Category Archives: Uncategorized

November 27, 1979 –For those so inclined, you could start spending time in the boys locker room of Carver High School when The White Shadow premiered on this date. Ken Howard was nicknamed “The White Shadow” while he played for Manhasset High School ‘s basketball team. He was the only white starter on his team.Continue reading “The White Shadow premiered”

November 27, 1967 – The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour album the US on this date. Unfortunately, Charles Manson used to refer to life as A Magical Mystery Tour after hearing the title song. He later warped other Beatles songs (Helter Skelter, Piggies, Blackbird) to explain a race war named Helter Skelter. He used toContinue reading “Magical Mystery Tour dropped”

November 27 is the Feast of St. Josaphat, a Middle Age prince who renounced his wealth to do charitable work. Well, St. Josephat, turns out to be a Christianized version of a legend about Buddha (yeah Siddhartha Gautama.) As the years slip by more swiftly, I can remember some things clearly, others only dimly; AsContinue reading “Hey Joe, did we miss this class?”

November 26, 1953 –MGM released the first musical in 3-D, Kiss Me Kate on this date. Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore neglected to rehearse their Brush Up Your Shakespeare number more than once or twice because they thought it was silly. When it came time to shoot it they made numerous fumbles and mistakes whichContinue reading “Kiss Me Kate premiered”

November 26, 1922 –The Toll of the Sea, starring Anna Mae Wong, the second two-strip Technicolor feature (it was the first one able to be projected through a normal movie projector and consequently the first to be given a wide release) was released on this date. The film was believed to have been lost inContinue reading “The Toll of the Sea premiered”

November 25, 1987 –The now classic John Hughes’ Thanksgiving film, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin and John Candy, premiered in the US on this date. On instruction from John Hughes, Edie McClurg’s role as the St. Louis rental car agent was partially improvised. Hughes told her to simply riff a fake phone conversationContinue reading “Planes, Trains and Automobiles premiered”

November 25, 1940 –Walter Lantz’s introduced Woody Woodpecker with the release of Knock Knock on this date. Although Woody made his first appearance in this film, he doesn’t have a name until his next film, Woody Woodpecker.

November 24, 1966 –Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality. May you find your way as pleasant. The Star Trek episode The Menagerie, Part II first aired. (I’ve found an unaltered episode on dailymotion.) This episode incorporate most of the unseen (at the time) pilot episode of Star Trek, The Cage, featuring JeffreyContinue reading “The Menagerie, Part II premiered”

November 24, 1965 – NBC aired the Frank Sinatra: A Man And His Music to honor Sinatra, on this date. According to the April 1966 Esquire article Frank Sinatra Has a Cold by Gay Talese, Sinatra was suffering from a cold, when he started recording this special. If you pay close attention, you can seeContinue reading “Another Sinatra special premiered”

November 24, 1958 –A precursor episode to the science fiction television series The Twilight Zone, The Time Element aired on this date as part of the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse anthology series on CBS-TV. Though not the pilot episode of Rod Serling’s series, The Twilight Zone, it was Rod Serling’s production that lead to The TwilightContinue reading “The Time Element premiered”