Uncensored Groovy Photos Captured More Than Expected
By | October 8, 2018
Lynda Carter and skateboarders in the "Wonder Woman" episode called 'Skateboard Wiz' in 1978.
Okay, we have some photos that will have you doing double-takes on first viewing. Did you know that sexy pop culture icon, Raquel Welch, was considered for the role of Mary Anne on Gilligan's Island? Well, we got her audition photo. What about Michael Meyers enjoying a Dr. Pepper while taking a break from filming the original Halloween movie. Yup, that's in our gallery as well. Also, we have Tom Hanks in a karate outfit fighting Fonzi, Bruce Lee wearing the coolest clothes you've ever seen, Elvis Presley meeting comedian Rodney Dangerfield - as well as dozens and dozens of photos that will blow your mind and provide you with trivia facts to keep everyone in work carpool interested.
Rest your eyes and get ready for 56 groovy photos that will keep you talking. Onward!
Oh wow! Wonder Woman! This was back in the day, when skateboarding was sort of new. So every TV show tried to tie into the craze; even Wonder Woman, who, apparently, needed to wear a helmet while skateboarding. Safety first for Wonder Woman. This episode had an easy premise: While on vacation in California visiting her teenage goddaughter, non-Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, uncovers an illegal gambling operation while watching a local skateboard competition. Transforming into her alter-ego, Wonder Woman, she is able to bring down the organization with the help of a skateboarder who has a photographic memory.
Spoiler Alert: Wonder Woman apprehends the thugs while pursuing them on a skateboard. In the end, everyone goes out for pizza. The end.
Betty Brosmer was the highest paid supermodel of the 1950s and won more than 50 beauty contests before the age of 20 yrs. Her measurements were 38-18-36.
Talk about some crazy, unnatural measurements. Betty Brosmer was a bodybuilder, fitness instructor, and pinup model. In fact, if you watch the 1967 movie, The Dirty Dozen, pin-ups of Brosmer can be seen on the walls of the MP barrack - that's how big of a star she was back in the day.
Bromer's other claim to fame was that in 1961, she married bodybuilder, Joe Weider, and began a career as a spokesperson and trainer in the budding health and fitness industry. She coauthored several books on the subject and, along with her husband, helped to generate the American fitness craze.
People waiting in line to eat at McDonald's for the first time in Moscow, 1980.
Back in the days before the Iron Curtain came down, you had to wait in line for everything in Russia - including a Big Mac and fries. Though the 1980 arrival of McDonald's in the Soviet Union didn't change everything overnight, it was a shape of things to come. A mass of people lined up outside the American fast food chain and paid the equivalent of several days’ wages for Big Macs, shakes, and french fries. Apparently, they wanted to eat like how the Yankee Pig-Dog Oppressors ate. It was estimated that 30,000 people waited for their chance to enter the world of Ronald McDonald. The Moscow establishment was the largest McDonald's in the world and could seat up to 900 people. What a country!
Audition polaroids taken by casting director Mali Finn throughout the 1980s.
Every actor has got to start somewhere. And before they become famous, these movie icons had to go through the audition process. If you haven't been on an acting audition, the protocol is you first sign in and then have a photo taken. In the case of casting director Mali Finn - her collection of polaroids is a regular who's who - of future Hollywood stars. Finn was responsible for casting such stars as Billy Bob Thorton (pictured above in a red shirt and suspenders), Leonardo DiCaprio (in Titanic), and Russell Crowe (L.A. Confidential) in some of the biggest career-making roles. During her stint, Finn cast roughly 90 movies and television series.
Beauty pageant winner, Pam Grier in the 1960s.
Wow! Before she was Foxy Brown, the future legendary blaxplotation actress Pam Grier was a young hot beauty queen. Look at all the trophies she won! Grier was the very first African American woman to star in an action movie. In the 70s, she was dubbed queen of the blaxplotation genre due to her roles in Coffy, Black Mama White Mama, and of course, Foxy Brown.
Always an innovator, Grier continued to break the acting mold with her role in the 1995 Quentin Tarantino’s 1995 classic Jackie Brown, and as Kit Porter in groundbreaking lesbian TV drama The L Word. But before all that - she was a young, hot beauty queen in the 1960s!
An 18 year-old Tony Hawk poses with one of his signature boards in 1986.
Tony Hawk might look like a complete dork in this photo - but the man is pretty amazing. Hawk was one of the original pioneers of the sports who skated alongside the original Dogtown and the Z-Boys crew. Among his many achievements, on June 27, 1999, Hawk was the first skater to land a "900," a trick involving the completion of two-and-a-half mid-air revolutions on a skateboard.
