July 22, 1959 –Either considered the worst or greatest film ever made, Ed Wood Jr’s sci-fi classic, Plan 9 from Outer Space, starring Bela Lugosi, Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson, Vampira and narrated by Criswell, opened in the US on this date. The film played for years in relative obscurity (to some) on late-nightContinue reading “Can your heart stand the shocking facts”
Author Archives: dcaligari
Fighting a liar
Today is Spooner’s Day, honoring Reverend William Archibald Spooner, a 19th Century British clergyman, who was born on this date in 1844. Spoonerisms are usually a two-word phrase in which the first letters (and occasionally the initial vowels) of the words are reversed. Reverend Spooner was adept at the art of the oopsy linguae, orContinue reading “Fighting a liar”
The Wall in Berlin aired
July 21, 1990 –Roger Waters staged an over-sized version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall near the Berlin Wall, on this date, to celebrate the actual wall’s fall several months earlier. During the live TV transmission the second and third songs, The Thin Ice and Another Brick in the Wall part I, were disrupted when aContinue reading “The Wall in Berlin aired”
On the way home
July 21, 1969 –Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from the Moon after twenty-one and a half hours on the surface and returned to the command module piloted by Michael Collins on this date. The lunar module’s lower section, left behind, has a plaque mounted upon it, reading, “Here menContinue reading “On the way home”
UHF premiered
July 21, 1989 –Orion Pictures‘ comedy UHF, (written by and) starring Weird Al Yankovic, David Bowe, Fran Drescher, Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, Gedde Watanabe, Kevin McCarthy, Anthony Geary, Emo Philips and Trinidad Silva opened in US theatres on this date. The soundtrack features many of Yankovic’s signature song parodies, as well as aContinue reading “UHF premiered”
Stormy Weather premiered
July 21, 1943 –Twentieth Century Fox’s musical spectacular, Stormy Weather, starring Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, Cab Calloway, Katherine Dunham, Fats Waller, Fayard Nicholas, Harold Nicholas, Ada Brown, and Dooley Wilson, opened in the US on this date. Two musical numbers were deleted from the release print: Good-for-Nothin’ Joe (music by Rube Bloom, lyrics by TedContinue reading “Stormy Weather premiered”
Ernest Hemingway
July 21, 1899 –Ernest Hemingway was born on this date. He was young at the time of his birth. It was fine to be young. He drove an ambulance in World War I. It wasn’t called World War I then. It was just called the war. It was one of those times when people shotContinue reading “Ernest Hemingway”
Eat less, move more
It’s National Junk Food Day. (What did I say yesterday about lollipops being involved in a huge conspiracy!) It doesn’t really matter what you eat – at some point, you’ll be dead.
He did it without being on the juice, that’s all I’m saying
July 20, 1976 –Hank Aaron, considered one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history, hit his last home run (#755) off the California Angels’ Dick Drago at Milwaukee County Stadium, on this date. He is perhaps most famous for breaking the record for career home runs, which he held until Barry Bonds toppedContinue reading “He did it without being on the juice, that’s all I’m saying”
Surf City topped the charts
July 20, 1963 –Jan and Dean’s single Surf City, co-written by Brian Wilson (who doesn’t know how to surf,) hits #1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. Brian Wilson was working with a few different artists at the time, including the girl group The Honeys. He was extremely productive during this period, emulating PhilContinue reading “Surf City topped the charts”
