Charles IV of Luxembourg was elected Holy Roman Emperor in Germany, on this date. I'm sure you've already guessed that Charles having been born in Wenceslaus in 1316, was neither holy nor Roman nor was there an empire for him to the head of.
November 26, 1922 -
The Toll of the Sea, starring Anna Mae Wong, the second two-strip Technicolor feature (it was the first one able to be projected through a normal movie projector and consequently the first to be given a wide release) was released on this date.
The film was believed to have been lost in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Vault fire in 1967. It was found and restored in 1985 from the original camera negative.
November 26, 1934 -
John M. Stahl's adaptation of Fannie Hurst's novel, Imitation of Life, starring Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Rochelle Hudson, Louise Beavers, and Fredi Washington, premiered on this date.
At the time of its initial release in 1934, this film was considered ground-breaking in its depiction of race relations and its implied endorsement of racial tolerance. But by today's standards, it seems quite patronizing toward the African-American characters of Deliliah and her daughter Peola.
November 26, 1938 -
Michael Curtiz's crime drama, Angels with Dirty Faces, starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, Humphrey Bogart, Ann Sheridan, and The Dead End Kids, premiered on this date.
The Dead End Kids terrorized the set during shooting. They threw other actors off with their ad-libbing, and once cornered co-star Humphrey Bogart and stole his trousers. They didn't figure on James Cagney's street-bred toughness, however. The first time Leo Gorcey pulled an ad-lib on Cagney, the star stiff-armed the young actor right above the nose. From then on the gang behaved.
November 26, 1942 -
One of the classic films of the 40s - Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City, on this date.
When this film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Jack L. Warner was first on stage to accept the award, beating the film's actual producer, Hal B. Wallis, who was incensed at this slight and never forgave Warner. Wallis, at the time regarded as the "wunderkind" at the studio, left Warner Bros. shortly afterwards.
November 26, 1945 -
David Lean 's adaptation of Noël Coward's one-act play Still Life, Brief Encounter, starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard went into general release in the UK on this date.
After the success of this movie, David Lean was accosted by an angry man in a train station, who told him how much he hated the movie. "Do you realize, Sir, that if Celia Johnson could contemplate being unfaithful to her husband, my wife could contemplate being unfaithful to me?" he stammered.
November 26, 1952 -
In Thrilling Color!
Arch Oboler traveled to Africa in 1948 to make audio recordings of native peoples. While in Africa, Oboler met William D. Snyder, a 16mm cameraman with his own industrial filmmaking company in Fargo, North Dakota. During their travels throughout Africa, Mr. Snyder shot the African footage that appears in Bwana Devil.
November 26, 1953 -
MGM released the first musical in 3-D, Kiss Me Kate on this date.
Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore neglected to rehearse their Brush Up Your Shakespeare number more than once or twice because they thought it was silly. When it came time to shoot it they made numerous fumbles and mistakes which the director thought was on purpose. He later complimented them on making it look like something a couple of thugs would perform. They never told him the truth.
November 26, 1956 –
The seemingly ageless gameshow, The Price Is Right, hosted by Bill Cullen and announced by Don Pardo, first aired on CBS TV, on this date.
(those smarty pants out there, may know that this is actual the second episode of the series - the first episode is lost in the ephemera of time.)
The Price Is Right one of only a few game show franchises to have aired in some form on all three of the major television networks.
November 27, 1977 -
Rankin/Bass' animated version of The Hobbit, voiced by actors Orson Bean, Richard Boone, Hans Conried, John Huston, Otto Preminger, Cyril Ritchard, and Brother Theodore, premiered on NBC TV on this date.
In the book, Bilbo is knocked unconscious by a falling rock during the Battle of Five Armies immediately after seeing the eagles arrive to help. In the movie, perhaps due to an anti-war bias at the time of filming, Bilbo states that he "simply doesn't understand war" and then hides behind a stone, using the ring to become invisible and watching the entire battle. When asked about his whereabouts Bilbo lies and says that he had "a bump to the head" and was "out for hours".
