Author Archives: dcaligari

July 20, 1963 –Jan and Dean’s single Surf City, co-written by Brian Wilson (who doesn’t know how to surf,) hits #1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. Brian Wilson was working with a few different artists at the time, including the girl group The Honeys. He was extremely productive during this period, emulating PhilContinue reading “Surf City topped the charts”

July 20, 1969 –56 years ago today, in a live transmission from the Moon, viewed by 720 million people around the world, Neil Armstrong stepped foot onto the Moon. It was a brave thing to do (and unfortunately caused Buzz Aldrin to have his post-Apollo 11 period of alcoholism and depression.) It was also theContinue reading “What do you know … it wasn’t made of cheese”

July 20, 1990 –In one of the late (good) performances of Marlon Brando, the TriStar Pictures‘ The Freshman, directed by Andrew Bergman and co-starring Matthew Broderick, Bruno Kirby, Penelope Ann Miller, and Frank Whaley, opened on this date. Matthew Broderick had no idea that Marlon Brando was going to use the walnuts as a propContinue reading “The Freshman premiered”

July 20, 1950 – Fred Zimmermann’s film about wounded WWII veterans, The Men, starring Marlon Brando (in his first feature film), Teresa Wright and Everett Sloane, premiered on this date. To accustom himself to his role as a paraplegic, Brando remained in a wheelchair on and off the set for the duration of the shoot.Continue reading “The Men premiered”

Shhh, I believe today’s holiday is a huge conspiracy perpetrated by a large Big Sugar Syndication. It’s National Lollipop Day; but don’t go too overboard on the sugary treats. (Last time I checked; it’s about 251 licks.) Demand Euphoria!

July 19, 1965 –The Beatles released the single, Help (B-side I’m Down), ahead of the release of the album of the same name, on this date. The song runs just 2:18, but packs in 267 words, making it one of the most lyrically dense hits of the era. It starts and ends on a vocal,Continue reading “When I was younger …”

July 19, 1986 –Genesis had their first (and only) #1 Hot 100 hit as Invisible Touch went to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. The Invisible Touch album marked Genesis‘ complete transformation from complex, theatrical music (starting when Peter Gabriel was lead singer) to condensed pop songs. They lost some fans alongContinue reading “Invisible Touch topped the charts”

July 19, 1941 – MGM released the Hanna/ Barbera cartoon, The Midnight Snack, starring Tom and Jerry, on this date. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera originally had the cat named Jasper and the mouse was Jinx, in 1940’s Puss Gets the Boot cartoon. This is the first cartoon with their names, Tom Cat and JerryContinue reading “The Midnight Snack premiered”

July 19, 1995 –Amy Heckerling’s comic adaptation of Jane Austin’s novel Emma, Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Paul Rudd, Dan Hedaya, and Brittany Murphy, opened in US theatres on this date. Alicia Silverstone (Cher) actually did not know how to correctly pronounce “Haitians” in the classroom scene. Director Amy Heckerling told the crew notContinue reading “Clueless premiered”

July 19, 1960 –The initial pilot for what would become The Dick Van Dyke Show, Head of the Family, premiered on this date. Carl Reiner has said that he let this pilot sit for about a year after it didn’t sell, and then he showed it to Sheldon Leonard who told him he liked itContinue reading “Head of the Family previewed”