President’s Day Special: Carter vs. Ford, 1976

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Jimmy Carter, the 39th PotUS, circa 1976 election

Happy President’s Day to my fellow human beings in the US! Many of us are lucky to have today off as we bask in the glorious memory of former presidents Washington and Lincoln. This being a 70s-centric site, I thought we’d take a look back at the election year of 1976. Incumbent President Gerald R. Ford was facing off against the up-and-coming Governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter.

I don’t have to tell you how it all turned out (*Spoiler: Carter won*) but it’s fascinating to look at the two political combatant’s television advertising as they vied for the minds of the American public. A down-to-earth peanut farmer with a giant smile versus a quiet, ex-football player who was never elected by the public (Ford took over when Nixon resigned in ’74).

I was only nine-years-old during this election battle but I was fascinated by it. I collected Carter-Mondale pamphlets and pins and spent many hours watching the Democratic National Convention during the summer of ’76 on TV. What a strange kid.

Gerald R. Ford, 38th PotUS, circa 1976 election

Jimmy Carter TV Spot #1 (featuring Mary Tyler Moore):

Gerald Ford Spot #1 (“Steady Course”):

Jimmy Carter TV Spot #2 (Campaign Promo):

Gerald Ford Spot #2 (Campaign Promo):

Good Times: Watch full episodes this week

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Good Times, 1974. Dyn-o-mite and free tonite!

If you act fast you can watch full episodes of Good Times over at TVLand.com this week (until Feb 24th). Six episodes from 1974 are on offer and all feature 70s break-out star, Jimmie “J.J.” Walker at his “Dyn-o-mite!” best.

Good Times was developed by Norman Lear and originally ran on CBS from February, 1974 through August of 1979. The main cast members included John Amos, Esther Rolle, Ja’net Dubois, Bern Nadette Stanis, Ralph Carter and Johnny Brown. Janet Jackson appeared as a cast member on seasons five and six. Catch it while you can.

John Amos, Esther Rolle, Good Times, 1974

Good Times Wiki, IMDb

TV Time: Police Woman

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Angie Dickinson is 'Police Woman', 1977 intro

Police Woman starred Angie Dickinson as Sgt. “Pepper” Anderson and originally ran for four seasons on NBC from September, 1974 to March, 1978. I haven’t seen an episode in years (and I need to remedy that) but I remember it as fairly realistic (at least to my childhood mind) and well-acted. It also starred Angie Dickinson. Did I mention Angie Dickinson? Whew!

Here’s the intro for the final season of Police Woman. The music is soaring and Dickinson is super foxy and heroically dangerous. What more could you want from a TV show intro? Yes, I had a crush on Dickinson. Pretty much everyone in the 70s did and still does.

Police Woman Wiki, IMDb

70s Sites: Retrospace

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Another excellent 1970s-related Web Site has come to my attention and I’d like to point you in its direction. Retrospace is run by a fellow who answers to the nickname “Gilligan”. The site features a ton of cool 70s magazine scans and fun articles such as “A 1972 Quiz on Women’s Lib” and “1974 – The Greatest Year in Women’s Fashion History“. Regular features include “Retro Ads” and “That 70s Home“.

You may want to hop over and check out this amazing gallery focused on Archie Comics artist Dan DeCarlo (creator of Josie and the Pussycats) and his fascinating habit of drawing a large female face prominently in the foreground of various comic book frames. Early “photobombing” at its finest.

Archie Comics is full of 70s beauties


Retrospace Quote:

“I read a ton of Archie comics and kept noticing these odd ‘photobombs’ popping up in nearly every issue. (Note: photobomb = term for when a random person drops in a photo unexpectedly) For some reason, Dan DeCarlo, a master comic artist if there ever was one, felt the need to draw in faces hugging the sides of the panels – again and again and again….

I suppose it has a purpose. It gives the impression that the main characters are not interacting within a vacuum. A close-up of an unknown person’s face in the corner also adds an element of realism – as if you are viewing the scene in person or through a camera lens, rather than a 2D comic strip panel.

That being said….. DeCarlo did it A LOT.”

Funshine Friday: Goober and the Ghost Chasers

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Goober and the Ghost Chasers, 1973. 'Starring the Partridge kids!"

Hanna-Barbera’s Goober and the Ghost Chasers made its debut in September of 1973 and ran Saturday mornings on ABC through August of 1975. The show was fairly similar in style to Scooby-Doo and featured a cast of teens solving scary mysteries along with their faithful and frightened dog. 16 episodes were produced and many featured the kids from The Partridge Family as special guests. Susan Dey, Suzanne Crough, Brian Forster and Danny Bonaduce provided their own voices. The great Paul Winchell voiced the role of Goober.

Have a happy Funshine Friday and enjoy the show’s intro below.

70s Spots: Pete Rose, Pele, Don Knotts for Atari

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Atari, 1978. 20 cartridges now available!

Time for a commercial break, Bionic people. Here’s a fun, 30-second spot for Atari featuring Pete Rose, Pele (“I quit soccer to play Atari”) and the always amazing Don Knotts (a personal favorite).

The games on display are Atari Home Run, Air Sea Battle and Breakout. The “Atari Video Computer System” or Atari VCS sold for $199 bucks and included two joysticks and an Atari Combat game cartridge. Hot damn, who wouldn’t give up a multi-million dollar soccer career for that?!

Atari Commercial, 1978

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