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Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World

Okay, everyone! It's Whatever Wednesday time again, the day of the week in which I leave everything up to fate. With my trusty stock of Clue character cards, as well as a small bag in which I put said Clue character cards inside every Wednesday, I will randomly draw a card and whatever card I draw will be the topic I talk about today!

(I wonder how many times I can say the word “card” in one sentence?)

Anyway, let's have a look at which card I've drawn today.



Ah, yes...the Mrs. White card. A great choice for today!

And, looking at the list of topics associated with each coloured card, I see that the Mrs. White card is linked to the last two weeks of the Saturday Smorgasbord, which means that I'll either be talking about a cartoon, or a book series.

But you know what? I think for this week, I'll be combining the two. Yes, that's exactly what I'll do.

I honestly can't remember when the last time was that I featured a book in this blog. It's been a very long time, I must say. And, that fact along kind of saddens me because I was such an avid reader as a child, and am still a huge fan of books and literature today (even though these days, most books that I read deal with either pop culture trivia or true crime stories...interesting combo, I know).

So, I'm going to make up for lost time by talking about one of my favourite books from elementary school. And, would you believe that I bought this book in one of the most unusual places ever?

Well, okay, maybe it's not all THAT unusual. Here's the story.

At the risk of sounding like Sophia from “The Golden Girls”, I'm just going to start off by saying “Picture it. Commonwealth Public School. 1989. I was a second grade student who was very much into books and reading. In fact, I was so into books and reading that I would have rather stayed inside during recess and read books at my desk.

(Confession: I was probably the only kid at my school who hated recess.)

I tell you, there were no shortage of opportunities for me to satisfy my craving for books. Our teachers always had a huge assortment of books for us to read in class, I would literally be a kid in a candy store whenever the Scholastic Book Fair came to our school. And, I think my favourite part of the whole school week was the day in which we were allowed to go down to our school library and spend a whole period there. If I had my way, I would have just hid in the library during the nine years that I spent at elementary school and let the books teach me instead of the teachers. Now, that would have been a cool school experience.

Oh, and as it so happens, there was one event that took place in our library that I absolutely looked forward to. Every year around May or June, the school library would always order brand new books for the library using the money that was raised for the school holiday fundraisers. And, in order to make room for the brand spanking new books, some of the older books that were coverless, in disrepair, or were too dog-eared to be checked out again were boxed up and put on display in the hallway of the school. Before the books were chucked out though, they gave the kids in the school a chance to purchase some of these older books. If I remember correctly, each book only cost fifty cents (which given that we were children between the ages of five and fourteen at that time was a lot of money). I would literally scrape together all the change from my piggy bank just to have the chance to buy at least one book.

Of course, the older I got, the more frustrated I got with the book sale. Because they always called the classes down to the book sale in order from lowest grade to highest, by the time I reached second grade, all the good books had already been bought up by the kindergarten and grade one students. I can only imagine how annoyed the seventh and eighth graders were when they finally got called down to the sale!

However, I remember one book immediately catching my eye at the used library book sale when I was in the second grade. As far as condition goes, it certainly wasn't brand new. The spine was held together with what appeared to be the same tape one would use on a hockey stick, some of the pages were scribbled on with magic marker, and I reckon that the last twelve or fourteen pages or so were torn out of the book. Honestly, how could anybody even think of defacing a book like that?

However, even though the book wasn't in the best condition, I knew that I had to have it. After all, I used to read this author's books all the time at our town library, and always wanted to own one of his books. Problem was that they were very hard to find in my small town, and when they were available, they were quite expensive. To me, it didn't matter that the book was incomplete. After all, it was a book that boasted that it had at least thirty-three mini-stories in one book – well, thirty-one in the case of this book. And, the stories that were complete were absolutely beautiful.

Though, I wouldn't have expected anything less from the late Richard Scarry.



I have to say that I have always been a fan of Richard Scarry's work as long as I can remember. He not only wrote the dozens of books that are associated with him, but he drew all of the illustrations for the books as well. And, one of the key things about Richard Scarry's books were just how much detail he put into each story. Unlike many children's books, which featured human characters, all of Richard Scarry's books featured animals doing all of the things people did. More often than not, he used cats, dogs, mice, and rabbits, but occasionally, he would feature pigs, goats, lambs, and even a hippopotamus or two. His death in April 1994 certainly marked the end of a era, and I remember feeling as sad as I did about Dr. Seuss' death when I heard of his passing.

But I always had the book that I bought at that library book sale to remember him by. And, what a book it was.



Today we'll be looking at the gigantic book known as “Richard Scarry's Busy Busy World”. It was published several years before I was born (most sources that I came up with listed a publication date of 1970), but many of the stories in the book are still just as relevant as they are now.

Well, okay...maybe the story about Russia might need to be updated a bit.

But really, the book was one fantastic adventure right after another. Thirty-three stories featuring thirty-three different nations of the world. And, each story was funnier than the next. The outrageous behaviour that each character exhibited, the sight gags, the laugh out loud moments. I loved every single page of that book. And, had I owned the complete full version of that book, I probably could truly love every page of that book, as the copy I owned was missing a few.


So, rather than tell you some of my favourite stories, why don't I show you instead? Mind you, these are not my own personal scans. My beloved book seems to have gone missing over the years. But looking at them all over again certainly brings great joy to my face, and the memories come flooding back. Allow me to share those memories with all of you now.  Because I always say that a picture is always worth a thousand words.

(And because I haven't got a whole lot of time to spare.)


Tuesday, January 07, 2014

January 7, 1948

Welcome to the very first Tuesday Timeline entry of 2014! Though, you'd never really know it, as the Tuesday Timeline often goes back in time to a specific date in history that influenced the world of pop culture (and quite possibly the way that we look at the world). Sometimes we go back just a couple of years, while other times we go back in time a couple of centuries!

Fear not. This time around, we're sticking with twentieth century history.

And, on this date – January 7 – a lot happened in the world. Would you like to see what took place on this date years and years ago?
Well, we'll get to our feature presentation in a moment. For now, the previews.

