Growing up, I lived in a really small town outside of Albany in upstate New York. Do you know what you do for fun when you're a kid in a small town in upstate New York? That's correct...not much. Friday nights, we'd hang out at the local Pizza Hut after the high school football game ended (I'm not kidding) and Saturdays I'd go to the mall and hang out in three key areas...the video arcade, the food court and Spencer Gifts. Wait...Spencer Gifts? Yeh, Spencer Gifts. Ok, the arcade's obvious, and you gotta eat, so the food court makes sense (I loved me some Orange Julius) but Spencer Gifts? You know it. I remember it like it was yesterday. The lava lamps...the little gag boxes with riddles on the cover and either a little plastic penis or a golf ball sliced in half with hair on it on the inside...and the poster rack.
Oh, the poster rack. Do you guys remember? The 70's was the decade of buxom celebrities on a 2'x 3' sheet of paper, and Spencer Gifts had 'em all. Suzanne Somers...Lynda Carter...and the Mona Lisa of the mall, Farrah Fawcett. They were all aranged on that flippy thing, like they were carpet samples, and after you leafed through it about six times, you'd check the corresponding section below to pick up that weekend's prize. And just so you didn't feel like a total perv, the white side was on the outside of the roll, so if anyone asked you could say it was Zeppelin. Those ladies were a big part of my youth, and it's time I said thanks. So let's take a look at what some of the more famous 70's girls are up to these days. Call it a trip through the memory mall, because it would be a shame to forget.
PS: I did have all three...and more. You'll remember I said small town outside of Albany. What else you gonna do?
Catherine Bach - Daisy Duke
We'll start with a classic. Catherine Bach was responsible for shortening a pair of jeans (for which I'm thankful) and lengthening Jessica Simpson's career (for which I'm not). Those Daisy Dukes were responsible for millions of poster sales, and yes, I had that one too. I really had no idea what Ms. Bach did after her Duke boys days. And now I know why...it seems her Daisy Dukes days haven't ended yet. Looks like her last major project was a Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee video game. At a girl, milk it for every cent you can...you never know when that confederate flag thing may go out of style.
Barbi Benton - Hef's Favorite Playmate
She was Hef's girlfriend for most of the 70's. Now he goes through 'em like tic tacs. Barbi Benton's been a Playboy icon (but surprisingly, no centerfolds), a regular on Hee Haw (I don't think there's been one Hee Haw article on this whole site), and part of an ABC show called Sugar Time, for which one critic coined the phrase jiggle tv. (And MTV was born) These days, interior design is her thing, and Aspen and Oahu is where she does it. I think they call it jiggle decorating.
Cheryl Tiegs - The Original Supermodel
Can someone tell me where the hell Janice Dickenson came from? I never even heard of her before she was getting naked on the Surreal Life. It was Cheryl Tiegs who took modeling to another level, and her Sports Illustrated shoots are legendary. These days she's resumed modeling, markets a line of wigs (wigs?) for Revlon, and puts out her own beauty products. You can read more about her here, and you'll notice she still looks great. As for Janice Dickenson...well, who really cares.
Susan Dey - Laurie Partridge
Laurie Partridge in the 70's, and Grace Van Owen in the 90's. But it's Danny who gets the VH1 gig...life just ain't fair. After the LA Law years, Susan went the TV movie route (Anyone see LA Law - The Movie?) and also serves as a board member at a rape treatment center in LA. But it's her early commercial work that landed her on the Museum of Menstruation website, and for that I'm sure she's eternally grateful.
Marilu Henner - Elaine from Taxi
I was a huge Taxi fan. Reverend Jim cracked me up, and Elaine was insanely hot, so what's not to love. Marilu's another one with a couple major series under her belt, as she not only had Taxi, but also that Burt Reynolds show, Evening Shade. On top of that, she played Roxie Hart on Broadway, she's big into fitness, and she just (like last month) got remarried to an old friend from college . Aside from all that, the strangest thing I read about her on Wikipedia was her claim that she can remember what she did on any given date. That's freaky. I think I've heard that story before, but I'm not sure. Anyway, what were we talking about?
