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July 16, 1966 –Tommy James and the Shondells‘ single Hanky Panky goes to No. #1 of the Billboard Charts on this date. Tommy James & the Shondells initially formed in 1959 as Tom and the Tornadoes, with the then 12-year-old Tommy Jackson as lead singer. In 1963, he renamed the band The Shondells, after oneContinue reading “Hanky Panky topped the charts”

July 16, 1951 –The Catcher in the Rye was published 73 years ago today. The book contained secret code words by means of which its author, J.D. Salinger, was able to communicate diabolical commands to his evil minions. Draw your own conclusions. Salinger was a one-hit wonder. (He did write several other books, but theseContinue reading “Holden Caulfield would be about 90 by now”

July 16, 1958 –The classic Vincent Price Sci-Fi film, The Fly, opened in San Francisco on this date. David Hedison suggested that his character wear progressive makeup effects that showed him in a mixed part human/part fly state when his face is finally revealed, instead of just a fully formed Fly mask as depicted inContinue reading “Help me, Help me!!!”

July 16, 1951 –One of the best adaptations of a Charles Dickens‘ novel, David Lean’s Oliver Twist was released in the US on this date. Oliver Twist originally premiered in the UK in 1948. The movie’s release in the U.S. was delayed until 1951 because of protests from Jewish pressure groups, who judged Alec Guinness‘Continue reading “Oliver Twist opened”

July 16, 1969 –55 years ago on this date, the 363-foot-tall Apollo 11 space vehicle was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:37 a.m. (As I have gotten older, I have only now put it together that some sick puppies at NASA (probably some of the ‘Good Germans‘) arranged toContinue reading “On the way to the moon”

July 15, 1946 –I wanted to sing when I was little. That’s what I liked doing. It didn’t occur to me that you became famous or anything like that. Linda Maria Ronstadt, singer and actress was born in Tucson, Arizona on this date. (Send her your good thoughts)

July 15, 1869 –During war with Prussia, French ruler Napoleon III commissions Hippolye Mege Mouries to find a butter substitute. A patent for margarine was issued on this date, it being based on beef fat instead of milk fat. He called it Margarine (but you can call it Oleo) because the French word for pearlContinue reading “Thinking it’s butter, but it’s not …”

July 15 1956 –Although not in the same league as Plan 9 from Outer Space, It Conquered the World was released upon an unsuspecting public on this date. (American International released the film on a double bill with The She-Creature.) Originally, “Beluah” was built as a squat, flat-topped creature, under the mistaken belief that VenusContinue reading “I’ll see you in Hell first!”

July 15, 1988 –The film that made Bruce Willis a star, Die Hard, co-starring Alan Rickman, and Bonnie Bedelia opened in limited release in the US on this date. In an article for the 30th anniversary of Die Hard, Bonnie Bedelia stated that the first thing she thinks of when someone mentions Die Hard isContinue reading “Arguably the greatest Christmas movie ever”

July 15, 1972 –Elton John’s fifth studio album, Honky Chateau, reached No. #1 on the US Billboard Charts, on this date, making it the first of John’s seven consecutive US No. #1 album. The album was recorded at Château d’Hérouville, Hérouville, France, in January 1972. At the time, the studio was known as “Strawberry Studios,”Continue reading “Honky Chateau topped the charts”