Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures

1960s

The Sound of Raunchy and Erotic Italian Film Scores

Ever wonder what an Italian film score sounds like? Yeah? Well how about Italian scores from erotic films? Even if you haven’t seen an Italian “erotica”, these scores are great for every lounge music lover (pun intended). “Beat At Cinecitta” is a music score compilation from, you guessed it, raunchy Italian films from the 60’s and 70’s. Italian composers such as Piero Piccioni and Riz...

Are we ready for The Jetsons yet?

What better epitomizes the visionary futuristic-utopia of the 20th century than the Jetsons? Created in 1962 the prime-time animated sitcom took place in 2062… looking 100 years into the future. Besides the futuristic gadgets and gizmos-surely ahead of their time-the architectural influence is clearly that of Googie design. Including “upswept roofs, curvaceous, geometric shapes, and bold use of glass, steel and neon, Googie was also...

The Party – With Birdie Num Num
Written by Katharine Miller in Film

The Party – With Birdie Num Num

What happens when Blake Edwards, Peter Sellers and Henry Mancini collaborate on a motion picture? Usually, a Pink Panther movie. The exception was the 1968 comedy The Party, with Blake Edwards once again directing Peter Sellers and his antics to a swinging Mancini soundtrack. Edwards and Sellers team up to make a slapstick comedy for the mod set. The result is a smorgasbord of sight...

Charles Schridde’s Vision of the Future

Charles Schridde’s illustrations from the early 1960s for Motorola is a great example of the future that never was. The ads were often featured in Life Magazine and depicted a lush, comfy and elegant future, conveniently centered around various Motorola products. I for one, wouldn’t mind living in a pad like the ones Mr. Schridde envisioned. I guess the closest thing would be Disney’s House...

Parker Graphic Novels
Written by Baron von Swankenstein in Readable

Parker Graphic Novels

“When a fresh-faced guy in a Chevy offered him a lift, Parker told him to go to hell.” – Richard Stark, first line from The Hunter On one side of a coin is James Bond, a suave secret agent with a license to kill. A connoisseur of many things, Bond enjoys fine food, fine women, and martinis shaken not stirred. A champion for Queen and...

Video
Written by Katharine Miller in Television

Get Smart – With Don Adams

Would you believe that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry teamed up to create one of the funniest spy shows of the 1960s? Capitalizing on the success of the James Bond franchise, television networks ordered a slew of espionage-themed programs. The Man From U.N.C.L.E, I Spy, Mission Impossible, and The Avengers brought a new level of sophistication to catching bad guys. These series used intelligence, ingenuity,...

Man’s Favorite Sport?
Written by Jesse Kowalski in Film

Man’s Favorite Sport?

Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss star in Howard Hawks’ film Man’s Favorite Sport? (1964). This screwball comedy is a loose remake of Hawks’ earlier film hit Bringing Up Baby (1938), which starred Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. The plot for this film is relatively complicated for a comedy. Rock stars as Roger Willoughby, a salesman at Abercrombie & Fitch – your grandfather’s Abercrombie & Fitch...

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