Hope shines even in the darkest moments

Today is Good Friday,

(also know as, Great Friday, Holy Friday or Long Friday.)







On Good Friday, parishioners (the old ladies who populate church in the middle of most days) follow the officiant and observe the Stations of the Cross.


April 3, 1937 -
The Looney Tunes short, Porky's Romance, directed by Frank Tashlin and featuring Porky Pig debuted on this date.



This is the first appearance of Petunia Pig. She was intended to be a recurring character, as the staff were trying to find a new character to star with Porky Pig. Petunia was unsuccessful, along with many other characters, and only starred in a handful of shorts and a couple of books. A second star would not be found until Porky's Duck Hunt, Daffy Duck's first cartoon.
.


April 3, 1942 -
Another Technicolor fantasy from the Korda brothers, The Jungle Book, starring Sabu, premiered in NYC on this date.



The film score for The Jungle Book by Miklós Rózsa was so popular that it became the first commercial album of the score of an American film, which wasn’t a musical, to be released.


April 3, 1953 -
TV Guide was published for the first time on this date.

The cover was a photo of Lucille Ball's infant son Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV.


April 3,1956 -
Elvis Presley performed on The Milton Berle Show. The show was broadcast live from the aircraft carrier USS Hancock.



Elvis played the songs Heartbreak Hotel, Money, Honey, and Blue Suede Shoes. I would not suggest that you place you hand upon the screen - the power you feel emanating from the TV is probably coming from Uncle Miltie's pants and you don't know where that's been.


April 3, 1958 -
The 20th Century Fox film, The Long, Hot Summer, directed by Martin Ritt, and starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa, Orson Welles, Lee Remick, and Angela Lansbury, debuted on this date.



The scorching Louisiana heat didn't help Orson Welles's temperament on the set. "He was having terrible difficulty living in his own skin," said Angela Lansbury. "He was very, very heavy. We were working under dreadful conditions of heat and he was perspiring, and he seemed to have a lot of very thick make-up on." Part of that heavy make-up was a prosthetic nose that Welles wore, something he often did for his acting roles. The heat made Welles sweat so heavily that the nose would often come unglued and ruin the shot.


April 3, 1971 –
The Temptations had their third of four No. #1 Billboard charting hits with Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) on this date.



This was the last single for the Temptations with Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams in the group. Eddie started a solo career and in 1973 scored his biggest hit with Keep On Truckin'. Williams remained on salary as an advisor, but was plagued with personal problems - he was separated from his wife, owed back taxes and was being treated for alcoholism. He committed suicide in 1973 at age 34.


April 3, 1976 -
Johnnie Taylor's single Disco Lady went to #1 on the Billboard Charts, on this date, It was the first chart-topper with the word "disco" in the title.



Johnnie Taylor, nicknamed the "Soul Philosopher," recorded for Stax Records until the label imploded in 1975. Moving to Columbia, his first release was this massive disco hit, which finds Taylor singing the praises of a lady on the dance floor.


April 3, 1977 -
Lion's Gate Films released Robert Altman's fever dream movie, 3 Women, starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule in NYC on this date.



Director Robert Altman based the film's title, locations, and cast members on a series of dreams he had. Even Altman admitted that he wasn't sure what the ending would be, although he did have a loose theory about it.


April 3, 1982 -
I Love Rock 'n' Roll by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts topped the charts on this date. The song was number 1 on the Billboard charts for two months after 23 major record labels refused to give her a deal.



The video was directed by Arnold Levine, who also did many of the Loverboy and Bruce Springsteen clips. Jett wore a red leather outfit to the shoot, which took place at New York club called Private's with an assortment of fans that showed up that day forming the crowd. When Jett and Levine looked at the edit, the colors were a mess, with way too much red and mauve in the shots because of poor fashion choices. This was not the rock and roll video they imagined, but when Jett saw the black-and-white work copy, she loved it. Without the color, the clip looked gritty and retro, which is what they were going for.


April 3, 2010 -
Matt Smith makes his first appearance as the 11th Doctor in BBC program Doctor Who during The Eleventh Hour episode, on this date.



