The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

[The Old Mixer]

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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

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Happy Days
"Richie's Car"
Originally aired September 17, 1974

Howard Cunningham agrees to buy one of Fonzie's overhauled dragsters as a second family car, but Richie soon discovers that its red color may not be the only reason that the hotrod's hot.

In what appears to be an airdate vs. production order issue, Richie finds his first date with Gloria less than romantic because his father has to drive them. (IMDb says that the car Richie buys here also appeared in last week's episode.) At home, Mrs. C thinks a second car sounds like a good idea, and Howard agrees to put up some money for it on the condition that it be used as a family car. When Richie's talking about finding a good car outside of Arnolds, Fonzie--who has a cold but still has a cute chick--calls Richie over about a heap that he won in a drag race. He shows Richie the car--a red '52 Ford convertible with engine extras sticking out of the hood and "Love Bandit" written on the side. Howard refuses to buy the car until Richie agrees to have Fonzie paint it blue and remove the extras. At Fonzie's garage after the work has been done, Richie overhears as Officer Marlow (Lew Horn) talks to Fonzie's boss, Happy (Joshua Shelley), about a stolen car matching the convertible's old description with the same license plate.

Richie confronts Fonzie, who didn't know and is upset about it himself; but he can't return Richie's money because he used it to pay off his bike. Richie doesn't want to drive it, but Fonzie tries to mollify him by altering the plate number. Still afraid of the car being seen, Richie tries parking with Gloria in the Cunninghams' garage, and she ends up walking home. The next morning, Richie runs out in his pajamas to try to stop his father from driving the rest of the family to the beach in the car. When Officer Marlow drives up about the other car being illegally parked, Richie prematurely confesses that the new car is stolen.

Richie and Howard end up at the police station in their pajamas and beach shirt, respectively, trying to explain things to a detective (Karl Swenson). Fonzie brings in the previous owner of the car, Rocky Baruffi, and does a bit of Perry Mason (who is referenced) in describing the car's line of ownership. Relieved that the car isn't stolen (though the plate is never explained), Howard agrees to let Richie repaint it red.

After a gag outside of Arnold's about Richie not yet being identified with his cool new wheels, the episode ends with a hood-cam view of Richie, Potsie, and Ralph enjoying a spin in the convertible.

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M*A*S*H
"Rainbow Bridge"
Originally aired September 17, 1974

Hawkeye and Trapper put their R&R plans on hold to retrieve wounded American prisoners from the Chinese.

The episode opens with Capt. Calvin Spalding singing a song on acoustic guitar about the pleasures of Tokyo (Loudon Wainwright III, who previously popped up on our radar early last year for his single "Dead Skunk"). Hawkeye and Trapper are preparing to leave for there, and Burns is resentfully fuming.

Trapper: For your divine help in granting us this sabbatical, we give thanks, O Lord.​

Mulcahy (walking in): You rang?​

The father has a shopping list and money he's collected on behalf of the camp, and Blake wants the guys to run an errand to pick up an illicit package at a bookshop, which has been reserved under an alias. Then an incoming shipment of plasma signals that the guys have to put their plans on hold.

Klinger's now carrying wounded into the OR wearing a nurse's uniform with a cape. The guys are appalled to find that Frank, who's working triage, is sending in people with less serious wounds first. When they go to the bus packed with incoming wounded, they find that Burns is prioritizing Americans over a Chinese casualty who needs a chest operation.

When the round of surgery is over, Blake gets a message from the Chinese requesting a pickup of nine badly wounded Americans whom they don't have the resources to handle, to occur at the titular location, which is 50 miles inside enemy territory and only 20 miles from the Chinese border. Everyone suspects a trap. After the guys help Henry come to his decision, the Straw Couple object, but Margaret talks Frank into going for the prestige involved, and arms him with a small automatic pistol (possibly a Beretta 418, like Bond's underpowered original sidearm from the books), violating the condition laid out by the Chinese that the American doctors be unarmed.

Klinger also volunteers as a corpsman, showing up at the bus in uniform; and Radar comes along as well. Wainwright reprises his song for the party's departure. The guys are stopped by a Chinese roadblock and, as they're nervously walking toward their hosts, Frank tells the guys that he has a gun on him. They're met by Dr. Lin Tam (Mako), who's all business and turns out to have gone to the University of Illinois. A twitchy Frank reaches for his gun when the heavily armed guards approach, which almost blows things, but when Burns presents the tiny pistol, the Chinese doctor bursts out laughing and proceeds with the pickup.

Wainwright does his second encore in the coda, as the guys, having tended to the American casualties, are supposed to be resuming their leave, but Radar finds himself putting them to bed instead.

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Hawaii Five-O
"A Hawaiian Nightmare"
Originally aired September 17, 1974

An extortionist threatens to cause a volcanic eruption and destroy the city of Hilo.

At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, David Kalani (Liwai Napuelua Jr.) and Peter Herberts (Richard George Carter) help Prof. Bernie Brown (James Olson) set explosives on the slope of a volcano. Brown tests activating his hidden detonator's timer with a remote. Brown then shoots them and dumps their bodies in a bubbling fissure. The professor goes home to his nice beach house to find his wife, Doris Brown (Sheree North), entertaining a Vince Bonner (Felice Orlandi), who represents a loan shark to whom Brown owes $72,500 by Thursday. Doris is outraged to learn that Bernie has gotten into such trouble again, but he assures her that he has a plan to make all that and more.

The Governor receives a threat to blow the northeast rift of Mauna Loa, endangering Hilo, with a ransom demad of $500,000. At a volcano observatory, Five-O is advised by Dr. Rogers (Seth Sakai), who shows them a film of what such a lava flow can do. When they want to know what kind of explosives could do this, Rogers refers them to an oil company surveyor...Prof. Bernie Brown. (IMDb points out that they've used this basic premise of Steve unknowingly going to the perp for expert advice twice in the recent past.)

Brown advises that this could be done with relatively small explosives by a team of experts, including a geologist and vulcanologist, but the overhead would be about $250,000, which makes Steve incredulous that they'd only demand twice that. Brown is present as Danno--now a demolitions expert--speculates how this could have been done under the radar by building explosives based on a fertilizer common on the island. Back at Brown's place, Bonner makes moves on Mrs. Brown, and after initially resisting, she invites him to continue. While exploring the slope of the volcano, Danno accidentally dislodges a rock that rolls down and triggers one of the explosives. Aerial recon finds a large number of devices planted in oil drums; but rather than start having them removed, Steve wants to get to the source and the detonator. Investigation turns up the names of Kalani and Herberts as now-missing buyers of a large quantity of the fertilizer; while Brown recently made a bulk private purchase of oil. (Hopefully McGarrett will learn to profile characters played by James Olson going forward.)

The oil company boss (Roger S. Ritchie) tells Five-O how Brown lives beyond his means and was once in serious debt to loan sharks from one of his get-rich-quick schemes; while his file turns up that he was a demolitions expert in Korea. (If he served in the M*A*S*H timeline, that could amount to over a decade of experience.) Brown returns home in the morning to find Doris asleep on the couch after waiting up for him. When she threatens to leave him, he shows her a copy of his ransom note to the Governor, and shares his plan for the two of them to get away to Hong Kong. After he leaves again, she immediately calls Vince, who subsequently arrives to pick her up with a packed bag. Steve argues to the Governor that they need to play along with Brown to find his detonator. Steve and Chin pay a visit to Brown's house to find nobody home and use a remote left in an open convertible to inspect the garage, finding clothes with a chemical of interest on them. Staking out the volcano by chopper, Danno spots Brown arriving in his pickup truck, but stays far enough away that he doesn't see Brown activating the detonator's timer with another garage remote. Brown proceeds to the pickup at an abandoned flour mill, as does Steve to make the drop-off. But when Brown goes in after Steve leaves to retrieve the briefcase, he's confronted by Bonner at gunpoint with Doris in tow. After Doris berates her husband for being a loser, he tries to walk away with the case, and Bonner shoots him in back...eliciting a small reaction of regret from Doris. When Danno sees somebody else leaving with the case, he has the chopper taken down to intercept Bonner--literally bumping into him. Steve finds Brown attempting to crawl away inside and tries to question him about stopping the detonation, but Brown passes away without getting anything out.

Steve fruitlessly questions Doris about the method of detonation, then inspects Brown's truck, taking no interest in the remote. A map found in Brown's pocket marks the spot where Danno saw him stopping at the volcano. While Danno takes a National Guard demolitions team to the site, Steve checks the TV at the local command post, as the Governor is planning to make an evacuation announcement soon, and its remote makes a light bulb go off. Determining that the chopper won't be able to get him close enough to police HQ, where the pickup is impounded, Steve has the pilot take him to Brown's house, where he retrieves the other remote. At the site, Danno and his squad find the ticking detonator and start to work on it. Steve rushes there, has Danno back off, and clicks the remote, stopping the timer with a couple of seconds to spare. Steve starts to radio the Governor, and the episode ends on Steve tossing the remote into the air and the frame freezing before he catches it.

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The Odd Couple
"To Bowl or Not to Bowl"
Originally aired September 19, 1974

Expert bowler Felix makes excuses to avoid a big game.

We pick up with the second episode of the show's fifth and final season, in which Felix and Oscar's team, the Bon Vivants, which also include Murray and Vinnie, are getting ready for the big game against their rivals, five-time champs the Kingpins, led by a guy named Herlihy (Noam Pitlik). Felix announces that he's quitting the team over Oscar putting pressure on them to win and taking the fun out of the game.

Sore over this, Oscar spitefully goes out of his way to annoy Felix while he's trying to clean the apartment and sprays wood polish in his food (which is in the opening credits this season). Oscar later tries to make a point by refusing to let Felix take his winnings at a poker game with the guys. Murray and Vinnie point out that Felix has a history of dropping out of competitions, so Oscar confronts Felix about having a psychological complex. Oscar references how Felix got laryngitis when trying to propose to Gloria, which I think actually happened in one of the flashback episodes. Backstory continuity on The Odd Couple!?! Is this a sign of the Apolcalypse!?! Seeming to prove Oscar's hypothesis, Felix's back suddenly goes out.

There's a bit of business in which Felix suspends himself in a harness on the back of the swinging kitchen door and Oscar comes home to repeatedly go through the door looking for him, not realizing that he's there. Oscar tries having Murray bring over a faith healer with a record named Arnold (Leonard Barr, who played Shady Tree in Diamonds Are Forever), but he gives up on Felix very promptly, walking out less than thirty seconds after he walks in.

After the guys leave for the big game, Felix mentally taunts himself into painfully getting up and making his way to the door.

At the alley, it turns out that one of the Kingpins, Klemble (Bo Kaprall), has bowed out of the game because he decided to get married, though he's dropped in with his bride (Beatrice Colen). The two team captains are trying to negotiate substitutes when Felix walks in, and Klemble is forced to play as well, causing his bride to walk out on him. When the game comes down to one last tiebreaking ball by Felix, his back gives out again. He gives a little speech trying to shame everyone for letting their competitiveness ruin the fun of the game, but is ultimately implored to make his shot, pushing the ball while lying on his belly. He wins the game, but all of the other players walk out in a commotion, leaving him lying in front of the bowling lane. What he mistakes for his conscience spurring him to get up turns out to be the alley manager on the PA.

Also appearing in an uncredited role as one of the Kingpins is Early Jolly Brown, aka Whisper from Live and Let Die.


The episodes available on streaming are especially gappy this season. Next week we'll be missing Felix's son being recast with Leif Garrett!

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Ironside
"Raise the Devil: Part II"
Originally aired September 19, 1974

Ironside's supernatural-themed case comes to a close when he discovers a psychiatrist using hypnosis to turn his patients into killers.

Recaps are getting shorter...this one was only a minute and a half. After receiving a mysterious phone call, Officer Hogan (John Elerick) falls asleep at a specific time while guarding Jeff Hanley's hospital room, allowing an unidentified, medical-garbed figure who could be Bill Bixby to slip in and give him a lethal injection. The doctor on duty (Granville Van Dusen) assumes complications from Jeff's injuries, but noticing an unaccounted-for needle mark on his arm, the Chief tells him to look for an air embolism.

The Chief questions Susan Todd about who's calling her and playing Oriental music, which the officer also recounts having heard, and this seems to spark some recollection before she becomes defensive. The embolism angle having panned out, the Chief and Ed question a Dr. Yamato (Dale Ishimoto) at the university about hypnotic triggers with Cross present. The doctor offers the example that a song by the Beatles could just easily have been used, but the Chief notes that less common music would avoid accidental triggering. Of particular interest, the doctor offers that a guest lecturer, Dr. Gallin, has the largest collection of Oriental music he's ever seen. Everyone's attention is then drawn outside as Justine Cross's assistant, Rudy Sands, is about to give a demonstration of his ESP abilities by driving an AMC Gremlin through a cone obstacle course blindfolded while being guided by the thoughts of another student. Even as this triggers a memory of something Justine apparently foresaw in the previous episode about a blind man in a car being a danger to Susan, Susan goes into trance mode and deliberately walks into the path of the car...but Ed rushes outside in time to save her.

