included both getting to know each other's parents; and Mary's afraid Dan's going to ask her to marry him. The guys in the newsroom clearly approve of Dan, and Lou tries to talk with Mary about it, advising her that she may not want to pass up this opportunity. When Dan's bringing Mary home from a date and they can't open the new lock that Mary's father installed, Dan brings the anticipated subject up and they have a talk on the stairs that lead up to Rhoda's nonexistent floor. Mary comes right out and says no, but Dan tries to talk her out of it, and the two are interrupted by Rhoda and Jonas returning from a date. Once Dan accepts that Mary's not ready, he wants to stop seeing Mary entirely, to her surprise. He explains that he's at a point where he feels the need to get married. Walter arrives to learn that Mary's already said no. In the coda, there's a sight gag of Mary's door now being disconnected, having to be lifted away to let Rhoda out. _______ The Bob Newhart Show "His Busiest Season" Originally aired December 23, 1972 Bob holds a group therapy session in which his patients discuss bad Christmas experiences, and his gift to them is to make it a freebie. The Hartleys are fretting over what to buy for people; Bob hasn't gotten anything for Emily yet, but feels pressured when Howard hints about what Emily got him. At the office, Carol is "swacked" from the water cooler being filled with egg nog. Bob finally brings something home for Emily and has to go back out when he sees that she got him many presents. On Christmas Eve, Howard guilts the Hartleys into having him for the evening as his flight for France doesn't leave for several hours. The three of them feel dissatisfied that there aren't more people around, so Bob decides to throw a party. Emily: Bob, where are you going to find a bunch of people with nothing to do on Christmas Eve? Bob: Honey, in my business, that shouldn't be any problem. Bob makes some calls and soon the apartment is filled with his patients--whose issues persist despite the setting--as well as Howard and Carol. The mood starts to sink as Bob can't get the patients to agree to a carol to sing, then when he expresses his insecurity about what a lousy party he's throwing, it cheers all of the patients up that they're not the only ones having a lousy time. They break into song, then Jerry drops in and initially feels left out, but is made to feel welcome. There's a brief romantic coda of the Hartleys after the party, followed by the closing credits playing over a scene of Howard joining in the caroling during the party. Credited patients include Ken Willett (King Moody), Mrs. Lillian Bakerman (Florida Friebus in her second appearance in the recurring role started in the first episode), Michelle Nardo (Renée Lippin), and Barry Gorman (Harvey J. Goldenberg), who broke the bathroom sink and whose car got towed away. This was a nice little Christmas episode, making me wish I'd gotten to it before the holiday. _______
The only thing the "M:I" book has to say about this episode is that the best sequence comes when Barney is forced to drink from the glass in order to prove it's not poisoned. It is, but it takes a minute for the effects to take hold and Leo keeps Barney waiting til the last possible second before dismissing him, then Barney runs like hell to the kitchen to take the antidote.
Before I forget again, it looks like Wild Wild West is back on MeTV, but at 10am on Saturday. It seems like it's replacing Maverick and the Stooges will remain as they are, I think. On a side note, Channel 38 failed to have their annual Stooges Marathon on New Year's Eve, screwing up my longstanding tradition of switching back and forth between the Twilight Zone and Stooges Marathons. Roddy just does Roddy, and that's fine with me. I wonder who Puppet Paul actually is. He can't be just some flunky if Leo trusts him to negotiate with other crime bosses. While Khalid pines for the days of real Middle Eastern intrigue. Kind of a rookie error there, not quickly disposing of the evidence. Presumably the real Paul is languishing in an unmarked grave or something. So at this point Leo must be aware that he's being played and Phelps is counting on Gault believing the scam. I don't know the details of the shooting incident, but even if there was some possibility of Paul being alive, the fake injuries couldn't possibly be consistent with what Leo knew. That was a quick warrant. That sounds weird. I wonder if they really did it that way. Even if it was stolen off premises? At least the clicker should be under warranty. Which she really probably shouldn't have. Mary's showing some bad judgment in this episode. There we have it. She should have just wished him good luck at the elevator and walked away. Aww, that's nice. I do remember this scene, but not the rest of the episode. A feeling I cannot relate to. It does sound like a nice one.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing _______ M*A*S*H "Edwina" Originally aired December 24, 1972 The episode opens with a surprise birthday party being thrown for nurse Edwina "Eddie" Ferguson (Arlene Golonka), who seems to be enjoying herself until she runs out during a chorus of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow". She explains to Margie Cutler that she's never...you know...and that while she had been engaged, she lost contact with her fiancé after the war started; and was hoping she'd meet somebody in the service, but is soon to be sent back home. Margie expresses her concern about this to Hawkeye, noting that there are ten men for every woman in the camp. Radar later overhears (while peeking in the women's shower) that a strike is being organized by the nurses, pertaining to their off-duty activities. The strike commences, affecting everyone right up to Blake (though apparently Hot Lips isn't participating), so Hawkeye gathers the men and ends up drawing the short straw himself. Hawkeye tries to butter up Eddie during surgery, though she hands him the wrong instrument. All eyes are on him when he starts showing an interest in her in the mess tent, and while she acts skeptical and defensive, she agrees to a date with him. Hawkeye and Edwina are both prepped in kimonos, then Hawkeye brings her to the Swamp for the date. After the clumsiness incidents commence, Edwina wants to leave while saying that they went through with it, but Hawkeye accuses her of being klutzy as a defense against not being hurt. Despite mounting injuries, Hawkeye manages to share a romantic kiss with Edwina, following which she feels much more self-assured. In the coda, after Edwina is seen off, Margie has to step on Hawkeye's foot to get him to see her again. _______ Thanks for the heads-up! It looks like The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island have also been rescued from their Sunday Block Party limbo. He wasn't negotiating. People were only allowed to see him in Leo's presence, and pretty much all he had to say was that they should listen to Leo. Yeah. It wasn't meant to fool Leo, it was meant to put him in a desperate position and get him to blab. I was wondering that myself. One gets the impression that it wasn't. Archie said that he got a bargain on a floor model. The time jump during the commercial was really awkward. I had to go back and check if I'd missed something in the previous scene, as we last saw Dan and Judy having a fight, not necessarily breaking it off. And yeah, it was unseemly for Mary to just move right in. FWIW, it looks like Dan will be back one more time, way up in Season 6.
That's either a bunch of frustrated men or a bunch of happy women. Also, I wonder what the camp complement actually is. I remember this episode, and it never made any sense to me. Arlene Golonka is adorable, and I don't see how anybody in his right mind would let a couple of bruises put them off to her. The thing I remember about this is the stovepipe coming down on Hawkeye's head and covering him with soot. I should check their full schedule, I suppose. I just noticed WWW when I was setting up recordings over the weekend. Oh, I see. Ah, "as is." I thought $300 sounded a little cheap, even for 1972. Sweet. I love the shot in the dark by the window.
I thought they softballed things by making the issue her klutziness, rather than her perceived unattractiveness, unpleasant awkwardness, whatever. It's funny, I think on the exact day I watched this episode, I caught an Andy Griffith on MeTV in which Barney's girlfriend has a homely cousin visiting (Mary Grace Canfield) who has to be fixed up on a blind date for a dance. The guys recruit Gomer, and when he abruptly leaves without explanation prior to the dance, everyone assumes the worst. It turns out that he was just getting her a corsage because he noticed the other ladies were wearing them, and when the other couples return home early, they find Gomer and the cousin having a good time dancing together. Yep, that was the coup de grace klutz incident of the sequence. At one episode a week for WWW and two per week for the other shows, they probably won't be getting to anything I need in a timely enough manner. That was the pan-out after a closer shot of the two of them kissing in the dark. Nice atmosphere.
Good thing they returned home early. That's true, they're starting over at the beginning. The good news is that Suzanne Pleshette is in the first episode. The chemistry between them was classic, speaking of Suzanne Pleshette.
