Back in the 70s, television viewers received a romanticized view of the 50s, thanks to a sitcom called Happy Days, which followed the daily life of the Cunningham family, their friends and a soon-to-be hoodlum hero named Fonzie. It went on to become one of the most popular series of the decade and today, we pay tribute to this iconic sitcom.

Considering the overwhelming success and longevity of Happy Days, it is almost impossible to fathom that ABC initially passed on the show. The pilot, titled “New Family in Town” which focused on a typical suburban middle class family in the 50s was met with a mediocre response from the network who decided instead to use it as filler segment on the series Love American Style.

That segment, entitled “Love and the Happy Day” might have been the last that viewers ever saw of the Cunningham family, had it not been for a little George Lucas film released in 1973 called American Graffiti. The success of the film proved that there was an overwhelming fondness for that earlier era, prior to the Vietnam War and the assassination of Kennedy when the world seemed such a simpler, easier to understand place. And when the public showed an interest, network execs took another look at the Happy Days concept – offering a few suggestions of their own to Marshall. They felt that show needed a thug and that it needed someone like Robbie Benson to star in the role of Richie Cunningham. As fate would have it, Benson wasn’t interested, so they begrudgingly decided to go with American Graffiti star and television veteran, Ron Howard. The thug, who had been given the name Arthur Fonzarelli, would go to one of the stars of the 1974 film The Lords of Flatbush, Henry Winkler.

The original concept called for the show to revolve around Richie and his best friend, Warren “Potsie” Webber, two good kids who attended Jefferson High, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They would spend their time at a diner called Arnolds and do typical wholesome kid stuff. Oh, and that Fonzarelli guy, he would just be a minor recurring role. Yeah, right. Once America got a glimpse of motorcycle riding hoodlum who said things like “Ayyyyyy! and “Sit on it!” his popularity with viewing audiences rose like a thermometer held over an open flame. His character was immediately adjusted to be less menacing and more human, a tough guy who could also be a friend and big brother to Richie. Not that Richie didn’t already have a big brother – unfortunately the basketball-dribbling older sibling Chuck just wasn’t that interesting or popular and he was chucked from the show’s lineup after the first season. And with Fonzie in the picture now, Potsie needed a new sidekick, and so they assigned him the always-jovial, sometimes-manic, Ralph Malph, a character that started out with an edge, but was eventually wimped down quite a bit.

The whole gang spent most of their time at Arnold’s Drive In, a local teen hangout that often featured Richie’s band and, when they weren’t playing, a jukebox that Fonzie had a magical ability to control. Fonzie considered the men’s room at Arnolds to be his own private office and often summoned Richie to a meeting in there. Arnold (played by the future Mr. Miyagi, Pat Morita) would eventually sell Arnold’s to Al Delvecchio (after Morita left to star in his own short-lived show, Mr T. and Tina.)

Besides his colorful friends, Ritchie had a stable home life. His practical father, Howard, ran the local hardware store and freely dispensed sound fatherly advice when necessary – and he didn’t much like that Fonzie character at first. Mom and housewife Marion was a sweet and naïve lady who was a doting mom to her kids and to Arthur as well (yep, she was the only one in the world that get away with calling the Fonz “Arthur”.) And rounding out the family was the ever-annoying kid sister Joannie who just so happened to have a major case of puppy love for Fonzie. She would eventually find her own pint-sized version of the leather-wearing Fonz – his little cousin Chachi Arcola.

Although the entire ensemble cast was wonderful, it was the bond between Richie and the Fonz that created the charm of the show, and often the biggest laughs. While Richie was more than a little envious of the Fonz’s effect on the opposite sex, Fonzie knew that Richie held the most valuable possession, a family that loved him. Luckily, the Cunningham clan would practically adopt the Fonz as one of their own and even give him an apartment above their garage. Ritchie and the Fonz were truly the best of friends.

That relationship came to an abrupt end before the 7th season, in 1980 when Ron Howard (and Donny Most who played Ralph) made the decision to leave the show. Joanie and Chachi followed suit (to star in their own short-lived sitcom, Joanie Loves Chachi. Other major (and ill-conceived) changes included Fonzie becoming a Dean of a vocational high school and the introduction of a new character, Marion’s nephew Roger. At this point in the series, the chemistry had been irreversibly altered, never to recapture the original charm. After 11 seasons and a remarkable 255 episodes, Happy Days would call it quits in 1984. Richie would return for the final episode, having married his longtime girlfriend Lori Beth and present to witness the marriage of his little sister to Chachi.

