77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (1 Viewer)

[Rustifer]

Thanks Russ. I'll look them up and hopefully get to see them. I did watch the show when it originally aired. At 9 years old, I did appreciate the shows and all the other ones at that time.

Yep...that’s about the age I was when I first saw the series way back in 1958.

 

[Gary16]

Yep...that’s about the age I was when I first saw the series way back in 1958.

Me also

 

[Rustifer]

Me also

Aha! A gaggle of old farts be us!

 

[Rustifer]

Back in the early 70's there was a place out here in So Cal (San Gabriel Valley) called THE TIKI which was a huge outdoor venue. Tiki bars everywhere (loved the Planters Punch), 9-10 places to dance with different kinds of music and a gigantic volcano that spewed flames and Hawaiian dances at the end of the night.


https://www.critiki.com/location/the-tikis-monterey-park-302/

There used to be a website (in conjunction with the one you've displayed), called Arkiva Tropica. It was pages and pages of retro Polynesian menus from as far back as the 40's. Gosh, I don't know how many hours I spent combing through that site as it brought back so many memories of my youth and the restaurants me and my family would visit. I adored the colorful pictures of cocktails and the exotic entrees (Bongo-bongo soup and Pressed Mandarin Duck were among my favorites). The prices of stuff back then were mind-blowing (e.g. 25 cents for an egg roll).
Then, suddenly, the site as it existed just disappeared. I think the lady maintaining it who was an avid collector of these menus either moved on or passed away. There is a newer version of www.arkivatropica.com, but it lacks the retro Tiki feel it used to have.

Some menu cover remnants from the old site:

Just love a cocktail that was served in a zombie skull vessel. Who wouldn't?? Waiter! Another round of skulls, please...!

 

[Bob Gu]

MeTV showed "The Rice Estate" last week. That is the episode they were filming when candidate Nixon visited, in that photo your posted. There was a Halloween costume party scene. Stu was a soldier. Kookie was a clown. Jeff was Sherlock Holmes. Suzanne was a witch. Roscoe was Nero. The guy in the striped shirt was just an extra, or maybe a behind the scenes guy.

Monty Pittman is listed in the credits as: 'Russian', but I don't see anybody in a Russian looking costume. Roscoe does not have any lines in the episode as shown on MeTv. Maybe he and Pittman did a comedy bit that was edited out.

 

[Rustifer]

MeTV showed "The Rice Estate" last week. That is the episode they were filming when candidate Nixon visited, in that photo your posted. There was a Halloween costume party scene. Stu was a soldier. Kookie was a clown. Jeff was Sherlock Holmes. Roscoe was Nero. The guy in the striped shirt was just an extra, or maybe a behind the scenes guy.

Monty Pittman is listed in the credits as: 'Russian', but I don't see anybody in a Russian looking costume. Roscoe does not have any lines in the episode as shown on MeTv. Maybe he and Pittman did a comedy bit that was edited out.

It's been at least a year since I've seen "The Rice Estate" but I have DVR'd it and look forward to watching it tonight. I had forgotten about the costume party, but remember the episode being a bit quirkier than the usual fare.

 

[Rustifer]

In the TV section over at the Monster Kids message board site, a member of that group has posted a lot of info about 77 SUNSET STRIP along with season-by-season episode reviews. I believe most of this was written 3-4 years ago but still some interesting info and insights.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mon...rip-a-semi-comprehensive-overview-t50263.html

I took some time to look over this site, and I must say I'm humbled by the expertise of DJ Neyer and his comprehensive reviews of the 77 SS eps that he posted back in 2013. Really, really good.

 

[John Sparks]

Russ, just watched my first episode in many, many years. "THE MAN IN THE MIRROR" from season 3. It seems even at that late date that Spencer, Roscoe and especially Kookie (walk in, walk off) were not really part of the script.

The picture from MeTV is either zoomed in (looks like a 1.66:1 picture) or stretched to try to fill our 16x9 screens. A lot of people had their foreheads cut off.

Other than that, it was a good episode, I hope the ones I've DVRd are better.

 

[Gary16]

Russ, just watched my first episode in many, many years. "THE MAN IN THE MIRROR" from season 3. It seems even at that late date that Spencer, Roscoe and especially Kookie (walk in, walk off) were not really part of the script.

The picture from MeTV is either zoomed in (looks like a 1.66:1 picture) or stretched to try to fill our 16x9 screens. A lot of people had their foreheads cut off.

Other than that, it was a good episode, I hope the ones I've DVRd are better.

MeTV zooms everything that’s not native 16:9.

 

[Rustifer]

MeTV zooms everything that’s not native 16:9.

Wow. You guys have some tech knowledge beyond my feeble understanding. I’m still trying to color inside the lines...

 

[John Sparks]

MeTV zooms everything that’s not native 16:9.

The masses have spoken out about that years ago..."WE WANT OUT TV SCREENS FILLED, THAT'S WHY WE BOUGHT THEM!!!" Sad...

