In honour of the general weird horridness of Valentine’s Day when you’re a singleton, here are some superb dating adverts from Harpers and Queen and Cosmopolitan, 1972 and 1975 respectively. Personally, I would stay well away from Peter, theatre or no theatre, and I’d be a bit concerned for my safety down the disco with Bob.
Scanned from Nova, October 1970. Photo of Libby Morris by Christa Peters.
Ok, so perhaps the term ‘must see’ is not necessarily going to apply to most [sane] people, but if you’ve got an appetite for the naff, kitsch or questionable tastes in life (and as a reader of my blog, I fear this may be the case…) then The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) should be right up your street.
The film is based on the comic strip from Private Eye, written by Barry Humphries and illustrated by Nicholas Garland, and follows the eponymous Aussie hero as he fulfills his dead father’s wish to expand his cultural horizons in London. Ending up in Earl’s Court (where else?) a series of mishaps and misunderstandings lead Barry to an unspeakable dénouement in a TV studio. I am not even going to attempt to explain that.
Barry, Barry and Willie Rushton
Starring Barry Humphries in an early outing as plain old Mrs Edna Everage, Barry Crocker as our hero (Crocker is now married to Miss Peelpants-favourite Katy Manning and is best known to us ‘Pommy Bastards’ as the original singer of the Neighbours theme tune), and with cameos by Spike Milligan and Peter Cook, it is certainly quite an amazing period piece. Demonstrated perfectly with an incredible, possibly unique, shot of Barry and a friend walking down Marlborough Court. Yes, you can see Irvine Sellars ‘Mates’ boutique, Take 6, Aristos and Foale and Tuffin!!! Much excitement abounded….
Further still, one young lady is slinking around her apartment in the most perfect Zandra Rhodes outfit….
And then Peter Cook manages to floor me with a fabulous Betty Grable-printed t-shirt. I have no idea who this is by, so if any menswear geeks ever find out – please do let me know!
1973
Good use of a plunging black Ossie Clark dress, Home Paraphernalia of the New Kings Road, good use indeed. I’m sure it sent sales soaring…
It Takes A Real Man To Ask A Warm Girl To Return His Acrilan Sweater.
I think someone favours his Acrilan sweater over a bit of how’s your father, because I’m sure he won’t be getting any more there…
Advert for Wella. Scanned from Flair, October 1972.
This advert pleases me on so many levels. Her hair, her décor, her artfully jumbled dressing table, the Russian doll, the giant die, the solitary stick of chewing gum….
Best of all, I have that mirror! I occasionally see it in vintage/antique/charity shops for anything between £20 and £50. Mine was a charity shop score many, many years ago for a mere fiver. It currently resides elsewhere on semi-permanent loan (due to my having a beloved Thirties walnut dressing table with integral mirror) but it is still a treasured piece of Seventies haute naffness.
It’s not the first time I’ve spotted it though; a near identical one appears in Blakes 7 as a mirror-come-communicator and is used suitably flamboyantly by the great Jacqueline Pearce. I must admit that I have never managed to contact anyone through it, so I cannot guarantee its efficiency. Ha!
Would you buy ‘objects’ from this man? Is this the worst advert of all time, or the best? My answers would be ‘yes, indeed’ and ‘the latter’, but clearly my taste cannot be trusted where the Seventies are concerned (judging by a few snarky comments I’ve had regarding my blog over the past year…). J. Antony Redmile, I like your style (but not your beard).
Scanned from Harpers and Queen, October 1974.
This is actually one of my most favourite things in the whole world right now. When I found it the other day, I texted Mr Brownwindsor to gloat that I had found the best LP ever. I still stand by that statement, although with adjustment to the best LP cover ever. Because the songs contained swing from sublime to ridiculous; from Roxy Music to Phil Collins, from The Teardrop Explodes to Bucks Fizz.
I love the haute Eightiesness; the hair, the bacofoil clothes, the clumsy crotch shots, the make-up, the headbands! Absolutely the best £1 I’ve ever spent.
(for the uninitiated, Legs and Co were Flick Colby‘s follow up to Pan’s People and Ruby Flipper…)
Mmmm. Sensuous carpet. I suspect it was this immensely sensuous carpet which lured the silver platform-wearing lady in the last Bremworth advert I scanned in…
I actually couldn’t resist the brilliant awfulness of this cover. I’m not convinced it’s going to become a staple part of my vinyl collection, so if anyone would like it to adorn their retro pad, then let me know and I’ll probably just send it to you!
Liz Eggleston 