Your Friday Flashback - 1978

Your Friday Flashback - G.I. Joe Adventure Team

Your Friday Flashback - 1976

Your Friday Flashback - 1977

Your Friday Flashback - Burger Chef

Your Friday Flashback - The Seventies

Movie Review - The Hard Road

Combining equal parts soap opera, daring drug expose' and high school VD flick, director Gary Graver's The Hard Road (1970) is a disturbing, unflinching tour de force in sleaze that will leave the viewer dumbstruck as well as feeling dirty and in need of a long bath.At seventeen Pam (Connie Nelson) finds herself alone and in trouble. Much to the chagrin of her parents (Ray Merritt and Liz Renay) she's in a family way and the daddy is nowhere to be found. But that's okay, because after they send her away to have the baby in secret and then put the kid up for adoption everything can get back to normal, or so they hope. But after Pam's loss of innocence, things just aren't the same anymore and there's no going home again. Pam needs to start over new, a change of pace to get her out of the doldrums, so dad calls in a favor and gets her a job with a slimy rock promoter friend of his named Leo (Gary Kent). Sure, Leo is a middle-aged scumbag pervert who likes to ogle his new receptionist through a two-way mirror, but that's only one of many fringe benefits that Pam gets with her new job. Another one is that she gets to meet and party with not quite famous, good-for-nothing degenerate rock stars that introduce her to many new and interesting concepts, concepts like recreational drug use and cheap one night stands. While Pam loved the marijuana and the wild trip it sent her on she didn't really like being used like a doormat. But after a new friend that Pam met at a party, Jeannie (Catherine Howard), makes her aware of even better drugs than "Mary Jane" and a little something that every girl should know about called "The Pill" ALL BETS ARE OFF! From then on Pam's life becomes an ever-increasing blur of cheap sex and bottled thrills.At this point Pam is still living at home and everything is going fine until her snoopy mother finds out that she's got a venereal disease, and then out the door she goes! Pam lands at best friend Jeannie's apartment, which she shares with her smackhead boyfriend Jimmy (John Alderman). Sure Jimmy is a full-fledged, $40 dollar a day heroin-shooting addict, but he is awfully cute. So cute in fact that Jeannie doesn't even mind pimping herself to support his addiction, now that's love. Unfortunately Jeannie quickly discovers that love stinks when she comes home one night and finds her junkie boyfriend snuggling up with new roomie Pam. That's it for her, Jeannie is out of there faster than you can say "pill popping prostitute ex-girlfriend" and Pam gets herself a new beau.Regrettably all is not sunshine and rainbows for Pam and her new boyfriend, he does have his shortcomings too. Like the time that Pam made the mistake of using the rent money to pay the rent, boy did he go off on her. But after he smacked her around some and put her out on the street to make him some dope money everything was great with them again. Well not really, you see while Pam truly likes cheap sex with strangers she's just not cut out to be a pro. So Jimmy, now getting kind of antsy because he hasn't had a fix in a while has to take his favorite TV set and sell it for dope. But Jimmy isn't really that smart and he's starting to go through withdraw so it's not long before he's got himself caught and sitting in county lock-up, Jimmy is going to get to spend the night in jail. By now he's in full-blown withdraw and it's going to be an interesting night for him, and we get to watch every bit of it. Meanwhile back at their apartment, lonely, bored and not known for making the best life choices, Pam suddenly comes up with a brilliant plan to break up the monotony of the day. Why not drop a big hit of acid and make like an airplane, wheeeeeeeeeeee!Wow! This could be one of the best worst movies ever, if not the best certainly a top contender. This is a movie that has a little something for everyone, teen pregnancy, drug use and addiction, blood-soaked drug crazed hippies, alienated youth as well as their unsympathetic parents, and a story so big it had to have two narrators! Yes, the ideas in this picture were so grand that it required two narrators to keep the story straight for the audience! One narrator to cover the more mundane details of Pam's pregnancy and a second narrator (who looks like some pervert that should be sitting in the dark at a peepshow somewhere) who gets to tell the audience all about the illicit drugs and their wonderful uses as well as all about the joys of venereal disease. And what a great idea having two narrators (although one coherent narrator might have been an idea they could have tried), because every time this story gets rolling one (or both) of these guys can come in and bring it to a screeching halt just to show us some informative (and stomach turning) high school scare film footage! Take all of these wondrous things and bundle them up in a high-minded, heavy-handed package and you could only get The High Road, and no it is not a pretty picture!This film is available from Something Weird Video or Movies Unlimited as a download or on DVD. The DVD is offered with another film, Damaged Goods, and includes many special features (short films, movie trailers, etc) all with a similar theme and make for a very interesting compilation.

