Author Archives: dcaligari

March 7, 1975 –Felix finally moves out of Oscar’s apartment at 1049 Park Ave. when The Odd Couple aired the final episode Felix Remarries, on this date. While this was the final first-run episode that aired, Your Mother Wears Army Boots was the last episode that was filmed.

March 7, 1964 –John Frankenheimer’s under-appreciated almost documentary-like thriller set set during WWII, The Train, opened on this date. Burt Lancaster took a day off during shooting to play golf when the production was about half completed. On the links, he stepped in a hole and re-aggravated an old knee injury. In order to compensateContinue reading “The Train premiered”

March 7, 1983 –New Order released their song Blue Monday, as a 12-inch on the Factory Records label on this date. The title is not mentioned in the lyrics, which is true of many New Order songs. The band took the song’s name from an illustration in the Kurt Vonnegut book Breakfast Of Champions, whichContinue reading “New Order’s Blue Monday dropped”

March 6, 1970 –The Beatles released Let it Be in the UK on this date. Paul McCartney wrote this song supposedly after he had a dream about his mother who died when he was 14. Since Let It Be was The Beatles last album, it made an appropriate statement about leaving problems behind and movingContinue reading “Whisper words of wisdom …”

March 6, 1912 –National Biscuit Company’s (Nabisco) Oreo cookies went on sale for the first time on this date. The brand’s competitor, Sunshine’s Hydrox, had debuted in 1908. (Hydrox has up until recently, completely disappeared as a brand but secretly exists as ‘cookie crumbs‘ for yogurt flavorings and an ingredient in piecrust.)

March 6, 1973 –Closing Time, one of Tom Waits’ most melodic albums, (and a fascinating snapshot into his early days as a bar-room balladeer,) was released on this date. A number of artists covered songs from the album, starting a trend that would continue throughout Waits’ career. Martha was recorded by Tim Buckley and frequentlyContinue reading “We first got to drive around the Ol’ 55 with Tom”

March 6, 1995 –Annie Lennox second solo album, Medusa, a collection of covers, was released on this date. The first single No More I Love You’s, was originally recorded by the English group The Lover Speaks.

March 6, 1998 –The Coen Bros. off-kilter take on a Raymond Chandler detective story, The Big Lebowski, opened on this date. Before filming a scene, Jeff Bridges would frequently ask the Coen brothers “Did the Dude burn one on the way over?” If they said he had, he would rub his knuckles in his eyesContinue reading “The Big Lebowski premiered”

March 6, 1981 –After 19 years presenting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America, signs off for the last time. With all that we’ve been through, once again we must ask, who will carry that weight now?

March 1, 1953 –After an all-night dinner with interior minister Lavrenty Beria and future premiers Georgi Malenkov, Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev, Josif Stalin, truly Evil Bastard, did not emerge from his room the next day, having probably suffered a stroke that paralyzed the right side of his body. Although his guards thought it oddContinue reading “Bizarre ironies of History –”