One clothing retailer reported that in the month following the airing of this episode in which the Doctor declared that "bow ties are cool," its bow tie sales increased by 94%.


Another unimportant moment in history


Today in History:

April 3, 1860 -
The Pony Express made its first run on this date. The Pony Express became the quickest and most reliable mail delivery method in the newly developed American West, and covered land from Missouri to California in under ten days.



Though the Pony Express only lasted for about a year, it deeply impacted the development of the West. The Pony Express would be put out of business just eighteen months later with the completion of the first transcontinental telegraph line in October 1861.


Things were not looking good for the outlaw Jesse James. With his gang depleted by arrests, deaths, and defections, Jesse believed he had only two men left whom he could trust: brothers Bob Ford and Charley Ford. Frank James had decided to retire and attempt to settle down. Joe Walsh had not yet been born. Little did Jesse know that Bob Ford had been conducting secret negotiations with Thomas T. Crittenden, the Missouri governor, to bring him in.

On April 3, 1882, as James prepared for another robbery, he decided to do a little housekeeping - as all good bank robbers do. It was a rare moment: he had his guns off, having removed them earlier when the unusual heat forced him to take off his coat; as he moved in and out of the house, he feared the pistols would attract attention from passersby. Seizing the opportunity, the Fords drew their revolvers. Bob was the faster, firing a shot into the back of Jesse’s head, killing him instantly.



The assassination became a national sensation. The Fords made no attempt to hide their role; as crowds pressed into the little house in St. Joseph to see the dead bandit, they surrendered to the authorities, pleaded guilty, were sentenced to hang, and were promptly pardoned by the governor. Indeed, the governor’s quick pardon suggested that he was well aware the brothers intended to kill, rather than capture, Jesse James. (The Ford brothers, like many who knew James, never believed it was practical to try to capture such a dangerous man.) The implication that the chief executive of Missouri conspired to kill a private citizen startled the public and helped create a new legend around James.



The Fords received a portion of the reward (some of it also went to law enforcement officials involved in the plan) and fled Missouri, which now fully embraced the outlaw who had long divided public opinion in the state. Zerelda, Jesse’s mother, appeared at the coroner’s inquest, deeply anguished, and loudly denounced Dick Liddil, a former gang member who was cooperating with state authorities. Charley Ford committed suicide in May 1884. Bob Ford was killed by a shotgun blast to the throat in his tent saloon in Creede, on June 8, 1892. His killer, Edward Capehart O'Kelley, was sentenced to life in prison. Because of health problems, his sentence was commuted, and O’Kelley was released on October 3, 1902.


Insufferable Bastards are not to be confused with Evil Bastards. Insufferable Bastards correct your pronunciation, order mesclun salad, and belittle your appreciation of hamburgers; Evil Bastards kill millions of people and launch world wars.



Ironically, this week marks the anniversary of one of this century’s Evilest Bastards coming to power: Joe Stalin became Secretary General of the Communist Party on April 3, 1922.


April 3, 1924 -
The brilliant actor and total loon Marlon Brando was born on this date.



It's almost hard to remember that Brando was one of the more beautiful and talented actor (and owner of one of the most voracious sexual appetites) of his generation.  (Since this is a somewhat respectable blog, I will merely say that it has been reported that Mr. Brando would have carnal relations with anything with a pulse.)



Interesting fact: according to Brando, the great love of his life was Wally Cox (his childhood friend.)



Brando was quoted as saying: "If Wally had been a woman, I would have married him and we would have lived happily ever after." After TV's Mr. Peepers and the voice of Underdog died, Brando kept his ashes in his bedroom for 30 years and conversed with them nightly. Eventually, the ashes (Wally's) were eventually scattered with his (Marlon's) own.


April 3, 1924 -
The really frightening thing about middle age is the knowledge that you'll grow out of it.

Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, singer and actress, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on this date.  She turns to singing when a car accident wrecks her dreams of becoming a professional dancer.



I bet you never thought about Marlon Brando and Doris Day in the same universe.


