MALL HALL OF FAME: February 2010

By 1970, the nation's space program has caused 20th century technology to take a giant leap into the future. In the news were the problem-plagued Apollo 13 moon mission, reduction of the voting age to 18, debut of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and drug OD deaths of rock stars Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.
"Love Story" image from Paramount Pictures Corporation
"Bridge Over Troubled Water" LP image from Sony Music Entertainment
(See media fair use rationale at the end of the article)

From today's vantage point, a shopping mall from the year 1970 seems quite different than a contemporary one. Here is a quick rundown of the standard features of a circa-'70 center.
-Click on image for a larger view-

As Jackie Gleason says, "And aaaway we go!" Get your BankAmericard ready for a groovy shopping spree!

In our very own Wayback Machine, we are transported back to the year 1970. Far out, man!

Our destination: the Main Entrance of a large, multilevel -and fully air-conditioned- shopping center., which we'll call PLAZA SQUARE.

Just inside the mall's Main Entrance is one of the big national chain shopping mall record retailers. It is among the seventy-five stores and services in PLAZA SQUARE.

Graphic from Camelot, Incorporated

Inside the Camelot store, we find that -in the year 1970- the prevalent formats for recorded music on vinyl are the 45 rpm Single and 33 & a third rpm (Long Play) LP.
Image 1 from Bell Records
Image 2 from EMI-Capitol Records

In a cabinet along one side of the store is a selection of Stereo 8-track tapes. This format was first marketed in 1965. It has replaced the earlier 4-track Stereo-Pak cartridge and become the purveyor of recorded music, tape-wise. Farther down the cabinet, we have a selection of "Quad 8" tapes. This is a brand new, 4 channel format. By the way, tapes always cost a dollar more than record albums.

Image 1 from the Warner Music Group / https://www.ecrater.com
Image 2 from the Radio Corporation of America / http://www.8-track-shack.com

In an adjacent cabinet are Stereo Cassettes. This tape format was introduced in the United States in 1964 for use in dictating machines. It is rumored that its sound quality will be substantially improved by the debut of Dolby Noise Reduction; this to take place next year (in 1971).

Image 1 from the Warner Music Group / https://www.discogs.com

A couple of stores down in PLAZA SQUARE mall is a popular young men's apparel retailer...rather notorious for trendy (and sometimes tacky) fashions.

Graphic from the Melville, Corporation

Speaking of tacky, the Nehru jacket burst on the scene and -in 1968- was THE THING. If you blinked twice, you might have missed them. They seemed to go out of style almost as quickly as they came in. If you look on the clearance rack here at Chess King, you might find one dirt cheap!

In 1969, the fringe vest came along and kind of knocked Nehru out of style.

Fringe is THE groovy -with it- look for 1970! There are several styles to chose from, here at Chess King.

Just about any shopping mall these days has one of the big, national chain pet stores, such as the Docktor Pet Center seen here.

Graphic from Docktor Pet Centers, Incorporated

Our shopping mall visit now takes us to one of the largest stores in the PLAZA SQUARE complex, a McCrory 5 & 10. Variety stores such as this carry all matter of general merchandise. There are lots of nuts & candy, floor coverings, housewares, records, cheap stereos, live pets, toys, some shoes & clothing and various what-nots. The PLAZA SQUARE McCrory's also has a Luncheonette.

