1977, Music: David Soul with “Dont Give Up On Us”

In 1977 American-British singer David Soul scores with the hit single "Dont Give Up On Us". Soul, famous for his role in the Police television series "Starsky and Hutch", returned with this debut single to his earlier career as a singer. The song was written and produced by Tony Macaulay. The song on the B-side, "Black Bean Soup", was a duet song with his then girlfriend actress Lynne Marta.

"Dont Give Up On Us" reached number one in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK and US. It was the only top 1 hit scored by David Soul. The song was covered by Owen Wilson, Johnny Mathis, The Nolan Sisters and Donny Osmond.

Lynne Marta & David Soul in 1977

David Soul as Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson in "Starsky and Hutch"

David Soul with Paul Michael Glaser in "Starsky and Hutch"

Video: David Soul with "Don't Give Up On Us"

1977, Belgian Comics: “Kiekeboe”

In 1977 the first "Kiekeboe" (English, "Jo & Co") album "De Wollebollen" is published by "J. Hoste". The story was pre-published in the newspaper "Het Laatste Nieuws". The comic series "Kiekeboe" was created by Merho (Robert Merhottein) in 1977. Before starting his own comic series, Merho worked five years as an assistant on the Willy Vandersteen series "Jerom" and "Pats". Main characters are Marcel Kiekeboe, his wife Charlotte, his daughter Fanny and son Konstantinopel.

De Wollebollen

• black and white
• never published in English
• never published in French
• story and drawings by Merho (Robert Merhottein)

No 1: "De Wollebollen"

Synopsis

During their holidays the family Kiekeboe meet the “Wollebollen”, little red creatures cleaning the forests. A witch, however, forces them to rob banks. Marcel Kiekeboe discoveres that Baron de Bruze Agan and Balthazar are the diabolical masterminds behind it all...

Marcel and Charlotte Kiekeboe

Wollebol and Fanny Kiekeboe

Main characters

Marcel Kiekeboe, Charlotte Kiekeboe, Fanny Kiekeboe, Konstantinopel Kiekeboe, Balthazar, baron de Bruze Agan, the fat lady, Danny.

The fat lady and Marcel Kiekeboe

Fanny Kiekeboe and Danny

Balthazar and Konstantinopel Kiekeboe

Trivia

• "Baron de Bruze Agan" refers to "the Bruges à Gand", a famous line from Jacques Brel's song "Marieke" (1962)
• the construction firm "Haemerrechts" is a pun on the Antwerp builder François Amelinckx

Baron de Bruze Agan, Balthazar, Konstaninopel, Marcel and Fanny

construction firm "Haemerrechts"

Cars

• Opel Kadett (C1)
• Citroën Dyane
• British Leyland Mini
• Lancia Stratos
• BMW 1602 (02-series)
• unidentified car, probably Mercury Cougar 1971 – 1973
• Datsun (Nissan) Cherry F-II Coupé
• Citroën GS 

Citroën Dyane and Opel Kadett C1

British Leyland Mini

Lancia Stratos

BMW 1602 (02-series)

unidentified car, probably Mercury Cougar 1971 – 1973

Opel Kadett C1, Datsun (Nissan) Cherry F-II Coupé, Citroën GS

1977, Music: Julie Covington with “Don't Cry for Me Argentina”

In 1977 the single "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" sung by British singer Julie Covington reached number one in several charts. It was released as a single on 12 November 1976, in the United Kingdom.

The song, written and composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, was recorded in 1976 for the album and musical, Evita. It tells the life of Argentinian leader, Eva Perón (Eva Maria Duarte de Perón (07/05/1919 – 26/07/1952)), appearing at the opening and end of the show, as the spirit of the dead Eva telling the people of Argentina not to mourn her, and during her final speech from the balcony of Casa Rosada, Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina (1951).

Eva Perón

Julie Covington was born on 11 September 1946 in London, she attended the girls' grammar school Brondesbury and Kilburn High School in Kilburn, London. In 1967, while studying at Homerton College in Cambridge, she sang on The David Frost television show and was offered a recording contract afterwards. 

Julie Covington in 1977

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" by Julie Covington

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" reached number-one in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand and the Netherlands. The song has been covered by multiple artists, including The Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John, Tom Jones, Sinéad O'Connor and Madonna.

Videoclip: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"

1977, Film: “Mort d'un pourri”

The French crime-thriller "Mort d'un pourri" (“Death of a Corrupt Man”) is released on 7 December 1977. The film was directed by Georges Lautner with a script by Michel Audiard based on the novel with the same title by Raf Vallet (Jean Laborde) from 1973. Main stars are Alain Delon, Ornella Muti, Stéphane Audran, Mireille Darc, Maurice Ronet, Michel Aumont and Klaus Kinski. “Mort d'un pourri” was nominated for two Césars in 1978, Best Actor: Alain Delon and Best Sreenplay: Michel Audiard.

Synopsis

Member of Parliament Philippe Dubaye (Maurice Ronet) wakes up his old friend Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal (Alain Delon) in the middle of the night with rather disturbing news: he just killed the racketeer Serrano...

