Sunday, October 31st. 1976

Up at 5:30 and I was surprised to find Laurel and Hardy on Channel 12 and then on 48 'til 9! Paper arrived at 6:30. I actually heard it land on the porch. Learned from it that Harry will be back at Christmas. Also saw where the $17.76 record set I ordered will be coming it commercially.

Watched my first Marilyn Monroe film today when I missed the bus out to Ludlow.

Had to change a LOT of lights over at SS.

Had a not so good talk with Terry early tonight.

Halloween was never my favorite holiday and I like it less now that no one comes around anymore.

Watched LIFE GOES TO THE MOVIES and a good Bogey flick.

Off tomorrow.

NOTES: "Harry" was Dirty Harry Callahan, Clint Eastwood's signature police inspector role. First seen in 1971 and last seen in 1973. This third film, THE ENFORCER, was announced on this date as being one of the first films to play at the upcoming "Cinema City Six" theaters in Florence, KY.  By the time they opened they were just called the Florence Cinemas. THE ENFORCER would be the first of many films I would see there. It wasn't very good.


I'm not certain but I think the first Marilyn film I saw was NIAGARA. She would soon enough become another obsession.


The $17.76 record set I refer to was the WINGS FROM THE WINGS bootleg. On this date I learned that WINGS OVER AMERICA would be released. The difference was that the boot was all one concert whereas the commercial release contained what was considered the best performances from each stop on the recently completed Wings tour. 


LIFE GOES TO THE MOVIES is one of the best Hollywood documentaries I've ever seen and I would later pick up the accompanying book, also one of the best in my movie collection. 

Saturday, Oct 30th, 1976

IT.

Cincinnati trip called on account of rain. Spent the day reading comics. I decided to chop 2001 and IRON MAN. New TBG came early, too.

Found out Terry had gone to see Hope last weekend, too.

Roddy was on with Carol tonight and I was able to catch Monty Python on 54.

NOTES: IRON MAN I had just come back to not long earlier after buying scores of issues I had never had. Eventually I realized that it was no longer as good as it had been and dropped it. 


2001 was Jack Kirby's ongoing series adaptation of the classic Stanley Kubrick film and sadly one of my least favorites of his long career. Every issue was essentially a rewrite of the issue before it. So I dropped it. Then he introduced a character in the title known as Mr. Machine...later Machine Man...who would go on to some success in the Marvel Universe. I was already gone by that point. 


Roddy was, of course, Roddy McDowall, a favorite guest of Carol Burnett on her Saturday night variety series. 


"54" was and is Channel 54, a low-power Covington PBS  and KET (Kentucky Educational Television) station.

***EXTRA***Comic Books: A Basic History

In recent weeks in my Journal, I have several times noted in 1976 that I was writing a book on the history of comics. Today, digging through boxes looking for more stuff to sell,  I ran across my original outline for the book as well as my "About the Author." Note that I apparently finished up to Chapter 14...but not beyond. Still searching to see if I have any of the chapters here anymore. 

Friday, Oct. 29th, 1976

Two unexpected tests today. The pep rally was quick and fairly painless. Missed the first Eastern bus home. It was early.

Saw George P. today and then later ran into Mrs. Rettig, too. She told me Mrs. Marrs has retired.

There were a few new books out including a new one on sex in films but I didn't get yet.

Another two hour Bob Hope special on tonight and I stayed up 'til 12:30 to watch the first part of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE.

NOTES: "George P." was the son of our former landlady. He had at one point hit my dad--a notoriously soft touch--up for fifty dollars and gave him two gold rings melded together with multiple diamonds as collateral...and then he moved away and never came back for them. Years later, my wife and I sold the gold but had the diamonds popped out and inserted into our wedding rings. 


Mrs. Rettig had been my favorite grade school teacher. She reminded me of BEWITCHED's Agnes Moorehead and she was the first person I ever heard described a s a"bitch" but to me she was always great. I had her for both second grade and third grade! Again, zip forward more than a decade more and one day when my not-yet wife and I were just out for a walk down by the Ohio River we ran into...Mrs. Rettig!


Mrs. Marrs had been my first grade teacher, beloved by everyone. I had last seen her when, as a favor,  sixth grader me walked one of her students to a nearby clinic for required shots...and picked up chicken pox at age 12!