As Ed accompanies her in an ambulance, Susan pleads with her dead brother, Neil Barton. When questioned at the hospital, Mr. Todd tells Ed how Susan felt responsibility for Neil's death, as the siblings were together when it happened. The Chief questions Dr. Gallin on this subject and his interest in Oriental music, making him defensive. While knocking heads together with Justine about what's going on with Susan, the Chief invites her to dinner at the Cave. Mark's investigation turns up that the old Todd family psychiatrist, Dr. Stone, died, and never worked with a Dr. Gallin, whom the people in Toronto have never heard of. Fran visits Gallin's office undercover as a prospective patient; but he seems to suspect her ruse, studying a tape he made of her afterward and calling police HQ about the whereabouts of Officer Fran Belding.

At dinner, Justine demonstrates insight about the Chief's shooting, accompanied by a brief flashback from the pilot movie, though he notes that it was all in the papers. She also has a premonition that somebody the Chief has put in harm's way may be in danger and a danger to him. Justine accompanies the Chief to Fran's as he pulls her off the assignment, telling her not to see Gallin again. But Gallin promptly shows up at Fran's after they leave and pulls out a miniature tape device playing Oriental music. We cut to another scene as he gives her instructions about something she's to do the next day involving meeting him and bringing her gun. Ed, who's watching over Susan at home, comes in as she's having an argument in her sleep with Eric. She wakes up in her Eric persona and indicates that Susan killed Eric and their mother. When Ed presses her for more details, she thrashes around. In the morning, Toronto provides more intel that Gallin matches the description of a patient of Dr. Stone's who was brainwashed in Korea and considered dangerous.

Meanwhile, Fran shows up at a beach house for her rendezvous with Gallin. Gallin takes her back to an incident when she was home alone at the age of nine and an intruder came in, influencing her to express her willingness to kill the intruder if she could. He then alters her memory of the intruder to fit Ironside's description. Searching Stone's office, the Chief and Ed listen to a tape of Lydia Todd threatening to investigate and expose Gallin, knowing that he's not an associate of Dr. Stone; then to one of him giving instructions to Jeff about stabbing her in the back while she's on the phone, following which she'd lock herself in the vault. They uncover that Gallin has lost five "confused" female patients to suicide. Sounds in the background of one of the tapes indicate a beach house. The team heads there, where Ed and Mark pursue and tackle Gallin on the beach. He protests that he "cured" his female patients and Dr. Stone, and that Ironside is about to be "cured" as well. The Chief enters the house to find Fran, in the personality of her nine-year-old self, holding her gun on him. He turns off the console tape deck playing Oriental music and talks her down, getting her to hand over her weapon. She begins sobbing and takes comfort in the just-arrived Ed's arms as she comes to her senses.

Ed explains to Mr. Todd how Gallin had Jeff kill some of the patients for him, while the Chief and Cross use Gallin's technique to undo some of the damage done to Susan, getting her out of her Eric persona and having her confront her childhood resentment of Eric and recount the day he died after she taunted him to ride her horse while jumping obstacles (Cynthia Ann Mayberry playing Susan in flashback while present-day Susan conveys her side of the dialogue). They then emphasize that she didn't kill Eric, it was an accident. In a Cave coda, the team and Cross get word that Mr. Todd is accompanying Susan on a trip to a clinic in Switzerland.

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Sadly, I don't remember this at all.

It may not have aired in the States.

And how do we know that the gold hasn't been replaced with painted rocks that look like gold? Hm? Answer me that!

Bricks.

When I was working at St Margaret's in the 80s, I got a letter from Ted asking for copies of his birth records. Technically, we were only required to keep records for seven years, but in reality we had records going back to the 20s. I sent him the copies, along with a bill for the usual fee, which was a couple of bucks. He sent me back a check for a hundred dollars. The timing made us speculate that he was having his astrology chart done to see if he should run in 88.

Interesting.

He'll do better.

He already has--his streak is on the downswing at this point. But it's not bad, sound like Al.

Good one. Strong nostalgia factor.

Distinctive oldies radio classic.

Pretty good, fairly nostalgic.

Not remarkable or memorable, but funky.

Very good. Strong nostalgia factor.

The first #1 of John's post-Beatles career. Elton plays piano and sings backing vocals on this. John will return the favor by appearing onstage at an Elton concert on Thanksgiving, which will not only be John's last live performance, but will be when John and Yoko get back together, Elton having arranged for her to be backstage without John's knowledge. This will earn Elton the honor of being made Sean's godfather.

One of my favorites. Strong nostalgia.

Sometimes mistaken for Ringo, noteworthy for having two false endings, and memorable for this relatively recent use:

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[RJDiogenes]

In what appears to be an airdate vs. production order issue

Or ripples in the timesteam.

a red '52 Ford convertible with engine extras sticking out of the hood

I'll take it!

Howard refuses to buy the car until Richie agrees to have Fonzie paint it blue

He sees a red door and he wants it painted blue.

and remove the extras.

Let's compromise and keep the extras.

Richie confronts Fonzie, who didn't know and is upset about it himself

He may be a hood, but he's got scruples.

Fonzie tries to mollify him by altering the plate number.

Well, some scruples.

Fonzie brings in the previous owner of the car, Rocky Baruffi, and does a bit of Perry Mason (who is referenced)

That seems a bit anachronistic. Is it supposed to be that late in the 50s? Perry Mason had been around for decades, but I don't know if he was that well known until the TV series.

the episode ends with a hood-cam view of Richie, Potsie, and Ralph enjoying a spin in the convertible.

"The Origin of Richie's Car."

"Rainbow Bridge"

Isn't that where pets go when they die?

(Loudon Wainwright III, who previously popped up on our radar early last year for his single "Dead Skunk")

That's interesting.

Trapper: For your divine help in granting us this sabbatical, we give thanks, O Lord.
Mulcahy (walking in): You rang?

Blake wants the guys to run an errand to pick up an illicit package at a bookshop, which has been reserved under an alias.

I suppose the Army has rules against porn.

Klinger's now carrying wounded into the OR wearing a nurse's uniform with a cape.

That's more in line with how I remember him.

Klinger also volunteers as a corpsman, showing up at the bus in uniform

That's a nice bit for Klinger.

Wainwright reprises his song for the party's departure.

Kind of inappropriate at this point.

Dr. Lin Tam (Mako)

Need a top-tier Asian actor? Better get Mako.

when Burns presents the tiny pistol, the Chinese doctor bursts out laughing and proceeds with the pickup.

That's great.

Brown then shoots them and dumps their bodies in a bubbling fissure.

If this is possible, I'm surprised we don't see it more often. Bubbling fissures should be to Hawaii what the desert is to Las Vegas.

Doris is outraged to learn that Bernie has gotten into such trouble again

And yet she's about to run off with a loan shark.

The Governor receives a threat to blow the northeast rift of Mauna Loa, endangering Hilo, with a ransom demad of $500,000.

This kind of borders on Bondian.

(IMDb points out that they've used this basic premise of Steve unknowingly going to the perp for expert advice twice in the recent past.)

I remember that coming up.

Danno--now a demolitions expert--speculates how this could have been done under the radar by building explosives based on a fertilizer common on the island.

We find out how true that is about twenty years later.

Danno accidentally dislodges a rock that rolls down and triggers one of the explosives.

Oops.

Aerial recon finds a large number of devices planted in oil drums; but rather than start having them removed, Steve wants to get to the source and the detonator.

Couldn't they at least disarm them or something?

(Hopefully McGarrett will learn to profile characters played by James Olson going forward.)

"Flag that clone model, Danno."

(If he served in the M*A*S*H timeline, that could amount to over a decade of experience.)

Steve and Chin pay a visit to Brown's house to find nobody home and use a remote left in an open convertible to inspect the garage

Got a warrant, guys?

when Brown goes in after Steve leaves to retrieve the briefcase, he's confronted by Bonner at gunpoint with Doris in tow.

Geez, rub it in, why don't you?

Doris berates her husband for being a loser

I was being sarcastic, Doris!

When Danno sees somebody else leaving with the case, he has the chopper taken down to intercept Bonner--literally bumping into him.

That sounds like some exciting stuntwork.

Steve rushes there, has Danno back off, and clicks the remote, stopping the timer with a couple of seconds to spare.

We even get a cool Bondian ending. I like the way this episode unfolded, yet it seems like a plot to blow up a volcano should have been bigger.

Murray and Vinnie point out that Felix has a history of dropping out of competitions, so Oscar confronts Felix about having a psychological complex.

It seems like there must have been other episodes with competitions, although I can't think of any.

Oscar references how Felix got laryngitis when trying to propose to Gloria, which I think actually happened in one of the flashback episodes. Backstory continuity on The Odd Couple!?! Is this a sign of the Apolcalypse!?!

Well, it did turn out to be the final season.

Klemble is forced to play as well, causing his bride to walk out on him.

Gotta pick your priorities, I guess.

(Leonard Barr, who played Shady Tree in Diamonds Are Forever)

Early Jolly Brown, aka Whisper from Live and Let Die.

Lots of Bond connections in this one.

Next week we'll be missing Felix's son being recast with Leif Garrett!

Oh, dear.

After receiving a mysterious phone call, Officer Hogan (John Elerick) falls asleep at a specific time while guarding Jeff Hanley's hospital room

Wouldn't this mean that Hogan is a patient of Gallin, possibly putting them on Gallin's trail quicker?

Chief tells him to look for an air embolism.

Smart, not trying to use some kind of medication.

The doctor offers the example that a song by the Beatles could just easily have been used, but the Chief notes that less common music would avoid accidental triggering.

Or he could have played the Beatles backwards, just for the cool factor. Of course, there would have been rights issues.

Dr. Gallin, has the largest collection of Oriental music he's ever seen.

This was a mistake, though, using music he's strongly associated with.

Susan goes into trance mode and deliberately walks into the path of the car...

Apparently without a musical trigger. Certainly another trigger could be used, but what? This seems like a unique and unanticipated circumstance.

the Chief invites her to dinner at the Cave.

Thirteen-year age difference. That's not unreasonable.

Justine demonstrates insight about the Chief's shooting, accompanied by a brief flashback from the pilot movie

Was he on the porch? Wasn't that the scene that conflicted with another flashback?

But Gallin promptly shows up at Fran's after they leave and pulls out a miniature tape device playing Oriental music.

Gallin is one hell of a master hypnotist if he can gain control over somebody in one session.

she's having an argument in her sleep with Eric.

"My character's name is Neil, Susan!"

Toronto provides more intel that Gallin matches the description of a patient of Dr. Stone's who was brainwashed in Korea and considered dangerous.

This is an interesting twist, although I wish they had tied it in more closely with the plot.

He then alters her memory of the intruder to fit Ironside's description.

That kind of deals with the "you can't hypnotize someone to kill" angle.

a tape of Lydia Todd threatening to investigate and expose Gallin

The elusive motive, aside from being nuts.

He turns off the console tape deck playing Oriental music

In an ironic twist, he switches to a station playing the Beatles.

the Chief and Cross use Gallin's technique to undo some of the damage done to Susan

And I was totally wrong about Cross. My reasoning was that the reason that she knew stuff that she shouldn't know was because of her relationship with Gallin. But this kind of implies that her psychic powers were real.

It may not have aired in the States.

True, or made the papers.

Bricks.

Yeah, those things.

He already has--his streak is on the downswing at this point. But it's not bad, sound like Al.

Ah, right. I forgot how early "Let's Stay Together" was.

The first #1 of John's post-Beatles career. Elton plays piano and sings backing vocals on this.

I knew that, although I'm not sure if I knew it at the time.

John and Yoko get back together, Elton having arranged for her to be backstage without John's knowledge.

Elton the Matchmaker. He should have written a song about it.

Sometimes mistaken for Ringo, noteworthy for having two false endings

I don't think the false endings were in the single edit. They kind of took me by surprise.

and memorable for this relatively recent use:

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Hey, Stan! And Coulson. My favorite thing about the MCU.

 

[The Old Mixer]

He may be a hood, but he's got scruples.

Well, some scruples.

The EIW here was that he actually acted nervous and uncertain about what to do.

That seems a bit anachronistic. Is it supposed to be that late in the 50s? Perry Mason had been around for decades, but I don't know if he was that well known until the TV series.

I was wondering about that, but I guess we can take HD chronological continuity even less seriously than M*A*S*H's...I believe they used the Marcels' version of "Blue Moon," or a version that sounded like it, in this episode; and looking it up, that's from 1961.

Isn't that where pets go when they die?

That's interesting.

I suppose the Army has rules against porn.

Wives certainly do.

Kind of inappropriate at this point.

Or ironic. At that point in the story, it was underscoring how they weren't going where they'd wanted to be going.

If this is possible, I'm surprised we don't see it more often. Bubbling fissures should be to Hawaii what the desert is to Las Vegas.

It's a really hot drink!

This kind of borders on Bondian.

It was up there.

Couldn't they at least disarm them or something?

You'd think. Maybe Steve was afraid that Brown would blow them ahead of schedule if they did.

Got a warrant, guys?

They've got a governor!

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That sounds like some exciting stuntwork.

It was a quick shot from the chopper POV.

Note the ubiquitous Five-O Special.

