Funshine Friday: Wacky Races Intro

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Wacky Races and those lovable bastards - Dastardly and Muttley

Here at the ‘Disco, Friday will henceforth be known as “Funshine Friday” and we’ll feature 70s cartoons and kids stuff.

We’ll get things rolling with Wacky Races. Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races cartoon originally ran from September, 1968 to September, 1970. The show ran off and on throughout the 1970s, and can still be found on TV today. I was a big fan as a kid. It was the closest thing we had in North America to my all-time favorite, Speed Racer. Grab a look at the show’s intro below and have a happy Funshine Friday!



Wacky Races Wiki

TV Time: Star Wars ‘Early Bird’ Action Figures

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Buy some cardboard and a certificate...fun will arrive eventually.

When Star Wars was released in May of 1977 it was such an unexpected smash that toys simply weren’t ready to hit stores in time to meet demand. As this ’77 TV spot shows, Kenner sold “Eary Bird Certificate Packages” with the promise of action figures that “Will be sent between February 1 and June 1 (1978)”! And, yes, we bought it anyway, such was our desire.

“R2-D2. Chewbacca. Luke and Princess Leia. They’re the Star Wars Early Bird set of figures. These action figures are not yet available.”

TV Time: ‘Rhoda’ Intro (1974)

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Rhoda, 1974. The Morgenstern sisters - Valerie Harper (right) and Julie Kavner.

In honor of actress Valerie Harper’s 72nd birthday (on August 22nd,) let’s have a look at the into to her hit show Rhoda, which ran from 1974 to 1978. Rhoda was a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and co-starred Julie Kavner, Nancy Walker, Harold Gould, David Groh and Lorenzo Music.

Interesting Factoids:
The October, 1974 Wedding episode, where Rhoda marries Joe Gerard (Groh,) was the highest-rated TV episode of the 70s until Roots grabbed the title in 1977.

Julie Kavner went on the voice Marge Simpson on The Simpsons.

Lorenzo Music, who played Carlton the Doorman, never appeared onscreen and only his distinctive voice was heard.

Valerie Harper won an Emmy Award for Rhoda for “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series” 1975.



Rhoda IMDb, Valerie Harper Wiki, Valerie Harper.com

Trailer Tuesday: Doc Savage: Man of Bronze

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Doc Savage, 1975. About to kick some 'Green Death' hinny.

Doc Savage: Man of Bronze starred Tarzan’s Ron Ely and hit theaters in June of 1975. Savage, intended to be a series (much like Tarzan,) was a campy adventure filled with hammy acting and hokey special effects and fared poorly at the box office. A little film called Jaws, which released in the same month, swallowed it whole. Watch the trailer below and beware “The Green Death!”

Interesting Factoids: Actress Pamela Hensley (who played Mona in Savage) also appeared in the film Rollerball and on TV’s The Rockford Files in 1975. She later appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man (’77) and B.J. and the Bear (’79).

Doc Savage IMDb, Doc Savage Wiki

Music for Mondays: The Knack ‘Good Girls Don’t’

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The Knack - 'Good Girls Don't'. Squeaky clean video version, Summer 1979

Happy Monday friends and neighbors! Let’s start the week off with a power pop blast. Kick those feet right up on your desk and slip back in time to August, 1979. We’re going to enjoy The Knack playing “Good Girls Don’t”. “Good Girls Don’t” was the follow-up single to the No. 1 smash “My Sharona” and hit a respectable high of No. 11 on the Billboard charts. The video below features the “Clean” radio edit of the song and leaves out any mention of “in her pants” and “sitting on your face.” Now, we can listen along with Granny and the whole family. Whoo hoo!



The Knack Wiki

Wattstax Trailer (’73)

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Wattstax, Summer '72. Power Shakin' and Lockin'

The Wattstax concert was organized by Stax Records and held in the Los Angeles Coliseum on August 20, 1972. The film documenting the event was released in February of 1973. Witness a fantastic trailer below and seek out the entire motion picture if you haven’t seen it. Not only is it an amazing document of the social climate in 1972 but the music is incredible across the board. You need to see this amazing film if for no other reason than to see Rufus Thomas perform “Do The Funky Chicken” while the audience in the Coliseum goes wild.

Wattstax, Summer '72 - The Bar-Kays and one hell of a white afro!

Interesting Factoids: Actor Ted Lange, who went on to play Isaac on TV’s The Love Boat, talks about the black experience in 70s America in the movie (and in the trailer below).



Wattstax Wiki