May 15, 2011 –Michel Hazanavicius’ amazing salute to the passing of the silent film era, The Artist, starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, and James Cromwell, debuted at the Cannes Film festival, on this date. The character of George Valentin is based on two silent movie stars, Douglas Fairbanks and John Gilbert. Both actorsContinue reading “The Artist premiered”
Author Archives: dcaligari
Remember, it’s Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty
May 15, 1993 –Janet Jackson’s single, That’s The Way Love Goes, goes to #1 on this date. It remains No. 1 for eight weeks – longer than any other single by either Janet or her famous brother. James Brown demanded approval of the lyrics before he would allow Janet to sample his hit Papa Don’tContinue reading “Remember, it’s Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty”
Plane Crazy’s first test screening
May 15, 1928 –Plane Crazy was the first animated cartoon to feature Mickey Mouse as well as Minnie Mouse (Mickey’s girlfriend). The short was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Iwerks was also the main animator for this short and reportedly spent six weeks working on it. Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising were creditedContinue reading “Plane Crazy’s first test screening”
Mrs. Dalloway was published
May 14, 1925 – On this fine spring day, a middle-aged London society matron goes out to buy flowers for a party. Meanwhile, across town, a shell-shocked World War I veteran is grappling with severe PTSD and planning his tragic exit from a world that refuses to understand him. Just your average Thursday, really. VirginiaContinue reading “Mrs. Dalloway was published”
The Day a Doctor Said, “Trust Me, I Have a Cow”
May 14, 1796 –Edward Jenner performed what is widely considered the first successful smallpox inoculation. The method? Jenner scraped a bit of pus—yes, pus—from a blister on a milkmaid infected with cowpox and rubbed it into a small cut on the arm of an unsuspecting (and very likely confused) 8-year-old boy named James Phipps. (BriefContinue reading “The Day a Doctor Said, “Trust Me, I Have a Cow””
Not too shabby for a show about nothing.
May 14, 1998 –The final episode of Seinfeld aired on this date. Jerry Seinfeld holds both the record for the “most money refused” according to the Guinness Book of World Records by refusing an offer to continue the show for $5 million per episode, and another record for the Highest Ever Annual Earnings For AContinue reading “Not too shabby for a show about nothing.”
The last time we flew by night
May 14, 1989 – Moonlighting, one of the better “boy/girl detective show” aired it’s last episode on ABC on this date. Even after the series had long since ‘jumped the shark‘, Bruce Willis‘ toup was a thing to behold.
Frank Sinatra
May 14, 1998 –The world lost one of its smoothest voices and sharpest suits: Francis Albert Sinatra, better known as Ol’ Blue Eyes, bowed out at the age of 82. If you believe in poetic exits, perhaps the last voice he heard really was his own, crooning from a record player, whispering, “May you liveContinue reading “Frank Sinatra”
Bobby Darin
May 14, 1936 –Walden Robert Cassotto, singer, actor, Bronx Science grad, was born in NYC on this date. Bobby Darin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Where function met etiquette
May 13, 1637 –Cardinal Richelieu, a powerful French clergyman and statesman, is credited with introducing a refinement that would forever change dining etiquette: the table knife. Richelieu was concerned with the increasingly crude and dangerous habits of his dinner guests. Most notably, they had a tendency to pick their teeth with the sharp points ofContinue reading “Where function met etiquette”
The Haus of Dcaligari 