Not only is Hawk gifted at skateboarding, but he's also gifted in the brain-area. When he was middle school, he tested with an I.Q. of 144, and teachers recommended placing him in advanced classes.
Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother Janet Leigh out together at Studio 54 in the 1970s.
Here's a shot of mother/daughter Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis inside the legendary club - from back in the day - apparently having just seen a ghost or the trailer to the first installment of the Halloween franchise.
Kathy Ireland up to bat in a Sports Illustrated photo, 1987.
As far as being a supermodel goes, Kathy Ireland always hit a home run. Not only did she appear in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues - but Ireland also has a current net worth of $420 million. That's knocking the ball clear out of the park. Besides having her own brand company, Ireland has appeared in a numerous TV and movie roles. Most notably is the 1988 flick: Alien from L.A. The plot centers on a young woman who visits the underground civilization of Atlantis. Not to say the movie is laughable - but it got a send-up during the fifth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000.
In more recent years, Ireland was also featured on the ninth season of Dancing with the Stars, with her dance partner Tony Dovolani. Sadly, the dancing couple was eliminated in the second week of competition. Boo!
Billy Joel hanging out by a sign, 1974.
Early Billy Joel was kind of cool. Here he is back in 1974 - showing a lot of irony while drinking in public right next to a sign where it says it's not permitted to do such. Mr. Piano Man grew up in Long Island. His father was a classical pianist born in Germany - who emigrated to America to escape the Nazi regime. Coming from a musical family, Joel has a half-brother, Alexander Joel, who is a classical conductor in Europe.
Not only did Joel take up music at an early age, but he also took up boxing to help defend himself. In fact, as a teenager he successfully boxed on the amateur Golden Gloves circuit. He won 22 bouts, but quit the sport when his nose was broken during his 24th bout. And the rest is Piano Man history.
Bill Paxton, Liam Neeson and Patrick Swayze in the 1989 film, "Next of Kin".
This 1989 movie teams together Patrick Swayze, Liam Neeson, Adam Baldwin, and Bill Paxton a.k.a. Chet from Weird Science. Ben Stiller is also in this forgettable flick. In one of his earliest roles, Stiller plays the character: Lawrence Isabella. Patrick Swayze did double-duties on the film; not only starring as tje redneck cop, Truman Gates - but also appearing on the Next of Kin soundtrack, where he sings the song "Brothers" with country music star Larry Gatlin.
The movie got pretty mixed reviews but did receive one notable award nomination. Swayze was nominated for Worst Actor by the Razzie Awards that year - only losing out to William Shatner for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
Willie Nelson's mug shot when he was arrested in 1974 by the Dallas Police Department for possession of marijuana.
When you think of Willie Nelson, one of the things that comes to mind is massive amounts of weed. Here is the musical icon's mugshot from when he was arrested for a weed-related-escapade. The musician first landed himself in jail for marijuana possession in Dallas in 1974. A reoccurring motif in Nelson's life, he was arrested again in 2010 when Border Patrol agents stopped his tour bus in Sierra, Texas. They found six ounces of pot on board. What do you expect when you pull over Willie Nelson's tour bus? After that arrest Nelson created the TeaPot party under the motto "Tax it, regulate it and legalize it!"
Emily Banks was 'Yeoman Tonia Barrows' on "Star Trek" in 1966.
Actress Emily Banks is best known for her role as 'Yeoman Tonia Barrows' on the 1966 "Shore Leave" episode of the original Star Trek series. But Banks also appeared on episodes of Dragnet, Love American Style, Fantasy Island, Bewitched, Airwolf, and Highway to Heaven. Not only did Banks try to swoon William Shatner while on screen - but also Elvis Presley. She appeared in The King's flick: Live a Little, Love a Little.
Banks got her start in 1960 when she was elected Miss Rheingold and appeared in ads and promotions for Rheingold Beer.
George Harrison and Pattie Boyd visiting Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco for the "Summer of Love" in 1967.
George Harrison once said when he visited Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco during the "Summer of Love" in 1967 - it was a defining moment when he knew the hippie movement was over. After spending 6 days in Los Angeles, Harrison and his wife Pattie flew in a private jet up to San Francisco to visit his wife's sister and to see what the deal was with all these American hippies. At the time, Haight-Ashbury was the LSD capital of America and was the home to such musicians as Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.
Boyd said of their experience:
"We were expecting Haight-Ashbury to be special, a creative and artistic place, filled with Beautiful People, but it was horrible – full of ghastly drop-outs, bums and spotty youths, all out of their brains. Everybody looked stoned – even mothers and babies – and they were so close behind us they were treading on the backs of our heels. It got to the point where we couldn't stop for fear of being trampled."
Not fun to be a Beatle if the hippies turn out to be aggressive.
Catherine Bach on the set of a photo shoot in the early 1980s.