The show was enormously successful during the majority of its run and, in the process, managed to spawn two hit spin-offs (No, Joanie Loves Chachi wasn’t one of them.) Two local brewery workers, Laverne DeFazio and Shirley Feeney would go on to star in Laverne and Shirley and a very peculiar extraterrestrial named Mork would go on to star in Mork and Mindy (and catapult the career of a relatively unknown comic named Robin Williams to astronomic heights.) At one point in time, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy were the top three shows in the country, pleasing the ABC network to no end.

Never underestimate the power of nostalgia. Happy Days sparked a longing for the simpler times in just about everyone that tuned in. In one way or another, everyone could relate to one of the characters whose chemistry together created one of the most beloved sitcoms to ever air on television. It is unlikely that there will ever be another network show like it – a simple sitcom about the happy days that America longed to return to – again and again and again.

Were you a regular viewer of Happy Days? Was it the first think you discussed with your friends at school each week after watching a new episode? Did you own a Fonzie t-shirt? Share all your memories of this beloved show with us in our comments section as we tip our hats to a 70s show that taught us a little something about life in the 50s, and made us laugh to no end.

Based on a Stephen King novella about a group of young boys who take a trek to find a dead body in the woods, Stand By Me is a touching, coming-of-age tale about four inseparable friends growing up in Oregon during the late fifties. With an extraordinary ensemble of young actors, led by the directing skills of Rob Reiner, the film quickly endeared itself to millions for its poignant look at the power of childhood friendships.

Four young friends, each with their own personal problems, set out to find the body of one of their peers, Ray Brower, who was tragically killed by a train and whose body lay somewhere in the surrounding woods. The group of twelve year-olds consists of Gordy LaChance, a kid entirely invisible to his family as they mourn the tragic death of his older brother; Chris Chambers, who has been inescapably branded by his family’s criminal reputation; Gordy Duchamp, a boy who was disfigured by his mentally-ill father, and Vern Tessio, an overweight nerdy kid desperate to fit in.

Many obstacles await them along their journey, including a fierce dog with an appetite for specific body parts, a swamp filled with blood-sucking leeches, and most importantly, a group of bullies led by Ace Merrill (Keifer Sutherland in his debut film role.) The journey is one filled with laughs (especially when Gordy shares a story he wrote about a pie-eating contest) and plenty of tears as each confronts their own particular emotional problems along the way. And the only thing that can keep each strong in the face of adversity is the undying loyalty of their friends.

For anyone raised during the late 50s, Stand By Me offered plenty of nostalgic reminders of the era, from hit songs on the radio to such childhood rituals as the “pinky swear” and the “two for flinching” game, all of which were fondly remembered by Reiner from his youth. Richard Dreyfuss provided the often-comical narration throughout the film, portraying the grown-up Gordy off-camera, now a successful writer who is reflecting upon his childhood memories.

Stand By Me did very well at the box-office, bringing in over $50 million and has since gone on to be one of the most beloved coming-of-age films ever produced. Never cheesy, never over-acted, its charm simply lies in the chemistry of the four actors who brought the story to life – all of which serves to remind that there is little in life that cannot be overcome as long as you have a few good friends at your side.

If Stand By Me ranks as one of your favorite films from the 80s, we welcome your comments as we tip our hats to one of the most memorable coming-of-age films of the decade.

If you were a kid of the 70s and 80s, there’s a pretty good chance that you remember Dynamite magazine. One of the most popular kids-oriented publications of the era, Dynamite was where you learned about your favorite celebrities and teen idols, played games and puzzles, and got some really cool stuff, like a 3D King Kong poster (glasses included). Published from 1974-1992, and distributed by schoolteachers through Scholastic Press, Dynamite was a magazine that most every kid wanted to check out for at least a few minutes, and if you didn’t order your very own issue, you tried to borrow (or steal) a friend’s copy.

Here’s one such former fan, sharing his particular love of Dynamite:

A number of the publication’s covers can be found online, here and here, which should bring back plenty of fond memories from an era when Happy Days, The Hardy Boys, and the Bay City Rollers reigned supreme in the hearts of school-age readers everywhere. If you remember Dynamite at all, one of these covers will likely transport you back to your old junior high school classroom.

Were you a regular reader of this beloved magazine of the 70s and 80s? Do you still own any copies? Share your recollections of Dynamite with all of us at Retroland, as we pay tribute to this one-of-a-kind publication from our childhood.

Competition has always been the name of the game in the cola beverage industry, with the two giants, Coke and Pepsi consistently trying to capture more of the other’s market with new and innovative soft drinks. It’s a risky endeavor to be sure, a primary example being the highly-touted New Coke, which fizzled quickly and became an embarrassment for the company. And on the other side of the aisle, the competition will always be remembered for the grandiose introduction, yet short history, of Crystal Pepsi.