We even get a cool Bondian ending. I like the way this episode unfolded, yet it seems like a plot to blow up a volcano should have been bigger.

I think they were trying to keep it seeming grounded.

It seems like there must have been other episodes with competitions, although I can't think of any.

I was also wondering if we'd ever seen or heard of them bowling before, never mind Felix being their best player.

Gotta pick your priorities, I guess.

That's what they get for showing up at the alley on their wedding day.

Wouldn't this mean that Hogan is a patient of Gallin, possibly putting them on Gallin's trail quicker?

It seems like for this episode's purposes, he could just hypnotize on demand with a phone call.

Or he could have played the Beatles backwards, just for the cool factor. Of course, there would have been rights issues.

That's an interesting question, actually...could somebody be sued for playing copyrighted music backwards?

Apparently without a musical trigger. Certainly another trigger could be used, but what? This seems like a unique and unanticipated circumstance.

I was strongly going with your theory about Cross being in cahoots at this point, but that didn't pan out. Going into this part, I was also strongly suspicious that Mr. Todd was involved somehow, that Gallin was either working for or using him, as he seemed conspicuously set up for having been dismissed as a suspect so early on.

Was he on the porch? Wasn't that the scene that conflicted with another flashback?

Having now seen the pilot, these shots were definitely from the pilot. It's possible that I misremembered the previous flashback, which conflicted in my memory.

Gallin is one hell of a master hypnotist if he can gain control over somebody in one session.

He's like a magician!

"My character's name is Neil, Susan!"

Whatever!

That kind of deals with the "you can't hypnotize someone to kill" angle.

Baur was pretty good and creepy as her nine-year-old self ready to kill; as was Bixby in conditioning her.

In an ironic twist, he switches to a station playing the Beatles.

That would've been good.

I don't think the false endings were in the single edit. They kind of took me by surprise.

Probably not, the single edit was over a minute shorter. I may have heard them on oldies radio, but I'm not sure.

 

[RJDiogenes]

The EIW here was that he actually acted nervous and uncertain about what to do.

That's not the Fonz! Back to the lab for fine tuning!

I was wondering about that, but I guess we can take HD chronological continuity even less seriously than M*A*S*H's...I believe they used the Marcels' version of "Blue Moon," or a version that sounded like it, in this episode; and looking it up, that's from 1961.

Sounds like the 50s, I guess.

That's actually a real poem or essay. It's nice.

View attachment 41840

I wonder who he was, or if they even gave it any thought. Patient passing through? Orderly? Chopper pilot?

Wives certainly do.

Not always. Certainly more likely in the 50s, though....

Or ironic. At that point in the story, it was underscoring how they weren't going where they'd wanted to be going.

So basically an act of cruelty.

It's a really hot drink!

They've got a governor!

They are definitely close to the top.

It was a quick shot from the chopper POV.

Seems like a dangerous maneuver for a couple of seconds of film.

I think they were trying to keep it seeming grounded.

You'd think Wo Fat would want in on a scheme like that.

I was also wondering if we'd ever seen or heard of them bowling before, never mind Felix being their best player.

I can't remember, but it does seem like something they'd do.

It seems like for this episode's purposes, he could just hypnotize on demand with a phone call.

That would be a bit over the line. You could accumulate vast power quickly with a skill like that-- especially using conference calls.

That's an interesting question, actually...could somebody be sued for playing copyrighted music backwards?

I don't know. I have a gut feeling that the court would side with the artist. Just reversing something probably wouldn't qualify as a derivative work.

Having now seen the pilot, these shots were definitely from the pilot. It's possible that I misremembered the previous flashback, which conflicted in my memory.

I'm glad I'm not the only one with memory issues.

He's like a magician!

Whoa. Destiny is taking shape.

Whatever!

Baur was pretty good and creepy as her nine-year-old self ready to kill; as was Bixby in conditioning her.

I always think the actors must love getting to do stuff like that.

Probably not, the single edit was over a minute shorter. I may have heard them on oldies radio, but I'm not sure.

That's a song I never hear on Oldies radio, and it was one of my favorites.

 

[The Old Mixer]

---

50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2)

---

The Six Million Dollar Man
"The Pioneers"
Originally aired September 20, 1974

While scientist David Tate experiments in space with a serum designed to awaken cryogenically frozen patients, he is accidentally injected with too much serum. When the space capsule crashes, he begins terrorizing the countryside and Steve must hunt him down.

After Station 7 Alaska detects the malfunctioning Project Pioneer capsule going down in Minnesota. Oscar is notified with Rudy present. The capsule lands in the woods on struts on solid ground. Steve is assigned to accompany Rudy, who'll fill him in on what it's about on a need-to-know basis. They get a lift on a C-130 to Minnesota, Rudy carrying a mysterious box that he won't talk about. In the capsule, a grunting and growling mystery figure in a silver suit pounds his way out of a metal tube, then out of the capsule hatch. As they're about to jump, Rudy informs Steve that their objective is a space capsule that he wasn't aware of, which Steve is directed to look at with his bionic eye. Elsewhere in the vicinity, the mystery figure comes upon and drives off a pair of campers, helping himself to their food. (This all reminds me of the TIH pilot movie.) Rudy, who'd been putting his 'chute on upside-down, isn't keen on jumping and has to be pushed out. On the ground, Steve spots the capsule and the duo hike to it. Inside the capsule, Steve identifies the tubes as cryogenic chambers and opens the other one, revealing a frosty, silver-suited woman (Joan Darling).

Oscar arrives at a nearby command post camp, where an agent named Walker (Vince Howard) has men surrounding the place. The two of them have to fend off a curious local sheriff (Robert F. Simon). Back at the capsule, Rudy uses Steve's bionic arm to power the equipment in the box that will thaw the woman while explaining that the project, which Congress doesn't know about, involves a pair of scientists named David Tate and Nicole Simmons who developed and were testing a cell-regeneration serum that enables practical suspended animation; but the recently launched capsule was supposed to be up for a year. They revive Nicole, who's concerned about David and the effect that the rapid cell regeneration will have on him. Steve shares with Nicole that he's another of Oscar's experiments, without getting into the details. While the still-unseen David approaches the capsule, Rudy determines that Tate was exposed to an excess amount of the serum in a crash malfunction. Then the bearded figure of David (Mike Farrell) shakes the capsule and pulls open the hatch with superhuman strength...

...attacking Rudy and smashing his radio while Steve has to stay immobile in order to not endanger Nicole, whose cells are still being brought back to their normal state. The enraged, non-vocal David runs off.

The sheriff returns to the camp with a report of campers having been attacked by a wild man in a silver suit, and proceeds to drive in against Oscar's will. After Rudy returns to consciousness and Nicole is successfully restored to normal, Steve uses his eye to track David's heat trail. David tears off part of his suit and jumps in a lake, commenting on how good it feels; while the sheriff and the campers and Oscar's not-in-the-know men separately search the woods. Steve and Nicole find an unconscious David, and she gives him a shot of coagulant to slow down his metabolism. He now talks normally to Nicole, describing how unusual he feels. Some of Oscar's M-16-armed men find them, but while Steve's reporting to Oscar via walkie talkie, David goes into a rage again, injuring one of the men and running off.

While Rudy has Nicole taken back to the camp on a Stokes, wary of how the serum may have affected her, Steve slo-mo pursues David through the woods, only to be jumped by surprise. David then jumps into the lake and becomes more communicative again, but is still hostile toward Steve. The bionic sound effect is now used for one of the David's superhuman arm swings as a fight ensues. Steve tosses David in the lake and jumps in after him. They struggle a bit, David crawls back onto shore, and Steve socks David without sound effect...though the effect returns as both are parrying with timbers and when David whacks Steve in the bionic arm with a girder. As they're continuing to struggle, David's shot in the back by one of the sheriff-accompanied campers. Steve runs up to stop them, kicking the sheriff's shotgun up over the trees. David has Steve put him back in the water to cool him off. He talks about the failure of the experiment and the need to continue the research before dying.

At the Andrews AFB hospital, Rudy tells Steve that Nicole will be alright and intends to keep testing the serum. Steve goes to the hangar where the capsule has been taken, where Oscar beats himself up over the cost to David Tate; but Steve reasons with him, arguing that Tate was a pioneer in potentially beneficial science, as is Oscar.

---

Shazam!
"Thou Shalt Not Kill"
Originally aired September 21, 1974

When a woman dies leaving instructions in her will to destroy her horse, Beckett, her niece tries to stop it. Captain Marvel and Mentor must help her save the horse while working within the law.

After a ride, Lynn Colby (Pamelyn Ferdin) lovingly promises to visit her Aunt Jennifer's horse, Beckett. Jennifer's heir, Nick Roberts (John Karlen now sporting a 'stache and struggling to do a Western accent over his New York accent), arrives with Lynn's father, Sheriff Colby (William Sargent), to inform Lynn that Aunt Jenny had a clause in her will to have Beckett destroyed...which Nick is happy to carry out as he holds a grudge against the horse for once throwing him, which the sheriff attributes to Nick's mistreatment of the animal.


In the van, Billy's working on an unflattering caricature of Mentor when the Elders call (this time just the blinking lights serve as announcement). Solomon talks of working things out by reason rather than impulsive action; Atlas (voice of Norm Prescott) asserts that man should love and protect the creatures of the Earth; while Zeus poetically offers that "love which is possessive and refuses to share destroys the very object of love". Finally, Solomon quotes that young Greek punk Aristotle: "Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."

Lynn absconds with Beckett, riding by Billy and Mentor as they're having a picnic. After she's thrown from the horse, she runs into the guys and tells them of her dilemma. As they're taking Lynn back to the ranch, Billy realizes that Aunt Jenny was guilty of the possessive love that Zeus spoke of. Jenny's father tries to reason with her; and remembering Solomon's advice, Billy suggests trying to have the will changed legally; but the sheriff, who's already tried unsuccessfully to talk Nick into changing his mind, asserts that the law is the law, and he has to abide by it.

Seeking to show Lynn that breaking the law isn't the answer, Billy and Mentor arrange for a group of young extras to picket outside the ranch...Mentor holding a sign with the titular slogan.

Nick: I want these kids outta heah, Sheriff.​

The sheriff backs up Mentor that they have the right to peacefully demonstrate, and delays the execution until later in the day. While the sheriff tries to contact a judge about the matter, Nick angrily goes to get Beckett, who runs off, and Nick pursues in his truck. After the sheriff leaves to catch up with them, Billy says his magic word and flies off as Cap to find the horse. Nick catches up with the horse as it's stuck in a tangle, running his truck into an old tree, which falls and pins Beckett. Nick is smugly pleased about the situation, and when the Sheriff and Lynn arrive, argues for putting the horse out of its misery. After the three of them are unsuccessful in moving the tree, Lynn tearfully agrees to end Beckett's suffering. Then Cap lands and lifts the tree, freeing Beckett, who's none the worse for the wear.

(Cap lifting the tree and the horse are never in the same shot.) With the deadline looming, the sheriff offers that the only thing they could do to save Beckett is to get a stay of execution from the state capitol, but it's 500 miles away. Cap takes off and returns in time with the paper in hand, to Nick's chagrin.


"Curses, ya Big Red Cheese!"

Lynn asks Cap to relay a message to Billy, even though she shouldn't know of any connection between them other than their favorite colors; and Mentor advises the girl, "Nothing in this life really belongs to us; we only borrow it while we're here."

Cap: Hi. Today you saw how someone tried to solve their problem by breaking the law instead of working within the law. It's important for us to remember that laws are made to help us, and that when they stop helping us, they can be changed...legally. See you next week!​

---

Star Trek
"The Practical Joker"
Originally aired September 21, 1974

A strange energy field causes the Enterprise computer to play practical jokes on the crew, but the humor soon turns to danger.

Captain's log, stardate 3183.3: Our present mission, a routine geological survey of type-4 asteroids, is nearing completion. The cruise has been uneventful and we are now approaching the final asteroid in our assigned sector a full 72 hours ahead of schedule.​

The Enterprise is ambushed by a trio of D7-type Romulan battlecruisers hiding behind the asteroid. The Romulan Commander (uncredited Norm Prescott) asserts that the Enterprise has trespassed in Romulan territory and threatens to destroy them. Kirk has the Enterprise duck into an unidentified energy field to shake the Romulans.

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McCoy, Sulu, and Uhura enter the proto-holodeck rec room and set it for a forest environment. They don't hear a call for all hands to report to stations, and while they endure pranks like falling into a pit, their location is determined by the others. Kirk tries unsuccessfully to order the sassy computer to release them. The laughing computer then turns the rec room environment into an arctic one. When Scotty tries to turn off the computer manually at its core, it temporarily turns off artificial gravity. Spock hypothesizes that the computer is having the equivalent of a nervous breakdown.