Catherine Bach was one of the queens of the 70s and 80s - with her role of Daisy Duke on the Southern redneck TV show, The Dukes of Hazzard. But besides her comedic portrayal on the show, Bach is best known for a particular article of clothing: her Daisy Duke short-shorts. Back in the day, Bach had her famous legs insured for $1 million. Recently Bach has spoken out about Hollywood's obsession with being skinny and body image. She pointed out that she was slim during her heyday on Hazzards - not from starving herself, but because she was an athlete. She kept herself in shape during her Daisy Duke days by dancing three hours a day, hiking, and swimming.
Jerry O'Connell, River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman on the set of “Stand By Me” (1986)
This is one great movie. And also another reason to give Stephen King some respect; he wrote the short story which the screenplay was based on - which was called, The Body. The plot centers on four friends heading off into the woods to find a dead body of a missing child. Some changes were made to the plot of the film, from the short story, which included changing the location of Castle Rock from Maine to Oregon.
Rob Reiner directed the screen version, which helped launch the careers of River Phoenix, Will Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland as gang leader: John "Ace" Merrill. Oscar winner, Richard Dreyfuss did the narration for the film. Co-star, Corey Feldman, later went on to appear in the movie Meatballs 4.
Bob Dylan playing music on a porch in Greenwood, Mississippi. 1963
Early Bob Dylan was the coolest. Here's a kid from the small town of Hibbing, Minnesota, who went on to conquer the international music scene, simply with great lyrics, a raspy voice, and a guitar. A champion for the people, on July 2nd, 1963, Dylan and folk singer Pete Seeger performed in a cotton field in Greenwood, Mississippi - as part of a civil rights voter registration rally.
Here's a shot of Dylan playing on the back porch of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) office - which was one of the major Civil Rights Movement organizations of the '60s.
John Kennedy, Jr. at Hyannis Beach in 1980.
Ah yes, to be JFK Jr. - rich, hunky, the son of a president, and one of America's elite. Here he is on a Labor Day Weekend in 1980, enjoying the weather at Hyannis Beach, Massachusetts. JFK Jr. was born in 1960, two weeks after his father was elected president. His childhood nickname was "John-John," which made reporter think they were mishearing JFK when he called him "John" twice in quick succession.
In 1995, JFK Jr. started the glossy political magazine, George. He also did an acting stint when he appeared on the sitcom Murphy Brown. In the episode, Kennedy visits Brown's office to promote his magazine. He appeared as himself - which was quite an acting stretch.
Here's a man riding on top of a mattress truck in Atlanta traffic, 1968.
This looks like a scene straight out of the TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies or Sanford and Son. Here's a man who takes leisure to a whole new level as he rides on top of a pile of mattresses in Atlanta traffic. Apparently, driver safety codes in 1968 weren't as strict as they are today . I'm not sure if the man is riding high on top of the pile for fun or to secure the bounty of mattresses?
A lot was going on in Atlanta during 1968. It was the year the Memorial Arts Center - which provided a new home for the High Museum of Art and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. It was also the year that the city moved the Milwaukee Braves to Atlanta - which changed the face of baseball.
Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston listening to records at home, 1971.
This was one crazy Hollywood power-couple. In 1971, Nicholson was already a screen icon after appearing in Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, Carnal Knowledge, and, of course, Little House of Horrors. Houston, at the time, was a former model and daughter of legendary film director, John Houston. At 21, Houston left her modeling career and moved from New York to Los Angeles - where she immediately fell in love with Nicholson. The two would later star together in the 1985 movie, Prizzi’s Honor, which won Houston an Oscar. Their relationship lasted for 17-years; only to end when Nicholson told Houston he was having a child with a younger woman. Whoops!
Jeff and dad Lloyd Bridges in 1951.
Wow! How much does Lloyd Bridges look like Sean Penn in this photo from 1951? Here's the screen icon with his son, future screen icon Jeff Bridges - with a photo taken on Father's Day. Jeff was born in 1949, and grew up with this siblings in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles. When he was 17, the future "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski - toured with his father in a stage production of a show called: Anniversary Waltz. He later moved to New York City to study acting and served for seven years in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
While growing up, Jeff had a close relationship with his older brother Beau, who acted as a surrogate father when their acting dad was working.
Perms and Aqua Net hairspray were popular back in 1987!
Oh my God! Is this a cast photo from an 80s version of the movie, Children of the Damned!? The 1980s was known as the era of big hair. And big hair didn't get big on it's own; these coiffures needed a lot of products. That's where perms and Aqua Net hairspray came in. During this era, hair spray wasn’t as good at giving a natural look. So when people used a product such as Aqua Net, it tended to make hair look crunchy: but big and crunchy. Despite doing harm to the ozone layer - the product gave teens that desired look and feel they craved. It also made them look like they were extras in a 80's Poison music video.
