Category Archives: Uncategorized

March 18, 1975 – McLean Stevenson’s character (Lt. Colonel Henry Blake) died in the MAS*H episode Abyssinia, Henry, its third season finale on this date. According to producer Larry Gelbart, when Larry Linville read the (previously concealed) final page of the script, he said, “Fucking brilliant!” When Gary Burghoff read it, he looked at McLeanContinue reading “The Death of Henry Blake”

March 18, 1981 –Stephen J. Cannell’s take on superheroes, The Greatest American Hero, starring William Katt, Robert Culp, and Connie Sellecca, premiered on ABC-TV, on this date. William Katt said that at the start of the series, he and Robert Culp had difficulties getting along, and working with each other. Katt added they were ableContinue reading “The Greatest American Hero premiered”

March 18, 1967 –The Beatles’ Penny Lane single goes #1 on this date. The first time The Beatles appeared with facial hair was in the promotional film for this song. The clip shows the band on horseback, trotting around Angel Lane in London (not Penny Lane). By this time, the group had stopped touring, soContinue reading “Penny Lane tops the charts”

March 17, 1960 –My good friend John (a fraternity brother) was born on this day. Not to be confused with his cousin, John, who was also born but not on this day. March 17, 1970 –My actual fraternal brother was born at Jewish Memorial Hospital in Upper Manhattan on this date. As was noted atContinue reading “On a personal note:”

March 17, 1978 –Paramount Pictures releases the bio-pix about Alan Freed, American Hot Wax, starring Tim McIntire, Fran Drescher, Jay Leno, and Laraine Newman (and featuring performances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and Frankie Ford,) on this date. The film was not as successful at the box-office as the similarly titledContinue reading “American Hot Wax premiered”

March 17, 1972 –John Water presented Divine to an unsuspecting world: Pink Flamingos, premiered in Baltimore on this date. (In 2021, this cult classic was inducted into the National Film Registery of important films that need to be preserved.) The dog feces in the infamous final scene are real. According to director John Waters, theContinue reading “Pink Flamingos premiered”

March 17, 1968 –The Bee Gees made their U.S. television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, on this date. Besides their song, Words (which went on to become a no. 1 hit in several countries,) they sang To Love Somebody, (which went on to be one of their most covered songs.)

The Feast Day of St. Patrick is celebrated on March 17. St. Patrick is considered the father of Celtic Christianity. He founded more than three hundred churches, drove the snakes out of Ireland, invented green beer, and coined the popular slogan, Kiss me, I’m Irish (although, he himself was not.) This year, the Citizenry ofContinue reading “Slàinte mhath”

March 16, 1916 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi, born on this date, was one of the only individuals who witnessed and survived both atom bombs in Japan, Hiroshima on August 6th, and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Mr. Yamaguchi slowly recovered and went on to live a relatively normal life. He died from radiation related stomach cancerContinue reading “Tsutomu Yamaguchi”

March 16, 1967 – The Star Trek episode Errand of Mercy premiered on this date. In it, Kirk and Spock attempt to protect the planet Organia from the Klingon and sway them to the side of the Federation, but they aren’t welcome. The episode marks the first appearance of Klingons on the series. Popularly knownContinue reading “Errand of Mercy first aired”