Author Archives: dcaligari

July 15, 1960 – The Looney Tunes short, Mouse and Garden, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Sylvester, was released on this date. Except for a brief moment when he is sleeping, Sylvester lacks the white tip on his tail, much like some of his appearances in the 1940s shorts and most of the pre-1955Continue reading “Mouse and Garden premiered”

July 15, 1961 –The Looney Tunes short, The Rebel Without Claws, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Sylvester and Tweety Bird, was released on this date. Carrier pigeons have been used to deliver wartime communications for centuries.

July 15, 1989 –Simply Red’s single If You Don’t Know Me By Now went to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date. The song was written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who were architects of the Philadelphia Soul sound. They credit their marital problems with allowing them to write such a heart-rendingContinue reading “All the things that we’ve been through”

we would have been born that way. Today is National Nude Day. I would say for the most part, there are very few people who should actually celebrate the holiday in public. Please feel free to celebrate responsibly within the confines of your own home.

July 14, 1969 –Dennis Hopper’s seminal ’60s classic, Easy Rider, starring Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson, opened in the US on this date. Dennis Hopper was going through a very bad time during production (something he later put down to marijuana not being his “creative drug of choice”). He was in a stateContinue reading “Easy Rider rode on down the highway”

July 14, 2000 –20th Century Fox’s first film of the successful franchise series, X-Men, starring the large ensemble cast, including – Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Famke Janssen, James Marsden, Bruce Davison, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, and Anna Paquin, opened in the US on this date. Hugh Jackman took ice cold showers every morningContinue reading “X-Men premiered”

July 14, 1789 –Paris was not a happy city in 1789. Paris has never been an especially happy city, especially for those who don’t speak French, but in that fateful year it was especially grouchy. And it wasn’t just the city, but the whole country. All of France was cranky and irritable, and all theContinue reading “France’s most celebrated prison riot”

July 14, 1951 – The Looney Tunes short, The Wearing of the Grin, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Porky Pig, was released on this date. This was the final Porky Pig solo film of Warner Brother’s Cartoons’ classic period.

July 14, 1933 – The iconic Popeye the Sailor, appeared in his first eponymous titled cartoon, on this date. (Kids, Betty, who is probably underage in this film, is not wearing a bra – so avert your eyes.) Popeye’s appearance is based on that of a fighter named Francis “Rocky” Fiegel whom his creator, ElzieContinue reading “Popeye’s first short”

July 14, 1964 –The Rolling Stones score their first #1 hit in the UK with their cover of Bobby Womack’s It’s All Over Now. New York disc jockey Murray the K gave The Stones a copy of the original recording of the song by The Valentinos and suggested they record it. Murray was important enoughContinue reading “Well, baby used to stay out all night long”