1608 – The city of Jamestown, Virginia is destroyed by fire

1782 – The Bank of North America – the first American commercial bank – opens

1785 – Jean-Pierre Blanchard and John Jeffries travel from Dover, England to Calais, France in a gas balloon

1797 – The modern Italian flag is first used

1894 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film

1904 – The new distress signal “CQD” is established – only for it to be replaced two years later by the much easier to use “SOS” signal

1911 – Actress Butterfly McQueen (d. 1995), best known as Prissy from “Gone With The Wind” is born in Tampa, Florida

1912 – Cartoonist Charles Addams (d. 1988), creator of the Addams Family, is born in Westfield, New Jersey

1927 – The first transatlantic telephone service is established connecting New York and London, England

1931 – Guy Menzies flies the first non-stop flight from Australia to New Zealand in just under twelve hours

1935 – Benito Mussolini and Pierre Laval sign the Franco-Italian Agreement

1942 – The siege of the Bataan Peninsula begins

1954 – The Georgetown-IBM Experiment takes place at IBM headquarters which becomes the first instance of a machine translation system being demonstrated

1959 – The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro

1960 – The Polaris missile is test launched

1973 – Ten people are killed and thirteen more injured at a Howard Johnson's Hotel in New Orleans by Mark Essex, who later is killed in a standoff with police

1980 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter authorizes $1.5 billion dollar loans to be given out to the struggling Chrysler Corporation

1986 – Children's illustrator P.D. Eastman (b. 1909), best known for illustrating many Dr. Seuss' “Beginner Books” series, passes away at the age of 76

1989 – Following the death of Japanese emperor Hirohito, Prince Akihito is sworn in as the country's new emperor

1990 – Safety reasons prevent tourists from entering the Leaning Tower of Pisa

1991 – A coup d'etat is attempted by the former leader of the Tonton Macoute in Haiti, Roger Lafontant, but ends in his arrest

1992 – Puppeteer/voice artist Richard Hunt (b. 1951), who voiced many Muppet characters dies of AIDS related complications at just 40 years old

2002 – Actor Avery Schreiber (b. 1935) passes away at the age of 66

2012 – Eleven people are killed in a tragic hot air balloon accident near Carterton, New Zealand

Yeah...I decided to add a little bit of impact to the Tuesday Timeline this year by adding in a little Impact font.

There's also a few celebrities and famous faces celebrating birthdays today, so let's wish the following people a happy birthday! Geoffrey Bayldon, William Peter Blatty, Terry Moore, Ducky Schofield, Lou Graham, Jann Wenner, Anne Schedeen, Juan Gabriel, Erin Gray, Helen Worth, Sammo Hung, Jodi Long, David Caruso, Katie Couric, Linda Koslowski, Kathy Valentine (Go-Go's), David Marciano, Hallie Todd, Nicolas Cage, “Five for Fighting”, Guy Hebert, David Yost, Doug E. Doug, Jeremy Renner, John Rich, Dustin Diamond, Natalie Gulbis, Lyndsy Fonseca, Camryn Grimes, and Max Morrow.

So, are you ready for today's Tuesday Timeline feature? Well, here's today's date!



We're going back in time sixty-six years to January 7, 1948!

And, I hope you're ready to cut loose, footloose, and kick off your Sunday shoes, because I promise you that if you like your soft rock with a little bit of hard knocks, this Tuesday Timeline is the place for you. The only thing that I have a hard time believing is that our blog subject for today is turning sixty-six years old today! I mean, if you look at any recent pictures of him, you'd probably not believe it yourself. Oh, look, I just happen to have a recent picture of him right here.



Now, I ask you. Does Kenny Loggins look 66 years old? I don't think so.

And, yet, if one were to examine his birth certificate (which I should state for the record that I DO NOT have), you'd see that he was born in Everett, Washington on January 7, 1948 under his birth name of Kenneth Clark Loggins.

So, in celebration of the life and longevity of Kenny's stellar musical career, I thought that I'd make this Tuesday Timeline a collection of his greatest hits. And, believe me, he's had quite a lot of them, whether it be as a solo artist, as a part of the 1970s group “Loggins and Messina”, or everything else in between.

So, I hope you've got some time to kill, because it's time to start the show! And, what better way to begin than with some of his earliest hits?



VAHEVELA
Released: November 1971
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts: #84

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the biggest start for the duo of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina. But it was the start of what would become a five-year partnership between the two musicians. The two met in 1970 while Jim Messina was working as an independent record producer for Columbia Records, and Kenny Loggins was signed to ABC-Dunhill Records. Both men certainly had musical talents on their own. After all, Messina was once a member of the rock bands Poco and Buffalo Springfield, and Loggins had been performing in a series of bands after graduating from high school. But when the duo first met, Messina was more interested in helping Loggins get his career off the ground, even letting Loggins record some demos in his own living room.  The end result was that Messina had contributed much more than he initially intended.  So much that when the album was released in 1971, it was released under the title "Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina Sittin' In".  So while this was the first single, it didn't chart very high.  But that would change...



YOUR MAMA DON'T DANCE
Released:  October 1972
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #4

Arguably one of Loggins and Messina's biggest hits, the song peaked at #4 at the tail end of 1972.  It was also one of the first singles that really defined Loggins and Messina as a duo, as the album that the song was released on had the duo's full name of "Loggins and Messina".  And one thing that I will say about the album is that both Loggins and Messina shared songwriting credits.  Of the eleven songs on the album, Loggins wrote four, Messina wrote four, and the other three were collaborative efforts.  But, I think that some of you of another generation might better recall the version that the heavy metal band "Poison" released in 1989.

Now, Loggins and Messina remained together as a duo until 1976, when they parted ways to embark on solo careers (theirs was probably one of the most amicable splits in rock history).  And when Kenny Loggins emerged as a solo artist, the hits just kept coming and coming!




