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January 20, 1949 – A surprise hit for writer/ director Joseph L. Mankiewicz (which garnered for him his first two Oscars,) A Letter to Three Wives, opened on this date. Joseph L. Mankiewicz had a real battle with the American censors at the time who would not permit him to use words like “laxative” andContinue reading “A Letter to Three Wives premiered”

January 20, 2006 –Kenny Ortega mega-hit teen musical, High School Musical starring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale premiered on the Disney Channel, on this date. (This was my daughters favorite movie for a time – when they were very young children.) Zac Efron’s singing voice was that of Drew Seeley, who tested forContinue reading “Get’cha Head in the Game”

Today is the Feast day of St. Sebastian, patron saint of soldiers, plague-stricken, archers, Christian martyrs, athletes, (and homosexual icon – the saint is always depicted as a strapping youth, nude, save a haphazardly placed loin cloth, bound to the post, muscles, straining. Pierced by several arrows, still smiling – but we shan’t discuss thatContinue reading “Not everybody gets to be a saint”

January 19, 1949 –The music I heard growing up, since there was no TV or cinema or record covers, I didn’t know if it was black, white, hip, square, male, female… whatever. I’d hear melodies and things and got intrigued on that level.. Robert Palmer, blue-eyed soul singer, was born on this date.

January 19, 1935 –During a Chicago snow storm, Marshall Field’s State Street store featured a display window with a brief-wearing mannequin. Surprizingly enough, Coopers Inc. sold the world’s first jockey briefs, on this date. Designed by an apparel engineer named Arthur Kneibler, the briefs dispensed with leg sections. The company dubbed the design the Jockey,Continue reading “A Brief History”

January 19, 1967 –Lesley Gore shows up on the Batman TV series, playing Catwoman’s sidekick, Pussycat, on this date. She sang her new single California Nights on the show. TV doesn’t get much stranger that this.

January 19, 1952 – In the first match-up between Wile E. Coyote and Bugs Bunny, Operation: Rabbit, directed by Chuck Jones, premiered on this date. This was the second cartoon to feature Wile E. Coyote (following 1949’s Fast and Furry-ous), and the first in which he is identified by his full name. It is alsoContinue reading “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mud.”

January 19, 1957 –Ernie Kovacs burst into the public consciousness with the comedy special, The Silent Show, first aired on this date. It was filmed for broadcast first, in color, on the NBC network in 1957. A second version of the show was created on videotape and broadcast November 10, 1961, on the ABC network.Continue reading “Saturday Color Carnival premiered”

January 19, 1940 –Any resemblance between the characters in this picture and any persons, living or dead, is a miracle. The Three Stooges short You Nazty Spy! about the Nazis released on this date. Filmed in 1939, not released until 1940, the film was the first Hollywood film to spoof Adolf Hitler, released nine monthsContinue reading “Moronika for Morons”

January 18, 1958 –Afro-Canadian Willie O’Ree was the very first black player in the NHL Signed by Boston Bruins he made his NHL debut with the Bruins on this date, against the Montreal Canadiens. O’Ree appeared in two games that year playing as a winger, and came back in 1961 to play 43 games, scoringContinue reading “William Eldon O’Ree”