Originally posted 7/7/2007

Funny how the mind works

Was driving in rush hour traffic early this AM and listening to the oldies channel when Stuck in the Middle with You started playing. I grew up in the 1970s and must have heard that song at least 10,000 (mild exaggeration) times as a kid. I like the tune and if anything you would think it might bring back fond memories from my childhood. But thanks to one particular movie all that comes to mind when I hear it now is some poor cop getting his ear cut off by a maniac.

Livin' in the 70s - Run Joe Run

The following story originally appeared on my first website, jwilsonsworld, on 4/20/2007.

Run Joe Run: David Janssen's The Fugitive recast as a dog. "Wanted: male German shepherd, black and tan, answers to the name of Joe. Accused of attacking his trainer Sergeant Will Corey, a crime he did not commit. Only Corey can prove him innocent, but he must find Joe before his pursuers track him down."

Brilliant simply brilliant. This would have to be my absolute favorite Saturday morning tv show ever. I can't recall ever missing an episode, even in reruns. Yes the storylines were simple (even for a children's show) but to my eight year-old mind this little morality play was completely engrossing. I loved dogs in general but particularly German shepherds so when this riveting live-action tale about a shepherd that was wrongfully accused and on the run from the authorities hit the airwaves I was hooked right away. My favorite part of the show was always when Joe, often in a difficult situation, would have a flashback to his old Army training days. The camera would close in with an extreme Sergio Leone type close-up on Joe's eyes while special "Joe thinking" sound effects would play. Suddenly Joe would remember something that had occurred during his training that would help him in the situation that he currently found himself, very smart dog indeed! Joe could do anything from turn on a water faucet, to help a lost blind girl find her way home (and anything in between). And much like the original Fugitive Joe would often selflessly help others without any consideration for himself. Why? Because he was an innocent dog accused of something he didn't do, and only an innocent dog would think of others. And have no doubt that he was completely innocent, the show's snappy intro let us know that fact right up front when it set up the entire premise for us (and in less than a minute too). Unlike the original Fugitive, Joe was never exonerated of his crimes and to this day is still on the run in badly worn bootleg copies of his adventures. But perhaps someday he will find some peace, or at the very least be released on DVD so that all of his old fans can enjoy his story all over again.

Livin' in the 70s - The After School Special

The following story originally appeared on my first website, jwilsonsworld, on 3/11/2007.

ABC's After School Special: Bite-sized life lessons for young people. In the 1970s one show that I absolutely could not miss was the ABC Television Network's After School Special, that program would come to teach me a lot about life and the world around me. The After School Special would often times take on difficult subjects, subjects that I might be too afraid to approach my parents with, and brought them out in the open for discussion. The After School Special took on those subjects and also made them understandable at a child's level while at the same time never talking down to us. Subject matter like divorce, alcohol and drug abuse, school bullies and death were all topics that were tackled and handled in a very effective and honest manner. And unlike most television programming for children they didn't always take the easy way out, just like in real life every story didn't have a happy ending and we were shown that to. In the After School Special we had a program that was designed to talk to us kids about the more serious problems and concerns that we might have in our young lives, and most importantly it did it in way we could understand. The After School Special would continue educating and entertaining young people for nearly two decades until finally it was done in by the very tv stations that had once championed it. With the rise of the afternoon talk show, intelligent, educational children's programming was no longer profitable. But long before that I had already stopped watching. By the early 1980s I no longer needed the wisdom of the After School Special, I had by then reached my early teens and like every other teenager since the beginning of time I suddenly knew everything. Looking back, I do miss those times when the world was simpler and all it took was a one-hour tv special to make you feel better about the world and your place in it.

