Thursday, June 23, 2011

I know this will shock you

The New England Journal of Medicine has just released a study confirming that eating a whole bag of potato chips will make you fat.

I'm waiting with bated breathe for the study proving the corollary between drinking three martinis and drunkenness.


June 23, 1965
-
One of the classic Motown singles, Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, was released on this date.



Stevie Wonder came up with the idea for the song. He gave Robinson a demo of it at a Motown Christmas party. Robinson thought it sounded like a circus, and came up with the lyrics based on the clown.


June 23, 1955 -
Walt Disney's 15th animated feature, Lady and the Tramp, the first animated feature filmed in CinemaScope, opened in theaters on this date.



Casting Peggy Lee was possibly the first instance of a superstar voice being used for an animated film. Peggy Lee later sued Disney for breach of contract claiming that she still retained rights to the transcripts. She was awarded $2.3m, but not without a lengthy legal battle with the studio which was finally settled in 1991.


June 23, 1965 -
One of Frank Sinatra best performances on film, Von Ryan's Express, premiered on this date.



Sinatra insisted that his character to be killed off to add a token of believability to the movie as well as for there to be redemption for the death of the female character Gabriella.


Today in History:
June 23, 1611 -
The mutinous crew of Henry Hudson's fourth voyage sets Henry, his son and seven loyal crew members adrift in an open boat in what is now Hudson Bay; they are never heard from again.

So much for loyalty.


June 23, 1860 -
On this date, the U.S. Secret Service is founded to fight counterfeiting, protect the President



and give Robert Conrad a chance to show off his manly physique.


June 23, 1894 -
Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, briefly Edward VIII, King of England and later to be known as the Duke of Windsor, who abdicated his throne to marry American divorcee (and possible transvestite) Wallis Simpson, was born on this date.



Sometimes, it's very complicated to be the king.


June 23 1979 -
The rock group, the Knack releases My Sharona on this date.



Weird Al Yankovic did a parody of this called My Bologna. It was the song that kickstarted his career in song parody. He first recorded it while he was a student at California Polytechnic State University, and sent it to Dr. Demento who played it on his radio show.


June 23, 1989 -
Tim Burton's dark and brooding retelling of Batman, was released on this date.



Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office took home around $60 million. As of 2003 it is still the single-movie record for actor's salary.


June 23, 1994 -
Life may or may not be a box of chocolate but Forrest Gump premiered in Los Angeles, on this date.



Look for these things the next time you watch the film: with every transition of Forrest's age, one thing remains the same- in the first scene of each transition he wears a blue plaid shirt. Every still picture of Forrest during this film shows Tom Hanks with his eyes closed.


And on a personal note:
Happy Birthday David (whatever age you are is the new 30)



and so it goes.

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