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Captain's log, supplemental: Somehow Spock managed to switch on our emergency air before collapsing from the effects of the gas. The fresh air quickly revived us, although it'll be exhausted in another six hours. We must cure our computer by then, or there's no telling what we'll be forced to breathe next.​

The rescue team manages to pry open the rec room doors just as the computer has switched the environment to a garden maze. The computer then takes control of the ship, heading into the Romulan Neutral Zone, where the trio of warships intercepts them. Pulling its biggest prank of all, the computer deploys from the hangar deck a giant inflatable version of the Enterprise, twenty times the ship's size. The Romulans destroy it, then infuriatedly pursue the real Enterprise. Kirk suddenly acts panicky about the possibility of having to fly through the energy field again, which the computer takes interest in, flying into the field. The Romulans lose the Enterprise in the field, and while the Enterprise computer returns to normal, transmissions from the Romulan ship indicate that their computer is now playing practical jokes on them. Kirk decides to let them endure it for a while before offering the solution.

Funny how the Romulans are the first aliens this season who haven't threatened suicide.

---

Emergency!
"I'll Fix It"
Originally aired September 21, 1974

Chet and Johnny try to repair a bike for a fire victim. A man is trapped under his house when it begins collapsing due to being built on a natural oil well. At the hospital, a young hypochondriac challenges doctors' diagnoses.

The station rushes to a house that has oil gushing out of it, where a woman (Savannah Bentley as Missy Walker, I presume) tells them that her husband (if so, uncredited Bob Bralver) is trapped in the basement, where he was trying to stop the geyser. The paramedics find him trapped under debris after the kitchen floor collapsed on him, and the firefighters assess that the entire house is threatening to follow suit. The fridge falls down on top of Roy, but Chet and Johnny free him. While Roy tends to the man and Johnny uses a jack to try to lift a beam, Chet calls into Rampart for them. Eventually the crew manages to free the man and he's carried outside for proper treatment and ambulanced to Rampart, where Brackett becomes concerned that he's inhaled oil. Capt. Stanley informs the woman that there's nothing they can do for the house.

Dixie informs the paramedics that the motorbike the station bought for a boy named Tommy who pulled his sister from a fire doesn't work. She takes them to where Early and Morton are attempting to perform out-of-their-specialty surgery on it, and Johnny volunteers to fix it--What could go wrong?

Richard and Claire Freeman (Bing Russell and Peggy Stewart) bring their son, Danny (uncredited Eric Shea) into the hospital over abdominal pain believed to be from when his disapproving father hit him there while trying to teach his bookworm son self-defense. 14-year-old Danny plays backseat doctor as he's being brought in and diagnosed by Brackett and Morton, overdisplaying a familiarity with medical terminology, to Brackett's amusement and Morton's annoyance, the latter describing it as "sophomoritis". The boy compliments Brackett's professionalism while reserving judgment on Morton's. Later, Brackett finds the boy in his office poring through medical books, concerned with unspecified symptoms that could indicate a potentially grave illness. Brackett questions Danny's obsession with being sick, but agrees to have books brought to his room so he can continue to diagnose himself.

The station is called to rescue an unconscious five-year-old boy named Kevin who's stuck in a narrow pipe. His brother Leroy (uncredited Byron Nickleberry) tells the firefighters that Kevin crawled in after being told there was money in the pipe. The firefighters use the K-12 to cut a hole in the pipe for hosing in oxygen, while Johnny has trouble fishing the boy out because of a foam-like substance that's lining the inside, creating resistance. Eventually he succeeds when lubricant is applied; and Leroy confesses to Roy that he was the one who told Kevin there was money. At Rampart, Brackett gives a revived Kevin a clean bill of health.

At the station, Johnny's working on the bike on the floor between the kitchen and living area while Chet watches. Johnny thinks he's on the right track when he finds a manual in the seat, but Chet casts doubt when he notices that the bike in the manual is larger. Chet takes over as the squad is called to Carlo's Deli, where the proprietor's wife, Diana (uncredited Toni Lawrence), takes them to the back room where employee Paul (Randall Carver) is fretting because Carlo will kill him if he finds Paul wearing Diana's wedding ring, which he tried on for a lark when she left it off after doing some slicing. Diana manages to stall Carlo (uncredited Richard Kiel!) just long enough for the paramedics to get the ring off, but they have to make up a story for why they're there...and then slip the ring back to Diana out in front, right under Carlo's nose. Roy is a bit intimidated as he distracts a knife and meat cleaver-wielding Carlo by purchasing an inch of salami.


At Rampart, Danny announces that he has pancreatic carcinoma and needs immediate surgery, but Brackett produces test results indicating that he actually has a pancreatic pseudocyst, which should go away on its own. Danny mends fences with Morton, and outside the room, Brackett encourages Mr. Freeman to support Danny's interest in medicine. Back at the station, Johnny is horrified to find that Chet has the bike completely disassembled, and they rush to unsuccessfully try to hide it as Dix arrives in her civvies to pick it up. She takes the pieces in the best container they can find, a shiny, brand-new-looking garbage can.

The station and other units are called to fire at a chemical plant. High-pressure hoses on a wide spray are employed to push back the flames as Capt. Stanley rescues a security guard; then to get to a tank valve, which Roy and Stanley have some issues closing--Roy experiencing a close call when an explosion causes his coat to catch fire, which is quickly put out. Following that, Stanley declares the fire under control.

In the coda, Dix returns the trash can to the station and informs the guys that 12-year-old Tommy put the bike together himself at the hospital and rode it home.

This is another one where the show's crediting policy gets bewildering. Shea probably had more lines than any other guest in the episode, and Kiel had a pretty substantial piece of business.

---

The Mary Tyler Moore Show
"Not Just Another Pretty Face"
Originally aired September 21, 1974

Mary dates gorgeous ski instructor Paul Van Dillen (Robert Wolders), but reconsiders the relationship when she realizes they have little in common.

Seems like they've gone down this road before. When Phyllis and Bess come over to borrow chairs for a family dinner while Lars's uncle from Sweden is visiting, Mary tells them how she's going to a birthday party for Ted at the Red Lantern (In blackest day, in brightest night...) with a ski instructor named Paul Van Dillen whom she just met while shopping for a present. When Paul comes to the door (Robert Wolders), Phyllis and Bess are both stricken by his looks; as are all of the ladies at the party, including Sue Ann and Georgette...and even Ted in an envious way. When Phyllis returns the chairs, she finds that Mary is making a Moroccan recipe that she got from Sue Ann for dinner with Paul. Phyllis questions Mary's intentions for seeing a man for superficial reasons, assuming that the two of them would have nothing in common because Mary hates skiing. (You can really tell in this one how they're writing Phyllis to fill Rhoda's newly vacated role.) When Paul arrives, Mary tries to learn more about his interests, only to find that his life revolves around skiing.

After Paul brings Mary back to the newsroom following a lunch date, Lou takes her into his office and tries to talk sense into her, likening Paul to a "cheap, tawdry bimbo".

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At home, Mary tells Phyllis and Bess that she's going to stop seeing Paul, and they both think she's crazy. When Mary and Paul go to dinner at the Earth Love Inn, they get extra attention from two smitten waitresses (Julie Rogers and Cathy Bacon), at the expense of the man at the table next to them (Lou Cutell), who ends up ordering his drink through Mary. Mary tries to discuss the issue of her and Paul seeing each other only based on their looks, but he sees nothing wrong with it, questioning how a relationship can be superficial if you really like someone.

Mary: You know something? I like you, too.​

Paul: Then what is the problem?​

Mary: Damned if I know.​

The dinner continues in the coda, as Mary tells Paul of her bad first skiing experience as a child, while still also ordering for the man at the next table.

---

The Bob Newhart Show
"The Battle of the Groups"
Originally aired September 21, 1974

Bob unwisely brings two of his therapy groups together at a weekend retreat.

The episode opens with a group session consisting of most of the usual suspects, with some substitutes: Mr. Peterson, Mr. Gianelli (Dan Travanty doing a one-shot appearance in the role originated by Noam Pitlik), Michelle Nardo, Elliot Carlin, and Mrs. Havlicek (Lenore Woodward), who seems to be a temporary substitute for Mrs. Bakerman, knitting and all. After their reactions to Bob's announcement that he'll have to cancel the following week's session for another engagement, he promises to take them all on their second weekend marathon at a cabin resort in the woods. While the first group is still there, Bob's second group starts to arrive, all of whom are returning from last season's "The Jobless Corps": Ed Herd (Oliver Clark), Craig Plager (Howard Hesseman), Edgar Vickers (Lucian Scott), and Shirley Ullman (Millie Slavin). The members of the first group tell the others about the marathon and ask them about coming, too, against Bob's preference for keeping the groups separated. At home, Bob's boundaries are further challenged when Emily wants to come as well. Ellen offers to watch the place while they're gone, which gives Howard ideas. Bob has some trouble booking one place because they seem to think he's putting together an orgy.

The two groups gather at Bob's office, and friction between them erupts when Michelle brings her cat, making the members of the second group think that the first group is getting preferential treatment. At the resort, Bob chastises his patients for having split into three factions--Elliot having formed a faction of one; while Emily awkwardly hovers around outside the group cabin during a session. The therapy groups become resentful when they learn that the Hartleys have a suite, and Bob ends up spending the first night bedding in the men's cabin to smooth things over. The next day, the Hartleys fight when Emily's made to feel unwelcome; while Elliot continues his practice of spending outdoor time nude, which got the group into trouble at their last marathon. The Hartleys end up monopolizing an overnight Saturday session talking out their own issues; and the groups disperse early on Sunday morning.

In the coda, the Hartleys make a point of announcing their early return outside the apartment door to avoid walking in on anything, but when Howard comes out of the bedroom, it turns out that he's been nursing Ellen, who came down with the flu.

---

Sounds like the 50s, I guess.

Indeed...doo wop was actually in its heyday in the early '60s.

That's actually a real poem or essay. It's nice.

I'm familiar.

I wonder who he was, or if they even gave it any thought. Patient passing through? Orderly? Chopper pilot?

Looks like he's wearing scrubs under his jacket, so probably one of those other doctors who never have to do anything. Look at him outside singing while Hawk and Trap have to give up their leave!

Seems like a dangerous maneuver for a couple of seconds of film.

Might've just been a mockup in that shot.

Whoa. Destiny is taking shape.

The Magician (which I've never seen) was actually on the air the previous TV season.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Station 7 Alaska detects the malfunctioning Project Pioneer capsule going down in Minnesota.

They really have a much more active space program in this universe.

Steve is assigned to accompany Rudy, who'll fill him in on what it's about on a need-to-know basis.

Which I guess is no different than those other OSI personnel being uninformed about Steve.

Rudy, who'd been putting his 'chute on upside-down, isn't keen on jumping and has to be pushed out.

Holy crap. Isn't this guy supposed to be the most important scientist in America? And why are they even jumping? Doesn't the OSI have cars and choppers and stuff?

Oscar arrives at a nearby command post camp

See, Oscar didn't have to jump out of a plane.

Rudy uses Steve's bionic arm to power the equipment in the box that will thaw the woman

That's pretty cool.

the project, which Congress doesn't know about

Okay, now here's a little detail deserving of far more attention.

a pair of scientists named David Tate and Nicole Simmons who developed and were testing a cell-regeneration serum

Testing it on themselves in a space capsule in orbit. They couldn't use volunteers in a ground facility?

Steve shares with Nicole that he's another of Oscar's experiments, without getting into the details.

That's an interesting way of putting it. Makes me wonder what other weird experiments Oscar has going out there that he's not telling Steve or Congress about.

the bearded figure of David (Mike Farrell)

Sounds familiar but I don't recognize him.

attacking Rudy and smashing his radio while Steve has to stay immobile in order to not endanger Nicole

"Hang in there, Rudy. Just another minute."

The sheriff returns to the camp with a report of campers having been attacked by a wild man in a silver suit

I feel like this could be the premise for a 1970s Marvel comic.

Oscar's not-in-the-know men separately search the woods.

Seriously, Oscar, you've got to be more communicative.

Rudy has Nicole taken back to the camp on a Stokes, wary of how the serum may have affected her

Two superhuman maniacs might have livened things up a bit.

Steve slo-mo pursues David through the woods, only to be jumped by surprise.

What happened to his infrared filter?

Steve socks David without sound effect

His bionics are soggy.

He talks about the failure of the experiment and the need to continue the research before dying.

After all this, the poor guy just dies? Come on!

Rudy tells Steve that Nicole will be alright and intends to keep testing the serum.

"The moral of the story is that mad scientists shouldn't experiment on themselves, but I haven't learned it."

Steve goes to the hangar where the capsule has been taken, where Oscar beats himself up over the cost to David Tate; but Steve reasons with him, arguing that Tate was a pioneer in potentially beneficial science, as is Oscar.

I don't know, I think Oscar deserves a bit of a guilty conscience for this one. And he'd probably have a hard time keeping himself out of Congressional hearings if the show had stronger continuity.

Aunt Jenny had a clause in her will to have Beckett destroyed...which Nick is happy to carry out as he holds a grudge against the horse for once throwing him, which the sheriff attributes to Nick's mistreatment of the animal.

Sounds like Aunt Jenny and Uncle Nick were bad people.

Solomon talks of working things out by reason rather than impulsive action; Atlas (voice of Norm Prescott) asserts that man should love and protect the creatures of the Earth; while Zeus poetically offers that "love which is possessive and refuses to share destroys the very object of love". Finally, Solomon quotes that young Greek punk Aristotle: "Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."

