September 23, 1944 -
Frank Capra's screwball comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace finally gets it US general release on this date. The film was based on a hit play and had to wait to be released until after it Broadway run had ended.
On stage, Boris Karloff played the monstrous Jonathan Brewster, Raymond Massey's film character, who, in eerie-looking screen makeup, resembled Karloff, which was a running gag throughout the picture. Karloff eagerly wanted to do this film, but he was kept under contract by the Broadway play producers and was not allowed to do the picture, to his immense displeasure.
September 23, 1962 -
The Jetsons debuted on ABC-TV's Sunday night's prime time lineup on this date. It was the network's first program ever to be broadcast in color.
One of the last shows to portray a future that was funny, optimistic, and progressive before 1973's oil crisis and the fight for the environment that, in the 1970s, changed the vision of the future.
September 23, 1967 -
The Letter by Box Tops topped the charts on this date.
This song is about a guy who gets a letter from his former love telling him that she wants him back, and the guy wants to fly out and see her immediately. The Nashville songwriter Wayne Carson Thompson wrote the song after his father gave him the line, "Give me a ticket for an aeroplane."
September 23, 1968 -
Lucille Ball's third TV series, Here's Lucy premiered on this date.
In the opening, Lucille Ball is seen to be winking at someone off-screen, it was originally intended for her to wink at the stop-motion Lucy however they couldn't fit both her and the stop-motion Lucy on the screen at the same time.
September 23, 1969 -
Marcus Welby MD, starring the not terribly sober Robert Young, premiered on ABC-TV on this date.
Marcus Welby, M.D. began as an ABC television movie "pilot" in March of 1969, during the 1968-69 television season. The ratings were good, and generated a full season order to series by ABC, to begin in September 1969, for the 1969-70 television season.
September 23, 1970 -
The only American film Akira Kurosawa almost directed, Tora! Tora! Tora!, was released on this date. Akira Kurosawa agreed to direct the Japanese part of the film only because he was told that David Lean was to direct the American part. This was a lie, David Lean was never part of the project. When Kurosawa found out about this, he tried to get himself fired from the production - and succeeded.
At the time of its initial release, the film was thought to be a box office disappointment in North America, but was a huge success in Japan. The film's failure in North America was partly blamed on opposition to the Vietnam War. Young moviegoers weren't interested in a movie about World War II, and couldn't understand what was controversial about attacking a naval base.
September 23, 1977 -
ABC Records breathed a huge sigh of relief when they were finally able to release the much delayed sixth studio album of the ultra-perfectionists Steely Dan's Aja on this date.
The album is pronounced "Asia," and was inspired by the continent. Steely Dan have several songs with a Far East influence, since Donald Fagen believes it is a symbol of sensuality. He told Rolling Stone magazine that the title came from a high school friend whose brother was in the army and came back with a Korean wife named Aja, although he wasn't sure how she spelled it.
September 23, 1990 -
Ken Burns' powerful 11 hour miniseries The Civil War premiered on PBS on this date.
Shelby Foote became a celebrity after the success of this mini-series. Foote's phone number was listed in his local phone book, and he received frequent calls from fans. He never removed his number from the phone book, and received calls whenever the mini-series aired for the rest of his life.
September 23, 1992 -
NBC first introduced us to Paul and Jamie Buchman (and Murray) when Mad About You first premiered on this date.
Paul's old apartment is rented out to Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) from Seinfeld. In an episode where Jamie wants Paul to give up his old apartment, he visits Cosmo.
September 23, 2009 -
ABC-TV first introduced us to Jay Pritchett, his children and their families when the mockumentary Modern Family first premiered on this date.
All the actors and actresses made a pact since the first season to always submit themselves to awards ceremonies in supporting roles, never leading.
Another moment of edifying culture
Today in History:
September 23, 480 BC -
It's the birthday of the Greek poet Euripides, born near Athens on this date.
September 23, 63 BC -
Gaius Octavius Thurinus (Augustus Caesar) was born on this day. The first real Roman Emperor, Caesar introduced the famous Pax Romana. This was a political policy which stated that any country which did not object to being conquered by Rome would be conquered by Rome.
Countries not wishing to be conquered by Rome stood in violation of this policy, and were therefore invaded until they agreed to be conquered. This ensured peace throughout the world.
September 23, 1779 -
During the Revolutionary War, while on break from Led Zeppelin, the American navy under Scotsman John Paul Jones (Robert Stack), commanding from Bonhomme Richard, defeated and captured the British man-of-war Serapis on this date. Jones, chose to name the ship after Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard’s Almanac.
Fierce fighting ensued, and when Richard began to sink, Serapis commander Richard Pearson called over to ask if Richard would surrender and Jones responded, "I have not yet begun to fight!"--a response that would become a slogan of the U.S. Navy. Pearson surrendered and Jones took control of Serapis. Imagine the amount of rum consumed (it was an American Ship - I'm sure there was no sodomy!)
The Bonhomme Richard sank two days after the battle.
September 23, 1939 -
Sigmund Freud was not having a good day. He had been suffering from the late stages of cancer of the jaw when he decided to commit suicide with the help of his personal physician, Max Schur on this date.
The good doctor administered 21 mg of morphine -- a lethal dose, in three large doses in the space of several hours. Sometimes 21 mg of morphine is just 21 mg of death.
September 23, 1949 -
Happy Birthday Bruce!
If you are of a certain age, at one point, Bruce meant everything to you.
September 23, 1950 -
Congress passes the McCarran Act, also known as The Internal Security Act of 1950, overriding Harry Truman's veto. The act provides for severe restrictions on civil liberties, suspension of free speech, and placing of undesirable Americans in concentration camps.
So watch it, bub.
Today we commemorate some of the greatest political pooches our country has ever known. On September 23, 1952, responding to accusations that he diverted $18,000 in contributions into his pocket, Senator Richard M. Nixon rescues his candidacy for Vice President by insisting that he had never accepted any money.
Although Nixon does admit he accepted a cocker spaniel named Checkers for his daughter Tricia. The televised monologue rescues his political career.
September 23, 1969 -
An article in the Northern Illinois University student newspaper propagated the rumor that Paul is dead.
And if you play I'm so Tired from the White Album (and smoke an enormous amount of dope,) you hear Paul McCartney Is Dead.
And so it goes
while on break from Led Zeppelin, indeed
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