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Post by pegasus on Jan 20, 2012 8:54:53 GMT -7
ENTERTAINER OF THE CENTURY DAY
With cigar in hand, seemingly always accompanied by a young and beautiful woman, George Burns, made millions of us laugh with his quick wit and easy style. Born Nathan Birnbaum on Jan. 20th in 1896 in New York City, Burns’ show biz career got started with his straight man act for zany Gracie Allen back in 1922.
On January 7, 1926 the two were wed and the Burns and Allen team made history from vaudeville to radio (1932) to films and then, TV beginning in 1950. Several generations used Mr. Burns’ trademark close, “Say goodnight, Gracie,” whenever someone made a ditzy comment. Hollywood cast the duo with their inspired lunacy in a slew of films in the ’30s including: International House, We’re Not Dressing, A Damsel in Distress, College Swing and Honolulu.
Three decades passed before George Burns made another movie. This one was a winner. In fact, The Sunshine Boys won George Burns his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (1975). Other films followed in rapid succession: Oh, God! [1977], Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [1978], Going in Style [1979], Oh, God! Book 2 [1980], Two of a Kind [1982], Oh, God! You Devil [1984] and Radioland Murders [1994].
At the age of 93, George Burns was making hits with the song, "I Wish I Was Eighteen Again" from his 1988 film, 18 Again!. And he was playing Vegas to rave revues.
The 20th century’s premier entertainer, George Burns, continued to show all of us how to live life to its fullest, still singing and story-telling to his 100th birthday. Mr. Burns died on March 9, 1996.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 21, 2012 8:59:09 GMT -7
KIWANIS ANNIVERSARY DAY
It was on Jan 21st in 1915, in a little town called Detroit, Michigan (OK, it wasn’t such a little town), that the first Kiwanis club was formed. The name was taken from an old Indian term which, when translated, means “We make ourselves known.” Kiwanis International now has over 260,000 members in some 8,000 clubs covering 96 countries worldwide.
The business and professional men and women of Kiwanis International are committed to volunteer service and fund raising for such projects as new hospitals and highways in each of their communities. Kiwanians are also active in public affairs, work toward promoting higher business and professional standards and sponsor youth activities through the high school student group, Key Club International and the college student organization, Circle K International.
The Kiwanis club motto is “We build.”
Happy anniversary, Kiwanis -- keep on building and keep up the great work!
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Post by pegasus on Jan 22, 2012 17:14:19 GMT -7
SAY GOOD NIGHT DICK DAY
The NBC-TV show, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, debuted “from beautiful downtown Burbank” on this night in 1968. (It received the official go-ahead after a successful pilot special that had aired in 1967.) The weekly show, produced by George Schlatter and Ed Friendly, then Paul Keyes, used 260 pages of jokes in each hour-long episode. The first 14 shows earned Laugh-In (as it was commonly called) 4 Emmys. And “you bet your bippy,” Nielsen rated it #1 ... for two seasons.
Thanks to an ever-changing cast of regulars including the likes of Dan Rowan, Dick Martin, Arte Johnson, Goldie Hawn, Ruth Buzzi, JoAnne Worley, Gary Owens, Alan Sues, Henry Gibson, Lily Tomlin, Richard Dawson, Judy Carne, Pres. Richard Nixon (“Go ahead, sock it to me!”), the show became the highest-rated comedy series in TV history. Out of a list of 40, the only four to remain from the show’s inception to its finale were hosts, Dan Rowan and Dick Martin; announcer, Gary Owens; and comedienne, Ruth Buzzi (famous for her bit as an old lady using her umbrella to whack the little old man who sat down next to her).
You may remember some of the skits:
Lily Tomlin as the nasal, irritating telephone operator; The Flying Fickle Finger of Fate Award; the joke wall with cast members throwing one-liners as they popped out of windows with buckets of water being thrown back; and the final single pair of clapping hands taking the show to its very last second of its weekly close.
