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Route 66 Review by Michael Friedman

8/9/2016

28 Comments

 
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​

​Mike Friedman of Mockingbird Books came to the rescue this week as I wrap up the summer semester with my nursing students.

Mike's review of Route 66 took me back to the simpler days of my early childhood in the 1960's.  Hoping you will enjoy this thought-provoking and amusing review, as I did.


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​When Frontier Communications bought the local cable rights from Verizon Communication, the service dropped, without apology, to an unacceptable level. The cable boxes were packaged up and without ceremony returned to them. That left a hole is the viewing of television. Years ago, a series of DVD’s were purchased of an old program named Route 66.  Here is the tale.
 

In the early 1960s a popular television show titled Route 66 aired. It starred Martin Milner and George Maharis at the beginning. Later, George Maharis was replaced by Glenn Corbett.  (Two nn’s two tt’s.) The primary writer, as we are all concerned about writing, was Stirling Silliphant. Herbert B. Leonard along with Mr. Silliphant were the program’s creators. There were many guest-writers and many guest directors.

You may find it interesting how many people played roles on Route 66. Robert Redford, Robert Duval, Gene Hackman and Lee Marvin to name a few. Even Rin Tin Tin made a guest appearance. Trying to come up with the name of a twenty-something Gene Hackman was a challenge.

The premise is simple. Todd Stiles played by Martin Milner loses his father, and this young man finds all his circumstances changed. Todd attended Yale, but once the father is gone, he finds himself with a small inheritance and nothing else.

Todd buys a Chevrolet Corvette convertible and he and his buddy Buz Murdock (George Maharis), who worked with Todd at the father’s business, together take off. They intend to find their place in the world. The DVDs were commercial free--I noted there were little or no Ford Motor Corporation cars on the road in the early 60’s, or at least none during the filming of Route 66. That applies to General Motors as well. And Marlboro was the only cigarette. Both Todd and Buz, and all other smokers happened to smoke Marlboros.
 

None of that is quite as interesting as the America the young men found when they drove into a town to see if they fit there. Todd with three years of Yale, and Buz a tough street kid took jobs picking berries and dates. They took jobs in lumber mills and made friends with people in foundries. They unloaded bags of cement from trucks, one bag at a time. They found work in construction. Once in a while they found less strenuous jobs. But for the most part, they took all the jobs; we are told today that young men would prefer to leave to those recently in this country. And we are told that the jobs would go ‘wanting’ if it were not for those new arrivals.

There are several other social mores of note. This era preceded The Beatles. Jazz seemed the music of choice in nightclubs, or a male or female vocalist. Hemlines were just below the knee and the men usually wore a tie. The people were generally polite.

Sure, there were conflicts. For several shows in a row, Buz would get in a fight and beat one or two or three men in a fist fight. Not that Todd could not also take care of himself. They were a team and watched out for each other.

There were no addicts. No drug war. No graffiti. Were all these things present in our society. Very likely yes, but they were not mainstream.

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​Why is this post being written? We hear a lot about the decline in our culture. We wish for better times, easier times. If you shrink the entire culture down into episodes of Route 66 what changed is that inflation devalued labor. A room may have cost $15.00 a week, now runs $40.00 a night, but the labor exchange rate has not kept up.

The showroom cost of a 1960 Corvette convertible $3,872. The cost of a 2016 Corvette from the factory $62,500. In today’s world, only a couple of retired dentists could afford to take out on the highway and drive Route 66.  Perhaps the title would be Root Canal 66.
​Thanks, Mike for your take on this wonderful blast from the past. I thought this gem of a song by Nat King Cole, "Route 66" was in order.

