As Dreamers Do: American Magic Redux

[OldNavy1988]

On the night of November 8, 1972, less than 500 homes in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania were hooked up with cable television by Teleservice, now known as Service Electric. Little did these subscribers know they would become part of television history as that night marked the launch of one of the first premium cable channels; Home Box Office.

Home Box Office is a joint venture of Time-Life, Inc. and Sterling Manhattan Cable.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

@Colonel Zoidberg
Miami Dolphins pull off the first undefeated season in professional football.
- Sports Illustrated

Westinghouse and Metromedia gain final approval from the FCC for their fourth network. The soon to be named network is expected to launch in Fall 1974.
- The Washington Post

Instead of a merger, Cadence accepts a counteroffer from Walt Disney, Sr. to acquire the Marvel Comics Group. Disney's current licensing agreement with Gold Key is expected to expire by mid-summer of '73.
- The New York Times

Tex Avery Enterprises is now hiring artists and animators for its anthology television series, The Wacky World of Tex Avery, which will headline the Westinghouse/Metromedia network's lineups in Fall of '74.
- Los Angeles Times classifieds.

CMJ Begins production on In The Night Kitchen with Warner Bros. handling distribution.
- The Hollywood Reporter

Filmation makes a head-scratching decision to acquire the North American rights to Dutch comic strip Sjors en Sjimmie (below) or George and Jimmy. Without a pilot, a script or model sheet ready, Lou Scheimer was quick to announce Donny Osmond would voice the blonde Sjors/George, but Sjimmie/Jimmy is rumored to be offered to Michael Jackson or newcomer Larry Fishburne. Sjors/George began in the late 1920's/early 1930's as a Dutch import of Martin Michael Branner's Perry Winkle and the Rinkydinks before building a mythos of his own thanks to creator Frans Piet. About three years ago, Mr. Piet retired from the strip and the reins have been handed to Jan Kruis, who redesigned the characters for a new era.
- The Hollywood Reporter.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Snoopy Come Home

Released by Desilu on January 5, 1973

Directed by
Bill Melendez

Produced by
Charles M. Schulz
Lee Mendelson
Bill Melendez

Songs by
The Sherman Brothers​

 

[OldNavy1988]

A legislative act that hopes to protect the CFL from a proposed merger with the AFL and NFL is introduced in Parliament.
MORE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Football_Act
- The Ottawa Citizen

The Federal Trade Commission approves CBS's bid to acquire cash-strapped DC Comics the day after approving the sale of Marvel Comics to Walt Disney Productions.
- The Washington Post

NBA grants an expansion franchise to New Orleans, which will begin play in 1974.
- The Sporting News

 

[OldNavy1988]

Charlotte's Web

Released on March 1, 1973 by Paramount Pictures

Produced by
Hanna-Barbera Productions

Based on the book by EB White

Directed by
Iwao Takamoto
Charles August Nichols

Songs by
Robert B. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman

Select voices
Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte
Henry Gibson as Wilbur
Paul Lynde as Templeton
Agnes Moorhead as the Goose
Pamelyn Ferdin as Fern Arable
Danny Bonaduce as Avery Arable

Charlotte's Web opened to mixed reviews upon its original release. The film would gain greater popularity on home video and on cable in later years.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
American League East
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Yankees
Washington Grays

American League Central
Chicago White Sox
Cleveland Guardians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Monarchs
Texas Rangers

American League West
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Athletics
Portland Beavers
Seattle Pilots
Vancouver Mounties

National League East
Atlanta Braves
Brooklyn Dodgers
Montreal Expos
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates

National League Central
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
St. Louis Cardinals

National League West
Houston Astros
Los Angeles Lancers (Formerly Hollywood Stars)
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Seals

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
National Football League
Capitol Division
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Heroes

Century Division
Cleveland Browns
New Orleans Saints
Pittsburgh Steelers
St. Louis Cardinals

Central Division
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions
Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions

Coastal Division
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Colts
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers

American Football League
Eastern Division
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins
New England Patriots
New York Jets

Western Division
Denver Broncos
Houston Oilers
Kansas City Chiefs
Oakland Raiders
San Diego Chargers

Canadian Football League
Eastern Division
Hamilton Tiger Cats
Montreal Alouettes
Ottawa Rough Riders
Toronto Argonauts

Western Division
BC Lions
Calgary Stampeders
Edmonton Eskimos
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers

World Football League (Launching in 1974 along w/ the Metromedia/Westinghouse network)
Eastern Division
Jacksonville Sharks
New York Stars
Philadelphia Bell
Washington Ambassadors