Janis Joplin in front of the sign, Port Arthur, Texas - her hometown.
Janis Joplin is the most famous person to ever come out of Port Arthur, Texas. In high school, she was a misfit and bonded together with the school's other outcast - who shared a common loved for blues music. She later said that's what influenced her to become a singer. Joplin went to the University of Texas - at Austin, where she performed with a folk trio called the Waller Creek Boys and socialized with the staff of the campus humor magazine: The Texas Ranger.
Last year, Joplin's childhood home in Port Arthur was up for sale. It was originally listed at $500,000 but was reduced to $200,000; despite being appraised at $52,500. I guess no one wants to live in Port Arthur; not even in a music icons former home.
Black Sabbath, 1972.
Imagine how wild a young Ozzy Osbourne must have been back in 1972 when this photo was taken? He must've been biting heads off of bats on a daily basis. What I love about Black Sabbath is they formed in 1968 - during the time of the Summer of Love and they are cited as being the pioneers of heavy metal music. Their music was the polar opposite of the hippie movement. It was dark and heavy - and resonated of a band that was formed in industrial Birmingham in the U.K. Originally named the Polka Tulk Blues Band, the group went through numerous line up changes through the years.
Chevy Chase tries to eat in the midst of a food fight, 1970s.
Yes, in a parallel universe, Chevy Chase was once the hippest comedian of the era. During the 70s Chevy Chase had a moment of being the reigning king of comedy. He was the first breakout star on Saturday Night Live - during the first season back in 1975. He gained fame by being the host of Weekend Update - which has gone on to became a staple of SNL. Chevy, though, did it best.
Chase got his start as a writer. He once wrote a one-page spoof of Mission: Impossible for MAD magazine in 1970. What kick-started his career was becoming a cast member for The National Lampoon Radio Hour - which featured the likes of Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, and Brian Doyle-Murray. The show went on to become an off-Broadway revue called, Lemmings, which also featured a young John Belushi. When Lorne Michaels started SNL - he basically scooped the best talent from National Lampoon. And the rest is Chevy Chase history...
Bob Marley, Mick Jagger and Peter Tosh together in 1978.
Okay, if I could be a fly-on-the-wall with this trio. This photo was taken in 1978, around the time when Mick Jagger recorded with Peter Tosh on the song: Don't Look Back. Check out the video on YouTube - and you'll find a very high-looking Jagger singing along with Tosh. This photo was actually taken backstage at a Rolling Stones concert at the Palladium in New York on June 19th, 1978.
Reggae was a big influence on the Rolling Stone. The group covered the classic tune Cherry Oh Baby - on their 1976 album, Black and Blue. In 2011, Jagger formed SuperHeavy a one-off supergroup that consisted of Bob Marley's son Damian.
Who remembers The Bounty Lady, Nancy Walker? 1970s television commercial.
Nancy Walker was an actress best known in the 70s for her appearances on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda. She was also known as the spokeperson for Bounty Towels - appearing on their TV commercials. On the spots, she played Rosie - a New Jersey diner waitress who uttered the product's slogan, "the quicker picker upper." It became a popular, iconic catchphrase. The Bounty commercials ran from 1970-1990. Walker credits her 'Rosie' portrayal for helping her land the role of Ida Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
One of the memorable moments on the Bounty commercial series was the time that Rosie challenged football legend, Rosie Grier, to a quicker picker upper contest with an inferior paper towel. Can you guess which Rosie won?
Gilda Radner and John Belushi, 1976.
Check out these two comedy icons in a photo taken during the very first season of Saturday Night Live. This comedic pair had a performance history before they were cast on SNL. They appeared in the off-Broadway show, Lemmings, which was produced by National Lampoon - and also helped launch the comedy careers of Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Christopher Guest, and Brian Doyle Murray.
Belushi's first breakout character on SML was an uncanny musical impression of Joe Cocker, which he performed alongside the icon. Radner got her footing with her portrayal of Roseanne Roseannadanna - who crushed it with her appearances on Weekend Update. Sadly these two comedy icons both died young - leaving the world with less laughter.
Jimi Hendrix smoking, London ‘67.
Jimi Hendrix actually became big in the U.K. before making it in the States; despite the fact that he is originally from Seattle. Jimi arrived in London in 1966 when he was an unknown guitar maestro. By the time he left in June 1967, he was one of the biggest acts in Britain. His stint in London changed the face of music. When Pete Townsend first saw Hendrix play live, he was so impressed that he told fellow guitarist friends that they should all retire because he just saw the future of music.