ShoutOuts

​​☙Maria Jordan & Angelia Phillips: Herblore & the FarmaCopeia Books Development via WarnerWords
​☙Sunshine Coast Art Crawl Generates $$$ via flashPress

​Until next week, sending you peace and hugs,

mar
28 Comments
Peg Cole link
8/10/2016 08:39:30 am

Thoroughly enjoyable flashback to the past world of black and white TV. How I could possibly remember this show is a mystery since I am certainly too young. (LOL) The characters seemed like the boy next door with real challenges and conflicts solved with a good old fist fight (step outside) rather than the point of a gun. I really enjoyed this post on several levels. The guest writer, Mike, is a favorite and of course, I can always find something entertaining here. Love.♥

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:06:06 pm

Thanks, dear Peg - always lovely to see you here. I imagine you must have watched re-runs of Route 66...as you certainly ARE too young!

Love you too, Maria

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Susan Zutautas link
8/10/2016 08:51:12 am

I remember watching this show with my dad. Thanks for bringing back the sweet memories. I really enjoyed this Mike! Thanks.

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:07:21 pm

Thanks for stopping by, dear Susan - glad this great post brought back such fond memories.

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Mike
8/10/2016 09:59:09 am

Good morning mar. Thanks for posting my ramblings. I should have ended this piece with, ‘Make America Chevrolet Again.'

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:08:36 pm

Ramblings...musings...either way you look at it, I love this post and thank you ever so much for sharing it with us.

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paula link
8/10/2016 11:49:02 am

Maria.....Thanks so much for sharing this! You're a really special friend because you give a gift a week! Awesome, to say the least!

Speaking of "special" people~~ Mike, how much more timely can you get?? Just this past Saturday evening I attended my 50th class reunion. What a fabulous time! We hated for the night to end. In fact, before saying "Good Night," we promised to immediately begin plans for a mass 70th. Birthday Blast for us all, in 2 yrs. (although there are some of us who will refuse to be 70!) My Classmates of the Class of "66....(to include Route 66.)..and myself were all most happily back in 1966 for an entire evening. Quite honestly it was too sweet & sentimental for me...so I cried a lot and hugged even more. IMHO, there has never been a more WONDERFUL era than that of we BOOMERS and there never will be. I care not what anyone says! I think I'll just have to pick up those DVD's....Thanks for the Memories Mike & Maria. Love ya, Paula

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:13:10 pm

Aw Paula...so happy this post and your reunion brought back such beautiful memories...I would never think of "70" when it comes to you - pretty sure you were just precocious and way younger than your class buddies ... !

Love you and so happy your posts are coming through with no difficulty, Maria

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Ruby link
8/10/2016 11:59:52 am

Wow, this brought back the good old days of yesteryear. Another Chevrolet shoutout was the Dinah Shore commercial. We have come a long way, but is it good? In some ways it is, but others, not so good. So much hate spewed politically. Mike if we could just return to the days of E W C, hint, hint!!
Hi Mar, your choice of video is perfect.
Love, Hugs..

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:16:46 pm

Thanks for your wise insights, dear Ruby - I had a feeling you would appreciate my song choice.

Love and hugs to you too, Maria

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Mike
8/10/2016 01:13:45 pm

Hello Peg, Susan, Paula, Ruby, Maria. I do agree that there will never be times again like those of our youth. The world presented itself has wholesome. In the program, which I think was 'representative' people were polite to each other. And yes a quarrel may have ended in a fist fight, rather than a 'drive-by.'

Even today, fifty years later, many movies and other programming uses the music from our era.

Thanks for stopping by to read my observations based on the scientific facts gleamed from television. haha

Ruby, Emerald Wells Cafe, is filled with happy memories.

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:15:06 pm

Glad you're stopping back to see all these wonderful comments, dear Mike.

I will always treasure my EWC memories as well.

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Silvia Abagnato
8/10/2016 01:59:55 pm

I remember that series. Different times, I miss them. - Thanks!!!

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Maria link
8/10/2016 03:04:04 pm

Thanks for stopping by, Sylvia - I also miss the 'good ole days'.

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paula
8/10/2016 04:34:05 pm

Oh, Maria....You needn't ever think of me as 70. As Hillary said about her possible indictment, "That's not gonna happen."
You're soooo right. I am much younger than my classmates! Due to my genius, I began school at 3....proceeded to skip 4 grades and graduated at 11. Let me help you with that math. It makes me a mere 61 now......63 in 2 years when all the old folks I went to school with will be 70~poor dears.
There, now that I've cleared that up....REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR ME IN NOVEMBER!! :) Ta Ta!!

