Here we go... For all the movies and documentaries that had been made about the Titanic sinking from the time that it happened, until 1996 one very pertinent detail was always left out, and that was the ship breaking in two. It might sound a little funny now, but up until Dr. Robert Ballard discovered … Continue reading The Second Time Titanic Broke
Judy Garland, Mystery Sleuth
Cash-ins, of course, are nothing new, and in 1945 Judy Garland was able to add another item to her resume. Well, sort of. In Judy Garland and the Hoodoo Costume, the former Dorothy Gale became an unwitting mystery sleuth. The author, Kathryn Heisenfelt, is more mysterious than her books and her books are all kinds of … Continue reading Judy Garland, Mystery Sleuth
Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
Next to garlic, chicken is the food named more than any other in Bram Stoker's novel and in Dracula lore (See a list of other foods mentioned here). Why was it such a favorite? Who knows. Bram Stoker may have just liked it. When Bram Stoker's original novel was published in 1897, chicken was a … Continue reading Dining With Dracula (Mom and Grandma’s Baked Chicken)
During World War Two: Aftermath
As we talked about last month, Americans knew they had a big job ahead, even after the war ended. It wasn't just a matter of bringing our servicemembers home, but of rebuilding both their lives and helping to rebuild a world that had been devastated by the war. Instead of war bonds, Americans were now … Continue reading During World War Two: Aftermath
During World War Two: On the Air
The Second World War has been referred to as "a radio war," simply because radio was such an integral part of relaying information to the public about bond drives, rationing, the latest news, and other aspects of living on the home front, but radio was probably the most special for Americans on the frontlines. Imagine … Continue reading During World War Two: On the Air
The Time My Dad Ate Chinese Food With Cary Grant
The stereotypes a lot of people have of Californians, even to this day, is that we all live next door to movie stars or that movie stars are everywhere we look, but the reality is that while our odds are definitely better in that regard, it's still a matter of being in the right place … Continue reading The Time My Dad Ate Chinese Food With Cary Grant
During World War Two: That’s Entertainment
As we all know, it's a tradition to send celebrities to entertain our troops. I can't speak to how it would feel to be deployed and suddenly see, say, Robin Williams or Gary Sinise, but I have a slight idea of how it feels to get an unexpected lift when one is exhausted, far from … Continue reading During World War Two: That’s Entertainment
Four Hundred Years Ago
2023 is the four-hundredth anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare's First Folio, and I can't believe I forgot to commemorate it. Oh well, it's December, obviously, so we're still in the ballpark. Phew. Anyway, the First Folio was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare's death, by Henry Condell and John Heminge, two friends of … Continue reading Four Hundred Years Ago
As It Happened
President Kennedy, I presume... The assassination of John F. Kennedy is one of those events that made such an impact, everyone who was alive and aware during that time remembers exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about it. While there's no way to recreate that time exactly, the … Continue reading As It Happened
Gowns By Adrian
Hollywood's Golden Era had no shortage of distinctive and wonderful costumers, such as Edith Head, Irene Sharaff, Kalloch, and Walter Plunkett, but for sheer prestige, we have to look to Gilbert Adrian, whose story is told in Rizzoli New York's Adrian: A Lifetime of Movie Glamour, Art, and High Fashion. The book covers the three … Continue reading Gowns By Adrian
During World War Two: You’re In the Armed Forces Now
Between 1941 and 1942 America's military went from approximately 1.8 million to almost four million, and by the end of the war around twelve million Americans were in the Armed Forces. The popular myth about the United States in the period immediately following Pearl Harbor is that recruitment offices were jammed with volunteers, but according … Continue reading During World War Two: You’re In the Armed Forces Now
Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
*Insert lion's roar here* There's no such thing as being too big to fail. MGM was always one of the biggest and most successful studios in Hollywood, but when they fell, they fell hard. Not that it was a surprise to anyone in the post-Production Code, post block-book era, seeing as MGM's fortunes had been … Continue reading Sold: The 1970 MGM Auction
Two Years Later
COVID is still fresh in a lot of minds, and we've all been affected differently by it over the past two years. We've also reacted differently to continued measures and actions by those we elect to represent us, and reality hits everyone sooner or later. Me, I got red-pilled at several points, like when I … Continue reading Two Years Later
During World War Two: Serious Days
Well, folks, we're happy to be back with you again, and on behalf of the Johnson Wax people and our cast, may we say that we're not unconscious of the fact that these are serious days. --Jim Jordan of the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show, September 5, 1939. On September first, Britain declared war … Continue reading During World War Two: Serious Days
You Will Not Forget This Date
It's hard to believe 9-11 happened twenty years ago today. How much has America changed since then? How much has the world changed since then? Look at us now. https://twitter.com/ian_mckelvey/status/1427608214024212485?s=20 Of course, on that bright Tuesday morning we had no way of predicting what was about to unfold. People went to work and school, got … Continue reading You Will Not Forget This Date
Bingeing In the Time of Coronavirus
Hi, all, hope everyone had a good Easter! I originally was supposed to go back to work tomorrow, but heh heh, no, I'm not, because I got temporarily laid off until the schools go back to normal. Whenever that is. Of all the states in the United States, California's among those which have gotten hit … Continue reading Bingeing In the Time of Coronavirus
A Dangerous Story
Mr. Goldman, I presume... To those of us who are older than thirty-five, the name, "Watergate" is rather charged, as it's one of the most notorious incidents of the last fifty years. I remember my high school history teachers talking more about Watergate than about World War Two or the Civil War. For those who … Continue reading A Dangerous Story
Taking Up Room 