Love is in the Air, Rats Are Everywhere, and The Muppet Show’s episode with all the old guys on it. What were some of the best and worst of ’70s films? Did The Deer Hunter, The China Syndrome, and the other Best Picture nominees that year capture the decade the way I want them to? What’s all this got to do with the films of 1969, for that matter? I’m looking for answers on all of this, and more. I guess I could have turned to Wikipedia or some other online forum for this information. However, I do find that to be a little impersonal, so I’m turning to you: What are your favorite films of the ’70s? Any movies that you wish had been nominated for Best Picture of that year? Why? Were there any films from that year that have stood the test of time for you, are still classics today, or are considered classics that never get enough love? Do you remember any of the ads from the year? (If the year had commercials for music, I’ll gladly take a movie with a catchy jingle. If the year was just ads, I’ll take a catchy jingle.) Who directed The Deer Hunter? I think that would be a fun thing to know, don’t you? If you get nostalgic for the ’70s in the comments below, and want to reminisce about those times, please also take note of one very important detail. The year that most of us grew up in is much different from the ’70s in many ways, but here’s what you need to do: Remember that the ’70s ended a long time ago. [You can read the archives of this site if you’re not familiar with what this is. Otherwise, enjoy my new blog!] I really don’t have a ton of personal memories of the ’70s. I’m trying to figure out what to write about and I can’t get any sort of flow going. So I’m turning to my memories of other people who lived through that era, both in my life and in movies. Last week I shared my memories of people who watched The Electric Company with me. This week it’s people who were part of the generation that produced some classic films of the ’70s. Today, here are some ’70s films that I saw in theaters and probably remember more for the commercials that played before the movies and before the ads for another movie started. Some are good, some are bad, but all are memorable. Each time I mention a movie, I’m not really talking about it’s plot or storyline. I’m talking about the things that the movie promoted, the movie’s soundtrack, the actors, the locations, and sometimes the movie itself. A few months ago, I shared a song from “The Electric Company” with you. Since then, I’ve been trying to find the music video and the artist that played the song. I’ve also been searching for a classic song of the late ’60s or early ’70s. Today, I’m going to share some of that music with you, in a way that ties these two songs together. As you may have guessed, this post is a tie-in to “The Electric Company,” which used to air on PBS before “Sesame Street” became its number one pre-school programming. One of the songs that often played on the show (and at least one of the songs that we kids would often sing when no one was watching) was a song called “Do Wah Diddy.” Some PBS stations played that song over and over in a loop at least once a day. I didn’t know this until I looked through the songbook that my brother’s school used in the 1980s, but at some point in the late ’60s, that song changed. “Do Wah Diddy” (and the PBS music that I linked to above) was played on the program The Electric Company (which started in 1971). At some point, the PBS theme music changed from the theme music from its predecessor, “Captain Kangaroo” (which had ended in 1970). I don’t think PBS used “Do Wah Diddy” after 1971, but here are some other classic songs from the ’60s that are just as good or better than “Do Wah Diddy.” There are many reasons why I like the movie musical “West Side Story.” I’m not just referring to the obvious reasons, like the singing, the dancing, the lyrics, or the soundtrack. The best reason of all is that it reminds me of a guy I like. I’ll introduce the main characters of this movie and their relationship in the next paragraph, but remember that they can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, even if you are not a male. This next song is called “What Am I Doing Here,” and was sung by the main character in the movie, Tony. Tony is a boy who is trying to find himself in this time and place. He’s the tough kid of the neighborhood. He comes from a lower-class family, but that doesn’t make him a bad kid. He stands up to the bullies at school, but later he does get beat up on and he reacts in a way that doesn’t make him look like a hero. Tony doesn’t get the girl he wants, so he’s in the first stages of a very long journey that will lead to true self-discovery and a kind of inner peace. I’ve also shared some music from “What Am I Doing Here?” with you in other posts, and I’m sure you remember “Riders on the Storm” and “The End of a Beginning.” It is interesting that this song ended up in the movie “West Side Story,” but it was written by Leonard Bernstein, a composer who also wrote music for the movie “On the Waterfront” and several other movies. The lyrics of “What Am I Doing Here?” are so different from the lyrics of “Riders on the Storm” or “The End of a Beginning.” They are so different, in fact, that if this were a regular song, we probably would have heard lyrics like this: I’m riding on a merry go round going round and round I’m riding in a dented old truck that I can’t fix up I’m going to make a stop at the nearest diner And tell that waitress this is my last meal I’m on my way to a new life What am I doing here? How did this happen? I never thought it would be this way, but it’s almost as if I can see the road Where I could be with the best of my friends But I’ve never been down it before So my best friends can’t follow me there What am I doing here? I’ve done some things that I really didn’t like If you don’t do what you think you should do You’ll never know what you can do And that’s the way life goes when you’re on your own It’s the same old story Someone always helping you But then that someone leaves And you just have to be on your own I’m riding on a merry go round going round and round I’m riding in a dented old truck that I can’t fix up I’m going to make a stop at the nearest diner And tell that waitress this is my last meal I’m on my way to a new life What am I doing here? Did you like this post? Have you seen the movie “West Side Story?” Did you ever watch “The Electric Company?” What was the song with the lyrics in this post called? Who was the singer of this song? Please leave a comment below. Thanks! I’m using the new wordpress.com today, so it’s time for a slight change in my posts. For the first time, I will write about my current favorite subjects in my current favorite way. I’m hoping that you’ll let me know what you think about the new way that I’m trying to write and think and feel about what I’m writing about. The new format is one for the books, so get comfortable. I might make a habit of it, but maybe not. Let me know what you think! The last couple of days, a lot of things were happening around the world. Most of us know that a person named Osama Bin Laden was the mastermind behind a lot of what happened on September 11, 2001. A few days ago, we learned that someone else was an equally awful person. There’s a lot of history and symbolism in President Obama’s reaction to what happened today. A small glimpse of history can be found in today’s post, so please come and read it. Then, please let me know what you think about the change to my postings.