Pop Art in motion.

May 6, 2008 1:46 AM

Clever! Peppy! Immensely entertaining! The opening sequence of the Dick Cavett Show was a little masterpiece of 60s pop graphics. A similar aesthetic is at work here in this 60s era PSA reminding you to vote. Here's some jazzy 60s animation: a commercial for Beechnut Gum. And lots more typically 60s animation and graphics on display here in this Animation Commercial Collection.
posted by flapjax at midnite (22 comments total)

Oh, and that swingin' Dick Cavett Show opening theme was sung by The Serendipity Singers. Here's their Wikipedia page.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:45 AM on May 6, 2008

And lo and behold, there they are on youtube, the Serendipity Singers. They're kind of awful.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:00 AM on May 6, 2008

Did I see Louise Lasser? Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman?
posted by jfrancis at 4:14 AM on May 6, 2008

Yup. Louise Lasser it was.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:17 AM on May 6, 2008

Meanwhile, Katharine Hepburn rearranges the furniture on Dick Cavett. A behind-the-scenes glimpse. And dig Dick in those white pants/white shoes.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:24 AM on May 6, 2008

Chevrolet presents Bewitched.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:27 AM on May 6, 2008

... They're kind of awful.

Looked like an outtake from "A Mighty Wind".
posted by RavinDave at 4:27 AM on May 6, 2008

Ah, "Bewitched" opening animation! That's the thing I was looking for with this
askme question. Pointy elbows and stars and things!
posted by h00py at 4:30 AM on May 6, 2008

Whoa! That Dick Cavett opening is awesome! I had forgotten all about it, and then from the opening notes of the song, I found myself singing along in my head ("We have it!").

Great post thanks.

Yeah. Thanks. Thanks a whole lot for reminding me how old I am. Old. So old. Well, anyway, off to buy robot insurance.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 5:24 AM on May 6, 2008

And now a word from our sponsors...
posted by Dave Faris at 5:43 AM on May 6, 2008

And now a word from our sponsors...

Right. And here at MeFi, as of late, that would be Dice, The Career Hub For Tech Insiders.

I reckon there's always been sponsors of one kind or another.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:53 AM on May 6, 2008

Dang! The sun got stuck...! All I had to do was watch that Bryant AC ad again, and I'd never have had to make that global warming post last night!

...but thank you! Sometimes the ads are more evocative than the shows...a combination of sometimes better artists and a highly topical subject, I guess.
posted by Kronos_to_Earth at 6:01 AM on May 6, 2008

They're kind of awful.

Aside from their rendition of Beans in my Ears, I agree.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:22 AM on May 6, 2008

Yeah, sorry. I wasn't criticizing the linking of ads. We do it all the time, whether rube-goldbergesqe auto ads, or whatever. Mine was just the first comment that came to mind, so I posted it.
posted by Dave Faris at 6:31 AM on May 6, 2008

Why did I think that the Cavett show's musical intro was the overture from "Candide" by Bernstein?
Was this a later incarnation, mebbe?
posted by Dizzy at 6:36 AM on May 6, 2008

Why did I think that the Cavett show's musical intro was the overture from "Candide" by Bernstein?
Was this a later incarnation, mebbe?

Yes, but it was "Glitter and Be Gay", not the overture.
posted by paddbear at 6:40 AM on May 6, 2008

For the past few years, there's been a revival of a certain type of 1960s-type "shag style" animation and illustration in marketing aimed at a female audience. Do a Google image search for "chick lit", and you'll see it everywere.
posted by elmwood at 6:55 AM on May 6, 2008

paddbear--
Yes!
hmmm.
Maybe...
I assert that it was the overture because the "Glitter and Be Gay" section would have Cunegonde's voice trilling over the instrumental accompianment, no?
Apologies for the most useless nitpicking derail in the history of the world...
posted by Dizzy at 7:09 AM on May 6, 2008

That voting PSA was trippy and reminded me of this album cover (very mildly NSFW).
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2008

What a collection of awesome links. Thanks for posting it! If people like animation of the time, Amid Amidi has a fantastic blog/site.
posted by ASterling at 10:39 AM on May 6, 2008

Apparently this intro was for an unsold pilot, and never actually aired.
posted by evilcolonel at 7:35 AM on May 7, 2008

Hey, nice find, evilcolonel, thanks for that!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:45 AM on May 7, 2008