Today is Read a Book Day, which should not be confused with National Book Lovers Day, celebrated on August 9th.
I've just recently read Ain't It Time We Said Goodbye: The Rolling Stones on The Road To Exile by Robert Greenfield.
September 6, 1925 -
The silent-film The Phantom of the Opera, starring, Lon Chaney (who considered it his crowning achievement) premiered in NYC on this date.
According to Charles Van Enger, the film's cameraman, he had a very strong reaction as Lon Chaney's unsuspecting "guinea pig". Chaney had summoned Van Enger to his dressing room without telling him why. When he got there and was standing about a foot behind the actor, Chaney suddenly spun around in full Phantom makeup! "I almost wet my pants. I fell back over a stool and landed flat on my back!" Chaney laughed so hard, and Van Enger, who by then was "mad as hell" yelled, "Are you NUTS?" Unable to clearly talk with his fake teeth in, Chaney spit them out and said, "Never mind Charlie, you already told me what I wanted to know."
September 6, 1936 -
The classic screwball comedy, My Man Godfrey, premiered on this date.
Although stars William Powell and Carole Lombard had been divorced for three years by the time they made this, when offered the part Powell declared that the only actress right for the part of Irene was Lombard.
September 6, 1944 -
Billy Wilder's film-noir classic, Double Indemnity, starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson, opened in NYC on this date.
Author James M. Cain later admitted that if he had come up with some of the solutions to the plot that screenwriters Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler did, he would have employed them in his original novel.
September 6, 1958 -
Steve McQueen debuted in the western series, Wanted: Dead or Alive, on CBS-TV on this date.
Steve McQueen was hired after Jack H. Harris, who was producing The Blob gave him a glowing reference to Dick Powell (the head of Four Star Productions). Powell also asked for, and was granted, the opportunity to view a rough cut of that film.
September 6, 1967 -
One of the seminal documentaries of the 60s, Don't Look Back directed by D. A. Pennebaker was released in NYC on this date.
The scene where Donovan visits Dylan in his hotel was generally viewed as Dylan putting the young singer-songwriter in his place when he grabs the guitar and performs It's All Over Now, Baby Blue. But a 2015 Criterion Collection remaster, with improved sound, revealed that Donovan actually requested Dylan play that song for him. That gave the entire scene a new meaning and revealed Dylan and Donovan as more friends than rivals.
September 6, 1975 -
After 13 Top 40 hits, Glen Campbell finally had his first No.1 hit with his song, Rhinestone Cowboy, on this date.
The song was written and originally recorded by Larry Weiss, a Brooklyn songwriter whose credits include Bend Me, Shape Me by The American Breed, Help Me Girl by The Animals and The Outsiders (both with Scott English). Campbell was on tour in Australia when he first heard the song. He bought a cassette copy and listened to it over an over. When he returned to America, he told Al Khoury, an A&R man, at his record label, that he found a perfect song to record. Khoury replied that he also had a great song for Campbell - it was Rhinestone Cowboy. Campbell took this bit of serendipity as a sign that he was destined to record it. The tune ended up becoming Campbell's signature song and a centerpiece of his live shows.
September 6, 1976 -
Fleetwood Mac's tenth studio album , Fleetwood Mac, went to No. 1 on the Billboard Charts on this date. It was their second eponymous album, (which was also known as their White Album); their first being the band's debut from 1968.
This was the first Fleetwood Mac album to feature Lindsey Buckingham as guitarist and Stevie Nicks as vocalist.
September 6, 1984 -
Milos Forman's adaptation of Peter Shaffer's play, Amadeus, starring Tom Hulce, F. Murray Abraham, and Elizabeth Berridge premieres in Los Angeles on this date
When shooting the scene in which Salieri is writing down the death mass under Mozart's dictation, Tom Hulce was deliberately skipping lines to confuse F. Murray Abraham, in order to achieve the impression that Salieri wasn't able to fully understand the music being dictated.
