Author Archives: dcaligari

October 16, 1854 –Today is the birthday of Oscar Wilde – known for his barbed wit, one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London, and among the greatest celebrities of his day. Between bouts of sparkling repartee and posing for his Sodomite Trading Card photo, he somehow found time to write the followingContinue reading “Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde”

Tell the old ladies in the back of the church that it’s the feast day of your favorite saint – they’ll be duly impressed: Saint Teresa of Ávila (I mention her at least twice a year). She’s also known as the Roving Nun (not to be confused with the Wandering Nun, the Meandering Nun, orContinue reading “We should be thinking more about how to die than how to live.”

October 15, 1951 –A former starlet convinced the alcoholic, womanizing head of a television network to run the TV version of her somewhat successful radio program. I Love Lucy, the television situation comedy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, also featuring Vivian Vance and William Frawley, went on to run on CBS for 181 episodesContinue reading “You can still tune in to her somewhere”

October 15, 1965 – The poker playing version of The Hustler, The Cincinnati Kid, directed by Norman Jewison, and starring Steve McQueen, Ann-Margret, Karl Malden, Tuesday Weld, Edward G. Robinson, Joan Blondell, Rip Torn, and Cab Calloway opened in New Orleans on this date. Mitzi Gaynor campaigned for the role of Lady Fingers, but itContinue reading “The Cincinnati Kid premiered”

October 15, 1974 –Tom Waits releases his second album, The Heart of Saturday Night, on this date, written as a tribute to Beat novelist Jack Kerouac. Speaking before the first-ever performance of the title song, which appeared on radio station KFPK, Waits said it was a tribute to “Kerouacians,” meaning fans of American novelist JackContinue reading “Let’s put a new coat of paint”

Anyone can be confident with a full head of hair. But a confident bald man – there’s your diamond in the rough. – Larry David Today is Be Bald and Free day!

October 14, 1978 –The gang finally got off the damn island (sort of) when the first TV movie from a TV series, Rescue from Gilligan’s Island, premiered on CBS-TV with all of the original cast except Tina Louise (who wanted too much money,) on this date. The scene in which the rescued castaways are towedContinue reading “Tina regrets this one”

October 14, 1953 – Possibly the ultimate film noir, Fritz Lang’s The Big Heat opens in NYC on this date. Typical of the heavily sanitized film making of the 40s and 50s, when Thomas Duncan shoots himself in the head with a .38 revolver there’s no wound, no splattering of blood, and in death heContinue reading “The Big Heat premiered”

October 14, 1983 –Cyndi Lauper, formerly a member of the group Blue Angel, issues her first solo album, She’s So Unusual. With the MTV hits Girls Just Want To Have Fun and Time After Time, the album becomes an ‘80s touchstone. On the strength of her breakout solo album She’s So Unusual, Lauper won theContinue reading “Money, money changes everything”

October 13, 1978 –Queen released their double A sided single Fat Bottomed Girls/ Bicycle Race on this date The songs ran together on the album, and were often played that way by radio stations. The year before, Queen released We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions as a double A-side. They are stillContinue reading “You know who makes the rockin’ world go round”