ARSENIC AND OLD LACE is a manic black comedy with Cary Grant starring in the film version as Mortimer, a role I played when we read the play aloud in class in high school! 

Thursday, Oct 28th, 1976

Mr. Tucker was out sick today. Fire drill again first period.

Parade in Cincy. Dad was there to see it and Holmes band marched in it. We saw much of it on TV including a confetti record.

I got a new article by Ray Bradbury on writing that I was able to bring home from school, too.

IT just for tension relief tonight...and it worked!

NOTES:I hate to keep typing in these notes that I don't have a clue about something but I don't have a clue what a "confetti record" is/was." Anyone?


I've mentioned so many fire drills in recent weeks I really think some of the other students were being prankish. The fact that my son brings home stories of multiple fire drills per week tells me that that's one more thing that never changes. 


Bradbury is still alive in his nineties in 2011 and long since considered one of the great authors of the 20th century, not just one of the great sci-fi authors. In the seventies, he used to complain loudly that books by L. Frank Baum and Edgar Rice Burroughs weren't in school libraries. They are now. I like to  think at least some of that was due to Ray.

Wednesday, Oct. 27th, 1976

Saw a Sherlock special on TODAY.

No new comics out. Well, there were a couple. I got one and Wendy's.

I almost screamed and cried at the same time as the dumb old local stations (both 2 and 5) took off the highly publicized episode of THE PRACTICE with Marlo! Now if it gets canceled I can never see it!

NOTES: Sherlock Holmes again. Seriously, 1976 was a good year for the man from Baker Street.


THE PRACTICE was a then-new sitcom starring TV veteran Danny Thomas as a doctor (who looked vaguely like Groucho). It wasn't bad but it only lasted the one season and, as predicted, I've never seen the highly advertised episode form this evening 35 years ago in which Thomas' daughter Marlo, THAT GIRL, guest-starred with her father. 

Tuesday, Oct 26th, 1976

Got TBG and a letter from Yoshiko.

Spent a long time with Mona today and was fairly open with her. She's easy to talk to.

Mrs. K introduced me to Sarah tonight.

We're having a stupid pep rally Friday.

NOTES: It continues to amaze me how I remember much of this stuff like it was yesterday and then there are things like this Sarah. Sarah? Mrs. K was the 90 year old former kindergarten teacher who lived upstairs. Apparently she introduced me to someone named Sarah. No clue. 


Sometimes I wonder what happened to my Japanese pen pal, Yoshiko Tashiro---especially in the wake of last year's Japanese disasters. We corresponded long past the junior high class which hooked us up for an assignment. I think I continued writing to her another couple of years beyond this, also! I remember in an early letter she said her very favorite movie star was Alain Delon. She got mad when I said I had never heard of him. Turns out, of course, that French actor Delon was one of the most popular stars in the world at the time...except in America. Over the years, though, he has become a favorite of mine and, in fact, I just watched two of his films with Jean-Paul Belmondo over the weekend.


Note that I had zero school spirit.

Tuesday, Oct 25th, 1976

Dad's off all this week.

Played chess in empty Spanish class. Hardly anyone showed up! In fact, little classwork all day. No sign of Mona.

No SS work tonight.

Nice, adult, romantic episode of ALL'S FAIR tonight.

Mom found a house buyer.

NOTES: A house buyer? We never owned a house! I'm confused. Was she looking for someone else? No memory.


Not sure how I got out of SS work, either, as they were always there and quite frankly, most of them were slobs. There had to have been ashtrays and trash cans overflowing. Oh, well.  


ALL'S FAIR was one of those shows that SHOULD have made it but didn't and is now largely forgotten. From IMDB: This sitcom set in Washington, D.C. detailed the relationship between 49-year-old conservative political writer Richard Barrington and his liberal photographer girlfriend Charley. Despite frequent arguments concerning current events, topical concerns and the generation gap, Richard and Charley stayed together, much to the amusement of their friends and co-workers.


TV and movie veteran Richard Crenna starred along with Bernadette Peters whom you may recall as one of my favorites then and now. 


