Author Archives: dcaligari

December 17, 1959 –Stanley Kramer film-version of Nevil Shute’s drama, On The Beach, debuted worldwide on this date. The film had its world premiere on this date, in more than 20 cities worldwide, including Moscow. It was the first time an American film had had a premiere in the Soviet Union. The special premiere inContinue reading “On The Beach premiered”

December 17, 1969 –Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on the Tonight Show on this date. The event attracted between 40 and 50 million viewers. What is there to say?

December 17, 1965 –The special, The Music Of Lennon and McCartney, was shown across the United Kingdom on this date. All the songs were lip-synced

December 17, 1991 –Gilbert O’Sullivan’s  Alone Again (Naturally) was ‘sampled’ in Biz Markie’s Alone Again, and the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with the 70’s artist that Biz needed to get permission to use his music in a very landmark case. That permission typically involves direct payment orContinue reading “Before sampling was strictly regulated”

December 16, 1971 –Don McLean’s eight-minute-plus version of American Pie was released and became one of the longest songs to ever hit the pop charts. If you prefer the clip with Don singing in it, here you go. Kids, use the song as the Cliff Notes (Shmoop, if you prefer) for what happened during theContinue reading “A long, long time ago …”

December 16, 1970 – The horror anthology series Night Gallery, which was a follow-up to The Twilight Zone, hosted by creator Rod Serling, first aired on the NBC TV, on this date. Sterling will not be afforded the same creative control over the series as he had over The Twilight Zone and, by the endContinue reading “Night Gallery premiered”

NBC-TV debuted Dragnet in a special preview on Chesterfield Sound Off Time on this date. (The show began officially on January 3, 1952.) The series opener ran in real time, and it contained several clock-on-the-wall shots to keep track of time. The story starts with the police frantically trying to meet a 26-minute deadline toContinue reading “The them song is know as ‘Danger Ahead’”

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe started in ancient Rome, during the festival of Saturnalia and later in marriage ceremonies, because of the plant’s association with fertility. Mistletoe, (Viscum album), means “dung on a twig” in the Anglo-Saxon. According to the National Wildlife Federation, it spreads through bird droppings.