Rodney was also responsible for helping make huge stars out of other stand up comedians such as Andrew "Dice" Clay, Bob Saget and the late great Sam Kinison.

When I was in high school back in the late 70's, I became friends with a girl who too was a Beatles fan. She told me once about her dad was in the Army and stationed in Hamburg. Her dad told her that when he first arrived, one of the other guys kept talking about this rock and roll group that was playing at a nearby club. My friend's dad finally decided to go with his buddy one night to see them and told her it was absolutely amazing. He said these five guys were the best group he had ever heard and that their stage presence was overwhelming, especially the one guitar player who always acted wild. He always remembered their name and told friends back in the States about them and not to be surprised if they record a record of two...they were that good. He didn't say if he ever met or talked to them but because the club was kind of small, he never sat more than 10 feet from the stage. Always think of that story when I see old photos from that time period.

Great piece Eddie. Very thorough. The Beatles time in Hamburg has always fascinated me. They were so young and impressionable and of all cities to be left alone in, that probably wasn't the best. Then again I don't think they would have become The Beatles that they did had they not had that experience. As you said, it really brought them closer together.

Great article, Eddie!! Schindler's List is my favorite Steven Spielberg movie. It's so surreal. You feel you're right there and you can most definitely feel the fear and panic through the actors. I think the one actor who played his part to perfection was Ralph Fiennes. His portrayal of Amon Goeth was absolutely terrifying.

I watched Schindler's List about two weeks ago. It affects me so much that I can only watch it once, maybe twice a year. I always cry at the end when Schindler starts crying and apologizing for not "buying" more lives to save. Neeson does such a wonderful job. How he transcends Scindler from someone proud to be a member of the Nazi party to someone who shockingly discovers the truth and reality of the holocaust is outstanding.

So mice don't like cheese, huh? Yeah right. And I suppose Rock Hudson was gay. C'mon Eddie.

I could never understand why John, George and even Ringo went public with their critisisim of Paul's early work. I always attributed it pure 100% jealousy as Paul was always the most popular Beatle whom the girls all screamed for. Have to give Paul credit for forgiving all 3 and not retaliating. I always thought John's song "Jealous Guy" was an apology of sorts to Paul. How can you experience what the Beatles experienced and not love and respect each other eternally?

I can't imagine the Bond series being as successful as it has been had Sean Connery not started it off. I think the overwhelming consensus even to this day some 55 years later is that Connery is the best Bond.....James Bond!

For anyone interested, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is airing Horse Feathers this coming Tuesday morning (12/12) at 2:30 AM with the Marx Brothers film A Day At The Races immediately following at 4:00 AM.

As much as I love Groucho, I think a Chico was a my favorite a Marx a brother. I mean a seriously...how can you not a laugh?

Baravelli: You sing-a high.
Connie: Yes, I have a falsetto voice.
Baravelli: That's-a funny; my last pupil she had-a false set-a teeth.