Neil D.'s Comments
After the Academy Award this year, most of my friends and the people I talked to (including myself) all asked the same question... "Who is Seth MacFarlane?" I'm not kidding!
Now, I know that "Family Guy" is a very popular show, but I guess it's either my people from my generation or the circles I travel in, because when I told them he was from "Family Guy", every one went... "Ohhhh...?..........." . They didn't seem to know who he was.
I myself, had actually thought I wouldn't like him MacFarlane at all, but now thanks to Eddie, I think I'll be more interested in watching for him in the future. How can you not like a guy who loves "The Sound of Music" and is a Rat Pack fan???
Now, I know that "Family Guy" is a very popular show, but I guess it's either my people from my generation or the circles I travel in, because when I told them he was from "Family Guy", every one went... "Ohhhh...?..........." . They didn't seem to know who he was.
I myself, had actually thought I wouldn't like him MacFarlane at all, but now thanks to Eddie, I think I'll be more interested in watching for him in the future. How can you not like a guy who loves "The Sound of Music" and is a Rat Pack fan???
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Eddie, I have a story for you...
I was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for a table when I looked over and there were all these "boxers" eating dinner. The press was there interviewing them - when all of a sudden, the front door opened and Dean Martin walked in. Dean walked up to the desk, and the hostess quickly escorted Dean into a private banquet room across from me.
As I sat there, I heard Ali say that the was going to say "hi" to Dean, so he got up from his table, crossed in front of me and went into the banquet room and closed the sliding door. A moment later, a loud crashing noise came from behind the door. A second later, the door slid open and Dean had stuck his head out and said, "That's alright... Ali started some trouble, but I took care of him!".
You could have heard a pin drop. The reporters in the main room all started writing down notes in their notebooks when a couple minutes later, the Burbank Fire Department and Rescue Squad came though the front door and went immediately into the banquet room, sliding the door behind them.
Another couple minutes later, Dean slid the door back open, came out, looked at me and said, "That will teach him to mess with me!", winked, and walked into the bar area - a room away from the reporters.
I could only imagine what the papers had said the following morning. What really happened was that someone in the banquet room had fainted and the paramedics were called, but Dean really played it up like he had knocked Ali out!
I was sitting in a restaurant, waiting for a table when I looked over and there were all these "boxers" eating dinner. The press was there interviewing them - when all of a sudden, the front door opened and Dean Martin walked in. Dean walked up to the desk, and the hostess quickly escorted Dean into a private banquet room across from me.
As I sat there, I heard Ali say that the was going to say "hi" to Dean, so he got up from his table, crossed in front of me and went into the banquet room and closed the sliding door. A moment later, a loud crashing noise came from behind the door. A second later, the door slid open and Dean had stuck his head out and said, "That's alright... Ali started some trouble, but I took care of him!".
You could have heard a pin drop. The reporters in the main room all started writing down notes in their notebooks when a couple minutes later, the Burbank Fire Department and Rescue Squad came though the front door and went immediately into the banquet room, sliding the door behind them.
Another couple minutes later, Dean slid the door back open, came out, looked at me and said, "That will teach him to mess with me!", winked, and walked into the bar area - a room away from the reporters.
I could only imagine what the papers had said the following morning. What really happened was that someone in the banquet room had fainted and the paramedics were called, but Dean really played it up like he had knocked Ali out!
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Nancy Sinatra was hot stuff at the time... Singing with daddy Frank, then romancing Elvis on the screen in "Speedway". Wearing short skirts and Go-go boots, she strutted them in a series of RC Cola TV ads. The her NBC Special, "Movin' with Nancy" - not only did she sing with "Uncle Dean" (Dean Martin who was hot at the time himself), but had televisions first interracial kiss being kissed on the cheek by Sammy Davis Jr.
What red-blooded American boy didn't want a little sh..sh sh.. sh sh.. sugar (town)?
Thanks Eddie for making me remember mini-skirts again!
What red-blooded American boy didn't want a little sh..sh sh.. sh sh.. sugar (town)?
Thanks Eddie for making me remember mini-skirts again!
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Twentieth Century Fox followed in the footsteps of Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures when they signed Elvis Presley to star in the movies.
Elvis was following on the heels of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (As a matter of fact, one of Elvis' idols was Dean Martin). As The team of Martin & Lewis made the transition from nightclubs to radio to television, it proved a rough road. Their first radio outing failed dismally. The big television networks were just beginning to take route. Movie studios didn't know if TV was going to overtake the public's box office spending. Everyone was cautious.
