Help!...it's the Hair Bear Bunch!, 1971. 'We don't even bite!'
Good morning and happy Funshine Friday! As per usual, at the start of the weekend, it’s time for a cartoon from the 1970s. Today, we have the intro for Help!…It’s the Hair Bear Bunch!, a Hanna-Barbera production, which originally ran on CBS from September, 1971 to January, 1972.
The hippie era was still very much alive in this bunch. Have fun!
Robert Hegyes as Juan Epstein on 'Welcome Back, Kotter,' 1975
NJ.com (New Jersey On-Line) is reporting that actor Robert Hegyes, of Welcome Back, Kotter fame, has died of an apparent heart attack at age 60. Mr. Hegyes passed away “after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen home this morning.”
Hegyes, who said he modeled the character of Juan Luis Pedro Philippo DeHuevos Epstein after Chico Marx, suffered a heart attack a number of years back and was in failing health. We’ll miss you, Robert. Thanks for the laughs.
Enjoy a nice, long segment from the first episode of Kotter, featuring Epstein and fellow Sweathogs, below.
*Note: The original video we linked to has been taken down. Enjoy this substitute.
Nixon and troops, early 70s (Photo: the newnixon.org)
Let’s take a look at what was being reported on this day, January 26th, 1972. President Richard Nixon and the Vietnam War were in the headlines and in the hearts and minds of the public. Read what The People History.com has listed below.
The People History.com Quote:
“26th January, 1972 : A recap was printed in a U.S. newspaper which revealed a summary of Nixon’s Eight-Point plan to end the Vietnam War. One of the actions revealed in this recount of Nixon’s plan was that of an action proposed eight months prior to this time.
The plan presented eight months prior was a plea for the release of all prisoners of war in exchange for U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam. In addition to U.S. withdrawal, this plan also included an agreement that South Vietnam’s Nguyen would step down come time for a new election.
It was also recorded in print on this day that Nixon had dispatched Henry Kissinger, his security advisor, to Paris at least a dozen times since August 4, 1969. The reason for these attempted contacts was to make negotiations with North Vietnam.
In one news source, a quote by Nixon revealed what Nixon has said was the original withdrawal date from Vietnam-May 31, 1971. This plan was rejected by North Vietnam at the next private meeting which had taken plan on June 26th, only less than a month later.
Instead, North Vietnam made a counter nine-point offer that insisted that the U.S. overthrow the government of North Vietnam. If North Vietnam had accepted the United State’s original eight-point plan presented by Nixon, the U.S. troops would have withdrawn within six months and Indo-China cease-fire would have taken place.”
Buc-Wheats Cereal, 1975. Just right when you're hankerin' for a "rich, brawny" breakfast.
Commercial break time. Are you ready for a cereal with “the only maple-flavored cereal flakes?” Grab a look at this 30-second spot for Buc-Wheats from General Mills. The commercial dates from 1975 or thereabouts. Buc-Wheats disappeared from store shelves in the 1980s. Maple-flavor lovers have been crying ever since.
The Warriors, 1979. 'Warriors...come out to..plaaaay!'
Walter Hill’s The Warriors was released in February of 1979 and made a deep impression on teens and pre-teens across the nation. We all felt the undeniable urge to slather our faces with paint, put on uniforms, and swirl our bats menacingly like the Baseball Furies gang. (Whaddya mean the Furies weren’t the stars of the movie? They were to me and my buddies!)
Seriously though, The Warriors has gained cult classic status for good reason. I love this flick and feel it still offers up a hearty evening’s entertainment. I pop in the DVD from time to time for a refresher. Watch the trailer, from late ’78, below.
For more on the film hit The Warriors Wiki, The Warriors IMDb and The Warriors Movie Site.
The Carpenters, Karen Carpenter, 1970. The sweetest female voice of the 70s.
The Carpenters released “We’ve Only Just Begun” (written by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols) in August of 1970. The song rose to #2 on the Billborad Hot 100 and spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Adult Contemporary singles charts.
Get mellow, have a happy Monday and enjoy. *Please note the drummer’s especially fantastic checkered polyester outfit. He wore it just for you.