Happy Days’ Marion Ross on aging and suing CBS

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Don't mess with Mrs.C! Marion Ross on Happy Days 1976.

Marion Ross, best known as 70s TV Mom Mrs. Cunningham on Happy Days, has been in the news of late. Ross has spoken with USA Today about aging (she’s now 82 and still working away) and she and some of the other Happy Days cast members are suing CBS for unpaid monies related to the use of their likenesses.

USA Today Quote:

“Q: Are you surprised you’re still working at 82?

A: No. I expect myself to work. I am surprised to see that I am an older person. I didn’t know that I was. When did that happen? I did a play last summer at the Globe Theater in San Diego, and I’m going to do Lost in Yonkers next summer in Toronto.

Q: Do you keep in touch with anyone from Happy Days?

A: I talk to The Fonz quite a bit and the rest of the cast. Some of us are suing CBS. They have Happy Days slot machines in all these casinos. If you get five Marions, you hit the jackpot. The Fonz is paid for that, and I guess Ron (Howard) is also. Nobody asked me, and apparently I don’t have that power to say, ‘I won’t do this.’ I wasn’t keen that Happy Days should be in a gambling casino. Anson Williams (Potsy), Donnie Most (Ralph), Erin Moran (Joani), Tom Bosley’s estate and me have a lawsuit.”

Here’s a wee Happy Days clip from February, 1976 (Season 3):

If the above clip isn’t enough – you can watch the entire episode in high quality here.

Music for Monday: Curtis Mayfield, ‘Superfly’ (1973)

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Curtis Mayfield sings 'Superfly' on TMS '73. A falsetto for the ages.

Happy Monday, Bionic friends. It’s time for a solid dose of music to chase the blues away. Today, we have Curtis Mayfield performing “Superfly” on The Midnight Special in 1973. Mayfield’s “Superfly” soundtrack was released alongside the film of the same name in July, 1972 and reached the top ten on both the R&B (#5) and Pop charts (#8).

“Superfly, you’re gonna make your fortune by and by
But if you lose, don’t ask no questions why
The only game you know is do or die…”

Curtis Mayfield: ‘Superfly,’ (Live on ‘The Midnight Special,’ 1973)

Curtis Mayfield Wiki, Superfly at Rovi

TV Time: S.W.A.T. Opening Credits (1975)

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S.W.A.T. van 1975. Coolest delivery truck on TV!

Here’s the opening credits for one of my favorite shows as a kid – S.W.A.T. You remember what the acronym stands for right? Special Weapons And Tactics. When that “Wheep! wheep wheep!” blared on the screen you knew it was time for action!

I can remember running around the neighborhood imitating T.J’s leap while toting my own toy M-16. A school friend and I even wrote (what must have been fairly horrible) scripts for the show when we were nine-years-old. One thing we can all agree on, the show had one of the best theme songs of all time. I even bought a 45 of this back in’76 when the tune hit #1 on the charts. Enjoy.

S.W.A.T. ran for two seasons over 1975 and ’76. Here’s your cast list:
Steve Forrest as “Hondo”
Rod Perry as “Deacon” (or just “Deke”)
Robert Urich as “Street”
Mark Shera as “Luca”
and James Coleman as “T.J.”

S.W.A.T. Wiki, S.W.A.T. IMDb

Classic Car Chase: The Seven-Ups (1973)

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Classic car chases - The Seven-Ups 1973

I know just what we need to get this weekend underway with a bang – a fantastic 1970s film car chase! Check out the complete 10-minute high-quality chase sequence from this cop flick directed by Philip D’Antoni and starring Roy Scheider. Action, burning rubber, New York in 1973. What’s not to love?

Tantalizing tagline:

“What the regular cops are afraid to do, the “Seven-Ups” will. Without fear. Without mercy.”



The Seven-Ups IMDb, The Seven-Ups Wiki

‘Taxi Driver’ Movie Trailer (1976)

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De Niro in Taxi Driver, 1976. 'You talkin' to me?'

It’s movie trailer time, Bionic friends. Today we cast ourselves back to February, 1976 and soak up the majesty of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Nominated for four Academy Awards and winner of the Palme d’Or at the ’76 Cannes Film Festival – Taxi Driver is a true classic that we’ll still be watching and discussing come 2076. View the trailer below.

“De Niro. In Bang the Drum Slowly the critics called him a brilliant new talent. after Mean Streets, they said he was a genius. For his performance in the Godfather Part II they gave him the Academy Award. Now, Robert De Niro creates a terrifying portrait of life on the edge of madness.”

‘Taxi Driver’ Theatrical Trailer, 1976



Taxi Driver IMDb, Taxi Driver Wiki

TV Time: Star Wars Kenner Collection ’78

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Kenner TIE-Fighter '78 with pop-off wings. Neato!


It’s high time we turned our eyes toward another vintage Star Wars toy commercial. This Kenner spot presented by C3-PO (aka Anthony Daniels) lists a date of 1977 but is actually from 1978 as a rounded line-up of toys weren’t ready for the unexpected summer blockbuster in ’77.

You’ll find many treats in this one, such as the TIE-Fighter with detachable (exploding) wings and a radio-controlled R2-D2. Nifty!

“Star Wars. You and your children loved it. Now, the earthlings at Kenner have asked my associate and me to present the Start Wars Collection.”