Author Archives: dcaligari

November 7, 1955 –The neo-realist film classic, Umberto D., was released in the US on this date. Non-audition. Director Vittorio De Sica spotted her in the balcony and knew she was exactly what he was looking for in the role. Maria went on to work with De Sica in three other fctress Maria Pia Casilio,Continue reading “Don’t forget to turn the captioning on”

November 7, 1969 –The opening track from Led Zeppelin II, Whole Lotta Love, was released as a single on this date. It was the first single the band released. The B-side of the single was, Living Loving Maid. It became their highest chart topper, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Charts. One of the moreContinue reading “You need coolin’, baby, I’m not foolin’,”

Rockefeller Center is getting ready to get into the Christmas spirit when the 75 feet tall, 45 feet wide, 11 tons, and approximately 70-year-old Norway Spruce will be cut down this morning. The tree has been donated by the Russ family from East Greenbust, New York. The tree will make the over 137-mile journey byContinue reading “It ‘s really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas”

November 6, 1998 –Todd Haynes take on the early days of 70s glam rock in Britain, Velvet Goldmine, starring Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, and Alastair Cumming, went into limited release in the US on this date. The film was originally supposed to feature some of David Bowie’s music,Continue reading “Velvet Goldmine opened”

November 6, 1968 –The Columbia Pictures cult classic film (although it’s not what they wanted,) Head, starring The Monkees, Victor Mature and with cameos by Jack Nicholson, Teri Garr, Carol Doda, Annette Funicello, Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Dennis Hopper and Toni Basil, opened to an unsuspecting public on this date The Coca-Cola Company reportedly wasn’tContinue reading “Head premiered”

November 6, 1948 – Sylvester in his prime – Kit for Cat, premiered on this date. The actors in the radio drama, Mel Blanc and Bea Benaderet, call each other by their real first names, Melvin and Beatrice.

November 6, 1965 –The Rolling Stones song Get Off of My Cloud became their second song to hit #1 on the Billboard charts on this date. There was a bit of controversy over this song, as it sounded like it could be about drugs. Some radio stations shied away from the song.

In 1894, while at the Lyon Universal Exhibition, Édouard and André Michelin saw a stack of tires that looked like a man and decided to use this as a basis for an advertising character. The brothers were immediately inspired to hire the artist O’Galop, who adapted a design for a German beer advertisement. The MichelinContinue reading “Nunc est Bibendum”

November 5, 1953 – Jean Negulesco romantic comedy, How to Marry a Millionaire, starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable, William Powell, David Wayne, Rory Calhoun, and Cameron Mitchell premiered on this date. The film was 20th Century Fox’s first film to be shot in the new CinemaScope wide-screen sound process, although it was theContinue reading “Men with that much dough are never a little old.”

November 5, 1964 –An unsung minor masterpiece, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, premiered in the US on this date. In one of the scenes, Richard Attenborough passes a street ad promoting stage musical Oh, What a Lovely War!. Five years later, Attenborough directed a movie adaptation of the musical.