The Classic/Retro Pop Culture Thread

The Old Mixer · Dec 13, 2019

50 Years Ago This Week

Wiki said:
December 14 – The murder of Diane Maxwell takes place. The 25-year-old phone operator is found sexually assaulted and killed (the case remains unsolved until 2003).

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
December 15 – John assembles The Plastic Ono Supergroup for a Peace for Christmas concert at the Lyceum Ballroom, London. George Harrison is among the large number of musicians in the makeshift group, the first time that two Beatles have appeared in concert together since 29 August 1966. A recording of the stage appearance is released on record by John and Yoko as part of their 1972 double album Sometime in New York City.

December 16 – Huge posters and billboards are erected in eleven cities worldwide proclaiming 'War Is Over! If You Want It. Happy Christmas from John and Yoko.' In some countries the message is translated into the native language. John and Yoko fly to Toronto, Canada.

December 19 – First UK release of The Beatles' Seventh Christmas Record, recorded especially for members of the group's official fan club. This is the last time the Beatles do this.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Leaving on a Jet Plane," Peter, Paul & Mary
2. "Someday We'll Be Together," Diana Ross & The Supremes
3. "Down on the Corner" / "Fortunate Son", Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," Steam
5. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," B.J. Thomas
6. "Come Together" / "Something", The Beatles
7. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday," Stevie Wonder
8. "Take a Letter Maria," R.B. Greaves
9. "Holly Holy," Neil Diamond
10. "And When I Die," Blood, Sweat & Tears
11. "Eli's Coming," Three Dog Night
12. "Whole Lotta Love," Led Zeppelin
13. "Backfield in Motion," Mel & Tim
14. "La La La (If I Had You)," Bobby Sherman
15. "Midnight Cowboy," Ferrante & Teicher
16. "Cherry Hill Park," Billy Joe Royal
17. "I Want You Back," The Jackson 5
18. "Friendship Train," Gladys Knight & The Pips
19. "Wedding Bell Blues," The 5th Dimension
20. "These Eyes," Jr. Walker & The All Stars
21. "Smile a Little Smile for Me," The Flying Machine
22. "Baby, I'm for Real," The Originals
23. "Jam Up and Jelly Tight," Tommy Roe
24. "A Brand New Me," Dusty Springfield
25. "Don't Cry Daddy" / "Rubberneckin'", Elvis Presley
26. "Up on Cripple Creek," The Band
27. "Heaven Knows," The Grass Roots
28. "Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me," Crow
29. "Eleanor Rigby," Aretha Franklin
30. "Going in Circles," The Friends of Distinction
31. "Venus," Shocking Blue
32. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," Crosby, Stills & Nash
33. "Groovy Grubworm," Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies
34. "Jingle Jangle," The Archies
35. "Cold Turkey," Plastic Ono Band
36. "Ain't It Funky Now (Part 1)," James Brown
37. "Early in the Morning," Vanity Fare

39. "Mind, Body and Soul," The Flaming Ember
40. "She," Tommy James & the Shondells
41. "Kozmic Blues," Janis Joplin

47. "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," Jimmy Cliff
48. "Winter World of Love," Engelbert Humperdinck

53. "Sugar, Sugar," The Archies

57. "Suspicious Minds," Elvis Presley

59. "Try a Little Kindness," Glen Campbell
60. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," Joe Cocker
61. "Undun," The Guess Who

63. "One Tin Soldier," The Original Caste

65. "Volunteers," Jefferson Airplane
66. "Arizona," Mark Lindsay

69. "Walkin' in the Rain," Jay & The Americans

73. "Baby Take Me in Your Arms," Jefferson

81. "No Time," The Guess Who
82. "Look-Ka Py Py," The Meters

84. "Come Saturday Morning," The Sandpipers

100. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Hollies

Leaving the chart:

"Baby It's You," Smith (15 weeks)
"Jingo," Santana (8 weeks)
"Reuben James," Kenny Rogers & The First Edition (12 weeks)
"Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You," Bob Dylan (7 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Baby Take Me in Your Arms," Jefferson
(#23 US; #19 AC)

"Come Saturday Morning," The Sandpipers
(#17 US; #8 AC)

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Hollies
(#7 US; #3 UK)

"No Time," The Guess Who
(#5 US)

New on the boob tube:

The Ed Sullivan Show, Season 22, episode 12, featuring the Jackson 5, John Davidson, Lainie Kazan, Topo Gigio, and Guy Marks
Mission: Impossible, "The Brothers"
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, Season 3, episode 14
The Mod Squad, "In This Corner – Sol Albert"
That Girl, "She Never Had the Vegas Notion" (Part 2)
Get Smart, "Ice Station Siegfried"
The Brady Bunch, "The Voice of Christmas"
Hogan's Heroes, "Is There a Traitor in the House?"
Adam-12, "Log 142: As High as You Are"

And new on the silver screen:

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RJDiogenes said:
Not exactly a classic, but it sounds like Chuck Berry.

I was familiar with the song primarily from Elvis's cover, which will be a Top 20 single about five years from now in 50th Anniversaryland.

This is pleasant enough.

Yeah, it's alright, but doesn't really grab me.

I don't think I've heard this one before. Not bad.

This one I was originally familiar with from a cover that Carly Simon did in the '80s.

Definitely a classic.

On the recent running subject of Mixer Genesis, this was the #1 song the week that the folks got hitched.

Also, it always makes me think of this.

Sorry, Strange New Worlds was a series of Trek anthologies open to amateur writers back in the 90s and early 2000s (later than I remembered, and with a revival I wasn't aware of until just now). To avoid creator's rights issues, they had a bunch of rules, including no new characters-- a rule which I flagrantly flaunted, to my detriment. Twice.

I mean, how does that specific rule work? Any episodic fiction is going to have some new characters. Any typical Trek episode has regulars and guests, even bottle shows.

RJDiogenes · Dec 14, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
"Baby Take Me in Your Arms," Jefferson

I forgot about this one. Cheerful.

"Come Saturday Morning," The Sandpipers

I like this. I didn't realize it was The Sandpipers.

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Hollies

A classic of classics. This really embodies the era.

"No Time," The Guess Who

This is a good one. I like The Guess Who.

And new on the silver screen:

If I watched On Her Majesty's Secret Service now, it would be like seeing it for the first time. I'm sure I've only watched it once, when it was on TV in the early 70s. And, given the presence of Diana Rigg, I really should watch it again.

This one I was originally familiar with from a cover that Carly Simon did in the '80s.

Wow, I have no recollection of that at all.

On the recent running subject of Mixer Genesis, this was the #1 song the week that the folks got hitched.

Aww, sweet. I don't even know my parents' anniversary date off the top of my head. Dad and I did not exactly have a warm and fuzzy relationship. :rommie:

Also, it always makes me think of this.

I hated that show. :rommie:

I mean, how does that specific rule work? Any episodic fiction is going to have some new characters. Any typical Trek episode has regulars and guests, even bottle shows.

Right? Obviously, some people could do it, but I couldn't. In the second one, I tried to disguise it by making it a Klingon fable told by Worf, but they didn't fall for it. I gave up after that.

The Old Mixer · Dec 14, 2019

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55th Anniversary Viewing

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12 O'Clock High
"Soldiers Sometimes Kill"
Originally aired December 11, 1964

IMDb said:
Gen. Savage is suspected by Scotland Yard of killing a pretty model in her flat and even he cannot remember all the events of that night.

The episode opens with Savage being driven back to base from London in the morning seemingly drunk or hung over. When Kaiser examines him, it comes out that he was injured by a falling beam during an air raid. Savage sees a news headline about the murder of model Barbara Talbot (Victoria Shaw) in an area of London that he's told he was found in. He's subsequently visited by Inspector Thorne of Scotland Yard (John Williams), who's investigating the murder, and comes to feel that he's the inspector's chief suspect, despite the inspector's claims to the contrary.

Back in London for a meeting, Savage retraces his steps of the previous evening, going to a club where the proprietor, Redgrave (Murray Matheson), acts surprised that he'd return. Savage goes into a flashback about how he met Talbot under embarrassing circumstances and accompanied her back to her flat. He then goes to Scotland Yard to confront Thorne about what he knows and suspects, and is told that Redgrave claimed to have talked to Savage on the phone when calling Talbot's flat and that the general had said something that sounded incriminating. Savage goes from thinking he may be guilty and blocking the episode to thinking that Redgrave is lying because Redgrave's account seems unlikely. Savage is soon informed by Thorne that another suspect has confessed, but some details don't add up. The general disregards an order from higher up to get back to the base to recuperate in order to continue his own efforts to get to the bottom of what happened.

Savage has the man that he's noticed tailing him take him to the girl's flat, where he has another flashback, remembering how she confessed to their entire chance encounter being a carefully orchestrated lure; that she admitted to having just drugged him there in the flat, and then tried to get him out before he was caught in a blackmail trap designed to force him to share information useful to the Germans. But it turns out that the tail who took Savage back to the flat was Redgrave's man, not Thorne's as Savage had assumed. Redgrave, the Nazi sympathizer behind the blackmail attempt, killed Talbot to cover his tracks and now plans to kill Savage and make it look like a suicide. But Stovall, who was there when Savage left with the tail for Talbot's flat, had discovered afterward that the tail didn't work for Thorne, so Thorne and a bobby arrive just in time. A shootout ensues (I thought they didn't use guns over there) and Redgrave is wounded.

This was kind of interesting because when you go back and take a second look, it seems like Savage was more suspicious of himself than Thorne ever was.

Stovall mentions having been an attorney in this episode (something that was played up prominently in the film).

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Gilligan's Island
"Angel on the Island"
Originally aired December 12, 1964

Wiki said:
Mr. Howell agrees to back Ginger's off-Broadway, on-island show. However, his wife soon believes that she should be the star of her husband's show.

In the opening, Gilligan and the Skipper are testing their new coconut-phone.

The play is one that Ginger was supposed to be starring in on Broadway, having brought the script with her. The castaways seem to have plenty of food now--when Ginger's despondent over her lost opportunity, Mary Ann brings her a big plate of stuff. (They've also got a parrot hanging around in a nearby tree.) Ginger treats this like it was supposed to be her chance to be discovered and become a star--wasn't she already one?

When Mr. Howell becomes the director, the production becomes all about him, and so Lovey usurps the starring role of Cleopatra even though it was Ginger's script and they were only producing the play to cheer her up. But when Gilligan tries to talk Mrs. Howell into ceding the part, Mrs. Howell pretends to have laryngitis...a way of giving up the role while saving face, I presume.

