The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

TREK_GOD_1 · Jun 15, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
True. I don't recall any other Route 66-type shows around that time. Of course, it can be a subtle distinction, since episodic series usually revolve around guest stars to some degree. Was Kung Fu a semi anthology? Emergency or Adam-12?

Kung Fu...arguably, in that had the running plots of Caine being a wanted man, his search for his half-brother, and constant flashbacks to various stages of his upbringing, but episodic scripts serving as the "A" stories.

Emergency! and Adam-12 were regular, episodic shows with a few plots of note that would pop up from time to time, such as scripts that reflected real world legislation that had some effect on the LAPD or Paramedic program, or a character central to one of the leads' background.

GNDN18 · Jun 15, 2018

Apologies if I missed this upthread, but wouldn't The Incredible Hulk be the anthology series' last, best offering?

The Old Mixer · Jun 16, 2018

_______

50 Years Ago This Week

June 17 – The Malayan Communist Party launches a second insurgency and the state of emergency is again imposed in Malaysia.
June 20 – Austin Currie, Member of Parliament at Stormont in Northern Ireland, along with others, squats a house in Caledon to protest discrimination in housing allocations.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
June 18: The National Theatre's production of part of John's In His Own Write book opens at the Old Vic theatre, London. John and Yoko's arrival together at the theatre is big news in the press the next day, and rumours gather that John's marriage to Cynthia is troubled.
June 21: Paul addresses Capitol Records' sales conference and announces that in [the] future all Beatles' records will visually appear on the Apple label, although the group remains bound to their 1967-76 EMI/Capitol contract. He returns to England within a few days. Apple Corps buys premises at 3 Saville Row, London.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "This Guy's in Love with You," Herb Alpert
2. "MacArthur Park," Richard Harris
3. "Mrs. Robinson," Simon & Garfunkel
4. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy," Ohio Express
5. "The Look of Love," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
6. "Mony Mony," Tommy James & The Shondells
7. "Think," Aretha Franklin
8. "Angel of the Morning," Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts
9. "Tighten Up," Archie Bell & The Drells
10. "Reach Out of the Darkness," Friend & Lover
11. "Here Comes the Judge," Shorty Long
12. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," The Rolling Stones
13. "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)," The Temptations
14. "I Love You," People
15. "The Horse," Cliff Nobles & Co.
16. "A Beautiful Morning," The Rascals
17. "Licking Stick (Part 1)," James Brown & The Famous Flames
18. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra & Chorus
19. "A Man without Love (Quando M'innamoro)," Engelbert Humperdinck
20. "Lady Willpower," Gary Puckett & The Union Gap

22. "Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips with Me," Tiny Tim
23. "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
24. "Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang
25. "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On," Joe Simon
26. "Honey," Bobby Goldsboro
27. "Choo Choo Train," The Box Tops
28. "Indian Lake," The Cowsills
29. "D. W. Washburn," The Monkees
30. "Master Jack," Four Jacks and a Jill
31. "Stoned Soul Picnic," The 5th Dimension
32. "Grazing in the Grass," Hugh Masekela
33. "She's a Heartbreaker," Gene Pitney
34. "Never Give You Up," Jerry Butler
35. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," Dionne Warwick
36. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day," Stevie Wonder
37. "Delilah," Tom Jones
38. "Sky Pilot," Eric Burdon & The Animals

40. "Face It Girl, It's Over," Nancy Wilson
41. "Cowboys to Girls," The Intruders
42. "If I Were a Carpenter," Four Tops

44. "Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash
45. "Some Things You Never Get Used To," Diana Ross & The Supremes

53. "Pictures of Matchstick Men," The Status Quo

56. "Turn Around, Look at Me," The Vogues
57. "Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers

63. "Here Comes the Judge," Pigmeat Markham

76. "Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
77. "Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders

93. "Classical Gas," Mason Williams

95. "I'm a Midnight Mover," Wilson Pickett
96. "The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas
97. "Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys

Leaving the chart:

"The Happy Song (Dum-Dum)," Otis Redding
"She's Lookin' Good," Wilson Pickett
"Soul Serenade," Willie Mitchell
"Take Time to Know Her," Percy Sledge

New on the chart:

"The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas
(#28 US)

"Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders
(#27 US)

"I'm a Midnight Mover," Wilson Pickett
(#24 US; #6 R&B; #38 UK)

"Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys
(#19 US; #32 AC; originally a #3 hit for Brian Hyland in 1962)

"Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
(#5 US; #4 UK)

"Classical Gas," Mason Williams
(#2 US; #1 AC; #9 UK)

_______

This Week's Scheduled Catch-Up Viewing:

12 O'Clock High, "Face of a Shadow" (Sept. 23, 1966)
12 O'Clock High, "Fortress Wiesbaden" (Sept. 30, 1966)

_______

RJDiogenes said:
True. I don't recall any other Route 66-type shows around that time. Of course, it can be a subtle distinction, since episodic series usually revolve around guest stars to some degree. Was Kung Fu a semi anthology? Emergency or Adam-12?

There's a fuzzy line where true semi-anthology shows end and wandering hero shows begin. I just know it when I see it. In a show like Route 66, you're typically getting basically a self-contained story about the guest characters that would play out more or less the same if the regular characters weren't in it. They're just our window into the story.

Kung Fu and The Incredible Hulk would come close, because Fugitive-premise shows have strong semi-anthology characteristics. They're butting right up against that fuzzy border.