Phrases like the aforementioned ‘Burbank’, ‘bippy’ and ‘sock it’ lines plus “Look that up in your Funk and Wagnalls” and “Here come da judge” became part of everyday conversation throughout the USA.
The fast-paced, unstructured routines were a match for the climate of the country in the late 1960s. Laugh-In was innovative in its comedy style and has since been copied by many. Yet it wasn’t completely original (as if anything can be); being a mix of the slapstick of burlesque, the antics of the Keystone Cops and the topical satire of shows like That Was the Week That Was. In fact, the same shtick that worked for four decades for Burns and Allen, was working again; this time for Rowan and Martin:
“Say good night, Dick.” “Good night Dick.”
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Post by pegasus on Jan 23, 2012 18:39:37 GMT -7
JOHN HANCOCK DAY
John Hancock, statesman and patriot, was born in Braintree, Massachusetts in 1737. Although major sources state that John Hancock was born on January 12 of that year, others were so sure his birthday was on January 23 that it was designated as National Handwriting Day in his honor. In 1985, the National Writing Instrument Manufacturer’s Association set this day to promote legible handwriting. The Association selected the day they believed to be John Hancock’s birthday.
Mr. Hancock, as the President of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777, was the first to put his signature on the Declaration of Independence. Hancock reportedly said, “I’ll sign it in letters bold enough so the King of England can see it without his spectacles on!” And he did. We still refer to this momentous event whenever we sign a document, “I’ll put my John Hancock on it.”
Hancock first gained fame as a patriot when one of his ships, Liberty, landed in Boston with a cargo of wine. The crew, having locked the British customs officer in a cabin, unloaded the wine without paying duty. The British seized the ship and filed suit against Hancock. Colonists rioted, the British sent troops to quell the disturbance. Hancock won the suit and became very popular with the colonists and extremely unpopular with the British. Seven years later, he again escaped the wrath of the British when Paul Revere heralded the red coats’ arrival. John Hancock later became the first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a position he held until his death in 1793.
His signing of the Declaration of Independence was not only bold and legible; it was a commentary on Hancock’s political position.
And we’re signing off...
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Post by pegasus on Jan 24, 2012 17:46:39 GMT -7
DIAMOND DAY
The lights dimmed, the crowd was hushed, the stage was laden with floral gifts, and the music played. Do you hear it babe? It was Neil. It was a Beautiful Noise. It made me feel good, If You Know What I Mean. He sang Yesterday’s Songs, with the words that say the songs just don’t stay around long.
Not true when it comes to Neil Diamond songs. Neil Diamond started singing and writing songs while a young premed student. He was born on Jan. 24th in 1941.
A song titled "Sunday & Me" was his first hit [1965]. He wrote it for Jay and The Americans; then I"’m a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" followed for the Monkees [1966].
Neil wrote and wrote and sang and sang: 36 hits for you and me to remember from 1966 through 1983; the first, "Cherry, Cherry"; three #1 smash hits, "Cracklin’ Rosie" [1970], "Song Sung Blue" [1972], and "You Don’t Bring Me Flowers" with Barbra Streisand [1978].
By 1973, Neil Diamond had gone from being a poor premed student to composing soundtracks for seven figures (Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Jazz Singer, in which he also starred and which also yielded three hits: "America", "Love on the Rocks" and "Hello, Again)".
The music of Neil Diamond is everlasting poetry, "Longfellow Serenade". The concert ended but it will continue, "Forever in Blue Jeans". "I Am, I Said", sang Neil.
And, we sing to you, Neil Diamond: HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 25, 2012 9:14:52 GMT -7
EMMY DAY
The first Emmys, the awards presented each year in recognition of excellence in television performance and production, were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club on Jan. 25th in 1949. The event was the 1st Annual Los Angeles Emmy Awards (for programming which appeared in 1948) and was presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The Academy was also an infant, having formed just three years earlier.
