The Silent Cowboy
Tom Mix became film’s first Western Movie star. He wasn’t born in the west, but in the east. He was born on January 6, 1880 in Mix Run, Pennsylvania. His birth name was Thomas Hezekiah Mix, but when he enlisted in the army during the Spanish-American War he entered as Thomas E. Mix. The E [...]
Remembering Topsy the Elephant
At the turn of the 20th Century all kinds of attractions were to be found at Coney Island in New York. One of those attractions were elephants and Topsy was a three-ton tusker who was one of those attractions. She also had been use to build some of the attractions due to her great strength. [...]
The Year of the Hobbit
Other than the possible end of the world, the Mayan Calendar 12th (and last) long count ends on December 20th, one of the highly anticipated events is the December release of the first of two movies made from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey). Beginning with January 3rd, which was the date [...]
Jerry Lieber
Lyricist Jerry Lieber along with composer Mike Stoller wrote the soundtrack of the 50′s generation. Some of their songs were Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock by Elvis Presley and Charlie Brown, Poison Ivy and Yakety Yak for the Coasters. Jerry Lieber died in 2011 on August 22nd. Jerry Lieber, born on April 25, 1933, and was [...]
Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’
A Christmas Carol by English novelist Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. It had illustrations by John Leech. The story is divided into Staves and not chapters. A stave, which is similar to a stanza, is found in music as a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme. Dickens felt this added humor [...]
Santa Claus in The Movies
Silent Santa’: SANTA CLAUS AND THE CHILDREN (1898) SANTA CLAUS (1899) SANTA CLAUS FILLING STOCKINGS (1897) SANTA CLAUS’ VISIT (1900) WAITING FOR SANTA CLAUS (1901) AN UNEXPECTED SANTA CLAUS (1908) A TRAP FOR SANTA CLAUS (1909) THE ADVENTURE OF THE WRONG SANTA CLAUS (1914) SANTA CLAUS VS. CUPID (1915) THE DETECTIVE’S SANTA CLAUS (1924) SANTA [...]
Favorite Christmas Movies
A Christmas Carol When it comes to Christmas Movies, it really begins and ends with A Christmas Carol. There has been many versions and retelling of the 1843 novella by Charles Dickens. Tops on my list is either the 1938 version starring Reginald Owens or 1951′s with Alastair Sim. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation The Griswold [...]
Favorite Christmas Songs
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Many artists have recorded this lovely song since it was introduced by Judy Garland in the film Meet Me in St. Louis. The song was written for the film by lyricist Ralph Blane with the music composed Hugh Martin. Originally the song was to be dark, but Judy Garland [...]
White Christmas
The song White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby is the biggest selling song of all-time with over 100 million copies sold. The Song was written by Irving Berlin, a Jewish immigrant who also wrote God Bless America. It was first sung by Crosby in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. It was released each Christmas for [...]
Stories about Our Christmas Songs
When should Christmas music be started to played for the Holidays? One thought is after Halloween, another is as soon as the weather starts turning colder (living in Maryland this would be around Mid-October) but for most that time starts just after Thanksgiving. We all know and love the following songs, but did you know [...]
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