Category Archives: Uncategorized

Today is National Blah Blah Blah day. It’s the day to do any of the following, or whatever. Stop smoking, take out the trash, empty the cat litter, lose weight, pick up your clothes, put dirty dishes in the sink, get a job or quit your job BUT do something about climate change.

A mid-1950s construction worker involved in the demolition of the J. C. Wilber Building finds a box inside a cornerstone. He opens it to reveal a singing, dancing frog (that came to be called Michigan J. Frog,) complete with top hat and cane. According to the cartoon, One Froggy Night (1955), the box also containsContinue reading “An important date in ACME History”

April 16, 1956 –The I Love Lucy Episode, Lucy’s Italian Movie (the grape stomping episode) first aired on CBS TV on this date. This is considered on of the funniest episodes of the series. The grape stompers were actual Italian women who didn’t speak English. In a 1974 interview with Dick Cavett, Lucille Ball wentContinue reading “Method acting taken to an extreme”

April 16, 1978 – Directed by Marvin Chomsky and written by Gerald Green, the television mini-series, Holocaust, starring Fritz Weaver, Joseph Bottoms, Michael Moriarty, David Warner, Tovah Feldshuh, Rosemary Harris, Ian Holm, George Rose, Meryl Streep, James Woods, Blanche Baker, and Sam Wanamaker, recounts the Nazi genocide of European Jewry through two fictional families inContinue reading “A major TV programming event”

April 16, 1973 –In order to fulfill a contractual obligation with Lew Grade, Paul McCartney appeared in his first TV special (since the disastrous Magical Mystery Tour,) James Paul McCartney, on this date. Although it was very highly anticipated – McCartney received a cover story on TV Guide – the reviews were dreadful. The NewContinue reading “An early Paul McCartney solo TV Special”

April 16, 1977 –David Soul one half of TV cop show Starsky & Hutch, went to No.1 on the US singles chart (as well as the UK charts,) with Don’t Give Up On Us, his only US hit, on this date. This was written by Tony Macaulay, who co-wrote four other UK #1s: Baby NowContinue reading “Don’t Give Up On Us topped the charts”

You might think that today, April 15, is the deadline for submitting personal tax returns, but this is not always the case. When the date falls on a weekend, it is often moved to the following Monday. But since today is Monday, they’re due today. (Because Patriot’s Day and Emancipation Day, which fall on AprilContinue reading “Hopefully, you’re ready”

April 15, 1966 –Decca Records released the fourth British studio album of The Rolling Stones, Aftermath, on this date. Brian Jones, who was The Stones guitarist until his death in 1969, played the dulcimer on the album, an instrument you play on your lap by plucking or strumming the strings. Jones could learn just aboutContinue reading “Aftermath went on sale”

April 15, 1923 –Dr. Lee De Forest demonstrates his Phonofilm sound-on-film process to the first paying movie audience at an invitation-only event at the Rialto Theater in New York City. (I’ve seen the date listed as March 12 as well.) Dr. De Forest received in 1959 an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion PictureContinue reading “Big development in sound motion pictures”

April 15, 1990 –Fox TV premiered the Wayans Bros. comedy series In Living Color on this date. According to an Oscar profile in Entertainment Weekly, Thomas Haden Church auditioned for a spot on the show, but was edged out by Jim Carrey.