Super-Seventies Movie! The Nixons & John Wayne, the Gabors, Mary Tyler Moore, Glen Campbell, Lawrence Welk & More!

Pat Nixon greets actress Dorothy Lamour (Lawrence Welk in maroon suit several behind her in line) with the President at their San Clemente estate, La Casa Pacifica.

Plaid sport-jackets, bell-bottom pants, wide ties in eye-popping patterns, macrame shawls, wedge heels, massive patent-leather handbags, frosted hair, pompadoured hair, seersucker suits, rayon everything, white belts, hot pants, wrap skirts, Maude-like whatever-they’re-called shoulder-to-floor vest-skirts. It was the ubiquitous vibe of The Southern California Super-Seventies!

Every one of those fashion moments can be spotted being worn by the era’s (and many from the earlier era’s but still holding their own in the 70s) entertainment celebrities invited on August 27, 1972 by President Richard Nixon and his wife, First Lady Pat Nixon to La Casa Pacifica, their private San Clemente, California estate, which sits on a high cliff overlooking a popular surfing spot on the Pacific Ocean.

John Wayne visiting with President Nixon in his office at La Casa Pacifica.

Last month’s 2012 campaign fundraiser for President Obama in Hollywood, headlined by George Clooney, was but the most recent in a long line of  similar events, going back to the May 19, 1962 birthday tribute to President John F. Kennedy held in Madison Square Garden and most famous for Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday” to him (see last week’s article on the event at https://carlanthonyonline.com/2012/05/19/other-photos-stars-from-marilyn-monroes-happy-birthday-night-to-jfk-his-reaction/

Unlike the Kennedy and Obama events, however, the Nixon “Celebrity Reception” was not a fundraiser but merely a gathering of bold-faced names who made their way down from Los Angeles to the Orange County town of San Clemente for the day who were thought to be friendly towards the Nixon Administration as the President’s 1972 re-election campaign ensued and might perhaps lend their names to the effort.

George Clooney welcomes President Obama to his home for a May 2012 re-election campaign fundraiser.

What made the Nixon event so unusual is that instead of celebrities gathering in an arena, the White House, or the private home of a celebrity host, it was the President and First Lady who invited everyone to their private house. Nor was there a ticket price. There was no hard-sell, nor even, apparently, a follow-up to see if any would volunteer to do so. At the very least, it was a groovy summer day in Southern California meeting the President and First Lady in their rarely-glimpsed private home.

Zsa Zsa Gabor cracks up Mrs. Nixon.

And what a cross-section roster of Seventies Celebs it was: Glen Campbell, Lawrence Welk, Mary Tyler Moore, Zsa Zsa and Eva Gabor, Frank Sinatra, Dorothy Lamour, Debbie Reynolds, George Jessel, Wayne Newton, Phyllis Diller, gossip columnist Rona Barrett. Chuck Connors, Glenn Ford, Connie Francis, Jack Benny, George Burns and even cranky William Demarest who was famous for playing cranky “Uncle Charlie” on the popular 60s sitcom My Three Sons.

Despite the unrest and acrimony of the years immediately preceding it, the event took place in a brief slice of a sweet spot in the nation’s life. Within five months, President Nixon would announce the complete U.S. withdrawal from the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal that would engulf him and force his resignation two years later was yet only a news story.

President Nixon welcomes Frank Sinatra to his San Clemente home.

The best part of all, however, is that it was filmed by the White House Film Unit of the Nixon Administration. The public domain Super-8 movie footage of the Seventies Celebrities arriving at the Western White House and being welcomed by the President and Mrs. Nixon was shot without sound. The film can be seen at the end of this article.

However, to provide a sense of authentic easy listening and experience just what Glen Campbell or Mary Tyler Moore may have been listening to on the radio as they drove down from Lost Angeles in their El Dorados to San Clemente, the following movie has been enhanced with the number one singles from that Summer of Seventy-Two. Alone Again, (Naturally) by Gilbert O’Sullivan was the hit song for three weeks preceding the party, from July 29 through August 25.  Then on August 26, the day before the party, Brandy (Your’re a Fine Girl), by Glass, took the number one slot for a week – only to be bumped out again by Alone Again.

The Nixons & The Carpenters, following their performance for the German Prime Minister’s Dinner May 1, 1973.

The mood of the fiesta is further matched with the happy-go-lucky stars-in-the-eye Close to You by the Carpenters from the year before; nine months after the Celebrity Reception at San Clemente, Karen and Richard Carpenter performed this song at the White House for Richard and Pat Nixon.

Three Dog Night.

It closes out with the beginning of Black & White by Three Dog Night, which hit number one on the Billboard Top 100 two weeks after the party. It also has political significance.  Written in 1957 by David I. Arkin and Earl Robinson, it was later recorded with changed lyrics to honor the famous United States Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education which outlawed racial segregation of public schools, that ran:  “Their robes were black, Their heads were white, The schoolhouse doors were closed so tight, Nine judges all set down their names, To end the years and years of shame.”  Chief Justice Warren, who led in the decision, had been appointed by President Eisenhower, under whom Nixon served as Vice President.

Besides those mentioned here, what other Seventies Celebrities were in attendance at the Nixon party? Please feel free to contribute any observations of those not recognized and mentioned.  Lastly, at just short of eleven minutes, this is a relatively long musical video so watch it when you have time to sit back on that avocado-colored lounge chair in that rust-colored living-room, enjoying your Fresca.

This article is written in honor of the forthcoming birthday of Peter McManus,  A Super-Seventies Man

 


Categories: Americana, History, Hollywood, The Nixons

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

8 replies »

  1. YOUR INTRO – now really, carl… who would want to skip the reading of your always captivating rticle, in order to watch a boring video? *shakes head in desbelief*

  2. frankie, im dessapointed 🙁 carl, can a guest say no to a president invitation based merely on political stand ??? what would be the consequences in a free world, freedom of speech, democratic country? just curious LOL

    • You mean if you were invited to the private home of a President of the United States you would turn down the invitation? I sure wouldn’t! However, of course there is zero consequence for doing that; many people have to turn down invitations to the White House for example.

  3. Carl, these posts just amaze me. I consider your site a treasure trove. Am so glad that I recently found it.

    OK, so here are three people I recognized:

    *At 1:45, I’m 90% certain it’s George Burns in the brown suit;

    *at 2:07, that’s definitely Art Linkletter in blue;

    and, of course,

    *at 3:17, it’s Billy Graham. As I understand it, Nixon is the last president that Graham ever endorsed.

    Keep up your great work.

    • Hey thanks so much Mike – highest possible compliment and I greatly appreciate it. And thanks for the identifications there – there are news stories which name many people and some I was able to recognize but many others I did not, the fleeting nature of celebrity perhaps. I’m not sure I would know Connie Francis by sight but on the first day I posted the story with the accompanying video on youtube, two people wrote asking where “Connie” was! Can you find Connie? Maybe she’s on the second, unreleased reel or wasn’t caught on camera or maybe even didn’t attend even though she was listed among those who did. Anyway – thanks again.

  4. Awesome footage! I love the shots of Mary and that great smile!

    • Wow – thank you very much Robin – really kind of you to watch it (because I know Moore on is at the end of the long video) and take the time to comment. And as for her smile. I understand she can turn the world on with it.

      Haha.

      Appreciate your writing – thanks again.

Trackbacks

    WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.