Author Archives: dcaligari

July 31, 1992 – Miramax Films released the Mike Newell’s film Enchanted April, starring Miranda Richardson, Josie Lawrence, Joan Plowright, Alfred Molina, and Jim Broadbent in the US on this date. The film was made for British television in 1991, but was well-produced enough to be released in theaters in the United States in 1992.

July 31, 1977 –For a reason only known to CBS executives, the one hit wonder group Starland Vocal Band’s show, The Starland Vocal Band Show debuted on CBS TV on this date. The band started out as John Denver’s backup group. The comedy was provided primarily by veteran D.C.-based satirist Mark Russell and David Letterman,Continue reading “Don’t lie, you didn’t see it either”

July 31, 1980 (I’m going with 1980 and not getting involved in the 1979 controversy) –Harry Potter, an orphan who discovers that he is a wizard was born on this dates. J K Rowlings, the Harry Potter brand author, and unfortunately loony bigot, shares a birthday with her creation (born 1965). Her ‘children’s stories‘ haveContinue reading “Harry James Potter”

July 30, 1966 –The Beatles’ album Yesterday… and Today, went #1 and stayed #1 for five weeks, on this date. The record was released just after John’s infamous interview in which he stated that the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus“, which angered Americans and provoked many bans on their music and public incineration of memorabilia.Continue reading “Yesterday… and Today topped the charts”

July 30, 1965 –London Records released the fourth US album of The Rolling Stones, Out Of Our Heads, on this date. The American version contains the track, ( I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, which would be the band’s first number-one US hit, and would go on to top the charts in 10 other countries, includingContinue reading “Out Of Our Heads was dropped”

July 30, 1932 –United Artists released the Walt Disney Silly Symphonies cartoon Flowers and Trees, directed by Burt Gillett, on this date. It was the first commercially released film to be produced in the full-color three-strip Technicolor process, after several years of two-color Technicolor films. The original work was started in black and white. TheContinue reading “Flowers and Trees premiered”

Prague has always been a tough town for elected officials. On July 30, 1419, Jan Želivský, a Hussite priest at the Church of the Virgin Mary of the Snows, led his congregation in a procession through the streets of Prague to the Town Hall. The town council had refused to exchange their Hussite prisoners, andContinue reading “Keep passing open widows”

July 30, 1966 – The Dynamic Duo made the jump from the TV scene to the movie scene – Batman, The Movie, premiered in Austin, Texas on this date. The movie was scheduled to premiere in Austin, Texas, on August 1st, 1966. The premiere was postponed, however, because earlier that same day a disturbed UniversityContinue reading “Holy Toledo, Batman!”

July 30, 1999 – Warner Bros. Feature Animation released the directorial debut of The Iron Giant, featuring the voice of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Vin Diesel, James Gammon, Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, and M. Emmet Walsh, on this date The scene the Giant’s hand is in the living room watchingContinue reading “The Iron Giant premiered –”

This paperback is very interesting, but I find it will never replace a hardcover book – it makes a very poor doorstop. – Alfred Hitchcock Today is Paperback Book Day. The reason for the celebration today is that Sir Allen Lane started what would become Penguin Books, and they published their first paperback book onContinue reading “Did you read my book?”