Mike Sotkey’s Pantomime Quiz Time was selected as the year’s top television show. The local L.A. panel show which began in 1947, featured Howard Morris, Stubby Kaye, Rocky Graziano, Hans Conried, Milt Kamen and the orchestra of Frank DeVol and aired on KTLA-TV.
Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet, Judy Splinters, took honors as Most Outstanding Television Personality.
The Necklace, a film shown on Your Show Time on NBC, took the Best Film Made for Television Award.
The Emmy Awards ceremonies are still going strong. Although the statuettes are no longer awarded in January (in fact, they have been awarded in February, March, May, June, August and September, over the years) they are now divided into two ceremonies. The Academy administers the prime-time awards which are presented in the fall; while the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents the daytime program awards in the spring.
Some of the magic Emmy numbers are as follows:
Most won by an individual (Dwight Hemion, James L. Brooks: 18) Most Emmys won by a male performer (Carl Reiner: 9) Most Emmys won by a female performer (Dinah Shore: 8; Cloris Leachman, Mary Tyler Moore, Tracey Ullman: 7) Most won by a series (Frasier: 30) Most won by a miniseries (Roots: 9) Most Emmys for a dramatic series (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law: 4) and for a comedy series (Frasier: 5)
The envelope please...
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Post by pegasus on Jan 26, 2012 10:56:43 GMT -7
HAMMER DAY
The tough-guy detective, Mike Hammer, was first created by Mickey Spillane as the central character in his mystery series. Hammer then appeared in films, the first was I, the Jury in 1953. Mike Hammer showed up on TV in 1957. The detective was played by Darren McGavin. Variety described the syndicated series as a “mixture of blood, violence and sex.” After 78 episodes, Mike Hammer disappeared from stage and screen for some twenty-five years.
On Jan. 26th in 1984, CBS television was brave enough to bring back the sexist, violent, wisecracking Hammer. Mickey Spillane’s extremely violent novels were equally as violent on TV. But this time, all the murder, extortion, kidnapping and robbery cases were solved by the handsome Stacy Keach. Not much else had changed from the original version except Velda, Mike’s secretary, played by Lindsay Bloom, was not only heard, but now was very easy on the primarily-male audience’s eyes. Tight, low-cut dresses were the rule. All female cast members were poured into their costumes.
Spillane’s many street characters came alive in this run of Mike Hammer, including Ozzie the Answer (Danny Goldman), Moochie (Ben Powers) and Jenny, the Bartender (Lee Benton). Hammer’s cop buddies, Richie and Hennessey (Eddie Barth and Eddie Egan, respectively), and Capt. Pat Chambers (Dan Stroud) hung out in every show, as did the Assistant D.A. Kent Williams played the role of the D.A. thorn in Hammer’s side.
Mike’s best friend had a woman’s name, Betsy. Betsy was Hammer’s .45 caliber pistol that helped him out of many a scrap. Although Mike Hammer seemingly could solve any mystery you threw at him, there was one mysterious, beautiful brunette who Mike could never seem to meet. He would always catch a glimpse of the unknown woman’s face and then she’d melt into the crowd. In the last, original episode, he met The Face. After one, romantic evening played to the show’s theme, "Harlem Nocturne" by Earle Hagen, she disappeared.
Mike Hammer disappeared, too, on September 9, 1987. However, if you look closely, you can still find Stacy Keach’s Mike Hammer lurking in the halls of syndicated TV.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 27, 2012 16:16:22 GMT -7
PERFECT FOOL DAY
Zany costumes, a comic lisp and slapstick humor earned comedian Ed Wynn the title of ‘The Perfect Fool’. Born Isaiah Edwin Leopold, Wynn was one of television and radio’s earliest stars. He came to radio from vaudeville and Broadway, starring as the Texaco fire chief on the Texaco Star Theater. (The show’s title was better known as The Fire Chief, Texaco’s trademark and Ed Wynn’s role.) The variety show was an innovative stage for Wynn. He wore costumes and makeup to make the radio studio audiences laugh louder; and incorporated comic sounds with kazoos and cymbals. When Texaco gave up the sponsorship, the show was retitled, The Ed Wynn Show.