Hercules adds, "Prepareth, for thou shalt be quizzed."

Billy and Mentor as they're having a picnic

No Aunt Harriet in sight.

After she's thrown from the horse

Hmm. Nick may have a point.

Billy suggests trying to have the will changed legally; but the sheriff, who's already tried unsuccessfully to talk Nick into changing his mind, asserts that the law is the law, and he has to abide by it.

Challenging a will is within the law.

The sheriff backs up Mentor that they have the right to peacefully demonstrate

At least they're presenting the sheriff as fair minded.

Nick angrily goes to get Beckett, who runs off, and Nick pursues in his truck.

I think Nick may need a little time in an institution.

Billy says his magic word and flies off as Cap to find the horse.

Does Cap have telescopic vision or anything like that?

Nick catches up with the horse as it's stuck in a tangle, running his truck into an old tree, which falls and pins Beckett.

Every episode of this show is like a cascade of bad luck and disaster.

Nick is smugly pleased about the situation, and when the Sheriff and Lynn arrive, argues for putting the horse out of its misery.

I think getting rid of Nick would result in the highest net reduction in misery for everybody.

Then Cap lands and lifts the tree, freeing Beckett, who's none the worse for the wear.

It seems like it took Cap an awfully long time to find them.

the sheriff offers that the only thing they could do to save Beckett is to get a stay of execution from the state capitol

I don't think this is correct.

Cap takes off and returns in time with the paper in hand, to Nick's chagrin.

Cap turns into a super-powered lawyer by shouting the name "SAS!" which signifies the legal abilities of Sokolov and Sokolov.

"Curses, ya Big Red Cheese!"

Lynn asks Cap to relay a message to Billy, even though she shouldn't know of any connection between them

The horse knows and she's a horse whisperer.

Cap: Hi. Today you saw how someone tried to solve their problem by breaking the law instead of working within the law. It's important for us to remember that laws are made to help us, and that when they stop helping us, they can be changed...legally. See you next week!

An important message indeed.

Our present mission, a routine geological survey of type-4 asteroids, is nearing completion.

"There has been a lull in new life and new civilizations lately."

The Romulan Commander (uncredited Norm Prescott)

Atlas.

Kirk has the Enterprise duck into an unidentified energy field to shake the Romulans.

Exactly how he solved the Kobayashi Maru!

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This is the perfect example of why TAS can never be canon.

The laughing computer then turns the rec room environment into an arctic one.

Which is weird and arbitrary and serves only to add an element of danger.

there's no telling what we'll be forced to breathe next.

That's a very specific concern, considering all that's going on.

Pulling its biggest prank of all, the computer deploys from the hangar deck a giant inflatable version of the Enterprise, twenty times the ship's size.

Pretty powerful replicators they got there in the 23rd-and-a-half century.

the Enterprise computer returns to normal

Rather than getting twice as psychotic. Whew!

Funny how the Romulans are the first aliens this season who haven't threatened suicide.

Everybody else is doing it now. It's not hip anymore.

The station rushes to a house that has oil gushing out of it

Sounds like a fire hazard. I hope they turned off the power.

where he was trying to stop the geyser.

I wonder how he was trying to do that.

The fridge falls down on top of Roy

Yikes.

Johnny uses a jack to try to lift a beam

That strikes me as extremely dangerous, given that the whole house is falling apart.

Capt. Stanley informs the woman that there's nothing they can do for the house.

"On the plus side, you own a geyser."

Dixie informs the paramedics that the motorbike the station bought for a boy named Tommy who pulled his sister from a fire doesn't work.

"Okay, we'll take it back to the seller and get it fixed or replaced."

to Brackett's amusement and Morton's annoyance

Twelve years later, Morton recognizes Danny in the new batch of residents.

The boy compliments Brackett's professionalism while reserving judgment on Morton's.

Brackett finds the boy in his office poring through medical books

The kid knows how to find his way around a hospital campus, which is a big plus.

Brackett questions Danny's obsession with being sick, but agrees to have books brought to his room so he can continue to diagnose himself.

Including some on medical psychiatry.

At Rampart, Brackett gives a revived Kevin a clean bill of health.

I'd kind of want to know what was in that foam.

Chet takes over

And all is lost.

employee Paul (Randall Carver)

I think he was the straight-laced guy in Taxi who was replaced by Reverand Jim.

Carlo will kill him if he finds Paul wearing Diana's wedding ring, which he tried on for a lark when she left it off after doing some slicing.

He kinda brought in on himself though.

Carlo (uncredited Richard Kiel!)

How dare they not credit Richard Kiel?!

Roy is a bit intimidated as he distracts a knife and meat cleaver-wielding Carlo by purchasing an inch of salami.

Wow. I wonder if they're exaggerating the size difference somehow.

Danny announces that he has pancreatic carcinoma and needs immediate surgery, but Brackett produces test results indicating that he actually has a pancreatic pseudocyst, which should go away on its own.

Danny later grows up to found WebMD.

Johnny is horrified to find that Chet has the bike completely disassembled, and they rush to unsuccessfully try to hide it as Dix arrives in her civvies to pick it up. She takes the pieces in the best container they can find, a shiny, brand-new-looking garbage can.

They're lucky Dix didn't disassemble Chet.

Roy experiencing a close call when an explosion causes his coat to catch fire

Yikes. Was that really Roy, or a stunt double?

Dix returns the trash can to the station and informs the guys that 12-year-old Tommy put the bike together himself at the hospital and rode it home.

Sometimes their humorous sub-plots are a little over the top.

This is another one where the show's crediting policy gets bewildering. Shea probably had more lines than any other guest in the episode, and Kiel had a pretty substantial piece of business.

This kinda bugs me. You'd think the SAG, or whatever oversight agency, would have a rule about this.

Red Lantern (In blackest day, in brightest night...)

Capped, but only with second-hand info.

When Paul comes to the door (Robert Wolders), Phyllis and Bess are both stricken by his looks; as are all of the ladies at the party, including Sue Ann and Georgette...and even Ted in an envious way.

Okay, I Googled. He does look kind of like a 1930s Romantic lead. Also, he was hooked up with Audrey Hepburn.

Phyllis questions Mary's intentions for seeing a man for superficial reasons

The answers to those questions seem pretty obvious.

(You can really tell in this one how they're writing Phyllis to fill Rhoda's newly vacated role.)

Yeah, Rhoda really leaves a gaping hole in the format.

After Paul brings Mary back to the newsroom following a lunch date, Lou takes her into his office and tries to talk sense into her, likening Paul to a "cheap, tawdry bimbo".

Come on, Lou, you're in a series about a liberated woman.

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I really hate that show.

Mary tells Phyllis and Bess that she's going to stop seeing Paul, and they both think she's crazy.

There we go.

at the expense of the man at the table next to them (Lou Cutell), who ends up ordering his drink through Mary.

I think I remember this part.

Mary: You know something? I like you, too.
Paul: Then what is the problem?
Mary: Damned if I know.

I'm actually a little surprised. I thought they'd go with the family-friendly resolution.

Mr. Gianelli (Dan Travanty doing a one-shot appearance in the role originated by Noam Pitlik)

That's kind of silly. Why not just make him a new character?

Mrs. Havlicek (Lenore Woodward), who seems to be a temporary substitute for Mrs. Bakerman

Like that.

Bob's boundaries are further challenged when Emily wants to come as well.

It's a little weird that she wants to go.

Ellen offers to watch the place while they're gone, which gives Howard ideas.

Are they no longer involved?

Bob has some trouble booking one place because they seem to think he's putting together an orgy.

Well, that would be the worst orgy in history.

Emily awkwardly hovers around outside the group cabin during a session

The Fourth Faction.

the Hartleys fight when Emily's made to feel unwelcome

That's probably because she's unwelcome, since she's intruding on his patients' mental health therapy.

when Howard comes out of the bedroom, it turns out that he's been nursing Ellen, who came down with the flu.

Ellen was kind of wasted in this one.

I'm familiar.

It's sad, but also comforting.

Look at him outside singing while Hawk and Trap have to give up their leave!

No wonder we never saw him again.

The Magician (which I've never seen) was actually on the air the previous TV season.

There goes my muddled-up memory again: I probably would have guessed 1977 or so.

 

[The Old Mixer]

They really have a much more active space program in this universe.

And with varying levels of tech; we go from relatively realistic Apollo/Skylab business to capsules that land.

Testing it on themselves in a space capsule in orbit. They couldn't use volunteers in a ground facility?

You'd think. I think they had a handwave for testing it on themselves, but testing it on Earth first would make a lot more sense.

Sounds familiar but I don't recognize him.

He may be popping up again in something or another.

"Hang in there, Rudy. Just another minute."

(Watches progress bar.)

Sounds like Aunt Jenny and Uncle Nick were bad people.

I wasn't clear what their relation was. If there was any reference to him as a family member, I didn't catch it. I was under the impression that Jenny was older, and thus picturing him as her son.

Hmm. Nick may have a point.

It was more like she was whipping around trees and fell off.

Does Cap have telescopic vision or anything like that?

Not officially, but he's sharp-eyed enough to spot things while in flight, like a bird.

Willie from Dark Shadows in a Stetson may be the closest thing we get to Dr. Sivana on this show...

The horse knows and she's a horse whisperer.

I don't think the horse saw a transformation, but I forgot the logo on the van...everyone should automatically be assuming that Mentor and Billy are connected to Captain Marvel.

This is the perfect example of why TAS can never be canon.

The giant inflatable Enterprise is on the short list of "out-there" elements on the show.

Pretty powerful replicators they got there in the 23rd-and-a-half century.

Material fabricators, or something like that.

Everybody else is doing it now. It's not hip anymore.

Sounds like a fire hazard. I hope they turned off the power.

In fact, Stanley did.

That strikes me as extremely dangerous, given that the whole house is falling apart.

Gotta free the guy.

"On the plus side, you own a geyser."

Yeah, they mentioned capping it, but not that upside. OTOH, erecting a well in a residential neighborhood would probably be problematic.

I'd kind of want to know what was in that foam.

They went into more detail about it, but I couldn't care less... Trying to pull the boy out was causing it to collect, effectively narrowing the pipe.

Wow. I wonder if they're exaggerating the size difference somehow.

I doubt it...he was 7'2".

Yikes. Was that really Roy, or a stunt double?

The latter, I'm sure.

Capped, but only with second-hand info.

I'm vaguely aware that there are other colors of Lanterns, which is after my time, but I was just making an "opposites" play on GL.

Okay, I Googled. He does look kind of like a 1930s Romantic lead. Also, he was hooked up with Audrey Hepburn.

The answers to those questions seem pretty obvious.

But it was considered to be out of character for Mary.

Are they no longer involved?

They are, that's what the ideas were about.

It's sad, but also comforting.

I know. I took comfort in it, but it would be hard to look at cold.

No wonder we never saw him again.

Actually, he's gonna be in two more episodes this season.

There goes my muddled-up memory again: I probably would have guessed 1977 or so.

He was starting his signature role by that point...

 

[RJDiogenes]

And with varying levels of tech; we go from relatively realistic Apollo/Skylab business to capsules that land.

Yeah, I meant to ask if they came down with a parachute, because I have a feeling they didn't.

He may be popping up again in something or another.

It's weird thinking of him in an action role. I wonder how his career would have gone if not for M*A*S*H.

(Watches progress bar.)

I wasn't clear what their relation was. If there was any reference to him as a family member, I didn't catch it. I was under the impression that Jenny was older, and thus picturing him as her son.

It felt to me like he was a live-in boyfriend or something, but that would be weird for SHAZAM.

Willie from Dark Shadows in a Stetson may be the closest thing we get to Dr. Sivana on this show...

That's one of the problems I always had with superhero TV shows-- they're too mainstream.

everyone should automatically be assuming that Mentor and Billy are connected to Captain Marvel.

Okay, that's odd. Yet he still maintains a secret identity.

In fact, Stanley did.

Ah, good. Nice attention to detail.

Gotta free the guy.

Yeah, but yikes. These guys gotta suffer PTSD in their old age.

Yeah, they mentioned capping it, but not that upside. OTOH, erecting a well in a residential neighborhood would probably be problematic.

I meant to research that. I remember reading that there are vast oil reserves under Los Angeles, but I don't know if anybody can access it through their basement or backyard or whatever.

They went into more detail about it, but I couldn't care less...

Well, I was thinking in terms of it maybe being carcinogenic, or some other long-term issue.

I doubt it...he was 7'2".

Unbelievable.

The latter, I'm sure.

If you couldn't tell, it must have been a stuntman, I suppose.

I'm vaguely aware that there are other colors of Lanterns, which is after my time, but I was just making an "opposites" play on GL.

I'm aware of multicolored Lanterns and multicolored Hulks, but I have no idea if these are good or bad ideas-- I quit during the first Civil War, and was pretty disconnected from things even before that.

But it was considered to be out of character for Mary.

I don't know, she usually hooks up with pretty hunky guys. People have a tendency to date at their own attractiveness level. Which explains my pet frog.

They are, that's what the ideas were about.

So she must be at Howard's a lot anyway, so I don't see much of an advantage to her staying at Bob's. Maybe it's just that Bob and Emily have a nicer bedroom.