_______ 50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1) _______ Hawaii Five-O "The Child Stealers" Originally aired January 2, 1973 While Mrs. Empson (Brooks Almy) is in a market, a young woman named Nina (Meg Foster) nabs the two-month-old baby that she left outside and gets in a car driven by Gar (future felgercarb straight-man Richard [Lawrence] Hatch). He takes her to the airport, then ditches the car, carefully wiping it for prints, and heads back to the airport by cab, the couple and their human cargo catching a flight to L.A. There they meet up with Eugene Goodman (Richard Anderson), a lawyer at a children's home, who sees that their phony paperwork is in good order and gives them $5,000 for the child...the second that they've sold to him. Five-O correctly ascertains that the motive for this kidnapping likely won't involve a ransom demand, but doesn't deduce the actual motive, thinking that they may be dealing with a sick person who wants the child for their own. Five-O have Mrs. Empson and her husband (Jack Hogan) go on TV in an attempt to appeal to the emotion of the type of kidnapper they envision. This is seen by Gar and Nina, now back in Hawaii, and does get under Nina's skin, as she eventually wants a baby for keeps, though Gar is motivated by the freedom that the money they're bringing in can buy them, like having their own boat. Afterward, Five-O remembers a similar case from several months back, causing them to realize that they may be dealing with kidnappers who sell the children. An investigation of adoptions of children from Hawaii turns up hand- and footprint matches for the Empson baby. Steve takes a flight to L.A. and pays a visit to Goodman with court order in hand, wanting to see his records. Ben, also in L.A. with a court order, takes the prints of the other adopted baby and find they match the stolen one, and has to take it from the unsuspecting adoptive parents. Meanwhile, Gar and Nina try out a sailboat to their liking, but the owner asks more for it than they have. Back in Hawaii, Steve returns the Empson baby to his tearful parents. Che narrows down the printer that the phony birth certificates came from, getting Five-O a description of Gar, who learn that he just picked up another certificate that day. Conventional law enforcement scours the island armed with their sketch of Gar, while Nina pulls a door-to-door charity scam to scope out their next potential victim. She informs Gar of the baby's location on the lanai (back patio), and Gar sneaks up to nab it while Nina goes back to the door to distract the mother (Jana Lindan). Five-O stakes out the airport. Suspecting that Goodman's been compromised when he can't be reached on the phone, Gar and Nina enter the airport separately, the former wearing a disguise and carrying a duffel-like basket. Nina sees Five-O approaching Gar and cries out to him. He makes a run for it up the escalator and slides the basket at the cops as a distraction. The sedated baby is recovered, and Gar is apprehended outside by Steve and Ben. Gar insists that they did it not for money, but for to be free. McGarrett: Free? We'll see how free you'll be in a cell six by eight feet! _______ Adam-12 "O'Brien's Stand" Originally aired January 3, 1973 Mrs. O'Brien (Lillian Bronson) pays a follow-up visit to the station after having reported her purse being stolen, demanding to talk to Pete and unsatisfied when he explains to her that Sgt. Sanchez has been assigned to the case. She takes a seat in the lobby, refusing to leave. After sharing an anecdote involving O'Brien and a former neighbor of Pete's, the officers notice a car behind them driving in a hinky manner. Pete goes around the block to follow them and they run a stop sign. The officers pursue the car into a lumber yard, cornering it and arresting the suspects, Fred Hiller (Murray MacLeod) and Paul Seever (Drout Miller). Thinking the car may be hot, they look in the glove compartment for the registration and find a bag of heroin. Also conspicuously visible are a pair of candy bars. At the station, Pete intervenes in an altercation between O'Brien and Sanchez. Pete floats a theory by Sanchez that a series of similar purse snatchings might indicate that the thieves are targeting old ladies with Social Security checks, and therefore may be enlisting an old lady to cash them. Sanchez can't spare any detectives, so he has Pete look into being cut loose for the footwork. On patrol, the officers are assigned to see a woman, Mrs. Nelson (Jeff Donnell), who says that her son has been killed by his father. She takes them to Bill's body in the detached garage, and describes how her husband is a drunk and she last saw him in a fight with Bill. The officers go