Mattel's Hot Wheels cars and race track sets came on the scene 2 years ago. The latest thing, Hot Wheels-wise, is Hot Wheels Sizzlers. They use a new-fangled rechargeable battery, "refueled" by a "Power Pit," that runs the car for 5 to 7 minutes. The PLAZA SQUARE McCrory's is selling Sizzlers cars for $2.10 each.
Image from Mattel, Incorporated

Cashing in on the space race and impending Apollo moon landings, Mattel brought out the first Major Matt Mason figure in 1966. In 1970, a boy can get fellow astronauts Sgt. Storm, Lt. Jeff Long and Doug Davis (a civilian). There are also as a Lunar Crawler vehicle, 3-level Moon Base and several aliens...including Callisto, who hails from Jupiter.
Image from Mattel, Incorporated

Another Mattel creation is the Thing Maker. With a bottle or two of PlastiGoop, one can cook up several varieties of Creepy Crawler rubber insects.
Image from Mattel, Incorporated

The latest thing, Thing Maker-wise, is called Incredible Edibles. Bottles of GoobleDeGoop are used to bake edible rubbery insects. These things are advertised in the McCrory's sale paper as being "frightfully delicious." Actually, their taste is more like plain frightful!

Advert from Mattel, Incorporated

Stepping out of McCrory's, we then walk past another large PLAZA SQUARE store; Lerner Shops.

Graphic from the McCrory Corporation

The famed "mini" skirt of the 1960s is now slowly going out of style. Ladies' hemlines have gone limbo low during the past year, with the new "midi" skirt being THE THING in 1970. Guys are none too pleased with this new (and less than revealing) style.

Here's the lowest a gal can go...the "maxi" skirt. All of these styles, and more, are available at the PLAZA SQUARE Lerner Shop.

After browsing at five mall stores, we come to the North Court and fountain. This faces the main entrance of the PLAZA SQUARE Anchor Department Store.

Among its many departments, the Anchor Department Store has its own upscale, sit-down restaurant, which is known as the Palm Court. This is a standard feature of the large -mall-based- department store of 1970.

Another service offered at the PLAZA SQUARE Anchor Department Store is a Beauty Salon. Its staff of beauticians now offer the very latest hairstyle, which is known as the "Shag."

The Anchor Department Store at PLAZA SQUARE also has a TV & electronics department. A Sylvania-brand color set is on sale this week for less than 500 dollars!

Advert from the General Telephone & Electronics Corporation

Moving to the next aisle, we have a Zenith Mediterranean Styled console stereo. It sells for $268.99. Mediterranean furniture and home decor are very much in vogue these days. By the way, an optional 8-track tape deck for the stereo is available for $79.99.

Advert from the Zenith Radio Corporation

Speaking of Zenith, just about anytime that you turn on a TV these days (any brand of TV, mind you), you see commercials telling about Chromacolor. It is touted as a "totally advanced color TV system, (the) first to fully-illuminate every color dot on a jet black background."
Graphic from the Zenith Radio Corporation

The Zenith Eakins model is one of the new Chromacolor sets currently on sale at the Anchor Department Store. With a TV such as this, one could be tuning into programs such as "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in," "The Carole Burnette Show," "To Rome With Love," "Room 222," "Love American Style," "The High Chaparral," "Ironside," and "The Mod Squad."

Graphic from the Zenith Radio Corporation

Moving right along in our PLAZA SQUARE shopping spree, we decide to grab a bite to eat at one of the fast food restaurants located along the mall. In fact, there's an Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips right across the from the Anchor Department Store.

Graphic from the National Fast Food Corporation-Fisher Foods, Incorporated

The Arthur Treacher's lunch special is just a dollar thirty.

Graphic from the National Fast Food Corporation-Fisher Foods, Incorporated

Or, we could pick up a sandwich and "devilishly good drink" at the Orange Julius down the mall.

Graphic from the International Industries Corporation

The current Orange Julius lunch special.

Graphic from the International Industries Corporation

How about a snack for dessert? Karmelkorn is down on the Penneys Court.

Graphic from the Franchised Growth Corporation

As the advertisement says....munch a bunch as you shop.

Graphic from the Franchised Growth Corporation

After getting a snack at Karmlekorn, we enter the J.C. Penney -a.k.a "Penneys"- across the mall. The store faces the Center Court area.

Graphic from the J.C. Penney Company

Walking down an aisle, you notice some really loud stovepipe pants in the Misses & Juniors section.