Author Archives: dcaligari

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers premiered

July 24, 1946 –Paramount Studios released the film-noir classic, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin, Lizabeth Scott and Kirk Douglas (his film debut,) on this date. Kirk Douglas earned this, his debut role, with the help of his old drama school friend, Lauren Bacall. Bacall knew that producer Hal B.Continue reading “The Strange Love of Martha Ivers premiered”

You got me runnin’, goin’ out of my mind

July 23, 1979 –Electric Light Orchestra dedicated the release, on this date, of the single Don’t Bring Me Down from their album Discovery to Skylab which had crashed back to Earth on July 11, 1979. (The song is the first ELO song without any strings.) Don’t Bring Me Down became the biggest hit ELO everContinue reading “You got me runnin’, goin’ out of my mind”

My failures have been errors in judgment, not of intent.

July 23, 1885 –One of the most famous residents of West 122nd Street and Riverside Drive made a most fateful decision on this date. He decided to give up the ghost. In 1881, Ulysses S. Grant – American general, the eighteenth President of the United States, and a famous horseback-riding drunk – purchased a houseContinue reading “My failures have been errors in judgment, not of intent.”

If you can dream it, you can do it.

July 23, 1904 –At the turn of the last century, ice cream men were a breed apart. It was hard work making ice cream, and the rewards were few. “You don’t choose ice cream,” they said. “Ice cream chooses you.” Well, Charles E. Menches was an ice cream man. They say it ran in hisContinue reading “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

The world got a bit smaller

July 23, 1962 –Telstar relayed the first publicly transmitted, live, trans-Atlantic television program, featuring CBS’s Walter Cronkite and NBC’s Chet Huntley in New York, and the BBC’s Richard Dimbleby in Brussels. The first broadcast was intended to have been remarks by President John F. Kennedy, but the signal was acquired before the president was ready,Continue reading “The world got a bit smaller”

The Gene Autry Show premiered

July 23, 1950 –The Singing Cowboy Gene Autry’s series The Gene Autry Show, co-starring Pat Buttram, sponsored by Wrigley’s Doublemint Gum, debuted on CBS-TV, on this date. Two-thirds of the way through the first season’s production, Pat Buttram was severely injured in an explosion and was hospitalized for several months. In order to complete theContinue reading “The Gene Autry Show premiered”