Author Archives: dcaligari

November 9, 1951 – The zenith of Hollywood Musical film making (I’ll let you argue about whether this or Singing in the Rain is better), An American in Paris, opened in California on this date. Despite the objections of Gene Kelly, who wanted to shoot on location in Paris, the movie was shot at MGMContinue reading “I got music, I got rhythm …”

November 9, 1972 – The adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, 1776, starring William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, John Cullum, Ken Howard and Blythe Danner, premiered in NYC on this date While it is generally accepted that John Hancock was the only one who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, Sherman Edwards andContinue reading “Sit down, John”

November 9, 1946 – Another classic, yet surprisingly controversial Bugs Bunny outing, Rhapsody Rabbit, premiered on this date (We’ll talk about the controversy later.) Franz Liszt’s 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody music was first used in 1941’s Rhapsody in Rivets. A long-standing controversy exists between the previous cartoon and the Tom and Jerry short, The Cat Concerto.Continue reading “Coincidence – you decide!”

November 9, 1973 –Billy Joel releases his second album, Piano Man, on this date. The album and title track (based on his nights performing at a piano bar in Los Angeles called The Executive Room,) became Joel’s breakthrough album, which he released after signing with Columbia Records. His first album was released by Family RecordsContinue reading “Sing us a song”

November 8, 1971 –Led Zeppelin released their untitled fourth album, on this date. And kids remember, according to the Consumer Protection and Toxic Materials Committee of the California State Assembly, if you play Stairway to Heaven backwards, you can hear: So, don’t play you albums backwards (many of you have no idea what albums are.)

November 8, 1949 – Robert Rossen’s adaptation of Robert Penn Warren’s Pulitzer winning novel, All The King’s Men, starring Broderick Crawford, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridge, and Joanne Dru, opened in New York City on this date. Al Clark did the original cut, but had trouble turning the footage into a coherent narrative. Robert Rossen andContinue reading “All The King’s Men premiered”

November 8, 1975 – David Bowie made his US television debut on the CBS variety show Cher, on this date. Bowie performed both on his own as well as with Cher, which included an odd and interesting six and a half minute duet medley.

Today is International Tongue Twister Day. (Or at least I think it is, there seems to be some controversy on the date.) Tongue twisters have technically been around since as early as the 19th century when John Harris published Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation, which included a twisty tongue tango forContinue reading “I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.”

November 8, 1954 – I always felt like my future was at stake every time I stepped on stage and that was kind of hair-raising. At some point I just went, don’t be frightened, you can’t do anything wrong, it’s your show. Rickie Lee Jones, The Duchess of Coolsville, two-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist, musician, songwriterContinue reading “Rickie Lee Jones”

November 7, 1951 – The under-rated British film-noir (based on a Graham Greene novel and screenplay written by Graham Greene,) directed by John Boulting, Brighton Rock, starring Richard Attenborough, Hermione Baddeley, and William Hartnell opened in the US on this date. Graham Greene wrote Richard Attenborough a letter after seeing the movie, praising his performanceContinue reading “Brighton Rock premiered in the US”