Author Archives: dcaligari

August 31, 1976 –George Harrison was found guilty of unintentionally plagiarizing My Sweet Lord from the Chiffons song He’s So Fine. Those damn Beatles could never come up with an original tune.

August 31, 1985 –Dire Straits’ album, Brothers In Arms, started a nine-week run at No.1 on the US album charts on this date. The album also topped the charts in 25 other countries and went on to sell over 20 million worldwide. The title of the album was inspired by the Falklands War, which wasContinue reading “Here I am again in this mean old town …”

August 31, 1946 – Warner Bros. introduced Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg, when the Merrie Melodies cartoon Walky Talky Hawky, (directed by Robert McKimson,) premiered on this date. Foghorn Leghorn was closely based on Sen. Claghorn, a blustery, windbag Southern politician on radio’s The Fred Allen Show -played by Allen’s announcer Kenny Delmar –Continue reading “Every day it’s the same thing!”

August 31, 1966 –A forgotten Blake Edward’s comedy, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?, written by William Peter Blatty and starring James Coburn and Dick Shawn, opened on this date. Harry Morgan played Major Potts who becomes comically nonsensical in this movie. In the third season of the TV series MASH, he playedContinue reading “What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? premiered”

August 31, 1987 – Epic/CBS Records released the Michael Jackson album, BAD on this date. A nearly 18 minute video of the title song, written by novelist and screenwriter Richard Price and directed by Martin Scorsese, debuted on CBS-TV on this same day, as well.

August 31, 1997 –On August 28, 1997, Mrs. Dr. Caligari and I were coming out of the revolving doors at the Ritz Hotel in Paris and a very famous couple were coming in. A few days later on this date, a charming, slightly addled, beautiful divorcee with two children decides to take a car rideContinue reading “Diana, Princess of Wales”

Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day It doesn’t make any sense why this isn’t celebrated on August 10th, National S’mores Day

August 30, 1993 –Moving himself and his gang of cohorts from NBC-TV, The Late Show with David Letterman premiered on CBS-TV, on this date. The microphone on David Letterman’s desk was an old RCA DX 77. It was a replacement for the original microphone given to him as a gift from the NBC crew whenContinue reading “Dave started all over again (on CBS)”

August 30, 1967 –John Boorman’s crime drama thriller, Point Blank, opened on this date. John Boorman was called in for a meeting with MGM President Robert O’Brien in which the executive immediately began expressing concern, but partway into the meeting the phone rang. It was David Lean making requests in advance of his next film,Continue reading “Point Blank premiered”

August 30, 1968 –Columbia Records released the sixth studio album of The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, on this date. The first major album widely recognized as country rock, it represented a turning point for the 1970s country rock movement, which influenced the outlaw country and new traditionalist movements.