Livin' in the 70s - Star Wars

The following story originally appeared on my first website, jwilsonsworld, on 8/26/2006.

Star Wars: Movie event of a lifetime. I feel a little bit sorry for anyone not old enough to remember seeing Star Wars when it originally came out in 1977. The later Star Wars' films might have been bigger and certainly were more of a spectacle, but that is no substitute for the life altering effects that the original had on everything connected to movies, Star Wars would forever change what movies could be. George Lucas' masterpiece was like nothing that came before it, it was completely fresh and exciting to our young eyes and did not compare to anything else we had ever seen. The combination of its adventurous, entertaining fantasy story and ground breaking special effects created a film that compared to absolutely nothing that came to the theaters before it. After Star Wars the world of cinema would never be the same again; there were now only two types of movies, those that came before Star Wars and those that came after. Like a lot of other people I found in Star Wars a film that completely opened up my imagination and forever changed my expectations about movie making. Everything after Star Wars was compared to it and most came up short. Although released in May I actually didn't see the movie until the end of summer. Most of my friends had already seen it and were telling me how great it was, but because of the long lines, the silly title and all of the ensuing buildup I had put off seeing it and was most definitely prepared to be let down. I was sure that no movie could live up to all of the hype that this movie had created and I was positive that Star Wars could not compare well to the movie going experience that I had while seeing Jaws a couple of years earlier, nothing would ever top that. Boy was I wrong! After I walked out of that theater in August of 1977 neither me, movie making or the world would ever be the same again.

Livin' in the 70s - The red soda wars

The following story originally appeared on my first website, jwilsonsworld, on 8/14/2006.

Tiger Red® vs. Big Red®: The red soda wars. Wow, as a kid I lived on this stuff, I don't think there was ever anything more satisfying than one of these served ice cold on a hot summer day. Of course there have been other red sodas on the market over the years, but here in my small corner of the world these were the two big players. Fortified with plenty of sugar, caffeine and artificial color both of these syrupy sweet, fire engine red concoctions would appeal to any red-blooded American kid and would have to be the best soda pops ever created. Both sodas had what has been variously described as a "bubble gum" or "candy" taste, or sometimes simply described as tasting "red". But whatever you wanted to call the taste they were wonderful anytime you could get them. Both were great, although as a boy my personal preference was definitely for Tiger Red, it had to my fading middle-aged memory, a more "bubble gummy" taste and cooler more kid-appealing packaging. Well we know who eventually won this war; Tiger Red went the way of the dodo, becoming only a small footnote in the history of soda pop. Its main competitor Big Red still survives to this day though, the packaging has changed over the years but it still has that great "red" taste. Although I rarely have soft drinks anymore I will on occasion indulge with a Big Red, still just as refreshing on a hot day as it ever was.

Livin' in the 70s - Kristy McNichol

The following story originally appeared on my first website, jwilsonsworld, on 8/7/2006.

