August 15, 1918 –The Sinking of the Lusitania, written and directed by Winsor McCay, went into general release in the U.S. on this date. It is the first full-length feature cartoon documentary, featuring over twenty five thousand individual drawings which took twenty-two months to produce. The twelve minute silent film is a an educational explanationContinue reading “Ripped from the headlines”
Author Archives: dcaligari
Endless Love topped the charts
August 15, 1981 –Diana Ross and Lionel Richie started a nine week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Endless Love, on this date. This was released on the Motown label, which was home to both artists (the Commodores were a Motown act, and Richie stayed on the label as a solo artist).Continue reading “Endless Love topped the charts”
I’m ready for my close-up
August 10, 1950 – Billy Wilder’s caustic, black-hearted masterpiece, Sunset Boulevard opened in New York City, on this date. The “Desmond mansion” was located not on Sunset Blvd. but at 641 S. Irving Blvd. on the corner of Crenshaw and Irving. It was built in 1924 by William Jenkins, at a cost of $250,000. ItsContinue reading “I’m ready for my close-up”
Is there a better use for these ingredients
Happy National S’mores Day. S’mores – the most popular campfire treat is recognized each year on August 10th. In 1927, Girl Scouts troop leader Loretta Scott Crew wrote a recipe for “Some Mores,” and published it in Tramping and Trailing With the Girl Scouts, an official Girl Scouts publication, though the exact origin of S’moresContinue reading “Is there a better use for these ingredients”
Easy To Be Hard was dropped
August 8, 1969 –Three Dog Night released a cover version of the song Easy To Be Hard, on this date. The song was from the 1967 rock musical Hair. It was written by Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni, who put the musical together in the mid-1960s.
Dizzy Dishes premiered
August 9, 1930 –A forerunner of the cartoon character Betty Boop made her debut in Max Fleischer’s animated short Dizzy Dishes on this date. In later films she loses the dog ears and becomes the familiar human character we know today.
Farewell, My Lovely premiered
August 8, 1975 –AVCO Embassy Pictures released Farewell, My Lovely, a film adaptation of the classic Raymond Chandler novel of the same name. The film starred Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, John Ireland, Sylvia Miles, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Spinell, Sylvester Stallone, Jack O’Halloran, and even featured a cameo by hardboiled crime novelist Jim Thompson. TheContinue reading “Farewell, My Lovely premiered”
A place where nobody dared to go
August 8, 1980 –The fantasy musical Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, debuts to scathing reviews (“In a word, Xana-don’t.“) on this date, and inspires the Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst films of the year. The film was meant to launch Olivia Newton-John’s career as a solo star. Due to its complete failureContinue reading “A place where nobody dared to go”
Stand by for another ACME PSA
Bunkies, as we tell you every summer: avoid mosquitoes at all costs — they’re no good! Though not as top of mind as Legionnaires’ disease, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and West Nile virus are once again on the rise in New York City – as they have been in the past. Beyond being itch-provoking summerContinue reading “Stand by for another ACME PSA”
Heavy Metal premiered opened
August 7, 1981 – The animated sci-fi film Heavy Metal went into general release in the US and Canada on this date. This movie was inspired by a long-running science fiction magazine of the same title, which began in Europe as Metal Hurlant. Most of the story segments are based on stories or characters featuredContinue reading “Heavy Metal premiered opened”
