Author Archives: dcaligari

November 5, 1938 – A very funny (but very un PC) B and W Looney Tunes Cartoon, Porky in Egypt, premiered on this date. The camel steals the cartoon. Unfortunately, the camel never followed up his star turn in this one.

November 5, 1966 –The Monkees‘ Last Train To Clarksville topped the pop-singles charts on this date. This was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, a songwriting team who came up with many songs for the Monkees. They also wrote songs for Chubby Checker and Jay and the Americans. Boyce and Hart wrote this asContinue reading “You can be here by 4:30”

Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods. – H. L. Mencken Don’t forget – if you’re in NYC, there are 6 ballot measures you should vote on – go to the other side of your ballot. Just Vote – you have no excuse today. Remember that voting is one ofContinue reading “At least we won’t have to watch those damn ads”

November 4, 2016 –Netflix premiered the incredibly successful series about a young woman forced to take over a multinational business after the unexpected death of her beloved father, The Crown, starring, Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Vanessa Kirby, Victoria Hamilton, Jared Harris, John Lithgow and Eileen Atkins, on this date. Originally, creator Peter Morgan envisaged theContinue reading “Sometimes you forgot it wasn’t a documentary”

November 4, 1960 –The Daniel Mann’s adaptation of John O’Hara’s 1935 novel, Butterfield 8, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Laurence Harvey, and Eddie Fisher premiered on this date. Elizabeth Taylor stated many times over the years that she disliked this movie and felt she won the Oscar because of her recent illness, rather than for the qualityContinue reading “This really was a very silly movie”

November 4, 1978 –Bunkies, let the warm feelings wash over you, even though the skinny white boy is singing, – place one hand on your monitor and the other hand upon the afflicted area. He is channeling the healing powers of Rev. Al Green. Feel his power emanate and pulsate through your loins. The TalkingContinue reading “Don’t know why I love you like I do”

November 4, 1963 –At a Beatles command performance (present: Queen Elizabeth,the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret), John Lennon utters the remark: “Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.” If you look very closely behind the Queen Mother, I believe Princess MargaretContinue reading “The Beatles perform for royalty”

Happy National Sandwich Day. It’s celebrated on the birthday of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, creator of the sandwich. As the story goes, he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of breadContinue reading “As always bunkies, Enjoy every sandwich!”

November 3, 1939 –One of the crown jewels of the ‘Golden Age‘ of Hollywood, Ninotchka opened in New York on this date Curiously enough, this was the very movie Arnold Schwarzenegger studied when he was trying to find his character for Red Heat. The exercise – emulate Greta Garbo – was recommended to him byContinue reading “Your type will soon be extinct”

November 3, 1990 – The American public apparently went insane and Vanilla Ice’s single, Ice Ice Baby was the number one single on the U.S. music charts, on this date. The song clearly samples the 1980 song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, but Vanilla Ice never got permission to use it. No lawsuitContinue reading “I apologize for the following”