Central Division
Birmingham Vulcans
Chicago Fire
Detroit Wheels
Memphis Grizzlies

Western Division
Hawaiians
Houston Texans
Portland Storm
Southern California Sun

PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics
Buffalo Braves
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers

Central Division
Atlanta Hawks
Cleveland Cavaliers
Houston Rockets
Washington Federals (Formerly Baltimore Bullets)

Midwest Division
Chicago Bulls
Detroit Pistons
Kansas City Royals
Milwaukee Bucks

Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trailblazers
Seattle Supersonics

American Basketball Association
Eastern Division
Indiana Pacers
Kentucky Colonels
New York Nets
Spirits of St. Louis
Virginia Squires

Western Division
Denver Nuggets
New Orleans Jazz
San Antonio Spurs
San Diego Clippers
Utah Stars

PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY
National Hockey League
Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
Atlanta Flames (Coming in 1974)
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs

Patrick Division
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals (Coming in 1974)

Clarence Campbell Conference
Norris Division
Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit Red Wings
Milwaukee Admirals (Coming in 1974)
Minnesota North Stars
St. Louis Blues

Smythe Division
Los Angeles Kings
Oakland Seals
Seattle Totems (Coming in 1974)
Vancouver Canucks

World Hockey Association
Canadian Division
Calgary Broncos
Edmonton Oilers
Ottawa Senators
Quebec Nordiques
Winnipeg Jets

Eastern Division
Cleveland Crusaders
Indianapolis Racers
Minnesota Fighting Saints
New England Whalers
New York Islanders

Western Division
Colorado Rockies
Houston Aeros
Phoenix Roadrunners
San Diego Gulls

NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE
Eastern Division
Miami Toros
New York Cosmos
Philadelphia Atoms

Northern Division
Montreal Olympique
Rochester Lancers
Toronto Metros

Southern Division
Atlanta Apollos
Dallas Tornado
St. Louis Saints

 

[OldNavy1988]

American Graffiti

Released by Hyperion Pictures on August 11, 1973

Directed by
George Lucas

Producers
Francis Ford Coppola
Walt Disney, Jr.

Screenplay by
Gloria Katz
Willard Huyck

Music Supervisor
Walter Murch

Production Company
American Zoetrope

Cast
Richard Dreyfuss as Curt Henderson
Ronny Howard as Steve Bolander
Paul Le Mat as John Milner
Charles Martin Smith as Terry "The Toad" Fields
Cindy Williams as Laurie Henderson
Candy Clark as Debbie Dunham
Mackenzie Phillips as Carol Morrison
Wolfman Jack as Disc Jockey
Bo Hopkins as Joe Young
Manuel Padilla, Jr. as Carlos
Harrison Ford as Bob Falfa
Lynne Marie Stewart as Bobbie Tucker
Terry McGovern as Mr. Wolfe
Kathleen Quinlan as Peg
Scott Beach as Mr. Gordon
Susan Richardson as Judy
Kay Ann Kemper as Jane
Joe Spano as Vic
Debralee Scott as Falfa's Girl
Suzanne Somers as "The Blonde" in the T-Bird

Through a series of vignettes, American Graffiti takes place on one summer night in 1962 when four high school friends cruise the streets of their small town before they must part ways and begin their adult lives.

The plot and storyline are pretty much the same as OTL, and there were no cuts to the footage before the film's first theatrical release.

After American Graffiti proved commercially and critically successful, father and son reached a compromise on Lucas's space opera script. Junior will serve as executive producer on said project, but it will be released under his father's label. Walt, who wanted to turn Lucas's story into animated feature, reluctantly agreed to let Junior put the project into live action production.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

George and Jimmy

From left to right: Sjimmie/Jimmy and Sjors/George. Drawn by Jan Kruis.

Launched on September 1, 1973 on ABC

Based on the comic strips Sjors van de Rebellenclub and Sjors en Sjimmie, originally created by Frans Piet

Character designs by Jan Kruis

Production Companies
Filmation
Rex Film
Oberon

Executive Producers
Lou Scheimer
Norm Prescott
Hal Sutherland
Henk Van Der Linden

English Voices
Donny Osmond as George
Larry Fishburne (acting debut) as Jimmy
Paul Winchell as The Colonel
Ann Jillian as Sally; The Colonel's daughter
Dallas McKennon as Dickie; A plus sized boy who serves as a foil to George and Jimmy
Howard Morris as Alphonse; Sally's boyfriend

Synopsis
George (Donny Osmond) and Jimmy (Larry Fishburne in his acting debut) are a pair of adolescent mischief makers who like playing sports, watching TV, reading comic books and chasing girls to varying degrees of success. The boys live with the crotchety Colonel (Paul Winchell) and the fashion conscious Sally (Ann Jillian). Speaking of Sally, she often goes out on dates with the smooth charmer Alphonse, but these dates are often ruined by George and Jimmy's pranks. At school, our heroes run afoul of the self-centered farm boy Dickie, who serves as a comical foil for the duo.