the guest house where Mr. Nelson (Myron Healey) is now staying, and wake him up while arresting him. Nelson, clearly still under the influence, seems surprised to hear that Bill is dead. The officers are called back to the station, where Mrs. O'Brien is now leading a picket demonstration outside, covered by the news media. Reed follows up on the Nelson case with Mac, and learns that candy wrappers found outside the garage match the type of almond bar that the two hypes had in their glove compartment. The next day while leaving for the station, Pete finds O'Brien standing by his car and takes her with him. At the station, Mac informs the officers that they're being cut loose for plainclothes duty; that the tire tracks outside the Nelson garage matched the hypes' car; and that one of the hypes has implicated the other in the murder of Bill Nelson, who was their dealer. Pete and Jim stake out in a plain car while a policewoman dressed as an old lady walks the street. When a young man matching O'Brien's description (Craig Hundley) takes her purse, they pursue him on foot and arrest him. He implicates the man who's paying him to bring in the checks. Back at the station, Mac has to explain to O'Brien that her check is being held as evidence, and is eager to break regulations by having Pete take her home while on duty. _______ The Brady Bunch "Love and the Older Man" Originally aired January 5, 1973 Marcia comes home her dental appointment riding her bike on cloud nine. Her infatuation with their usual dentist's new assistant, Dr. Vogel, soon becomes known to the family, causing the adults to make fun of her behind her back, while Marcia acts insufferably "too mature" for the boys. Marcia's flame is further fanned by advice Jan reads in a teen magazine that an ideal catch for a young lady is a man 10-12 years older. Mike goes to Vogel for his appointment and Vogel asks him if Marcia might be available Friday night for babysitting while he goes out with his wife. Mike starts to ask Marcia about this at home, but doesn't elaborate on what he's asking about once he learns that Marcia has a date (which she's made unenthusiastically with one of Greg's friends)...leaving Marcia to assume that Vogel wanted to ask her out for a date. Marcia shows up eagerly for her follow-up to have a filling put in, and Vogel casually brings up Friday night, assuming she knows what it's about. When he mentions that he has tickets to the ballet, she assumes that's where Vogel is planning to take her. She agrees to break her date for Vogel. Marcia shares her mistaken assumption about the date with Jan, then breaks into brief Sherwood Schwartz fantasy sequences of her marriage to become "Mrs. Marcia Dentist"; being the mother of the Brady household with Bobby and Cindy as her children; and her husband coming home after a rough day at work. Jan subsequently learns from a friend that Vogel is married and informs Marcia...the two of them assuming that Vogel intends Marcia to be "the other woman". Marcia asks Alice for hypothetical advice and decides to confront Dr. Vogel about the situation. Vogel quickly picks up on what's going on and, to spare Marcia's feelings, goes along with her assumption, agreeing to an amicable break-up. Marcia subsequently resumes her date with Greg's friend, and the parents are left in the dark as to why she decided not to babysit for Dr. Vogel. _______ The Odd Couple "Sometimes a Great Ocean" Originally aired January 5, 1973 Oscar's working overtime to make room for a vacation to Vegas and eating poorly when his ulcer flares up. Dr. Melnitz makes a house call for the first time since Season 1 (and brings to mind that he may be closely related to Dr. Walter Reed Richards). Felix serves Oscar healthy, bland cuisine in bed; but when Felix is gone, Oscar orders another pizza of the same type he was eating when he got the attack. While Monroe, the super's son (Andy Rubin, reprising his role from "Oscar's Birthday...though from the way he's introduced here, this may be his first appearance in production order; and he seems to be brownfacing as Puerto Rican), is paying a professional call, Murray drops by with leftover funerary flowers and a couple of uniformed buddies, with whom Oscar starts a card game. Monroe: Hey, that's against the law! Oscar: Call a cop. Felix catches them all in the act and interrogates Oscar's enablers. Myrna: He said that if I didn't bring him food, he'd tell the whole office my secret....Well, this isn't my original nose. Felix: What about you, Officer Greshler? Murray: This is my original nose. Felix tries to think of someplace to get Oscar away from temptations, and hits upon the idea of a cruise...an option with which Oscar is pleased until he