Crenna had been a regular on several old time radio shows including THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE and OUR MISS BROOKS and on TV was known for THE REAL McCOYS. He was also a prolific director and a good character lead in feature films, perhaps most notably as Stallone's commanding officer in the RAMBO films. 

Bernadette Peters apparently postponed her Cincinnati concert appearance scheduled for this Fall as her site now lists it for April instead. Wish I could go.

Sunday, Oct. 24th, 1076

Elton and Kiki on WONDERAMA this morning.

Went ti see the great movie THE FRONT this afternoon and picked up the new JLA.

Depressed later in the afternoon but we ate early and went back over the river at 7:15 to see the show. It started late but we saw all but Ben Vereen who didn't show. Fabulous! Especially Wayne Newton, Roy Clark and, of all things, Enzo Stuarti!

NOTES: Damn! My 4 lines rule meant I couldn't say much about the Bob Hope Show! Luckily I wrote no less than 2 pages about it in my SCHOOL Journal two days later...and here it is now:


Every year Bob Hope comes to town to get money for a favorite local charity, The Bob Hope House. This year, in an attempt to get enough money to burn the mortgage on the house, the great comedian decided against his usual golf tournament in favor of a concert with himself and some of his famous friends. Scheduled to be a two hour event, the extravaganza started almost half an hour late and lasted 4 hours!


First Bob Braun, probably our most well-known local entertainer, sang and joked for about ten minutes as singer Lynn Anderson had missed a flight and was forced to get a ride down in the rain from Columbus!


The first major performance of the evening came as operatic singer Enzo Stuarti treated the vast audience to a medley from MAN OF LA MANCHA, THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC and an aria from PAGLIACCI and met with probably the mist unexpected triumph of the evening! The crowd loved him!


During his performance, Miss anderson apparently arrived as she appeared next on stage. She wore a thin, yellow, flowing gown and did several popular songs, ending with her signature ROSE GARDEN.


Following this was a long and elaborate concert put on by former country music "Entertainer of the Year" Roy Clark. Backed up by several back-up vocalists and and a full band, he ran through a gamut of country to pop to masterful instrumentals, all aided immensely by Roy's great wit. He got a standing ovation.


Then the great Pearl Bailey came onto the stage sharing songs and lightly comedic stories and even some fast dancing! We in the audience heartily approved of the antics of the woman known as Pearlie Mae and gave her the next standing ovation of the evening!


After a brief intermission, Bob Braun returned to finally introduce, "the funniest man in the world," Bob Hope! Here was what the crowded Coliseum had been waiting for and he immediately got his standing ovation just for being there! Launching directly into first a song and then his customary monologue, Bob left no doubt as to who the real star was on this star-studded program!


He brought out Miss America (Dorothy Benham) and then Reds catcher Johnny Bench to do one song each. Then he brought on Wayne Newton.


Wayne Newton is unquestionably an entertainer. He knew just what the audience wanted and gave it to them in spades! As he sang and joked, the stage was constantly bombarded by girls of all ages trying just to touch his hand. It was reminiscent of an Elvis concert. Keeping the stage for much longer than his supposedly allotted twenty minutes, Newton sang his hits and favorite songs and played at least three musical instruments! While catching his breath between high-energy numbers, he also joked and told stories until nearly 11:30 PM!


When Bob Hope took the stage again, it was for a song and dance with his wife who had been in the audience. Then, right at midnight, they burned the mortgage onstage! 


The event was touted in newspapers the next day as the single biggest show to ever perform in Cincinnati and said to be a part of history in the making! It may not be the biggest show for long, though, as Hope has promised to return again next year...with Perry Como and Bing Crosby!


And return he did--see the ad above. Twice more, in fact, before returning to the golf tournament format in 1979. Sadly Crosby died the following year but Como did come in '78! Other guests in the following two years included Mark Hamill (fresh from STAR WARS), Joey Heatherton, Silent film star Buddy Rogers (!), Glenn Campbell, Teresa Brewer, Minnie Pearl, Jane Russell, Gordon MaCrae and Nick Clooney. 

Saturday, Oct. 23rd, 1976

Up real early. Started the day with IT. Then saw GLENN'S DEN and got the paper by 8. Snow this morning (!) and then rain the rest of the day!

