Thanks to Michael Weldon for the tip (whether he knows it or not).
Friday, 30 December 2011
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Monday, 26 December 2011
YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW was the first major studio release from Francis Ford Coppola. Notable mainly for its wonderful title song and score by The Lovin' Spoonful as well as an early appearance by Karen Black, the film stars Peter Kastner. Kastner was a Richard Dreyfuss type before there was Richard Dreyfuss. He went from this to starring in a TV series entitled THE UGLIEST GIRL IN TOWN (about a man who cross-dresses and accidentally becomes a top model--seriously). It flopped. Coppola next did Fred Astaire's less than successful musical, FINIAN'S RAINBOW but soon enough would be working on THE GODFATHER and APOCALYPSE NOW.
Although he was the prototype for a number of top-hatted comic book magicians, Mandrake the Magician's best success came from his long-running newspaper strip. He never really caught on in comic books--at least in the US market. In 1966, however, his syndicate, King Features, started a short-lived run at publishing their own comic books. The first three issues of MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN came out in '66 and are seen here.
Friday, 23 December 2011
Although they had recorded quite a few rock and roll records in the late fifties as TOM & JERRY, none were really very successful. Reinventing themselves as a folk group in the early sixties didn't really work either. Then in '66, producer Roy Hallee added an electric guitar behind their already released recording of THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE (later retitled in the singular). The next thing you know, Paul's poetic lyrics and Artie's angelic voice became a combination that defined the sixties.
Here, over at the great CLASSIC TELEVISION SHOWBIZ site, is Welk's champagne music holiday special from '66 in all its now-kitschy, old-fashioned entirety.
http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/12/lawrence-welk-show-christmas-episode_6138.html
Thursday, 22 December 2011
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Monday, 19 December 2011
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Friday, 16 December 2011
This is the second DOCTOR WHO theatrical film starring Peter Cushing. The oddest part is that the character he plays is never mentioned whatsoever! Nor, in fact, are the Daleks mentioned by name! Even when the narrator mentions the title of the film, he skips that part!
As a point of trivia, though, the most interesting thing about this film, based closely on an early BBC William Hartnell serial of the Doctor, is the appearance of Bernard Cribbens who, four decades later, returned to the franchise as Donna Noble's grandfather!
Thursday, 15 December 2011
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
From the 1966 holiday issue of the kids' magazine JACK & JILL, one of only two issues I hung onto, here's the mag's coverage of the then brand-new this week HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. The scans are from this site where you can read more of the '66 issue of JACK & JILL as well as a ton of rare Disney ephemera!
Monday, 12 December 2011
When I was a kid, THE CHRISTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T was an annual affair for several years, generally playing only at the dreaded kiddie matinees where every seat was filled--or should have been--with running, jumping, screaming, throwing kicking, hair-pulling 9 year olds. Thus one would often have to sit through the picture twice in order to have an idea what it was all about. And this was one we wanted to get as much of as we could. It's a marvelous, enjoyable and almost original Christmas tale from the unlikely combination of Director/Star Rosanno Brazzi (SOUTH PACIFIC) and TV's Mr. I. Magination, Paul Tripp, who wrote it and co-stars. The memorable theme song was sung by former Limeliters lead singer Glenn Yarbrough. Brazzi plays a Grinchy character named Prune who tries to stop Christmas from coming. Ironically, 28 years later the actor himself died on Christmas Eve.
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Saturday, 10 December 2011
Friday, 9 December 2011
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