sees who the other passengers are. (This seems like another questionable choice for an extreme germophobe like Felix.) Felix volunteers to assist Captain Potter (Karl Swenson) by serving as the ship's activities director. Oscar: Why'd you give him a job like that? Captain: I learned one rule at sea--when you got a troublemaker, give him a whistle. When Oscar protests the bland menu, the captain points him to the ship's black marketeer in junk food. Felix is soon lording over the rec room--confiscating junk food, supervising whether passengers are taking their medication, and relieving the passenger who mans the equipment cage on the basis that it's not good for his health. The other passengers turn to Oscar for intervention, and he quickly organizes them to resistance, resulting in Felix being locked in the equipment cage. Oscar later lets him out and advises that he exercise a little moderation. In the coda, Felix is informed that Oscar bought the black marketeer's entire contraband-concealing trenchcoat, following which Oscar appears wearing its tattered remains. Oscar: I went on deck to sneak a salami sandwich, and a flock of seagulls attacked my coat. Oscar should've ran, ran so far away... _______ Mission: Impossible "Incarnate" Originally aired January 5, 1973 We need a guest appearance by Maurice Evans, stat! Hannah O'Connel (Hunter) confronts her son, Robert (Solomon Sturges), about how he betrayed her to the government and is now stashing away their stolen bullion shipment in a basement. Robert pulls a gun on Hannah, but she turns around and shoots him with her own. The IMF plans to use O'Connel's belief in voodoo and a lifelike projection and faked recordings of her son against her. As the mission commences, Casey welcomes the surviving O'Connels to Fantasy Island... Oh, yeah--it's got Tattoo's bell tower and everything! Casey sets things up by telling Hannah about the house's history of haunting and recent voodoo activity that drove away the servants (underscored by the IMFers playing recordings of voodoo drums, which the more skeptical Thomas describes as background music by the Ungrateful Dead). Charter Pilot Jim drops in offering O'Connel a hash-smuggling deal, in which he drops a familiar name... Casey serves Hannah some coffee in bed with the special ingredient that will put her in a dream-like state, and as she nods off, Barney and Willy get to work behind the walls with their projector and recording to give her a visitation from Robert. When she wakes up, she finds a scorpion in her bed. Casey takes the O'Connels into the village to look for people who'd be willing to work at the house, and steers Hannah into Barney's curio shop, where he makes sure she sees a replica of Robert's distinctive ring. When Barney touches it, he claims to have gotten a feeling from it. Back at the house, Casey serves Kelso (Bob Hoy), the goon guarding Hannah's bedroom, a knockout drink, and Barney gets to work with the haunting show again. The next morning, Kelso is found fake-drowned in the shallow pond outside. In the ambulance, Dr. Willy revitalizes Kelso. Hannah goes back to Barney for a reading, and he senses an evil spirit inside her that wants death. Jim knocks out and carries away the other family goon, Dall (Alex Rocco), while Casey makes out with Thomas and a jealous Dr. Willy catches them. Hannah finds Dall hanging in her room--fulfilling the second part of Barney's prophecy that the spirit wants death by water, death by air, and death by fire; so Barney offers to take Hannah to a voodoo ceremony. Jealous Dr. Willy gets into a fight with Thomas over Casey and she hands Thomas a gun with which he shoots Willy at close range. Thomas retrieves a strongbox full of cash for a getaway, and while Casey's preparing to use the ol' knockout ring on him, he beats her to the punch with his gun butt. At the ceremony, Hannah sees a projection of Robert in the flames, who says that his soul is being weighed down by the gold, and demands to know where it is. She's knocked out and Barney switches the clip in her gun. Hannah wakes up to see a living Kelso being driven away in a pickup truck with the voodoo worshippers. Casey tells Hannah that Thomas skipped for the States. She goes back to Barney and confronts him at gunpoint, wanting to know who he's working for. He claims that Tom's behind the whole haunting scam and has split with their money. Hannah shoots Barney, then calls Charter Pilot Jim for a ride. Barney quietly rises from the dead to find Thomas lurking outside and decks him as Jim drives off with Hannah. She has him fly to where the gold is stashed and tries to pull a gun on him. He disarms her and a couple of conventional dicks walk in to arrest her. _______