September 6, 1986 –
Bananarama's cover of the Shocking Blue single, Venus hit no. 1 on this date
Bananarama's version was produced by the team of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, who worked on hits by Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Dead or Alive (You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)) and Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky).
Another unimportant moment in history.
Today in History:
September 6, 1776 -
America's first submersible, David Bushnell's egg-shaped Turtle, piloted by Erza Lee (after Ezra Bushnell, David's brother, the submarine's initial captain, died the night before) unsuccessfully attacked the British-vessel HMS Eagle in New York harbor on this date.
The bomb was released into the water and resulted in a frightening explosion. While the American Turtle failed to destroy its target, the British recognized the threat and moved the fleet. Royal Navy logged and reported from this period make no mention of this incident, and it is possible that the Turtle's attack may be more submarine legend than historical event.
September 6, 1803 -
British scientist John Dalton (born on September 6, 1766,) begins using symbols to represent the atoms of different elements, which he considered to be the smallest parts of matter.
September 6, 1901 -
While shaking hands at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, President William McKinley was shot twice in the abdomen at point-blank range with a .32 caliber revolver, on this date. He, unintentionally, became the first President to ride in an automobile as a motorized ambulance takes him to a hospital.
The assassin, an anarchist by the name of Leon Frank Czolgosz, concealed his gun within a handkerchief, actually was a lone gunman (for once). McKinley died a week later and became the third American president assassinated.
September 6, 1916 -
Clarence Saunders opened the Piggly Wiggly® grocery store (the first self-service market,) at 79 Jefferson Street in Memphis, Tennessee, 105 years ago on this date. Piggly Wiggly's introduction of self-service grocery shopping truly revolutionized the grocery industry.
There were shopping baskets, open shelves and no clerks to shop for the customer – all unheard of at the time. There are still more than 600 Piggly Wiggly stores in the US today.
Although there can be no royalty in the United States, one young woman, is crowned each year as Miss America. The first such coronation was held for Margaret Gorman, on September 6, 1921.
Miss America reigns for one year, at which point she must retire-unless she removes her clothing, in which case she's deposed. (Or is that denuded?)
September 6, 1946 -
There is no 'us' and 'them'; it's an illusion. We are all human beings, and we all have a responsibility to support one another and to discover ways of wresting the power from the very, very few people who control all the cash and all the property..
Roger Waters, singer, bassist, co-founded Pink Floyd, and holder of some very controversial political opinions, was born on this date.
September 6, 1951 -
During a drinking party in Mexico City, author William S. Burroughs instructed his wife Joan Vollmer to balance a glass of gin on her head. He then takes careful aim with his new .38 pistol, and unintentionally blows her brains out in front of their friends. The Mexican authorities later charge Burroughs with criminal imprudence.
September 6, 1966 -
Parliamentary messenger Demetrios Tsafendas assassinated Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, considered to be the primary architect of Apartheid, by stabbing him in his chest on the floor of the South African legislature.
While Verwoerd died shortly thereafter, Apartheid tenaciously clung to life until 1994.
September 6, 1976 -
Years after their well-publicized break-up, Frank Sinatra privately orchestrated a surprise appearance of Dean Martin on Jerry Lewis' annual Labor Day telethon for the MDA. The two privately reconciled and maintained a relationship throughout the rest of their lives.
If only Sinatra could have knock off broads and booze long enough to deal with the whole Isael - Hamas situation.
September 6, 1997 -
Princess Diana's funeral was held on this date. Over a million people lined the streets and the world-wide TV audience for the funeral ceremonies was estimated at over two billion.
Elton John sung a new version of his hit single Candle In The Wind at the funeral. The new version, which replaced "Goodbye Norma Jean" with "Goodbye England's Rose," became the best-selling single of all time. Diana was buried on an island at her ancestral home at Althorp.
Before you go: Bunkies, I'm not sure if it gives you any comfort, but there are only 110 days until Christmas -
And 60 days until the presidential election
One more thing before you go - if you find yourself in Westport next Saturday (which is the rain date):
And so it goes.
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