Robert Altman 100 -- February 20, 2025

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Director Robert Altman was born 100 years ago today, on 20-February-1925. A large group of actors liked working with him because he allowed them to improvise. He enjoyed making satirical films.

During World War II, he served in the PTO as a B-24 pilot. 

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Lee Van Cleef 100 -- January 9, 2025

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Actor Lee Van Cleef was born 100 years ago today, on 09-January-1925. He was a veteran of World War Two. He became known for playing bad guys in western movies and television shows. Then he became famous appearing in spaghetti westerns like Serio Leone's For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Van Cleef and Clint Eastwood were a good team. From there, Van Cleef went on to appear in many more spaghetti westerns.

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Happy Veterans Day, 2024 -- Jimmy Stewart -- November 11, 2024

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Happy Veterans Day, everyone.

In 1941, Jimmy Stewart left a successful acting career to enlist in the US Army Air Corps, which became the US Army Air Force. He was the first major Hollywood star to sign up in the prelude to World War II. Stewart had learned to fly as a private citizen. 

Je received a commission at the beginning of 1942. He spent a year training pilots, and then appealed to be sent to the front. He flew B-24 bombers in the European Theater of Operations. After the war, as the USAAF became the US Air Force, he moved to the reserves and during his service time qualified to fly B-47s and B-52s. He reached the rank of Brigadier General before he retired in 1968. 

In Harm's Way -- May 27, 2024

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Happy Memorial Day, everyone. I thought this was a good day to write about Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way, which was the last big World War Two epic shot in black and white. It starred John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal and a host of others. Critics didn't like the movie and Kirk Douglas thought the special effects in the final battle were amateurish, but I enjoyed. It starts in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor and shows how the US Navy adjusted to war. I assume that Saul Bass designed the poster.

Frankie Darro -- May 6, 2024

Photoplay, May, 1924

Half-a-Dollar-Bill was Frankie Darro's second movie. He was six and this was his second film. Cameo the Dog made about 20 films during her career. Frankie Darro appeared in about 190 movies and television shows. He was short of stature and played children and teenagers for many years.

He served in the Navy as a hospital corpsman during World War Two. 

We will meet him again. 

Lee Marvin 100 -- February 19, 2024

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Lee Marvin was born 100 years ago today, on 19-February-2024. I always liked his style. He served in the Marine Corps during World War Two and was severely wounded on Saipan. 

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He made a big impression as the psychotic Vince in The Big Heat. Be careful around coffee pots. 

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Don Adams 100 -- April 13, 2023

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I have loved Get Smart since I first saw. I loved Don Adams' delivery and I admired Barbara Feldon. Don Adams was born 100 years ago today on 13-April-1923. He served in the USMC during World War Two. He fought on Guadalcanal and was severely injured on Tulagi. We had a Get Smart record and I learned many of the routines.


GET SMART - All Openings & Closings - Theme Song Credits - (1965 - 1970) - Opening Credits - Intro

Get Smart cone of silence 1


Get Smart - 217 (Siegfried) Someone Down Here Hates Me

The Spirit of '76 -- February 22, 2023

Motion Picture News, 07-April-1917

In honor of George Washington's birthday, here is an ad for The Spirit of '76 a Revolutionary War story that was released in 1917. It seems that producer and writer Robert Goldstein had invested his own money in this movie and completed it in 1916. 

Bisbee Daily Review, 05-December-1923

Soon after the film was released in 1917, the United States declared war on Germany. Robert Goldstein was the son of immigrants from Germany and the movie showed the British, who were now our allies, in a bad light. Goldstein was arrested, prosecuted and convicted under the Espionage Act of 1917, which made it illegal to attack our allies. he was sentenced to ten years in the penitentiary, but his sentence was commuted to three years by President Woodrow Wilson. 

Noah Beery played George Washington.

Bad Day at Black Rock -- November 11, 2022

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Happy Veterans Day, everyone. In Bad Day at Black Rock, a streamliner stops in the high desert town of Black Rock. This is the first time the streamliner has stopped there in four years. Spencer Tracy, playing one-armed John J Macreedy, steps down from the train. Everyone in the village is showing signs of paranoia. Macreedy wants to give the Japanese-American father of a friend a medal that his son had earned. Macreedy learns what had happened in the town and does something about it. Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin gave great performances as bad guys in small roles.

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During World War Two, director John Sturges served as a commissioned officer making films for the US Army Air Force.

Spencer Tracy volunteered for the US Navy during the First World War, but the war ended before he finished training. He was honorably discharged in 1919. 

During World War Two, Robert Ryan joined the US Marine Corps and served as a Drill Instructor. 

Ernest Borgnine served in the US Navy before the war. He reenlisted after Pearl Harbor and served throughout the war. 

Lee Marvin served in the USMC and was badly wounded on Saipan. 

Jackie Robinson 50 Years -- October 24, 2022

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I find it hard to believe that Jackie Robinson died 50 years ago today, on 24-October-1972.  He starred 

in many sports at UCLA.  He received a commission in the Army during World War Two.  Refusing to move to the back of the bus, he faced a court-martial for insubordination.  He was acquitted and spent the rest of his service coaching Army athletics.