When Hal Wallis saw that Dean's singing and Jerry's clowning could bring in nightclub crowds, he took a gamble their persona would translate on the big screen - BUT - he didn't just jump in with both feet. Martin and Lewis got fourth and fifth billing in their first two films to "test the waters". They proved after that they could bring in the audiences with their own name on top.
Fox, following Paramount's lead, took the same precautionary steps, sticking Elvis in a movie with third billing under Richard Egan and Debra Paget.
Of course, who couldn't have a crush on Debra Paget? She had done almost two dozen movies including "The Ten Commandments" (and interestingly enough, had the role of Cosette in 1952's Les Miserables).
Elvis proved in Love Me Tender that he could handle the starring role, but just like his idol Dean Martin, had a hard time breaking the mold of playing a handsome, sexy singer being cast to star in light fluffy comedies. As a side note, Dean took the biggest gamble of his career when he took a role in the movie "The Young Lions" just to escape the image the public saw of him - Col. Parker, Presley' manager, didn't grant Elvis the opportunity.
Thank's again Eddie for making me think and want to write a comment. You write such interesting articles!
Elvis was following on the heels of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis (As a matter of fact, one of Elvis' idols was Dean Martin). As The team of Martin & Lewis made the transition from nightclubs to radio to television, it proved a rough road. Their first radio outing failed dismally. The big television networks were just beginning to take route. Movie studios didn't know if TV was going to overtake the public's box office spending. Everyone was cautious.
When Hal Wallis saw that Dean's singing and Jerry's clowning could bring in nightclub crowds, he took a gamble their persona would translate on the big screen - BUT - he didn't just jump in with both feet. Martin and Lewis got fourth and fifth billing in their first two films to "test the waters". They proved after that they could bring in the audiences with their own name on top.
Fox, following Paramount's lead, took the same precautionary steps, sticking Elvis in a movie with third billing under Richard Egan and Debra Paget.
Of course, who couldn't have a crush on Debra Paget? She had done almost two dozen movies including "The Ten Commandments" (and interestingly enough, had the role of Cosette in 1952's Les Miserables).
Elvis proved in Love Me Tender that he could handle the starring role, but just like his idol Dean Martin, had a hard time breaking the mold of playing a handsome, sexy singer being cast to star in light fluffy comedies. As a side note, Dean took the biggest gamble of his career when he took a role in the movie "The Young Lions" just to escape the image the public saw of him - Col. Parker, Presley' manager, didn't grant Elvis the opportunity.
Thank's again Eddie for making me think and want to write a comment. You write such interesting articles!
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I have seen every James Bond movie ever made since I was a kid. The local theatre was playing "Dr. No" with a Walt Disney movie called "In Search of the Casaways". I told my Mom that I was only staying for the Disney movie, and when to pick me up (but I was actually watching The James Bond movie!
As for George Lazenby playing Bond in "OHMSS"... was I the only one that thought he was good? I guess both actress Diana Rigg (The Avengers Emma Peel) and Louis Armstrong's music (We Have All The Time In The World) helped steer my liking for it.
Thanks again Eddie for another wonderful article!
As for George Lazenby playing Bond in "OHMSS"... was I the only one that thought he was good? I guess both actress Diana Rigg (The Avengers Emma Peel) and Louis Armstrong's music (We Have All The Time In The World) helped steer my liking for it.
Thanks again Eddie for another wonderful article!
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I've written letters to girls, just like the instructions above... but it always pisses off my wife! (-ha!)
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Very interesting article... it only goes to prove the fact that one man's opinion may not be right. I remember when The Carpenters (Karen and Richard) were both told in school that they were never going to get far... same goes for The Van Halen brothers... and how about The Beach Boys? They were told the same thing... look at them now!
Keep at it and believe in yourself!
Keep at it and believe in yourself!
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The picture of Van Halen's album cover caught my eye... I went to high school with Eddie and Alex Van Halen, and never thought they would amount to anything. If you knew them - their album cover's artwork wouldn't surprise you at all, and there wouldn't be any deep message there either (ha!)
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Thanks for the very interesting article on The Beatles and their connection to Christmas songs.
Isn't it funny how certain songs (like McCatney's "Wonderful Christmastime or Lennon's "War is Over") still remain popular today and get played over and over at Christmas time - where others are totally forgotten.
Everything in this country lies in the hands of the media. From political agendas, to what's reported on the news, to what's not, to even the songs that get picked for airplay year after year.
That's why people like Eddie are needed - to keep us informed : those of us who are older and have forgotten, and those who are younger and have never experienced these bits of history... The Beatles made such an influence on society, and they had changed history with everything they did, sang and said.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I hope songs of war will soon be part of our past. I pray our future will bring peace and prosperity to all.
Isn't it funny how certain songs (like McCatney's "Wonderful Christmastime or Lennon's "War is Over") still remain popular today and get played over and over at Christmas time - where others are totally forgotten.
