The curtain fell on one of television’s greatest comedy teams tonight in 1975, when “The Odd Couple” ran it’s last original episode, “Felix Remarries.” Though a regular at the Emmy awards, “The Odd Couple” incredibly never cracked the top 25 in the Nielsen ratings, but always performed well in summer reruns. The last episode saw Felix win back his ex-wife Gloria, leaving Oscar to live alone again as a bachelor.
Felix: Your dinner’s in the oven; turn it off in twenty minutes. [pause] Oscar … what can I say? Five years ago you took me in: a broken man on the verge of … mental collapse. I leave here a cured human being. I owe it all to you. [gesturing toward apartment] It’s all yours buddy. I salute you. [empties waste basket onto floor]Oscar: Felix, you know how I’m gonna salute you? I’m gonna clean that up.Felix: It has not been in vain.[They shake hands and Felix exits stage right through front door. After door closes …]Oscar: [swings his hand through the air] I’m not gonna clean that up.[exits stage left to bedroom to audience laughter][Felix sneaks back in stage right and looks at floor]Felix: [disgustedly] I knew he wouldn’t clean it up! [proceeds to pick up trash to audience applause] (fade out)
On the night of March 6, 1965, the sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama, Jim Clark, ordered all white males over the age of 21 to report to the court house to be deputized. The following day as 5-600 civil rights marchers headed out of Selma, Alabama, they were met by a horde of troopers. Tear gas, nightsticks and brutality ensued. Televised images and newspaper photos spread around the country and world and roused support for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Amelia Boynton was gassed and nearly beaten to death and became the photo most associated what with would be called, Bloody Sunday.
Today in 1876 Alexander Graham Bell got his US patent for the telephone. His data plan was pretty weak and he could only get one bar at a time.
Sissy Spacek would win an Academy Award for portraying Loretta Lynn in “Coal Miner’s Daughter” which was released today in 1980.
A slightly less award-worthy film was released today in 1997, but it was much better than anybody thought it would be. Howard Stern’s “Private Parts” was the movie version of his rise to prominence in radio.
Today in 1970 Austin Carr of Notre Dame set an NCAA tournament record by scoring 61 points against Ohio. Nobody has scored as many as 50 points since David Robinson in 1987.
Today in 1987 saw the first time a rap album ever hit #1 on the Billboard album charts, when the Beastie Boys debut album, “Licensed to Ill” achieved the top spot.
David Bowie dropped “Young Americans” today in 1975. It was the last of his “glam” records and had the hits, “Fame,” “Fascination” and “Young Americans.”
— Bill Hubbell