In the final performance, Gilligan plays most of the supporting parts, even though he was bumbling around offstage during the rehearsals.

Add a typewriter to the list of unlikely items that somebody brought on the cruise!

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Me held back Christmas episodes of both Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch for airing next Sunday, the 22nd. This may slightly delay my viewing/reviewing next week; or I may group the two together in their own post.

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RJDiogenes said:
I forgot about this one. Cheerful.

It's good in its own right, but I can't help hearing somebody who's trying hard to sound like Gary Puckett.

I like this. I didn't realize it was The Sandpipers.

A little on the easy listening side, but it has a nice sound.

A classic of classics. This really embodies the era.

A smidgen draggy, but it does have that sign-o-the-times vibe.

This is a good one. I like The Guess Who.

The vocals in this one always sounded CSN-ish to me.

If I watched On Her Majesty's Secret Service now, it would be like seeing it for the first time. I'm sure I've only watched it once, when it was on TV in the early 70s. And, given the presence of Diana Rigg, I really should watch it again.

Oh, you should. It's a favorite among Fleming aficionados for being the film that stays closest to the book, and for the subject matter that the book covers. It has a substantially more grounded style than other classic Bond films, right down to the cinematography. And when I was getting into Bond in the '80s, I found Lazenby to be a refreshing alternative to Connery and Moore's dominance of the role at the time. I've since come to see Lazenby's relative shortcomings, though I'm planning to give him a fresh look when I watch as anniversary business...and as you noted, you've got Diana Rigg to compensate.

I think I touched upon this when I reviewed You Only Live Twice a couple years back, but that film (the first to pretty much chuck the story from the book) and OHMSS represented two potential paths for the Bond films to go in as they proceeded into the '70s. Given OHMSS's underwhelming reception at the time, the franchise went with the YOLT model for the '70s (even pretty much remaking that film with The Spy Who Loved Me). In historical hindsight, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a tantalizing glimpse at the road not taken.

Wow, I have no recollection of that at all.

It was an album track.

I hated that show.

Right? Obviously, some people could do it, but I couldn't. In the second one, I tried to disguise it by making it a Klingon fable told by Worf, but they didn't fall for it. I gave up after that.

Wow, the stories in those collections must be ludicrously fanwanky, with every odd bit-part ensign showing up again.

ETA: Was just watching Frosty earlier today. Not the sort of special that's grown with me as well as Charlie Brown has, but was tickled to see a couple of now-familiar period names in the voice cast: The magician was Ann's acting coach, Billy De Wolfe; and Frosty was recurring Sullivan guest Jackie Vernon.

And am I the only one who always thought that the magician did have a rightful claim to the hat? It didn't even make it into the trashcan, and he was actively pursuing it and his rabbit when they hopped Frosty's way.

RJDiogenes · Dec 15, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
He's subsequently visited by Inspector Thorne of Scotland Yard (John Williams), who's investigating the murder, and comes to feel that he's the inspector's chief suspect, despite the inspector's claims to the contrary.

This type of cop-show plot seems like an awkward fit for a war show.

and then tried to get him out before he was caught in a blackmail trap designed to force him to share information useful to the Germans.

Wow, a soldier caught with a woman during wartime-- there's blackmail material. :rommie:

This was kind of interesting because when you go back and take a second look, it seems like Savage was more suspicious of himself than Thorne ever was.

You're right, that's kind of sad.

The castaways seem to have plenty of food now--

Voyager Syndrome-- enough with the shortages. :rommie:

Ginger treats this like it was supposed to be her chance to be discovered and become a star--wasn't she already one?

Sure, in her own mind. :rommie:

Or, more kindly, perhaps she wanted to move up to a serious career on Broadway from movies.

But when Gilligan tries to talk Mrs. Howell into ceding the part, Mrs. Howell pretends to have laryngitis...a way of giving up the role while saving face, I presume.

There we go. This is the sort of thing that made the show great.

Add a typewriter to the list of unlikely items that somebody brought on the cruise!

Personally, I never go to sea without a typewriter.

In historical hindsight, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a tantalizing glimpse at the road not taken.

Hmm. It's streaming on Prime and the DVD is only six bucks.

It was an album track.

Ah, from the late 80s. Not bad.

Wow, the stories in those collections must be ludicrously fanwanky, with every odd bit-part ensign showing up again.

That's what I'm thinking. I don't recall ever actually reading any. :rommie:

And am I the only one who always thought that the magician did have a rightful claim to the hat? It didn't even make it into the trashcan, and he was actively pursuing it and his rabbit when they hopped Frosty's way.

The ethics of children's shows are frequently questionable. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Dec 15, 2019

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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

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Mission: Impossible
"The Double Circle"
Originally aired December 7, 1969

Wiki said:
An art lover is made to believe he can own a priceless Buddha statue. In the meantime the IMF team tries to retrieve a formula by breaking into his impenetrable safe.

This week's main baddie is Victor Laszlo (James Patterson), an art collector who was commissioned to steal a fuel formula vital to American missile defense by the United People's Republic. The UPR already has it, but wants to keep it out of American hands. Laszlo's partner, who committed the theft, is Ray Dunson (Jason Evers). He's said to have executed an American scientist while stealing the formula, and is played up as a cold, ruthless killer.

The see-through eight-track tape in the glove compartment of a car parked near a public pool said:
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim!

In the role of this week's female guest agent, Gillian:

Also in the portfolio but without an onscreen credit is Robert Ritchie, who doesn't get a name or any lines within the episode. IMDb has him credited as "Erickson," evidently based on him and Willy wearing overalls for the Ericson Air Conditioning Company during their shared part of the scheme. For our purposes, we can call him Little Willy.

Laszlo is keeping the formula in a safe in his highly secure apartment on the top (12th) floor of a building. The safe is rigged to blow if not opened correctly. The IMF's ruse involves having somehow recreated Laszlo's apartment right under his nose on the 11th floor, and rigging the elevator to take people there instead of the 12th when triggered by a remote. To gain Barney access to the safe, they employ a ruse very similar to the bar trick from a couple episodes back--I think they're even using a redress of the same alcove piece. In this case, Willy and Little Willy burn a slit into the roof through which they lower a false wall section into Laszlo's apartment, which comes with an attachable dummy safe; Barney works at the actual safe behind the fake wall; and of course, nobody notices that the alcove got substantially shallower. Here you can see them lowering the false wall with the real safe in the wall behind it:

Gillian approaches Laszlo with a proposition to exchange the formula for a priceless, legendary art object called the Peking Buddha, after which Dunson tails Gillian to a meeting with Father Barney (not yet having gotten to the part above), who resembles the figure holding the Buddha in a photograph. Dunson is allowed to overhear Barney's fake phone call to American intelligence, which "reveals" that Gillian is working for them and they have the Buddha.

Jim and Willy abduct Dunson, pretending to be agents of the UPR, and show him a film they made from across the street of Paris as Fake Laszlo putting the formula in a secret room in the 11th floor apartment, the film having been doctored to look like it was being shot through the 12th floor window. This is designed to make it look like Laszlo is secretly accepting the American offer, and thus double-crossing both Dunson and the UPR. During this meeting Jim learns that Laszlo has recently had an extra safety device installed in the safe that Barney doesn't know about. Jim radios Barney with the news just as he's about to open the safe, so Barney has to wait for Laszlo to open the fake safe for indication of how the real one needs to be opened. Dunson is then detoured to the fake apartment, where he opens the secret room and finds the Fake Peking Buddha. He listens from there as Fake Laszlo and Gillian haggle, which includes planning to blame Dunson for the loss of the formula.

The real UPR party visits the real apartment, where real Laszlo opens the fake safe, the emptiness of which is a real surprise to him. Dunson and Laszlo turn on each other, which quickly results in Dunson shooting Laszlo as the IMF listens. Dunson tries to show the UPR party the secret room...but it doesn't exist in the actual apartment. The IMF then listens to the UPR men shooting Dunson. After the UPR party leaves, Barney comes out to examine the tumbler of the fake safe and determines that the additional safety device was an extra turn of the tumbler, which he duplicates, successfully opening the real safe.

A couple of other gimmicks were employed to bypass Laszlo's security devices, including getting his guard's handprints for the handprint reader outside his apartment and temporarily installing an attachment on his hallway security camera that showed a false image.

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Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Season 3, episode 13
Originally aired December 8, 1969

The Wiki list of guest appearances said:
Phyllis Diller, Roger Moore, Romy Schneider, Jacqueline Susann

I'm Roger Moore, I'm known as the Saint.
I'm Dick Martin, I'm known as the Sinner.

Alas, I couldn't find any clips of Roger's bits. He's sporting a mustache here.

The opening musical number is about clowning it up.

Henry: What do you get if cross ABC with a pair of nylons?
Dan: Stockings that run, but only for thirteen weeks!

Uncle Al plays with clay...for about two seconds.

General Bull Wright plugs his summer boot camp:

This week's news song is ballerina themed.

The Phyllis Diller cocktail party:

Roger Moore said:
I normally do my own stunts unless they're extremely hazardous to my career. That's why I should have hired a stand-in to do this show.

Dan and Dick swap the Fickle Finger for the Whoopee Award:

Phyllis teaches interpretive dance and lobbies for bringing back the hand fan.

Laugh-In looks at the truth...

Dick: You might as well know that my name is really not Dick Martin.
Dan: What is it?
Dick: It's Martin Landau.
Dan: Come on, I don't believe that!
Dick: That's funny, neither did Barbara Bain.

An onscreen graphic said:
REAGAN FOR ACTOR

And a matching truth-themed Joke Wall:

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The Mod Squad
"The Healer"
Originally aired December 9, 1969

Wiki said:
Pete, Linc and Julie investigate the activities of a faith-healer after one of his patients dies.

The episode opens with the Mods attending the funeral of a young man named Jackie Hill. Lincoln was the one who knew him, so he's sitting toward the front. A crying older man leaves during the service and is run down by car outside. Greer shows up for the investigation and learns that the man's name was Slocum and he was a clerk at a medical lab where Jackie got his X-rays. The Mods learn from Jackie's mother (Betty Lynn) that he had a condition that he'd stopped seeing his regular doctor about in favor of an alternative treatment. Greer also digs up that somebody was making payments to Slocum.

