We were unable to get any local stations while traveling this summer and found a TV station playing some prime-time oldies. Watching shows from the past leads to some interesting observations. This includes the way people were portrayed in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
Perry Mason (1957-1966)
Perry Mason is an attorney who always wins his case. This almost always happens during a trial by showing that someone else in the courtroom is guilty of the crime his client is charged with. Through witness testimony he leads to the truth, and either the witness testifying or someone else in the courtroom inevitably stands up with an “I did it” announcement. Of course, once this announcement is made, Perry has won the case for his client.
Perry’s secretary/legal assistant, Della, is a smart, single woman who is always at Perry’s side. She sits in his office while they work, is there when he meets with clients or with his private investigator, Paul Drake. Della also goes to clients’ homes and attends special events or dinner appointments with Perry.
Della is portrayed as very intelligent and capable, but almost every other woman in every episode fits the “dumb blonde” profile. They appear very naive or lacking in intelligence. They are highly emotional and unable to cope with the slightest bit of stress.
Paul Drake is a private investigator that does work on every case Perry handles. Paul is always available at a moment’s notice. The same goes for Della. It appears neither Paul nor Della has a private life. Their entire existence revolves around Perry’s business needs.
It is a good show that I enjoy watching. The outcome is very predictable.
Mannix (1967-1975)
Mannix is a Los Angeles private detective. He is good-looking, drives a convertible, and women in mini-skirts are always after him. He has an attractive secretary, Peggy. Peggy is the widow of a police officer and is raising a young son on her own.
At a moment’s notice, Peggy is always able to find a babysitter so she can work late, work weekends, stay with female clients overnight, and more.
Throughout every episode, Mannix will get into at least one fistfight, get shot at, and have his car run off the road. Remarkably he never gets a black eye but does sometimes suffer injuries. His car is always repaired quickly. The “bad guys” frequently show up at the office, putting Peggy in dangerous situations as well.
This is a fun one for finding errors where writers and producers didn’t check their facts. For example, in one episode Mannix was preventing a plane from leaving the ground. The pilot was knocked unconscious but still in the pilot’s seat. Mannix is standing by the pilot’s seat, leans over and pulls up the yoke, and turns it to the left. The plane turns to the left and stops. This would never have happened in real life.
Pulling back on the yoke in an airplane causes the plane to climb in altitude or lift off the ground if there is enough speed. Turning the yoke causes the plane to bank in flight, but does nothing on the ground.
When on the ground you turn the plane using the foot pedals, and you stop the plane by pushing the top of both foot pedals forward simultaneously. How do I know? I live with a pilot!
By the time we reached the 1970s, women in TV shows were being portrayed as intelligent and emotionally stable.
Barney Miller (1975-1982)
This is a comedy set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The goofy situations the detectives deal with are so off-the-wall that you have to assume they represent real police incidents. The show’s characters are an ethical mixture of good-hearted, comical professionals who manage to get the job done.
Captain Barney Miller is in charge of the precinct. He is level-headed and serious about getting the job done, despite having a bunch of partially inept people working for him.
“Wojo” is short for Wojciehowicz. True to the era’s habit of joking about Polish intelligence, Wojo is well-meaning, physically attractive to ladies, but lacking in intelligence. Although successful in getting the bad guys, he always manages to bumble something.
Harris is a good-looking, fashion-conscious, cultured black man who is aspiring to become a successful writer. He is always placing notes about incidents at the station into a mini-cassette recorder for use in his writing. Harris is the classy type who can fix you a perfect cup of tea and take you to the symphony.
Yemana is Japanese, introverted, and always reading and trying to avoid work. One of his “duties” is to make the coffee at the precinct, and it is horrible. He never makes a decent pot, yet everyone continues drinking it. He is also responsible for the filing, but no one can ever find anything he files.
Dietrich is a curly-haired blonde, brainy, and always able to fill everyone in on any subject they are discussing. He is the type of person you picture as a kid reading encyclopedias and enjoying homework.
Fish is on the edge of retirement and has a condition that always has him running to the bathroom. Married for years to Bernice, he constantly makes subtle complaints about her or marriage. Bernice always calls him at work for some goofy reason.
Inspector Frank Luger is constantly stopping in, trying to catch the precinct doing something they shouldn’t. He is both annoying and likable at the same time.
Last but not least is Officer Carl Levitt. Levitt is still in uniform and delivers the mail daily. He wants to move into Barney’s department and become a detective. Levitt is constantly pointing out his achievements, no matter how small. He is also very sensitive about being shorter than the others and tries to stress when his shorter stature is beneficial.
I recently watched the final episode of the series from 1982. Although not a longtime watcher, it was a sad moment when everyone had to leave the precinct for the last time and go their own way.
What oldie TV shows do you enjoy watching?
What are your observations when you go back and view old shows today?
--- LIFE IS A MELTING POT --- Grace Grogan...Writer, Photographer 