Author Archives: dcaligari

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day It doesn’t make any sense why this isn’t celebrated on August 10th, National S’mores Day

August 30, 1993 –Moving himself and his gang of cohorts from NBC-TV, The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on CBS-TV, on this date. The microphone on David Letterman’s desk was an old RCA DX 77. It was a replacement for the original microphone given to him as a gift from the NBC crew whenContinue reading “Dave started all over again (on CBS)”

August 30, 1967 –John Boorman’s crime drama thriller, Point Blank, opened on this date. John Boorman was called in for a meeting with MGM President Robert O’Brien in which the executive immediately began expressing concern, but partway into the meeting the phone rang. It was David Lean making requests in advance of his next film,Continue reading “Point Blank premiered”

August 30, 1968 –Columbia Records released the sixth studio album of The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, on this date. The first major album widely recognized as country rock, it represented a turning point for the 1970s country rock movement, which influenced the outlaw country and new traditionalist movements.

August 30, 1968 –Apple Records released its first single, Hey Jude by The Beatles on this date. In a 2018 interview with GQ, Paul McCartney talked about how he came up with the idea for this song: “John and his wife Cynthia had divorced, and I felt a bit sorry for their son, who wasContinue reading “Na na na nananana, nannana …”

August 29, 1967 – ABC’s television ratings soared through the roof as David Janssen and Barry Morse starred in the final episode of The Fugitive on this date. Some sources incorrectly state that an alternate ending for the series was planned in which Kimble would be seen removing a false arm, revealing him as theContinue reading “The one-armed man was real!”

August 29, 1964 –Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins opened in general release on this date. This is first movie I ever saw (but not on this date.) When founder and (now former) chief archivist at the Walt Disney Archives Dave Smith went on a search for the snowglobe from this movie, which featured birds flying aroundContinue reading “It was a jolly holiday”

August 29, 1953 – Warner Brothers introduced Speedy Gonzalez in the cartoon Cat-Tails for Two on this date. While this is the first cartoon featuring the character Speedy Gonzales, his depiction here is vastly different from the character he would later become. It wasn’t until his second appearance, Speedy Gonzales (two years later,) that heContinue reading “Meet Speedy”

August 29, 1986 –BBC1-TV aired a Paul McCartney special, McCartney for the first time, on this date. Originally conceived as a long-form promotional piece for the Wings album, Press to Play, the BBC staffer (Richard Skinner) persuades Paul McCartney to talk about much more, including one of the more in-depth interviews about Wings.

August 29, 1966 – The Beatles performed their last concert before paying fans at in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on this date. The performance marked the end of a four-year period dominated by touring and concerts including nearly 60 U.S. appearances and over 1400 internationally.