WHENEVER I CALL YOU FRIEND (duet with Stevie Nicks)
Released:  July 1978
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #5

This particular single was the second solo release by Kenny Loggins, but in all actuality, several other established musicians took part in the creation of this single, which peaked at #5 in 1978.  Obviously, "Fleetwood Mac" vocalist Stevie Nicks was a huge part of this song, as she performed as his duet partner.  But I bet you didn't know that the song was originally co-written by Melissa "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" Manchester.  In fact, Melissa even recorded her own version of this song with Arnold McCuller for her own 1979 album!

And, here's some more trivia!  Apparently, Kenny Loggins must have dabbled in French at some point, because three years after this version was recorded, he re-recorded this duet with French singer Jeane Manson in 1981, with Manson recording Stevie Nicks' lines in French, and with Manson and Loggins singing the chorus in French!  C'est magnifique, non?




THIS IS IT
Released:  September 1979
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #11

Interesting story about this song.  The song features Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald on backing vocals who helped Loggins co-write this single.  I have often wondered if this was meant as a gesture of gratitude, as Loggins helped co-write the Doobie Brothers hit "What A Fool Believes", which topped the charts earlier in 1979.  At any rate, I think that it's probably my second favourite Kenny Loggins song (my favourite one is still coming up).

It's also a song in which Loggins had intended it to be about one thing, but following a visit with his ailing father in the hospital, he made it about something entirely different.  Certainly the melody might make some feel that it should be a love song, and it was initially intended to be.  Loggins had already composed the melody, but had yet to pen appropriate lyrics.  But after visiting his father in the hospital, he decided that instead of a song celebrating love, it would instead be a song about life and its challenges.  It was a gamble that paid off, even though the song just missed the Top 10.




I'M ALRIGHT
Released:  July 1980
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #7

Confession time:  Caddyshack is one of my all-time favourite films from the 1980s.  I could watch it all day and all night!  So, naturally, I have a soft spot for this song which appeared in the film's soundtrack.  It's not my favourite song of Loggins, but certainly ranks within my Top 5 list.

I also have a couple of more pieces of trivia regarding this song as well.  First, this song is probably one of the most performed songs that Loggins performs at live concerts.

And secondly, there was a reality show that aired on VH1 years ago (I think it was called "Rock The Cradle" or something like that), which had the sons and daughters of established musical stars competing in a singing competition.  Kenny's son Crosby Loggins performed this song on that show, and he ended up being the big winner!




FOOTLOOSE
Released:  January 1984
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #1

I don't know what it was about Kenny Loggins and film soundtracks that produced so much magic, but whatever the case, Kenny certainly struck gold with this particular single from the 1984 film "Footloose".  It remains his one and only #1 hit on the Billboard charts.

(And, it happens to be my favourite Kenny Loggins song ever.  I dare you to listen to it and NOT want to get up and dance!)


I suppose in that sense, it was effective - as the movie is all about a town that has banned dancing of all kinds!

The film made a star out of Kevin Bacon, and the soundtrack made a star out of Kenny Loggins.  And in 2011, country music artist Blake Shelton re-recorded the single for the 2011 remake of the film "Footloose".  But, I gotta say.  I prefer Loggins' version.  And, I can't stand the 2011 remake of "Footloose".  Give me Bacon or give me nothing, I say.



DANGER ZONE
Released:  May 1986
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #2

The final song we'll be looking at comes from yet another '80s film soundtrack.  This time, the song comes from the 1986 film "Top Gun", which featured Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, and Kelly McGillis.  And, certainly Kenny Loggins sang his heart out on this powerful song.

But would you believe that Loggins almost never recorded this song in the first place?  Believe it or not, this song was originally intended to be released by Toto.

No, not Dorothy's dog, Toto.  I mean, "I miss the rains down in Africa" Toto.


Ultimately, Toto had to turn down the song, as their lawyers clashed with the producers of "Top Gun".

Next, Bryan Adams was approached to sing this song, plus have "Only The Strong Survive" appear on the soundtrack, but Adams refused, saying that he didn't want to be attached to a project that glorified war.  So, Adams didn't get to sing the song either, and "Only The Strong Survive" was instead used for the 1991 film "Problem Child 2".  Yeah, THERE'S an upgrade.

REO Speedwagon was also asked to record the song, but also turned it down!

I wonder how frustrated the producers were by the time Kenny Loggins agreed to sing this song!  But you know what?  I can't imagine anybody else singing this song.  Can you?

So, that wraps up our look back on Kenny Loggins and some of his greatest hits.  Hey, the man's turning 66 today!  It's the least I can do!

Happy birthday, Kenny!



Monday, January 06, 2014

007 Feature #1 - Dr. No featuring Connery...Sean Connery

Last March, I did something quite experimental with this blog on the Monday Matinee portion of the blog.  I don't know how many of you were around during that time, but there's a clue in what the Monday Matinees in March 2013 were all about.  One of the entries is one of the Top 10 of the most read blog entries since "A Pop Culture Addict's Guide To Life" was founded in May 2011.

It was the time in which I took a look at one of the Batman film series and examined each movie on its own during each Monday in March.  I chose the Batman quadrogy (which I don't believe is a word, but am not sure what exactly comes after trilogy, so we're going to just run with it) that ran between 1989 and 1997.  There was the stellar "Batman" from 1989, the just as wonderful "Batman Returns" from 1992, the "I'm actually surprised I liked it more than I thought I would" "Batman Forever" from 1995, and the "Why the hell did I waste money renting this movie" "Batman and Robin" from 1997.

(Proof positive that sometimes film series can be too much of a good thing - although Christian Bale certainly helped breathe new life into the Batman franchise beginning in 2005.)

That said, I've decided to try and kick off the New Year right by doing an extended feature on another film series that I absolutely adore.  A film series that has spawned a total of...let's see...twenty-three films in the series so far over a fifty plus year history!

But, don't worry.  I won't be featuring ALL twenty-three films.  That would be major overkill.  But, I will be featuring at least one film from each of the six actors who have played this iconic role.  The role, of course, being a British Secret Service agent who has a penchant for destructive weapons, an eye for the fastest, luxurious sportscars, a thirst for danger, and a libido that could make even the most potent of men seethe with jealousy.

