As great an actor and director as Orson Welles was, it would be remiss of us if we did not touch on some of his later, slightly less epic works… like his classic ads for Paul Masson wines.
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What was the Disney World opening like? See how it looked and get some facts and figures about Disney’s grand opening here.
Anyone who lived through the great videotape format war of the late 1970s to early 1980s will never forget the big question: VHS or Beta? Here’s the Betamax side – the player that ultimately lost.
Even in his late 70s, Barry Manilow still performs relentlessly — much to the delight of “Fan-ilows” everywhere. Check out this bicentennial-year interview he gave early in his singing career.
See a dozen cute vintage play kitchens – toys for kids who wanted to pretend to cook, and have fun with mini appliances and plastic food.
The original Star Wars trilogy was like a comic strip come to life, with eye-popping special effects of flashing light swords, ray guns, strange creatures, spaceships and eerie planets.
The Picturephone, an electronic moving picture device that debuted in the late 60s, let you video chat long before the internet, and way before Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime et al.
In 1975, Chrysler released the Cordoba – and sales were helped along by TV ads featuring the great Ricardo Montalban and his famous mention of the car’s soft Corinthian leather.
Check out some original ‘Wizard of Oz’ cast photos from 1903, and see if you don’t think the characters seem creepy — maybe even a little bit ghoulish.
Dragnet was one of the original police procedurals, which began as a radio show, then as a (now-iconic) TV show from 1951-1959 — later followed by a faithful reboot from 1967 to 1970. They all starred Jack Webb as police sergeant Joe Friday.
For two years, Tom Hanks pounded the streets of the city searching for a job. Then he was flown to LA, screen tested, and finally selected for the role of Kip Wilson in ‘Bosom Buddies.’ And so a star was born.
Judging by audience response to PBS new children’s show, Zoom may turn into the kind if household word television hasn’t heard since the halcyon days of Uncle Milty.
When the infamous zeppelin airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed as it was landing in New Jersey back in 1937, the spectacular disaster was caught on film and audio. Here’s how it went down.
While she was known to millions as Carol on The Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson had a vibrant, successful career as both an actress and singer.
Back in the late ’80s, who would have thought that young Robert Downey, Jr – the kid who acted in a few random films – would, a couple of decades later, be one of America’s biggest movie stars?
Many critics were surprised that the ‘Emergency!’ TV show was a success. One factor for sure: actors Randy Mantooth and Kevin Tighe, who played paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto, made indelible impressions on viewers.
We have heard Mathis’ voice for years – but who’s the man behind that rich, smooth sound? Find out more about this extraordinarily talented singer here, and see Johnny Mathis as he lived in his Hollywood home back in the 1970s.
Based on the famous books, The Hardy Boys-Nancy Drew Mysteries TV series debuted in 1977, starring Parker Stevenson & Shaun Cassidy as the brothers Frank & Joe, and Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy.
Here’s a look back at the group Tommy James and the Shondells, who were behind top charting singles like Hanky Panky, Crimson and Clover, Mony Mony, and Crystal Blue Persuasion.
The Foundations were a band that burst onto the music scene in the late 1960s with a fantastic soul sound that was straight out of Motown. Except it wasn’t.
What was the Partridge Family TV series about? In an eggshell: Five siblings made the big-time playing rock ‘n’ roll music, and, led by their mom, toured the country. Squabbles, catchy tunes and hijinks ensued.
Charlie McCarthy was the impudent little dummy who sat upon the lap of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, his creator, and entertained millions every week with his comedy.
Back in the ’60s, The Mamas and The Papas were no ordinary band or singing group – they had that certain extra something that made sure their music would stand the test of time. Here’s a look back.
Just 18 years old, Aretha Franklin moves flawlessly in her vocals — from spiritual, to blues to jazz and to pop; and her ability as a pianist is something more to reckon with. Aretha is the girl to watch!
While orchestra leader Glenn Miller himself disappeared, his music has done rather the opposite – reaching and speaking to generations well beyond his untimely death during WWII.
Johnny Cash kicked off his country-music series, The Johnny Cash TV Show, with guests Bob Dylan, singer-songwriters Joni Mitchell and Doug Kershaw, and comedienne Fannie Flagg. Here, see a video performance with Roy Orbison.
When the Titanic sank, it was the biggest ship in the world – and although the movie industry was still young, many cameras were able to cover the disaster. Here’s a look.
The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 – the deadliest natural disaster in United States history – after which floods swept thousands of people to their death, and many more left homeless as millions of dollars worth of property was destroyed.
Besides reporting the news on CBS News, Walter Cronkite selected and edited film, and was often his own crew so he could cover fast-breaking news stories on the spot.
Beatlemania, a generally harmless form of madness for The Beatles, which deluged the United States in 1964, was nothing short of a phenomenon.
‘Donald Gets Drafted,’ was a vintage movie short released by Disney early in World War II. Shown nationwide, the cartoon earned the high marks of a ‘swell’ rating.
Neil Diamond has had more than 38 hits on the Top 10 charts, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. Here’s a look back to his life and career in the ’70s!
Unlike most rock groups, Creedence Clearwater Revival doesn’t have a booking agency or a manager, yet they were the most successful pop-rock group in the world – and the richest.
Why were vintage Biba clothes so popular, even among celebrities like Twiggy and Mia Farrow? Part of it was that its mini-clothes could be bought on a mini-budget.
Few movie sequels overshadow their predecessors. Yet ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ – the chapter following ‘Star Wars’ – does just that.
From Liverpool lad to Beatle & enduring icon – revisit the life of John Lennon. His legacy is more than songs; it’s a committed pursuit of peace & love.
During the 1978 Saturn Awards ceremony, William Shatner, as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, performed what can most accurately be described as a bizarre spoken-word rendition of ‘Rocket Man.’
