Babes Of The 1970s: Manly Males

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Bionic Disco proudly presents Babes of the 1970s: Manly males. Feast your eyes on 20 “hunky” entertainers the North American public found enticing and exciting in the years 1970 through 1979.

This visual list contains a healthy amount of masculine marvels and teen heartthrobs but there are many more we could have included. If response is good we’ll post part two in the coming days. Here now, in alphabetical order we have Robert Blake, James Brolin, Jim Brown and many more. Quien es mas macho?…

Robert Blake

Robert Blake

Robert Blake. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Det. Tony Baretta in TV’s Baretta (1975-’78) and starring in the film Electra Glide in Blue (1973).

James Brolin

James Brolin

James Brolin. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Dr. Steven Kiley on TV’s Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969-1976) and appearing in films like Westworld (1973), Capricorn One (1977) and The Amityville Horror (1979).

Jim Brown

Jim Brown

Jim Brown. This former running back for the Cleveland Browns is best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as …tick… tick… tick… (1970), Black Gunn (1972) and Three the Hard Way (1974).

David Cassidy

David Cassidy

David Cassidy. Best known in the 70s for: Starring as Keith Partridge on TV’s The Partridge Family (1970-’74) and touring and performing hit songs such as “Cherish” and “The Puppy Song.”

Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy. Best known in the 70s for: Starring as Joe Hardy on TV’s The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (1977-’79) and performing hit songs such as “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Hey Deanie.”

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as Mean Streets (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976) and The Deer Hunter (1978).

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as Dirty Harry (1971), High Plains Drifter (1973), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Every Which Way But Loose (1978).

Erik Estrada

Erik Estrada

Erik Estrada. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Officer Francis Poncherello on TV’s CHiPs (1977-’83).

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Han Solo in the movie Star Wars (1977) and starring in films like Force 10 from Navarone (1978) and Hanover Street (1979).

Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb

Andy Gibb. Best known in the 70s for: Recording and singing #1 songs such as “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” and “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water,” and for being brother to members of the Bee Gees.

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson

Kris Kristofferson. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973), A Star Is Born (1976) and Semi-Tough (1977) and for his singing career with albums such as The Silver Tongued Devil and I (1971) and Breakaway (1974).

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Li Tsung on TV’s Longstreet (1971) and starring in films like Fists of Fury (1971), Way of the Dragon (1972) and Enter the Dragon (1973). Being extremely badass.

Lee Majors

Lee Majors

Lee Majors. Best known in the 70s for: Portraying Roy Tate on TV’s The Virginian (1970-’71) and portraying Col. Steve Austin on TV’s The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-’78).

Joe Namath

Joe Namath
(Hey! What’s he doing with Lee Major’s gal?)

Joe Namath. Best known in the 70s for: Playing quarterback for the New York Jets (1970-’76) and the Los Angeles Rams (1977), starring in numerous television commercials for products such as Noxzema and Hamilton Beach, appearing on TV shows such as The Brady Bunch (1973) and The Waverly Wonders (1978) and starring in films such as C.C. and Company (1970).

Donny Osmond

Donny Osmond

Donny Osmond. Best known in the 70s for: Performing chart-topping music both as a solo act and with his brothers, The Osmonds, and for co-starring with his sister on TV’s Donny and Marie (1976-’78).

Robert Redford

Robert Redford

Robert Redford. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in film such as Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way We Were (1973), The Sting (1973) and All the President’s Men (1976).

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as Deliverance (1972), The Longest Yard (1974) and Smokey and the Bandit (1977), posing nude in Cosmopolitan Magazine (1972).

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree

Richard Roundtree. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in films such as Shaft (1971), Shaft’s Big Score! (1972) and Man Friday (1975).

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone. Best known in the 70s for: Writing and starring in Rocky (1976), Paradise Alley (1978) and Rocky II (1979) and starring in films such as F.I.S.T. (1978).

John Travolta

John Travolta

John Travolta. Best known in the 70s for: Starring in the TV movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976) and as Vinnie Barbarino on TV’s Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-’79), starring in films such as Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978), singing the top ten song “Let Her In” (1976).

Return to the Bionic Disco homepage for more mind-expanding 1970s pop culture!

Music for Monday: The Osmonds, ‘Crazy Horses’

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‘What a show. There they go. Smokin’ up the sky, yeah.’ The Osmonds, ‘Crazy Horses,’ 1972.

The Osmonds released the “Crazy Horses” single from the L.P. of the same name in October of 1972. The tune was written about air pollution (crazy horses = cars) and it rose to #14 on the Billboard US Hot 100 and #2 in the UK.

I can remember the first time I heard this song. My buddy Curtiss had the L.P. and we went over his place to listen to it. It seemed wild with that Yamaha keyboard Theramin squeal going on and I liked it right away. This would have been a few years after the original release. Probably somewhere around 1975 or ’76. Enjoy the psychotic equines!

