Author Archives: dcaligari

October 28, 1972 –Stevie Wonder released his 15th studio album Talking Book on this date. The album’s first track, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, hit No.1 on the Billboard charts, and earned Wonder his first Grammy Award. The album featured a guest appearance of Jeff Beck on the track Superstition.

October 28, 1962 –Gerry and Sylvia Anderson third attempt at frightening children with Supermarionation – Fireball XL5 premiered in the UK, on this date. Remember to stick around for the end credits to sing along with the theme! Although Supercar had been shown in syndication, this was the first Gerry Anderson‘ Supermarionation series to appearContinue reading “We’d take the path to Jupiter”

Today is International Animation Day. First observed in 2002, the day commemorates the first public performance of Emile Reynaud’s Theatre Optique at the Grevin Museum in Paris in 1892 So Kids make sure you grab a bowl of the sugary breakfast cereal and watch your favorite cartoons.

October 28, 1947 –An overlooked yet still powerful film-noir (recently remade), Nightmare Alley, starring Tyrone Power was released on this date. The film did not initially do well, as the public found it difficult to accept Tyrone Powell as the bad guy. Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck found this movie so generally distasteful that heContinue reading “Mister, I was made for it”

October 28, 1950 –The eternally 39-year old Benjamin Kubelsky (who was actually 56 at the time,) transitioned his successful radio program to television on this date when The Jack Benny Show premiered on CBS-TV. Most of Jack Benny’s original radio cast appeared on television with him, including Don Wilson, Eddie ‘Rochester‘ Anderson, Dennis Day, andContinue reading “A master of timing finally get a TV show”

I understand that this is complicated but please follow along – Today is National American Beer Day: National Beer Day,is celebrated on April 7.International Beer Day,is celebrated on the first Friday in August.National Drink Beer Day,is celebrated on September 28, celebrated around Octoberfest, which is celebrated in Munich. While beer is not my go toContinue reading “It will all be clear in the end”

October 27, 1954 –“… It was all started by a mouse.” Walt Disney’s first TV show, Disneyland, premiered on ABC-TV on this date. All of the ABC episodes were filmed in color, even though they aired in black and white. In general, ABC did not broadcast in color until the mid 1960s. During the yearsContinue reading “I’m sure you’ve all seen this”

October 27, 1964 –Another Paddy Chayefsky scripted classic from the 60s (although unappreciated), The Americanization of Emily, starring James Garner and Julie Andrews, premiered on this date. Producer Martin Ransohoff removed director William Wyler from this movie, as Wyler wanted to change Paddy Chayefsky’s script. It was a rare instance in which a producer supportedContinue reading “The Americanization of Emily opened”

October 27, 1966 – The third Charles Schultz Peanuts special, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, (directed again by Bill Melendez,) premiered on this date. https://archive.org/embed/its-the-great-pumpkin-charlie-brown_202310 This is the only special where Pig Pen is shown wearing glasses. You can see them when he is with the other kids at the Halloween party around theContinue reading “Satanic worship surrounding an enormous squash”

October 27, 1982 –Prince’s fifth album, 1999, was released on this date. It becomes his breakthrough, selling well over 5 million copies worldwide, thanks to Little Red Corvette and the title track. The album helped propel him to superstar status, a title he lived up to with electrifying live shows and a startlingly prolific outputContinue reading “I was dreamin’ when I wrote this”