Hence the reason why for the next six weeks (which will take us all the way to February 10, if you're keeping track), we'll be doing the Monday Matinee on a man who is probably known for his iconic number, sharp dress sense, and his preference of the alcoholic beverage known as a martini.

Shaken, not stirred.



I have to say, I am a huge James Bond fan.  I have been for as long as I can remember.  I will also admit that I got into the movies long before the book series, which was created by author Ian Lancaster Fleming, but I'll admit that I did read some of Fleming's twelve books featuring the suave, debonair super spy, and enjoyed them very much.  But, admittedly, it was the films that really got me hooked.  In fact, later on in this series, I'll reveal what Bond movie was the first one I watched, which Bonds I liked, and which I didn't, and some behind the scenes action of each film that I will be featuring in the Monday Matinee over the next month and a half.

Oh, and did I mention that we'll also discuss Bond girls, Bond gadgets, and of course, Bond themes?  This one, of course being the most iconic of all.



So, to begin this extended feature of all things 007, let us begin with the very first actor to ever assume the role of James Bond in film. (I can't really say first Bond actor ever, as the first person to play the role was an American actor named Barry Nelson in a television special based on the "Casino Royale" novel in the mid-1950s).

(I know...an American playing Bond!  What next?  A blond-haired Bond?  Oh wait...)



Now, it probably won't come as too much of a shock to anybody reading this blog, but I think that the first James Bond was the best one.  There was just something about Sean Connery's performance as Bond that just defined the Bond character for me.  And it wasn't necessarily the fact that he was the first one in a long line of James Bonds and that the others could not compare.  It was the fact that of all the James Bond movies that have been released, I find myself watching and re-watching the Sean Connery films.  They were quite simplistic (the first one released over fifty years ago), and certainly, the earlier films didn't have quite the same amount of bells and whistles that later films such as "Goldeneye", "Die Another Day", or "Quantum of Solace" had...but that ended up being a very good thing in the long run, because the Sean Connery films relied more on story than special effects.

(Though, don't get me wrong, the special effects in the Connery films were wicked cool!)

Anyway, did you know that Sean Connery is the only Bond actor to play James Bond in three different decades?  It's true.  He's also the only Bond to leave the franchise, and come back again - on two different occasions!

Now, if you're looking from the perspective of continuity (a.k.a. the films that were released by Eon Productions), there are half a dozen films that feature Connery as Bond.  But if you're looking at the whole picture, Connery really featured in seven.  The films that featured Connery as Bond were...

DR. NO (1962)
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
GOLDFINGER (1964)
THUNDERBALL (1965)
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)
DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983)

Now, the title that happens to be italicized is the film that was not produced by Eon Productions...and I actually am one who kind of wished that film never existed.  For one, it was a lame remake of 1965's Thunderball, for another, Sean Connery was well over fifty and you could tell that he was totally wearing a really bad hairpiece, and lastly, the special effects were extremely lame - even for 1983 standards!  The only thing I'll give you about "Never Say Never Again" is that it was the film that featured a then-relatively unknown actress named Kim Basinger in the role of Domino.



The other six films, on the other hand, were brilliant.  I really did have a tough time selecting just one of the six Connery as Bond movies to feature.  I really loved them all.  However, given that the whole Bond franchise began with the film "Dr. No", I thought that it would be a fantastic beginning to the Monday Matinee - Bond Style.

And while we're at it, check out the opening credits to Dr. No!  They may be just over fifty-one years old (the film was released in theatres on October 5, 1962), they are still just as effective as some of the credits of the newer Bond movies.



So, I'm not really going to bore you with too many plot details here, as I feel very passionately about James Bond movies and definitely don't want to spoil too much.  After all, it wouldn't be worth watching if the entire plot is spoiled, now would it?

All you really need to know about the plot is this.

- It's the first film in which we see the iconic gun barrel image.  Which, I suppose makes sense given that it happens to be the first Bond film.
- The film opens up with the abduction and murder of Jamaican based British Intelligence Station Chief John Strangways by a group of assassins who call themselves the "Three Blind Mice".
- Someone in the film kills themselves after smoking a poison laced cigarette.  Hint:  It's not Bond.
- The film contains this memorable scene.



- The girl, by the way, goes by the name of Honey Ryder (played by Ursula Andress)...the very first Bond girl.
- Apparently James Bond is afraid of spiders.  Who knew?



- The antagonist is a reclusive scientist who goes by the name of Dr. No (played by Joseph Wiseman).  And, it is through Dr. No that we first hear about the enemy organization known as SPECTRE.
- Cape Canaveral plays a key role in this film.  What that role is, I cannot say.

And, that's all that I'm going to spoil for you.  You're just going to have to watch the movie for yourselves.  Believe it when I say that it's worth it.

And besides, considering that they've made over twenty James Bond films, you know that he has to at least survive this one!

Besides, the behind the scenes trivia is much more fun, right?  At least, I think it can be, anyway.  So, what sorts of secrets hide beneath the scripts and film footage of Dr. No?  Well, how about these?

1 - Sean Connery was actually not the first choice to play James Bond.  Cary Grant was actually producers first choice, but they decided not to bother, as Grant would likely only commit to one film, and they wanted someone who would commit to a series.  Though, I have to admit, I think Grant could have pulled off the role.

2 - Sean Connery was thirty years old when he won the role of James Bond.

3 - Contrary to popular belief, Sean Connery did NOT win a contest that ensured that he would become James Bond.  However, a real contest WAS held, six finalists were chosen, and the winner was Peter Anthony.  However, Peter Anthony could not cope with such a role, and dropped out of the production.

4 - Ironically enough, while James Bond is known for being a dapper, well-dressed man, Connery met with film producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman with unpressed clothes and unkempt hair.  Somehow, Sean managed to convince them that he was the right man for the part.

