July 23, 1904 –At the turn of the last century, ice cream men were a breed apart. It was hard work making ice cream, and the rewards were few. “You don’t choose ice cream,” they said. “Ice cream chooses you.” Well, Charles E. Menches was an ice cream man. They say it ran in hisContinue reading “This should be a red letter day”
Author Archives: dcaligari
You got me runnin’, goin’ out of my mind
July 23, 1979 –Electric Light Orchestra dedicated the release, on this date, of the single Don’t Bring Me Down from their album Discovery to Skylab which had crashed back to Earth on July 11, 1979. (The song is the first ELO song without any strings.) Don’t Bring Me Down became the biggest hit ELO everContinue reading “You got me runnin’, goin’ out of my mind”
It is kisstomary to cuss the bride
Today is Spooner’s Day, honoring Reverend William Archibald Spooner, a 19th Century British clergyman, who was born on this date in 1844. Spoonerisms are usually a two-word phrase in which the first letters (and occasionally the initial vowels) of the words are reversed. Reverend Spooner was adept at the art of the oopsy linguae, orContinue reading “It is kisstomary to cuss the bride”
Can your heart stand the shocking facts …
July 22, 1959 – Either considered the worst or greatest film ever made, Ed Wood Jr’s sci-fi classic, Plan 9 from Outer Space, starring Bela Lugosi, Gregory Walcott, Mona McKinnon, Tor Johnson, Vampira and narrated by Criswell, opened in the US on this date. Bela Lugosi appears in footage shot just before his death, butContinue reading “Can your heart stand the shocking facts …”
Thought he got a vasectomy… It didn’t take?
July 22, 1983 – 20th Century Fox jumped on the strange new bandwagon of Dad’s taking care of their kids when the film, Mr. Mom, starring Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Martin Mull, Ann Jillian, and Christopher Lloyd went into a limited release on this date. Michael Keaton turned down Splash to do this movie. RonContinue reading “Thought he got a vasectomy… It didn’t take?”
Hare Force premiered
July 20, 1944 – The Merrie Melodies short, Hare Force, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Bugs Bunny was released on this date. Both Bugs and Sylvester the Dog hum/sing snippets of As Time Goes By which featured prominently in the 1944 Best Picture Oscar-winning Casablanca.
It’s Hummer Time premiered
July 21, 1950 – The Looney Tunes short, t’s Hummer Time, directed by Robert McKimson, and starring Foghorn Leghorn, was released on this date. The sign “DON’T BE HALF SAFE” refers to Arrid deodorant. During the 1940s and 1950s, its famous slogan was “Don’t be half-safe-use Arrid to be sure“, which gave rise to “Half-Safe,”Continue reading “It’s Hummer Time premiered”
Now that your picture’s in the paper being rhythmically admired
July 22, 1977 –Stiff Records released Elvis Costello’s debut studio album, My Aim Is True, produced by Nick Lowe, on this date in the UK. Elvis Costello quit his day job at Elizabeth Arden on July 5, 1977. I guess he’d made a living since then.
Sometimes you shouldn’t go to the movies
July 22, 1934 –John Dillinger was shot dead outside Chicago’s Biograph Theatre, on this date in history. And one of the most bizarre urban legends was born. According to the rumor, J. Edgar Hoover — pug-ugly head of the FBI and notorious transvestite — rushed to Chicago to see the corpse of Dillinger, Public EnemyContinue reading “Sometimes you shouldn’t go to the movies”
Count the memories, not the calories.
It’s National Junk Food Day. (What did I say yesterday about lollipops being involved in a huge conspiracy!) It doesn’t really matter what you eat – at some point, you’ll be dead.