I know. I took comfort in it, but it would be hard to look at cold.

Yeah.

Actually, he's gonna be in two more episodes this season.

Interesting. I wonder if he also contributes music in those episodes. Maybe he was a potential recurring character that didn't work out.

He was starting his signature role by that point...

Right. Although I somehow associate the Hulk show with my senior year, so I probably would have guessed 77 for The Magician and 78 for Incredible Hulk.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night," John Lennon w/ The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band #1 US the week of Nov. 16, 1974; #36 UK)

Bit late to the party in responding to this entry - After having had enough of Los Angeles, John Lennon, May Pang and Harry Nilsson moved back to New York to complete Harry's 'Pussy Cats' album. During the sessions, John's lawyer finally managed to secure release of the tapes of the 'Rock 'N Roll' sessions from Phil Spector. Not wanting to spend the time wading through hours of drunken material trying to find takes suitable for release, John instead decided to record a new album. He called upon his usual pool of friends and spent the month of July demoing and rehearsing a batch of newly-written material. Once he was confident that he had the arrangements down, John booked eight weeks at the New York City Record Plant and from 12pm to 10pm, M-F, the band would lay down the basic tracks after which John would add overdubs. During the recording of the album, John became friends with Elton John, who was in an adjacent studio recording his own version of John's 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', which Lennon contributed guitar and vocal harmonies under the pseudonym Dr. Winston O'Boogie. John asked Elton to reciprocate and asked Elton which song he thought was the most commercial. Elton chose 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night', which surprised Lennon, because he had dismissed it as merely a throwaway. Elton disagreed and bet John that the song was a number one hit and if it did, then John was to appear onstage at Madison Square Garden for Elton's Thanksgiving show. John agreed, and was surprised to see the song go straight to the top of the charts upon release. John finally had his Number One hit that had eluded him. True to his word, John appeared onstage with Elton on 28th-November-1974 and performed on three songs, 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night,' 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' and 'I Saw Her Standing There,' which he dedicated to his friend Paul. John admitted afterwards that he spent several minutes in the bathroom vomiting before going onstage because of stage fright. It would be the last time John would appear on stage.

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​

 

[DarrenTR1970]

"I Can Help," Billy Swan (#1 US the weeks of Nov. 23 and 30, 1974; #6 AC; #1 Country; #6 UK)

Up until then, he was best known as the producer of Tony Joe White's 'Polk Salad Annie'.

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[The Old Mixer]

which he dedicated to his friend Paul

Actually, "an old, estranged fiancé of mine called Paul".

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of 'Eldorado - A Symphony By The Electric Light Orchestra'
US Chart #16; UK Chart - None
Single - 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head' b/w 'Illusions In 'G' Major'

The album came about due to Jeff Lynne's growing frustration at being limited by the 'two cello, one violin' format, being unable to recreate the orchestral sounds he was hearing in his head.

Thanks to constant US touring and the hit single 'Showdown', Jeff was finally able to get the record label to secure the funds for a thirty-piece orchestra and twenty-piece choir.

Another factor in the change in sound towards shorter pop/rock songs instead of the progressive elements of the first three albums was Jeff's father telling him after he played him ELO's latest album, 'The trouble with your tunes is that they've got no tunes,' which prompted Jeff to step up his game, immediately writing the song 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head' and the bulk of the album in two weeks after the conclusion of a December 1973 US tour.

The first recording sessions were held February 11th-15th, 1974, where the songs 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head,' 'Eldorado,' 'Mister Kingdom,' and 'Boy Blue' were tracked.

The band then commenced another US tour, after which bassist Michael De Albuquerque left the band to spend more time with his family. Jeff would handle the bulk of the bass duties for the rest of the album. Prior to the start of the next US tour, November 1st to December 17th, 1974, which would see the bulk of the forthcoming album performed, Michael "Kelly" Groucutt was hired as the new bassist and at the completion of the same tour, cellist Mike Edwards departed and was replaced by Melvyn Gale, who had been the original choice for cellist, but had turned the position down due to prior commitments, but now found himself free to join. With that, the line-up was finally stabilized and would remain unchanged for the next seven years.

Final sessions for the album were held on July 1st, 1974, where the orchestra and choir were overdubbed in one long session, during which, the orchestra ran into overtime and, per union rules at the time, couldn't exceed past midnight, the orchestra packed up and left the studio in the middle of recording. Only Conductor Louis Clark, locking the studio door, and a frantic call to Musicians Union boss Don Smith, who personally came down to the studio and ordered the musicians back to the studio, promising to pay for the overtime, prevented the final session from remaining uncompleted. The story goes that if you turn your speakers up loud, you can hear the orchestra packing up and leaving the studio during the recording of 'Eldorado Finale'.

The album itself is a concept album about a banker, who, unable to face the trials and tribulations of life, seeks solace in a fantasy world he builds for himself; each song being a different dream set inside that world. The opening narration, 'Eldorado Overture' recorded by actor Peter Forbes-Robertson (fresh off his playing the Chief Sea Devil in 'Dr. Who') was, according to Jeff, 'written in about five minutes' in a van on the way to the recording studio.

The cover photo is a still frame of the Wicked Witch of the West reaching for Dorothy's ruby slippers (reversed), taken from a book of stills that the album's cover designer John Kehe found in a book on the movie 'The Wizard Of Oz', while searching for images of the Emerald City, which was the original idea for the cover of the lost city of Eldorado. The movie 'The Wizard of Oz' did not actually appear on UK TV screens until Christmas Eve 1975, hence the relative obscurity of the image to UK purchasers of the album.

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The first appearance of Michael "Kelly" Groucutt on bass and the last appearance of Mike Edwards on cello.​

 

[The Old Mixer]

Yeah, I meant to ask if they came down with a parachute, because I have a feeling they didn't.

They didn't show...the capsule was just a blip on the radar at that point.

It's weird thinking of him in an action role. I wonder how his career would have gone if not for M*A*S*H.

FWIW, it looks like he would have popped up previously here for roles in The Monkees, a Season 1 episode of Ironside, and possibly Love, American Style, if I covered the segments in question.

I guess the '70s tech equivalent of a progress bar would be a gauge.

That's one of the problems I always had with superhero TV shows-- they're too mainstream.

In this case, it was pretty low-concept and low-budget.

Okay, that's odd. Yet he still maintains a secret identity.

It's possible that the logo is also associated with WHIZ, the station Billy works for (which hasn't been mentioned by name in the show). Can't recall offhand if that was the case in the comics.

Yeah, but yikes. These guys gotta suffer PTSD in their old age.

Hazardous rescues are their job.

Well, I was thinking in terms of it maybe being carcinogenic, or some other long-term issue.

Don't think they got into that. Johnny guessed that it might be polyethylene and described it as spongy.

Yes, you made me look--satisfied? Now it's deleted, no more questions! I'll toss in a parting close-up of Kiel:

Unbelievable.

It is entirely possible that the area behind the counter was slightly elevated.

If you couldn't tell, it must have been a stuntman, I suppose.

It was a wider shot of the back of a coated and helmeted firefighter.

So she must be at Howard's a lot anyway, so I don't see much of an advantage to her staying at Bob's. Maybe it's just that Bob and Emily have a nicer bedroom.

She'd always be right next door.

Interesting. I wonder if he also contributes music in those episodes. Maybe he was a potential recurring character that didn't work out.

Looks like he'll be both performing and sharing some scenes with the cast.

Loudon Wainwright III

Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, and Loudon Wainwright III in M*A*S*H (1972)

www.imdb.com

Right. Although I somehow associate the Hulk show with my senior year, so I probably would have guessed 77 for The Magician and 78 for Incredible Hulk.

'78 was when TIH went to series, but the pilot movie was in '77.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Not wanting to spend the time wading through hours of drunken material trying to find takes suitable for release​

I suppose somebody's done that by now.

Elton disagreed and bet John that the song was a number one hit and if it did, then John was to appear onstage at Madison Square Garden for Elton's Thanksgiving show. John agreed, and was surprised to see the song go straight to the top of the charts upon release.

This kind of illustrates the difference between Elton and Lennon-- not to mention Lennon and McCartney.

Up until then, he was best known as the producer of Tony Joe White's 'Polk Salad Annie'.

I know this song from a live Elvis cassette I had (and probably still have) from the early 70s.

Actually, "an old, estranged fiancé of mine called Paul".

Single - 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head' b/w 'Illusions In 'G' Major'​

Great song.

Thanks to constant US touring and the hit single 'Showdown', Jeff was finally able to get the record label to secure the funds for a thirty-piece orchestra and twenty-piece choir.

Yeah, that's ambitious.

Jeff's father telling him after he played him ELO's latest album, 'The trouble with your tunes is that they've got no tunes,'

Jeff's dad digs it.

The story goes that if you turn your speakers up loud, you can hear the orchestra packing up and leaving the studio during the recording of 'Eldorado Finale'.

I'm sure it won't be long before it's possible to tease that noise out of there with an AI utility, if it's not possible already.

The cover photo is a still frame of the Wicked Witch of the West reaching for Dorothy's ruby slippers (reversed)

I wonder if they had to pay for that or if it falls under fair use.

FWIW, it looks like he would have popped up previously here for roles in The Monkees, a Season 1 episode of Ironside, and possibly Love, American Style, if I covered the segments in question.

I seem to remember him just appearing in fuzzy wuzzy family movies after M*A*S*H, but I just remembered that he also starred in the Roddenberry pilot The Questor Tapes. If that had been picked up, we might have seen a very different Mike Farrell over the years.

I guess the '70s tech equivalent of a progress bar would be a gauge.

Rising up out of his forearm on a metal accordion arm-- well, maybe that's a little too retro.

In this case, it was pretty low-concept and low-budget.

Indeed.

It's possible that the logo is also associated with WHIZ, the station Billy works for (which hasn't been mentioned by name in the show). Can't recall offhand if that was the case in the comics.

Ah, I forgot about WHIZ. That's because Cap first appeared in WHIZ Comics. Thank goodness they didn't make his magic word "Whiz!" By the way, there is an archive of those early 70s issues, at least through #18-- weirdly, the Kindle edition is twice the cost of the physical copy.

Don't think they got into that. Johnny guessed that it might be polyethylene and described it as spongy.

Yech. I wouldn't crawl in there for spare change, even as a kid. Definitely looks carcinogenic.

Yes, you made me look--satisfied? Now it's deleted, no more questions!

Sorry.

I'll toss in a parting close-up of Kiel:
View attachment 41894

Y'know, it's weird, but even though he's a giant wearing a bloody apron, he's still got kind of a Teddy Bear look about him.

She'd always be right next door.

I guess. Doesn't seem like all that big a deal, though.

Looks like he'll be both performing and sharing some scenes with the cast.

Loudon Wainwright III

Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers, and Loudon Wainwright III in M*A*S*H (1972)

www.imdb.com

Interesting. I wonder if the music he performs is his, and that's why he stopped appearing. Including music always seems to complicate things in terms of intellectual property rights.

'78 was when TIH went to series, but the pilot movie was in '77.

Okay, good, I wasn't too far off on that one then.

 

[The Old Mixer]

50 Years Ago This Week


September 29

• In Moscow, over 30,000 people came to an open-air show of contemporary nonconformist art in Izmaylovsky Park. The display was approved by Soviet authorities after foreign criticism of the September 15 disruption of the exhibition at Bitsa Park. One artist commented to a reporter, "We have had four hours of freedom here this afternoon."
• Americans Norbert Sander and Kathrine Switzer won the men's and women's races of the 1974 New York City Marathon. Sander remains the only native New Yorker to win the New York City Marathon.
• Regular commercial air service began between Japan and the People's Republic of China with a direct flight from Tokyo to Beijing exactly two years after the 1972 establishment of diplomatic relations.

October 1

• Houston reporter Anita Martini became the first female journalist admitted to the locker room of a major league sports team after the Los Angeles Dodgers had defeated the host Houston Astros, 8 to 5, to end the season in first place in the National League West. Martini followed male reporters to the locker room and announced that she wanted to interview Jimmy Wynn and was told, as she expected, that she would have to wait until Wynn got dressed and came out to see her. She asked the attendant to take a message to Wynn, who got the approval of Dodgers manager Walt Alston and allowed Ms. Martini to come in.
• The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden was inaugurated in Washington, D.C., to display the art collection donated by Joseph Hirshhorn, who was present for the event. U.S. President Gerald Ford, whose wife, Betty Ford, was recovering from breast cancer surgery, was unable to attend.

October 2

• The Soviet Union detonated a 1.7-kiloton atomic bomb near the village of Udachny as part of a dam construction project. Plans for further atomic blasts were halted after the radioactivity from fallout proved to be much larger than expected.
• The Cleveland Indians became the first team in Major League Baseball history to name an African-American manager, with the announcement that they had hired Frank Robinson to guide the team in the 1975 season. The hiring came five days after Cleveland manager Ken Aspromonte's contract expired and was not renewed.
• United Artists released the crime drama film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, starring Walter Matthau and directed by Joseph Sargent.
• Paramount Pictures released the crime drama film The Gambler, starring James Caan and directed by Karel Reisz.

