August 16, 1985 – CBS-TV’s adaptation of the Arthur Miller classic Death of A Salesman, directed by Volker Schlöndorff and starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich premiered on this date. In the earliest version of the play, Arthur Miller wrote that Willy Loman was insulted when he overheard someone call him a “shrimp“, but changedContinue reading “Attention must be paid.”
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You really couldn’t hear them over the screaming
August 15, 1965 –The Beatles played to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, on this date, marking the birth of stadium rock. People tend to forget that this was one of the first major stadium concerts by a rock group.
Woodstock was necessary is because they didn’t have iTunes
August 15, 1969 – The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair began on this date, on Max Yasger’s farm in upstate New York. The greatest gathering of marketing and advertising professionals in American history, the festival featured the musical artists behind some of today’s hottest commercial jingles.
Everybody Loves Somebody topped the charts
August 15, 1964 –Dean Martin’s song Everybody Loves Somebody knocks The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night from the #1 spot on the Hot 100 on this date. In 1964, Dean Martin was finishing up recording his Dream with Dean album and had completed 11 songs. Albums always had 12 songs in the US, so DeanContinue reading “Everybody Loves Somebody topped the charts”
First time we realized we loved the smell of Napalm in the morning
August 15, 1979 –The very long delayed epic, Apocalypse Now, premiered in NYC on this date. (Order some Banh xeo and a couple of bottles of Tiger Beer, and watch the Redux version, in honor of the anniversary.) An early scene where Captain Willard is alone in his hotel room was completely unscripted. Martin SheenContinue reading “First time we realized we loved the smell of Napalm in the morning”
Americathon premiered
August 15, 1979 –Neal Israel’s futuristic comedy film, Americathon, starring John Ritter, Fred Willard, Peter Riegert, Harvey Korman, and Nancy Morgan, with narration by George Carlin, premiered in the US on this date. Dorothy Stratten appears in an uncredited role wearing a Playboy Bunny style costume in the scene where Roy Budnitz donates blood.
The Sinking of the Lusitania premiered
August 15, 1918 –The Sinking of the Lusitania, written and directed by Winsor McCay, went into general release in the U.S. on this date. It is the first full-length feature cartoon documentary, featuring over twenty five thousand individual drawings which took twenty-two months to produce. The twelve minute silent film is a an educational explanationContinue reading “The Sinking of the Lusitania premiered”
The 2003 Blackout
August 14, 2003 –A widespread blackout (lasting almost two days for some), affecting approximately 45 million people in the eastern United States and ten million in Ontario, Canada, occurred on this date. The final conclusion of the investigation into the incident revealed that the blackout began when a generating plant in Eastlake, Ohio went offlineContinue reading “The 2003 Blackout”
First time The Foo Fighters appeared on Letterman
August 14, 1995 –The Foo Fighters made their network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman when they performed their single This Is A Call, on this date. The single peaked at Number Two on the Modern Rock Track chart, though they wouldn’t have a crossover hit until Big Me in early 1996.
Can’t Stand Losing You dropped
August 14, 1978 –The Police released their third single, from their debut album Outlandos d’Amour, Can’t Stand Losing You on this date. For publicity purposes, The Police claimed that this song and Roxanne were banned by the BBC. They weren’t, but the story got out and helped boost their credibility with the punk crowd.
The Haus of Dcaligari 