Julie goes to work in Slocum's old position, meets a wheelchair-bound ex-Marine named Russ Pardee (DOBIE! Dwayne Hickman), who takes her to see a faith healer named Asa Lorimer (Paul Richards) whom Slocum had recommended to him and Jackie. Pete infiltrates Lorimer's operation as a potential patient, pretending to suffer from chronic migraines. Meanwhile, Linc approaches a disgruntled couple who've been taking their daughter to see Lorimer, the Amorosos. From them he gets the name of a loan shark who's involved in the operation, Carl Tracer (John Dennis).

Greer openly puts the heat on Lorimer, waving circumstantial evidence found by Julie in his face and promising to put him away, hoping to shake him into making a mistake. He also talks to a hypochondriac woman who's selling all her possessions to see him, Miss Finney (Doreen Lang). On a date with Julie, Russ hits his foot on something while being helped into his chair and reacts as if he felt pain. Later at Julie's, Pete covertly tests the sensation in Russ's legs from under the table, but to no result.

Linc also tries to infiltrate Lorimer's operation as a patient, claiming to have been referred by Jackie, but Lorimer sniffs him out as having been sent by Greer. Linc drops info specific to Miss Finney's case, which causes Lorimer to send Tracer after her. Greer finds out what Linc said in time and sends the Male Mods to the rescue. He then goes in to arrest Lorimer, and finds him, ironically, suffering from an ailment and asking to see a doctor.

Julie parts ways with Russ and the Mod Trio do their walk-off into a newer station wagon that hasn't got the character of Pete's woodie. And yes, Julie was fully integrated into this one.

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"She Never Had the Vegas Notion" (Part 1)
Originally aired December 11, 1969

Wiki said:
Ann gets a job in Las Vegas with an actor who wants her to break up with Donald. Guest star Jack Cassidy

Ann has a part in a Vegas show called Funny Man, which has her traveling with the production's egotistical star, Marty Haines (Cassidy). Donald's also along on the flight, but he's only staying for the first weekend. When Ann and Donald get to Vegas, there's the obligatory, dialogue-less "seeing the sights" montage, much of which is just footage of the casinos on the strip and some shots of Ann and Donald looking out of a cab window...though they do work in some footage of the duo on the ground as well.

Ann and Donald see Carl Reiner, playing himself, while checking in at the hotel. There's also a sign indicating that Bill Medley is performing there. Donald wins $200 at Blackjack and has Ann hold it for him. Later, while inebriated, he tries to get it back but she won't give it to him, per his original instructions.

Ann, Donald, Marty, and the show's leading lady, Joanne (Hope Holliday), watch a comedian (Morty Gunty) at a club. Pat Boone drops by their table to say hi. Joanne is all over Donald during their outings, to Ann's chagrin. Ann is further annoyed by Donald's drinking. Donald and Joanne share a cab back to the hotel the morning after. After breakfast Ann goes up to check on the hung-over Donald and Joanne comes out the bathroom, saying that she and Donald got married at a chapel. The episode ends with a reverse of the usual opening title gag, when room service addresses Ann as "Mrs. Hollinger"...

"I am not Mrs. Hollinger. Mrs. Hollinger is...that girl!"

"Oh, Donald" count: 6
"Oh, Marty" count: 1

That's right, they didn't shoehorn Mr. Marie into a trip to Vegas.

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RJDiogenes said:
This type of cop-show plot seems like an awkward fit for a war show.

Not exactly cop show, as the protagonist was the suspect. It was in keeping with the early semi-anthology style of the series, which often involves drama in Archbury, away from the bombing runs.

Wow, a soldier caught with a woman during wartime-- there's blackmail material.

Barbara indicated that once the drug had taken full effect, Savage wouldn't know or care what he was doing, so I imagine that they planned to shoot him doing stuff that would be particularly scandalous for an Army flag officer.

You're right, that's kind of sad.

I thought it was reassuring that the inspector was too wise to completely fall for Redgrave's impromptu ruse, and was instead patiently putting together the facts without rushing to judgment.

Here's something I posted in that TOS thread relating to Robert Lansing and Stan the Man...

Personally, I never go to sea without a typewriter.

If I thought for a moment that any of this was supposed to make any sense, I might rationalize that the Skipper kept one aboard the Minnow for whatever reason.

RJDiogenes · Dec 16, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
This week's main baddie is Victor Laszlo

Wow, he's come down in the world since his days with the Czech Resistance.

In the role of this week's female guest agent, Gillian:

Ooh, Anne Francis. Another fave.

For our purposes, we can call him Little Willy.

Dude won't go home.

To gain Barney access to the safe, they employ a ruse very similar to the bar trick from a couple episodes back--I think they're even using a redress of the same alcove piece.

"I can't believe this worked last week. Let's try it again to see if this guy falls for it."

which quickly results in Dunson shooting Laszlo as the IMF listens.

Well, they'll always have Paris.

I'm Roger Moore, I'm known as the Saint.
I'm Dick Martin, I'm known as the Sinner.

Julie parts ways with Russ and the Mod Trio do their walk-off into a newer station wagon that hasn't got the character of Pete's woodie. And yes, Julie was fully integrated into this one.

She's feeling better? Personnel issues resolved? We may never know.

the production's egotistical star, Marty Haines (Cassidy).

Now there's a guy who excels at playing a slimeball.

After breakfast Ann goes up to check on the hung-over Donald and Joanne comes out the bathroom, saying that she and Donald got married at a chapel.

Was Joanne ever seen in daylight? There are Vampires afoot in Las Vegas.

That's right, they didn't shoehorn Mr. Marie into a trip to Vegas.

There would have been no way to avoid him murdering Donald. :rommie:

Not exactly cop show, as the protagonist was the suspect.

That's what I mean-- the trope of the protagonist being suspected of murder, which I think every cop or detective show has to do at least once.

Barbara indicated that once the drug had taken full effect, Savage wouldn't know or care what he was doing, so I imagine that they planned to shoot him doing stuff that would be particularly scandalous for an Army flag officer.

Okay, I see.

I thought it was reassuring that the inspector was too wise to completely fall for Redgrave's impromptu ruse, and was instead patiently putting together the facts without rushing to judgment.

His own suspicions about himself tell us that his head is a dark place.

Here's something I posted in that TOS thread relating to Robert Lansing and Stan the Man...

"Ruggedly handsome." That means they get to be ugly, yet still considered handsome. Richard Boone is the classic example. :rommie:

If I thought for a moment that any of this was supposed to make any sense, I might rationalize that the Skipper kept one aboard the Minnow for whatever reason.

It's fun to play with it, though. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Dec 16, 2019

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50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 2)

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Ironside
"Beyond a Shadow"
Originally aired December 11, 1969

Wiki said:
An old friend of Ironside's threatens to commit suicide when she's blamed for killing her husband, so it's up to the Chief to find the truth.

The old friend is Tracy Oliver (memorable 12OCH guest Dana Wynter), who was tried for murdering her husband a few years back, at the same time that the Chief was recovering from being shot. Tracy has slit her wrists and is being taken to the hospital as the episode opens. The Chief mentions how he once saved her life and feels responsible for her. Also, he wasn't able to get involved in the original investigation and now wants to reopen it to reach a more definitive conclusion that might bring Tracy some peace of mind.

Tracy is believed to have married only for money, the money being to help her debt-ridden father, John Lovell (Simon Scott). The face of those who drove Tracy to this desperate act is scandal-mongering TV reporter Len Leavitt (Mort Sahl). After the Chief gets tough with him at the hospital, Leavitt dishes up some dirt on the air about the Chief's past relationship with her, conveying how Ironside, 15 years earlier as a rookie cop, shot it out with some burglars at her home and dated her once afterward.

Dana's husband, Walter Oliver, was killed by a shotgun blast while writing a divorce note. The study in which he was found has been left largely as it was, with covered furniture and ripped paintings from a rage episode of Oliver's. Walter had Tracy buy the shotgun two days before he was shot with it. Also found on the scene is a scarf of Tracy's, but tied in a knot that doesn't match how such an item is worn. By this point, it was pretty obvious to me that Walter's death was a suicide set up to look like a murder.

As the publicity mounts, Tracy privately and dramatically confesses to Ironside that she did it, but he doesn't believe her, and thinks that she's being pressured by her father. Haggling with Walter's attorney turns up a forged check to Lovell that doesn't match his other payments. The Chief presents his findings at a meeting, which Leavitt is allowed to cover live. The check was used to pay a neurological institute who'd diagnosed Walter with a brain aneurysm. Oliver, who by this point has been painted as a possessive egotist, was motivated to destroy his possessions so that nobody else could have them...including Tracy. Mark demonstrates how the knotted scarf was used to trigger the shotgun. And the Chief closes his case by lecturing Leavitt's audience about the harmful power of gossip and insinuation.

_______

Get Smart
"Is This Trip Necessary?"
Originally aired December 12, 1969

Wiki said:
KAOS pharmacist Jarvis Pym (Vincent Price) threatens to poison the Washington water supply with a hallucinogenic drug which renders people incapable of functioning. The episode title is from the World War II slogan to limit the amount of wartime travelling.

This one starts with a really good, trippy psychedelic sequence in Max & 99's bedroom. I was disappointed when a later shared hallucination in the Chief's office was done in a more straightforward style. The widespread hallucinatory experiences are initially taken as strange dreams.

Chief: The President had a bad dream last night, too. He dreamed that he disbanded the entire US Air Force and replaced them with the Jefferson Airplane!
Max: That is terrible.
Chief: Oh no, what's terrible is that this morning the Jefferson Airplane reported for work!

Once CONTROL realizes that a chemical is involved, Max and 99 take a public tour of the suspected water plant. They're captured and held in a giant capsule which they break out of while trying to rock it into a beaker of acid...get it? When they confront Pym, there's a gag where he threatens to poison himself via a trick ring, Max has the antidote in one of his rings, Pym has a counter-antidote in another ring, and Max has the antidote to the counter-antidote in yet another ring.

_______

The Brady Bunch
"Vote for Brady"
Originally aired December 12, 1969

Wiki said:
Marcia and Greg compete for class president. Partisanship overtakes the household, prompting Mike to step in and lecture the kids about unity. Greg takes this talk very seriously, particularly when his campaign manager Rusty (Stephen Liss) suggests stirring up rumors about Marcia. Greg rejects Rusty's suggestion and fires him. Marcia overhears this and realizes Greg has integrity and a sense of fair play, and decides to concede to Greg. Also, Cindy wins the position of crossing guard for a week, upsetting Bobby.

