November 3, 1954 – Gojira premiered in Japan on this date 71 years ago. (Godzilla: King of the Monsters debuted in America on April 26, 1956.) With the ashes of World War II only recently cooled, Japan is plagued by a sudden wave of maritime disasters: without warning, ships are bursting into flames and sinkingContinue reading “O peace, O light, hasten back to us”
Author Archives: dcaligari
Time passes irrevocably
Did you remember to set all of the clocks back? the DVD player (I no longer have a VCR,) the microwave, the automatic coffee pot in the kitchen? If you’ve already done so, you can watch this and amuse yourself to think about this – the opening shot of the film is an optical illusion.Continue reading “Time passes irrevocably”
An almost forgotten holiday
For the rest of those the dearly departed who didn’t make the cut yesterday for All Saint’s Day, take heart; remember today is All Souls Day, aka the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (the second day of Día de los Muertos.) In the late tenth or early eleventh century, Saint Odilo of Cluny decidedContinue reading “An almost forgotten holiday”
The remake of The Merry Widow opened
November 2, 1934 –Ernst Lubitsch charming adaptation of the famous Viennese operetta The Merry Widow starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald premiered on this date. This was the only film teaming Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in which they never sang together. Aware that her classical style was poorly matched to his popular vocalizing, ErnstContinue reading “The remake of The Merry Widow opened”
Hooray for the Ale & Quail Club
November 2, 1942 –Another Preston Sturges laugh out loud comedy, The Palm Beach Story, opened on this date. (Sturges, himself, had to shove a handkerchief in his mouth to avoid ruining a take by laughing.) In the long dolly shot of Joel McCrea and Mary Astor strolling on the pier from Rudy Vallee’s yacht, PrestonContinue reading “Hooray for the Ale & Quail Club”
I know, I know, but I can only do it once
November 2, 1957 – The often edited for S & P (I definitely should know) Bugs vs. Daffy Looney Tunes cartoon, Show Biz Bugs, premiered on this date. The segment when Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were dancing to Tea for Two was used for the opening scene, (as other Warner Brothers‘ popular animation starsContinue reading “I know, I know, but I can only do it once”
Outlandos d’Amour went on sale
November 2, 1978 –The Police release their debut album, Outlandos d’Amour, on this date. The working title, Police Brutality, was changed to make is sound more romantic. The title loosely translates as Outlaws of Love but the term Outlandos is actually a mix of the words for Outlaws and Commandos. The Police started mading videosContinue reading “Outlandos d’Amour went on sale”
There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.
The name November comes from the Latin “novem” which is the Latin for the nine. In the early Roman calendar, it was the ninth month. According to the Gregorian calendar, November is the eleventh month of the year. Go figure. The Roman Senate elected to name the eleventh month for Tiberus Caesar and since AugustusContinue reading “There’s a sort of delightful menace in the air.”
Another Hitchcock classic
November 1, 1938 –The Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes, starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave opened in the US on this date. The plot has clear references to the political situation leading up to World War II. The British characters, originally trying their hardest to keep out of the conflict, end up working togetherContinue reading “Another Hitchcock classic”
I don’t think I’d get past a dozen eggs
November 1, 1967 – Warner Brothers released one of Paul Newman’s signature films, Cool Hand Luke on this date. Originally, the scene where Luke plays Plastic Jesus as an ode to his mother was scheduled for the beginning of the shoot, but after Paul Newman insisted on learning the instrument, director Stuart Rosenberg delayed itContinue reading “I don’t think I’d get past a dozen eggs”