On April 3, 1930, Ras Tafari was proclaimed Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia (his coronation occurred on November 3, 1930.)

This ultimately resulted in Bob Marley.



which makes it a lovely day indeed


April 3, 1936 -
The state of New Jersey extended one final courtesy to Bruno Hauptmann and offered him the hot seat for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby on this date.



(as previously discussed, a crime he probably did not commit.)


April 3, 1942 -
Mr. Las Vegas, Carson Wayne Newton, was born on this date.



Mr. Newton, your love of plastic surgery has affected your thinking, especially about your love of Mr. Trump.  But we like you anyway.


April 3, 1958 -
One of the Baldwin brothers, I think the not-so-husky but very hairy one (only in comparison with his brothers), Alexander Rae Baldwin III was born on this date.



Alec has three younger brothers, all actors and two younger sisters, who are not brothers or actors. It is common knowledge that there was another Baldwin brother, Gummo, who was eaten by his siblings during some freakish childhood shopping accident at a Long Island Wegman's, although you didn't hear it from me.


April 3, 1966 -
Soviet Union's Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon on this date.



No amount of Preparation H helped President Johnson's hemorrhoidal flare up on this date.


April 3, 1968 -
... It really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountain top, and I don't mind....



Less than 24 hours before he was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "mountaintop" speech to a rally of striking sanitation workers.



And so it goes.

Today is the Thursday of Mysteries

Also known as Maundy Thursday. It's also known as Holy Thursday, Sheer Thursday (as in to cleanse or "sheer off" sin), Covenant Thursday, and Great and Holy Thursday, A day with many names, each pointing to something sacred, ancient, and deeply human.

This day commemorates the Last Supper - Jesus' final meal with his disciples before his arrest. It’s the origin of the Eucharist and the commandment to love one another as He has loved us ("mandatum," the Latin root of Maundy, means command).

Among the other things going on remember: don't go to a dinner party with 12 other people -



This evening begins the Easter Triduum, (aka Holy Triduum, Paschal Triduum, or The Three Days,) the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Holy Thursday and ends with Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

Today is a big confessional day - If you are so intent on reading about my misspent youth as an altar boy, read here.


According to the Nation Peanut Board, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches are good for the planet.



A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 2,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school.

Today is Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Peanut Butter and Jelly Day celebrates the most popular sandwich in America! Studies show that there is a 75% chance that if you drop a slice of peanut buttered bread, it will fall face down.



Enjoy every sandwich bunkies.


On this day, April 2, 1902, Tally's Electric Theatre was established in downtown Los Angeles as the first theater built only for motion pictures.



Moving pictures had been seen in France and other parts of the U.S., but the Electric Theatre was the only theatre dedicated to showing moving pictures exclusively.


April 2, 1942 -
One of the (in)famous 'censored' Looney Tunes, Any Bonds Today?, was released on this date.



This movie stands as a testament to the rapid rise in popularity of Bugs Bunny. Only a year and a half earlier, Bugs had been introduced to the public in A Wild Hare and already the Treasury Department had commissioned a special Bugs film to sell war bonds.


April 2, 1948 -
I Taw a Putty Tat, another classic Sylvester and Tweety cartoon, premiered on this date.



Look for the first appearance of Hector the Bulldog.


April 2, 1966 -
The film based on Sister Luc-Gabrielle, a Belgian nun who had a #1 US hit with the French language song Dominique, The Singing Nun, starring Debbie Reynolds, opens in theaters.



Unfortunately, the lovable nun was a one-hit wonder whose life did not continue happily after her brief blush of chart success. After leaving the church for a full-time music career, she ran into heavy financial problems and eventually took her own life.


April 2, 1968 -
Stanley Kubrick's influential science-fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey, premiered in Washington D.C. on this date.



The movie was not a financial success at first. MGM was planning to pull it back from theaters, but several theater owners persuaded them to keep showing the film. Many owners noticed increasing numbers of young adults attending the film. They were especially enthusiastic about watching the "Star Gate" sequence under the influence of psychedelic drugs. This helped the film to become a financial success.



