The first thing to know is this: It's fairly impossible to start any conversation regarding "The Partridge Family," the peppy, everyone-sing '70s sitcom, without warbling the words "c'mon, get happy."
Those iconic lyrics, and their upbeat call to action, became synonymous with the television series, a program that detailed the musical adventures of mom Shirley Patridge, her talented brood, and frequently irascible (but ultimately sweet) band manager Reuben Kincaid.
Many viewers recall various elements from the 1970-1974 ABC comedy, including how well it made the Los Angeles of that era shine (the city was frequently seen in the background as the Patridges bounced around town). But everyone remembers the animated opening credits, with the mother bird and her babies and the cracked-in-half eggshell.
In a sea of small-screen credits, the Sandy Dvore-designed opening for "The Partridge Family" has long stood out, an achievement in a town crowded with interesting credits sequences. Now fans of the show are in for a treat, if they want to own a piece of Partridge lore: Animated artwork from the sequence will be on the block on Thursday, Oct. 27 at Nate D. Sanders Auctions.
Even if you don't bid $5,000 for the mother bird emerging from her shell, it is still a treat to peruse the famous animation, which was quite different for its time. Many television shows still relied on black-and-white credits, and an animated opening for a live-action series was a rarer thing.
One inspiration for Mr. Dvore? The "Piet Mondrian-inspired bus that the family drove." The artist looked to the famous Partridge conveyance for "color cues" before creating his memorable credit sequence.
You're right, if you just recalled that Mr. Dvore is a powerhouse among credits creators, and that "The Waltons" and "Knots Landing" were both his work, too. (The auction house reveals that this is the first time the artist's art has been up for bid, in case any Dvore devotees have been awaiting such a day.)
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If you're craving a "c'mon, get happy" moment, and it has been too long since you caught "The Partridge Family" in reruns, and beheld Los Angeles suburbia of that wayback day, best peek at the auction and take a trip back in time now.
Can you hear those equally iconic opening notes that accompanied the animated birds at the start of every show? C'mon, get happy.