 

[Lutz Koch]

It's been at least a year since I've seen "The Rice Estate" but I have DVR'd it and look forward to watching it tonight. I had forgotten about the costume party, but remember the episode being a bit quirkier than the usual fare.

Quirky indeed. I'd never seen this one before tonight and really enjoyed it. Great idea for what is essentially a Stu episode to have the whole gang (except Rex) take part in a climactic sequence that is both entertaining and exciting. I never expected to hear Roger Smith perform a classic Cole Porter song; an inspired choice! I liked all the scenes with just Efrem and Peggy McCay, they worked well together. I too was wondering about Monty Pittman's appearance as a Russian, and the only explanation I could come up with is that he might be a guy standing on the staircase, talking to a woman. His headwear could be a Russian hat. Blink and you miss him.

Well, you can never have too many pictures of Suzanne... Simply bewitching!

 

[Lutz Koch]

I too was wondering about Monty Pittman's appearance as a Russian, and the only explanation I could come up with is that he might be a guy standing on the staircase, talking to a woman.

Guess I was wrong. I think this might be Monty...

 

[Bob Gu]

Yes,that's Monty Pittman He has an eye painted on his forehead. Maybe he's supposed to be Svengali, or Rasputin.

 

[criblecoblis]

It's been at least a year since I've seen "The Rice Estate" but I have DVR'd it and look forward to watching it tonight. I had forgotten about the costume party, but remember the episode being a bit quirkier than the usual fare.

Russ, this is one of my favorite episodes. Every character is shown to best advantage, and Suzanne is never lovelier. Plus, it's a Monty Pittman script, and he's even in front of the camera here, although he's mostly cut out of the Me-TV print. This episode, while it is not my absolute favorite, is representative of the best the show has to offer. It would be the second episode I would show someone to introduce the show to them, the first being "Lovely Lady, Pity Me."

Regarding Me-TV's aspect ratio, it's 16:10.5, halfway between 4:3 and 16:9.

 

[criblecoblis]

Guess I was wrong. I think this might be Monty...
View attachment 44014

Lutz, that's not from the Me-TV print, right? Because I have watched the party scene minutely in search of Pittman, and I don't recall this shot.

 

[Gary16]

MeTV does run some programs that are in full 16:9 format such as the current Columbo episodes on Sunday night.

 

[Lutz Koch]

Lutz, that's not from the Me-TV print, right? Because I have watched the party scene minutely in search of Pittman, and I don't recall this shot.

No Rob, that's originally from a network that had a star ☆ as its station ID in the lower right corner, you can see it in the screenshot. I've forgotten the name of the network. My print has a runtime of 48min, that should be close to complete.

 

[Rustifer]

I, too, checked out "The Rice Estate" last night and I echo Lutz and Rob's comments of it being a fascinating episode. It has a certain nourish quality and creepiness factor that I wish the series had utilized more often.
Stu shows up at the estate in a torrential storm, courtesy of the WB rain machine (you can always tell fake rain when the sun is still shining through the trees) and gets totally drenched. I'm guessing Effrem did not request additional takes on this scene.

Wet Effrem, Crazy Peggy and an obligatory face suck

Turns out the estate is nearly bare of essentials: furniture, food, gas and electricity due to Eunice Rice's destitution after her husband dies. She nonetheless hires Stu on credit to help decide how to liquidate the money pit. Eunice is played in paranoid splendor by Peggy McCay, who I swear I saw once in an ep as a background extra in a Dino's scene.
She keeps hearing voices saying "Don't sell" when she should be hearing "YOU'RE OFF YOUR ROCKER!" since most of her bells are not ringing in unison.
Unfortunately, there are some annoying script continuity issues as to the rain and thunder timing during most of the story, but it does help portray a nice eeriness throughout.
In short order, a somewhat unconvincing romance breaks out between Stu and Eunice. He runs out to get groceries so that they can make dinner together and brings back steaks to roast in the fireplace, bless his meat-lovin' heart.
For plot padding reasons, a masquerade party is concocted to brighten up the dreary place and a gala time ensues with most of the cast. Jeff sings "Just One of Those Things" (see Lutz's great screen grab prior to this post) as Suzanne sits behind him looking as if she's seconds away from licking his neck in uncontrollable desire. Now that would've been something.
Anyway, it's eventually uncovered that the stepson is behind all the weird doings when he's revealed underneath his clown costume. Why, it's just Gary Conway--Amos Burke's lackey from Burke's Law! Must've wandered into the wrong studio.
Rate: 2 and 1/2 martinis.

 

[Rustifer]

Russ, just watched my first episode in many, many years. "THE MAN IN THE MIRROR" from season 3. It seems even at that late date that Spencer, Roscoe and especially Kookie (walk in, walk off) were not really part of the script.

The picture from MeTV is either zoomed in (looks like a 1.66:1 picture) or stretched to try to fill our 16x9 screens. A lot of people had their foreheads cut off.

Other than that, it was a good episode, I hope the ones I've DVRd are better.

You'll find that the series has its good and not-so-good episodes, John. Regardless, I watch all of them in the spirit of the nostalgia euphoria it brings to me. Y'know...the good ol' days.