Adam-12 and Emergency!, OTOH, I'd argue are, in one sense, the opposite of a semi-anthology. A typical episode of those shows tends to present a series of vignettes that's only tied together into something resembling a cohesive story by our main characters' involvement. They don't tend to deliver meaty, dramatic full-episode stories focusing on a specific set of guest characters.

RJDiogenes · Jun 16, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Kung Fu...arguably, in that had the running plots of Caine being a wanted man, his search for his half-brother, and constant flashbacks to various stages of his upbringing, but episodic scripts serving as the "A" stories.

Right. Even Route 66 had the continuing thread of Todd and Buzz "searching for America."

Emergency! and Adam-12 were regular, episodic shows with a few plots of note that would pop up from time to time, such as scripts that reflected real world legislation that had some effect on the LAPD or Paramedic program, or a character central to one of the leads' background.

These shows had more focus on the main characters, but the thrust of each episode was really the slice-of-life vignettes of the people they would meet. So I'd say kind of half and half.

GNDN18 said:
Apologies if I missed this upthread, but wouldn't The Incredible Hulk be the anthology series' last, best offering?

Possibly. Again, it depends on definitions. Shows like Friday the 13th might be considered semi-anthologies. Warehouse 13 started out that way, but became more serialized.

The Old Mixer said:
"The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas

Not bad. Kinda sweet.

"Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders

Not great. I hope they don't take it too hard.

"I'm a Midnight Mover," Wilson Pickett

Groovin.'

"Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys

Kinda mediocre, with some nostalgic value thrown in.

"Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan

Donovan. 'nuff said. :mallory:

"Classical Gas," Mason Williams

Yeah, I do like this. Part of it is the nostalgia factor.

There's a fuzzy line where true semi-anthology shows end and wandering hero shows begin.

True.

I just know it when I see it. In a show like Route 66, you're typically getting basically a self-contained story about the guest characters that would play out more or less the same if the regular characters weren't in it. They're just our window into the story.

It seems that our characters are the catalyst for change in either case. I'm not sure what the definitive difference would be. Intent? Todd and Buzz went out looking to engage, whereas with Caine and David it was a by product of their struggle.

Kung Fu and The Incredible Hulk would come close, because Fugitive-premise shows have strong semi-anthology characteristics. They're butting right up against that fuzzy border.

Maybe it's that the focus is more on the guest characters? But then, that's true of most episodic adventure shows. More fuzziness.

Adam-12 and Emergency!, OTOH, I'd argue are, in one sense, the opposite of a semi-anthology. A typical episode of those shows tends to present a series of vignettes that's only tied together into something resembling a cohesive story by our main characters' involvement. They don't tend to deliver meaty, dramatic full-episode stories focusing on a specific set of guest characters.

Does that make them less or more anthological? Less meaty, sure, more like portraits or snapshots. But having multiple stories is typical of anthologies, even if they are linked together by the common thread of our characters. Love, American Style had multiple stories per episode. Love Boat and Fantasy Island had multiple stories per episode with the common thread of the boat and the island (and the characters). Are they semi-anthologies where the story comes to us, rather than us going to the story? Interesting....

The Old Mixer · Jun 16, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Right. Even Route 66 had the continuing thread of Todd and Buzz "searching for America."

About the most vague quest motivation ever....

Not bad. Kinda sweet.

I'm stretching things getting B.J. Thomas at Top 30 level, because he has some earlier songs at that level that I'm not so hot about...but I like this one.

Not great. I hope they don't take it too hard.

Groovin.'

Both of these are kind of nondescript to me at the moment, but will have a chance to grow on me in the weekly playlist.

Kinda mediocre, with some nostalgic value thrown in.

Can't say it does anything for the original Hyland version. Apparently this was released while Gary Lewis was still in the Army...sources say that he was inducted in early '67 and served two years. And that Gary blames his being drafted for killing his hitmaking streak. That might be an unfair assertion, as there were lots of contemporary hitmaking acts that didn't survive into the post-psychedelic era. But yes, this particular song would prove to be his first Top 20 hit since 1966 (after a string of less successful releases in '67), and the last Top 40 hit of his career.

Donovan. 'nuff said.

No! Say more!

Yeah, I do like this. Part of it is the nostalgia factor.

This is a piece that was still out and about when I was a kid in the '70s. In fact, a news station in my home town area used it as their theme music. In a desperation Google to prove that I wasn't misremembering that, I actually found a blog post from a fellow Michianan talking about it.

Maybe it's that the focus is more on the guest characters?

That's exactly it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_(TV_series)#Format_and_characters

Route 66 was a hybrid between episodic television drama, which has continuing characters and situations, and the anthology format (e.g., The Twilight Zone), in which each week's show has a completely different cast and story. It was inspired by On the Road, written by Jack Kerouac. In this narrative format, dubbed "semi-anthology" by the trade paper Variety, the drama usually centers on the guest stars rather than the regular cast. Series creator Stirling Silliphant's concurrently running drama, Naked City (1958–1963), also followed this semianthology format. Both shows were recognized for their literate scripts and rich characterizations. The open-ended format, featuring two roaming observers/facilitators, gave Silliphant and the other writers an almost unlimited landscape for presenting a wide variety of story lines. Virtually any tale could be adapted to the series. The two regulars merely had to be worked in and the setting tailored to fit the location. Like Richard Kimble from The Fugitive, the wanderers moved from place to place and got caught up in the struggles of the people there. Unlike Kimble, nothing was forcing them to stay on the move except their own sense of adventure, thus making it thematically closer to Run for Your Life, Maverick, Movin' On, and Then Came Bronson.

