Author Archives: dcaligari

March 17, 1978 – Paramount Pictures releases the bio-pix about Alan Freed, American Hot Wax, starring Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Jay Leno, and Laraine Newman (and featuring performances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and Frankie Ford,) on this date. The film was not as successful at the box-office as the similarlyContinue reading “American Hot Wax premiered”

It’s National Hiccup Day today (apparently, according to the interweb, this is a cure for hiccups. But, do not put it over your head.) It’s also known as synchronous diaphragmatic flutter or singultus. Now you know.

March 16 – Today is the celebration of St. Urho’s Day, Patron saint of Finnish vineyard workers. Attributed to him is the miracle of banishing grasshoppers from Finland which he accomplished with a few choice Finnish phrases, thereby saving the season’s grape crop. But in reality a bunch of very drunk people made this upContinue reading “It’s St. Urho’s Day again”

March 16, 1979 –The Columbia Pictures thriller The China Syndrome, starring Jane Fonda, Jack Lemmon, Michael Douglas, and Wilford Brimley opened in the US on this date. The film debuted less than two weeks before the Three Mile Island Nuclear meltdown. When the film was first released, nuclear power executives soon lambasted the picture asContinue reading “The China Syndrome premiered”

March 16, 1960 –One of the iconic films of the French New Wave, À Bout de Souffle (Breathless), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg was released in France on this date. Jean-Paul Belmondo was very surprised by the warm reception the film received. Immediately after production he was convinced it wasContinue reading “À Bout de Souffle premiered”

March 16, 1963 –The musical group of Peter Paul and Mary released their hit single Puff the Magic Dragon, on this date. This song was rumored to be about drugs, particularly marijuana. Some of the alleged drug references in this song include the “autumn mist,” which was marijuana smoke, and the “land of Hanah Lee,”Continue reading “Remember dammit, it’s not about drugs”

March 15, 44 BC –Julius Caesar, already warned to be wary on this the Ides of March by the astrologer Spurinna, was assassinated with pointy knives by a group of Senators, including Brutus and Cassius, at the Pompey theater. They were angry at him because he had crossed the Rubicon. Later Marc Antony borrowed everyone’sContinue reading “Sorry but we’re going to talk about ancient Rome”

March 15, 1975 –Electric Light Orchestra’s single Can’t Get It Out of My Head, became their first top ten single in the U.S., (with peaked at no. nine on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart,) on this date. Jeff Lynne recalled in an edition of VH1’s Storytellers, that he found inspiration for the song inContinue reading “ELO sings about earworms”

March 15, 1972 –The greatest film ever about cooking for a large group and risk aversion management, The Godfather, premiered in New York City on this date. Cinematographer Gordon Willis earned himself the nickname “The Prince of Darkness,” since his sets were so underlit. Paramount Pictures executives initially thought that the footage was too dark,Continue reading “The importance of Italian pastry was learned today”

March 15, 1972 –George Roy Hill’s adaptation of the 1969 novel by Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five, starring Michael Sacks, Ron Leibman, and Valerie Perrine opened in the US on this date. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. was a prisoner of war in World War II. He was captured during the Battle of the Bulge while a battalion scoutContinue reading “Slaughterhouse-Five premiered”