70s Spots: King Vitaman breakfast cereal

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King Vitaman breakfast cereal, TV spot, 1970

Quaker Oat’s King Vitaman breakfast cereal first hit the market in 1970 and featured excellent animated commercials created by Jay Ward Productions.

You’ll know Jay Ward from their brilliant work on shows such as Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and Super Chicken. The King Vitaman spot below likely dates from 1970, possibly 1971. In ’71 Quaker replaced the animated King with actor Joe Mann and began featuring his face on the cereal box and on television.

Funshine Friday: Dr. Shrinker

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Jay Robinson is 'Dr. Shrinker', 1976

Sid and Marty Krofft’s Dr. Shrinker encompassed 16, 15-minute episodes as part of the Krofft Supershow on ABC. The show originally ran from September, 1976 to September, 1977.

Jay Robinson played the “mad scientist” Dr. Shrinker, and Billy Barty appeared as his assistant, Hugo. The Osmonds sing the show’s title song. Have a happy Funshine Friday!

...and Billy Barty is 'Hugo'

Dr. Shrinker Wiki, IMDb

Mood Music: Free, ‘All Right Now’

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Free, 'All Right Now', 1970.

It’s all right now, baby. Can you dig it? Let me lay a heavy song on you sweet people of the earth. Free, live in concert, playing their top 5 smash “All Right Now” in 1970.

“Let’s move before they raise the parking rate!”

70s Spots: Arm & Hammer, ‘Onion Power’

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Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, 1977. 'Remember me?'

Time for a commercial. Here’s a fun one from 1977 or thereabouts; Arm & Hammer Baking Soda’s animated plea to change the poor old box in your fridge more often.

“What took you so long?”

(Thanks YouTube poster Genius7277 and TVLand Retromercials)

Trailer Tuesday: ‘The Towering Inferno’ (1974)

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The Towering Inferno, 1974. Burn, baby, burn.

“one tiny spark – becomes a night of blazing suspense…”

It took both Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox to bring The Towering Inferno to movie theaters in December of 1974. Irwin Allen’s “disaster” flick featured a large roster of stars such as Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Faye Dunaway and O.J. Simpson, fighting for their lives while a blaze engulfed the 138-storey tower in San Francisco they were trapped in.

Faye Dunaway (center) and Mike "Bobby Brady" Lookinland (right)

You may be surprised to learn that the picture was nominated for numerous Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and ended up winning in three categories; Best Cinematography, Film Editing and Best Song, “We May Never Love Like This Again“.

The Towering Inferno Wiki, IMDb

Music for Monday: The Kinks, ‘Apeman’

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The Kinks perform 'Apeman', 1970

The Kinks released “Apeman” in November, 1970 in the UK and December ’70 in the US. The tune was a follow up to the smash-hit “Lola” but didn’t fare quite as well in the States. It did, however, hit #5 in the UK and #9 in Australia.

Jack Wild, star of Oliver! and H.R. Pufnstuf covered the song on his 1971 L.P. Everything’s Coming Up Roses. Have a happy Monday!