Author Archives: dcaligari

January 5, 1944 –Another great movie from Preston Sturges, The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek, premiered on this date. Although Preston Sturges was working at an unusually frantic pace, he still kept tight reins on the production, ensuring that neither Eddie Bracken nor anyone else became the main attraction. Sturges favored ensemble pieces, and even theContinue reading “I still can’t believe they got the premise past the censors”

January 5, 1961 –Mister Ed, the talking horse (with a daily diet was twenty pounds of hay, washed down with a gallon of sweet tea.,) debuted on CBS-TV on this date. The horse wouldn’t respond to any of his co-stars, just his trainer, Lester Hilton. This meant that Hilton had to be on the setContinue reading “I wonder which producer had to muck out his stall”

What were the gifts of the Magi (what were the names of the Magi?) Bonus question: There was a fourth gift – what was it and who was it from?

It’s the 12th day of Christmas. – the final gift tally (365 gifts): you would have received 12 drummers drumming, 22 flutist, 30 members from the house of Lords, hopping and bopping to the Crocodile Rock, 36 Fan dancers, 40 angry dairy workers, on permanent coffee break, 42 Swans, trying to mate in your diningContinue reading “Perhaps you should stop celebrating Christmas”

January 4, 1941 – The animated short Elmer’s Pet Rabbit was released on this date: it marks the second ‘official‘ appearance of Bugs Bunny and the first to have his name on a title card. It was directed by the legendary Chuck Jones. (Note that Bugs hasn’t developed his characteristic buck teeth yet.)

January 4, 1969 –Jimi Hendrix was banned from the BBC after going off-script when he and his band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, appear on the show Happening for Lulu, hosted by the singer Lulu. Rather than sing a duet with Lulu, Hendrix and the band launched into an unplanned tribute to the recently disbanded CreamContinue reading “Oh naughty Mr Hendrix”

January 4, 1958 –The TV series, Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges premiered, in syndication on this date. Lloyd Bridges decided to leave the show after four seasons because the producers wanted to emphasize cops-and-robbers plots, while he wanted to focus more on environmental themes.

January 4, 1957 –The sitcom based on the comic strip, Blondie, starring Arthur Lake and Pamela Britten premiered on NBC TV on this date. The popular movie series (28 in all) seemed like a shoe-in for a TV series. Unfortunately, when they made the series about a decade later, it only lasted a single season.

Today is National Trivia Day. It is observed across the United States each year on January 4. We observe trivia day, everyday here. A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. Harry S. Truman would get up at 5:00 AM so heContinue reading “It’s not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance”

For those of you interested – Today’s gift count (286): you currently have 11 pipers piping, 20 hyperactive effete British gentlemen, knocking furniture over, 27 Pole dancers (draw the shades, the neighborhood kids are staring into your windows), 32 organized dairy workers striking for better working conditions, 35 Swans making a racket, befouling your secondContinue reading “Hang tight, we’re almost done”