Author Archives: dcaligari

December 23, 1942 The Noel Coward-David Lean War time drama, In Which We Serve, opened in the US on this date. After about three weeks of shooting, Noël Coward realized that (a) David Lean knew a lot more about filmmaking than he did, and (b) he didn’t care much for the long hours. So CowardContinue reading “In Which We Serve premiered”

December 22 1958 –The song by Dave Seville and The Chipmunks, The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late), hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, on this date, and stayed there for four weeks.  (Sorry about the ear worm.)< The song, written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (a.k.a. David Seville) who varied the tapeContinue reading “I’m sure you’re sick of hearing this song by now”

December 22, 1965 – David Lean’s Russian epic, Dr Zhivago, starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenay, Rod Steiger, Alec Guinness, Ralph Richardson, Siobhán McKenna, and Rita Tushingham, premiered in the US, on this date. The movie was torn apart by critics when first released. Newsweek, in particular, made comments about “hack-job sets”Continue reading “Doctor Zhivago debuted”

December 22, 1932 – Universal Pictures released the horror film The Mummy, directed by Karl Freund and starring Boris Karloff on this date. The discovery of Pharaoh Tutankahmen’s tomb and the alleged curse it contained inspired Universal to make this film. In fact, when Howard Carter (funded by Lord Carnarvon) opened the sarcophagus of KingContinue reading “KARLOFF . . . ‘The Mummy’”

Ok Bunkies, today is the fourth and last Sunday of the Advent season. The day is called the Fourth Sunday of Advent, sorry no fancy french or Latin name. The fourth candle is often called the Angel candle. It represents the messengers who announced the birth of the Messiah. Go talk to the old ladiesContinue reading “All the Advent candles are now lit”

The Winter Solstice in Northern Hemisphere will be at 10:03 AM (EST), the shortest amount of daylight of the year and the longest night. It’s officially the first day of Winter and one of the oldest known holidays in human history. Anthropologists believe that solstice celebrations go back at least 30,000 years, before humans evenContinue reading “Don’t worry, with heavy drinking, you can get through this”

Acme would like to bring you, once again, this new Christmas classic, Dear Satan, from the folks at Anomaly London. It’s popularity may have something to do with the fact that Sir Patrick Stewart narrated their video. So kids, remember, two letters transposed and literally, Bob’s yer uncle.

It’s only two days away – please begin writing your list of family grievances, in earnest.

December 21, 1963 –The Doctor Who story arc The Daleks, the second story of Season One, first aired on the BBC on this date. The episodes mark the first appearance of the Doctor’s mortal enemies, the Daleks, a race of genetically engineered mutants who abhor all other races.

December 21, 1937 – The first feature-length color and sound cartoon, Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered on this date. The animation took over two years and a then astronomical $1.5 million to create. Disney had to mortgage his house to pay for the film’s production.