George and Jimmy proved to be the unexpected hit Filmation was looking for, even though they already had a decent ratings draw with Fat Albert.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Robin Hood

Released on November 8, 1973

Directed by
Wolfgang Reitherman

Assistant Directors
Grant Simmons
Ray Patterson

Additional animation produced by
Grantray-Lawrence

Story
Ken Anderson
Larry Clemmons
Floyd Norman
Julius Svendsen
Xavier Atencio
T. Hee
Dave Michener

Animators
Milt Kahl
Frank Thomas
Ollie Johnston
John Lounsbery
Hal King
Art Stevens
Ted Berman
Cliff Nordberg
Eric Larson
Don Bluth
Dale Baer
Fred Hellmich
Burny Mattinson
Dale Oliver
Chuck Williams
Bob McCrea
Stan Green
Ed Hansen
Dan Alguire
Jeff Patch
Whitey Larkin*

*fictional artist

Voices
Brian Bedford as Robin Hood, a fox
Monica Evans as Maid Marian, a vixen
Phil Harris as Little John, a bear
Andy Devine as Friar Tuck, a badger
J. Pat O'Malley as Otto, a bloodhound
Pat Buttram as the Sheriff of Nottingham, a wolf
Roger Miller as Allen-A-Dale, a rooster
Peter Ustinov as Prince John, a lion
Terry-Thomas as Sir Hiss, a snake
Carole Shelley as Lady Kluck, a chicken
Scatman Crothers as Will Scarlet, a bulldog
George Lindsey as Trigger, a vulture
Ken Curtis as Nutsy, a vulture
John Fiedler as Sexton, a church mouse
Barbara Luddy as Mother Rabbit
Billy Whitaker as Skippy, a rabbit
Dana Laurita as Sis, a rabbit
Dori Whitaker as Tagalong, a rabbit
Richie Sanders as Toby, a turtle

Songs
"Oo-de-lally"
"Not in Nottingham"
"Whistle Stop"
Written and sung by Roger Miller

"The Phony King of England"
Written by Johnny Mercer
Sung by Phil Harris

"Love"
Written by Floyd Huddleston and George Bruns
Sung by Nancy Adams

- Robin Hood opened to mixed reviews and an above-average box office gross.
- The comic book adaptation of the film was the first Disney comic to be printed by Marvel since the acquisition early in '73.
- After Robin Hood was finished, Wolfgang Reitherman was fired and Walt appointed himself to direct the studio's next animated feature, Beauty and the Beast.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

50 Happy Years

For most of 1973, the Disney company went all out to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

The Mouse Factory

The centerpiece of Disney's golden anniversary celebration was not the purchase of Marvel, nor the release of Hyperion's American Graffiti. It was The Mouse Factory, a weekly TV series that actually launched a year earlier in syndication. In its' first season, The Mouse Factory combined classic Disney cartoon moments with segments featuring celebrity guests interacting with walk-around characters from the parks. For the second season, the show would feature fresh animation courtesy of Grantray-Lawrence.

Mouse Factory guest hosts as of 1973:
Wally Cox
Annette Funicello
Hayley Mills
Ann Jillian
William Shatner
Olivia Hussey
Jonathan Winters
Carl Reiner
Jim Henson
Dom DeLuise
Gene Wilder
Don Knotts
Joe Flynn
Henry Gibson
John Astin
Wilt Chamberlain
Shari Lewis
Fred Rogers
Charles Nelson Reilly
Sid Caesar
Danny Kaye

The Art of Walt Disney

Another centerpiece to Disney's 50th anniversary campaign was Christopher Finch's book The Art of Walt Disney. In later years, Abrams will publish updated versions of this book to include artwork from each new animated film.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Parent Teacher Conference
February 12, 1974

The Gregg School
Southampton, England

Virgil Ramsay Hartwell
(Instructor)
"Good afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Abbott. Please be seated. From the looks of Daniel's grades this term, the subjects where he most excels are doing silly voices at lunch hour and drawing cartoons in his notebook. Here is a brochure for the Richard Williams Studio in London if that's what he wishes to do when he graduates."

