Author Archives: dcaligari

March 26, 1953 –One of Martin Scorsese’s favorite films, Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu (the original title, Ugetsu Monogatari,) starring Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyo and Kinuyo Tanaka, opened in Japan on this date. The stories of Akinari Ueda were not the only literary sources that the movie’s scriptwriters drew upon. They also was inspired by the comicContinue reading “Ugetsu premiered”

It’s National Spinach Day. Not only does spinach provide iron, it’s also an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C — not to mention manganese and magnesium! Probably tastes even better if it’s fresh and not canned. I’m just saying …. If you don’t like spinach – how about brain? Your brainContinue reading “Eat your greens Bunkies”

March 25, 1975 –Linda Ronstadt releases cover of the Everly Brothers’ 1960 song When Will I Be Loved as a single on this date. Her version peaked at #2 on the Hot 100, and became her first #1 hit on the Country chart. According to Rolling Stone, Phil Everly wrote this in his car, parkedContinue reading “I’ve been cheated, been mistreated”

It’s the Feast of the Annunciation, which is not a holy day of obligation, (now a days known as The Solemnity of the Annunciation), I’m not even going to try to explain this one to you. https://www.youtube.com/embed/bJhZcOhLRzE While you’re in church this afternoon, ask one of the old lady in the back saying her decadesContinue reading “You could try to go to church once in a while”

March 25, 1986 – We all got to meet Cousin Balki for the first time when Perfect Strangers, Knock Knock, Who’s There? premiered on ABC TV on this date. The producers originally developed the series to air in 1985. But Bronson Pinchot was already committed to Sara. When that series was cancelled, the producers quicklyContinue reading “The first time we were told ‘Don’t be ridiculous’”

March 25, 1968 – The 58th and final episode of The Monkees, Mijacogeo (also known as The Frodis Caper,) aired on this date. The four Monkees were each paid $450 per episode, raised to $750 for the second season. They received standard royalty rates for their recordings (and publishing, when they wrote the songs), butContinue reading “The Monkees say tata”

March 24, 1979 –The Bee Gees’s single, Tragedy started a two week run at No. 1 on the US singles chart, the group’s eighth US No. 1, on this date. (Really sorry for the ear worm.) The Gibb brothers wrote both Tragedy and Too Much Heaven (another American #1), in an afternoon off from makingContinue reading “Here I lie, in a lost and lonely part of town”

March 24, 1951 – Another funny Merrie Melodies short , Scent-Imental Romeo, starring (the soon to be banned) Pepé Le Pew, was released on this date. This is the only Golden Age Pepe Le Pew cartoon in which Pepe does not continue chasing the cat (nor catches her) in the end.

March 24, 1946 – The first cartoon to feature Sylvester the Cat, Life with Feathers, directed by Friz Freleng was released on this date. Carefully rendered background details are shown, as was the norm for cartoons of this era. Lace doilies, wallpaper, baseboards, a radio, even the cookbook, are all drawn as these objects appearedContinue reading “Scram, swallow! Go back to Capistrano!”

March 24, 2005 – NBC-TV allowed us to follow the goings on at Dunder Mifflin when The Office, starring Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Mindy Kaling, and B.J. Novak first aired on this date. John Krasinski and B.J. Novak went to high school together. They went to Newton South High School inContinue reading “The US version of The Office premiered”