Shields & Yarnell, the talented and dynamic husband-and-wife mimes, entertained audiences all across America courtesy of the television. Take a look back!
The Annie movie from 1982 was based on the award-winning Broadway play, and was a no-lose combination of sweet-faced orphans, a lovable dog, foot-tapping musical numbers, and an all-star cast.
The Twist was one of the first big dance crazes, and dozens of artists recorded copycat songs. But there was a question: Is The Twist immoral? Religious leaders weighed in.
Critics panned it and CBS dropped it, yet Gilligan’s Island never left TV. Sing along with the theme and meet the castaways behind the famous shipwreck.
Remember the old Palmolive dish soap ads, featuring Madge the Manicurist (actress Jan Miner), who was always telling women how terrible their hands looked?
With a cast headed by Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver and Dan Aykroyd, the original ‘Ghostbusters’ movie from 1984 had blockbuster written all over it.
Peter Frampton’s road to superstardom had lots of ups and downs before he finally scored big with the multi-platinum double album ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’
Disney’s magical Mary Poppins arrived in 1964. See classic movie clips, hear some of the songs, plus find out more about the film & its stars!
In animated segments between Saturday morning cartoon shows, Schoolhouse Rock was on TV from 1973-1985. Here’s a Grammar Rock classic, Verb: That’s What’s Happenin’!
Come on in and take a look back at old Las Vegas from the 40s through the end of the 20th century, along with a surprising history of the Nevada desert locale.
The Flintstones TV cartoon sitcom ran for 6 seasons in the ’60s. Find out how the story began, plus see the opening credits & the catchy theme song lyrics!
If you’re in the mood to get some laughs from a physical comedian with brilliant timing & improv skills, see these videos starring the late, great Tim Conway!
A Date with Jet Screamer was the second episode of The Jetsons, and portrayed the era’s affection for rock ‘n’ roll music, and introduced the earworm, Eep Opp Ork Ah Ah.
Once part of everyday life, now only people of a certain age will remember this stuff. Here are 25 obsolete products most people under 25 have never seen in real life!
Take a look back at ABC television’s family-friendly Friday night offerings back in 1970, which included the hit sitcoms Brady Bunch, Nanny and the Professor & The Partridge Family… and total of 14 kids between the shows.
The early-70s TV sitcom ‘Nanny and the Professor’ starred Juliet Mills, Richard Long, and a very young Kim Richards – best known now for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Here’s one of the most unforgettable songs from Schoolhouse Rock: Conjunction Junction. One of the first in the “Grammar Rock” series, it made its debut on televisions nationwide in 1973.
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have seemingly boundless energy, and that energy is unharnessed in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ – a startling spectacle, starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.
For the picture-perfect housewife of the ’50s, the kitchen was the heart of the home. And the heart of the kitchen was the refrigerator/freezer combo – the kind of luxury that mother and grandmother could have only dreamed of!
Dive back into the past with these 16 views of beautiful San Francisco in the ’70s – from the skyscrapers to the bridges and everything in between.
This TV movie debuted in 1973, and played occasionally in reruns at least until the 1980s. The Incredible, Indelible, Magical, Physical, Mystery Trip: Musical fantasy
After the war, industry was booming, and they needed workers. This 1946 vocational guidance film gives us a little insight into the world of telecommunications at the midpoint of the 20th century, from switchboard operators to engineers.
In a spangled vest and elbow-length gloves, black bikini, black opera hose and steep ankle-strap wedgies, Tim Curry as Dr Frank N Furter, makes his grand entrance in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, an outrageous camp musical based on the stage hit.
Actor Bob Crane murdered: The star of the TV series Hogan’s Heroes, was found beaten to death in an apartment in Scottsdale, Arizona in June 1978. The case is still unsolved.
How to have fun with Lite-Brite: Put in the black picture outline, insert colored glow pegs, then watch them light up the screen with your fun design!
This widely-beloved cartoon music video for ‘I’m Just A Bill’ came out in 1975 as part of Schoolhouse Rock, a memorable series of animated shorts that ran with the Saturday morning cartoons.
Maxell was long one of the leaders in the cassette tape world, and produced one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the era, featuring the man fondly (now) known as ‘blown away guy.’
Pacific Southwest Airlines executives ‘appreciate beauty and grace in women and, what’s most important, they don’t mind admitting that we are the ones who make them look good.’ Yep, it was the ’60s.
This story is about the father of rock ‘n’ roll music. In a decade of American history condemned for its small-mindedness, blandness and apathy, Chuck Berry set the spark. Chuck Berry kindled the flame.
California – particularly Los Angeles – is notorious for having awful traffic, but as this video and these photos from the 1950s prove, that bumper-to-bumper freeway crawl is nothing new.
An Elvis Presley biography from Tupelo to Graceland: his rise, his reinventions & the legacy that still draws millions every year.
Playing off the popularity of the traveling exhibit of the Treasures of Tutankhamen, actor and comedian Steve Martin debuted his parody song ‘King Tut’ on an episode of Saturday Night Live in the spring of 1978.
Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, with their progeny David and Rick, are synonymous with the American family image both on and off television. The Nelson boys are perhaps the only people who have literally grown up before the eyes of millions of weekly viewers.
In the ’80s, popular Dynasty actress Linda Evans made a series of ads promoting Clairol Ultress hair color – take a look back here!
Vintage Los Angeles in the 1950s Take a retro peek back at the Los Angeles area of yesteryear! In addition to the huge cars (plus
Sha Na Na: Carefree greasers By Mary Campbell – The Evening Sun (Hanover, Pennsylvania) Jan 8, 1970 Sha Na Na is starting the 1970s performing
The King of the Swingers Louis Prima, a star since the 1930s, was known as “The King of the Swing” — so he was the