October 3

• An 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Peru killed 78 people and injured 2,414 others. The epicenter was located 50 miles (80 km) west-southwest of Lima.

October 5

• Dave Kunst became the first person verified to have traveled around the world on foot, arriving back at his home at Waseca, Minnesota, after having left there, with his brother John, on June 20, 1970. Kunst covered an estimated 14,450 kilometres (8,980 mi) in his journey. John had been shot to death by bandits in Afghanistan in 1972.
• The Provisional Irish Republican Army bombed two pubs frequented by British Army personnel in Guildford, Surrey in England, killing five people and injuring 54. All of the dead and most of the injured were inside The Horse and Groom at 8:30 in the evening when the first bomb detonated, left under a table by two terrorists posing as a man and woman on a date. The second bomb exploded at The Seven Stars, which had been evacuated after the first bombing, but was being searched by pub employees. Two more pubs were bombed in London on October 11, without fatalities.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "I Honestly Love You," Olivia Newton-John
2. "Nothing from Nothing," Billy Preston
3. "Then Came You," Dionne Warwick & The Spinners
4. "Beach Baby," The First Class
5. "You Haven't Done Nothin'," Stevie Wonder
6. "Clap for the Wolfman," The Guess Who
7. "Another Saturday Night," Cat Stevens
8. "Hang On in There Baby," Johnny Bristol
9. "Sweet Home Alabama," Lynyrd Skynyrd
10. "Earache My Eye," Cheech & Chong
11. "Can't Get Enough," Bad Company
12. "Rock Me Gently," Andy Kim
13. "Never My Love," Blue Swede
14. "You Little Trustmaker," The Tymes
15. "Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)," Tony Orlando & Dawn
16. "Stop and Smell the Roses," Mac Davis
17. "Skin Tight," Ohio Players
18. "The Bitch Is Back," Elton John
19. "Jazzman," Carole King
20. "Do It Baby," The Miracles
21. "Love Me for a Reason," The Osmonds
22. "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," Barry White
23. "I Shot the Sheriff," Eric Clapton

25. "(You're) Having My Baby," Paul Anka
26. "Tin Man," America

28. "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" / "Free Wheelin'", Bachman-Turner Overdrive
29. "Who Do You Think You Are," Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods
30. "Free Man in Paris," Joni Mitchell
31. "You and Me Against the World," Helen Reddy
32. "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)," Reunion
33. "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night," John Lennon w/ The Plastic Ono Nuclear Band
34. "Give It to the People," The Righteous Brothers
35. "Carefree Highway," Gordon Lightfoot
36. "Straight Shootin' Woman," Steppenwolf

38. "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)," B. T. Express

40. "Back Home Again," John Denver
41. "I'm Leaving It (All) Up to You," Donny & Marie Osmond
42. "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)," The Rolling Stones
43. "Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys
44. "Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1," James Brown
45. "Tell Me Something Good," Rufus
46. "The Need to Be," Jim Weatherly

47. "Let's Put It All Together," The Stylistics

51. "Honey, Honey," ABBA
52. "Everlasting Love," Carl Carlton

54. "Feel Like Makin' Love," Roberta Flack

56. "I've Got the Music in Me," The Kiki Dee Band
57. "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," Raspberries
58. "The Night Chicago Died," Paper Lace
59. "Longfellow Serenade," Neil Diamond
60. "Wild Thing," Fancy

62. "Love Don't Love Nobody, Pt. 1" The Spinners

65. "My Melody of Love," Bobby Vinton

69. "Wildwood Weed," Jim Stafford

74. "Distant Lover," Marvin Gaye

77. "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)," Al Green

80. "I Can Help," Billy Swan

84. "When Will I See You Again," The Three Degrees

88. "Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin

92. "Fairytale," The Pointer Sisters

94. "La La Peace Song," Al Wilson

96. "Rub It In," Billy "Crash" Craddock
97. "Sideshow," Blue Magic
98. "One Hell of a Woman," Mac Davis

Leaving the chart:

• "Call on Me," Chicago (15 weeks)
• "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me," Elton John (15 weeks)
• "Keep on Smilin'," Wet Willie (19 weeks)
• "Please Come to Boston," Dave Loggins (18 weeks)
• "Takin' Care of Business," Bachman-Turner Overdrive (20 weeks)

Recent and new on the chart:

"Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1," James Brown

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(Aug. 24; #31 US; #1 R&B)

"Honey, Honey," ABBA

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(Sept. 14; #27 US; #27 AC)

"Fairytale," The Pointer Sisters

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(#13 US; #13 AC; #37 Country)

"Longfellow Serenade," Neil Diamond

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(#5 US; #1 AC; #54 UK)
[It seems that all Neil Diamond clips on YouTube are suddenly on strike; it was working earlier today.]

"Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin

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(#1 US the week of Dec. 21, 1974; #6 AC; #53 UK)


And new on the boob tube:

• Happy Days, "You Go to My Head"
• Adam-12, "Camp: Part 2"
• M*A*S*H, "Iron Guts Kelly"
• Hawaii Five-O, "Steal Now--Pay Later"
• The Odd Couple, "The Hollywood Story"
• Ironside, "Trial by Terror"
• The Six Million Dollar Man, "The Pal-Mir Escort"
• Planet of the Apes, "The Good Seeds"
• Shazam!, " The Road Back"
• Star Trek, "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth"
• Kung Fu, "The Predators"
• All in the Family, "The Bunkers and Inflation: Part 4; Archie's Raise"
• Emergency!, "Nagging Suspicion"
• The Mary Tyler Moore Show, "Lou and That Woman"
• The Bob Newhart Show, "The Separation Story"

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Timeline entries are quoted from the Wiki pages for the months.

---

I suppose somebody's done that by now.

Rock 'n' Roll will be John's 1975 album, and his last before his five-year househusband period.

I know this song from a live Elvis cassette I had (and probably still have) from the early 70s.

The Tony Joe White single would have come up here about six years upthread, FWIW.

That bit of concert chatter is available before the song on the Lennon 4-CD box set from 1990.

Great song.

The single will be charting in December.

I seem to remember him just appearing in fuzzy wuzzy family movies after M*A*S*H, but I just remembered that he also starred in the Roddenberry pilot The Questor Tapes. If that had been picked up, we might have seen a very different Mike Farrell over the years.

Interesting...that aired 50 years ago this past January.

Rising up out of his forearm on a metal accordion arm-- well, maybe that's a little too retro.

It was no doubt one of the gauges in Rudy's little control box.

Y'know, it's weird, but even though he's a giant wearing a bloody apron, he's still got kind of a Teddy Bear look about him.

And he's sporting an earring. I don't know if that was a common accessory for him or just a bit of character business.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I found one that works!

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You missed this one, SESAC!

 

[RJDiogenes]

In Moscow, over 30,000 people came to an open-air show of contemporary nonconformist art in Izmaylovsky Park. The display was approved by Soviet authorities after foreign criticism of the September 15 disruption of the exhibition at Bitsa Park. One artist commented to a reporter, "We have had four hours of freedom here this afternoon."

They'll get about four years in the 90s.

She asked the attendant to take a message to Wynn, who got the approval of Dodgers manager Walt Alston and allowed Ms. Martini to come in.

And there you have it. Politeness does the trick.

The Soviet Union detonated a 1.7-kiloton atomic bomb near the village of Udachny as part of a dam construction project. Plans for further atomic blasts were halted after the radioactivity from fallout proved to be much larger than expected.

Oops. Live and learn.

United Artists released the crime drama film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, starring Walter Matthau and directed by Joseph Sargent.

Good movie. Great ending. "Gesundheit."

Dave Kunst became the first person verified to have traveled around the world on foot, arriving back at his home at Waseca, Minnesota, after having left there, with his brother John, on June 20, 1970.

I suspect he took a boat at some point.

John had been shot to death by bandits in Afghanistan in 1972.

That kinda would have put a damper on the whole project for me.

"Papa Don't Take No Mess, Pt. 1," James Brown

I think he just writes words on little pieces of paper and throws them up in the air, and whatever lands on his lap is his next song.

"Honey, Honey," ABBA

I kinda forgot about this one. It's not bad.

"Fairytale," The Pointer Sisters

Forgot about this too. I'm not sure if I remember it from then or from Lost 45s. It's decent.

"Longfellow Serenade," Neil Diamond

One of my two favorite Neil Diamond songs. Strong nostalgia factor.

[It seems that all Neil Diamond clips on YouTube are suddenly on strike; it was working earlier today.]

Apparently they're blocking a bunch of people. I don't know how a European organization is blocking videos in the US.

"Cat's in the Cradle," Harry Chapin

Classic. Very strong nostalgia.

Rock 'n' Roll will be John's 1975 album, and his last before his five-year househusband period.

Pretty quick.

The Tony Joe White single would have come up here about six years upthread, FWIW.

I probably mentioned my Elvis tape then. I listened to that one a lot.

Interesting...that aired 50 years ago this past January.

It concerned a kind of a Data precursor character.

It was no doubt one of the gauges in Rudy's little control box.

Probably.

And he's sporting an earring. I don't know if that was a common accessory for him or just a bit of character business.

I think it was a fashion. I seem to remember Wojo on Barney Miller wearing an earring. Or maybe that was later in the decade.

I found one that works!

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You missed this one, SESAC!

That's actually "Sweet Caroline," which is a goodie, but not my other favorite. I'll let you guess what the other favorite is.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

United Artists released the crime drama film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, starring Walter Matthau and directed by Joseph Sargent.

Good movie. Great ending. "Gesundheit."

I'm sure everybody knows the hostage takers Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam and Hector Elizondo, but did you know that the fourth hostage taker 'Mr. Brown' is none other than Earl Hindman, 'Wilson', Tim Allen's neighbor on 'Home Improvement'?

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Another fiftieth album release - Peter Michael McCartney (aka 'Mike McGear') second, and final, solo album 'McGear' is released

Side A
1 - "Sea Breezes" (Bryan Ferry) – 4:29
2 - "What Do We Really Know?" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney) – 3:47
3 - "Norton" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 2:35
4 - "Leave It" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney) – 3:44
5 - "Have You Got Problems?" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 6:16

Side B
1 - "The Casket" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Roger McGough) – 4:19
2 - "Rainbow Lady" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 3:26
3 - "Simply Love You" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 2:47
4 - "Givin' Grease A Ride" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 5:35
5 - "The Man Who Found God On The Moon" (Paul McCartney/Linda McCartney/Mike McCartney) – 6:26

As mentioned previously upthread, it's a Mike McCartney solo album with Paul McCartney and Wings as his studio band, with this being guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Denny Seiwell's debuts in the new Wings line-up. At the time of release, Paul McCartney was not credited on the album.

The album was recorded at Strawberry Studios Stockport, home of the band 10cc. Paul and company would record McGear's album during the day, and 10cc would record their forthcoming album "Sheet Music" at night; each group leaving their instruments for the others to use on their recordings.

The front cover shows Mike captured like Gulliver, surrounded by little people. Included in the people are pictures of the band members and photos of other people from McGear's life, as well as a childhood picture of Paul and Mike.

The lead single "Leave It" reached No. 36 in the UK singles chart, becoming the sole charting single by Mike McGear. The opening track, and second single, "Sea Breezes", is a Roxy Music cover from their self-titled debut album.​

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[The Old Mixer]

---

50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

---

Adam-12
"Camp: Part 1"
Originally aired September 24, 1974
Season 7 premiere

Malloy invites a troubled boy along on an upcoming week-long group camping trip in the mountains after apprehending him during a burglary, but soon discovers the kid might be too much for him to handle. Meanwhile, he and Reed engage in a high-speed chase with a taxi, investigate a motorcycle versus pedestrian accident in a parking lot, and respond to an armed robbery call.

Responding to a 459 silent at a machine tool supply shop, Malloy and Reed see signs that somebody broke in through a small section of broken window. They catch a man coming out a door and apprehend him, then search inside to find a boy hiding in a locker. Malloy questions him at police HQ, which has changed a bit...

The station sets have been downsized; the roll call room and watch commander's office have been removed and MacDonald, Malloy and Reed now work in a single office called "Team-12".

I think this gets explained in episode 3. The boy, Greg Whitney (Lee H. Montgomery), claims to have been duped by his older partner, Walt. Greg's protective, widowed mother (June Lockhart--DANGER! DANGER, GREG WHITNEY!) comes in pleading for the officers to let him go.

Back on patrol, Pete's telling Jim about the titular retreat that he volunteered for when they see a taxi swerving around erratically and pursue. The cab crashes into some bushes and the driver (Larry Levine) bails out, warning the officers that there's a man with a gun in the back. The man in back surrenders and the driver is embarrassed to find that he was fooled by a fake gun made with some pipe...and asks about getting his fare from the perp.

Back at HQ in the break room, Malloy's faith in Greg proves to be misplaced when Mac informs the guys that the boy has a record under an alias, Gary Wilkins, and was bailed out by what was likely another older accomplice claiming to be his father.