November 26, 1977 -
The Southern Television (an ITV broadcasting license holder for the South and South-East of England,) broadcast interruption, also known as the Vrillon Incident, was a hijacking of the British television broadcast on this date.
An unidentified voice claiming to be Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, interrupted the ITN news broadcast on Southern Television for six minutes, starting at 5:12 pm. The broadcast was seen by millions of viewers in southern England.
November 26, 1978 -
The TV movie, A Question of Love, starring Gena Rowlands, Jane Alexander, Clu Gulager, Ned Beatty, and Bonnie Bedelia, premiered on ABC TV on this date. The film is noteworthy as it is the first lesbian themed TV movie.
Based on the true story of mother Mary Jo Risher's fight to retain custody of her children.
November 26, 1988 –
Russian cosmonauts took the Pink Floyd cassette version of Delicate Sound Of Thunder and play it in orbit, making Pink Floyd the first rock band to be played in space.
David Gilmour and Nick Mason both attend the launch of the spacecraft. The cosmonauts had requested the album to listen to as they completed their mission of docking with the orbiting Mir space station. Delicate Sound Of Thunder was also the only Pink Floyd album to receive an official release in the Soviet Union. “To say that we are thrilled at the thought of being the first rock band to be played in space is something of an understatement,” said Gilmour.
Today's moment of Zen.
Today in History:
November 26, 1789 -
The first national Thanksgiving Day was observed in the United States in 1789, when recommended by President George Washington and approved by Congress on this date, but we spoke all about this the other day.
The holiday wouldn't become an annual event until 1863 and wouldn't be signed into law until 1941 when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt made it an official, national holiday.
November 26, 1865 -
Oxford Don and nude child photographer, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, sends the manuscript for the psychedelic novel Alice in Wonderland to his 12 year old special friend Alice Liddell as an early Christmas present.
For some reason her parents did not notify the authorities.
November 26, 1922 -
If I were to be given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.
Good Grief, it's Charles M. Schulz's birthday.
November 26, 1948 -
The first instant Polaroid cameras went on sale to the public at Jordan Marsha, a Boston department store for $89.75 ($900 in today’s money) on this date.
All 57 had sold by the end of the day. Its inventor, Edwin Land was inspired to come up with the camera by his daughter, Jennifer, who asked why she had to wait so long to see her vacation photos.
November 26, 1965 -
After cleaning a church in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where they had Thanksgiving dinner the day before, Arlo Guthrie and a friend clean up the place, but toss the trash down a hill when they can't find an open dump. They are arrested, fined $25 each, and forced to pick up the garbage.
When they return to the church, Guthrie writes Alice's Restaurant Massacree about the incident, embellishing some details. The director of the film, Arthur Penn, who owns a home in Stockbridge where the story takes place, realized it was for the most part based on events that had actually taken place. Therefore, what appears to be a continuity problem is in fact a correct representation of the facts. The movie portrays the actual photos used as evidence at the trial. The real life "blind judge" in Guthrie's song, Judge James Hannon, was played by James Hannon, himself in the film. Sheriff William Obanhein demanded that he play the role himself. His reason: "If anyone is going to make a fool out of me, it might as well be me!"
November 26, 1976 -
Anarchy in the UK, (as a single) by the Sex Pistols is released.
This was the Sex Pistols' first single, and it caused quite a stir in England with its lyrics advocating violence against the government. Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols was not released until a year later, partly because of distribution concerns: after hearing Anarchy In The UK, some organizations refused to ship the album.
Before your go - Here's one last British holiday commercial for this season, (except for whenever the second part of the Waitrose: Sweet Suspicion: A Waitrose Mystery commercial is dropped.) Starbucks has created a holiday campaign by that encourages people to take a break from the chaos of the festive season by enjoying a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
I do have a rude thought - you could substitute any drug for the coffee and the commercial could still work.
Once more thing - Absolutely eat dessert first. The thing that you want to do the most, do that. if you do nothing else this Thanksgiving, don't forget to bring at least some dessert
And so it goes
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