Category Archives: Uncategorized

April 28, 1956 – The Looney Tunes short, Rabbitson Crusoe, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, debuted on this date. Sam is briefly seen attempting to surf, although the California surf craze was still a few years off. Surfing on wooden longboards, however, had been introduced by Hawaiian legend DukeContinue reading “Rabbitson Crusoe premiered”

April 25, 1951 – The Looney Tunes short, A Hound for Trouble, directed by Chuck Jones, and starring Charlie Dog, debuted on this date. Charlie Dog is trying to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It’s even harder for tourists to descend the flight of stairs inside the tower than it is to climb.

April 28, 1978 –John A. Alonzo’s film about a radio station with a motley collection of DJs, FM, starring Michael Brandon, Eileen Brennan, Alex Karras, Cleavon Little, Martin Mull and Cassie Yates went into general release in the US on this date. The film is often believed to be the inspiration for the sitcom WKRPContinue reading “Remember – no static at all”

April 28, 2009 –A TV commercial for the UK car insurance company, Swiftcover featuring Iggy Pop was ruled as misleading by the Advertising Standards Authority. In the ad, Iggy was seen exclaiming that he had an insurance policy with Swiftcover but the company did not cover musicians at the time of the ad being shown.Continue reading “We’d like your papers Iggy”

April 27, 1975 –The cult action film Death Race 2000, directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth, Sylvester Stallone, Mary Woronov, Martin Kove, and Don Steele, opened in the US on this date. Both David Carradine and Sylvester Stallone did much of their own driving in this film. In addition, producer RogerContinue reading “Death Race 2000 premiered”

April 27, 1963 –Allied Artists released the sci-fi thriller The Day of the Triffids, directed by Steve Sekely and starring Howard Keel, Nicole Maurey, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore, and Mervyn Johns in the US on this date. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott were only added to the cast when it was discovered upon completion ofContinue reading “The Day of the Triffids premiered –”

April 27, 1940 – The Merrie Melodies short, The Hardship of Miles Standish, directed by Friz Freleng, and starring Elmer Fudd, debuted on this date. This cartoon is seldom shown on television today due to Native American stereotyping. This cartoon was originally planned to be an Egghead cartoon directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton,Continue reading “The Hardship of Miles Standish premiered –”

April 27, 1940 – The Looney Tunes short, Porky’s Poor Fish, directed by Robert Clampett, and starring Porky Pig, debuted on this date. Three sequences from the storyboard got cut from the finished short, which include a view of a mama fish and three little fishes, a “dog fish” and “cat fishes,” a dance numberContinue reading “Porky’s Poor Fish premiered”

April 27, 1969 –Joe Cocker made his first U.S. TV appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, on this date. Together with the Grease Band, Cocker performed a cover of Dave Mason’s Feelin’ Alright. The song would end up being a two-time charting hit for Cocker –  in 1969 and again in 1972. Cocker included aContinue reading “Seems I’ve got to have a change of scene”

April 26, 1956 –Godzilla debuted in America on this date. (Gojira premiered in Japan on November 3, 1954.) The American version of the film had 40 minutes of the original excised (mostly the content dealing with World War II or the anti-nuclear message,) and had 20 minutes of the masterful deadpan stylings of Raymond Burr.Continue reading “Set your phasers to … Raymond Burr!”