I think that expanding the label to cover other types of shows is just diluting it. The label was coined to describe this type of show. Wandering Hero / Fugitive shows come close to being this, but I think they cross the fuzzy border with the amount of focus on the continuing adventures / ongoing struggles of their main characters.

Adam-12 and Love Boat just aren't the same type of show as Route 66 and Naked City, or each other. They need their own labels.

As for what got this topic started...having just watched the third episode of 12 O'Clock High's third season, I'd say that my early impression was right...it definitely feels like a different type of show at this point. On a scale where Route 66 is at the far left and The Rat Patrol is at the far right, it's made a substantial shift to the right.

TREK_GOD_1 · Jun 16, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
"The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas
(#28 US)

Not his best. "Hooked on a Feeling" shares the crown of B.J. Thomas' career, along with the expected "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head".

"Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders
(#27 US)

Released during a significant transition period in the group. Their glory days were already behind them.

"Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
(#5 US; #4 UK)

Never a favorite.

"Classical Gas," Mason Williams
(#2 US; #1 AC; #9 UK)

Hands down, one of the best tracks of the 1960s. Brilliant.

Adam-12 and Emergency!, OTOH, I'd argue are, in one sense, the opposite of a semi-anthology. A typical episode of those shows tends to present a series of vignettes that's only tied together into something resembling a cohesive story by our main characters' involvement. They don't tend to deliver meaty, dramatic full-episode stories focusing on a specific set of guest characters.

The two series would beak that format with multi-parters (Adam-12 in particular) or episodes where guest actors would have some bearing on the main characters going forward.

RJDiogenes said:
Right. Even Route 66 had the continuing thread of Todd and Buzz "searching for America."

...and that was enough to set the idea that there was a recurring theme, or the kind of adventures they would have which exposed the real America--as real as TV would allow at that time.

Possibly. Again, it depends on definitions. Shows like Friday the 13th might be considered semi-anthologies. Warehouse 13 started out that way, but became more serialized.

Good reference to Friday the 13th: The Series, but for some who might see it as a semi-anthology, the entire series was built on/around the recovery of that endless number of cursed objects sold by Uncle Lewis, and it effect on both the Curious Goods team, and others. In fact, there were several episodes with plots linked to other episodes or cursed objects, arguably making this a standard serialized series.

Nerys Myk · Jun 16, 2018

I remember having to learn "Classical Gas" in guitar class. My attempt slowed it down to a dirge. :lol:

The Old Mixer · Jun 16, 2018

TREK_GOD_1 said:
"Hooked on a Feeling" shares the crown of B.J. Thomas' career

I prefer that version to the '70s cover with the chanting.

Their glory days were already behind them.

Can't argue with that.

Never a favorite.

Everyone's entitled to their taste. I don't think Donovan put out a major single that I don't enjoy to some extent.

Hands down, one of the best tracks of the 1960s. Brilliant.

Nerys Myk said:
I remember having to learned "Classical Gas" in guitar class. My attempt slowed it down to a dirge.

I should plug that this ought to be coming up again when Williams does an appearance on Sullivan in '69...YouTube availability provided.

RJDiogenes · Jun 17, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
About the most vague quest motivation ever....

But thankfully lacking in angst.

I'm stretching things getting B.J. Thomas at Top 30 level, because he has some earlier songs at that level that I'm not so hot about...but I like this one.

It proved to be surprisingly catchy. I was humming it all day and then looked it up on YouTube again when I got home.

This is a piece that was still out and about when I was a kid in the '70s. In fact, a news station in my home town area used it as their theme music. In a desperation Google to prove that I wasn't misremembering that, I actually found a blog post from a fellow Michianan talking about it.

Nice. Channel 56 used to use "Popcorn." :rommie:

That's exactly it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_(TV_series)#Format_and_characters

Son of a gun....

I think that expanding the label to cover other types of shows is just diluting it. The label was coined to describe this type of show. Wandering Hero / Fugitive shows come close to being this, but I think they cross the fuzzy border with the amount of focus on the continuing adventures / ongoing struggles of their main characters.

It does seem to be a hard standard to meet.

Adam-12 and Love Boat just aren't the same type of show as Route 66 and Naked City, or each other. They need their own labels.

So you think that Naked City does fall in that category.

TREK_GOD_1 said:
Not his best. "Hooked on a Feeling" shares the crown of B.J. Thomas' career, along with the expected "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head".

I loved "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" when I was a kid-- I first heard Andy Williams do it on The Andy Williams Show. :rommie:

The two series would beak that format with multi-parters (Adam-12 in particular) or episodes where guest actors would have some bearing on the main characters going forward.

I haven't seen all episodes of Route 66. I wonder if they ever did anything like that.

Good reference to Friday the 13th: The Series, but for some who might see it as a semi-anthology, the entire series was built on/around the recovery of that endless number of cursed objects sold by Uncle Lewis, and it effect on both the Curious Goods team, and others. In fact, there were several episodes with plots linked to other episodes or cursed objects, arguably making this a standard serialized series.

True. It wasn't about soul searching, it was about a sense of responsibility-- which is a great motivation, but still implies that there's things they'd rather be doing.

Nerys Myk said:
I remember having to learn "Classical Gas" in guitar class. My attempt slowed it down to a dirge.

Classical gastric distress? :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Jun 17, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
Nice. Channel 56 used to use "Popcorn."

Had to look that one up. It seems vaguely familiar, but I'm not sure if it was from having been exposed to it when I was very young, popping past it when I was working on my '70s playlists, or both.

So you think that Naked City does fall in that category.

I do, Wiki does, and the connection between the shows goes deeper than format.