It seemed like a great idea, the first cola beverage with absolutely no coloring, as clear as a mountain stream. Hopes were high after extensive test marketing suggested that the soda pop-purchasing public would welcome the beverage with open arms. Ambitious ad campaigns were set in motion, featuring none other than rock and roll megaband Van Halen, who allowed their hit song, “Right Now” to be used in advertisements.

Crystal Pepsi came out of the starting gate strong in 1992, almost immediately capturing a full percentage point of the highly competitive beverage market. The numbers were so impressive that Coca-Cola quickly followed with Tab Clear. But all the hype and all the high hopes quickly began to fizzle out. To some, Crystal Pepsi just didn’t taste as good as the brown-colored original. To others, it tasted too much like the original. But whatever the reasons were, perhaps it just couldn’t live up to the enormous hype, the product left store shelves within a year or two, and the highly-touted transparent beverage market quickly disappeared.

In 2005, Pepsi, perhaps forgetting the past for a moment, began marketing a product in Mexico called Pepsi Clear, but those that forget history are doomed to repeat it, and to date, there have been no sightings of a clear cola beverage to speak of. And so, the cola wars continue and Crystal Pepsi lives on only in the memories of those who had the fleeting opportunity to sample this short-lived drink.

Did you have a chance to take a few swigs of Crystal Pepsi during its short window of opportunity? Did you like it, or did you prefer the brown stuff. Share your recollections with us in our comments section, as we look back on a beverage we hardly got the chance to know.

Let’s face it, there have been few technological advancements in chewing gum since it first became popular. Sure, new flavors have been introduced, formulas have been perfected to produce better bubbles, and various shapes have come and gone over the years. But 1975 marked a new era with the introduction of squirting gum. The first company to go down this path was Adams, with their spearmint-flavored Freshen Up gum.

Freshen-up gum came in packs containing square pieces, each which held a surprise within their core – a flavored gel which, when bitten, released a small flood of flavor to tantalize the taste buds. It was so well received that the company followed up with peppermint, cinnamon and even a bubble gum version of Freshen-up. Competitors soon followed and eventually the novelty wore off a bit. Today, it isn’t as widely available as it once was, although anyone with an internet connection can easily find a company willing to send them a few boxes for a nominal fee.

There are very few kids from the 70s that don’t remember the first time they bit into a nugget of Freshen Up gum and were rewarded with a surprising squirt of juicy flavor. Likewise, offering a piece to an uninitiated friend and watching the reaction on their face was a pretty amusing pastime. And sure, there are all kinds of gums on the market today, each available in a variety of zany flavors, but Freshen Up gum wasn’t really about the flavor anyway, it was about an unforgettable experience, one which lives in the hearts of millions to this day.

If you remember being surprised by your first taste of Freshen Up gum as a kid, or if you just want to share your fond recollections of this popular treat from yesteryear, we invite you to share your memories in our comments section.

“Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous. Don’t be alarmed.”

Wonka Bars and golden tickets, Oompa Loompas and a chocolate river, snozzberries and lickable wallpaper, golden eggs and seven-course gum, Everlasting Gobstoppers and the Wonkavator. In a world of pure imagination, all things are possible. This was the world of Willy Wonka – candy man, inventor, and scourge of naughty children. Like the Roald Dahl book on which it was based, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was a dark fantasy with strong ideas about the nasty habits of children. It is also one of the most beloved children’s films ever created. Let’s take a stroll to the chocolate factory and revisit this childhood classic.

The reclusive Wonka (played by Gene Wilder) lives in his closed-up factory, churning out chocolates but never showing his face to the public. All the world loves Wonka treats, so when the candy maker announces a contest with a factory tour and a lifetime supply of chocolate as its prize, Wonkamania seizes the globe. Nobody wants to find a prizewinning golden ticket more than young Charlie Bucket, a poor lad who has to scrape up funds simply to afford two Wonka Bars.

As luck (or fate) would have it, the boy happens upon the fifth and final golden ticket, earning him and his Grandpa Joe a trip to Wonka’s factory. The other four winners are a motley mess of miscreant moppets: greedy Augustus Gloop, television addict Mike Teevee, gum-smacking Violet Beauregarde and spoiled rotten Veruca Salt. Wonka himself is an eccentric kook, a verse-spouting, purple-suited oddball who alternates between charming and downright creepy.

Inside the factory, the children and their parents discover a land of fanciful gadgets, diminutive factory workers called Oompa Loompas and gobs and gobs of candy. The children also learn the price of bad manners, as one by one they receive a poetically just comeuppance. Only the good-natured Charlie has a chance at winning the grand prize, a reward beyond his imagination.