Jimi's performance at The Saville Theatre on 4th. June 1967 was attended by two of the Beatles, George Harrison and Paul McCarthy. In a sign of pure cockiness or tribute - Hendrix opened the set with his rendition of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The song had only been released the Thursday before.
Marilyn Monroe in one of her early films, on the set of Love Nest, post-World War II comedy, 1951.
Before she became a megastar, Marilyn Monroe appeared in small roles in many forgettable films. In the 1951 comedy movie, Love Nest, Monroe had a supporting role and doesn't even appear in the film until the 31st minute. The movie also featured future Tonight Show host, Jack Paar. The premise of the movie is simple: Two married New Yorkers purchase an old, run-down building full of colorful tenants.
The swimsuit that Monroe wore in the movie caused a commotion. It was considered so risqué at the time, that the director, Joseph M. Newman, had to make it a closed set while she was filming in said swimming costume. Oh how the times have changed...
Wilt Chamberlain, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andre the Giant-- on the set of Conan, an 1984 American adventure film .
Andre the Giant has a posse - and it consists of Wilt Chamberlain, Arnold Schwarzenegger on the set of the 1984 movie: Conan the Destroyer. The movie was directed by Richard Fleischer and featured Chamberlain and Andre the Giant as the villains Bombaata and the horned giant god, Dagoth. While Schwarzenegger stands at about 6 ft. 2 in. - he looks tiny in comparison to his cast mates. Chamberlain is 7 ft. 1 in. while Andre the Giant is roughly 7 ft. 5 in. The cast also included Grace Jones and the movie grossed $31 million in the US. So good things come in big packages.
Rodney Dangefield meets 'The King' in Las Vegas, 1969.
The Bruce, 1970s.
Man this guy was cool. Just look at his style. Bruce Lee was the king of Golden Harvest cinema with such classic martial arts films as Enter the Dragon, First of Fury, and The Game of Death - where he fought a 7'2 Kareem Abdul Jabbar (who was Lee's martial arts student in real life). Lee was born in San Francisco's Chinatown to immigrant parents from Hong Kong. His mom was a Cantonese opera star.
Lee is credited for changing the face of cinema - for being the first major Asian actor to appear in starring movie roles that made it big in America. Lee is also credited for founding the martial art Jeet Kune Do. Plus, as you can see in the photo, he was one hell of a cool cat.
Shopping at the super market in hair curlers back in the 1960s.
Times have changed. Back in the 60s, in the days where Mad Men would almost seem like a documentary, the role of women was largely seen by society as being a housewife, taking care of the home, and making sure you looked pretty for your husband when he comes home from work. The 60s was also a time for change - and ushered in the Women's Liberation Movement. The premise of the movement was that that economic, psychological, and social freedom were necessary for women to progress from being second-class citizens in their societies. And such second-class citizen duties of women at the time - was putting on curlers and shopping for their husband's chicken pot pie dinner.
Stevie Nicks doing the splits backstage, 1978.
This photo proves that Stevie Nicks was very flexible. She's also very tiny - clocking in at a height of 5'1. Nicks went to high school in Arcadia, California and that's where she met her soon-to-be musical/romantic partner, Lindsey Buckingham. Nicks fell for Buckingham after seeing him play "California Dreamin'" at Young Life club - which was a religious meeting group. Two years later they formed a band called: Fritz. By no means a corny first band, Fritz opened for both Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin between 1968 and 1970.
Before joining Fleetwood Mack, Nicks and Buckingham continued to perform as a duo, secured a record deal with Polydor Records, and released the album Buckingham Nicks in 1973.
Taking a Dr. Pepper break on set of Halloween, 1978.
Even scary movie monster, Michael Myers, gets thirsty. Here's actor Tony Moran - taking a break from slashing people on set - to clown around with an ice cold Dr. Pepper. The 1978 movie was filmed for a meager budget of $300,000, but went on to gross $47 million at the US box office. Halloween has become one of the longest running movie franchises. Director John Carpenter thought the hiring of Jamie Lee Curtis in the lead role was the ultimate tribute to Alfred Hitchcock - who had cast her mother, Janet Leigh, in the legendary role in Psycho.
These dudes and a kitten hitchhiking to Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic , near Austin, TX, 1980.
Why does it not seem so hard to believe that this motley pair, and a kitten, would be hitchhiking on route to a Willie Nelson concert in Austin, Texas? What they're heading to is Willie Nelson's annual Fourth of July Picnic - which is a concert created in 1972 by the legendary country musician. Nelson was inspired to create the concert after performing at the Dripping Springs Reunion that was hosted at Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas. Nelson decided to host the Willie Nelson's Fourth of July Picnic in the same locale. The lineup for the first year included: Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, Doug Sahm and Tom T. Hall. The event attracted a wholesome crowd such as this pair. Would you give these two a lift?