Wiki said:
Naked City is a police drama series from Screen Gems which was broadcast from 1958 to 1959 and from 1960 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture The Naked City and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format. As in the film, each episode concluded with a narrator intoning the iconic line: "There are eight million stories in the naked city. This has been one of them."

The Naked City episode "Four Sweet Corners" (1959) inspired the series Route 66, created by Stirling Silliphant. Route 66 was broadcast by CBS from 1960 to 1964, and, like Naked City, followed the "semi-anthology" format of building the stories around the guest actors, rather than the regular cast.

Route 66 was following Naked City's example.

RJDiogenes · Jun 18, 2018

I'm not familiar enough with Naked City to figure how they mean that-- it was a cop show, as far as I know, and most cop shows (and episodic television in general) builds the story around the guest characters of the week. Is it because the regular cast were depicted as outsiders in the story, and we never saw their personal lives? So would that definition apply to, say, Columbo?

The Old Mixer · Jun 18, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
I'm not familiar enough with Naked City to figure how they mean that-- it was a cop show, as far as I know, and most cop shows (and episodic television in general) builds the story around the guest characters of the week. Is it because the regular cast were depicted as outsiders in the story, and we never saw their personal lives? So would that definition apply to, say, Columbo?

Not all cop shows have the same format, Columbo being a perfect example of something that definitely wouldn't qualify as semi-anthology. The entire point of Columbo was the contest of wits between the main character and the suspect of the week. It wasn't the suspect of the week's story with Columbo passing through as an observer and commentator. The whole show centered around his unique sleuthing style.

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Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 55 years ago this week:

1. "Sukiyaki," Kyu Sakamoto
2. "It's My Party," Lesley Gore
3. "Hello Stranger," Barbara Lewis
4. "You Can't Sit Down," The Dovells

6. "Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)," The Crystals
7. "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer," Nat King Cole

10. "One Fine Day," The Chiffons
11. "18 Yellow Roses," Bobby Darin
12. "Birdland," Chubby Checker
13. "If You Wanna Be Happy," Jimmy Soul
14. "Two Faces Have I," Lou Christie
15. "Easier Said Than Done," The Essex
16. "Surfin' U.S.A.," The Beach Boys

18. "The Good Life," Tony Bennett
19. "Prisoner of Love," James Brown & The Famous Flames
20. "Surf City," Jan & Dean
21. "Another Saturday Night," Sam Cooke
22. "My Summer Love," Ruby & The Romantics
23. "Shut Down," The Beach Boys

25. "Memphis," Lonnie Mack
26. "String Along," Rick Nelson

28. "The Love of My Man," Theola Kilgore

33. "So Much in Love," The Tymes
34. "Come and Get These Memories," Martha & The Vandellas
35. "Pride and Joy," Marvin Gaye
36. "Losing You," Brenda Lee
37. "Ring of Fire," Johnny Cash

39. "Hot Pastrami," The Dartells
40. "Falling," Roy Orbison
41. "Pushover," Etta James

44. "Foolish Little Girl," The Shirelles

50. "Take These Chains from My Heart," Ray Charles

53. "Let's Go Steady Again," Neil Sedaka

58. "I Will Follow Him," Little Peggy March

62. "Without Love (There Is Nothing)," Ray Charles

66. "Just One Look," Doris Troy

69. "Not Me," The Orlons
70. "My True Confession," Brook Benton

74. "Don't Say Goodnight and Mean Goodbye," The Shirelles

78. "Till Then," The Classics
79. "Denise," Randy & The Rainbows

85. "Fingertips, Pt. 2," Little Stevie Wonder
86. "Wipe Out," The Surfaris

90. "Mockingbird," Inez & Charlie Foxx

Leaving the chart:

"Ain't That a Shame!," The Four Seasons

"Killer Joe," The Rocky Fellers

"Pipeline," The Chantays

"Puff (The Magic Dragon)," Peter, Paul & Mary

"Reverend Mr. Black," The Kingston Trio

55 Years Ago Spotlight

A new entry continuing last week's theme:

"Wipe Out," The Surfaris
(#2 US; #10 R&B; #5 UK; Recharted in July 1966, reaching #16 US...and Aug. 1970, reaching #110 US)

Also new this week: Say, I think this youngster just might have a future in the business...!

"Fingertips, Pt. 2," Little Stevie Wonder
(#1 US the weeks of Aug. 10 through 24, 1963; #1 R&B)

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Catch-Up Viewing

_______

12 O'Clock High
"Face of a Shadow"
Originally aired September 23, 1966

IMDb said:
Gallagher's men take charge of a newly liberated Italian airfield, but the colonel there is so lax, that loyalists could help the Germans retake the base.

He's back...

...yet Gallagher says nothing about the striking resemblance to his brother.

Also featuring TOS guests Phillip Pine and Alan Bergmann, plus...Bond Girl Alert!

Yep, Stovall seems to be Gallagher's regular co-pilot now. The show's gone "Big Three on every mission". I was going to make a crack about how General Britt will start going on missions next, but they actually brought that up as a possibility in the very next episode! He didn't go through with it, but I won't be surprised now if he goes along on one in the near future. He's a major general (two stars) who's clearly past his prime and with a bad leg that makes him use a cane. When he was introduced in the Season 2 premiere, he made a point of expositing that he was behind a desk because he didn't qualify for flight status anymore. The show has dropped any claim to authenticity it may have once had out the bomb bay doors.