Kristy McNichol: Ultimate 70s tomboy. I first really noticed Kristy McNichol in 1977. Of course I had already seen her before in numerous tv programs like Run Joe Run, Starsky and Hutch, The Bionic Woman as well as her appearances on the ABC network's After School Specials (which I watched religiously), but it wasn't until '77 that I really took note of her. 1977 was a great year for Kristy, not only was she starring in the critically acclaimed drama Family but she made over a dozen television appearances that year in various primetime and syndicated programs. With appearances that not only included two episodes of Celebrity Challenge of the Sexes, US Against the World, Battle of the Network Stars II and III, the Donny & Marie variety show, Circus of the Stars # 2, The Mike Douglas Show, The Carpenters At Christmas, two tours on The Love Boat as well as a very memorable performance in the short children's film The Pinballs I guess it would have been hard not to see her on television that year. Well I certainly saw her and thereafter made an effort to see her every chance I got. I had liked other girls on other shows before her but they were all "stars" and never seemed real, they all seemed to be beautiful dreams that only existed in the world of television. Kristy was different; she was a real person, she was the first girl that seemed like she could be someone that you might actually know in real life. She played sports and loved to compete, she also liked skateboarding, dirt bikes and go-karts just like one of the guys. But she wasn't one of the guys; she was a girl, a girl with big beautiful brown eyes and a bright smile, a smile that only seemed to be a small sampling of some brilliant glow that she carried inside her. And have no doubt that there was something very special inside her, it was quite obvious to anyone that was paying attention. Well I was most definitely paying attention and to my pre-adolescent mind she was the perfect girl, an ideal combination with just enough tomboyish charm to be appealing yet at the same time not too much of a "girl" to be threatening. The late 1970s were Kristy's; this was Kristy at her height. Television appearances, awards and accolades, movie deals and hit records would all come her way before the decade ended. She would become a superstar and she got it all just by being herself. Over the ensuing years her career had many ups and downs as she had her own personal demons to deal with. Finally this very talented lady's career came to an end with her self-imposed retirement in the late 1990s. Although it has been many years since Kristy has brightened our television screens, even all of these years later when I see one of her old shows I still can't help but be reminded of that pretty little tomboy with the inviting smile that first taught me that maybe, just maybe, girls might not be so bad after all.

Retro Pop (Culture) - You Light Up My Life

In the fall of 1977 Debby Boone would have the first and what would ultimately be the biggest hit of her singing career when the now universally known You Light Up My Life went to the number one position on the Billboard® Hot 100 charts. Debby, the third daughter of 1950's pop music superstar Pat Boone and no stranger to the stage herself, having toured with the Boone family since the age of 14, found overnight celebrity with this hugely popular single. You Light Up My Life was originally recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the movie of the same name. Contrary to what many people believe Debby's recording was never used in that film. Her version was released as a single in August 1977 and would spend a record breaking ten consecutive weeks at the number one position. The song would also go to the number one position on the Hot Adult Contemporary as well as number four on the Hot Country Singles charts. Although originally written as a more conventional love song Debby professed her version to be about her love for God rather than any kind of romantic love. Even though follow up success in pop music would elude her Debby would go on to have a highly regarded singing career with numerous hits and awards in Christian and Country music. But it was her recording of You Light Up My Life that made history, not only was it wildly popular with the buying public, but broke records, was nominated for (and won) numerous awards and would eventually sell nearly five million copies. The single would earn Boone a Grammy® Award for Best New Artist (as well as two other nominations) and an American Music Award® for Favorite Pop Single of 1977. The Academy Of Country Music would also award Debby with the Top New Female Vocalist for 1977. You Light Up My Life would end up being the biggest selling single for the entire decade and in 2008 Billboard would name the song # 7 on its All Time Hot 100 list. Today, over 30 years later, it can still be heard on the radio, and at wedding receptions and anniversary parties around this nation and the world. A fitting tribute to one young woman's love for her creator.

Classic TV Collection

From my own personal archives!"Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen) wants some straight answers from Dawn Carlson (Bonnie Ebsen, the star's daughter) whose boyfriend he suspects of having faked his death to avoid capture by the Coast Guard, in 'Barnaby Jones', Thursday, March 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET) on the CBS Television Network." 2/3/78

Lasting for 8 seasons (1973-1980) CBS Television's Barnaby Jones brought viewers something that we had never seen before, a milk drinking, sexagenarian, TV detective that always solved the case and got his man. Jones (Buddy Ebsen) originally came out of retirement to solve the murder of his own son and was aided by his daughter-in-law (Lee Meriwether), in later seasons his cousin "J.R." (Mark Shera) would also get into the act. Barnaby Jones with his laidback manner would lull suspects, while his keen eye and scientific mind would close the noose on any that thought they could outwit the law or escape justice. Produced by Quinn Martin Productions, who was no stranger to TV success in the 1960's and 70's, this memorable, popular and highly entertaining series would prove you didn't need to be a hard drinking, hard living, tough guy TV detective to get the job done. With the help of a huge assortment of special guest stars over the years and a great television opening sequence and theme song, Barnaby Jones would become one of the iconic TV detective shows for an entire decade.

wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Friday, September 25, 2009

Classic TV Collection - From my own personal archives!"ROCKFORDS IN HAWAII -- A free trip to Hawaii turns into a frustrating experience for Rocky (Noah Beery, left) when his son, Jim Rockford (James Garner), is 'shanghaied' into working on a dangerous government intelligence mission, in 'The Hawaiian Headache', on NBC-TV's 'The Rockford Files' Friday, Nov. 23 (9-10 p.m. NYT). The episode was filmed entirely on location in Hawaii. (10/26/79)"

Spanning seven years and 122 episodes NBC's The Rockford Files took the well-known genre of the TV Private Eye and turned it on its head. Private Investigator Jim Rockford, wonderfully portrayed my James Garner, was nothing like the TV detectives that came before him, we had never seen a "Private Dick" like this before. Rockford was an ex-con who dressed in cheap suits and lived and worked out of a rundown trailer parked on the beach. Many times he would find himself with impossible cases, deadbeat clients and quite often left holding the short end of the stick. Unlike previous depictions of screen P.I.s as macho types who never turned from trouble, Jim Rockford tried his best to stay away from trouble, in fact given the chance he would usually run the other way! And although he did have a gun like other TV detectives it was seldom seen or used and spent the large majority of its time hidden away in a cookie jar. Mostly James "Jimbo" Rockford tried to use his brains and instincts (sometimes aided by dumb luck) to get himself out of the dangerous situations that nearly always found himself in. Along with his meddling, but well meaning father (Noah Beery), his long suffering police Sgt. friend (Joe Santos), former cell mate and perpetual con artist Evelyn "Angel" Martin (Stuart Margolin), and often much needed attorney and friend Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett) Rockford did have plenty of exciting adventures, although he rarely collected his much quoted "$200 a day, plus expenses". With smart scripts, an award winning theme song and a great collection of guest starring actors over the years The Rockford Files would become a high water mark in TV detective shows that few others would ever be able to reach.

wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Friday, June 26, 2009

Yesterday saw the passing of actress and seventies icon Farrah Fawcett from cancer. She was 62. It's impossible to think about the decade of the 1970's without remembering her. The two are forever intertwined. She had a huge impact on American pop culture of the time, to the point of influencing how the women of an entire nation looked and dressed. How many untold millions of American women asked their hairdressers for "The Farrah"? Like many other boys (and men) I had her poster, watched her every week on Charlie's Angels and read with interest in the movie magazines about her exploits with then husband, actor Lee Majors. Farrah was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and fought it courageously. She even released a very private and revealing documentary of her experiences in the hope that telling her story might help others that were suffering. Even thru the worst of it Farrah never lost her dignity. I doubt that there will be another like her.

wilsonblogclassic® Originally posted Monday, January 5, 2009

1970s TV - The television of my wasted youth!

On Saturday, October 28th 1978 there occurred a single transfixing event that brought, if only for a brief time, the youth of this great nation together, gawk eyed in front of their glaring wood and velvet encased tube television sets. And what could bring America's younger generation together that night with such a single unified purpose? Was it a Presidential address? No. Was it a moon landing? No. What enthralled America's youth that night was the first ever television movie by the Rock & Roll blitzkrieg sensation known as the band KISS! It was the premiere of KISS Meets the Phantom! They had been, for several years now, shocking and delighting an ever increasing fanatical legion of followers and now here they were this night on tv for all of America to see, walking, talking, performing and even fighting super villains! Yes it was more than many of us mesmerized viewers could stand! Afterwards I am sure that there was many a youngster that had trouble sleeping that night! But it was over all too soon, only two hours of magic and then it was gone. Leaving us only with our cherished memories, our 8-Track tapes, posters, photos and a vague glimmer of a hope that maybe NBC would rerun the movie for us. Or perhaps if we were really lucky Kiss might even make another appearance on The Mike Douglas Show…