Author Archives: dcaligari

August 27, 1970 –The sci-fi musical (no one has ever seen,) Toomorrow, directed by Val Guest, starring newcomer Olivia Newton-John as a pop singer whose band gets abducted by aliens, premiered on this date. Producers Don Kirshner and Harry Saltzman butted heads, so Kirshner resigned before the film was completed and later remarked that ifContinue reading “Toomorrow”

It’s the feast day of St. Monica of Hippo. Monica, who was originally from Slothvile and moved to the better neighborhood of Hippo, was known as a virtuous woman. Much to her disappointment, she was also the mother of St. Augustine. She continually encouraged (nagged) her son (the lazy bum) about his debauched ways untilContinue reading “She was persistent”

In 18th century England, pineapples were a status symbol Although pineapples weren’t introduced in England until the 1600s, by the 1700s owning pineapples had become a huge craze. Those rich enough to own a pineapple would carry them around to signify their personal wealth and high-class status. And for those who weren’t rich enough toContinue reading “That’s one expensive piece of fruit”

If you find yourself in Rome, run, do not walk, to see the Santa Maria della Vittoria Church. It houses one of the most amazing pieces of art – The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Bernini. Today is the Feast of The Transverberation of St. Teresa of Avila (this time, I’m not sure even anContinue reading “Truth suffers, but never dies”

August 26, 1955 – Satyajit Ray burst onto the international film scene, when his directorial debut Pather Panchali, starring Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee and Karuna Banerjee, premiered in India on this date. Because of all the many delays in this film’s nearly three-year production, director Satyajit Ray became increasingly apprehensive that some event might occurContinue reading “Pather Panchali”

Today is National Banana Split Day, observed annually on this date A 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel’s Pharmacy in Latrobe, Pennsylvania created the first banana split in 1904. David Evans Strickler enjoyed inventing sundaes at the store’s soda fountain. His first “banana-based triple ice cream sundae” sold for 10 cents, double the cost of allContinue reading “Stressed spelled backwards is desserts”

August 25, 1972 –American International Pictures released another film in the blaxploitation vein, Blacula, on this date. Blacula was popular in America, debuting at #24 on Variety’s list of top films. It eventually grossed over a million dollars, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 1972.

August 24, 1968 –France exploded its first hydrogen bomb, thus becoming the world’s fifth nuclear power. The Germans break out in an ever slight sweat. (The 1998 film Godzilla uses this particular test as the basis for the monster Godzilla, an infant green iguana mutated by the fallout from the blast.) Another reason to hateContinue reading “Sacre Bleu!”

August 24, 1979 –NBC-TV introduced the girls of Eastland School, an all-girls boarding school in Peekskill, New York, to audiences when The Facts of Life premiered on this date. The pilot Rough Housing may have been the very first children’s program on network television to discuss gender confusion and sexual identity crises among youth; asContinue reading “The Facts of Life”

August 23, 1985 –Atlantic Releasing Corp releases the comedy film Teen Wolf, directed by Rod Daniel and starred Michael J. Fox, on this date. Michael J. Fox and Jeff Glosser couldn’t eat solid food while in make-up. They had milkshakes and soup.