Finally picked up a copy of SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES for my book review. Also got the HOWARD THE DUCK TREASURY.

Finally read the Jimmy Carter interview. Last debate aired last night.

Went to see CAR WASH but didn't get the free T-shirt. Ordered 7 undergrounds.

Watched Roy on HEE HAW before seeing him in person tomorrow night--also PLAYBOY's Misty Rowe on HEE HAW, too!

NOTES: GLENN'S DEN was another short-lived local series featuring longtime Cincinnati TV fixture Glenn "Skipper" Ryle--children's show host, game show host, announcer, weatherman and talk show sidekick.


CAR WASH was a funny urban ensemble comedy with a very successful funk soundtrack. I think I was the only white viewer in the theater that day. It was the first time I had ever seen Bill Duke who went on to become one of my favorite film directors. I exchanged a couple emails with him a few years ago. It also featured glorified cameos from Richard Pryor and George Carlin. Apparently there was supposed to be a free t-shirt but I got there too late.


The HOWARD THE DUCK TREASURY was an oversized--literally--comic reprinting the character's first appearances along with an all-new story. 


SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES was, at the time, one of Ray Bradbury's few full-length novels and even it was based on a short story! It would become and remains a favorite book.

Friday, Oct 22nd, 1976

Lots of publicity for the Hope show.

The school band played in a parade today and I passed a Spanish test.

Met Mona twice today and I'm starting to hope that becomes a habit.

I think I saw Barry (Binkley) and tonight I learned that Cheryl and Bob are no longer "living in sin."

I got to SS real early tonight.

NOTES: I have to admit that it's odd my spooky memory can recall so much and yet other things I read here seem totally foreign to me. For example, I don't have a clue who Barry Binkley was/is nor who Cheryl and Bob were. If I found out about them that night then it seems like it wouldn't have been  school-related. I knew a couple of Cheryls in school but I don't recall any Bob's during he high school years. No clue. 


Also, I don't recall why I was so interested in noting the band playing in the parade. I wasn't in the band nor did I know anyone who was. 


I was really getting excited about the Bob Hope Show as it got closer.


If only I had known about Mona...


If I got to SS early, then I was probably back in time to watch my Friday night shows which, at this point, included DONNY & MARIE, THE ROCKFORD FILES and David Birney as a sanitized version of SERPICO, played by Al Pacino on the big screen. It only ran one season.

Thursday, Oct 21st, 1976

Good and bad both today. Sheff for Homeroom.

Several of the new TV shows canceled already!

My coat zipper and my shirt got stuck until I got to school where I had to rip it loose. Tore the zipper good. Dad gave me his jacket when he got home.

Got Mona's picture when she came to see me in Study Hall at lunch. Beautiful!

I had to stand on the bus home.

Reds won the series tonight and I went to bed early!

NOTES: Yes, this was four lines in the actual Journal. I've decided to separate them here for clarity going forward.


Apparently Mr. Sheff was another teacher. I don't recall him. Sounds like my regular Homeroom teacher was out and he covered for her.


When Mona became an issue later, I would tear her picture into little tiny pieces.


Dad just gave me his jacket. Doesn't sound like a big deal and I didn't treat it like one at the time but ow I find myself doing that kind of thing for my own son and I realize that sometimes it kind of is a big deal. Thanks, Dad.

No idea what shows were canceled on this date but 1976 was teh year that one series in the TV GUIDE FALL PREVIEW ISSUE was cancelled before a single episode aired. SNIP with David Brenner. From Wikipedia: 

Snip (September 30, 1976) 

Comedian David Brenner was slated to star in this sitcom, where he would portray a hairdresser dealing with his ex-wife (Lesley Ann Warren) moving back in with him. Created by James Komack, who had earlier created Chico and the Man and Welcome Back Kotter, Snip appeared to have great potential and was heavily promoted by NBC; however, after seven episodes were written and five were filmed, the network decided to pull the show at the last minute – so abruptly, in fact, that TV Guide still listed the show in its schedule guide. Brenner later stated that he believed the pulling was due to fears of controversy, as one of the supporting characters was openly gay, quipping that apparently "In 1976, there were no gay people in America." The five completed episodes later aired in Australia.