Suddenly Gallagher's all about on-the-ground security and they're in a setting of the week that's swarming with spies. Jack's the drunk commanding officer of the airbase who has an Italian mistress. She's an inside person for the loyalists who seemingly gets killed but we're told she'll live in the Epilog. In the episode's climax, our heroes have to fight off a nighttime attack on the airfield. To expound upon my observation that the show doesn't feel like it's trying to be semi-anthology-ish anymore...instead of the bombing missions being the source of drama on the ground back at the base, the show's starting to fall into the formula of the bombing missions taking the regulars to strange, new locations, whether they land there or bail out.

Most of the 12 O'Clock High videos on YouTube seem to be from a common source...a Canadian channel called History Television, going by the logo. This one was from a different source...a VHS recording from somebody's local station with the commercials edited out poorly. Thought somebody here might be familiar with the local station in question:

_______

12 O'Clock High
"Fortress Wiesbaden"
Originally aired September 30, 1966

IMDb said:
Col. Gallagher agrees to take orders from a brutal British Major leading his commandos to destroy an advanced radar facility, after his B-17 is shot down.

This one briefly leans on some false drama of Gallagher threatening to resign over a series of failed missions (following Britt threatening to come along to see what Gallagher's doing wrong), but by the time Joe submits his letter, the higher-ups have figured out that the problem is a new German radar. Gallagher's next mission is to drop some British commandos, and it's during that mission that he's shot down, so he and Sandy find themselves on the ground with the commando unit in an unconvincing outdoor set.

The commandos are portrayed as cold and ruthless at what they do, but I wouldn't say "brutal". Gallagher and Komansky are just out of their element here. Alright, I can see where they're coming from when Sgt. Major Higgins (Bernard Fox in his third role on the show) walks offscreen with a garrote to deal with a barking dog. Following that bit of business, they find another survivor at the farmhouse...Christiane Schmidtmer, playing the daughter of their contact, who's been arrested by the Gestapo. Gallagher gets ruthless with her after she leads the commandos into a trap. These commandos might want to reconsider working in broad daylight...in a German countryside that looks absolutely nothing like Southern California, of course.

Gallagher and Komansky have the good sense to take their rescue operation to the outdoor set, which can be lit for night. The commando leader, Major Mallory (Lloyd Bochner) buys the fake farm and suddenly it's up to Gallagher to not just lead the commandos, but to snap Higgins out of his remorse and get him to do his job. Our regulars seem to have caught on a little too quickly by the time they participate in the raid on the Germans' darkened backlot. But at the end, it's back to the traditional role differences as Higgins disapproves of Gallagher not leaving a mildly wounded Komansky behind.

Also featuring a brief speaking appearance by Mr. Kyle himself, John Winston.

_______

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for 51 years ago this week:

1. "Groovin'," The Young Rascals
2. "Respect," Aretha Franklin
3. "She'd Rather Be with Me," The Turtles
4. "Windy," The Association
5. "Little Bit o' Soul," The Music Explosion
6. "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)," Scott McKenzie
7. "Somebody to Love," Jefferson Airplane
8. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Frankie Valli
9. "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," Spanky & Our Gang
10. "Let's Live for Today," The Grass Roots
11. "Come on Down to My Boat," Every Mother's Son
12. "Release Me (and Let Me Love Again)," Engelbert Humperdinck
13. "The Tracks of My Tears," Johnny Rivers
14. "7-Rooms of Gloom," Four Tops
15. "Ding, Dong! The Witch Is Dead," The Fifth Estate
16. "New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)," Bee Gees
17. "Alfie," Dionne Warwick
18. "Do It Again a Little Bit Slower," Jon & Robin & The In Crowd
19. "All I Need," The Temptations
20. "Don't Sleep in the Subway," Petula Clark
21. "Up, Up and Away," The 5th Dimension
22. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
23. "Here We Go Again," Ray Charles
24. "Light My Fire," The Doors
25. "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," Janis Ian
26. "Tramp," Otis & Carla
27. "Mirage," Tommy James & The Shondells
28. "C'mon Marianne," The Four Seasons
29. "I Got Rhythm," The Happenings

31. "For Your Precious Love," Oscar Toney, Jr.
32. "Him or Me, What's It Gonna Be?," Paul Revere & The Raiders
33. "I Was Made to Love Her," Stevie Wonder
34. "The Oogum Boogum Song," Brenton Wood
35. "Pay You Back with Interest," The Hollies

39. "Here Comes My Baby," The Tremeloes
40. "Creeque Alley," The Mamas & The Papas
41. "Soul Finger," The Bar-Kays
42. "When You're Young and in Love," The Marvelettes

46. "Make Me Yours," Bettye Swann
47. "Shake," Otis Redding

49. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," The Buckinghams
50. "White Rabbit," Jefferson Airplane
51. "I Take It Back," Sandy Posey
52. "More Love," Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
53. "Step Out of Your Mind," The American Breed

55. "Carrie-Anne," The Hollies
56. "For Your Love," Peaches & Herb

76. "Silence Is Golden," The Tremeloes

80. "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Procol Harum
81. "Don't Go Out into the Rain (You're Going to Melt)," Herman's Hermits
82. "You Only Live Twice," Nancy Sinatra
83. "Have You Seen Her Face," The Byrds

94. "My World Fell Down," Sagittarius

96. "Hypnotized," Linda Jones

99. "Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good," Bunny Sigler

Leaving the chart:

"Friday on My Mind," The Easybeats

"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Neil Diamond

"The Happening," The Supremes

"On a Carousel," The Hollies

"Six O'Clock," The Lovin' Spoonful

"Sweet Soul Music," Arthur Conley

To dig up a memorable line from this time last year...

Nerys Myk said:
Cool a Whiter Shade of Rabbit. We're cooking with Acid now.