After the war, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs, a team in the Negro American League.  Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey signed him to play for the Montreal Royals in 1946.  Rickey had been looking for a player to break the baseball color line, which had been in effect since the late Nineteenth Century.  Robinson agreed to turn the other cheek when racists on and off the field taunted him. In 1947, Robinson came out of spring training with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

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In 1950, Robinson played himself in The Jackie Robinson Story.  Ruby Dee played his wife Rachel.
I remember a 1990 television movie called The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson.  I couldn't find any photos.  Andre Braugher played Robinson.

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In 2013, Chadwick Boseman played Robinson in 42.  Ruby Dee played his mother.

Olive Borden 75 Years -- October 1, 2022

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 Actress Olive Borden, often called "The Joy Girl," was known for her extraordinary beauty. During World War Two, she served as a WAC. Olive Borden, suffering from alcoholism and other health issues, died 75 years ago today, on 01-October-1947, at the age of 41.

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Jackie Cooper 100 -- September 15, 2022

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When I was a kid, I was surprised to learn that the tough-looking kid in the Our Gang/Little Rascals movies was the same funny-looking guy who turned up all the time on television. Later I watched him grow up through a bunch of movies. After that, I learned that he was also a director, and that the served in the US Navy during World War Two and stayed in the Reserves after, retiring as a Captain. He was born 100 years ago today, on 15-September-1922.

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Sir Christopher Lee 100 -- May 27, 2022

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Sir Christopher Lee was born 100 years ago today, on 27-May-1922.  He was a veteran of World War II.  He was the only person involved with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies who had met JRR Tolkien.  He had a long career and worked nearly until his death in 2015.  He could act, sing and write.  He played all the great movie monsters in Hammer films with his good friend Peter Cushing.  He was a villain in a Bond movie. 

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Jack Klugman 100 -- April 27, 2022

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Actor Jack Klugman was born 100 years ago today, on 27-April-1922. I used to watch The Odd Couple, where he played Oscar Madison, with Tony Randall as Felix Unger. Klugman served in the US Army during World War Two. 

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Nehemiah Persoff, RIP -- April 9, 2022

Actor Nehemiah Persoff has died at the age of 102. He served in the US Army during World War Two. After the war he worked as a signal maintainer in the New York subway system and studied under Elia Kazan at the Actors Studio. He played gangsters in many movies, including Some Like it Hot and the version of Al Capone with Rod Steiger. 

Patrick Macnee 100 -- February 6, 2022

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Actor Patrick Macnee was born 100 years ago today, on 06-February-1922. He was a veteran of the Royal Navy in World War II. I always admired the way he played John Steed in various version of The Avengers.  He played a gentleman who could take care of himself. 

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Some San Francisco television station played The Avengers on Sunday (?) afternoons.  I also admired his costar, Diana Rigg.  I got confused when Diana Rigg was replaced by Linda Thorson.  Later I learned about Honor Blackman.  I didn't see any black and white episodes till many years later.  When the internet got going, I learned how far back the show went.  Steed was there most of the time. 

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Betty White 100 -- January 17, 2021

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Betty White would have been 100 years old today. She was born on 17-January-1922. During World War Two, she participated in the American Women's Voluntary Services. She started working regularly on television in 1949. I remember her on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Lots of people were looking forward to celebrating her birthday, but she died just a few weeks ago.

Betty White, RIP -- December 31, 2021

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Betty White died today, just shy of her 100th birthday. During World War Two, she participated in the American Women's Voluntary Services. She started working regularly on television in 1949. I remember her on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. We are going to miss her.

Charles Bronson 100 -- November 3, 2021

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Actor Charles Bronson was born 100 years ago today, on 03-November-2021. He was born in the coal country in Pennsylvania and worked in the mines from a young age. He served as a gunner on B-29s during World War II.

I remember enjoying his movies and the Mad Magazine versions of his movies. He always looked like a guy you should not mess with.

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Note that Bronson is billed fourth, but his picture is on the poster.

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Gene Roddenberry 100 -- August 19, 2021

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Gene Roddenberry, who created Star Trek and inspired its many descendants, was born 100 years ago today, on 19-August-1921. He flew for the US Army Air Force during World War Two. He started to write television scripts while he served in the Los Angeles Police Department. When he became a successful writer, he left the LAPD.

When Star Trek went on the air in 1965, its cast was far more diverse than any other show's. The show was popular with science fiction devotees, including my sister, but did not do well in the ratings. I watched it with her and enjoyed the special effects and the details. I assumed the creator must have served in the navy, because the Enterprise was run like a navy ship. I was sad when NBC tried to cancel it after two seasons, and was impressed that fans were able to get it back for a third season.

I saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the theater and was not impressed. I liked Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I have seen some of the other movies on television.

I saw a few episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but did not follow it.

I saw the first revival movie and thought it was ok.

Gene Roddenberry had a strong and ongoing influence on American culture.