25. Puzzling Thoughts…
…about The Partridge Family. It turns out I’m not the first person in my family to have a published crossword puzzle. My wife, Mary Dee, beat me out by about 25 years with this creation.
The album cover was put together at The Music Agency back in the ’70s, where my wife was a beginning art director. They needed an idea for the cover (the songs on the albums didn’t come with a theme), and she suggested doing a crossword puzzle. The boss approved and had her put it together, including hand-drawing the grid (graphics were inked up in those days using a technical pen, T square, and triangle).
Among the other Partridge Family cover titles she created were Notebook, Bulletin Board, and Shopping Bag. One concept that didn’t make it, however, was TV Dinner. A cover comp was made up, showing an aluminum TV dinner tray with the family members’ heads stuck in the different food sections (David Cassidy’s head, for example, rose up out of the mashed potatoes!), but for some reason they passed on it.
Here are a few clues from the Crossword Puzzle album. How well do you remember your Partridge Family facts?
1. The Partridge Family’s favorite network: __ __ __
2. Kind of Partridge Family pet: __ __ __
3. Mother Partridge’s first name: __ __ __ __ __ __ __
4. Keith Partridge’s first name in real life: __ __ __ __ __
5. The Partridge Family’s favorite record company: __ __ __ __
6. This bird is their namesake: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
September 13, 2007 at 12:30 pm
The only clue I think I can answer is #6!
Nice to see you giving some crossword credit to another member of your family! You and Mary Dee must have been star-cross’d lovers. Once you get that aura of crosswords on you, a kindred soul will discover you. Is that what happened?
Good going, Mary Dee!
September 13, 2007 at 12:55 pm
Eery coincidence! I used to know the answers to this puzzle — loved David Cassidy and the show; we slavishly took fashion cues from Susan Dey’s character, who wore those fabulous peasant blouses, hip huggers (no spandex then — OUCH!) and chokers. Excellent puzzle, Mary Dee! Mary Dee and Pat — this is kismet.
September 13, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I only learned of my wife’s crosswording accomplishment last year, many years after we’d been married.
I always thought of Susan Dey as the star of the show, but until I saw the answer grid, I couldn’t have told you her character’s name was Laurie. For that matter, I had to look up all the answers for questions #1-5. I did, however, know that #6 was PTARMIGAN.
September 13, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Yeah, right. “The Ptarmigan Family” would have been dead in the water on its premiere!
September 14, 2007 at 6:19 am
Answers: 1-ABC, 2-DOG, 3-SHIRLEY (same as in real life), 4-DAVID, 5-BELL, 6-PARTRIDGE
September 15, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Good god. I used to own that album. (I remember solving the puzzle!) Can I have your wife’s autograph?
I remember “Shopping Bag,” too, but not the others. I dutifully bought their stuff, but I always sort of resented the Partridge Family — a poor substitute for the Monkees, I thought.