sixties

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There will be no more morning afters for comedian Red Buttons who sadly passed away on Thursday July 13, 2006. I wasn’t a big fan of his but of course I enjoyed him most as Mr. Martin in The Poseidon Adventure. His meek performance as the haberdasher bachelor who takes it on himself to help terrified pop singer Nonnie (Carol Lynley) survive was touchingly real. And you couldn’t help but root for him when he finally stood up to the bellowing Mike Rogo (Ernest Borgnine) at the end.

Another passing I forgot to report on was director Vincent Sherman who died almost a month ago. For the last ten years or so he was the constant companion of 60s starlet, Francine York.

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GOING TO A GO-GO

If you’re like me and love Ponytail girl Suzanne Charny doing the “Rich Man’s Frug” in Sweet Charity or the Turkey Lurkey Time girls in Promises, Promises or watching the Twistin’, Jerkin’, Frugin’ dancers from Shindig and Hullaballoo or the hippie planet episode on Lost in Space where Angela Cartwright turns into a go-go girl than rush out and buy your tickets to the new off-Broadway musical Shout! The Mod Musical which will re-create swinging 60s London and features songs made famous by Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Cilla Black, Lulu, etc. You know I already bought my tickets. See ya at the go-go!

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CARPOCALYPSE

Though he is not a 60s starlet, had to report on my former childhood friend George nicknamed “Moe” for some reason who is on Spike TV’s rev ’em up, smash ’em up reality series Carpocalypse. This show is a southern fried hoot as it tries to be a modern day Civil War pitting two teams of 5 drivers representing the North and the South against each other. Each week the creators come up with new ways for them to build vehicles (i.e. cars, trucks, buses, campers, etc.) only to wreck them on the race track in a wild demolition derby. After 20 races, the winning team splits $50,000.

To me the funniest part of the show is that George who is from Lawn Giland and has the thick accent to prove it is on the South’s team since he moved to Florida about 20 years ago with his nice-as-could-be wife Terry and four sons. He soooo stands out amongst his hillbilly team mates. George was a rebel growing up. He was the first to get a fake ID, buy beer, smoke pot, etc. So it is really nice to see him as the most responsible and sensible of his team mates. I was quite impressed. He also almost looks the same as he did in his twenties right down to the same haircut and mustache. You go Moe!

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FASHION HOUSE

With the demise of UPN and the WB, Fox Television is launching a new network called MyNetworkTV. It launches this summer and will only be showing novellas–thirteen week soap operas with an ending. One of the fall tele-novellas is called Fashion House and it looks like good cheesy trashy fun. The cast alone is worth tuning in for–Bo Derek (bottom), Morgan Fairchild, 60s starlet Tippi Hedren, and hot Greek boy toy Jordi Vilasuso, former Tony on Guiding Light, (top). Derek plays the owner of a fashion house fighting a corporate takeover. Take a look at the over-the-top clip and see if you disagree that this is not going to be a hoot.