Audiences in 1971 didn’t quite know what to make of the film. It had bright colors, child actors, and memorable songs from Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley (including “The Candy Man,” “Pure Imagination,” the “Oompa Loompa” variations and Veruca’s scene-stealing temper tantrum, “I Want It Now”). But the movie also had disappearing children, a psychedelic boat ride and a candy maker who seemed to dislike most children.

It wasn’t everyone’s cup of chocolatey tea, but those who loved it did so with a passion. Annual television airings brought the film a cult following, a kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show for preteens. By the time Warner Bros. rolled out a remastered 25th anniversary edition, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory had become a beloved classic. Much to the dismay of purists, the film was remade in 2005 as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. Reviews were generally positive, however, and the film did respectable business at the box office.

Still, it didn’t quite have the charm of the original, and Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willie Wonka remains captivating with each and every viewing. Did this film delight you as a youngster, or like some, did you find parts of it a bit too scary? Did you see it in the theater? Is it a film you still watch to this day, perhaps with your own children. Share your memories of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with all of us in our comments section, as we tip our hat to this unforgettable film.

“Tra-La-La, Tra-La-La-La”

Just about every former kid who grew up in the late 60s has fond recollections of The Banana Splits. With a format loosely based upon the popular prime-time show, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, The Banana Splits combined live-action, psychedelic rock music and classic animation, all offered up with a generous helping of both short comedic sketches and lengthier episodic features.

The stars of the show were a group of four anthropomorphic animals, who, when not mixed up in their comic adventures, also happened to be members of a successful rock group (think The Monkees, but furrier.) The group was comprised of Fleagle (a beagle,) Bingo (a gorilla,) Drooper (a lion) and Snorky (a miniature elephant.) The fleecy foursome served as hosts for the show, and also appeared in various pun-filled sketches, as well as in their own music videos (long before MTV) which usually captured their escapades in various amusement parks such as Six Flags Over Texas and the Coney Island Amusement Park in Cincinnati, Ohio (not to be confused with King’s Island.)

Many fans will also fondly remember a recurring live-action feature segment called Danger Island. On the island resided Professor Irwin Hayden, who along with his crew had to contend with an assortment of angry natives, fearsome wild animals, and just for good measure, dastardly pirates. Richard Donner (who would later bestow the Lethal Weapon film series on the world,) directed the Danger Island segments, which featured a young actor named Michael Vincent, later to be known as teen hunk, Jan Michael Vincent.

Another recurring segment with its own share of excitement was The Three Musketeers. Based on the classic literary work, it featured all of the familiar characters – Porthos, Aramis, Athos and D’Artagnan – as well as a newcomer named Tooly. Each week they performed their gallant service to the Queen in one brave adventure after another. Not to be outdone, the Arabian Nights offered up its own brand of heroics each week as Prince Turhan and Pricess Nidor battled the evil Bakaar and tried to recapture their rightful throne. Alongside the pair were three magicians – Bex, Farik and Raseem – who provided magical spells and sorcery when necessary. Zasu, the donkey provided comic relief and a little kick (literally) to the segments.

Professor Carter and his young offspring/assistants explored the microscopic world in Micro Venture. Having shrunk the kids down to microscopic size (a premise that would show up years later in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) the kids examined cellular life up-close, while contending with enormous insects and other beasts. Luckily, they always had their microscopic dune buggy to make a quick getaway when needed. Various classic cartoons were offered up in between live segments that included The Hillbilly Bears (once a part of The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show). Later, in syndication, The New Adventures of Huck Finn would offer up even more live-action adventure.

The Banana Splits ran from 1968-1970 and was produced by Hanna-Barbera, with costumes designed by future Saturday morning icons, Sid and Marty Krofft. Innovative and offering a glimpse into the future of children’s programming, The Banana Splits redefined kids entertainment for generations to come.

If you were a regular viewer of The Banana Splits, or if you just have that pesky theme song stuck in your head, we welcome your thoughts in our comments section as we tip our hats to this furry fab four.

The Space Age was in full swing after World War II. Swift technological progress and widespread economic growth gave birth to a culture in love with rockets, space stations, and dreams of life on the moon. Every kid wanted to be an astronaut, and every week, a new toy or TV show was there to feed that dream.

Spangler Candy of Bryan, Ohio, (founded in 1906) met this demand with the snazzy, rocket-shaped Astro Pop. This lollipop, a thin inverted cone of hard candy on stick, suggested a three-stage rocket: a red cherry-flavored lower section, a dark green lime middle, and a long yellow tip of lemon.

