200 posts tagged “1970s”

I’ve waited for ages to get the Vox compose screen: anyone else with this issue?
   Here was what I wanted to post an hour ago:

The largest car maker in the land was effectively nationalized. It then killed more brands and product lines, even ones that could have survived.
   Chrysler, hanging on to unloved mainstream sedans such as the Avenger, was in a deep crisis and needed a European manufacturer to take over its operations.
   Ford, resisting the urge to go cap in hand to the government, stayed its course and solidified its market share, despite its own union troubles. It managed to shore things up and grow from there.
   USA 2009? No, UK in the 1970s.
   This is not a political post—it’s just pointing out how history repeats itself. I also have a funny feeling the US scenario will play out the same way as the UK one did.
   British Leyland was broken up further and its “volume” operations—despite making fewer cars than London Taxis International—are owned by the Chinese state.
   Chrysler UK no longer exists. Its plants wound up making Peugeots.
   Ford UK might not be as strong today as in the 1980s, but it still has a good market share.

The stories are different enough that one could not accuse the Hong Kong film-makers of outright copying, but there is clear inspiration between the English Ooh, You Are Awful (or Get Charlie Tully), starring Dick Emery, and the first of the successful franchise 最佳拍檔 (Aces Go Places). The films are 10 years apart.
   The plot lines are similar: in the original, Emery has to find a Swiss bank account number, separately tattooed on four different girls’ behinds. In the later film, Sam Hui (the father of Canto-pop) and Karl Maka’s characters have to find a map reference, tattooed on two different girls’ behinds. The following is of two very similar scenes, one set at Waterloo Station in London, the other at a taxi company’s radio department, and subsequent scenes involving photographic booths, where one might be able to claim there was a fair amount of direct copying. Emery is more blue, while the later film is more slapstick with better pacing.
   And yes, that is the lovely Cheryl Kennedy in the first clip.
   In the 1970s and 1980s, it was highly unlikely for Hong Kong cinemagoers to have seen the Emery film.
   Head to 2.45 for the above scene in the first video; 0.43 in the second clip.

Chambers & Partners did a few opening titles to ITC shows and TV movies in the 1960s and 1970s. There was the original Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) (the remake employed Tomato, which also did a great job), but I really love this one for Department S. It shows what a difference design can make, and Chambers had a nice, modernist approach here. The Century Expanded Bold type suits the style of the series, and the titles have aged rather better than Peter Wyngarde’s hairstyle.

   The spin-off, which had Wyngarde on his own in Jason King, felt cheaper, and the titles seem to have lost their sophistication. The Laurie Johnson theme tune was quite cool and was one of the few things that were better about the new series.    However, there are folks who are out there with their own ideas on how the Department S theme can be improved. Groovy!

For our American friends who might not know what Chris Tarrant looks or sounds like in the 21st century, ITV (presumably, as the eventual successor to ATV and Carlton) did a Tiswas reunion special a few years ago. I found this part on YouTube, and it includes a very politically incorrect rant against the French by Michael Palin toward the end.

It was great seeing the brilliant Bernie Kopell again, even if his voice is a little hoarse. He tells some great stories about Sinatra, Martin and the Rat Pack, and his days on Get Smart.

For your enjoyment. I couldn’t believe the whole episode was on Google Video.

Just to show that Brits remake American shows, too, and do just as lousy job of it as Americans do when UK shows cross the Atlantic. Anyone old enough to remember The Fosters, co-starring Lenny Henry as Sonny Foster?
   Click here to see a clip at TV Ark.
   It’s British Good Times, and Henry was in the J. J. Evans equivalent role played by Jimmy Walker, but it was less gritty.
   Equally forgettable were The Upper Hand (British Who’s the Boss?) and Married for Life (British Married with Children). The former I have featured on this blog because it did have its fans (Pussy Galore was in it); the latter is so bad that I could only find a single clip on YouTube:

Yep, bad.
   If you are going to remake shows, maybe the Russians do it a bit better:

For Lifers who wanted to know how the Spanish version of Life on Mars ended, Antena 3 has put up the closing minutes of La chica de ayer on YouTube. I blogged about this back in June; however, this should be easier for readers.
   My Spanish is pathetic at best, but a bit of context: the tunnel is a portal of sorts where Sam travelled from 2009 to 1977. In the final episode, he saves Ana from being killed by his father (the same as episode 8 of the UK original and episode 7 of the US remake). It appears this was the purpose of his trip back to 1977, and explains the meaning of the Spanish title. With that completed, the tunnel lights up again and Samuel has the chance to return to 2009. (Hence, it seems some sort of Divine Intervention or cosmic force is behind Sam’s trip back in time, and he is not in a coma or mad.) However, rather than the dark ending of the original, and the inexplicable one of the US remake, the Spanish have opted for something more upbeat:

A miracle! Finally got in to Vox to write a post.
   Sure hope they get this glitch fixed ASAP.
   Some more pics to share—kind of lost the inspiration to write something cheeky since it took a few hours to get the ‘Compose’ box up on this site.

Dented in the right rear wing but otherwise, looking really good.
   Slightly more upmarket: