Cultural References: Season 3
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Ep 3:01: Out of Town
The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife (Cooper’s painting)
London Fog
TWA
Lost Weekend (selling the typewriter for a bottle)
Penn Station
Ep 3:02: Love Among the Ruins
Bye, Bye Birdie
Pepsi Patio
Diet Rite Cola
Susan Watson starring in Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway
Carvel
Wilma Flintstone
The original Beaux Arts Penn Station
Ada Louise Huxtable
Ep 3:03: My Old Kentucky Home
The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire
The Tigertones
Nelson Rockefeller married “Happy” Murphy in Pocantico Hills (Westchester) on May 4, 1963.
Jackie Kennedy’s ill-fated pregnancy
Mickey Rooney playing Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (and Bottom wearing a donkey head)
The Hollow Men, by T.S. Eliot
Conrad Hilton (at this point, it is merely hinted at: “Connie” was born in San Antonio, New Mexico, before it was a state, “Connie” sized up the property like a hotelier)
La Notte (visual reference in the final shot)
Ep 3:04: The Arrangements
Death of Pope John XXIII (June 3, 1963)
Self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc (June 11, 1963)
Kennedy’s address on Civil Rights (June 11, 1963)
Ibsen (his dreariness is reflected in Peggy’s ad, according to Joan)
Ep 3:05: The Fog
The murder of Medgar Evers
Dr. Mendelowitz, whom Betty is waiting for, was a real obstetrician in the area.
Karl Marx
Admiral television
Birdseye
Bridge on the River Kwai (Lane says Don must have seen it)
Ep 3:06: Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency
Conrad Hilton on the cover of Time Magazine, July 19, 1963
Tom & Jerry (seen in the mock-up ads)
John Deere lawn tractor 1963 Model 110
Tom Sawyer (Lane Pryce has been reading American literature)
Martin & Lewis (Cooper refers to them by way of indicating that a reconciliation between Roger & Don is in order)
Barbie dolls (Sally gets a brunette bouffant Barbie)
La Grenouille (reservations for the PPL visitors)
Oliver! (two tickets for the PPL visitors)
The Profumo affair (Joan suggests that the PPL visitors would like prostitutes, “like your Prime Minister,” Hooker corrects her; “Secretary of War”)
Ep 3:07: Seven Twenty Three
Roger tells Don that he’s reading the galleys of Ogilvy’s book, Confessions of an Ad Man.
Total solar eclipse, July 20, 1963 (referenced throughout the episode)
During the Junior League meeting, Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is mentioned.
Pete mentions McNamara’s office in regard to North American Aviation. Robert McNamara was Secretary of Defense from 1961–1968.
The Pleasantville Road Reservoir of Ossining being replaced by a water tower is the issue before the Junior League. Ultimately, this did happen.
Victorian fainting couches
Duck sends Peggy a Hermes scarf; Hermes is a Grey client
Henry references “His Master’s Voice;” and when Betty seems not to understand, he explains it’s an old commercial.
Ep 3:08: Souvenir
Hildy will be visiting Saltaire on Fire Island, with some girls from Liberty Travel.
Pete is reading Ebony at the office, apparently still researching the “Negro” market.
Pete watches Davey & Goliath, the kid’s stop-motion show.
Pete exchanges the dress at Bonwit Teller. He doesn’t appear to receive the new dress in the signature violet-patterned bag.
Trudy shops for fruit at Butterfield Market.
Ep 3:09: Wee Small Hours
Suzanne Farrell listens to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, which was given during the civil rights march on Washington on August 28, 1963. She says she will teach about it.
Carla listens to Dr. King’s speech at the funeral for the girls killed in the
the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The bombing was on September 15, 1963. the funeral was September 18.
Connie mentions the Marshall Plan, and then says “After all the things we threw at Khrushchev you know what made him fall apart? He couldn’t get into Disneyland.”
Ep 3:10: The Color Blue
Betty reads The Group by Mary McCarthy
The Sterling Cooper party takes place at the Waldorf Astoria; Roger and his mother discuss that the Waldorf Astoria has moved.
Ep 3:11: The Gypsy and the Hobo
Annabelle’s problems were a result of bad publicity following The Misfits (which Cooper refers to as a Clark Gable movie, neglecting to mention Marilyn Monroe or Monty Clift).
Sally says she will always love Minnie Mouse.
Annabelle and Roger discuss Casablanca.
Don suggests to Suzanne that they go to Mystic. Suzanne prefers the Norwich Inn.
Gravy Train dogfood is mentioned.
This is the first episode in which the phrase “focus group” is used.
Ep 3:12: The Grown-Ups
The assassination of President Kennedy is largely the subject of this episode. Numerous real events and people are incorporated, including Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, Lee Harvey Oswald, and Nelson Rockefeller.
Betty mentions the (New York) Times.
The assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby is also shown.
Singin’ in the Rain turns out to be Betty’s favorite movie.
Ep 3:13: Shut the Door. Have a Seat
Betty has to establish residency in Reno to get a divorce.
McCann Erickson, first mentioned in Season 1, reappears as PPL’s buyer.
Archie Whitman is part of a Depression-era farm cooperative.
Email corrections or additions to: Basketofkisses (at) Lippsisters (dot) com
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