5 - This film marks the debut of Lois Maxwell as "Miss Moneypenny".  Little did she know that she would become the longest running actress in James Bond history, holding onto the role for twenty-three years!  Interestingly enough, Maxwell was almost cast as Sylvia Trench instead, but Maxwell wanted Moneypenny instead, as she felt that the Sylvia role was too sexual for her.  The part of Sylvia instead went to Eunice Gayson.

6 - Bernard Lee plays the role of M, and Peter Burton plays the role of Q.

7 - Julie Christie was considered for the role of Honey Ryder.

8 - That might be Ursula Andress playing the role of Honey...but it certainly isn't her voice!  Believe it or not, her voice was overdubbed by another actress (Nikki van der Zyl), because it was believed that Andress' thick Swiss accent was a little too thick.  Also, Andress was required to wear a fake tan, as her character was supposed to appear Jamaican.

9 - Jack Lord was cast in this film as the first Felix Leiter.  Six years later, he would be cast as the lead in Hawaii Five-O - the original series.

10 - Apparently, Sean Connery actually wore a toupee in this and all of the James Bond movies.  I know I commented that his piece in the 1983 film "Never Say Never Again" was ridiculously bad...but I never knew that he had always worn a toupee the whole time.  I guess wig makers were more skilled in the 1960s than the 1980s?

11 - This movie is the only James Bond film which features James Bond singing!

12 - That beach scene, by the way...it was filmed on location at Laughing Waters Beach in Jamaica.

13 - Diana Coupland provided the singing voice for Honey Ryder.

14 - The iconic white bikini that Andress wore sold at auction on Valentine's Day, 2001...at a cost of 41,000 British pounds!

15 - Ursula Andress was reportedly offered the part of Honey without producers even meeting her.  Suddenly, the dubbing of the voice makes more sense now.

16 - Is the second shortest James Bond movie to be released, clocking in at 111 minutes.  Only "Quantum of Solace" from 2008 is shorter at 106 minutes.

17 - Ian Fleming only had three words to describe the film adaptation of "Dr. No".  "Dreadful, just dreadful."  Fleming would later pass away just two short years later, in 1964.

18 - Ursula Andress made $6,000 for her role in the picture...a modest sum for 1962!

19 - Amusingly enough, despite the fact that she never even had her own voice used in the film, Ursula Andress ended up winning a Golden Globe for her performance!

20 - In Japan, the translated title became "We Don't Want Doctors!"

21 - Sean Connery was actually asked to sleep in the very suits he wore in the film, to get a feel for it and to get accustomed to the wardrobe he would be wearing throughout most of the movie.

22 - Apparently, James Bond isn't the only person afraid of spiders.  Apparently, Sean Connery has an extreme fear of them too.  His fear was so great that a stunt double had to be used for the scene.

23 - The spider was named "Rosie", and contrary to what was shown in the film, Rosie was not harmed.

24 - Filming for Dr. No began on January 16, 1962.  The first scene was filmed at Kingston Airport, where Bond throws a hat in front of his face as he passes a female photographer.

25 - The James Bond film with the shortest title.


And, that's all that I have to say about the very first Bond film, Dr. No.  But there's so much more!

Coming up next week, we'll take a look at our second actor to play James Bond in what could literally be a "blink and you'll miss it" performance!

Sunday, January 05, 2014

The Best of The Everly Brothers

I'm doing this Sunday Jukebox entry a little bit differently today due to recent events that took place in the world of music.  Consider this to be a musical tribute of sorts.

On January 3, 2014, the world of music was saddened to hear of the death of Phil Everly, who passed away in hospital in Burbank, California at the age of 74.  The cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.




The death of Phil Everly signified the end of an era.  Phil, together with his older brother Don formed the group known as The Everly Brothers.  And, as far as The Everly Brothers went, they were one of the few groups to have a music career that lasted several decades.  With twenty-one albums released between 1958 and 1988, as well as three live albums, three compilation albums, and a total of seventy-five singles released over a thirty-two year period, it's safe to say that The Everly Brothers were one of the biggest musical duos of all time.

They were also one of the few groups to have hits on both the pop and country music charts in their heyday, and their harmonious vocals reportedly inspired some of the biggest musical acts of all time, with The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Simon & Garfunkel reportedly listing The Everly Brothers as one of their biggest influences!

How is that for a brilliant compliment?


Of course, I'd love to try and talk about all 75 of their singles in this blog, but since I am on a time crunch and haven't really got one minute to waste (it's one of those 'can I do a blog entry in two hours' days), I'm just going to cherry pick some of the best and most memorable singles that Don and Phil Everly recorded during their time at the top of the charts.  So, I'm going to post video links of each of the singles, and underneath these videos, I will be putting a little bit of information about each song (chart positions, date released, anecdotes and stories, etc.)

All right.  Let's begin with the song that first got The Everly Brothers noticed, shall we?




BYE BYE LOVE
Date Released:  March 1957
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #2
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Wow.  Can you believe that this song was released fifty-seven years ago?  My goodness, The Everly Brothers were so young back then!  Anyway, this single was actually the group's second ever release (their debut single "Keep-A-Lovin Me" did not chart), but what a release it was!  I don't know too many people who score a #1 hit with just their second single, and yet on the country music scene, it did exactly that!

Not bad, given that the song is all about breaking up with your girlfriend and feeling incredibly depressed about it.  Basically, this song was like the 1950s version of grunge.  I know, a really wacky comparison, but given that most grunge songs were angry and depressing, it really was the only metaphor that I could come up with.


The song is currently ranked at #210 of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and several artists have covered the song over the years including George Harrison, Connie Francis, Trini Lopez, and Ray Stevens.




WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE
Date Released:  September 2, 1957
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #1
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Can you say 'signature hit'?  I do believe that in my opinion, "Wake Up Little Susie" is that for The Everly Brothers.  It hit #1 on the pop charts for two weeks, and it became the group's second Country #1.  It's also the second song to appear on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, ranking at #311.

