Author Archives: dcaligari

April 14, 1969 –The bizarre 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee TV special starring The Pre-fab four, The Monkees, aired on NBC TV, on this date. This TV special was going to be the first of three such specials starring The Monkees, but the other two were scrapped after this one turned out to be aContinue reading “This was the last time they were all the Monkees for a while”

April 14, 1945 – Tex Avery retooled his Warner Brothers cartoon, Dangerous Dan McFoo, and remade it for MGM as The Shooting of Dan McGoo. It was released on this date. This is probably the better version, but what do I know.

It’s International Plant Appreciation Day. Cut flowers fade away, while a potted plant, especially a flowering one, brings long-lasting pleasure. But after the clip you may want to see some plants cut down. So now you know.

April 13, 1964 –Sidney Poitier became the first African-American male to win the Best Actor Academy Award for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field, on this date. However, whatever satisfaction Poitier felt winning this award was undercut by his concern that he won not because Hollywood had shown enlightened thinking, but rather he wasContinue reading “First time win”

April 13, 1967 –A very silly film, loosely Loosely based on the first James Bond novel by Ian Fleming, Casino Royale, directed by John Huston, Ken Hughes, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath and Val Guest and starring (among others) Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Woody Allen, Joanna Pettet, Orson Welles, Daliah Lavi, Deborah Kerr, WilliamContinue reading “Casino Royale premiered (no, not that one)”

April 13, 1973 –The Wailers, led by Bob Marley, release their fifth studio album, Catch a Fire on this date. The first album on their new label, Island Records, it makes Marley and the Wailers international recording stars and brings reggae music to the forefront.

April 12, 1966 –While on his way to a business meeting, Jan Berry, one half of the rock and roll duo Jan and Dean, crashed his Corvette into a parked truck on Whittier Drive, near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard, in Beverly Hills, receiving severe head injuries and falling into a month long coma. Strangely,Continue reading “In an eerie coincidence”

April 12, 1989 –The 20th Century Fox Television police series 21 Jump Street starring Johnny Depp, Holly Robinson, Peter DeLuise, Dustin Nguyen, Richard Grieco, Michael DeLuise, and Frederic Forrest premiered on Fox TV on this date. Johnny Depp did not want to work on a television series, but agreed to a six-year contract, only becauseContinue reading “Johnny Depp’s career spark”

April 12, 1984 –The short-lived MTM Enterprises series, The Duck Factory, starring Jim Carrey, Julie Payne, Nancy Lane, Jay Tarses, Don Messick, Teresa Ganzel, and Jack Gilford, premiered on NBC TV, on this date. The series only lasted 13 episodes. Jim Carrey did his first appearance on David Letterman’s Late Night right after the showContinue reading “Jim Carrey’s first lead role”

April 12, 1947 –It’s David Letterman’s birthday. In 1995, 28 years ago, Drew Barrymore celebrated his birthday by climbing atop the Late Night desk and flashes her bosomy protuberances at the man. (Dave, really please shave the freakin’ beard off.)