Pop Culture in the 20th Century (Part 6)

[tv star collector]

The Seventies

"Weren't the '70s a drag?" John Lennon once wryly observed. Actually, there were several highlights
of the "Disco Era." There was ... and .. uh-h ... Hmm ... y'know, maybe John was right.

But, seriously, let's begin with ....

Sci-Fi Movies

Probably the most popular movie of the '70s was George Lucas' "Star Wars" (heretofore referred to
as "Star Wars IV: A New Hope"), It's entirely appropriate that Marvel Comics did the first comic
book adaptation (has anyone else noticed the striking resemblance between Darth Vader and The Fantastic Four's Dr. Doom [introduced way back in 1962]?). "Star Wars" created a whole new
jargon of its own: droids, "the Force," the Empire, Jedi knights, light sabre (a sort of futuristic
sword), wookies, ewoks, etc.

"Superman" (1978) was a hit, I think, mostly for two reasons: the fantastic flying FX and, as one
writer observed, the simple fact that actor Christopher Reeve looked "so darn much like Superman."
[Reeve was so convincing in the dual roles of Superman and Clark Kent that one person watching
the test footage thought that he was watching two different actors.]

Animation

The Disney studio continued releasing such future masterpieces as "The Aristocats," "Robin
Hood," and "The Rescuers."

In 1973, Hanna-Barbera (who had earlier made feature films starring Yogi Bear and The
Flintstones) produced a charming animated cartoon version of E.B. White's classic book,
"Charlotte's Web" (with a voice cast including Debbie Reynolds, Henry Gibson, Paul Lynde,
Agnes Moorehead, Pamelyn Ferdin, Danny Bonaduce, Herb Vigran and Don Messick).

Television

If the names Archie Bunker, Arthur Fonzarelli, J.R. Ewing, Bo and Luke Duke, Mork, and
Hawkeye ring a bell, then you must remember the 1970's.

In 1970, Chet Huntley retired. Apollo 13 turned back after malfunctioning on its way to the
moon. CBS booted Red Skelton. In U.S. homes, 95% now had television, 39% had color.
Tricia Nixon offered a tour of the White House.

The year 1971 was "the year of the bigot," as Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton starred in
the trend-setting comedy series, All in the Family. Other debuts included Peter Falk as the
cop with no first name, Lt. Columbo.

Another hit was a popular dramatic series set in the South during the Depression: The Waltons. Another successful new show was Emergency!, produced by Jack Webb (of
Dragnet fame). Interestingly, Webb cast his ex-wife Julie London and her then-husband
Bobby Troup in roles on the series.

In 1974, we met the Cunningham family of Milwaukee in Happy Days, set in the 1950's.
But it soon became apparent that Henry Winkler, as the Fonz (Aaayy!!) was the real star.

It was also the decade that gave us Little House on the Prairie, Chico and the Man, Welcome Back, Kotter, Laverne & Shirley, Donny & Marie, One Day at a Time, Charlie's Angels, Alice, Barney Miller,
Dallas, M*A*S*H, The Dukes of Hazzard, and Mork and Mindy.

TV's Incredible Hulk

Although it bore little resemblance to the Marvel comic book, The Incredible Hulk was a
personal favorite and a high-quality series, substituting psychological drama for the campiness
of Batman and Wonder Woman. (Star Bill Bixby -- who at first didn't want to do the show, until
he read the script -- once remarked that psychologist Carl Jung would've loved this show.)
Producer Ken Johnson (whose credits included Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman) had just seen the play "Les Miserables" and decided to mix parts of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and The Fugitive. It was a winning combination that appealed to all
ages and ran for five seasons. Guest star Mariette Hartley even won an Emmy Award (highly
unusual for any sci-fi series).

Pop Music

The '70s gave us, of course, disco music. I didn't think much of it then -- but today, in this age
of rap and hip-hop and whatever -- disco is actually starting to sound good!

For the record (according to Billboard), the top ten pop artists were (in order): Elton John, Paul McCartney, the Bee Gees, Chicago, the Carpenters, the Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Three Dog Night, Olivia Newton-John, and Barry Manilow.

Country Music

The '70s was the era that I discovered (or rediscovered, really) country music ... thanks, in
large measure to my father. We had never been close, but (especially after my mother's
death in 1979) country music gave us a common bond. We both liked such country stars as
Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Buck Owens, Loretta Lynn, the Statler Brothers, Roger Miller, Jerry
Reed, Jimmy Dean, etc. [My dad might be surprised that I kept all his old cassette tapes. Many of them have worn out. Some of them, I've probably played more times than he did! I guess they have a sentimental value, too. I feel close to him when I hear them. Call me a sentimentalist. If I may digress: if you are still blessed to have your dad (and/or your mom),
tell them how much you appreciate them ... now while you can. You'll never regret it.]

Although not a country artist per se, Elvis Presley had many country hits throughout his career. I think his death, in August 1977, had a deep effect on my mother (perhaps because he loved his mother so much). My mom died (after a long illness) less than two years after Elvis's passing.

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Summing up: we managed to get through Nixon and Watergate; celebrated the nation's bicentennial; and it wasn't really such a bad decade (all things considered). But nothing could have prepared us for the decades that would follow. Join us next time as we look back at the 1980's.