A year after being named by his peers as “the greatest visual comedian of our day,” Ed Wynn took the perfect fool to the new entertainment stage of television. It was 1949 and The Ed Wynn Show was the first regular show to be carried live on the West Coast, then kinescoped for rebroadcast from New York to the rest of the CBS network. This was unusual at the time because live TV shows generally originated from New York with the kinescopes being fed from Hollywood.
On Jan. 27th in 1950, Ed Wynn took home the Emmy for Most Outstanding Live Personality and his show, The Ed Wynn Show, received the award for Best Live Show. Coincidentally, this same night, Wynn’s comedian friend, Milton Berle was awarded the Emmys for Most Outstanding Kinescope Personality for his performance on The Best Kinescope Show, The Texaco Star Theater on NBC television.
Ed Wynn went on to become a dramatic actor for such highly esteemed television programs as Studio One, Playhouse 90 and Kraft Theater. In the 1950s and 1960s, some forty plus years after he had first stepped on a stage, Wynn became one of Hollywood’s most sought-after character actors, appearing in a number of films, including The Greatest Story Ever Told, Mary Poppins, The Absent-Minded Professor, Cinderfella, The Diary of Anne Frank, Marjorie Morningstar, Requiem for a Heavyweight and Alice in Wonderland (voice of the Mad Hatter).
The perfect fool was nobody’s fool!
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Post by pegasus on Jan 29, 2012 21:30:32 GMT -7
FIELDS DAY
“Ah, yes...” On Jan. 29th in 1880, William Claude Dukenfield was born. He became one of the most celebrated comics and actors in the U.S., starting his career as a vaudeville juggler, then spending several decades on the musical stage before turning to films.
W.C. Fields (he shortened his name for stage and screen) made his first short, Pool Sharks, in 1915. After silent movies, he performed in many comedy classics like, My Little Chickadee with Mae West (1940), The Bank Dick (1940) and Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941).
W.C.’s famous lines became subject matter for nightclub impersonators and comedians. One of the most-repeated quotes was originally directed at the child-actor, Baby LeRoy, Fields’ on-screen nemesis: “Go away, kid, you bother me.” The one-liner that demonstrated Fields’ jaundiced humor the best, and is probably his most-quoted, was fired at a party hostess who, unfortunately, had offered the bombastic curmudgeon a glass of water. “Never touch the stuff; fish fuck in it,” was his response. Other W.C. Fields witticisms: “Doctors say don’t worry about your heart -- it will last as long as you live.”, “Californians talk so much about their climate, it makes their weather vane.”, “I am very humble and proud of it.”, “It was a woman who drove me to drink and I never even thanked her.”
A filmfest is held in Lompoc, California each year to commemorate their favorite son, who spoke of the town in several movies... calling it, “Lom-POCK.” He despised children and babies and requested that his headstone read, “All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.”
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Post by pegasus on Jan 30, 2012 22:18:20 GMT -7
HI-YO SILVER DAY
The famous radio western, The Lone Ranger, was heard for the first time on Jan. 30th in 1933. The program ran for 2,956 episodes and came to an end in late 1954.
George Seaton (Stenius) was the first voice of the Lone Ranger. Jack Deeds and Earle Graser followed in the role. However, it was Brace Beemer who is best remembered as former Texas Ranger, John Reid. He played the part of the black-masked ranger, fighting for frontier justice for thirteen consecutive years.
Riding alongside the Lone Ranger was Tonto, the Indian who had rescued him from death and nursed him back to health after an outlaw ambush had massacred his entire company. The part of Indian scout, Tonto, was played for almost the entire run by a bald-headed Irishman named John Todd. Jim Jewell also fondly referred to the Lone Ranger as ‘kemo sabe’. Jewell produced and directed the series for many years. Silver played the part of the rangers horse, while Scout was Tonto’s steed.