Timmy (Jon Provost ) and Lassie, 1961.
Hey Lassie! What are you trying to tell me? Is there a little boy stuck in well!? Let's go save him Lassie! The show Lassie ran from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973; making it the fifth longest-running U.S. prime time television series. (The Simpsons is number one.) The show was created by a real-life animal trainer and follows canine Lassie's adventures in a small farming community. In 1961, Jon Provost played Lassie's human-friend Timmy Martin. No slouch to acting, young Provost's previous roles were in the 1954 film The Country Girl starring Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly- and Back from Eternity with Anita Ekberg. Campbell's Soup, the show's lifelong sponsor during its run. In 1964, 14-year old Provost left the show - despite Campbell's Soup Company wanting him to appear for three more years. Lassie decided to stay on.
Tom Hanks was a guest star on "Happy Days" in 1982, as an old nemesis of 'Fonzie' seeking revenge.
Holy crap. You know the phrase "Jump the Shark"? It was created after the Happy Days episode where the cast goes to Los Angeles and Fonzi jumps over a shark cage on water skis. Well, this looks like another great Happy Days jump the shark moment. What you have hear is young Tom Hanks in a karate outfit about to fight Fonzi. The episode is called: A Little Case Of Revenge. It aired in 1982 as part of the show's 10th season. Hanks plays a character who returns to settle a 17-year grudge with Fonzi - concerning a beef when The Fonz pushed him off a swing when they were youngsters.
At the time, Hanks was a struggling actor you just appeared on the failed sitcom Bosom Buddies - and was making guest appearances on Taxi and Family Ties before getting his big break in 1984 in the movie Splash.
Varsity high school cheerleader Meryl Streep on the Bernards High School Mountaineers squad in 1966.
Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate? The Oscar-winning actress - Meryl Streep! Here is the star of Sophie's Choice back in 1966 when she was a varsity high school cheerleader on the Bernards High School Mountaineers squad in Summit, New Jersey. Streep's family comes from a long lineage of immigrants who settled on these shore in the 17th century. The actress is also a distant relative of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania. Records show that her family is among the first purchasers of land in the state - which means they probably come from some serious old money.
Streep appeared in numerous school plays in high school years, but didn't really get the acting bug until she went to Vassar College in 1969. All I can say to that is, "Oh Mamma Mia!"
I bet you remember the song to this day. Andy Lambros was the kid who is best known for singing the "My Bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R..." song in 1974.
The "My Bologna has a first name" song in the 1974 Oscar Meir commercial is right up there with 'Please don't squeeze the Charmin" - as far as being a TV ad classic. But what about the kid in the commercial who sang the song? What ever happened to Andy Lambros? Well, he's now a web and graphic designer, developer, marketing expert and business consultant. He is the Co-founder and President of the "Dream Builders Company," which is located just outside of Los Angeles.
Still, in his child acting days, he appeared in two films: Fatso - where he played Dom DeLuise as a child, and in the Mel Brooks film: History of the World Part I. Regarding the iconic Oscar Meyers commercial, Lambros recalls: "It only took me an hour to learn the song because my two sisters helped me. "I didn't realize the cameras were still rolling, and I asked...'How's that?'"
Who remembers the commercial, "Where's the beef?" a Wendy's television ad starring Clara Peller, 1984.
It's the Where's the beef? lady! Again, a TV commercial that etched into America's psyche - and ignited millions of parodies. The Wendy's commercial first airing on January 10, 1984. It portrayed a fictional fast food competitor entitled "Big Bun." Three elderly ladies are served an enormous hamburger bun containing a minuscule hamburger patty. Clara Peller, who played one of the old ladies (she was actually an old lady in real life too), then uttered the now famous catchphrase: "Where's the beef?"
Peller became an overnight sensation and capitalized on her newfound fame by making guest appearances on Saturday Night Live and on WrestleMania 2. She also popped on a role in the Steven Spielberg TV series: Amazing Stories. That sounds like nothing to have a beef about!
Evel Knievel, 1975.
Before there was Jackass or Johnny Knoxville, there was Evel Knievel doing stunts on his motorcycle. Knievel was the ultimate doer of stunts—an Elvis Presley on two-wheels and world-class asshole, he was an international fascination. At the height of his motorcycle prowess, Knievel pushed the limits and crashed more than 20 times, suffering 433 bone fractures (the Guinness World Record for "most broken bones in a lifetime").
Knievel also once had a run in with the notorious Hell's Angels biker gang - after a 1970s jump at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. A Hell's Angel threw a wrench at Knievel on his way up the takeoff ramp. While Knievel rode a victory lap, the Hell's Angel jumped into the arena, waiting for him. Like a scene out of a Peter Fonda movie, Evel leaped off his bike, and the Hell's Angel grabbed him and threw him to the ground like a ragdoll. Knievel was hauled to safety just before the ruckus broke out. Some 150 fans stormed the Hell's Angels—who severely got their asses handed to them.