Pink Floyd was at one point approached to perform music for the film. However they turned it down due to other commitments. Yet they retain a connection with the film: much like The Wizard of Oz and Dark Side of the Moon, it is said that Pink Floyd's song Echoes from the album Meddle can be perfectly synchronized with the Jupiter & Beyond the Infinite section of the film.

You figure out how much dope you have to smoke in order to make that work out.


April 2, 1971 -
The last episode of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows, which aired on ABC-TV, was shown on this date.



Due to the grueling five-shows-a-week schedule, the expense and the difficulty of video editing in those days, most scenes were shot in a single take. Actors and actresses routinely flubbed their lines and searched for the teleprompter, set pieces collapsed, props malfunctioned, crew members walked into shots, microphones and secondary cameras got in the way, and it all wound up being preserved, because the production team figured each episode would only be seen one time. Joan Bennett and Louis Edmonds are the only actors to appear in both the first and the last episodes of the series.


April 2, 1976 -
The war drama The Eagle Has Landed, directed by John Sturges, and starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, Robert Duvall, Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence, Anthony Quayle, and Jean Marsh went into general release on this date.



In his autobiography, Michael Caine confessed to being somewhat disappointed with the end product: "The picture was being directed by the Hollywood old-timer John Sturges, and we were all very pleased that this illustrious veteran had agreed to direct our film. That is, until one day when I was talking to him between set-ups and he informed me that, now that he was older, he only ever worked to get the money to go fishing, which was his passion. Deep-sea fishing off Baja California, he added, which was very expensive. The moment the picture finished, he took the money and went. Producer Jack S. Wiener later told me that he never came back for the editing nor for any of the other post-production sessions that are where a director does some of his most important work. The picture wasn't bad, but I still get angry when I think of what it could have been with the right director. We had committed the old European sin of being impressed by someone - just because he came from Hollywood."


April 2, 1978 -
The popular series Dallas premiered on CBS-TV as a five week mini-series, on this date.



Most of the cast wore their own clothes during the pilot episode and subsequent installments of the first season instead of clothing from the studio wardrobe department.


April 2, 2006 -
Gnarls Barkley's Crazy makes history by becoming the UK's first-ever #1 single to top the chart solely on download sales.



Gnarls Barkley is producer Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and vocalist Cee-Lo Green (Thomas Callaway). Danger Mouse produced The Gorillaz album Demon Days; Cee-Lo was in Goodie Mob. The name "Gnarls Barkley" is a play on "Charles Barkley," who is a Hall Of Fame basketball player and an outspoken commentator. The moniker came up in a conversation between Danger Mouse and some of his friends when they were throwing out weird ideas for band names.


Another little known Monopoly card


Today in History -
Back in the eighth century, countries had not yet been formally invented. That part of western Europe known today as France was simply called Frankland. This helped distinguish it from neighboring areas, such as Georgeland to the north and Hansland to the east. The Franks had allowed themselves to be ruled for several generations by the Merovingians. The Franks hoped that the Merovingians would someday make them a country - preferably France.

Unfortunately, the Merovingians had names like Merowig, Dagobert, and Childeric, and were therefore unlikely to produce a serious nation such as France, but more likely Luxembourg or Liechtenstein.

Working directly beneath the kings of the Merovingian line, however, was a family that had been increasing its power and influence in the Frankish court for several generations. These were the descendants of Arnulf, and they were much more serious than the flaky Merovingians.

The Arnulfians were all named either Pepin or Charles, and they all served as Mayors of the Palace. It wasn't much of a title, but it allowed them to siphon power from the Merovingians until the kings had no power left at all.

The last Merovingian king was Childeric III. When he realized he was finally powerless - that the office of the Mayor of the Palace had usurped all the power of the monarchy - he became upset and refused to trim his whiskers.

He was shaved and sent off to live in a monastery.

The first Arnulfian king was Pepin the Short, son of Charles "the Hammer" Martel, son of Pepin the Easily Confused. Pepin the Short had two sons, Charles and Carloman. The boys were too young to have acquired official nicknames, but were almost certainly referred to affectionately as Chuckie and Carlo—possibly in that order.

