Welcome to 2019. What better way to start the year off than with an embarrassing old commercial for Martini & Rossi (booze, if you’re not familiar with it) starring Angie Dickinson–then the smoking hot spokesdame for the brand–and a clearly uncomfortable Burt Bacharach at the piano. Burt can’t seem to
This vivid, color film reel of various New York City locales in 1939 is, sadly, something of a mystery as the person who posted it on Youtube declined to comment on it or allow comments (due to racist sentiments apparently). Still, it’s quite a find. In three minutes we get
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFvVeu8LQXAhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghwQT4bKWCk Those of us who follow the NFL (which, for those of you who don’t, stands for the National Football League) have heard a lot in recent years about the effects of repeated bashings on the head, which often leads to a disease called Chronic Traumatic Encephalopity (or CTE if
Above witness a seemingly interminable four minute marathon of Three Stooges slaps, kicks, pokes etc. culled mainly (for some mysterious reason) from movies made in the 1935-36 window. And when I say interminable, I mean: in·ter·mi·na·ble/inˈtərmənəb(ə)l/adjective endless (often used hyperbolically).“we got bogged down in interminable discussions”synonyms:(seemingly) endless, never-ending, unending, nonstop, everlasting, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, constant, continual, uninterrupted, sustained;
Ninety years and two and a half weeks ago, on November 25 1928, a party was given in Paris. It was a strange and lovely event, with tango dancing, a fashion show, a period costume competition, a lovely female vocalist and a movie camera. The last was there to document
Here are excerpts from the 1937 film adaptation of Sidney Kingsley’s ‘Dead End’, directed by William Wyler. This little grouping of scenes has apparently been assembled by an acting coach who uses it to teach his students an old-time New York East Side accent. It’s kind of a gas to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHf_DtcxhpE The wonderful and wildly prolific writer Harlan Ellison died this past week at the age of 84 (click here for his fascinating NY Times obit). In 2006 my producing partner David Zellerford and I had the pleasure of interviewing him at his home in the hills above the San Fernando Valley
In June 1926 the New York City Subway workers went on strike for higher pay, shutting down the IRT and forcing crowds of New Yorkers to mill about waiting for busses, trolleys and other forms of transportation which were suddenly overloaded with riders who usually used the trains. Strike breakers
Thanks to the Fox Movietone sound-on-film technology, we have documentary views of many strange and interesting habitats with the actual sound captured as well. England, India, the Midwest, Long Beach California–all are pictured in the late 20s/early 30s and are available on Youtube. (By the way, my son just pointed
In the interests of keeping this blog (such an early 21st century term) from becoming a Laurel and Hardy tribute site, I’ve posted the above 1979 commercial for Milk. Don’t ask why. There doesn’t have to be a reason for everything. But I’ve always admired the drum fill toward the