David McCallum for Hanes. (1977)
“Hanes. So comfortable you forget you have it on.”
Time to slip into our Daily 70s Spot. Today we take a look at Hanes underwear and their commercial featuring the ‘Invisible Man.’ Spot aired in 1977.
Previously on Daily 70s Spot: Datsun ‘Lil’ Hustler’ pickup (1975)
Look at that lil’ blue hustler go! (‘Ants in the Pantry,’ 1970)
Happy Funshine Friday, folks. Friday is fun-day (I don’t care what your boss says)! Therefore, it’s time to consume a cartoon featuring The Ant and the Aardvark. Ants in the Pantry made its theatrical debut in June of 1970. Enjoy it in its entirety below.
Previously on Funshine Friday: ‘Jason of Star Command’ (1978)
They were going to call it the ‘Wee Huckster’ but they changed their minds. (Datsun ‘Lil’ Hustler,’ 1975)
“America’s No.1-selling small truck.”
Time to fire up the Daily 70s Spot. Here we have a commercial for Datsun’s Lil’ Hustler pickup truck. Yes, the vehicle is really called the “Lil’ Hustler.” There’s nothing strange about that whatsoever. At all. Move along. Spot aired in November of 1975.
Previously on Daily 70s Spot: Ivory Soap (early 1970s)
‘Struck by Lightning” TV title, 1979
Today on Show Toppers we have a real rarity. Give yourself a hearty pat on the back if you remember this one. Struck by Lightning originally ran Wednesday evenings on CBS from September to October, 1979. 11 episodes were filmed but only three were ever shown in the US (the UK saw them all in 1980).
The sitcom stars Jeffrey Kramer as Ted Stein, the great-great-grandson of Dr. Frankenstein, who inherits an ancient inn in Massachusetts. Frank (aka Frankenstein), played by Jack Elam, still lives at the Brightwater Inn and convinces Ted to stick around and recreate a formula that will keep him alive.
Frank (Jack Elam) and Stein (Jeffrey Kramer) (‘Struck by Lightning,’ 1979)
The Struck by Lightning cast was rounded out by Millie Slavin as innkeeper Nora, Jeff Cotler as her son, Brian, Bill Erwin as a boarder called Glenn and Richard Stahl as Walt, a real estate agent. Catch the shocking intro below with its surprising theme song, “You Are So Beautiful.”
‘STRUCK BY LIGHTNING’ TV INTRO (1979)
Struck by Lightning Wiki, IMDb
(Additional reference: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh)
Previously on Show Toppers: ‘Hawaii Five-O’ (1970s)
A non-gratuitous photo of a half-naked woman. (Ivory Soap, early 1970s)
“Get down to basics with Ivory. A natural soap for healthy-looking skin.”
Let’s lather up the Daily 70s Spot. Here we have a typical-for-the-era Ivory Soap commercial featuring “a wife and mother.” Spot aired in the early 1970s. Narration by Mason Adams.
Previously on Daily 70s Spot: Eckerd Drugs for Kodak film (1979)
Today we have a quartet of exceptional, early-1970s images for you to ogle. Firstly, photos of Harlem and the Lower East Side, New York by Camilo José Vergara. Secondly, a quick presidential visit for soccer superstar Pele.
Puerto Rican Wedding, East Harlem, 1970. (Photo: Camilo José Vergara via Time.com)
East Harlem, 1970. (Photo: Camilo José Vergara via Time.com)
Avenue C, Lower East Side, 1970. (Photo: Camilo José Vergara via Time.com)
Vergara Quote via Time.com:
“Eager to be tough, I rejected my beginning efforts as sentimental and unoriginal. In 2013, I am happy my earliest pictures of New York survived. I see these images as fading glimpses of a city that disappeared — unique historical artifacts depicting intimate moments of people who stayed behind and documents of the decrepit buildings they inhabited.”
For more visit: Everyday Life in the Hood: New York 1970-1973 at Time.com.
President Ford and Pelé kicking it, June 28, 1975. (Photo: NPR via Ford Presidential Library Facebook page)
NPR Quote:
“A visit from Edson Arantes Nacimento, better known as Pelé. He stopped by the Rose Garden on June 28, 1975, to share some pointers on soccer with President Ford.
In a background memo for the meeting Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, himself a soccer fan, noted that Pelé was not only one of the world’s foremost athletes but also the most highly paid at the time.”
For more visit NPR/Ford Presidential Library Facebook page.
Previously on 70s Shots: McDonough’s New York City photos (1970s)