Author Archives: dcaligari

November 11, 2001 –The Warner Bros. produced megahit based on the J.K. Rowling novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and just about every other English actor, premiered in NYC on this date. Alan Rickman was hand picked to play Snape by J.K. Rowling, and received special instructionsContinue reading “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone premiered”

November 11, 1985 –One of the first major films dealing with AIDS, An Early Frost, starring Aidan Quinn, Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, and Sylvia Sidney, premiered on NBC-TV on this date. Aidan Quinn (Michael) remembers that NBC’s Standards and Practices department were a constant (in Quinn’s words, “hovering“) presence on the set. They regulated mattersContinue reading “An Early Frost premiered”

November 10, 1975 –Arista Records released Patti Smith’s debut album, Horses, on this date. The origin of the Horses album lies in the inception of a poem Patti Smith wrote called Oath when she was around 20. It began, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine.” She explained to Mojo magazine: “It was myContinue reading “Horses premiered”

Before you go – In a truly British fashion the sports wear company Barbour has once again somehow tied Paddington Bear, re-waxing of a coat (apparently the key to the entry into British aristocracy) and Christmas into a 90 second commercial – It’s cute and all, and I’m sure all our English cousins are dyingContinue reading “It’s also 65 days until someone’s birthday”

Rockefeller Center is getting ready to get into the Christmas spirit when the 82 feet tall, 50 feet wide and 14 tons, the approximately 90-year-old Norway Spruce will be cut down this morning. The tree has been donated by the Lebowitz family of Glens Falls, New York; the tree itself is coming from was foundContinue reading “It’s beginning to look a lot like …”

November 10, 1967 – The Star Trek episode Metamorphosis premiered on this date. In it, Kirk finds Zefram Cochrane, inventor of the warp drive, who has been missing for 150 years and his mysterious alien companion. A few scenes featuring Elinor Donahue had to be re-shot, because the original film negatives were damaged and couldn’tContinue reading “Star Trek: Metamorphosis premiered”

November 10, 1953 –Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom was an educational Adventures in Music animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions, and originally released to theaters by Buena Vista Distribution on this date. This was a “sequel” of sorts to 1953’s Adventures in Music: Melody. This was originally meant to be an ongoing seriesContinue reading “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom premiered”

November 10, 1969 –Come and play. Even at 53, everything’s still A-OK (even on HBO.) Sesame Street premiered on PBS-TV on this date.

In case you were wondering: Before you go – I still don’t understand the concept of holiday long-form commercials in England. Aldi, another European supermarket chain, that is somehow related to Lidl but not really worth going into here, has brought back their beloved (?) company icon Kevin the Carrot for their highly-anticipated Christmas campaignContinue reading “This just in –”

November 9, 1946 – Another classic, yet surprisingly controversial Bugs Bunny outing, Rhapsody Rabbit, premiered on this date (We’ll talk about the controversy later.) Franz Liszt’s 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody music was first used in 1941’s Rhapsody in Rivets. A long-standing controversy exists between the previous cartoon and the Tom and Jerry short, The Cat Concerto.Continue reading “The Rhapsody Rabbit vs. The Cat Concerto controversy”