For years, the Astro Pop was eaten from the pointy end down. A popular game among junior space rangers involved sucking the yellow end to a sharp point, essentially creating a tiny candy lance. A friendly jab to the nearest classmate or sibling was standard practice.

During the 1980s, the Spangler company reversed the Astro Pop, so that the stick went through the yellow point, and the red base was up top – a decidedly awkward arrangement. Spangler claimed that this “improvement” made the Astro Pop easier to eat, but suspicious kids everywhere knew that it was just nervous grown ups taking some of the fun out of life.

Astro Pops never sold as well after the change, and they blasted off to oblivion in September of 2004. Spangler, however, does still make their signature candy, the tiny lollipops known as Dum-Dums. Hopefully this isn’t a reflection of society, where the dreamers of space travel steadily diminish and the dums-dums happily fill the void.

Take us back to the glory days of this aeronautical-shaped candy by sharing your memories of Astro Pops with all of us in our comments section, as we pay tribute to this, for many former kids at least, sorely-missed treat.

Scientists claim that hippos (Hippopotamus amphibious) are herbivores, but millions of kids can attest otherwise. Their experience suggests that these gentle beasts have an insatiable appetite for little white marbles. Many a feeding frenzy has been observed during the course of a rousing round of Hungry Hungry Hippo.

Introduced in 1978 by Milton Bradley, and originally just called “Hungry Hippos,” this isn’t a game for the timid. Four brightly colored (pink, yellow, green and orange), and obviously famished, plastic hippos surround the playing area, eagerly waiting for their human handlers to release a row of marbles – thanks to a handy lever available to each player. Once these little delicacies roll into the playing area – utter chaos ensues.

When a lever in the hippo’s tail is pushed, each hippo juts forward, jaws open and ready to snatch their share of the marble motherlode from the rest of the herd. The faster each player pushes the lever, the more plentiful the bounty and the better chance of emerging victorious, having helped their hippo masticate the most marbles.

Forget strategy – Hungry Hungry Hippos is all about quick hands and perseverance and its charm and simplicity have kept it a favorite among kids and adults alike for almost three decades. It would appear that, as long as little white marbles continue to roll forth, there will always be a herd of gluttonous hippos ready to pounce on their prey and satisfy their appetite – a fact that zoologists seem loathe to admit but that any child who has ever handled a Hungry Hungry Hippos game can readily attest.

If you’ve played a few frenzied rounds of Hungry Hungry Hippo back in the day, we’d love to hear your memories in our comments section, as we tip our hat to this beloved game that’s still going strong to this day.

Through much of modern history, we have set aside February 14th as a special day to collectively show our love and affection to those we fondly regard in our lives. For the adults of the world, it’s a day of chocolates and cupids, of roses and romance, of candlelight dinners and diamonds. For the younger among us, things have always been a bit more innocent and, thankfully, inexpensive. But, whether you loved it or loathed it as a kid, the mere mention of Valentine’s Day is certain to bring back memories of crushes and candy and classroom activities – childhood traditions that endure to this day.

For the braver among us, Valentine’s Day was a day to profess your undying love to the classmate you had eyed for the better part of the year. For the rest of us, however, it was simply a day when scholastic studies were set aside while we partied in celebration of a Saint most of us knew little to nothing about. We ate cookies and candies, including those ever-popular Sweethearts, and passed out valentines to our peers, for better or worse. Back in the day, those cards were almost-always thoughtfully crafted by our own hands (unlike the pre-printed cards that have grown more popular in recent years).

We made little mailboxes out of shoe boxes to receive our bounty of correspondence, and, occasionally, even little giftbags with sweets and trinkets. And most schools had a policy that, if you brought valentines to class, you had to bring them for everyone (meaning that you couldn’t willfully exclude those for whom you held less affection). A fair policy, even if it was always weird to hand a card to someone you pretty much despised for the rest of the year. Still, it was a day that most of us looked forward to, if for no other reason than that holidays (especially candy-laden ones) were in short supply this time of year.

Of course, once we reached middle school and high school, and our hormones kicked in, we forgot all about group activities and classroom parties. Those days gave way to amorous pursuits and gifts that would become more expensive as we made our journey into adulthood. But back in the simpler days of childhood, most of us just thought Valentines Day to be a pretty cool holiday, one whose memories would stay with us for a very long time.

Now we want to hear how you spent Valentine’s Day as a kid. What were the school activities you looked forward to each year, and what were the parts you would rather forget? Were you ever shot by Cupid’s arrow, or were you the one taking aim? Share all of the traditions and memories in our comments section and help us recall what made this day a special part of childhood.