LOONEY TUNES / The Road Runner In "Guided Muscle" - 1955

Here's a terrific little WB cartoon we used to watch back in the day... The story was written by the tricky Michael Maltese and was directed by the master Chuck Jones, a collaboration that produced the funniest cartoons in the history of cartoons!..

Here are our characters, the lonely Coyote and the sonic speed demon, the Road Runner!

Things always start with a simple chase, but soon escalate into a comedy of errors.

The Coyote tries to match the speed of the Road Runner with the use of a big old bow... He does match his meal's speed though, but, his aim's a little off!

The Coyote just can't win, something weird is always happening to him!

And, it's never a good weird!..

Bring in some Acme grease, that'll slow the damn bird down, for sure! Of course, he gets himself stuck in the grease and has to try and get away before a big red truck runs him over, which it does with surgical accuracy!!

If nothing else works, well, buy a book, like, How To Tar And Feather A Road Runner, 10th printing even!

But again, the Coyote becomes the victim of his own devices!

Maybe a stick of TNT in the middle of the road will solve his problem... Uhh... NOT!!

So, after 7 minutes of losing every round against his foe, the Coyote gives up and turns the place over to another maroon stupid enough to think it can catch that slippery speed demon!

He even helps end this failed attempt to get a decent meal! That's All Folks!.. Tune in tomorrow when we'll have something special for you, and them, and those guys over there too!

TOP OF THE POPS - "Season 5, Episode 7" (Feb. 15, 1968)

It's a "Top Of The Pops" Wednesday in The Dungeon tonight!

I'm no authority, but to me "Top Of The Pops" was the British equivalent to "American Bandstand!"
I never have felt like people in America understood how the music scene in Britain was pretty much entirely different than in the U.S. and I think this TV show will kind of show what I mean!

"Top Of The Pops" chose a handful of the top charters of the time in a dance party format!
Distinguished marathon runner and MENSA member, Jimmy Savile was the host of "Top Of The Pops" for 255 episodes from 1964 to 2006!

This episode of "Top Of The Pops" started off with "Back On My Feet Again" by The Foundations, which peaked on the British charts at number 18, and was basically unheard of in the United States. The following year they would hit it big with a number 5 song on the Billboard charts in the U.S. called "Build Me Up Buttercup!

 Alan Price had a lot more success with American audiences when he was in The Animals, who he left to form the Alan Price Set. This song, "Don't Stop The Carnival" reached number 13 in the UK, and never saw the light of day in the U.S.

 After this, The Move's song "Fire Brigade" moved all the way up to number 3 on the UK charts.
Personally, I like The Move, but they had very limited popularity in the U.S, and I don't think this song was ever played on American radio. I think The Move were just too English for America, and people here didn't even know what a fire brigade was!

"Pictures Of Matchstick Men" was the only hit single that the Status Quo had in America when it reached number 12. After this show, in the British charts it made it all the way to number 7.

I don't remember this song at all, but it supposedly made it to number 22 in the U.S. but Herman and the boys sure had a lot of other big hits!
They've got it here as being number 9, but everything else I've read, says it only made it to number 11 in the UK.

Louisiana born Brenton Wood's "Gimme A Little Sign" hit number 8 in the UK, and number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Charts!
Like American Bandstand, It looks like most of these performers are miming their tunes!
In the truth is stranger than fiction department, the 78 year old Brenton Wood will be performing here in my town as part of an R&B revue show in a couple of weeks!

The Amen Corner's version of  "Bend Me, Shape Me," reached number 3 in the UK. I don't think it ever got any airplay, or very little, in the U.S.
"Bend Me, Shape Me" by The American Breed was a big hit in the U.S. where it made it to number 5, but that version only made it to number 24 in the UK.
The original recording of "Bend Me, Shape Me," was recorded by The Outsiders which never charted.

The number one tune for the week was Manfred Mann's "The Mighty Quinn." The album this song came from, also had another hit on it called "Ha! Ha! Said The Clown," but the album itself, which was called "Might Garvey" in the UK, never charted!
"The Might Quinn" only got as far as number 10 in the American Billboard Charts, but it probably played on the radio much longer!

I'll leave you with this shot of Jimmy Savile doing his impression of Yertle the Turtle while Pirate and BBC radio DJ, Dave Cash prattles on!
In 1969, recording as Microbe, Dave Cash had a minor novelty hit himself that reached number 29 on the British charts called
"Groovy Baby!"
Be afraid, be very afraid!

THE OUTER LIMITS: The Chameleon / Season 1 Episode 31 - 1964

Today we have another great episode from the great sixties series... To save Earth from an invasion from space, scientists alter a human into a replica of one of the aliens. The human subject, Mace, is a remorseless killer, who easily adapts to the personality required. Giving up his body and life means little to him, he relishes this ultimate test of his chameleon powers. But how much loyalty will Mace have for his fellow humans?..

This one stars Robert (THX 1138) Duvall, Howard (JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG) Caine, Douglas (THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, KING DINOSAUR) Henderson, William (ICE STATION ZEBRA) O'Connell and Henry (THE LAND UNKNOWN) Brandon.

The military is keeping tabs on an alien spacecraft that has landed in a forest. They can't decide what to do, one option is to destroy the craft.

Leon Chambers, who works for General Crawford, locates Louis Mace after he's had an altercation with with an underworld character. His buddy takes off after Mace puts the screws to his pal.

Chambers enters the bar to find Mace holding the flyswatter that he killed the punk with! Pretty effing fly!!

Chambers wants to recruit Mace to try and infiltrate the aliens' craft to find out why they're on Earth. But, how will they accomplish such a complicated task? Hey, check out how to use Venetian blinds to create atmosphere!!

Well, it just so happens that Dr. Tillyard has the answer. He plans on using a serum that will transform Mace into an alien, plus he has tapes that will rewire his brain...

Sure enough, Mace changes into an alien! But, after the transformation is complete, Mace just giggles a lot, unnerving the others.

So, after Mace makes his way inside the ship, he's hit with a ray that tells the aliens what the transplant is up to, they know he is a human that has been changed into one of them!

This is a strange shot, the thing on the left is a weapon that Mace learns about from the aliens.

The two aliens like Mace and ask him if he'd like to join them on their long trip back to their planet. Mace says he'd like that, and helps them prepare for the journey.

Mace seems to have forgotten about his mission, so, Chambers pushes the 'remember the mission, come back' button. Mace takes the weapon and mists one of the aliens. He kills that alien and the other escapes into the forest...

But, after Mace chases the other alien down and is ready to kill him, well, Mace has like an alien epiphany and agrees to go back with the alien to his planet so that he has a friend to keep him company. Mace refuses to go back to the base, goodbye!

So, General Crawford, Chambers and Dr. Tillyard can only watch as the spacecraft heads out to space... Tune in Wednesday when Eegah!! will haunt The Dungeon once again! Til then...