Even now, decades later, the melodies from those 1970s commercials are etched into our minds, living rent-free and evoking a sense of nostalgia that's as potent as it is bittersweet.

On Dec. 14, 1970, the portly, hirsute Sebastian Cabot, star of the long-running “Family Affair” sitcom, exited his plane and entered the Anchorage airport where a throng of waiting fans ...