Earthquake!: Rare L.A. documentary, 1973

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Sylmar quake documentary, 1973

If you’ve got 27 minutes to spare you’ll want to watch this fascinating documentary on the February 9th, 1971 Sylmar earthquake (San Fernando Valley/Los Angeles, CA). The film was produced in 1973 and combines actual footage from the day of the quake with what looks like recreations from a year or so later.

I have an early memory of my mother shuffling my sister and me under our wooden dining room table to sit out this quake. I would have been four-years-old at the time and living in Hollywood. Thankfully, not at the epicenter of the quake. We were shaken, but fine.

Sylmar quake, February, 1971. 65 persons lost their lives.

Sylmar quake footage, Governor Ronald Reagan, Vice President Spiro Agnew, 1971

Earthquake! Quote:

“If the shock had come a few hours later in the morning when schools were full and freeways crowded the death toll might have reached a thousand instead of 65.

But, more than 30 schools in Los Angeles alone will have to be demolished and replaced. The freeways rebuilt. A billion dollars worth of damage repaired.”

Earthquake! source: Archive.org/Prelinger Archives

Today, in the 70s: Up in Smoke, AC/DC rocks

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Let us imagine an avocado green and harvest gold-colored time machine (with an air-brushed image of prancing horses upon its side) has whisked us back in time to August 11th, 1978.

What sort of news events and fantastical entertainment would we be confronted with 34 years ago?

Movies
Want to take in a flick? Movies released on this day in 1978 include:

Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke

Cheech finds love, ‘Up in Smoke,’ August, 1978


Up in Smoke Wiki, IMDb. Starred Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Strother Martin, Edie Adams and Stacy Keach. The film was very successful and ended up the 15th highest-grossing film of 1978.

and Who’ll Stop the Rain

Nick Nolte enjoys the sunshine in ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain,’ August, 1978


Who’ll Stop the Rain Wiki, IMDb. Starred Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty and Anthony Zerbe. Movie tagline: “A week ago they were strangers. An hour ago they were lovers. Now they are targets.”

Music
In the music world:

Bon Scott and Angus Young of AC/DC backstage, August 11th, 1978 Atlanta, Georgia


Cheap Trick and AC/DC played the Symphony Hall in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chicago played the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Barry Manilow played the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada as part of the “Even Now” tour.

Peter, Paul & Mary played the Mississippi River Festival in Edwardsville, Illinois.

and Chic released their C’est Chic L.P. which included the top 10 songs “Le Freak” and “I Want Your Love”.

Sports
In the sports world:

Catfish Hunter and the New York Yankees (2) beat the Baltimore Orioles (1) at Memorial Stadium.

Dennis Leonard and the Kansas City Royals (9) beat the Toronto Blue Jays (8) at Exhibition Stadium.

And Rick Langford and the Oakland Athletics (2) beat the Minnesota Twins (0).

News and Events
In the news:

President Jimmy Carter’s day at the White House included meetings with Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown, Assistant for National Security Zbigniew Brzezinski and Assistant Hamilton Jordan. The President also attended a Pontifical Requiem Mass in honor of Pope Paul VI and phoned his wife who was in Rome, Italy because…

A funeral Mass was held for Pope Paul VI at St. Peter’s Basilica. Pope Paul VI had died August, 6th.

The first Atlantic Balloon Crossing took off from Presque Isle, Maine (later landing in Miserey, France on Aug. 16th).

1960s White House photographer Robert Knudsen testified before The John F. Kennedy Subcommittee of the Select Committee on Assassinations, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. regarding autopsy photos of the slain president.

and the American Indian Religious Freedom Act became law.

Funshine Friday: Inch High, Private Eye

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“The world’s biggest little detective.” Inch High, Private Eye, 1973.

Hanna-Barbera’s Inch High, Private Eye originally ran for 13 episodes on NBC from September, 1973 – August, 1974.

The animated series featured the voice of Lennie Weinrib (H.R. Pufnstuf) as Inch. Inch did his dangerously comical work for the Finkerton Detective Agency and was aided by his niece Lori, her boyfriend Gator and his dog Braveheart.

Inch High, Private Eye Wiki, IMDb

Show Toppers: McCloud (’70-’77)

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Dennis Weaver is ‘McCloud’. Intro circa 1975.

Time for another shot o’ “Show Toppers.” Today, we take a look at McCloud and take in the show’s intro from season six, September, 1975.

McCloud ran from 1970 to 1977. NBC ran the show as part of its Four in One series and later as part of the rotating shows that made up the successful NBC Mystery Movie series.

Dennis Weaver starred as sherrif Sam McCloud who moved from small town New Mexico to bustling New York City while on semi-permanent special assignment to the NYPD. J.D. Cannon and Terry Carter co-starred.

*You’ll have to excuse the brief flash of Dutch that appears onscreen. Otherwise this is a nice quality clip.

McCloud Wiki, IMDb

Previously, on Show Toppers: Kojack (’73-’78)