And this one was not an election season episode.

The in-house rivalry between the candidates manifests itself in phone use and the other kids taking sides. The parents try to divide their time and attention to Greg and Marcia equally. Mike lets Greg use a portable cassette recorder...which he has to show Greg how to use! When the tape Greg prepared doesn't play anything, Greg assumes that Marcia erased it. Meanwhile, she thinks he did the same thing to her jotted-down campaign slogans for posters, but it turns out that Alice threw them out not knowing what they were. Marcia turns against Alice, and Greg turns against Mike when Mike expresses doubt that Marcia erased the tapes.

One could argue that by modern standards, the episode doesn't make Marcia look very good...her reaction to these events is to go to her bedroom and cry. She also cries when she practices a speech in front of the family and the boys scowl instead of applauding. But she is a teenager. Anyway, that's when Mike and Carol give the assembled kids a short speech about the family being more important than the election.

At one point Carol starts to suggest to Marcia that she'll have more time to run again because she's a year younger than Greg. It's just after this that the Rusty incident happens in the clubhouse-free backyard. Marcia's resulting concession doesn't come off too poorly...it's played like she's returning the favor to her brother for standing up for her. And in the coda gag about Cindy and Bobby, Bobby's the one who's in tears.

This episode we learn that Carol used to play golf.

_______

Hogan's Heroes
"The Antique"
Originally aired December 12, 1969

Wiki said:
With the underground courier network down, the team will have to find a new way to spread information across the continent. Maybe Klink’s new interest in antiques will help.

A female informant, Kristina (Mari Oliver), delivers the news about the courier network, telling Hogan that he's expected to find a way to distribute information that could be vital to the Allied invasion. But the prisoners anticipate having problems just getting her out because of the dramatically increased guard presence at the stalag. While the others wine and dine their guest, Hogan sees Klink, who now has a personal bodyguard, and learns that a couple of kommandants of other stalags have recently been murdered. Hogan uses the opportunity to gain some concessions from the cowardly Klink by merely suggesting the types of things that a kommandant might be killed for. While in the office, Hogan takes an interest in Klink's cuckoo clock and pretends to think that it's a valuable antique, haggling for Klink to sell it to him for $100 and the Red Cross package that he'd just gotten back from Klink, who'd been hiding it in his desk.

As Klink's clock is a type that's cheaply available in Hammelburg, Klink invests in several more and enlists Hogan in a scheme to sell them to various antique dealers. I'm a little unclear as to the logistics of this scheme...I can see fooling Klink into thinking that he can fool Hogan, but fooling the antique dealers...? Anyway, Hogan makes excuses to take a few of the clocks back to the barracks in order to plant within them the intelligence that needs to be smuggled out to various parties, now via the antique dealers. In order to get Kristina out, however, they create a bomb scare by winding up several of the clocks that Klink has hidden in his closet, to make Burkhalter raise an alarm centered on Klink's office. The clocks are drenched by a fire hose and ruined...though apparently the ones that the prisoners needed for smuggling the info still got out.

When the prisoners radio their plan to the underground, their contact on the other end is played by Bill Bixby's bride-to-be, Brenda Benet.

Dis-MISSed!

_______

Adam-12
"Log 143: The Cave"
Originally aired December 13, 1969

Wiki said:
Just a typical day on patrol with calls ranging from a stoned hippie to the search for a runaway child.

The officers get a call to a grocery store, where a man named Johnson (Neil Russell) is holding the proprietor, Brady (Sam Edwards), at knifepoint; this turns out to be over a room that Johnson rented but didn't pay for, thinking that the work he did around the store was sufficient; Johnson's there to get his things, which Brady is holding in lieu of the rent. Reed and Malloy get Johnson to let go of Brady and subdue him. Johnson then finds out from Malloy that he could be charged with kidnapping over not being willing to fork over $10.

After a brief Code Seven at Duke's Longhorn Café, the officers go to a suburban home to inform Mr. Finlay (Myron Healey), the owner of the stolen car that Johnson was using. While they're there, an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Grimes (Alice Frost), describes a series of thefts of odd items from various homes, including her rocking chair. While they're talking to her, Finlay comes over to report that he's just discovered that his TV's been stolen as well.

Searching the general vicinity, the officers catch a burglar hauling away small items in a pillowcase, but he doesn't appear to be the thief of the larger and more esoteric items stolen in the Finlays' neighborhood. Back at the station, the officers get a call from Mrs. Finlay (Jean Howell) about how her son, Artie (Stuart Lee), has run away. She tells of how Artie doesn't get along with Mr. Finlay, who's his stepfather. They question Artie's best friend, Jimmy White (Mitch Vogel), who doesn't come completely clean with the officers at first, but eventually comes running to them when Artie has been trapped in a cave that the two boys dug into the embankment below an overpass. After the boy is pulled out, the officers inspect the unstable cave to find that Artie has furnished an apartment inside with the stolen items.

If there was ever a stoned hippie in the episode, that beat was lost to syndication.

_______

RJDiogenes said:
Wow, he's come down in the world since his days with the Czech Resistance.

Oh, yeah...makes you wonder why they went there in quite so on-the-nose a manner.

Dude won't go home.

Coming our way one of these years.

"I can't believe this worked last week. Let's try it again to see if this guy falls for it."

Well, they'll always have Paris.

Was Joanne ever seen in daylight? There are Vampires afoot in Las Vegas.

Yeah, they caught the cab back to the hotel after sunup.

There would have been no way to avoid him murdering Donald.

True.

His own suspicions about himself tell us that his head is a dark place.

Maybe...though the guy was drugged and suffering from a concussion and memory loss.

"Ruggedly handsome." That means they get to be ugly, yet still considered handsome. Richard Boone is the classic example.

I was tickled that of all the actors Stan might have referenced, Lansing was his example. And he already had me with that comment about just having to look around the Bullpen.

RJDiogenes · Dec 17, 2019

I forgot to mention that Dragnet and Adam-12 are coming to MeTV-- as are The Waltons, if anyone cares. No sign of Three Stooges ending. Also, my Mother reported that Starsky & Hutch is coming to Cozi, but I haven't seen verification of that (and it doesn't really impact this thread).

Abbey Chrimble said:
Ironside, 15 years earlier as a rookie cop, shot it out with some burglars at her home and dated her once afterward.

Ironside must be a lot younger than Raymond Burr.

The study in which he was found has been left largely as it was, with covered furniture and ripped paintings from a rage episode of Oliver's.

How long ago was he killed?

And the Chief closes his case by lecturing Leavitt's audience about the harmful power of gossip and insinuation.

And they didn't even have social media.

Chief: Oh no, what's terrible is that this morning the Jefferson Airplane reported for work!

At least Grace Slick is well armed.

They're captured and held in a giant capsule which they break out of while trying to rock it into a beaker of acid...get it?

Subtle.

Mike lets Greg use a portable cassette recorder...which he has to show Greg how to use!

Mike is an engineer who has access to the latest cutting-edge technology!

Anyway, that's when Mike and Carol give the assembled kids a short speech about the family being more important than the election.

Proving that the Bradys are just as relevant now as they were fifty years ago. Or something.

A female informant, Kristina (Mari Oliver), delivers the news about the courier network, telling Hogan that he's expected to find a way to distribute information that could be vital to the Allied invasion.

Imagine how much pressure they put on people who aren't in a Nazi concentration camp.

I'm a little unclear as to the logistics of this scheme...I can see fooling Klink into thinking that he can fool Hogan, but fooling the antique dealers...?

I don't know. Are they antique dealers in on it, since they'll be distributing the intel?

After the boy is pulled out, the officers inspect the unstable cave to find that Artie has furnished an apartment inside with the stolen items.

Too bad it collaposed, that sounds like it was a sweet hideaway.

If there was ever a stoned hippie in the episode, that beat was lost to syndication.

I think the stoned hippie is the guy who writes the capsule descriptions. :rommie:

Oh, yeah...makes you wonder why they went there in quite so on-the-nose a manner.

Must have been a homage, but kind of misplaced.

I was tickled that of all the actors Stan might have referenced, Lansing was his example. And he already had me with that comment about just having to look around the Bullpen.

That was pretty funny. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Dec 17, 2019

50th Anniversary Album Spotlight

Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Released October 22, 1969
Chart debut: November 8, 1969
Chart peak: #1, December 27, 1969, January 17, 1970, and January 31 through February 28, 1970
#75 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

Wiki said:
Led Zeppelin II is the second album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 22 October 1969 in the United States and on 31 October 1969 in the United Kingdom by Atlantic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at several locations in both the United Kingdom and North America from January to August 1969. The album's production was credited to the band's lead guitarist and songwriter Jimmy Page, and it was also Led Zeppelin's first album on which Eddie Kramer served as engineer.

The album exhibited the band's evolving musical style of blues-derived material and their guitar riff-based sound. It has been described as the band's heaviest album. Six of the nine songs were written by the band, while the other three were reinterpretations of Chicago blues songs by Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf. One single, "Whole Lotta Love", was released outside of the UK (the band would release no UK singles during their career), and peaked as a top-ten single in over a dozen markets around the world.

I guess I've got more headbanger in me than I thought, because I found this to be a generally easier listen and review than The Band.

The album opens with its strongest, best-known track, "Whole Lotta Love" (single edit charted Nov. 22, 1969, reaching #4 US; #75 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time):

Wiki said:
The middle section of the track contained a variety of overdubbed instruments and vocals which were mixed live by Page and Kramer, making full use of stereo panning and other controls available on the desk.

I've seen this section referred to as being psychedelic. Alas, the song isn't without its bit of controversy...

The lyrics were taken directly from Willie Dixon's "You Need Love", which led to the group being sued for plagiarism, eventually settling out of court.

Nevertheless...

"Whole Lotta Love" has since been critically praised as one of the definitive heavy metal tracks, though the group have never considered themselves to fit that specific style.

Page/Plant original "What Is and What Should Never Be" is one of those tracks that I didn't know by name, but definitely recognize from classic rock radio:

It features a variety of dynamics during the track, along with flanged vocals and wide-panned stereo guitars.

Next up is "The Lemon Song"...

a re-arrangement of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor", which had become a regular part of the group's live show during 1969. It was mostly recorded live and expanded to include new lyrics, including the sexually-charged phrase "squeeze my lemon" which was borrowed from Robert Johnson's "Travelling Riverside Blues"

The longest track on the album, this one has a good, immersive psychedelic blues rock vibe. But alas again...