This is how we "texted" back in the day, hoping not to get caught by the teacher!
Ha! Old-timey days. Long before we all had iPhones, the only way to send a message to your friends was to pass them a note. The only problem was, if the teacher caught you passing a note, chances are they would make you read the note to the whole class. Certainly embarrassing if the note was about a boy you liked - or how much of an alcoholic your father was.
One secret spy way to pass a note was to write a note on a piece of paper small enough to fit inside the cap of a pen. Then roll up the paper and place it inside of the pen. Then have your friend ask to borrow your pen. Vola! Note safely delivered.
A group of young hippies hitchhiking to Berkeley, 1960s.
Ah yes, the carefree days of the 60s - when hippies could gleefully hitchhike on the roads of America - without fear of being butchered by some crazed serial killer or the Manson Family. Hitchhiking was once a key means of transportation for young people in the United States. It played an important role in Jack Kerouac's novel, On the Road." It used to be very normal to see someone sticking their thumb out on the side of the road - waiting for someone to pick them up. It was a lifestyle that dated back to the Depression era.
Nowadays, we don't really see too much hitchhiking - the closest thing we have is Uber Pool.
Who had a Spirograph set growing up in the '70s?
This was a very trippy art toy - that allowed kids to make their very own psychedelic designs. Spirograph is a geometric drawing toy that was developed by British engineer Denys Fisher who first exhibited it at the 1965 Nuremberg International Toy Fair. With a simple pen or pencil, it produces a variety of mathematical roulette curves. The trademark was sold to Hasbro Inc. The Spirograph was named Toy of the Year in 1967.
Drawing toys with gears have been around for some time. The Marvelous Wondergraph was first advertised in the Sears catalog in 1908.
A young Valerie Bertinelli in the 1970s.
Before she was Mrs. Eddie Van Halen, Valerie Bertinelli was a young child star who got her star on the TV sitcom, One Day at a Time. The show debuted in late 1975, when Bertinelli was 15-years old, and ran until 1984. Something kind of creepy, when Bertinelli was 16, she dated 27-year old Paul Shaffer - former musical director of David Letterman's band. I guess you could say it was a different era. Or creepy in any era.
She was also said to be romantically linked to Steven Spielberg. But the man who grabbed Bertinell's heart was Eddie Van Halen - who she met backstage at a Van Halen concert in 1980. They were married the following year - though he couple divorced in 2007. Bertinelli cited one reason was Van Halen's refusal to quit smoking despite being diagnosed with oral cancer and losing one-third of his tongue in the treatment process.
An 18 year-old Bruce Lee with his master, Ip Man, in 1958.
Bruce Lee was such a badass. Not only did he change the face of cinema by becoming an international star, but he also changed the face of martial arts - and introduced the world to Jeet Kune Do - which he founded. He was also a man who could rock the yellow jumpsuit as he did in the 1973 movie, Game of Death.
But every star has to learn from someone; Ip Man was a Cantonese martial artist and a master teacher of Wing Chun - who taught Lee his bag of tricks. Sadly Ip died in 1972 from throat cancer, only seven months before the death of his prized student.
Anthony Michael Hall in The Breakfast Club, 1985.
Oh yes! Anthony Michael Hall as the brainy geek in the 1985 movie, The Breakfast Club. The film is one of John Hughes' best - as we spend a Saturday afternoon in detention with five teens in a suburban Chicago high school. Sure the movie kind of played the students as stereotypes - but it did so in such a great humorous and warmhearted way; as we meet the jock, the geek, the stoner, the outcast, and the princess.
During production, teenage Hall hit a growth spurt - and was shorter than costar Judd Nelson at the start of production; but by the end was actually taller than him.
Before GPS, using a map back in the 1970s.
Back in old-timey days, the concept of a GPS did no exist. During the 1970s, if a motorist was lost - they had to pull out a piece of paper called "a map" to determine where they were. If that failed, they had to stop at a gas station to ask directions. Now, all that's been replaced by a soothing voice on your phone that tells you where to go.
Rand McNally created the first road map in 1904- which was called: New Automobile Road Map of New York City & Vicinity. The map companies, Gousha, General Drafting, and Rand McNally produced over eight billion free maps which were given out at American filling stations from 1920 to 1980. Yes, road maps used to be free. The free map practice diminished considerably in the 1970s. And now, map producing is a dying industry like DVDs or flip phones.
Louie ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong visits the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station as part of his tour for the troops in 1962.