Kate Jackson - Sabrina Duncan
I'll admit it...Sabrina was always my favorite angel. I was crazy about her. Didn't have her poster, though. She wasn't really the poster type. You had to imagine what she looked like in a bikini...and I've never lacked for imagination. Rookies, Charlie's Angels, Scarecrow & Mrs King, and a ton of tv movies. Ms. Jackson's always managed to keep busy. She's unfortunately had some health issues to overcome. But just this year, she took part in a Charlie's Angels reunion at the Emmy's. If you'd like to know any more, this fan site has all sorts of up-to-the-second info. I'm betting the owner has a pretty vivid imagination, too.
Peggy Lipton - Julie from the Mod Squad
The star of Mod Squad went on to marry Quincy Jones, star in Twin Peaks, and more recently have guest appearances on Popular and Alias. And did you know you watch Ms. Lipton's daughter every week on the Office? Well it was news to me. But come to think of it, their faces are pretty similar. (And now I have this mother-daughter thing going on in my head.) Unfortunately she's recently been stricken with cancer, but if anyone can get through it, I'll bet she can. She seems like a very cool lady.
Bernadette Stanis - Thelma from Good Times
Thelma was the only one who could keep JJ in line. And I've met JJ, and know that's no small feat, so Bernadette Stanis has earned my respect. Since Good Times, there have been some guest spots on series and tv movies, and recently she appeared on the UPN show Girlfriends as a character that looks amazingly like Thelma Evans. She's also written a book on relationships called Situations 101. A Good Times reunion remains to be seen.
Lauren Hutton - Supermodel Extraordinaire
Lauren Hutton...Supermodel, Actress, cosmetics mogul...truly one of a kind. How one-of-a-kind? Well, she has her line of beauty products. When she was 55, she suffered multiple fractures and broken bones in a 100 mile motorcycle ride accident promoting the opening of the Vegas Guggenheim. And last year at the age of 61, she posed nude for Big Magazine. That's the cover in Black & White...Holy Crap. Whatever she's doing, we should all do a little of the same, because it seems to be working well for her.
Olivia Newton John - Sandy from Grease
In the 70's, Olivia Newton John achieved both country and pop recording success, but the role of Sandy in Grease will probably be what most people remember her for. Since then she's continued her recording career (mostly in Austalia), guest starred on several tv series and movies, has a signature line of women's wellness products(available exclusively at Walgreens) and still tours today. You may remember she made headlines last year when her boyfriend, Patrick MCDermott, went missing. Some say he actually staged the whole thing to skip out on alimony payments. I think he finally saw Xanadu and couldn't deal.
Adrienne Barbeau - Carol from Maude
I rememeber seeing Maude once or twice in the 70's and not giving mush thought to the actress who played Carol. Then I saw Escape from New York and thought...Jesus, where'd she come from. Not wanting to rely soley on the gifts that made her a very popular poster girl of the 70's, Adrienne Barbeau was once quoted as saying she wanted to "explore the human condition" in her roles, which she went on to do in Cannonball Run 2, Creepshow and Swamp Thing. More recently, she was Oswald's mom on the Drew Carey Show, was in the HBO series Carnivale, and just last year she starred off-Broadway in The Property Known as Garland. But really, she'll always be Brain's busty sidekick to me.
Jacqueline Bissett- Gail in The Deep
In 1977, a film called The Deep made Jacqueline Bissett a superstar in the US. But more importantly, it introduced the pop culture phenomenon we all know and love...the wet t-shirt. (When you think about it, there really should be a plaque in Fort Lauderdale thanking her.) Ms. Bissett has continued to make movies to this day, and currently has a recurring role on the FX show Nip/Tuck. I don't think she was crazy about the babe image she gained from The Deep. But unfortunately for her, that the role I'll always remember most. Because in contrast to the beautiful ocean waters in the movie, I'm really shallow.
Jaclyn Smith - Kelly Garrett
I have to admit...of all three angels, I was never a big Kelly Garrett guy. But over time, I've definitely come over to the Jaclyn Smith side. Is it her looks? Is it her personality? Maybe it's the Brinks truck she backs up to the K-Mart vault every day...yeah, that may be it. People's Most Beautiful People list, TV Guide's most beautiful women, Peopleweekly's 10 Great Faces of Our Time...she's like the Michael Jordan of hotness. These days? well, she was part of that Angels reunion, and she had a cameo in the 2003 Angels movie. But I'll bet the K-Mart gig takes up most of her day. Counting money can be so tiring.
