March 4, 1922 -
The first vampire film Nosferatu, an illegal adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, was released in Germany on this date.
All known prints and negatives were supposed to be destroyed under the terms of settlement of a lawsuit by Florence Stoker, Bram Stoker's widow. Over the next few years, surviving copies made their way to the U.S. and UK.
March 4, 1950 -
One of the classic Chuck Jones Looney Tunes cartoons, The Scarlet Pumpernickel, was released on this date. This was another show I was not allowed to watch with my family because I laughed too loudly.
By all means, please, stop eating or drinking while watching this cartoon, you may injury yourself. Also, a State dept report has just been released, the cavalry came to the rescue but it was too late.
March 4, 1961 -
Michelangelo Antonioni's landmark of European cinema, L'Avventura, premiered in the US on this date.
At its premiere at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, the film was booed so much to the extent that Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti fled the theater. However, after the second screening there was a complete turn around in how it was perceived and it was awarded the Special Jury Prize.
March 4, 1967 -
The Rolling Stones song, Ruby Tuesday, topped the charts on this date.
This was supposed to be the B-side of Let's Spend the Night Together, but many radio stations shied away from the sexual implications of that song, so they played this instead and made it a hit.
March 4, 1982 -
The David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker silliness, Police Squad, starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin, premiered on ABC-TV on this date.
Each week featured a "Special Guest Star" who is killed off in the opening credits. Lorne Greene and William Conrad are knifed and tossed out of cars; Georg Stanford Brown has a safe dropped on him; Florence Henderson is shot during a musical number; Robert Goulet is executed by a firing squad; and William Shatner avoids a burst of machine-gun-fire only to drink a glass of poisoned wine.
March 4, 1984 -
Appearing in front of 50,000 people, The Police play the final concert of their Synchronicity tour in Melbourne, Australia, on this date.
It is their last show, except for a few special events together, until 2007.
March 4, 1996 -
The Beatles song Real Love, compiled from a John Lennon demo recording, is released in the UK, on this date. Yoko Ono supplied Lennon's demo for this song and Free As A Bird and gave the remaining Beatles permission to use them.
Jeff Lynne from The Electric Light Orchestra put this together. He has produced albums for George Harrison and played with him in The Traveling Wilburys. John Lennon recorded the demo on a small tape recorder, which posed a challenge when Lynne tried to mix it with updated tracks. He was able to use a noise reduction system to improve the sound.
Another failed ACME product
Today in History:
March 4, 1837 -
The "Windy City", "Chi-Town", "Second City," and the "City of Broad Shoulders" - Chicago became incorporated as a city on this date.
10,000 extra votes from various local cemeteries were counted that day alone.
Remember, vote early, vote often.
March 4, 1849 -
This is a US secret you probably don't know - this is the day America had no President.
James K. Polk (whose cause of death was officially listed as "diarrhea") officially stepped down as the 11th US president and President Zachary Taylor (who would die in office after eating cherries and milk at a July 4th celebration) refused to be sworn-in on a Sunday.
US Sen. David Rice Atchison (1807-1886) of Missouri then technically held office as president until Zachary Taylor took his oath the next day. However Atchison’s term as president pro tempore of the Senate had also expired, and his new term did not begin until March 5. For the rest of his life, Atchison enjoyed polishing this story, describing his "presidency" as "the honestest administration this country ever had."
March 4, 1861 -
The first official flag of the Confederate States of America, called the Stars and Bars, having seven stars, for the seven states that initially formed the Confederacy, was formally adopted as the flag of the Confederate States of America, on this date.
While, the Southern states were adopting their banner, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the 16th President of the United States on this date as well.
March 4, 1884 -
...By a man's finger-nails, by his coat-sleeve, by his boots, by his trouser knees, by the callosities of his forefinger and thumb, by his expression, by his shirt cuffs -- by each of these things a man's calling is plainly revealed. That all united should fail to enlighten the competent inquirer in any case is almost inconceivable....
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson begin their work on the case in A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes story, on this date (or maybe it didn't. I'm not going to join the massive debate the Holmesians get involved in with the accuracy of this date.)
March 4, 1952 -
March 4, 1960 -
Waaaa, Ricky I don't want to be married anymore to you, you lousy two bit skirt chasing, whoremonger.
Lucille Ball filed divorce from Desi Arnaz on this date.
March 4, 1966 -
John Lennon claimed that The Beatles were "bigger than Jesus", and that "Christianity will... vanish and shrink" on this date.
I guess he was dead wrong about that.
March 4, 1974 -
The first issue of People Magazine featuring actress Mia Farrow, starring in the movie The Great Gatsby, was released on this date.
March 4, 1994 -
Comedian John Candy died on this date.
Just think - the fun Dr. Tongue and Desi Arnaz are having in the 3D House of Stewardesses.
And so it goes.
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