Author Archives: dcaligari

January 21, 1957 –Patsy Cline sang Walking After Midnight on Arthur Godfrey’s nighttime television show, quickly launching her career on this date. The song became a crossover hit, charting at #2 Country and #12 Pop, and established Cline as a Country singer capable of mainstream success.

January 21, 1982 –Hsin-Yen Chang’s martial arts film Shaolin Temple (Shao Lin si,) starring Jet Li in his debut role premiered on this date. This film was the first Hong Kong-China co-production to be filmed in mainland China. The film was also the first such to use a Mainland cast and crew.

January 21, 1966 –George Harrison married model/actress Pattie ‘Layla‘ Boyd whom he met on the set of the Beatles movie, Hard Day’s Night on this date. The couple later divorced in 1974 and she married Eric Clapton (whom she divorced in 1989 but that’s another story.)

January 22, 1967 –The Monkees performed live, to a sold-out crowd, at Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona, on this date. The concert was filmed for the last episode of the first season, The Monkees on Tour, which aired on April 24, 1967. Initially formed for the TV show about an imaginary band, the actor-musicians, soonContinue reading “Hey, hey it’s the real Monkees”

It wasn’t strange enough to discover that today is National Cheese Lovers Day (according to several and sundry websites,) but then I discovered that when cheese is digested, it breaks down into an opioid.

January 20, 1941 – Raoul Walsh’s crime-drama High Sierra, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ida Lupino opened on this date. In addition to Hal B. Wallis, Humphrey Bogart also sent several telegrams to studio head Jack L. Warner, begging to be cast as Roy Earle. After Paul Muni left Warner Bros. in a contract dispute andContinue reading “A caper with a woman and a dog”

January 20, 1949 –A surprise hit for writer/ director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (which garnered for him his first two Oscars,) A Letter to Three Wives, premiered on this date. The identity of Celeste Holm who did the voice-over for Addie Ross, was kept secret when the film was released. The studio held a number ofContinue reading “A Letter to Three Wives debuted”

January 20, 1964 –The second Beatles‘ album, Meet the Beatles! was released in the United States on this date. It was the first US Beatles album to be issued by Capitol Records. Two days previously, the Beatles entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time, as I Want to Hold Your Hand appearedContinue reading “Oh, yeah, I’ll tell you somethin’”

Today is National Disc Jockey Day – The day is celebrated in remembrance of the death of Albert James “Alan” Freed, (AKA Moondog,) the man who coined the term “Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The first DJ, or Disc Jockey, was sixteen-year-old student Ray Newby, who played the first records over the airwaves at Herrold College ofContinue reading “I found out all I needed to know”

Jimmy Naismith was born in Ramsay township in Ontario, Canada in 1861. He grew up and eventually went to McGill University in Montreal. He became their Athletic Director and in 1891 he moved to Springfield, Massachusetts, to take a post at the YMCA Training School. It was there that he was confronted with the problemContinue reading “Where did he find those baskets during the winter?”