...and what about our leading ladies?
In 2006 Suzanne Somers opened, and then immediately closed a one-woman show called The Blonde in the Thunderbird. Referring to critics, Somers was quoted as saying "These men are curmudgeons, and maybe I went too close to the bone for them. I was lying there naked, and they decided to kick me and step on me, just like these visions you see in Iraq." Good to see she took it well.
Living 70's legend Farrah had a TV Land reality show, apparently based on her endlessly entertaining and quite incoherent guest appearances on various talk shows. Her '97 Letterman visit is the stuff of legend, and at the recent Shatner roast, Jeffrey Ross asked Betty White to explain all the jokes to her. On a sadder note, she's currently battling intestinal cancer. Hopefully, she'll come through it with a full recovery
As for Wonder Woman, she's had roles in a few recent comedies, inlcuding Super Troopers, Dukes of Hazzard, and Sky High. She also continues to star in teenage boy's dreams on a regular basis...golden lasso in tow, forcing them to tell the truth or face the consequeces.
BONUS: You probably know, but just in case...
Cheryl Ladd is on NBC every week starring opposite fellow 70's icon Jimmy Caan in Vegas. (She's also a pretty good golfer.) And Bo Derek was recently scheming against Morgan Fairchild every week on a show called Fashion House. But unfortunately, Bo's not only a Bush supporter, but a Bush campaigner as well, which means she's dead to me. (You broke my heart, Fredo.)
That's all for now...but if you haven't had enough babes of the past, check out the 80's Beauties - Parts One and Two. Hopefully, you'll get your fill with those, because it's too soon for a 90's version, and I don't think it would be wise to do a 60's.
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The classic story about Marilu Henner remembering dates came on Bob Costas' old "Later" show. He asked her about it and picked a date - July 20, 1969, the first moon landing. She looked at him with shock and asked if someone had put him up to that. Costas, confused, asked why. "That's the day I lost my virginity" she said.
Talk about one giant leap for mankind...
That's where I'm originally from also Jellio. Schenectady to be precise.
I hope people don't really buy it when actresses appear nude or almost nude again and again, and then claim in some rag or talk show that they don't want to do that. Is there acting really that good on these talk shows that people believe it? This is a business. They show there body for promotional purposes. They would show even more if Hollywood would show more. Hollywood has actually been holding them back as the censorship for the last 20 years has been out of control. Thankfully the censorship is finally coming to an end.
Who was the girl scratching her butt in the tennis poster and what happened to her?
Hey JohnJ, I grew up in Amsterdam. We're practically neighbors.
I'm originally from Ballston Lake & Saratoga Springs. Small world. Living in Pennsylvania now.
Wonderful walk down memory lane, now I feel old.
I also grew up in Schenectady. I might have been the one standing behind you in line at Spencer's Gifts. (The one in Mohawk Mall) I still have a beat-up copy of the Farrah poster that hung on my dorm-room wall through the late 70's!
I also grew up in Schenectady. I might have been the one standing behind you in line at Spencer's Gifts. (The one in Mohawk Mall) I still have a beat-up copy of the Farrah poster that hung on my dorm-room wall through the late 70's!
Mohawk Mall...that was the mall! And sometimes, Colonie Center. Awesome.
Peggy Lipton became a nigger lover. 'Bout as commendable as becoming a crack-whore.
Peggy Lipton became a nigger lover. 'Bout as commendable as becoming a crack-whore.
this is all nice and good but were are the REAL retro girls? Carroll Baker, June Wilkinson,
Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch,Joey Heatherton and
I could go on for pages...
I'd like to see were these gals are now!
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I have been looking for a poster that I remember a lot of guys I knew had on their walls back in the mid 70's (most of them had the Farrah poster too). It was of a (relatively unknown) very attractive blonde girl standing on the beach, in a wet "wife beater" tank top. Am I the only one who remembers this poster? I have been looking for it for a while, because I've told my husband about it and he doesn't recall ever seeing it.