Doug Abbott
(Daniel's father)
"Are you calling my boy a bloody idiot?"

Dr. Hartwell
"On the contrary, YOU are the bloody idiot. Your son has a lot of potential as an artist and I suggest you acknowledge that fact."​

 

[OldNavy1988]

5 June 1974
16 year old Daniel Abbott arrives in London for his first day of animation training at the Richard Williams studio in Soho, London.

Daniel Abbott
"For the rest of that school year, I crashed on a few couches up and down the street where my parents were living. Sure, I could've just became a street urchin, but I was thankful there were some families that weren't blinded by my dad's war hero image. My Sweet Sixteen money was spent at Edwin Jones buying clothes for the train ride that would change my life."

"When I got off the train at Waterloo Station, a chauffeur picked me up from the station and drove me directly to Soho Square and the Richard Williams studio."

Richard Williams (below):
"I had known Doc Hartwell for a number of years...I met him in '63 at a screening of one of my early short films at the University of Southampton, where he earned his teaching credentials. Doc sent me some Xeroxes of these drawings Daniel did in his notebooks. I didn't meet Daniel in person till the very day he came to my studio. But from the Xeroxes I got from Doc, I could tell right away Daniel had so much talent and so much potential as an artist."

​

 

[OldNavy1988]

One fine night at the Tam O'Shanter in Hollywood...

JUNIOR:
"So...how is Beauty and the Beast coming along?"

WALT:
"We've already starting filming the live action reference, but a couple of the animators proved to be much too enthusiastic when Dolly came to the soundstage."

JUNIOR:
"Well, pop, you get what you paid for."

Later on...

WALT:
"What's happening with that space project you and George are doing?"

JUNIOR:
"He's typing the rough draft of the script and he said he'll put it on your desk next month."​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Special thanks to @overoceans for the name suggestion.

September 17, 1974

After several years of planning, the Westinghouse and Metromedia joint venture was finally launched. It was the first night of programming for the new Standard Broadcasting Company (SBC). The first images presented by the new network was President Gerald Ford [1] addressing viewers from the Oval Office with a speech welcoming the new network as if it were the birth of a foreign dignitary's child. The second program was SBC chairman John Kluge ushering viewers into a new era of television, with a promise to create and cultivate content to make the network distinguish itself from the competition.

The first actual program shown by SBC was Millie the Model, a primetime animated series co-produced by Walt Disney Productions and Grantray-Lawrence. Based on a comic book Marvel created during their Timely days, Millie the Model stars Ann Jillian as the voice of the titular character. Supervising the animation was Marc Davis, whose experience with female protagonists in the Disney animated films of the 1950's proved critical to Millie's translation into the small screen.

In the coming months, SBC would present Jim Henson's television pilot Sex and Violence. To kick off its Saturday Morning offerings, SBC would present The Wacky World of Tex Avery, which would serve as an anthology series for characters like Kwicky Koala.

Also in the coming months, SBC would also take a chance on the American Basketball Association, the World Hockey Association and World Football League in hopes of using these rebel leagues as stepping stones towards one day acquiring the rights to bigger events.

As we speak, SBC is ordering a Star Trek: Phase Two pilot from Gene Roddenberry and Desilu.

Also, SBC hopes to open up a timeslot for Walt Disney's weekly anthology series, which is currently airing on NBC under the Wonderful World of Disney title.

SBC O&O stations
WNYW New York
KTTV Los Angeles
WFLD Chicago
KTVU San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose
WTTG Washington, DC

[1] Yes, Nixon still resigned.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Well, that's because both companies IOTL owned a lot of stuff during the buyout. However, at this point ITTL, there is more competition afoot in the world of entertainment, so if Disney were to buy Fox then and there rather than here and now, I'd argue that it would be a better thing overall.

And this is coming from one of MANY people who were dumbfounded by the purchase IOTL!

Alan Ladd, Jr. confirms 20th Century Fox is up for sale.
- The Hollywood Reporter

Justice Department approves the sale of Columbia Pictures to CBS.
- The New York Times

SBC's WFL coverage lags slightly behind ABC's Monday Night Football in TV ratings.
- TV Guide

Is SBC biting off more than they can chew? Experts resoundingly say No.
- Variety

Mounting pressure from Canadian lawmakers forces the CFL to walk away from merger talks with the NFL and AFL.
- The Toronto Star

 

[OldNavy1988]

In the Night Kitchen

Released on Thanksgiving Weekend 1974 by Warner Bros.