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Maria link
8/13/2016 08:22:03 am

Paula, You make me giggle like no one else can...and yes, you will always have my vote... :)

Keep cool and enjoy your weekend. Love, Maria

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Martie link
8/11/2016 09:50:14 am

Being very busy researching the past, and the way people used to live, I believe only options and the population have multiplied. Whether the people/options ratio is the same, is another question. Thanks for a thought-provoking post, Maria and Mike.

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Maria link
8/13/2016 08:25:34 am


Thanks for this perceptive response... I love when writing propels us to think on a broader scale.

I love reading your geneology pieces as well, dear Martie.

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Sannel link
8/11/2016 05:15:57 pm

Dear Maria,
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the "ramblings" of Mike Friedman. I loved every American television show that aired on the Swedish television at the time, unfortunately, Route 66 was not one of them. I would have loved to watch it.
I truly miss the innocent times of yesteryears, but I think we all do in a sort of way.
Thank you, Maria and Mike for a fabulous read. You make a great team!
Love and hugs,
Sannel

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Maria link
8/13/2016 08:28:20 am

Dear Sannel,
I do think you would have enjoyed Route 66 as many of us did in those more innocent times of yesterday.
Thanks for your support and kind remarks - your shares are also greatly appreciated.
Love to you and Freddie, Maria

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Theresa
8/12/2016 09:07:28 pm

Dear Maria,

Thankyou for posting Mike's wonderful review of Route 66. It was a simpler time it seems. I believe I have about two years on you, Maria, so I was a young child of the 60s and you were a younger one LOL.

Seems we were all connected because of just having three television channels, in lieu of hundreds and hundreds like today, so we all seem to watch the same shows and have the same tunes in our heads.

Hooray, Mike to the rescue!

Peace and blessings for a lovely weekend.

Love,

Theresa

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Maria link
8/13/2016 08:31:26 am

Hi, Child of the 60s, sweet Theresa,

I got this comment with no problem and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Funny that with all the channels we have available to us now, I still gravitate to two or three.

Wishing you a blessed and cool weekend. Love you, Maria

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femmeflashpoint link
8/13/2016 01:53:17 pm

Maria & Mike,

Enjoyed!

I didn't know about the series until I read this, but definitely recognized the actors in it. It was fun looking then up to see what other stuff they'd been in that I remembered seeing them in.

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Maria link
8/18/2016 06:52:49 am

Dear femme,
So happy you were able to connect these classic actors with other work - good times for sure.
Love and thanks for all your help, mar

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crazyhorseladycx
8/16/2016 03:55:57 am

howdy, ms. mar!

oh the flashbacks, lol. i'd plum fergotten this show!

how i wish that america'd return to her former glory - one where so many didn't feel entitled'n the government didn't cater to 'em. but that'd be 'nother story, eh?

big hugs 'n love!

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Maria link
8/18/2016 07:02:51 am

Dear Lady,
Thanks for your visit...I'll never give up hope on the USA - memories of this kind remind me that anything is possible.
Have a peaceful day.
Love and hugs, mar

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Shauna
8/18/2016 09:40:28 am

I remember Route 66, but nothing in particular. I guess I was pretty young at the time. However, I think the reason no Fords are seen in the episodes and everyone smoked Marlboro, is because they were sponsors of the show. When watching TV or movies today, you'll notice the same thing. Whichever motor vehicle company - or any other commercial product - has a financial stake in the production is the brand you see in film.

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Maria link
8/21/2016 06:34:49 pm

Thanks for stopping by, dear Sha - I think you've made a key observation of the sometimes 'not so subtle' inclusion of specific products in TV and movies.

Hope your weekend has been a relaxing one. Love, mar

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    Marcoujor

    Welcome to my desk...

    I am a work in progress, so a rule of thumb is to expect the unexpected every week!

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    mar  



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