It's also a song that was quite controversial at the time that it was released.  Would you believe that a nice song like this one was actually banned in the city of Boston for being too suggestive?  I know!  I suppose that the one part of the lyrics where a couple in love go to a drive-in movie at ten in the evening, and wake up in their car at four in the morning might have gotten some tongue wagging.  However, there's really no evidence within the song that suggests that a little horizontal action went on inside the car.  After all, the kids in the car could have legitimately fallen asleep.  It's entirely possible...especially if the movie were really bad like "Gigli" or something.

Regardless, this song happens to be the first record that director David Lynch bought.  And apparently it happens to be the favourite song of former American president George W. Bush.




ALL I HAVE TO DO IS DREAM
Date Released:  April 1958
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts:  #1
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #1

Another Everly Brothers single, another song to place on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (This one happens to place at #142).  It also holds a distinction as being the only Everly Brothers single to simultaneously be at the #1 position of every Billboard chart to exist at that time!

And, I also seem to remember this song being used in a commercial for some product that helped people who were lactose-intolerant manage their symptoms!  Funny how a song can trigger such ridiculous memories, huh?

Now here's a bit of trivia regarding the single's B-side, "Claudette".  It was written by Roy Orbison.  And Orbison would later record his own version of this single in 1963!




(TILL) I KISSED YOU
Date Released:  1959
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts: #4
Peak Position on the Country Charts:  #8

Okay, so maybe this song wasn't as big a hit as their previous singles (though it still performed quite well), and although I don't have a whole lot to say about this single, it should be noted that when the song was first recorded, Chet Atkins played guitar, as he did for several other singles.




CATHY'S CLOWN
Date Released:  1960
Peak Position on the Billboard Charts: #1

Our final song for today happens to be the #1 hit, "Cathy's Clown"...which admittedly is probably my favourite song by The Everly Brothers.  It ranks at #149 on Rolling Stones' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time!  

Wow...four songs on that list?  How's that for making a mark on the music scene?

I suppose you could also consider this single to be their last hurrah of sorts, as it ended up being their final number one single. But what a single it was!  Mind you, it was a single in which some poor girl named Cathy gets her heart broken after her man tells her that he doesn't want her love anymore...but hey!  It topped the charts!

In fact, the song actually hit #1 twice...by two different artists!  The Everly Brothers version hit #1 in 1960.  Twenty-nine years later, in 1989, country artist Reba McEntire released a country music version which also hit the #1 spot - on the country charts!

So, as you can see, the Everly Brothers definitely made their mark on the music scene, and inspired so many people to enter the music business themselves!


And even though one of them passed away just two days ago, the legacy that Phil and Don Everly left behind will remain for years to come.




Rest in peace, Phil.  Thanks for the music!

Saturday, January 04, 2014

Chocolate: Much Better When It's Hot!

This is the very first Saturday Smorgasbord entry of 2014, and I have to admit that I had a really tough time trying to come up with a topic. I think part of the reason is that because the first week of the Saturday Smorgasbord is supposed to be about toys and games, and admittedly, I'm still a little burned out from the post-Christmas blues to even think about doing another blog entry on toys and games. I saw enough of them in the days after Christmas to even do one this week.

So, I hope you all understand my decision to forego the toy/game theme for this week. I promise that it will return next month in February 2014. I just need to take a break from toys and games for a month.

Of course, this leads to a dilemma. What should I talk about if I don't want to do a blog entry on toys or games?

Gosh...it's so hard to come up with an idea on an empty stomach. Hold on a second while I check and see what I have in the pantry.



Ah, hot chocolate. And, not just any hot chocolate either. I'm talking about honest to goodness Laura Secord hot chocolate with a smidgen of mint flavouring. What a perfect beverage to drink on a really, really cold day.

(And, believe me when I say that it's really cold. With the windchill, this area feels like it is at least minus thirty degrees Celsius!)

I mean, why would anybody willingly want to go outside and freeze every single part of their body (and when I say willingly, I mean those of you who don't have to go outside because of work commitments - and if you are one of those people who have to work outside in these frigid temperatures, you have my deepest sympathies), when they could stay inside and sip on a cup of hot cocoa?

Say...that would make a great topic for today.  Hot chocolate!







Ahem...no.  Not THAT Hot Chocolate.  But I suppose that in a pinch, I could use it for a future Sunday Jukebox.




I mean that delicious treat that has been long associated with winter that can be served with or without a dollop of whipped cream on top (for me personally, I prefer my hot chocolate sans whipped cream).

I know that some people would rather drink coffee on a frozen day than hot chocolate, and that's fine - provided you enjoy coffee.  I myself cannot stand coffee (unless it's ion a chocolate bar known as "Coffee Crisp"), so whenever I want a hot beverage, I always go for the cocoa.

And, these days there are many varieties to make hot chocolate.  Most often, you can simply buy containers of the stuff from your local supermarket or coffee shops, but they also make hot chocolate Tassimo and Keurig containers so you can enjoy a perfect cup every time.  You can also mix baking cocoa and water together and heat it up, and then just add a little milk for homemade hot chocolate from scratch.  I suppose that one could even melt a candy bar and mix it up with heated milk to make a hot chocolate like beverage.

(I've never actually tried that method yet, but it sounds like it would be delicious.  I wonder what a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup flavoured hot chocolate would taste?)


So, I have some trivia for you.  How long ago do you think that hot chocolate has been enjoyed as a beverage?  A hundred years?  Five hundred years?

Try two thousand years!

Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Mayans (the same people whose calendar made some believe that our world would be no more after 2012) reportedly made the very first chocolate beverage.  And believe it or not, it was served cold! 




Though, not in the form of a Yoohoo, I'm afraid. 

