Author Archives: dcaligari

November 4, 1963 –At a Beatles command performance (present: Queen Elizabeth,the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret), John Lennon utters the remark: “Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.” If you look very closely behind the Queen Mother, I believe Princess MargaretContinue reading “The Beatles perform for royalty”

Happy National Sandwich Day. It’s celebrated on the birthday of John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, creator of the sandwich. As the story goes, he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of breadContinue reading “As always bunkies, Enjoy every sandwich!”

November 3, 1939 –One of the crown jewels of the ‘Golden Age‘ of Hollywood, Ninotchka opened in New York on this date Curiously enough, this was the very movie Arnold Schwarzenegger studied when he was trying to find his character for Red Heat. The exercise – emulate Greta Garbo – was recommended to him byContinue reading “Your type will soon be extinct”

November 3, 1990 – The American public apparently went insane and Vanilla Ice’s single, Ice Ice Baby was the number one single on the U.S. music charts, on this date. The song clearly samples the 1980 song Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie, but Vanilla Ice never got permission to use it. No lawsuitContinue reading “I apologize for the following”

Did you remember to set all of the clocks back? the DVD player (I no longer have a VCR,) the microwave, the automatic coffee pot in the kitchen? If you’ve already done so, you can watch this and amuse yourself to think about this – the opening shot of the film is an optical illusion.Continue reading “Time passes irrevocably”

For the rest of those the dearly departed who didn’t make the cut yesterday for All Saint’s Day, take heart; remember today is All Souls Day, aka the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (the second day of Día de los Muertos.) In the late tenth or early eleventh century, Saint Odilo of Cluny decidedContinue reading “An almost forgotten holiday”

November 2, 1934 –Ernst Lubitsch charming adaptation of the famous Viennese operetta The Merry Widow starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald premiered on this date. This was the only film teaming Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald in which they never sang together. Aware that her classical style was poorly matched to his popular vocalizing, ErnstContinue reading “The remake of The Merry Widow opened”

November 2, 1942 –Another Preston Sturges laugh out loud comedy, The Palm Beach Story, opened on this date. (Sturges, himself, had to shove a handkerchief in his mouth to avoid ruining a take by laughing.) In the long dolly shot of Joel McCrea and Mary Astor strolling on the pier from Rudy Vallee’s yacht, PrestonContinue reading “Hooray for the Ale & Quail Club”

November 2, 1957 – The often edited for S & P (I definitely should know) Bugs vs. Daffy Looney Tunes cartoon, Show Biz Bugs, premiered on this date. The segment when Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck were dancing to Tea for Two was used for the opening scene, (as other Warner Brothers‘ popular animation starsContinue reading “I know, I know, but I can only do it once”