Author Archives: dcaligari

June 30, 1971 –Paramount Pictures‘ musical, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, directed by Mel Stuart (and written by Roald Dahl, based on his novel), starring Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Denise Nickerson, Leonard Stone, Julie Dawn Cole, Paris Themmen, and Dodo Denney, opened in the US, on this date. After readingContinue reading “I said good day sir”

June 30, 1979 –Anita Ward single, Ring My Bell, started a two week run at No.1 on the Billboard chart, on this date. (This was her only charting hit.) This was one of the first hit songs to feature a synthesized drum. The hook was the synthesized drum of Frederick Knight, which produced a soundContinue reading “Then you and me can rock a bell”

June 30, 1951 – The Merrie Melodies short, French Rarebit, directed by Bob McKimson and starring Bug Bunny, was released on this date. The stuffing for Louisiana Back-Bay Bayou Bunny Bordelaise a la Antoine is hot sauce, chili peppers, bay leaf, bay rum, hot mustard, horse radish, mule radish and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

June 30, 1962 – The Merrie Melodies short, Zoom at the Top, directed by Chuck Jones and starring Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny, was released on this date. The Acme icicle maker is similar to the early snow making machines in use at studios, including Warner Bros.

June 30, 1945 – A sequel to 1942’s A Tale of Two Kitties, this Looney Tunes short, Tale of Two Mice, directed by Frank Tashin and starring Babbit and Catstello, was released on this date. This marks the second appearance of Babbit and Catstello as features in Warner Bros. cartoons. It is the middle appearanceContinue reading “Tale of Two Mice premiered”

June 29, 1979 –Ivan Reitman’s directorial debut, Meatballs, featuring Bill Murray, in his first starring role, premiered in the US on this date. Additional scenes had to be shot after the initial filming ended. During the time off, Chris Makepeace had entered puberty and had the beginnings of a mustache. Bill Murray decided that itContinue reading “Meatballs bounced onto the screen”

June 29, 1988 –The John Landis blockbuster film, Coming To America, starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos and a plethora of stars in funny cameo roles, opened on this date. After the make-up and clothing was applied for the Jewish character Saul, Eddie Murphy wanted to test the make-up and costumeContinue reading “Wipers !!!”

June 29, 1946 – The Looney Tunes short, Acrobatty Bunny, directed by Bob McKimson and starring Bugs Bunny, was released on this date. This is the first Bugs Bunny cartoon directed by Robert McKimson.

June 29, 1963 – The Merrie Melodies short, Banty Raids, directed by Bob McKimson, and starring Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg, was released on this date. This cartoon marked the last “classic-era” cartoon starring Foghorn Leghorn and Barnyard Dawg.

June 29, 1995Ringo Starr appeared in his first-ever TV commercial (in the US), for Pizza Hut, (featuring the newly reformed Monkees, on this date. It seems like a strange product for Ringo to hawk; the rocker has been a vegetarian since 1965, and has allergies to onions, garlic, and several spices, which have prevented himContinue reading “Did he lose a bet?”