No, the recipe for the 2,000 year old precursor to hot chocolate was as follows.  Take some cocoa seeds, and ground them up into a paste (which must have been a tedious job as they had no such thing as blenders or coffee grinders two thousand years ago).  From there, the Mayans would add other ingredients to the chocolate paste such as water, cornmeal, chili peppers (!), and other things that could be found within their spice collections.  Once the mixture was completed, they would pour the mixture from a cup to a pot repeatedly until the liquid began to foam up.  Once the liquid foamed up, it meant that it was ready for consumption.  And, what was cool about this beverage was that it was readily available for people of all social classes.  No discrimination to be found in Mayan times - though admittedly the wealthiest social circles of the Mayan culture drank their chocolate beverages from elaborately designed chalices.

The beverage wasn't called hot chocolate though (mainly because it was served cold).  The Spaniards named the concoction "xocolatl".  And, let's just say that when xocolatl was first brewed, not a lot of people liked it.

You see, nowadays most hot chocolate beverages are made with some form of sugar or artificial sweeteners.  Back in the days of the Mayans, sugar was hard to find - especially in the Americas (my, how times change), so xocalatl had a spicy and bitter taste to it.  


Admittedly, I would likely not be a fan of xocalatl.

Now, it's really unknown as to when xocalatl was first served heated up, but it is estimated that the first true cup of hot chocolate was served sometime in the 16th century, as Spanish Jesuit missionary Jose de Acosta made reference to people serving the beverage known as xocalatl heated around that time.  But I think it's safe to say that once sugar became more readily available to people worldwide, sugar permanently replaced the ingredients that made the drink hot and spicy.

Because really, who wants to have chili powder in their hot chocolate nowadays?  Not this person!

(By the way, the hot chocolate that we all come to love now was perfected in the 17th century in Europe.)

And, these days, hot chocolate is consumed for pleasure...but it's also said that the drink has some health benefits.  Apparently, drinking enough of it can prevent certain types of cancer, and that the drink can also be used as an aid for digestion purposes.  Who knew?

So, that's our brief look back on the history of hot chocolate.  I'm just going to kick back with my hot chocolate now and try to come up with some ideas on what to write about in my next entry.

Friday, January 03, 2014

Farewell, James Avery (a.k.a. Uncle Phil)

Most of the time when I sit down and write a blog entry, I am usually in a good mood, and I can usually come up with an entry that is filled with a lot of laughs, a lot of fun, and if I'm lucky, I can hopefully inspire some of you to talk about your own memories regarding the subject of the blog.

And, don't be afraid to comment on the blog either. I really love reading all of your comments, be it posted on here, or on the social media networks that I frequently use.

(Just know this. Do not use the comments section to hock your wares or hyperlink to sites which will cost the reader some money. This blog is a non-profit blog, and I will delete your links.)

Today is one of those times in while the blog will take on a bit of a serious note.  Don't get me wrong...the blog will still feature a lot of pop culture memories, and will still contain some fun and laughs.  But it is also going to be a rather sad piece, because the person of which I have chosen to write about has passed away recently, and for me, it's quite a sad loss because he was a huge part of my childhood in a number of ways.



This is a tribute to actor James Avery, who passed away on New Years Eve, 2013, due to complications following surgery.  He was 68 years old.  And, in this piece, I'll be talking about the role that made him a household name.

But first, I think it's important to talk about the many things that James Avery did during his whole life.  I'll admit that when I first began doing research on the Pughsville, Virginia native, I was blown away at the incredible life he lived, and I was actually surprised to learn of some of the many roles he took on during his acting career.

For instance, I had no idea that James had served in the Vietnam War!  After graduating from high school in 1968, he enlisted in the United States Navy and participated in the war between 1968 and 1969 (arguably considered to be one of the deadliest periods of the nearly two decade conflict).  

Following that, Avery moved to San Diego, California, where he initially decided that he wanted to follow an entirely different career path altogether.  He was very interested in poetry and writing (a man after my own heart), and he was determined to try and make a career out of it.  In fact, I was perusing the internet for more information about this, and I happened to come across this quote that James Avery made when he was asked about his writing career.  Just listen to what he had to say about it.

"Writing is such a singular and lonely occupation.  And it's interesting; all of the work that you create is so singular".

Very profound, no?  Oh, yes, I'm also going to share this quote too, just because it made me laugh.  

"I don't understand this whole Twitter, Facebook stuff.  I don't get it.  Make a call.  Talk to somebody."

Sigh.  A man after my own heart.  (Even though admittedly, I use Facebook mostly to promote this blog...)

Anyway, while Avery was writing poetry, he was also getting work writing scripts for various television series, and it was that experience that persuaded Avery to begin an acting career.  And I bet you'll never guess what his first role ever was!  Come on, take a guess!  It might be difficult to think of one that stands out, because as it happens, his first role was actually as an uncredited extra!  But if you pop in a copy of the 1980 film, "The Blues Brothers", and watch really closely at the scene in which people are dancing, you might be able to spot him!  I only wish I could find the scene to point him out.  

But throughout the decade known as the 1980s, Avery made guest appearances in several sitcoms.  I don't even think I can list all of the shows he appeared on, but some of the most successful ones were "Newhart", "The Jeffersons", "Webster", "Amen", "The Hogan Family", "A Different World", and "227", just to name a few.  He would also appear in dramatic series such as "St. Elsewhere", "Simon & Simon", "Cagney & Lacey", "The A-Team", "Moonlighting", and "Dallas"!

And, he also had a prominent role in the voice work industry as well, appearing in cartoons from "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'N Wrestling" to "The Real Ghostbusters".



And, I'm sure that like many guys my age, all we would have to do is listen to James Avery speak, and we instantly hear the voice of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' main antagonist, Shredder!  Here, I'll post an episode that heavily features Shredder, just so you can hear him in action!  Remember, Avery plays the guy who looks like a human blender blade.

(And James Avery played Shredder for six years between 1987-1993.  At the time, it was nearly unheard of for a voice actor to play the same role for six consecutive years...well, that is until "The Simpsons" came along.)

But in 1993, Avery was forced to leave "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", because his commitment to a live-action sitcom that he joined three years prior to him leaving the cartoon series was greater.  And, who could blame him, really?  Even the cast members he worked with on TMNT understood.  Heck, I understood the decision.  After all, it was that sitcom that made him a household name, and it was that sitcom that gave Avery his most famous role.