Clayton Moore [1949-1952 & 1954-1957] and John Hart [1952-1954] as the Lone Ranger, and Jay Silverheels as his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, took to the TV airwaves for years. Moore and Silverheels would also make 1956 and 1958 film versions of The Lone Ranger.
Created by Fran Striker (of The Lone Ranger comic-book character fame) and George Trendle, this Western radio adventure series had an interesting twist. The Lone Ranger had a nephew, Dan, who was the father of Britt Reid, another avenger of crime known as The Green Hornet. There was no coincidence that Striker and Trendle also were the creators of The Green Hornet.
But no show began as dramatically as The Lone Ranger with Rossini’s "William Tell Overture" and the voice of announcers, Fred Foy, Harold Golder, Bob Hite, Brace Beemer, Harold True or Charles Woods proclaiming, “A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty ‘Hi-yo, Silver!’ The Lone Ranger rides again!”
And, at the end of each show, with a “Hi-yo, Silver, away!” and the sound of hoof beats fading into the distance, you would almost believe that there was a silver bullet lying by your radio.
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Post by pegasus on Jan 31, 2012 16:07:52 GMT -7
EXPLORER I DAY
Pres. Eisenhower received a telephone call shortly after 10:48 a.m. on Jan. 31st in 1958. The call was on his direct line to Cape Canaveral, Florida. What the President heard was that the launch of the Explorer I satellite was successful, put into orbit around the earth by a Jupiter-C rocket. Radio signals from the transmitter aboard the 30.8 pound satellite were picked up in California within a few minutes after the launch.
Just 56 days earlier, the first U.S. attempt to launch a satellite had failed. This time, the Army Ballistic Missile Agency’s research team headed by Wernher von Braun, a former German rocket scientist, and their Director of the Development Operations Division, worked in conjunction with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California to produce a modified Jupiter-C rocket that could carry Explorer I.
The first U.S. space satellite, Explorer I, orbited the earth every 114 minutes at a maximum height of 2,000 miles and a minimum altitude of 230 miles. Its purpose was to measure cosmic radiation found in space and send the data back to earth; a scientific experiment of James A. Van Allen. Van Allen was the scientist who discovered the radiation belts that bear his name (the Van Allen Belt).
This event marked the beginning of discussions, debates and decisions that would lead to the formation of NASA and eventually to the creation of Saturn launch vehicles.
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Post by pegasus on Feb 1, 2012 18:41:22 GMT -7
KING OF THE MOVIES DAY
On Feb. 1st in 1901 in Cadiz, Ohio, William Clark Gable, ‘King of the Movies’, was born. Of course, he wasn’t born King of the Movies. That came later. Some thirty-three years later, to be more precise. Just as Hollywood was making the transition from silent movies to talkies, Clark Gable was making his first movie, Painted Desert. It was 1931 and he wasn’t anywhere near being King -- more like Ape -- of the Movies. Darryl Zanuck commented: “His ears are too big. He looks like an ape.”
The big ape obviously didn’t listen with those big ears. Within the next three years Clark Gable made twenty films with leading ladies like Jean Harlow, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford; winning the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in It Happened One Night. The year was 1934, and a new, romantic, screen idol and King of the Movies was born. Men shed their undershirts to imitate Clark’s barechested look as revealed in the film. Women swooned and undershirt sales plummeted throughout the U.S.
The following year, Clark starred as Fletcher Christian in the Oscar-winning picture, Mutiny on the Bounty. Then in 1939, Clark became Rhett Butler in the movie for which he will always be remembered, another Oscar-winner, Gone with the Wind; and married Carole Lombard. Theirs was a storybook marriage that ended in tragedy three years later when Lombard was killed in a plane crash.
