Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Backwards and in high heels

Today marks the observance of International Women’s Day, celebrating the achievements of inspiring women around the world. (This year, International Women’s Day will recognize the economic, political and social achievements of women.)



The earliest Women’s Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York; it was organized by the Socialist Party of America in remembrance of the 1908 strike of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. An annual "international women's day" was first organized by the German socialist and theorist Clara Zetkin along with 100 delegates from 17 countries in March 1911.

 

March 8, 1933 -
The quintessential backstage musical, 42nd Street, premiered in New York City on this date.



Both Harry Warren and Al Dubin are credited onscreen for both music and lyrics, but no songs are credited onscreen. However, Warren wrote the music for all the songs recognized and listed in the soundtrack, and Dubin the lyrics for those songs which were sung.


March 8, 1959 -
The apex of the golden age of Television was achieved on this date when Groucho, Chico and Harpo make their final TV appearance together.



It was all down hill from here.


March 8, 1967 -
Mad Monster Party was released by Embassy Pictures for Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc on this date.



In her stand-up comedy routines, Phyllis Diller (The voice of The Monster's Mate,) referred to her husband as "Fang". She decided to use that name when referring to the character of Frankenstein's Monster whom her character is married to in this film because that is what she is used to. The producers decided to allow that since the name "Frankenstein's Monster" was copyrighted and use of it would have required them to pay for its use.


March 8, 1964 -
The first of three film adaptions of Richard Matheson novel, I am Legend, The Last Man on Earth, starring Vincent Price, premiered on this date.



The script was written in part by Richard Matheson, but he was dissatisfied with the result and was therefore credited as Logan Swanson. Richard Matheson as felt Vincent Price was miscast as Robert Morgan.


March 8, 1991 -
The highest grossing independent film of 1991, New Jack City, directed by Mario Van Peebles was released on this date.



The film is largely based on a real-life Detroit gang known as The Chambers Brothers. Writer Barry Michael Cooper got the idea for the film after visiting Detroit and learning about the gang's exploits.


March 8, 1996 -
The film that put the Coen Bros. into the mainstream consciousness, Fargo, went into limited release on this date.



William H. Macy stated in an interview that, despite evidence to the contrary, he did hardly any ad-libbing at all. Most of his character's stuttering mannerisms were written in the script exactly the way he does them in the film.


Today in History:
March 8, 1941 -
Sherwood Anderson and his fourth wife, Eleanor, were enjoying a well deserved vacation on a ocean liner bound from from New York to Valparaiso, Chile. During a cocktail party on the ship, Anderson was enjoying his olive from a well chilled martini: it would be his last.

Anderson soon became very ill and he and his wife had to disembarked at Colon in Panama and headed to a local hospital. He died in agony, two days later on this date. An autopsy revealed that he had accidentally swallowed a small piece of a toothpick (presumably in the martini olive), which had perforated his colon and caused a fatal case of peritonitis.

Not a great way to go.


March 8, 1950 -
Marshal Voroshilov announces the existence of the Soviet atomic bomb.

This baffled the western powers, who were sure they had left it somewhere safe.



33 years later, on this date, the ever swift President Ronald Reagan gets around to calling the Soviets, "an evil empire."


March 8, 1968
-
The Soviet submarine, K-129, sank in the Pacific Ocean, killing all 97 crew members aboard. Later in the year a U.S. submarine secretly retrieves an encryption machine, codebooks, and nuclear warheads from the Soviet vessel.



A further bold attempt is made in 1974 to bring up the entire submarine using the CIA ship Glomar Explorer, built by Howard Hughes. That mission supposedly fails, and was made public by the Los Angeles Times to the great embarrassment of the Agency.


March 8, 1999
-
Joseph Paul "Joe" DiMaggio passed away in his Florida home on this date in 1999.

We actually know where he's gone? And since he's been dead for 17 years, we should take our lonely eyes off of him.

It still gives me the creeps.


And so it goes.

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