Mac: Hey, Pete, we all make mistakes...even the Strawberry Fox.​

Back on patrol, the guys are called to a shopping center parking lot where a man named Jack Hofstead (Ronnie Schell) accuses a "freak" motorcyclist (Johnny Rodriguez) of having run down his elderly father (John Steadman). It comes out that Hofstead didn't actually see the accident, and the cyclist tells them that he was going slow and the old man stepped out of nowhere. The elder Hofstead comes to while being loaded into an ambulance and apologizes to the cyclist, which motivates an apology from Jack as well.

When the officers are assigned to see Mrs. Whitney about her missing son, she professes ignorance to his and current whereabouts, telling them that he's motivated to take care of her as the de facto man of the house. At HQ, the accomplice claiming to be Greg's father is identified as having done time in San Quentin.

On patrol, the guys back up another unit handling a 211 in progress at a liquor store / deli. They see a small suspect fleeing and Malloy pursues Greg on foot while Reed gets to drive around the block to help corner him. Greg and his "father" are separately cuffed. The officers inform Greg that they know about his record, and that his mother has been informed. They take him home, where he avoids his mother's embrace, running inside.

Cut to the next morning, as Pete and Jerry Woods are loading luggage onto the camp bus amid a throng of children. Jim surprises Pete by showing up with Greg and a packed suitcase, informing Pete that the boy will be coming, too.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART II

---

M*A*S*H
"Officer of the Day"
Originally aired September 24, 1974

Assigned by Frank Burns as Officer of the Day in Henry's absence, Hawkeye must deal with the daily 4077th chaos and try to thwart sneaky Col. Flagg's plans for his Korean prisoner.

Radar's awful trumpet-playing becomes a recurring gag as Burns inspects the troops--cracking down on Klinger even though he's mostly in uniform. Hawkeye isn't present when Burns names his as OD because he's sleeping off a 14-hour round in the OR. Hawkeye makes a point of refusing to carry a gun; and while he's busy not taking his duties seriously, Colonel Flagg shows up (said to have previously visited the camp about five months prior--they sure play fast and loose with the passage of time considering they're already supposed to be in 1952 and have eight more seasons to go). He brings with him a wounded North Korean soldier whom he wants patched up. When Trapper's getting ready to operate, he and Hawk learn that Flagg, who insists on being in the OR, is just planning to have the soldier executed in Seoul.

The surgeons try to stall on the grounds that the patient may not survive the trip. Flagg goes to Burns, but the surgeons remain defiant until the frustrated intelligence colonel starts brandishing his pistol. Hawk ultimately uses the prisoner release as an opportunity to sneak Klinger out for some unapproved leave, after two failed attempts by the corporal in previous scenes.

There's some side-gag business about a Korean tailor (Jerry Fujikawa) and his two sticky-fingered boys, which includes the temporary disappearance of Radar's teddy bear.

---

Hawaii Five-O
"I'll Kill 'em Again"
Originally aired September 24, 1974

An egocentric psychopath re-enacts murders featured in an article recounting the team's past crime-solving efforts.

A burglar (Danny Goldman) breaks into a second-story apartment and, after consulting a clipping about a murder clue found in a shower, opens a box containing a pair of distinctive-looking knives. At 5OHQ, Steve gets a card reading "Remember Anne Remington," which is connected with an eyewitness murdered in the Jameson robbery case three years prior. When the pretty occupant of the apartment gets home, the burglar stabs her in the back, takes the phone off the hook, and turns on the shower, as described in the clipping. The team notices that this murder matches Remington's, which happened in the same complex, right down to the victim being draped in a kimono; and that the girl, Sally Pomeroy, was the daughter of a district court judge. Upon investigation, the team can find no connection between the Pomeroys and the Jameson case or Remington.

The burglar, Eddie Josephs, shows up for his job a bookshop two hours late, to the consternation of his boss, Harry Beecham (Ivor Francis); and the young man is distracted by a newspaper headline about the murder. He mails another card to McGarrett, reading "Remember Bennie Fortuna". He later lures a wino (Sam Amato) into his car with five dollars and a bottle of wine; and leaves the body in an isolated spot outside of town, binding his hands and, after consulting another clipping, placing a silver dollar in his lips. After the body is found, the victim is identified as Sam Palley, and the murder is found to match the five-year-old killing of Bennie Fortuna, a wino informant who was executed by the Kahiki Gang.

Steve recalls a series of magazine articles about homicide cases solved by Five-O that included the two emulated killings, and he and Danno realize that these could be the first two in a series of twenty. Chin finds a pawn shop owner named Wan Soo (Galen W.Y. Kam) who recently sold knives matching the ones found at the Pomeroy murder. At the shop, Harry expresses concern about Eddie's erratic absences, eliciting a reaction of defensiveness. While Che's putting together a description of the perp from hair and footprints found at the two crime scenes, Eddie makes taunting calls to McGarrett, timing them to hang up before he can be traced, and boasting that he's smarter than McGarrett. Steve deliberately shares false details about their make of his appearance, and afterward draws a connection between the way the perp emphasizes the "Mr." he puts in front of McGarrett's name both vocally and in writing.

Eddie subsequently deliberately runs a red light in front of a patrol car, and when he's stopped, says, "Remember Officer Tanaka?" before pulling a gun and shooting Officer Jimmy Wong. After pulling up to the hospital where Wong's being treated and dressing himself as a doctor, Eddie reacts to seeing McGarrett leaving. He watches through a door as a medical team led by Seth Sakai tries unsuccessfully to save the officer. Steve consults Dr. Judith Patrick (Linda Ann Ryan), who listens to the tape of the phone calls and makes the killer as a "desperate paranoid schizophrenic" who has issues with authority figures and is trying to overcome his feelings of inferiority by besting the best. Returning to the bookshop, Eddie's angered to learn that he's been replaced by a pretty young woman named Sheila Young (Lei Kayahara).

In the ensuing argument with her and his boss, he emphasizes the "Mr." before Beecham, and promises to "show all of you". Eddie subsequently makes a call to McGarrett and is put off-stride when Steve accurately describes his difficulty holding down a job based on Patrick's profile. Eddie has to hang up when the good-natured Beecham unexpectedly shows up at his door insisting on paying him. Consulting one of the articles, Eddie grabs a statuette off his desk and bludgeons Harry with it.

Matching the article about the Benjamin Warfield--regarding whom Steve receives a card--Harry's body is found at a yacht club. McGarrett takes a particular interest in this killing, sensing something different about it based on the killer having written "Mr." in front of the original victim's name this time. This hunch is supported when Beecham is identified, as the relative mismatch between the bookshop owner and the yacht owner breaks the established M.O. The two clues together suggest a personal motive to McGarrett. He and Danno go to the store to question Young, who didn't know about Beecham, but promptly tells them of the encounter with her disgruntled predecessor the previous day. Elsewhere, Eddie underscores details in an article about a prostitute who was strangled by a string of black beads in 1968. As Eddie goes to a shabby hotel used by prostitutes bearing a shoebox, Five-O raids his apartment and finds the magazines, finding that a case has been torn out and calling Chin to learn which one it was. Eddie knocks on a door, gives the prostitute who answers a scarf that he bought, and starts to strangle her from behind with a string of black beads. Five-O busts in to stop him, and after being frisked, he exclaims that McGarrett can't win and jumps out a window to an appointment with the pavement below.

I'm very curious if the old cases here were from actual episodes, but there were no confirming trivia posts on IMDb and this proved not easy to casually look up, having only character names to go by. If so, these would presumably be the actors:

In any case, this would have made an excellent premise for a clip show.

---

Ironside
"What's New with Mark?"
Originally aired September 26, 1974

Mark passes the bar and takes on his first client, a grocery-store owner accused of murder.

After Mark sees a movie with his current girlfriend, former fellow law student Diana (Joan Pringle; if she's a girlfriend we've met in the past, she's been recast), she needs to stop at a neighborhood grocery store, Milt's. At the establishment, Milt Kleiner (Ned Glass) is trying to warn off a heavy named Lupo (Guy Way), who's apparently strongarming him on behalf of racketeer and swings a chair at him. As Mark and Diana are pulling up to the store, they hear a shot, and Mark goes into police mode, finding the heavy dead and Kleiner holding the gun. Mark calls it in, then tells the Chief about it at the Cave the next morning. Fran brings in the results of Mark's bar exam, to a round of congratulations, the Chief addressing him as Counselor.

When Mark goes to see Diana, he ends up accompanying her as she visits Kleiner in jail to advise him. When she indicates that she can't take his case because she's a public defender and he can afford a lawyer, he confides that others won't defend him because he's been working as a bookie on the side. Meanwhile, in the greenhouse of a stately manor, a hood named Richard Dorian (riddle me Frank Gorshin) reports to his boss, Mr. Paul Kincaid (Cameron Mitchell), about the Kleiner situation. Kincaid wants to avoid making any moves on Kleiner to avoid being connected with Lupo, but accepts Dorian's offer to take Lupo's place in keeping the other bookies in line.

Mark brings the Chief info about Lupo while he and Diana are heading for the opera, and the Chief backs Mark into proposing to her. Fran and Ed talk to other bookies--a catering truck proprietor named Sam Novak (Jason Wingreen) and a fortune teller named Madame Kapati (Penny Santon)--looking for information about Lupo. Diana's boss, Tom Mahoney (Kenneth Tobey), is adamant about having a different attorney assigned to the Kleiner case, and she gets an idea about how to still be involved. Cut to Mark informing the Chief that he's agreed to represent Milt as a private attorney. The couple also informs Ironside that they've set the date for just over a couple of weeks, and Mark asks the Chief about being his best man. Investigation turns up a likely connection between Lupo and Kincaid, and Ed and Fran come back with two accounts of Lupo having been spotted leaving the scene when another bookie had been killed recently.

The Chief arranges for Fran to pose as a substitute niece working Kapati's gig in time for Dorian to pay her a visit arranging to resume collections.

Back at the Cave, Fran discusses with Ed her concerns about how the Chief will get by without Mark, and Ed indicates that the Chief can find someone else if he needs to, noting that Mark wasn't always such a good friend. Mark runs his courtroom strategy by Diana while they're getting their marriage license, and she advises that he'll need to establish who Lupo was working for. Mark attempts to liaise with the Chief about a strategy that will allow them to both get what they need out of Kincaid. The Chief can't divulge details to Mark about how the team is working the case, but advises him to stall the trial for a couple of days. He then has Fran play hardball with Dorian, wanting proof from him that he's Lupo's replacement before she'll pay up...all while Ed stands ready in the next room.

In an attempt to expedite Dorian's next move, Ed enlists Novak to call Lupo saying that he heard about the fortune teller and he's not gonna pay either. While Mark stalls with Kleiner on the stand--against the objections of the prosecuting attorney, Garson (Eric Mason), to the judge (Harlan Warde)--Dorian stakes out the fortune telling shop and attempts to nab Fran at knifepoint on the street as she's leaving. She gives him a flip and Ed and uniformed backup swoop in to arrest him. In an interrogation room, the Chief plays hardball with Dorian, threatening him with a number of potential charges. While Mark questions Kincaid on the stand--who maintains that he's an investment broker and Lupo was just a client--the Chief rolls in with Dorian in tow. Mark calls Dorian as an unscheduled witness, and Diane assures Milt that Kincaid is finished.

Cut to...

Following a reception at the Cave, Ed intercepts a call from a candidate for Mark's job and announces that the position has been filled--by him. The surprised Chief shoos the newlyweds on their way.

---

They'll get about four years in the 90s.

I was thinking how that could be us as early as next year.

Good movie. Great ending. "Gesundheit."

Not familiar, other than the title ringing a vague bell.

I suspect he took a boat at some point.

Yeah, and they're probably deducting that from his mileage.

I think he just writes words on little pieces of paper and throws them up in the air, and whatever lands on his lap is his next song.

I'd previously indicated that James wouldn't be coming up again for the decade, but forgot that I had this one in my collection from having been on a compilation that I bought.

I kinda forgot about this one. It's not bad.

Not one of their catchier ones, but alright.

Forgot about this too. I'm not sure if I remember it from then or from Lost 45s. It's decent.

This is an odd style choice for what turned out to be their sophomore hit. It had been on my playlist for a spell earlier in the year as an album track. Looking up details about its delayed charting, it turns out that this was released as the B-side of another, less successful song. Eventually somebody got the idea to promote "Fairytale" in the country market, and it worked.

One of my two favorite Neil Diamond songs. Strong nostalgia factor.

I haven't got this one yet, but I probably will, if SESAC lets me.

Classic. Very strong nostalgia.

This poignant number is one that I definitely recall hearing in the day.

Pretty quick.

The Rock 'n' Roll sessions were the result of John having been successfully sued for plagiarizing Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" in "Come Together". John was under legal obligation to feature a few Berry covers on an album. The brief snippet of "Ya Ya" on Walls and Bridges is a foreshadowing of the '75 release.

It concerned a kind of a Data precursor character.

I've seen it come up in Trek contexts. I may have seen it and/or some of the other Roddenberry TV projects from this era, but don't have a distinct memory of it.

That's actually "Sweet Caroline,"

I know, I was just saying that I found a Neil Diamond clip that played.

which is a goodie, but not my other favorite. I'll let you guess what the other favorite is.

I should probably know if it's come up already. "Brother Love"?