Countdown to 2000: Culture

Amy R. Spurgeon

Newport-Mesa residents grooved into the 1970s, even with national issues

such as the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal overshadowing the

nation.

Disco, long hair, leisure suits and bikinis defined the fashion trends of

the area, and the nation. Long gone were the days of pearls, two-piece

dress suits, gloves, petite handbags and heels.

People changed with the ‘70s, too. Some flower children remained, but

most people adjusted to the new era with fast music and flashy clothing.

The area’s leading department stores included JCPenney and Sears. Record

players, vacuum cleaners and polyester fabrics were hot items.

On the arts scene, residents attended movies and the theater in droves.

In 1971, South Coast Repertory staged the original rock-ecology musical

“Mother Earth” by Ron Thronson and Toni Shearer. The show was a hit and

eventually made it to Broadway.

In 1978, SCR moved to its current location on Town Center Drive from the

Third Step Theater on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa.

Other highlights from the 1970s at SCR were “Godspell,” “That

Championship Season,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and “Catch 22.”

Movies and television screenplays also reflected the changing times.

Feature films that played on local screens included “One Flew Over the

Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Jaws,” “All The President’s Men,” and “Fiddler on the

Roof.”

Popular television shows that aired weekly included “The Merv Griffin

Show,” “Father Knows Best,” “Dinah’s Place,” “Jack LaLanne,” and for

kids, “The Electric Company.”

Sources: The Daily Pilot; Tom Titus.