Directed by
Chuck Jones

Based on the book by
Maurice Sendak

Production Company
CMJ

Musical score by
Dean Elliott

Songs by
Carole King

Voices
Jackie Earle Haley as Mickey
Mel Blanc, Hal Smith and Stan Freberg as the Bakers

The film follows the graphic style of the book for the most part. However, in order for the film to receive a G rating, there were many alterations made to remove the controversial nudity from the source material. Such alterations were made without Sendak's consent and he was not made aware until the film was released.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Island at the Top of the World

Released by Walt Disney, Sr. on December 20, 1974

Island at the Top of the World is still pretty much the same as OTL. While Island was a more modest hit ITTL, it was unable to unseat Night Kitchen from the #1 spot at the box office.

Trivia
Just like IOTL, Island at the Top of the World was originally released in a roadshow package with Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too.

The Hyperion blimp lives on as the official Hyperion Pictures logo. The Art Deco H, which was introduced at the beginning of American Graffiti, was criticized for being too bland and dull.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too

Directed by
Ray Patterson
John Lounsbery

Production Companies
Walt Disney Productions
Grantray-Lawrence

Music
Buddy Baker

Voices
Sebastian Cabot as the Narrator
Sterling Holloway as Pooh
Paul Winchell as Tigger
John Fiedler as Piglet
Hal Smith as Owl
Junius Matthews as Rabbit
Ralph Wright as Eeyore

Trivia
Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too was the first assignment for animator Ron Clements, who would go on to co-direct many Disney animated films with John Musker.​

 

[OldNavy1988]

Walt Disney Productions is hard at work on Beauty and the Beast, which will be released this Thanksgiving. Also on the horizon for Disney: The Rescuers in 1977, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1978 and either Rapunzel or The Snow Queen in 1979.

On the small screen, Millie the Model has paid major dividends for Disney and Grantray-Lawrence. This year, they will produce The Country Bears, a series based on the Country Bear Jamboree attraction at The Magic Kingdom.

Rookies at Disney or Grantray-Lawrence: Ron Clements, Glen Keane and Andy Gaskill.

After Night Kitchen proved to be a sleeper hit, CMJ has fast-tracked Where the Wild Things Are for a 1977 release. In the meantime, look for Yankee Doodle Cricket, the sequel to A Cricket in Times Square, which will air in primetime on SBC.

After the commercial failure of The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat, Ralph Bakshi is attempting a comeback at Famous Studios.

Hong Kong Phooey proves to be another hit for Hanna-Barbera while Valley of the Dinosaurs and Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch fall by the wayside. Dumbfounded by the curveball thrown by Filmation's George and Jimmy, HB quickly grabs the North American rights to a Belgian comic created by Pierre Culliford, aka Peyo.

Tex Avery proves he's still got the Midas touch with his SBC anthology series The Wacky World of Tex Avery. Tumbleweed Tex, Einstone, Pompeii Pete, Freddy the Fly, Power Pooch, Kwicky the Koala and others supply the belly laughs in segments that rotate from week to week.

Toronto-based Nelvana is taking small baby steps toward bigger projects in the coming years. Their first production is an anthology series for CBC called Small Star Cinema. Look for Nelvana's first TV special, Christmas Two Step later this year.

DePatie-Freleng has wrapped production on the theatrical short series Hoot Kloot. In the meantime, The Dogfather, another theatrical short series, is set to wrap production next year. Look for The Oddball Couple and Return to the Planet of the Apes on Saturday mornings this fall.

The Richard Williams studio in London is hard at work juggling between TV commercials, pilots and animated title sequences for live action films. Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure is set to debut in 1977. In the meantime, Scotland Yard has deployed several constables to guard Williams' offices in Soho. In the past year, Williams received many death threats from disgraced RAF lieutenant Doug Abbott, whose 17 year old son Daniel is an aspiring animator receiving on the job training at the studio.

 

[OldNavy1988]

Nancy Drew author sues MCA for breach of contract.
- The Los Angeles Times

20th Century Fox nervously awaits bids from parties interesting in purchasing the studio.
- Variety

SBC suffers first ratings flop with Nancy Drew.
- TV Guide

Has SBC flown too close to the sun with Nancy Drew? Critics are split.
- The New York Times

Walt Disney, Jr. celebrates 29th birthday with new girlfriend.
- People magazine.

NBA and ABA begin formal negotiations towards a possible merger.
- The Sporting News