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RJDiogenes · Jun 19, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Not all cop shows have the same format, Columbo being a perfect example of something that definitely wouldn't qualify as semi-anthology. The entire point of Columbo was the contest of wits between the main character and the suspect of the week. It wasn't the suspect of the week's story with Columbo passing through as an observer and commentator. The whole show centered around his unique sleuthing style.

True enough. And the definition can't really include not seeing the main characters' personal lives, because in Route 66 we only see their personal lives.

"Wipe Out," The Surfaris

This is one of those things that has a real 50s vibe for me. For some reason, it makes me think of Drive-Ins.

"Fingertips, Pt. 2," Little Stevie Wonder

Uh... well... he'll get better.

...yet Gallagher says nothing about the striking resemblance to his brother.

He's just got one of those faces.

Jack's the drunk commanding officer of the airbase who has an Italian mistress.

How did Jack play drunk? Was his hair mussed? :eek:

Thought somebody here might be familiar with the local station in question:

Yes and no. I remember that it existed, but I don't remember ever watching it. It may be because it came on the air at a time when I was watching less television or that they didn't have anything that interested me, but I have a vague recollection of bad reception.

Alright, I can see where they're coming from when Sgt. Major Higgins (Bernard Fox in his third role on the show) walks offscreen with a garrote to deal with a barking dog.

Brutal indeed for 60s TV. :eek:

The Old Mixer · Jun 19, 2018

RJDiogenes said:
This is one of those things that has a real 50s vibe for me. For some reason, it makes me think of Drive-Ins.

Really? Surf rock is pure '60s to me...early '60s, but '60s.

Uh... well... he'll get better.

So...a disappointing double-chart-topper by a blind 12-to-13-year-old?

How did Jack play drunk? Was his hair mussed?

He was slurring and stumbling, and in character was putting on a "too cool for the room" facade, which lowered when he got sobered up.

RJDiogenes · Jun 20, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Really? Surf rock is pure '60s to me...early '60s, but '60s.

Perhaps because I first heard it as an "oldie" in the 60s, and oldie meant 50s.

So...a disappointing double-chart-topper by a blind 12-to-13-year-old?

Uh... yeah.... pretty much. :rommie:

He was slurring and stumbling, and in character was putting on a "too cool for the room" facade, which lowered when he got sobered up.

Lowered to a "too cool for each of you on an individual basis" facade? :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Jun 21, 2018

_______

50th Anniversary Cinematic Special

_______

The Thomas Crown Affair
Starring Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, and Jack Weston
Directed by Norman Jewison
Premiered June 19, 1968
Winner of 1969 Academy Award for Best Original Song ("The Windmills of Your Mind"); Nominee for Best Original Music Score (Michel Legrand)

Xfinity said:
The mastermind (Steve McQueen) of a Boston bank caper falls in love with the insurance sleuth (Faye Dunaway) on his trail.

Well, this wasn't a bad period film, though I can see why Roger Ebert reportedly called it "possibly the most under-plotted, underwritten, over-photographed film of the year." It seems a bit overly simple how quickly Vicki Anderson (Dunaway) suspects Crown (McQueen):
(She jumps right on Crown as her chief suspect right after that clip cuts off. Also, an insurance investigator has to be told what arbitrage is?)

Also overly simple is how quickly and directly she tells Crown that he's the target of her investigation:

The seduction during the chess game started sexy but became comically obvious:

This simplicity made it hard to buy into the whole premise of the film, right down to the ending.

It had pretty interesting cinematography, though, with the use of split-screen effects to present multiple "panels" showing different things simultaneously:
This was reportedly inspired by the technique's use in a couple of films at Expo 67. (That's future Bond villain Yaphet Kotto as one of the men who pulls the heist.) Sometimes it felt like they were trying too hard though, like the spinning camera effect used when Crown and Anderson were kissing at the end of the chess scene (right after the video of the scene above cuts off). We also got the Batmanesque touch of brightly colored "Army surplus" smoke bombs being used during the heists. And an arguably fourth wall-breaking moment when McQueen's picking up the loot from the first heist, in which he seems to smile directly at the camera.

While there was probably some overlap between the release/reception of one film and the making of the other, Paul Burke's prominent role here calls into question the IMDb assertion that Valley of the Dolls was single-handedly responsible for ruining his career. Here he makes for a serviceable straight man as Boston police lieutenant Eddy Malone...basically somebody for Dunaway to trade investigation exposition with. Malone questions the ethics of Anderson's methods, and well he should. While I can see Anderson and her fellow investigators stealing the car used in the heist from Weston's character, I think that kidnapping his son and holding him for ransom would still be a felony, regardless of whether or not it's part of an insurance investigation.

"The Windmills of Your Mind," written by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman, and performed by Noel Harrison, is an interesting sign o' the times-sounding tune:
What's more, "Strawberry Fields Forever" is said to have been used in its place as a temp track! The rest of Legrand's jazzy score was also enjoyable.

Anderson drives a sweet-ass crimson sports car that I've read is one of only ten Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyders ever built.

Sean Connery was the original choice for playing the title character, and turned it down on the heels of having made You Only Live Twice.

Wikipedia gives a detailed list of locations where scenes of the film were shot, many of them in Boston. The film also premiered in Boston.

The version that I recorded from This had a disclaimer at the beginning saying that it was cut to run in the allotted time. (The film was originally 102 minutes, and was being aired in a two-hour slot.) This makes me wonder what was missing.

_______

RJDiogenes said:
Perhaps because I first heard it as an "oldie" in the 60s, and oldie meant 50s.

That would also seem to explain similar assertions in the past.

Lowered to a "too cool for each of you on an individual basis" facade?

Nah, he was all regretful for being so weak-willed and doing such an ineffective job.

RJDiogenes · Jun 21, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
Well, this wasn't a bad period film, though I can see why Roger Ebert reportedly called it "possibly the most under-plotted, underwritten, over-photographed film of the year."

It was totally off my radar, so I didn't know a thing about it, including that it was filmed in Boston, until reading all this. My interest is mildly piqued.

(She jumps right on Crown as her chief suspect right after that clip cuts off. Also, an insurance investigator has to be told what arbitrage is?)

This scene makes me wonder if my Mother ever saw it. She really has the hots for Steve McQueen.

The seduction during the chess game started sexy but became comically obvious:

The lip-touching made me think "monkey see, monkey do." I can't help think of Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, who was not one of the brightest bulbs of the Old West. I always wished there had been a crossover where Josh met Paladin. :rommie:

It had pretty interesting cinematography, though, with the use of split-screen effects to present multiple "panels" showing different things simultaneously:

I seem to remember that being used quite a bit in those days (one example, coincidentally, being The Boston Strangler). It would be a nice approach for superhero movies, but these days anything arty is considered gimmicky.

While I can see Anderson and her fellow investigators stealing the car used in the heist from Weston's character, I think that kidnapping his son and holding him for ransom would still be a felony, regardless of whether or not it's part of an insurance investigation.

Hey, if you fill out the proper forms, get the proper signatures....

"The Windmills of Your Mind," written by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman, and performed by Noel Harrison, is an interesting sign o' the times-sounding tune:

Not bad. I kind of remember it.

Sean Connery was the original choice for playing the title character, and turned it down on the heels of having made You Only Live Twice.

Of course, Sean Connery would have gotten away with it.

That would also seem to explain similar assertions in the past.

Yeah, very likely.

Nah, he was all regretful for being so weak-willed and doing such an ineffective job.

I'm probably being a little too hard on Jack. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Jun 21, 2018

_______

Catch-Up Cinematic Special

_______

Casino Royale
Starring Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Daliah Lavi, and Woody Allen.
Directed by Val Guest, Kenneth Hughes, John Huston, Joseph McGrath, and Robert Parrish
Premiered April 13, 1967 (UK); April 19, 1967 (US)
Academy Award nominee for Best Music, Original Song ("The Look of Love")

Xfinity said:
Sir James Bond (David Niven) confuses SMERSH with multiple Bonds.

As a Bond fan, this is one that I generally avoided over the years for not being part of the official series and not being a particularly well-informed Bond spoof. I'm pretty sure I had given it at least one full watch-through years back. Revisiting with an open mind, I have to agree with the general critical consensus that it's a chaotic mess.

Niven's older, retired Bond makes snide remarks directed toward Connery's version of the character, but doesn't lay claim to any authenticity himself. The ages of his daughter by Mata Hari (Mata Bond, played by Pettet) and his Moneypenny's daughter would seem to indicate he was last active in a World War II timeframe...but Mata Hari was a World War I spy who died in 1917.

This also edited this film for time. In this case, I noticed that the sequence that had always stuck out the most in my memory--Evelyn Tremble (Sellers)'s hallucinogenic torture--was missing:
The This edit skips straight from Vesper (Andress) being kidnapped to Le Chiffre (Welles) being killed by SMERSH. As a result, Tremble just sort of disappears from the film, his unseen death implied by his appearance in heaven at the end; and a Scottish marching band bit in the closing credits recalls the unshown torture scene. This dropped one of the few parts of the film that was loosely based on the actual book.

Also, if the actual Dusty Springfield performance of "The Look of Love" was played in the original film, it was cut here. All This gave us were instrumental versions in the score. We did, of course, hear the title theme by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass:

(Charted Apr. 8, 1967; #27 US; #1 AC; #27 UK)

From what I read, the soundtrack album seems to be the most highly regarded thing to come out of the film.

I'm unsure if Pettet's hair continuity is a casualty of the This edit or the original production...she's suddenly sporting a very short pixie 'do in later scenes.

With its cast and production values, I can't help thinking that this film was a wasted opportunity to be the more on-the-mark spoof of the '60s spy film craze that the Austin Powers films would be in the '90s. It gets some brownie points from me for having a Beatles shout-out as literally the first thing we see in the film (in the form of French graffiti in the foreground of the teaser, seen in the trailer posted above).

_______

RJDiogenes said:
My interest is mildly piqued.

It was pretty watchable despite its flaws, so I wouldn't discourage checking it out. You should be able to rent it for $3.99 via Xfinity.

It would be a nice approach for superhero movies

It was used in Ang Lee's Hulk (2003), which was perhaps trying too hard to be an arty superhero film. The technique likely hasn't been used in a superhero film again specifically because it was used in Ang Lee's Hulk.

Of course, Sean Connery would have gotten away with it.

As did McQueen.

ETA: Looks like Decades will be doing a Tarzan Weekend Binge on 06/30-07/01, if anyone wants to catch episodes that were of interest. Of particular note, "The Convert" (guesting Diana Ross & the Supremes) is scheduled to air Sun., 07/01, at 8 p.m.

RJDiogenes · Jun 22, 2018

The Old Mixer said:
As a Bond fan, this is one that I generally avoided over the years for not being part of the official series and not being a particularly well-informed Bond spoof.

I thought I had seen it a long time ago, but now I'm not so sure. I know I've seen parts of it, but probably not the whole thing. Or maybe a heavily edited version. I remember being mildly amusing, and enjoying some sexy parts.