So, here's a little story all about how his life got flipped, turned upside down.  And, no, I'm not talking about Will Smith either (although this sitcom certainly helped Smith move all the way up to A-list celebrity).  I'm talking about Avery's role as Will's gruff, but kind uncle, Philip Banks, a wealthy judge who lives in a luxurious mansion.



The whole plot of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is all about culture clashes.  Will Smith is a kid who grew up in one of Philadelphia's poorest neighbourhoods.  His father abandoned the family when Will was just a five-year-old, and his mother was a single parent who struggled to try and keep Will fed and clothed while dealing with the stresses of growing up in poverty.  After a serious confrontation with a bully at a basketball court, in which Will ended up badly injured, Will's mother decided that he needed to leave Philadelphia so that he could have a better life for himself.  So, the decision was made to have Will move in with his Aunt Vivian (his mother's sister) and Uncle Phil in the wealthy Los Angeles neighbourhood of Bel-Air.  And, the whole point of the series was seeing how someone who only knew a life of poverty would adapt to living a life of luxury almost overnight.

Of course, it wasn't completely all fun and games for Will.  Living in the Banks household was a challenge.  Will did get along with his Aunt Viv (though admittedly part of the reason why the role was recast midway through the series was because the first "Aunt Viv" openly despised Will Smith, and she was replaced by the second "Aunt Viv"), and he also had good relations with the two youngest Banks children, Ashley and Nicky.  But Hilary was a true-blue airhead, Carlton was a bit of a geeky snob, and I think Will and Geoffrey the butler traded more sarcastic jabs with each other than kind words!

But Will's relationship with Uncle Phil.  That was almost as complex as trying to discover the meaning of life!  And in order to explain it, it might be best to talk about Phil's early life.

You see, Phil's life of luxury wasn't handed to him from a lifetime of family fortunes.  No, he had to work hard for it.  He was born and raised on a farm, and worked hard on the farm doing chores until he was sixteen and relocated to Baltimore.  During the 1960s, Phil became heavily involved in the civil rights movement as an activist (presumably, it is around this time in which he meets his future wife, Vivian), and he was awarded a full scholarship to study at Princeton.  Shortly after that, Phil was accepted into Harvard Law School, and he graduated from that school to become a lawyer (which is the occupation he is currently working as when the show begins - he doesn't become a judge until midway through the series).

So, because Will had heard all the stories from his mother about his Uncle Phil and Aunt Vivian's life of luxury, he had the idea that living there would be incredibly easy, as he believed that the rich life had made them soft.

Boy, was he wrong!



Yeah...that was one thing about Phil that proved that he still had some fire underneath those expensive clothes and fancy digs.  If he was angry, you knew about it!  And, based on some of the things that Hilary, Carlton, and Ashley have said in past episodes, you never wanted to be on the wrong side of him.  Reportedly, he came up with some of the most sadistic and painful punishments ever invented.  Which I suppose was part and parcel of the fact that he did work as a judge, and often handed out stiff sentences as part of his job!

But Phil also had a couple of other flaws to his personality.  He sometimes had a way of re-imagining the past to how he saw fit when he explained to people that all he listened to was classical music.  So, why did he propose to his wife on the set of "Soul Train" where both of them danced on the stage?  And, as you can see on this special episode in which the show celebrated "Soul Train's" 25th anniversary, Phil seemed to have forgotten a lot of the moves he performed while on that show!


Phil also seemed to play favourites with his children when the series first began.  For some reason, he seemed to spoil Hilary with all sorts of presents and privileges, while seemingly not giving his other children the same attention...which could explain how Hilary ended up as a spoiled, entitled brat herself.  But by the end of the series, Phil had even grown tired of Hilary's whining and put his foot down, insisting that Hilary make her own living in the world.  I don't know if she ever did get that message, but I think that by the time the series wrapped up, she was at least trying.

But despite all of the anger that he had at times, and despite all of the moments in which he sometimes let the money and power he had go to his head (his butler almost quit for good because he refused to give him a raise), there was a softer side to Phil as well.  And, I think that side was best shown in the episode in which Will's father comes back into his life after a nearly fifteen year absence and wants to start up a new relationship with him.

Naturally, with Will's father coming back into his life, Will was more than excited to make up for all of the lost time with him.  They hung out together, they laughed together, and Will even made plans to spend some time with him away from Bel-Air...a plan that Uncle Phil strongly disapproved of.  After all, Phil heard all about what kind of a man Will's father was from Vivian herself, and Phil believed that Will's father left him once before - what made him think that he wouldn't do it again?

Naturally, Will did not want to hear Phil's concerns, and it lead to a huge argument between the two of them.  But when Will's father showed his true colours once again, and fate had Will walking in on his father after he had a confrontation with Phil, this powerful scene soon followed.  And, it showed all of us just how much of a man Philip Banks really was.


Right there in that moment, Uncle Phil became the father figure that Will needed in his life.  Right there in that moment, Uncle Phil didn't seem nearly so scary.  And, right there in that moment, James Avery proved that he was the perfect person for that role.

Truth be told, one of the reasons why Uncle Phil was so stern and strict was because he wanted what was best for all of his children - and that included his nephew, Will.  He pushed them hard because he knew how hard the world could be, and he wanted them to be prepared for it.  And, you know what?  I think he succeeded.

I think that's why I find it sort of difficult to grasp that James Avery really is gone.  He was such a huge presence in film, television, and animation, and yet he really gave off the impression that he was a gentle giant.  I think that it would have been cool to have met him because I imagine that he would have had a lot of stories to tell.  And, even in his later years, he was still going strong.  He had lost a lot of weight, and he was appearing in quite a few sitcoms and drama series.  In fact, one of his last roles was on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless"...ironically enough playing a judge, of all things!

James Avery brought Uncle Phil to life as one of the most complex sitcom stars to come out of the 1990s...and boy, did he have fun doing it.


James Avery
1945-2013