Louie Armstrong was America's ambassador of jazz. There's a crazy story on how Richard Nixon unintentionally helped get some marijuana through security at the airport. Armstrong loved pot - which he called "the gauge." He was about to fly back to the States after being on a goodwill ambassador tour of Asia - and realized he had some reefer in his trumpet case. Coming through security at the same time was then vice president Richard Nixon - who stopped to praise Armstrong and offered to carry his bags. Armstrong gladly said "yes"!
In 1962, Armstrong visited Guantanamo Bay Naval Station as part of his tour for the troops. I don't know who carried his bags on that trip.
On the set of "Planet of the Apes" California, 1967.
"Goddamn you! Goddamn you all to hell!" shouted one Charlton Heston in the closing scene of the original (and best) Planet of the Apes movie. The 1968 sci-fi classic, with screenplay by Rod Serling, has the best twist ending of all time - when astronaut Heston sees the submerged Statue of Liberty - and realizes he's been on earth this whole time. (Sorry for the spoiler.)
The movie was an innovator at the time with groundbreaking special effects and makeup. The 1968 film won makeup artist, John Chambers, an Oscar. Chambers used to work in a military hospital creating prosthetic noses, chins and other body parts for disfigured patients. He applied those skills to Planet of the Apes - back in the days long before CGI effects.
The sexy Raquel Welch as 'Mary Ann' for her audition on "Gilligan's Island" 1964.
Wow! It would've been a whole different Gilligan's Island if Raquel Welch was cast in the role of girl-next-door, Mary Anne. She probably didn't get the part because she would've been sexier than the show sex symbol, Ginger. When producers revamped the series after the pilot episode - they made Mary Anne more wholesome. Welch didn't fit the bill. She auditioned but didn't get the gig.
Other famous people who were considered to be cast members on Gilligan's Island included Jayne Mansfield for the role of Ginger, Carroll O'Connor as Skipper, Jerry Van Dyke as Gilligan, and Dabney Coleman as the Professor. In alternative universe - this could've been a completely different show.
Tom Petty just hangin' in the 1970s.
Early (and later) era Tom Petty was the coolest. Petty was the greatest musical force to come out in Gainesville, Florida. Petty dropped out of high school at 17 to play bass with his newly formed band, Mudcrutch. Meanwhile he took guitar lessons from Don Felder who would later went on to perform with The Eagles. While waiting for his big musical break, Petty worked as a grave digger.
A very influential moment for Petty was in the summer of 1961. His uncle was working on the set of the Elvis Presley film, Follow That Dream.Petty was invited Petty to watch the shoot and met The King. Petty said, of the meeting, "Elvis glowed."
Grandpa (Al Lewis) in his 'DRAG-U-LA' car from "The Munsters" TV show. (1964)
There were two cars featured on the TV show, The Munsters. The first was the Munster Koach. The second was the DRAG-U-LA. Both hipster vehicles were created by car designer Tom Daniel who worked for George Barris and Barris Kustom Industries. Talk about a suped-up machine, the body of DRAG-U-LA was built from a real fiberglass coffin purchased from a funeral home in North Hollywood. At the time, it was illegal to sell a coffin without a death certificate. So the production design crew made an under-the-counter deal with the funeral director and paid in cash. The coffin was then dropped off outside the rear door of the funeral parlor at night where it could be collected after dark.
DRAG-U-LA is now housed at the Volo Auto Museum in the town of Volo, Illinois.
Here's Elvis Presley being interviewed by Tina Louise at Fort Dix in 1959.
Before she was Ginger on Gilligan's Island, Tina Louise was interviewing Elvis Presley when he was in the military and stationed at Fort Dix. In 1959, Elvis had returned from military duty in Germany. At the time, Louise was a struggling actress trying to get a foothold in the business. She appeared as a pinup model as well as in pictorials for Playboy magazine. The gigs were arranged by Columbia Pictures studio in an effort to further promote the young actress.
Elvis entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958. The King was stationed overseas and was a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor. Fans cried when he had to shave his sideburns.
Beastie Boys, 1980s.
Hell yes! The Beastie Boys were musical enigmas when they emerged on the New York musical scene. The grouped formed in July 1981 and were heavily influenced by the hardcore punk scene - and even supported such acts as Bad Brains, the Dead Kennedys, and the Misfits.
Musically, all things changed in 1983 when the band recorded the hip hop track: Cooky Puss. The song became a hit in the New York underground scene. Due to their Cooky Puss success, they began to incorporate more rap into their sets and decided to hire a DJ for their live shows. That DJ was the now legendary producer - Rick Rubin; who began producing their records and launching their career into super-stardom. After moving into rap, the three Beasties adopted their own hip hop monikers: Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock.