Niven's older, retired Bond makes snide remarks directed toward Connery's version of the character, but doesn't lay claim to any authenticity himself. The ages of his daughter by Mata Hari (Mata Bond, played by Pettet) and his Moneypenny's daughter would seem to indicate he was last active in a World War II timeframe...but Mata Hari was a World War I spy who died in 1917.

More evidence of Bond's true identity.

Also, if the actual Dusty Springfield performance of "The Look of Love" was played in the original film, it was cut here.

Good song, though.

It was pretty watchable despite its flaws, so I wouldn't discourage checking it out. You should be able to rent it for $3.99 via Xfinity.

Yeah, I'm inclined to track it down or maybe just send for the DVD.

It was used in Ang Lee's Hulk (2003), which was perhaps trying too hard to be an arty superhero film. The technique likely hasn't been used in a superhero film again specifically because it was used in Ang Lee's Hulk.

Interesting. I didn't see that one. Of course, I haven't seen most of them.

As did McQueen.

He did? Good for him. :rommie:

ETA: Looks like Decades will be doing a Tarzan Weekend Binge on 06/30-07/01, if anyone wants to catch episodes that were of interest. Of particular note, "The Convert" (guesting Diana Ross & the Supremes) is scheduled to air Sun., 07/01, at 8 p.m.

Ah, excellent. I'll have to remember to put that on. There's definitely a couple I'd like to see.

The Old Mixer · Jun 22, 2018

_______

50 Years Ago This Week

June 23 – A football stampede in Buenos Aires leaves 74 dead and 150 injured.
June 24 – Giorgio Rosa declares the independence of his Republic of Rose Island, an artificial island off Rimini, Italy. Italian troops demolish it not long after.
June 26 – The Bonin Islands are returned to Japan after 23 years of occupation by the United States Navy.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "This Guy's in Love with You," Herb Alpert
2. "The Horse," Cliff Nobles & Co.
3. "MacArthur Park," Richard Harris
4. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy," Ohio Express
5. "The Look of Love," Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66
6. "Mony Mony," Tommy James & The Shondells
7. "Angel of the Morning," Merrilee Rush & The Turnabouts
8. "Think," Aretha Franklin
9. "Here Comes the Judge," Shorty Long
10. "Reach Out of the Darkness," Friend & Lover
11. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," The Rolling Stones
12. "Mrs. Robinson," Simon & Garfunkel
13. "Grazing in the Grass," Hugh Masekela
14. "Licking Stick (Part 1)," James Brown & The Famous Flames
15. "Lady Willpower," Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
16. "I Love You," People
17. "Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips with Me," Tiny Tim
18. "Indian Lake," The Cowsills
19. "Stoned Soul Picnic," The 5th Dimension
20. "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)," The Temptations

22. "She's a Heartbreaker," Gene Pitney
23. "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
24. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," Hugo Montenegro, His Orchestra & Chorus
25. "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On," Joe Simon
26. "Choo Choo Train," The Box Tops
27. "A Beautiful Morning," The Rascals
28. "Tighten Up," Archie Bell & The Drells
29. "D. W. Washburn," The Monkees
30. "Never Give You Up," Jerry Butler
31. "A Man without Love (Quando M'innamoro)," Engelbert Humperdinck

33. "Folsom Prison Blues," Johnny Cash
34. "Sky Pilot," Eric Burdon & The Animals
35. "Like to Get to Know You," Spanky & Our Gang
36. "Pictures of Matchstick Men," The Status Quo
37. "Hurdy Gurdy Man," Donovan
38. "Master Jack," Four Jacks and a Jill

40. "Face It Girl, It's Over," Nancy Wilson
41. "Honey," Bobby Goldsboro
42. "Some Things You Never Get Used To," Diana Ross & The Supremes
43. "Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day," Stevie Wonder
44. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose," Dionne Warwick
45. "Turn Around, Look at Me," The Vogues
46. "I'm a Midnight Mover," Wilson Pickett

49. "If I Were a Carpenter," Four Tops

59. "Here Comes the Judge," Pigmeat Markham
60. "Don't Take It So Hard," Paul Revere & The Raiders

70. "Classical Gas," Mason Williams

86. "The Eyes of a New York Woman," B.J. Thomas

89. "Stay in My Corner," The Dells
90. "Autumn of My Life," Bobby Goldsboro
91. "Sealed with a Kiss," Gary Lewis & The Playboys

98. "Journey to the Center of the Mind," The Amboy Dukes

Leaving the chart:

"Cowboys to Girls," The Intruders
"Delilah," Tom Jones
"Does Your Mama Know About Me," Bobby Taylor & The Vancouvers

New on the chart:

"Autumn of My Life," Bobby Goldsboro
(#19 US; #2 AC; #15 Country; #58 UK)

"Journey to the Center of the Mind," The Amboy Dukes
(#16 US)

"Stay in My Corner," The Dells
(#10 US; #1 R&B)

_______

This Week's Scheduled Catch-Up Viewing:

12 O'Clock High, "A Distant Cry" (Oct. 7, 1966)
12 O'Clock High, "Practice to Deceive" (Oct. 14, 1966)

_______

RJDiogenes said:
More evidence of Bond's true identity.

Nah, he just exists in comic book time.

Saw the oddest thing on Antenna today...in a Hawaii episode of I Dream of Jeannie, Mrs. Bellows had her shirt tied up above her midriff, her belly button plainly visible. So Barbara Eden wasn't allowed to show her belly button, but Emmaline Henry was...?

The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

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