Author Archives: dcaligari

May 21, 1940 – The Looney Tunes short, Injun Trouble, directed by Bob Clampett, starring Porky Pig, debuted on this date. This cartoon no longer appears on American television because of racial stereotyping of Native-Americans This short was later remade in color as Wagon Heels, also directed by Bob Clampett.

May 22, 1949 –The Looney Tunes short, Curtain Razor, directed by Friz Freleng, starring Porky Pig, debuted on this date. The short is similar in concept to Hamateur Night directed by Tex Avery ten years prior, since both shorts are centered on a series of comical stage act-based gags that frequently get rejected via theContinue reading “Curtain Razor premiered”

May 21, 1955 – The Merrie Melodies short, Past Perfumance, directed by Chuck Jones, starring Pepé Le Pew, debuted on this date. It is the last Pepé Le Pew cartoon to be produced before the studio’s brief shutdown in 1953, and the last Chuck Jones-directed pre-shutdown cartoon in release order.

May 20, 1961 – The Looney Tunes short, The Abominable Snow Rabbit, directed by Chuck Jones, starring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, debuted on this date. This was the final short film featuring Daffy Duck to be directed by Chuck Jones during the era of the original animation studio Warner Bros. Cartoon Studios. Jones wasContinue reading “The Abominable Snow Rabbit premiered”

May 20, 1944 – The Merrie Melodies short, Russian Rhapsody (a propaganda short during World War II,) directed by Bob Clampett, debuted on this date. In the early 1940s Walt Disney was developing a feature film based on Roald Dahl’s book Gremlin Lore, and asked the other studios to refrain from producing Gremlin films. WhileContinue reading “Russian Rhapsody premiered”

May 20, 1950 – The Merrie Melodies short, His Bitter Half, directed by Friz Freleng, starring Daffy Duck, debuted on this date. Wentworth Duck bears a striking resemblance to the little yellow duck from Ain’t That Ducky, which was directed by Friz Freleng five years earlier, albeit not the same character.

May 20, 1967 –BBC disc jockey Kenny Everett gave the official preview of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on the radio show Where It’s At, broadcast on the BBC Light Program on this date. He was unable to play the final track A Day in the Life, which the BBC had banned a dayContinue reading “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band preview”

May 20, 2000 – Director Wong Kar-Wai’s lush, visually stunning fever dream of a movie, In the Mood for Love (Faa Yeung Nin Wa), starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung premiered at Cannes Film festival, on this date. Filming took fifteen months, due in part to Kar-Wai Wong’s improvisational and perfectionist nature. Cinematographer Christopher Doyle,Continue reading “One of the most romantic films ever made”

May 20, 2015 –Dave said his final goodnight when Late Night With David Letterman aired the last new episode (episode no. 4,261 – the 6,028th episode on late night television,) on this date For weeks, just about every writer on staff prepped for what would be said by 10 different celebrities, delivering one line aContinue reading “Hard to believe it’s been 11 years”

May 20, 1946 –Cherilyn Sarkisian, pop singer-songwriter, Academy Award, Grammy Award, Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards and a People’s Choice Award winner was born on this date. Wig manufacturer’s everywhere celebrate this day as an international holiday.