King Pepin got the Pope's approval to be king and immediately afterward began exterminating Saracens. This was a favorite recreation of European royalty at the time. History is ambiguous about these so-called Saracens, who afflicted southern and eastern Europe during this period. They may have been an aggressive species of deer, fierce carnivorous birds, or even swarms of disease-carrying rodents. Some historians call them "Mussel-men" - presumably half-mussel, half-man. Such a monster is too terrible to imagine, especially if you like seafood. We know only that it was necessary to kill them, and that Pepin did this admirably.

Finally, he died.

Chuckie and Carlo divided Frankland between them until Carlo died, at which point Chuckie became king of everything.

It seemed inappropriate to call him Chuckie from that point forward, and so he came to be known as Big Chuck. As he got older, he became Charles the Great, and eventually, of course, he turned out to be Charlemagne.



He conquered a lot of territory, killed a lot of Saracens, and is often credited with the invention of France—or at least something that closely resembled it.

He was born on April 2. I forgot to mention that.


April 2, 1513 -
Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida on this day looking for the fabled "Fountain of Youth," (Fountains of Wayne hadn't formed as a group yet, so tickets would not have been on sale.)



The Captain exclaimed that he had discovered a new land and claimed it for Spain. This annoyed the native population almost immediately and Leon and his explorers made a hasty retreat to Cuba, though the territory remained officially the property of Spain until the 1800s.


April 2, 1917 -
The world must be made safe for democracy

108 years ago today, President Woodrow Wilson, delivered a speech before a joint session of Congress and recommended that a state of war be declared between the United States and the imperial German government.



Congress granted the request four days later, and the US entered World War I. Luckily, Mr. Wilson hadn't had his debilitating stroke yet - Mrs. Wilson was still working on throwing her voice.


April 2, 1992 -
The head of the Gambino crime family, John Gotti (known as the "Teflon Don" for his ability to avoid conviction,) was finally convicted on 13 counts that included murder and racketeering on this date.



Gotti was found guilty on all counts, and served out the rest of his life in jail.

Remember kids - For the wages of sin is death.



And so it goes.

Zissen Pesach

Passover starts tonight - please bone up on those four questions.







Remember you will not be graded on a curve!



While it's not as bad as not finding the missing easter egg, by all means, please find the Afikoman, (no one wants to accidentally eat a piece of exceptionally stale cracker.)


When you woke up this morning, one of your first thoughts probably was probably, Will there be a new tax on tacks?. Don't worry, you'll know soon enough. But anyway, it's April (again.)

April is National Poetry Month

It is a cruel month - usually mixing memory with tax payments (hopefully you've heard that you have to file your taxes by Wednesday, April 15, this year.) April was the second month in an early Roman calendar, but became the fourth when the ancient Romans started using January as the first month. The Romans called the month Aprilis. It may come from a word meaning 'to open', or it may come from Aphrodite, the Greek name for the goddess of love or it may come from the word meaning 'month that used to be second but now is fourth



Please opine upon this as you think about Vice PresidentJ.D. Vance and his beard

Small animals that hibernate are usually coming out of their burrows in April. The birds fly back northward or they settle down to have their families. Small Jewish people usually fly northwards from Miami to spend the holidays with their mishpocha. The bees and butterflies begin to gather nectar from the first flowers of the season.



In some parts of the world, it's planting time. In other parts, it's the harvest season. And yet in other places, it's the sanity that follows March Madness. Professional baseball begins in April. Then the amateur athletes begin to go outside in the warm weather. Spring cleaning starts and people start mowing their yards again.



Unlike most other non-foolish holidays, the history of April Fool's Day, sometimes called All Fool's Day, is not entirely clear. There isn't a specific "first April Fool's Day" that can be pinpointed on the calendar. Some believe it evolved simultaneously in several cultures from celebrations involving the first day of spring.



The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition dates back to 1582 in France. Before that year, the new year was celebrated for eight days, starting on March 25, with the celebrations culminating on April 1. However, with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX, the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, moving New Year's Day to January 1.