In December 1972, Arc Music, owner of the publishing rights to Howlin' Wolf's songs, sued Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement on "The Lemon Song". The parties settled out of court. Though the amount was not disclosed, Howlin' Wolf received a check for $45,123 USD from Arc Music immediately following the suit, and subsequent releases included a co-songwriter credit for him.

The first side closes with "Thank You"...

written by Plant as a love song to his wife, Maureen. Page played twelve-string guitar and Jones played Hammond organ on the track.

A bit on the gentler side, relatively speaking, while still being a fairly hard-driving track.

Side two opens with the full-on, riff-driven heaviness of group composition "Heartbreaker" (#320 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time):

"Heartbreaker" was mostly written by Page as a showcase for his guitar skills, including an unaccompanied solo in the middle of the song.

This segues directly into "Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)," which was released as the B-side of "Whole Lotta Love" and later charted separately (Mar. 14, 1970; #65 US):

"Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman)" was purported to be written about a groupie the band encountered while touring the US. The group disliked the track, considering it to be little more than filler, and consequently it was never played live by the group.

"Ramble On" (#433 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time) is a song particularly well known in geekdom because of its Tolkien-inspired lyrics:

The track made good use of dynamics, moving from a quiet acoustic guitar in the opening, to a variety of overdubbed electric guitars towards the end.

The album kind of peters out for me after that. "Moby Dick" is an instrumental...

designed as a showcase for Bonham's drum solo. It was originally called "Pat's Delight" (after his wife) and features a variety of drums and percussive instruments played with bare hands as well as drumsticks.

The tune emerged after Led Zeppelin guitarist and producer Jimmy Page would often catch drummer John Bonham jamming in the studio, recorded parts of it and then pieced it all together.

The least engaging track for me...can't say I've ever been crazy about drum solos. It segues directly into the album's closing track, "Bring It On Home"...

a cover of a Willie Dixon song originally performed by Sonny Boy Williamson II. Led Zeppelin's arrangement includes a faster middle section in addition to the straightforward blues structure of the original.

The song is currently credited solely to Dixon, though apparently it wasn't always, owing to the middle section having been of the band's composition.

Without songwriter Willie Dixon's knowledge, Arc Music, the music publishing arm of Chess Records, brought a claim against Led Zeppelin for using "Bring It On Home" without its permission. The group maintained that they copied parts of the song as an intentional tribute to Williamson, but resolved the matter with an undisclosed cash settlement.

Wiki said:
Led Zeppelin II was a commercial success, and was the band's first album to reach number one on charts in the UK and the US. The album's cover designer David Juniper was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording Package in 1970. On 15 November 1999, the album was certified 12× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales passing 12 million copies. Since its release, various writers and music critics have regularly cited Led Zeppelin II as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.

Next up: 55th Anniversary Holiday Album Spotlight--The Beach Boys' Christmas Album

_______

RJDiogenes said:
I forgot to mention that Dragnet and Adam-12 are coming to MeTV-- as are The Waltons, if anyone cares.

Woah, Dragnet is back on! Assuming Me will be starting at the beginning, there'll be little to no hope of catching it up with 50th anniversary business at this point, as 1969-70 was its final season. Guess I'd be picking up where I left off as off-season back-viewing.

This calls for seasonally appropriate celebration!

And checking the story on Me's site...there's something else of considerable interest in the finer print:

MeTV said:
Lovers of Sixties suspense can catch episodes of The Fugitive (2AM | 1C) and Mission: Impossible (3AM | 2C) overnight.

In general, a welcome resurgence of programs from the period that I've been covering. But DVR space is starting to become an issue again...I may have to trim out some stuff I'd planned to get to eventually as 55th or 50th anniversary business. Any opinions about The Invaders?

ETA: The Fugitive and M:I aren't showing up on the site's schedule for Jan. 1, however.

RJDiogenes said:
Ironside must be a lot younger than Raymond Burr.

I hadn't checked his age, but 15 years did seem a little too recent for him to have been a rookie. Yep...in 1954, Burr turned 37! I've seen shows of the era try to pull that sort of character de-aging where actresses were involved, but it doesn't seem to suit Ironside's character at all. The more experienced and seasoned he is, the better.

How long ago was he killed?

Think it was three years. Around the time of the pilot movie.

Mike is an engineer who has access to the latest cutting-edge technology!

You'd probably still have to show a kid today how to use one, so it was cute to see it on the other side of history, being treated as something new-fangled.

I don't know. Are they antique dealers in on it, since they'll be distributing the intel?

I was under the impression that the intel contacts would go to the shops and buy the clocks.

Too bad it collapsed, that sounds like it was a sweet hideaway.

Except, as Malloy observed, that all it took was a semi driving on the overpass to make it cave in. I also didn't catch if the kid stole a generator for using that TV. It was sitting there sadly unplugged as I recall.

RJDiogenes · Dec 18, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin

I was never a big fan of Led Zep, but my opinion has mellowed over the years. Some of their stuff, including some of the stuff on this album, has a real nostalgic feel for me these days. I don't think I'll ever be able to stomach "Stairway to Heaven," though. :rommie:

I guess I've got more headbanger in me than I thought, because I found this to be a generally easier listen and review than The Band.

I find it impossible to think of Led Zep as Heavy Metal-- of course, these days Aerosmith hardly seems Heavy Metal.

And checking the story on Me's site...there's something else of considerable interest in the finer print:

I didn't even notice that. I'll probably be recording various episodes of both. I wonder if they'll be starting M:I at the beginning, too.

Any opinions about The Invaders?

As far as I can remember, I have never seen a single episode.

I hadn't checked his age, but 15 years did seem a little too recent for him to have been a rookie. Yep...in 1954, Burr turned 37! I've seen shows of the era try to pull that sort of character de-aging where actresses were involved, but it doesn't seem to suit Ironside's character at all. The more experienced and seasoned he is, the better.

And at that point, Burr was not really going to pass for 35. :rommie:

Think it was three years. Around the time of the pilot movie.

Seemed odd that it took so long for the wife to decide to become suicidal and for Ironside to decide to get involved with his old friend.

You'd probably still have to show a kid today how to use one, so it was cute to see it on the other side of history, being treated as something new-fangled.

Good point. :rommie:

Except, as Malloy observed, that all it took was a semi driving on the overpass to make it cave in. I also didn't catch if the kid stole a generator for using that TV. It was sitting there sadly unplugged as I recall.

Yeah, an idea doomed to failure, but if it had only worked. Who doesn't want their own Batcave?

The Old Mixer · Dec 18, 2019

55th Anniversary Holiday Album Spotlight

The Beach Boys' Christmas Album
The Beach Boys
Released November 9, 1964
#7 on Rolling Stone's 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time

Wiki said:
The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is the seventh studio album by the Beach Boys, released in November 1964. it contains five original songs and seven standards on a Christmas theme. The album proved to be a long-running success during subsequent Christmas seasons, initially reaching number six in the US Billboard 200 chart in its year of release and eventually going gold. Music historian James Perone wrote that it is "regarded as one of the finest holiday albums of the rock era".

The Wiki article also reports that "The Man with All the Toys" reached #3 on the Hot 100. I assume these positions are misreports of how the album and single fared on the equivalent holiday charts, which were separate by this point.

The original compositions are all up-front on this album, taking up most of side one...beginning with 1963's holiday single, the ever-enjoyable uber-classic "Little Saint Nick":
I've long admired how the Beach Boys were self-aware enough to parody their own early song formula in such a manner. If only the Beatles had managed to give us something in the same vein.

As one of five songs from this album that were included in a Christmas compilation series that I own, the playful "The Man with All the Toys" is one that has been in my holiday collection for a long time, and thus has that fuzzy familiarity going for it.
The incessant background "Bop"s don't even bother me that much anymore.

"Santa's Beard," on the other hand, is new to me. It's a really cute song about a young boy's skepticism toward a department store Santa.

"Merry Christmas, Baby" is not to be confused with the better-known song written by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore and recorded by the likes of Chuck Berry, Otis Redding, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, and Bruce Springsteen. It's an original in the Beach Boys' distinctive style.

The last original composition on the album is "Christmas Day," which has a really nice period sound.

Side one closes with the album's first cover of a holiday standard. Hearing how they handle material like "Frosty the Snowman" only increases my appreciation of the group's talent:

Side two opens on a more religious/spiritual vibe, with "We Three Kings of Orient Are". The group's multi-part-harmony vocal style is strongly suited to such a song.

Next is an enjoyably different arrangement of "Blue Christmas" than the definitive Elvis version...quite pretty.

The Beach Boys' rendition of "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" is another of the tracks that I already had, and I never much cared for its use of the circus music and "Pop Goes the Weasel," as it pulls me out of the holiday vibe. I might have better enjoyed it with more emphasis on the swing element of the arrangement.

Following that, the Boys contribute to "White Christmas" being one of the most recorded songs of all time. Another one very well-suited to their style.

Speaking of, the group's vocals on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" are particularly lush and gorgeous:

The album closes in the traditional manner with a number in anticipation for the New Year, which, as here, is often a rendition of "Auld Lang Syne". In this case it's used to convey a spoken-word message on behalf of the group from Dennis Wilson.

If you're looking for a pleasant-sounding, nostalgia-vibed, rock 'n' roll-era album to get you in the holiday spirit, this one just might fit the bill.

Next up: 55th Anniversary Album Spotlight--12 X 5, The Rolling Stones

_______

RJDiogenes said:
I find it impossible to think of Led Zep as Heavy Metal-- of course, these days Aerosmith hardly seems Heavy Metal.

I'd say that they pioneered the transition between the psychedelic and blues rock of the late '60s and the hard rock of the early '70s. My appreciation of their work definitely grows with the immersive retro experience.

As far as I can remember, I have never seen a single episode.

I'd heard of it and gotten curious and so have been recording it for eventual 55th anniversary viewing. Quinn Martin Fugitive-style sci-fi show that came out around when The Fugitive was ending. I've caught bits of it in the background when I was up while it aired. One episode had Russell Johnson as the protagonist's lawyer, who turned out to be one of the aliens.

Season 2, which is still recording at the rate of one episode per week, is a year further out than I usually record things in advance, so if something had to go, it'd be that. Then I face the possibility that when I get to Season 1, I'll like it and the show won't be on anywhere.