A stint in the Air Force and two decades of films followed; the last (just before he died) was The Misfits opposite Marilyn Monroe. After thirty years, Clark Gable was still the leading man ... King of the Movies.
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Post by pegasus on Feb 2, 2012 19:46:20 GMT -7
GROUNDHOG DAY
It was comedian Bill Murray’s least favorite day. For those of you who have seen the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, you’ll remember that Bill Murray had to relive Ground Hog Day over and over again. Well, not here, bubba!
We have the goods on just what this special day is about. Ground Hog Day is when a bunch of folks in Punxsutawney, Pa. get up way before the crack of dawn, put on tuxedos and fancy gowns, march to the city park, and pull old Punxsutawney Phil out of his little house in a tree trunk. Then they observe him as he goes about doing his groundhog shadow thing. If the woodchuck (aka ground hog) doesn’t see his shadow, it means spring is on its way. If the critter sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter, which upsets the folks gathered ’round. So they fry him up for breakfast... Surely, you’ve heard of ‘ground chuck’? (Sorry.)
The tradition of groundhog weather watching dates back to Feb. 2nd in 1887, long before Willard Scott. But not that much longer.
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Post by pegasus on Feb 3, 2012 8:34:16 GMT -7
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
February 3, 1959 was a sad day in rock ’n’ roll history: 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 28-year-old J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens died in an airplane crash near Mason City, Iowa. February 3rd has been remembered as “The Day the Music Died” since Don McLean made the line popular in his 1972 hit, "American Pie. "
Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holly in Lubbock, Texas, recorded "That’ll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy," "Maybe Baby," and others, including "It Doesn’t Matter Anymore" (recorded just before his death, a smash in the U.K., non top-10 in the U.S.). Buddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. A convincing portrait of the singer was portrayed by Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story, a made for TV movie.
J.P. (Jiles Perry) Richardson was from Sabine Pass, TX. He held the record for longest, continuous broadcasting as a DJ at KTRM Radio in Beaumont, TX in 1956. He was on the air for 122 hours and eight minutes. In addition to his smash hit, "Chantilly Lace," Richardson also penned "Running Bear" (a hit for Johnny Preston) plus "White Lightning" (a hit for country star, George Jones).
Richard Valenzuela lived in Pacoima, CA (near L.A.) and had a role in the 1959 film, Go Johnny Go. Ritchie Valens’ two big hits were "Donna" and "La Bamba" ... the last, the title of a 1987 film depiction of his life. "La Bamba" also represented the first fusion of Latin music and American rock.
Of the three young stars who died in that plane crash, the loss of Buddy Holly reverberated the loudest over the years. But, fans of 1950s rock ’n’ roll will agree, all three have been sorely missed.
"So, Bye, bye Miss American Pie Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey in Rye Singin' this'll be the day that I die This'll be the day that I die,"
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Post by pegasus on Feb 4, 2012 14:30:13 GMT -7
USO DAY
On Feb. 4th in 1941, the Salvation Army, the YMCA and YWCA, the National Catholic Community Services, the National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board pooled their resources, at the request of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, to form a new organization. The United Service Organizations was created to provide unduplicated recreational services to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were on leave.
USO centers became the GI’s home away from home, providing a meeting place, a quiet place, religious counsel, entertainment and free coffee and doughnuts. The USO at once became synonymous with the entertainment of American troops. During World War II, USO Camp Shows entertained on the home front and overseas. The Korean War, Viet Nam, peace time stations, Desert Storm, Somalia ... anywhere, anytime there is an American in the Armed Forces, the USO is there.
The USO’s mission has changed since its inception; its objective is to enhance the quality of life of U.S. Armed Forces personnel and to create a partnership between the military and civilian communities worldwide.
This volunteer, civilian organization, although chartered by Congress, is not part of the U.S. government; yet without it, the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces would be isolated from civilian influences and without a place to call home.
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