Communications being what they were in the days when news traveled by foot, many people did not receive the news for several years. Others, the more obstinate crowd, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April 1. These "backward" folk were labeled as "fools" by the general populace. They were subject to ridicule and often sent on "fool's errands" or became the butt of other practical jokes.



Over time, this harassment evolved into a tradition of prank-playing on the first day of April. The custom eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century and was later introduced to the American colonies by both the English and the French. Thus, April Fool's Day developed into an international fun fest, with different nationalities specializing in their own brand of humor at the expense of their friends and families.



In Scotland, for example, April Fool's Day is actually celebrated for two days. The second day is devoted to pranks involving the posterior region of the body and is called Taily Day. The origin of the "kick me" sign can be traced back to this observance.

Mexico's counterpart to April Fool's Day is observed on December 28. Originally, this day was a solemn remembrance of the slaughter of the innocent children by King Herod, but it eventually evolved into a lighter commemoration involving pranks and trickery.

Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple (such as saying, "Your shoe's untied!") to the elaborate. Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag. Whatever the prank, the trickster usually finishes by yelling to their victim, "April Fool!" In Scotland, it usually ends with sodomy.



Practical jokes are a common practice on April Fool's Day, with some elaborate ones played on friends or relatives that last the entire day. Even the news media gets involved. For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about "spaghetti farmers" and how they harvest their crop from spaghetti trees.



Happy April Fools, everybody!


Today is also the non-denominational the Feast of St. Stupid's day.

here is the history of St. Stupid, directly from the font of all knowledge - Wikipedia:

... According to legend, St. Stupid was the son of a codpiece. It is also told that he had not one mother, but thousands. Wherever a country lass was deceived by a traveling player, wherever a child of questionable parentage was born, St. Stupid was there. He was a clever child who played the fool from an early age. He did not speak until he was in puberty, although he was able from the time he was two. He delighted in confounding and confusing his fellow beings. He did rock imitations. He slept with the chickens and crowed with the roosters. He traveled over most of the known world and much of the unknown world, creating mischief wherever he went. At times he attracted others and together they put on dumb shows where they confounded and swindled their audiences....



The annual parade celebrating the venerable saint, held in San Francisco, will be held this afternoon.


Today is also Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action. What used to be known as as Kick Butts Day, is a day of activism that empowers young people to speak out against the tobacco industry.



It has been organized by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids since 1996.


April 1, 1930 -
Josef von Sternberg's Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel), starring unknown German actress, Marlene Dietrich, premiered in Berlin on this date.



Marlene Dietrich's screen test for this film survives. In it, she upbraids an unidentified piano player for his bad playing and sings two songs, the first of which is "You're the Cream In My Coffee."


April 1, 1949 -
The film noir drama Impact, directed by Arthur Lubin, and starring Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Helen Walker, Anna May Wong, Tony Barrett, and William Wright, went into general release in the U.S. on this date.



Helen Walker and Ella Raines, who were born less than a month apart, were 19 years younger than Brian Donlevy. Walker was only four years younger than Tony Barrett. In a case of life mirroring art, Donlevy, though older than Barrett, outlived him. Barrett died in 1974 at age 58 from cancer, while Donlevy died in 1972 at age 71 from throat cancer. Walker also died from cancer at a young age, 47, in 1968. Raines lived to age 68, passing away in 1988. Like Donlevy, she died from throat cancer.


April 1, 1950 -
The fourth and final cartoon to feature Beaky Buzzard, Strife with Father, directed by Robert McKimson, debuted on this date.



When Beaky's father says "If I were King...", Beaky responds "That's no King...that's Monty". This was also meant as a reference to then British Viscount Sir Bernard Law Montgomery (commonly called Monty).


April 1, 1960 -
The Merrie Melodies short Person to Bunny directed by Friz Freleng and starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Elmer Fudd, debuted on this date.



This is the final cartoon to have Arthur Q. Bryan as the voice of Elmer Fudd, as well as his final role in acting (not counting archival footage) before his death in November of 1959.