Recording way further in advance than I usually do is Planet of the Apes. It's only a half season and I figured I should take the opportunity because I couldn't count on it being on when the time came. I'm almost through recording it, but that would be the other thing to go. The issue has come up because having 5 combined hours of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island recording every week in addition to those and Branded has really been adding up fast.

I'll probably be recording various episodes of both. I wonder if they'll be starting M:I at the beginning, too.

Probably, it's been years since it was in their line-up. In addition to hedging my bets and recording upcoming seasons for 50th anniversary business when they get to them (as I don't know that I'll be maintaining an All Access subscription year-round), there are still seven Season 1 episodes I haven't watched, which could be done as 55th anniversary business at this point.

Seemed odd that it took so long for the wife to decide to become suicidal and for Ironside to decide to get involved with his old friend.

It was a building thing...she wasn't found guilty, but the rumors and innuendo grew. There was also a mention of some legal matters having taken a while to resolve.

Who doesn't want their own Batcave?

Hadn't thought of it like that....

RJDiogenes · Dec 19, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
If you're looking for a pleasant-sounding, nostalgia-vibed, rock 'n' roll-era album to get you in the holiday spirit, this one just might fit the bill.

I know all of the songs individually, but I don't think I ever realized that they all came from a Christmas album. That's a really good set of songs.

I'd say that they pioneered the transition between the psychedelic and blues rock of the late '60s and the hard rock of the early '70s. My appreciation of their work definitely grows with the immersive retro experience.

I'm probably going to add some of these songs to my collection. Right now, the only Led Zep I've got is "Fool in the Rain."

I'd heard of it and gotten curious and so have been recording it for eventual 55th anniversary viewing. Quinn Martin Fugitive-style sci-fi show that came out around when The Fugitive was ending. I've caught bits of it in the background when I was up while it aired. One episode had Russell Johnson as the protagonist's lawyer, who turned out to be one of the aliens.

I was generally aware of the show. The secret-invasion-by-aliens-who-look-just-like-us-and-the-general-public-is-unaware-of-it trope just doesn't appeal to me. I'd be likely to record individual episodes, though, like to see that Russell Johnson appearance.

Recording way further in advance than I usually do is Planet of the Apes. It's only a half season and I figured I should take the opportunity because I couldn't count on it being on when the time came. I'm almost through recording it, but that would be the other thing to go.

Planet of the Apes is a good, straightforward adventure show that is notable for Roddy McDowall and, y'know, apes. It's also notable for premiering the same night as Night Stalker and being the first TV series I bought on DVD. But I can't say that I would objectively recommend it above other stuff that you're watching if something's gotta go.

It was a building thing...she wasn't found guilty, but the rumors and innuendo grew. There was also a mention of some legal matters having taken a while to resolve.

It seems like an unusual approach. Typically these things are more immediate-- especially when the plot hinges on the crime scene being intact.

The Old Mixer · Dec 19, 2019

55 Years Ago This Week

Wiki said:
December 21

The James Bond film Goldfinger begins its run in U.S. theaters. It becomes one of the most successful and popular Bond films ever made.

That's right, we've got a cross-era Double-O Feature this holiday season!

The General Dynamics F-111 makes its first flight.

December 22

Comedian Lenny Bruce is sentenced to 4 months in prison, concluding a 6-month obscenity trial.

A cyclone in the Palk Strait destroys the Indian town of Dhanushkodi, killing 1800 people.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird makes its first flight at Palmdale, California.

December 23 – Wonderful Radio London becomes the United Kingdom's fourth "Pirate" radio station, broadcasting from MV Galaxy (a former US Navy minesweeper) anchored off the east coast of England, with an American-style Top 40 ("Fab 40") playlist of popular records.
December 24 – Bombing of the Brinks Hotel in Saigon.

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
December 24 – First night of Another Beatles Christmas Show which runs until 16 January 1965 at the Odeon Cinema, Hammersmith.
December 25 – All four Beatles spend Christmas at home in the south of England.

Wiki said:
December 26 – Lesley Ann Downey, 10, is abducted by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in Manchester, England.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "I Feel Fine," The Beatles
2. "Come See About Me," The Supremes

4. "She's a Woman," The Beatles
5. "She's Not There," The Zombies
6. "Goin' Out of My Head," Little Anthony & The Imperials

8. "Dance, Dance, Dance," The Beach Boys
9. "The Jerk," The Larks
10. "Time Is on My Side," The Rolling Stones
11. "Love Potion Number Nine," The Searchers
12. "Amen," The Impressions
13. "Sha La La," Manfred Mann

15. "I'm Gonna Be Strong," Gene Pitney
16. "Mountain of Love," Johnny Rivers
17. "I'm into Something Good," Herman's Hermits
18. "You Really Got Me," The Kinks
19. "Any Way You Want It," The Dave Clark Five
20. "Saturday Night at the Movies," The Drifters

22. "Leader of the Pack," The Shangri-Las
23. "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)," Del Shannon
24. "Willow Weep for Me," Chad & Jeremy
25. "Oh No Not My Baby," Maxine Brown
26. "As Tears Go By," Marianne Faithfull
27. "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)," Marvin Gaye
28. "Leader of the Laundromat," The Detergents
29. "Too Many Fish in the Sea," The Marvelettes

33. "Baby Love," The Supremes
34. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," The Righteous Brothers

38. "Walking in the Rain," The Ronettes

41. "Downtown," Petula Clark

49. "Boom Boom," The Animals
50. "Ask Me," Elvis Presley
51. "I'll Be There," Gerry & The Pacemakers

55. "Promised Land," Chuck Berry

59. "Hold What You've Got," Joe Tex
60. "The Name Game," Shirley Ellis

69. "All Day and All of the Night," The Kinks

81. "Let's Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)," Jay & The Americans

83. "Give Him a Great Big Kiss," The Shangri-Las

90. "Look of Love," Lesley Gore

Leaving the chart:

"Big Man in Town," The Four Seasons (7 weeks)
"Come a Little Bit Closer," Jay & The Americans (15 weeks)
"Everything's Alright," The Newbeats (9 weeks)
"Gone, Gone, Gone," The Everly Brothers (10 weeks)
"Sidewalk Surfin'," Jan & Dean (8 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Look of Love," Lesley Gore
(#27 US)

"Give Him a Great Big Kiss," The Shangri-Las
(#18 US)

"Let's Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)," Jay & The Americans
(#11 US)

"All Day and All of the Night," The Kinks
(#7 US; #2 UK)

And new on the boob tube:

12 O'Clock High, "An Act of War"
Gilligan's Island, "Three Million Dollars More or Less"

_______

RJDiogenes said:
I'd be likely to record individual episodes, though, like to see that Russell Johnson appearance.

At a rate of one episode per week, they wouldn't be coming back around to that specific one for awhile.

But I can't say that I would objectively recommend it above other stuff that you're watching if something's gotta go.

Good to know. I'm gradually losing space despite my regular weekly viewing, but planning to not panic until I get over 90% capacity. I've also been recording a lot of odd movies for eventual viewing, usually during the off-season. Mostly stuff from the '50s that I don't cover here.

It seems like an unusual approach. Typically these things are more immediate-- especially when the plot hinges on the crime scene being intact.

I think the thing about legal matters having just been resolved might have been a handwave specifically for the place having been left as it was. If she'd just been confirmed as inheriting his money/property (not sure offhand if that was the case), that could account for increased public hostility. But yeah, it was odd that the crime scene was left that way for three years...just waiting for Team Ironside to find what should have been a really obvious suicide clue.

gblews · Dec 20, 2019

December 21

The James Bond film Goldfinger begins its run in U.S. theaters. It becomes one of the most successful and popular Bond films ever made.

Goldfinger was the first Bond movie I ever saw in a theater. My brother and I saw it at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. At the time, Gruaman's was the most famous theaters in Hollywood and we had never been there before. It was SO expensive -- $2.50! Scandalous. :eek:

This was a great movie for what it was. I think it absolutely holds up some 55 years after it's release. Starting with Goldfinger, not only did Bond become a cultural icon, he also became a men's fashion icon. The suits, the sport jackets, the shoes, the epitome of 60's conservative sartorial cool. Those clothes still look great.

One other thing, I think Goldfinger was maybe one of the first, if
not the first, movies to feature an urbane, sophisticated, well spoken villain who would rather talk about his golf game than monologue about his nefarious schemes. Or maybe it's just that Auric Goldfinger started a trend toward this type of villain characterization.

Abbey Chrimble said:
"Look of Love," Lesley Gore

Abbey Chrimble said:
"All Day and All of the Night," The Kinks

Hard to believe these two songs were on the charts together. "Look" was another of Leslie Gore's string of polite teen romance hits while the Kinks crunch rock anthem, All Day and All of the Night, puts forth an overtly sexual message. Both songs are mini classics.

comsol · Dec 20, 2019

Fun fact, most of the suits and sport jackets from Goldfinger were worn by Connery a few months earlier in a movie called Woman of Straw. Anthony Sinclair, the tailor who made all of Connery's Bond Suits made these suits as well. In fact, there is a brown tweed sport jacket and tan pants combination that is used in these two movies as well as in Thunderball - making it the only outfit to be used in more than one Bond film. A good comparison can be found here: https://www.bondsuits.com/sean-connerys-suits-in-woman-of-straw-vs-goldfinger/

RJDiogenes · Dec 20, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
"Look of Love," Lesley Gore

I don't remember this, but it's typical Lesley Gore. That's not a bad thing.

"Give Him a Great Big Kiss," The Shangri-Las

I don't remember this, either, but it's got that classic Shangri-Las vibe that makes me smile (and sounds like the 50s).

"Let's Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)," Jay & The Americans

And I'm not familiar with this one either. It's not as good as some of their other stuff, but it's a cute premise with a title that sounds like a Jim Steinman song.

"All Day and All of the Night," The Kinks

There we go! Definitely familiar with this slice o' classic Rock'n'Roll.

At a rate of one episode per week, they wouldn't be coming back around to that specific one for awhile.

Grrr. Well, I'll keep an eye peeled for other good guest stars.

I've also been recording a lot of odd movies for eventual viewing, usually during the off-season. Mostly stuff from the '50s that I don't cover here.

Do you have Prime? A lot of them may be available for free there.

The Old Mixer · Dec 20, 2019

50 Years Ago This Week

Mark Lewisohn's The Beatles Day by Day said:
December 23 – John and Yoko have a 51-minute private meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Ottawa. John later says 'If all politicians were like Trudeau there would be world peace.'