Stéphane Audran, Maurice Ronet and Alain Delon

Michel Aumont and Alain Delon

Alain Delon

Klaus Kinski

Ornella Muti

Ornella Muti and Alain Delon

Ornella Muti, Alain Delon and Jean Bouise

Main Cast

• Alain Delon as Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal
• Ornella Muti as Valérie
• Stéphane Audran as Christiane
• Mireille Darc as Françoise
• Maurice Ronet as Philippe Dubaye
• Michel Aumont as Commissaire Moreau
• Jean Bouise as Commissaire Pernais
• Daniel Ceccaldi as Lucien Lacor
• Julien Guiomar as Fondari
• Klaus Kinski as Nicolas Tomski
• François Chaumette as Lansac
• Xavier Depraz as Marcel
• Henri Virlojeux as Paul
• Colette Duval as La secrétaire de Serrano

"Mort d'un pourri" Trailer (1977)

1977, Belgian Comics: “Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot” (original title: “Spirou et Fantasio”)

In 1977 a new "Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot" (Eng.: "Spirou and Fantasio"; original: "Spirou et Fantasio") album "De doodsman" (original: "L'Ankou") is published by Dupuis. It is the twenty-seventh album in the series.

The comic was pre-published in the magazine "Spirou"/"Robbedoes" (1976). The story was drawn and written by the French cartoonist Jean-Claude Fournier. The main characters are Robbedoes (Spirou), Kwabbernoot (Fantasio), squirrel Spip, De doodsman (L'Ankou), Ororéa, Itoh Kata, Rethros Athana, Al Kazar, Capuccino, and, bad guys Freddy and Boy.

The series "Robbedoes en Kwabbernoot" ("Spirou and Fantasio") has been running since 1938. It has been written and drawn by a succession of artists.

No 27 "De doodsman" (original: "L'Ankou")

The comic strip was originally created by French cartoonist Rob-Vel (François Robert Velter) for the launch of Le Journal de Spirou ("Spirou”/Robbedoes") on April 21, 1938, published by Éditions Dupuis. The first succession came in 1943 when Belgian cartoonist Jijé (Joseph Gillain) was given charge of the character. In 1944 he introduced Fantasio, who would become Spirou's best friend. In 1946 Jijé handed the series to his helper, the young Belgian comics artist André Franquin. Franquin developed the strip from single gags and short serials into long adventures with complex plots, and is usually considered as the definitive author of the strip. In 1969 Franquin grew tired of Spirou and he passed the series to the French cartoonist Fournier (Jean-Claude Fournier).

Robbedoes (Spirou), Kwabbernoot (Fantasio) and Spip

Rethros Athana and Ororéa

De doodsman (L'Ankou)

At the end of the 1970s Nic Broca (drawings) and Raoul Cauvin (writing) took on Fournier's lead without adding much to the characters, they made three albums. It was the team of the Belgians Tome (Philippe Vandevelde) (writing) and Janry (Jean-Richard Geurts) (drawings) which was to find lasting success with Robbedoes (Spirou).

Al Kazar and Kwabbernoot (Fantasio)

Capuccino, Rethros Athana, Kwabbernoot (Fantasio), Al Kazar and Itoh Kata

Bad guys Freddy and Boy

In 2004, after a 6 years break, the series came back with French comics writer Jean-David Morvan (writing) and Spanish artist José-Luis Munuera (drawings). They made four albums. In 2009 Morvan and Munuera were succeeded by the French comics writer Fabien Vehlmann and Yoann (Yoann Chivard) (drawings).

Synopsis

Ororéa invites Robbedoes (Spirou) and Kwabbernoot (Fantasio) to join her at a congress of magicians in Brittany. When they arrive, they meet strange Doodsman (L'Ankou), who objects to the presence of a nuclear power station...

Cars

• Renault 5
• Peugeot 304
• Renault 15
• Mercedes-Benz W114 coupé
• Opel Manta A
• Mercedes-Benz R(C)107
• Renault Estafette

Renault 5

Renault 5 and Peugeot 304

Renault 15 and Renault 5

Mercedes-Benz W114 coupé

Opel Manta A

Mercedes-Benz R(C)107

Renault Estafette

1977, Television: “Come Back Mrs. Noah”

The pilot episode of the BBC television sitcom "Come Back Mrs. Noah" premieres on 13 December 1977. The series, written by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft and directed by Bob Spiers, stars Mollie Sugden as Mrs. Gertrude Noah. After the pilot five episodes were broadcasted in 1978 (17 July 1978 - 14 August 1978). Lloyd and Croft already wrote together the successful sitcom "Are You Being Served?" in 1972 and in 1982 they worked on one of the most popular British sitcoms "'Allo 'Allo!".

Synopsis

In 2050 British housewife Gertrude Noah (Molly Sugden) wins a visit on the "Britannia Seven", the UK's new Space Exploration Vehicle. On Wednesday 22 June 2050 the spacecraft accidentally blasts off into space with Mrs Noah and a small crew onboard...

Mollie Sugden became well known as Mrs. Slocombe in "Are You Being Served?"

Ian Lavender became famous as Frank Pike in "Dad's Army"

Donald Hewlett became famous as Colonel Charles Reynolds in
"It Ain't Half Hot Mum" and Lord Meldrum in "You Rang, M'Lord?"

Michael Knowles became famous as Captain Jonathan Ashwood in
"It Ain't Half Hot Mum" and Teddy Meldrum in "You Rang, M'Lord?"

Gorden Kaye became famous as René Artois in "'Allo 'Allo!"

Main Cast

• Mollie Sugden as Mrs. Gertrude Noah
• Ian Lavender as Clive Cunliffe
• Donald Hewlett as Carstairs
• Michael Knowles as Fanshaw
• Gorden Kaye as TV Presenter
• Tim Barrett as Garfield Hawk
• Joe Black as Garstang
• Ann Michelle as Scarth Dare
• Jennifer Lonsdale as Technician

"Come Back Mrs. Noah" Opening and Closing Credits