April 1, 1976 -
Five years after the infamous trial, CBS premiered a made-for-television movie Helter Skelter, about the Charles Manson Family murders, on this date.



Steve Railsback received so much critical acclaim for his portrayal of Charles Manson that major movie studios later offered him several roles as villains and killers in theatrically-released movies. Fearing typecasting, Railsback turned most of the offers down. The only villainous character on which Railsback regrets passing was that of Joshua in Lethal Weapon , a role that ultimately went to Gary Busey.


April 1, 1978 -
Tonight was the last time you could play the original version of the game, 'Hi Bob' because the final episode of The Bob Newhart Show aired on this date.



Over the course of the series, the phrase, "Hi, Bob" was said 256 times. Howard Borden (Bill Daily) said it a total of 118 times. Dr. Jerry Robinson (Peter Bonerz) logged 43. Carol Kester (Marcia Wallace): 36 times and Emily Hartley (Suzanne Pleshette): 17 times. Minor characters or guest stars said it 43 times, and Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) even said it once himself.


April 1, 1989 -
The Bangles hit single Eternal Flame, riose to the top of the Billboard Charts on this date. Less than six months later, the band broke up. (Such is life.)



The Bangles announced their breakup on September 21, 1989, less than six months after Eternal Flame topped the US charts. The group was filled with creative tension and feeling generally overwhelmed. When Hoffs and bass player Michael Steele didn't attend Debbi Peterson's wedding in the summer of 1989, it was clear their relationship was beyond repair. The split came when Hoffs told her bandmates she was leaving to pursue a solo career, which she did.


April 1, 2007 -
Showing her very acute sense of irony, Alanis Morissette transforms the Black Eyed Peas' song My Humps into a mournful piano ballad for an April Fools' Day prank.



The accompanying music video debuts on YouTube on this date and became a viral sensation, garnering millions of views.


Another episode of ACME's Little Known Animal Facts


Today in History:
April 1, 78 -
Roman scientist Gaius Brutus Caellus produced the first alkaline battery on this date. No practical use could be discovered for his invention, as it would be nineteen full centuries before the advent of cordless vibrator, it became a mere academic curiosity.

It was gradually forgotten until Alessandro Volta used writings about Caellus's novelty to invent the first "wet cell" battery in 1800.


April 1, 1865 –
Ordered to hold Five Forks, Confederate General George Pickett instead fought the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," and lost almost 3,000 troops on this date.



Oops


April 1, 1895 -
Alberta Hunter, blues singer, songwriter and nurse, was born on this date.



After the death of her mother in 1954, Ms. Hunter retired from the music industry and 'reinvented' herself', becoming a nurse working until the late 70s (my grand-aunt worked with her at the time.)



Coming out of her second retirement, Ms. Hunter accepted a 'two-week' engagement in a downtown NYC nightclub, The Cookery, that lasted almost six years (until shortly before her death.)


April 1, 1960 -
The world's first experimental weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched on this date.



TIROS-I was operational for only 78 days, but proved extremely successful, providing the first accurate weather forecasts based on data gathered from space.


April 1, 1970 -
President Richard Nixon signs legislation officially banning cigarette ads on television and radio.



This act required cigarette manufacturers to place warning labels on their products that stated “Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health.”


On April 1, 1976, Max Ernst died. On April 2, he was born. This sort of contradictory behavior was typical of Ernst, one of the founders of the Dada movement.



The Dada movement’s central philosophy was haddock, and its importance has been pocketbook.


April 1, 1984 -
Legendary Motown singer Marvin Gaye, who had recently moved back in with his parents, physically battered his own father.



Minutes later Dad returns with a gun, shooting Marvin twice in the chest and killing him instantly (sorry but there's no funny jokes to make about this.)


April 1, 2004 -
Google launches Gmail, a free webmail and POP3 email service, as an invitation-only beta. The launch is initially met with wide-spread skepticism due to Google’s long-standing tradition of April Fool’s jokes.



Gmail differs from other services in that it ran as smoothly as any desktop application, largely thanks to the use of Ajax in its interface.



And so it goes.