Wiki said:
December 24

Charles Manson is allowed to defend himself at the Tate-LaBianca murder trial.

The oil company Phillips Petroleum made the first oil discovery in the Norwegian sector of North Sea.

Nigerian troops capture Umuahia. The last Biafran capital before its dissolution becomes Owerri.

December 27 – The Liberal Democratic Party wins 47.6% of the votes in the 1969 Japanese general election. Future prime ministers Yoshiro Mori and Tsutomu Hata and future kingmaker Ichiro Ozawa are elected for the first time.

Selections from Billboard's Hot 100 for the week:

1. "Someday We'll Be Together," Diana Ross & The Supremes
2. "Leaving on a Jet Plane," Peter, Paul & Mary
3. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," B.J. Thomas
4. "Down on the Corner" / "Fortunate Son", Creedence Clearwater Revival
5. "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," Steam
6. "Holly Holy," Neil Diamond
7. "Come Together" / "Something", The Beatles
8. "I Want You Back," The Jackson 5
9. "Whole Lotta Love," Led Zeppelin
10. "Take a Letter Maria," R.B. Greaves
11. "Midnight Cowboy," Ferrante & Teicher
12. "Eli's Coming," Three Dog Night
13. "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday," Stevie Wonder
14. "La La La (If I Had You)," Bobby Sherman
15. "And When I Die," Blood, Sweat & Tears
16. "These Eyes," Jr. Walker & The All Stars
17. "Friendship Train," Gladys Knight & The Pips
18. "Backfield in Motion," Mel & Tim
19. "Venus," Shocking Blue
20. "Jam Up and Jelly Tight," Tommy Roe
21. "Cherry Hill Park," Billy Joe Royal
22. "Jingle Jangle," The Archies
23. "Don't Cry Daddy" / "Rubberneckin'", Elvis Presley
24. "Smile a Little Smile for Me," The Flying Machine
25. "Baby, I'm for Real," The Originals
26. "Up on Cripple Creek," The Band
27. "A Brand New Me," Dusty Springfield
28. "Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games with Me," Crow
29. "Wedding Bell Blues," The 5th Dimension
30. "Early in the Morning," Vanity Fare
31. "Heaven Knows," The Grass Roots
32. "Eleanor Rigby," Aretha Franklin
33. "Cold Turkey," Plastic Ono Band
34. "She," Tommy James & the Shondells

36. "Ain't It Funky Now (Part 1)," James Brown
37. "Going in Circles," The Friends of Distinction
38. "Groovy Grubworm," Harlow Wilcox & The Oakies
39. "Wonderful World, Beautiful People," Jimmy Cliff

41. "Winter World of Love," Engelbert Humperdinck

46. "Mind, Body and Soul," The Flaming Ember
47. "Arizona," Mark Lindsay
48. "Kozmic Blues," Janis Joplin

50. "Without Love (There Is Nothing)," Tom Jones
51. "I'll Never Fall in Love Again," Dionne Warwick

54. "Walkin' in the Rain," Jay & The Americans

58. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," Joe Cocker

62. "One Tin Soldier," The Original Caste

64. "Baby Take Me in Your Arms," Jefferson
65. "Volunteers," Jefferson Airplane

70. "No Time," The Guess Who

73. "Hey There Lonely Girl," Eddie Holman

80. "Look-Ka Py Py," The Meters

84. "Come Saturday Morning," The Sandpipers

88. "Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)," Lulu

93. "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Hollies

100. "The Thrill Is Gone," B.B. King

Leaving the chart:

"Sugar, Sugar," The Archies (22 weeks)
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," Crosby, Stills & Nash (12 weeks)
"Suspicious Minds," Elvis Presley (15 weeks)
"Try a Little Kindness," Glen Campbell (11 weeks)
"Undun," The Guess Who (10 weeks)

New on the chart:

"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)," Lulu
(#22 US; #36 AC; #47 UK)

"The Thrill Is Gone," B.B. King
(#15 US; #3 R&B; #183 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time)

"I'll Never Fall in Love Again," Dionne Warwick
(#6 US; #1 AC; #17 R&B)

"Without Love (There Is Nothing)," Tom Jones
(#5 US; #1 AC; #41 R&B; #10 UK)

"Hey There Lonely Girl," Eddie Holman
(#2 US; #36 AC; #4 R&B; #4 UK in 1974)

And new on the boob tube:

Mission: Impossible, "Time Bomb"
The Mod Squad, "Never Give the Fuzz an Even Break"
That Girl, "I Am a Curious Lemon"
Ironside, "Stolen on Demand"
The Brady Bunch, "Is There a Doctor in the House?"
Hogan's Heroes, "At Last—Schultz Knows Something"

_______

I see from Me's site that The Fugitive and Mission: Impossible are only going to be on once a week, on Sunday night / Monday morning (starting Jan. 5/6). At that rate, it'll take 'em a while to get to anything I could use.

gblews said:
This was a great movie for what it was. I think it absolutely holds up some 55 years after it's release. Starting with Goldfinger, not only did Bond become a cultural icon, he also became a men's fashion icon. The suits, the sport jackets, the shoes, the epitome of 60's conservative sartorial cool. Those clothes still look great.

One other thing, I think Goldfinger was maybe one of the first, if not the first, movies to feature an urbane, sophisticated, well spoken villain who would rather talk about his golf game than monologue about his nefarious schemes. Or maybe it's just that Auric Goldfinger started a trend toward this type of villain characterization.

I've always wondered what it was exactly about Goldfinger that so clicked with audiences. There had already been two films, and the spy fi craze was already getting underway (The Man from UNCLE started in Fall of '64). I imagine that the British Invasion played a part...suddenly English = cool. If so, ironic how the film specifically took a poke at the Beatles.

gblews said:
"Look" was another of Leslie Gore's string of polite teen romance hits

RJDiogenes said:
I don't remember this, but it's typical Lesley Gore. That's not a bad thing.

Not one of her memorable / better-known hits, but it's a pleasant listen.

RJDiogenes said:
I don't remember this, either, but it's got that classic Shangri-Las vibe that makes me smile (and sounds like the 50s).

Was surprised you didn't pull out that last bit for Lesley! An enjoyable bit of business with that distinctive Shangri-Las flavor.

And I'm not familiar with this one either. It's not as good as some of their other stuff, but it's a cute premise with a title that sounds like a Jim Steinman song.

Definitely lightweight and forgettable compared to something like...

gblews said:
the Kinks crunch rock anthem, All Day and All of the Night, puts forth an overtly sexual message.

RJDiogenes said:
There we go! Definitely familiar with this slice o' classic Rock'n'Roll.

We know what history has in store for us right around the corner, but I'd say that at this point in the British Invasion, the Kinks are blowing the Stones out of the water as an edgier alternative to the Beatles.

Do you have Prime?

Nope.

RJDiogenes · Dec 21, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
"Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)," Lulu

They can't all be "To Sir With Love."

"The Thrill Is Gone," B.B. King

This is a classic.

"I'll Never Fall in Love Again," Dionne Warwick

Ah, this is really nice. Another very fond childhood memory.

"Without Love (There Is Nothing)," Tom Jones

Hey, I like it. Tom Jones would be a guilty pleasure if I felt guilt. :rommie:

"Hey There Lonely Girl," Eddie Holman

Another classic.

Hogan's Heroes, "At Last—Schultz Knows Something"

I see from Me's site that The Fugitive and Mission: Impossible are only going to be on once a week, on Sunday night / Monday morning (starting Jan. 5/6). At that rate, it'll take 'em a while to get to anything I could use.

Well, it will be interesting to see some pre-Phelps Missions. I'll probably record some Fugitives, too, out of curiosity or an interesting guest star.

Was surprised you didn't pull out that last bit for Lesley! An enjoyable bit of business with that distinctive Shangri-Las flavor.

When I listen to Lesley again with that in mind, it does sound like the 50s to me. I'm not sure why it didn't first time around. Maybe because the title put that other song in my head.

We know what history has in store for us right around the corner, but I'd say that at this point in the British Invasion, the Kinks are blowing the Stones out of the water as an edgier alternative to the Beatles.

The Kinks are a really great band with oddly intermittent success. They seem to have alternated between Top 40 and AOR success over the decades.

Nope.

Ah, bummer. Worth it, in many ways. :rommie:

The Old Mixer · Dec 21, 2019

_______

50th Anniversary Viewing (Part 1)

_______

The Ed Sullivan Show
Season 22, episode 12
Originally aired December 14, 1969
As represented in The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show

Ed said:
Now here are five brothers from Gary, Indiana, ranging in age from 10 to 18. They're a sensational group. Here, the Jackson 5.

The Jacksons open up the Best of installment with a pretty decent cover of the recent Sly & the Family Stone single "Stand". Then Michael uses a spoken intro about meeting a girl at school to introduce "I Wonder Who's Loving You Now," a cover of a song written by Smokey Robinson and first recorded by the Miracles as the B-side of "Shop Around" in 1960.

Ed said:
John Davidson, a marvelous singer...

Davidson does a loungey, granny-friendly medley of two recent hits, the Youngbloods' "Get Together" and Joe South's "Games People Play". Can't say he's doing anything for either song. tv.com informs me that Best of viewers were spared a cover of "Something".

Ed said:
Miss Lainie Kazan.

Kazan's rendition of "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?" is more easy listening, but at least not bastardizing recent pop hits. Apparently this song was best known for an earlier rendition by Streisand.

Ed said:
Now for all of the youngsters, here's my little Italian friend Topo Gigio getting ready for Christmas.

When Topo shares his list for Santa, Ed emphasizes that it's better to give than to receive, after which Topo asks Ed to give him a kiss. Ed does, and Topo is ecstatic. Then Topo "gives" everyone peace on Earth and goodwill to men...he's welcome to wish for it, but it's not really his to give. Ed gives him another kiss anyway.

Ed said:
American comic Guy Marks.

Guy tells a story about a couple trying desperately to have a car, rather than a child. He tenuously transitions into a song, "In My Home Town"...apparently a standard, not to be confused with other songs with similar titles. I couldn't find a definitive Google hit for this one, even typing in parts of the lyrics.

The Best of installment closes with the Jackson 5 performing their still-rising debut hit, "I Want You Back":
Ed brings the 5 over for a bow, perpetuates the story of how they were discovered by Diana Ross by having her take an audience bow, and wishes them a Merry Christmas and all the presents they want.

Ed said:
Those youngsters are amazing, and the little fella in front is incredible.

