Here’s an interesting reel of opening credits and set-up sequences of the shows you were likely to see if you were watching TV in the late 1940s. Television had of course been around in various forms and incarnations for almost twenty years by then, but it was in 1947-48 that
Groucho Marx had three children, a boy and girl from his first marriage (the boy, author Arthur Marx, wrote two books and two plays about Groucho) and one girl, Melinda, from his second marriage to Kay Gorcey, ex-wife of ‘Bowery Boy’ Leo Gorcey. (Now there’s an odd case of indirect
When I was a young’un I took great pleasure in watching ‘The Lawrence Welk Show’ on Sunday evenings. My parents and their contemporaries found this strange since Welk was way to square for them. (I can’t imagine what people my age thought of my devotion to the show). There were
After his star turn in MGM’s ‘Don Juan’ (1956), Ricky and Lucy Ricardo left Hollywood and returned back east. Ricky now was able to open his own club (the ‘Club Babalu’) and, being good mid-century citizens, they decided to flee the city and move to suburban Westport, Connecticut. A wonderful
Here are two mid-1960s Ginger Ale commercial spots, both of which use the same hipster narrator and Heffner-esque ‘Penthouse After Dark’ tone. The campaign line here is ‘one gulp is for thirst, the other gulps are for kicks’. We are deep in groovy mid-century party-land, with sexy chicks wearing striped
The director behind the great dance show ‘Hullabaloo’ (see yesterday’s post) was Steve Binder. After the shows untimely (and unfathomable) cancellation, Binder went on to direct many high profile TV music specials, including Elvis Presley’s famous ‘comeback’ show. In 1968, NBC gave Petulia Clark her own special–she’d been a guest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL6129bC4Ek In yesterday’s post about the forgotten but groundbreaking female detective show ‘Honey West’ I posited that perhaps the reason for the shows short one-season run was that audiences weren’t yet comfortable with a powerful female in a leading role doing work that typically is the province of men. Then
Above is the title sequence from ‘Honey West’, a groud-breaking American crime drama that aired on ABC for only one season–September 17, 1965 to April 8, 1966. It was executive produced by Aaron Spelling and starred Anne Francis as TVs first female private detective. (Spelling’s first choice for the role
To close out this weeks series of 1960s TV series promos (and revisitations of forgotten items) here’s a nine minute reel of forgotten and cancelled shows from the years 1963-67 roughly. Did you know there was a ‘Blondie’ TV series that flopped? I didn’t. ‘O.K. Crackerby’ is a famous flop
This terrific compilation video shows the teaser/intros to an astounding forty-two shows that comprised CBS’s 1962 season line-up. How was it possible that there were so many shows in one season? For one thing prime-time was defined more broadly then than it would be now–7PM to 11:30 PM. Also, most
'The Aloof' is Bob Fosse at his best, a #Dance number from 'Sweet Charity' that truly kills. Give it three minutes and change the complexion of your Monday for the better. #dancers #Broadway #MUSICAL #FilmTwitter #TCM https://raymonddefelitta.org/the-aloof-a-bob-fosse-joint/
Dig some Three Stooges action this Sunday with 'Loco Boy Makes Good', an exceptionally good Curly short with an exceptionally sad story about it's writer Clyde Bruckman. #comedy #filmtwt #TCM https://raymonddefelitta.org/saturday-stoogefest-16/
This weekend's Three Stooges offering is an excellent Curly vehicle called 'Loco Boy Makes Good' (1942). Enjoy it and enjoy my tale of how the film led to the suicide of one its writers, Clyde Bruckman. Jesus! #comedy #FilmTwitter #TCM #slap #Violence https://raymonddefelitta.org/saturday-stoogefest-16/
1080 Lexington Avenue pictured yesterday afternoon and in 1940. The old dame has seen a lot of NewYork passing by over the years. But it appears she’s finally meeting her end as we all do.
Watch a couple of early 1940s soundies featuring the teenage pre-#MGM Cyd Charisse. Fascinating viewing, IMHO. #Dance #MUSICAL #TCM #FilmTwitter https://raymonddefelitta.org/cyd-charisse-the-pre-mgm-years/