Also in the original episode according to tv.com:

Music:
--El Conquistador Strolling Violins (band from Puerto Rico) - instrumental song.
Comedy:
--Wayne & Shuster (comedy team) - parody TV commercials.
--The Muppets - Big Bird dances with 6 bird watchers.
Also appearing:
--The Mecners (acrobatic act from Poland).
Audience bows: LeeRoy Yarbrough (1969 NASCAR Champion driver), Etta Cortez (Vegas magazine editor), and Gig Young (actor).

Interesting...the Mecners were announced in the preview clips at the beginning of the Best of episode, but their performance wasn't shown on the Decades airing.

_______

Mission: Impossible
"The Brothers"
Originally aired December 14, 1969

Wiki said:
A Middle Eastern king needs to be restored to the throne, so the IMF team simulates a kidney transplantation during which he seemingly will donate his kidney to his murderous brother.

The IMF is trying to help King Selim, who's being held prisoner by his lookalike brother, the brutal Prince Samandal (both Lloyd Battista). The Prince's sadistic chief henchman is Colonel Hatafis (Joseph Ruskin). The official story is that the King is at a religious retreat, and the forces of democracy are afraid of the Prince gaining hypnotic control of him.

The miniature reel-to-reel tape in a pay phone said:
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim!

This time Jim has the usual suspects laid out before he even brings over the portfolio. Makes sense, he really should just have those portraits set into his coffee table at this point. Female guest agent Lisa:

And now without head shots:

With the help of a bad accent, sunglasses, a throng of reporters, and Lisa posing as his companion, Paris comes into the country as a Greek tycoon to discuss an oil deal. Lisa's there to serve as a lure for Prince Horndog. Paris Onassis suffers a Fake Attack in the palace and asks for Dr. Jim to be summoned. The Prince uses the opportunity to ask Lisa to have dinner with him, during which she uses her compact remote to release the drug in Paris's gift bottle of cognac after the Prince's man has tested it. His Highness subsequently collapses into unconsciousness and displays symptoms that simulate kidney disease. Fortunately, Dr. Jim is a double-fake kidney specialist, part of his cover being that he's practicing under a false name to hang out with the swingin' Paris O. without his wife knowing. I can't help picturing his fake wife as looking a lot like Cinnamon.

Dr. Jim determines that a fake transplant is needed, but he wants it done on the down-low so the missus doesn't find out. To that end he calls on his own guys, Barney's Repertory Medical Services. Barney just sits on the phone smirking while Jim provides his end of the conversation. When they arrive, an impromptu surgical theater is set up.

Questioned by Colonel Hatafis, Lisa reveals that Paris plans to have the colonel killed after the operation as part of his deal with the Prince. Gotta turn the henchman against the main bad guy, right?

Using the simpler-than-usual disguise of a matching pair of glasses and a surgical mask, Paris poses as the Prince's usual doctor (Lee Bergere) for the operation. While Jim demonstrates that his medical qualifications consist of being able to dip his instruments in dishes of fake blood and drop them in a bucket of water, both the Prince and the King are in turn lowered into the basement on their trick surgical tables and replaced with dummy heads. After a temporary power failure apparently caused by Hatafis, the Prince and King are switched by Barney and Willy and each is groomed to look like the other...the Prince by shaving his beard and the King by applying one.

Following the successful fake operation, the Colonel slips into the recovery room and turns off the Not King's oxygen supply. The Colonel then assembles the local sheikhs and announces that the King has been murdered by the Prince. His speech is interrupted when the now conscious and again beardless Real King enters the room. Mission: Accomplished.

This one was generally pretty straightforward and easy to follow, but the Colonel's betrayal angle seemed underbaked.

_______

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Season 3, episode 14
Originally aired December 15, 1969

The Wiki list of guest appearances said:
Greer Garson, Stu Gilliam, Lorne Greene

The first Farkel Family featurette:

In one of several short bits that has him playing poker in a saloon, Lorne asks someone if they use that new margarine. I want to say that he was doing a margarine commercial at the time, but a quick Google wasn't turning up any results.

Laugh-In looks at a time when nudity is so common that there's a clothist colony called Camp Cover-Up:

Dan announces that William F. Buckley will be their guest next week. The next episode will be in two weeks, and he's not listed. Dick plugs a Bing Crosby special.

Joanne sings about being loud:

One piece of News of the Future is said to be from 1990...getting just a smidgen ahead of things.

The Mod, Mod World of Extremism:

The only hint of Christmas business in the last episode before the holiday is a very brief gag of Stu Gilliam as a black Santa reporting from the South Pole. But the week after Christmas, we will be getting that noteworthy end-of-decade New Year's episode.

_______

The Mod Squad
"In This Corner – Sol Alpert"
Originally aired December 16, 1969

Wiki said:
Pete, Linc and Julie try to find the landlord responsible for conditions in a rundown slum neighbourhood.

Looks like we have a British Wiki contributor. And the IMDb blurb reminded me that the character of Sol Albert/Alpert (Marvin Kaplan) first appeared in last season's "Flight Five Doesn't Answer". I dug up my review of the episode, but I didn't say anything about his character, so his role must have been incidental.

The guys get in touch with Alpert to fix Julie's TV so they can see a basketball game--and he even makes a house call! IMDb and Wiki disagree with how his name is spelled in the title, but it's "Alpert" on the side of his van, so that's what I went with. Sol doesn't have the part he needs to fix the set in time, so the guys have to listen to their team lose on the radio. There's a cute moment when Alpert lets it slip that Pete and Linc are policemen, thinking that Julie doesn't know. The Mods don't go so far as to clarify that she's one of them.

And it turns out that this is a holiday episode, but for the wrong season--it's the first night of Passover! Sol invites the Mods to his cousin Simon's (Noam Pitlik) place for the seder dinner. Afterward, they accompany Sol back to his shop to find a vandalism in progress. The culprits get away, having left some anti-Semitic grafitti on the wall. After Greer comes and goes, it comes out to the Mods that Sol knows who's responsible, and he doesn't want to press charges because they're his neighbors. They've been pressuring him to improve the living conditions in their apartments, under the mistaken impression that he's the landlord because he's been collecting the rent, but he doesn't know who he's been doing it for. The Mods get on the case and discover that the landlord is Simon. Sol confronts his cousin, and when Simon isn't interested in helping, Sol declares war.

The man at the Fair Housing Office (Vince Howard) wants to help, but their only power over the matter would be to condemn the building. Legal solutions are also hindered by how the tenents are typically living in illegally crowded conditions. But Linc gets an idea, quite ironically, from a book on Jewish history that Simon gave him at the seder. He calls on a rabbi, Elliott Tannenbaum (Steve Franken), and asks about convening a beth din, or "house of judgement"...a rabbinical court. The catch is that Simon has to participate voluntarily, so Sol organizes the neighbors to picket Simon's apartment building in order to put the pressure on. When they express their skepticism of how much Sol would understand their issues...

Sol said:
"Ghetto"--who do you think invented the word?

During the demonstration, Pete gets in an argument with a uniformed officer (Superman's Bully Pepper Martin) over the picketers' rights, and Greer has to intervene to keep him from being hauled in. The picketing ultimately succeeds in pressuring Simon to attend the beth din.

At the proceeding, Simon tries to discredit the tenants and his cousin's motivations for siding with them by bringing up the vandalism incident. Julie shows slides of building violations and the generally squalid living conditions. Simon protests that there's little he can do to help "those people" if they "want to live like animals". But his son Mark (Sheldon Collins) seems very affected by it all and confronts his father. Between that and the verdict of the court in favor of the tenants, Simon is forced to face himself.

During the beth din, Pete and Linc go to find one of the tenants, Fernando Rodriguez (Armand Alzamora), and discover that Mrs. Rodriguez (Perla Walter) has been bitten by a rat and that Fernando plans to go after Simon with a gun. They get back to the synagogue too late, and Fernando shoots Simon as he's leaving, only to be informed afterward that the tenants have won.

In the coda, Mark shows up at Sol's shop on behalf of his recovering father to get a list of what the tenants need. We're told that Rodriguez is out on bail (posted by Greer), and indications are that Simon plans to drop the charges. I'm no legal expert, but I'm pretty sure that attempted homicide doesn't work like that. Anyway, the Mod Trio do their walk-off outside of Sol's backlot shop.

_______

RJDiogenes said:
They can't all be "To Sir With Love."

Nor even anything I'd ever heard in my life before I got it.

This is a classic.

I wasn't familiar with this before a few years ago when I got it because it was on the RS list. It's got a good vibe in its own right, but playlist-wise is a bit of a bum note to end the '60s on.

Ah, this is really nice. Another very fond childhood memory.

Finally, the Dionne Warwick song instead of the similarly titled Tom Jones song. And speaking of...

Hey, I like it. Tom Jones would be a guilty pleasure if I felt guilt.

So somebody likes this? For me it's the ol' hobgoblin at work.

Another classic.

A nice, classic number that I just now got only because the original recording hadn't previously been available on iTunes.

It's a Festivus miracle!

Well, it will be interesting to see some pre-Phelps Missions. I'll probably record some Fugitives, too, out of curiosity or an interesting guest star.

I'm not sure what I might do with The Fugitive. Could start recording it where it'd sync up with 55th anniversary viewing. I'd entertain watching from the beginning as off-season viewing if not for the current recording space issue. And it's not a given in this case that they'd start over at the beginning, since the show had been in their lineup fairly recently...they may pick up where they left off.

When I listen to Lesley again with that in mind, it does sound like the 50s to me. I'm not sure why it didn't first time around. Maybe because the title put that other song in my head.

You've always said it about her stuff before, so I just figured...

The Kinks are a really great band with oddly intermittent success. They seem to have alternated between Top 40 and AOR success over the decades.

Historically they'll prove to be all over the place, but for purposes of current 55th anniversary business, they've kicked things off powerfully with two consecutive stone-cold classic, cutting-edge rockers.

J.T.B. · Dec 21, 2019

Abbey Chrimble said:
We know what history has in store for us right around the corner, but I'd say that at this point in the British Invasion, the Kinks are blowing the Stones out of the water as an edgier alternative to the Beatles.

One of the classic what-ifs of rock and roll is how big the Kinks would have been in the US if they had been able to tour there 1964-1969. Their recording catalogue in that time is strong, but OTOH would greater success in the American market change the course of Ray's songwriting away from the idiosyncratic Englishness of some of their most beloved albums?

BTW, does Arthur get a 50th spotlight?

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