Everything in this country lies in the hands of the media. From political agendas, to what's reported on the news, to what's not, to even the songs that get picked for airplay year after year.
That's why people like Eddie are needed - to keep us informed : those of us who are older and have forgotten, and those who are younger and have never experienced these bits of history... The Beatles made such an influence on society, and they had changed history with everything they did, sang and said.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and I hope songs of war will soon be part of our past. I pray our future will bring peace and prosperity to all.
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Hey... you know what they say?!?!... Females can usually find their way without having to stop to ask directions.
On the other hand - I am surprised that with eight female reindeer, they even make it on time to everyone's house without bickering and yelling they whole way!
Which leads me to believe that Santa would have to be deaf. There's NO WAY, even the jolliest man, could put up with eight females telling him where to go!
Wait!!!!! - No.... no... Santa Clause is still a man, right?!?!
Thanks Eddie for making me laugh before I go back out there and hit the stores one more time before Christmas!
On the other hand - I am surprised that with eight female reindeer, they even make it on time to everyone's house without bickering and yelling they whole way!
Which leads me to believe that Santa would have to be deaf. There's NO WAY, even the jolliest man, could put up with eight females telling him where to go!
Wait!!!!! - No.... no... Santa Clause is still a man, right?!?!
Thanks Eddie for making me laugh before I go back out there and hit the stores one more time before Christmas!
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In the words of the teacher... "Waw... waw...waw...waw".
Gosh, Charlie Brown reminds me of the growing up years.
Every time I see an image of Charlie or Peppermint Patty, I am taken back to the days we got the kids in the neighborhood together and played baseball in the street. There was an older Italian lady who lived in one of the houses in front of where we played, and she would come out of her house with her arm raised, yelling at us in Italian. One day, a couple of the older boys did the old "dog poop in the burning bag" bit on her - they put dog droppings in a bag, set it on her porch, lit it on fire and rang the doorbell. She came out, saw the fire and began to stomp it out with her big orthopedic boots. We all died laughing.
I often wondered what she thought, when we would steal her Sunday morning newspaper and take out and keep the comic section, just to see the "Peanuts" cartoons caricatures.
Then there was song that "The Royal Guardsman" had about that famous dog putting on his flying goggles and shooting down the enemy on his doghouse.
If all that sounds foreign to you... you'll never know the impact Charles Schultz and Charlie Brown had on all of us from that generation. Thanks Eddie for the warm memories!
Gosh, Charlie Brown reminds me of the growing up years.
Every time I see an image of Charlie or Peppermint Patty, I am taken back to the days we got the kids in the neighborhood together and played baseball in the street. There was an older Italian lady who lived in one of the houses in front of where we played, and she would come out of her house with her arm raised, yelling at us in Italian. One day, a couple of the older boys did the old "dog poop in the burning bag" bit on her - they put dog droppings in a bag, set it on her porch, lit it on fire and rang the doorbell. She came out, saw the fire and began to stomp it out with her big orthopedic boots. We all died laughing.
I often wondered what she thought, when we would steal her Sunday morning newspaper and take out and keep the comic section, just to see the "Peanuts" cartoons caricatures.
Then there was song that "The Royal Guardsman" had about that famous dog putting on his flying goggles and shooting down the enemy on his doghouse.
If all that sounds foreign to you... you'll never know the impact Charles Schultz and Charlie Brown had on all of us from that generation. Thanks Eddie for the warm memories!
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Okay... not to give away my age, but the Chipmunks Christmas album stirs up my most precious memory of Christmas.
I awoke, as did my younger brother, on Christmas morning to rush out and find that Santa had come and left us presents under the tree.
My parents were poor at the time, and both my brother and I had just celebrated our birthdays within the last few weeks of Christmas day (we were both born in the month of December). That meant our parents had to split the money they were going to spend on Christmas presents, with getting us birthday gifts in the same month. Still, unlike the expensive gifts of laptop computers, cell phones and designer shoes the kids get today... we were just as thrilled to get model cars, toy guns and erector sets.
Well, we raced through opening our presents in about 10-minutes. I remember feeling a little let down because I got more clothes than "fun" stuff. Still, I managed to be entertained by some of the things I got.
An hour passed when my father looked over at me and said, "I think I see something over there"... I looked over and didn't see anything when he added, "What's that behind the couch?".
I got up and ran over to find a huge two-foot square box all wrapped with my name on it. I ripped it open as fast as I could and discovered a large record-player in a wooden cabinet. Wrapped along with the record player was an LP album - The Chipmunks Christmas record.
My Dad plugged it in and my Mom put the needle in and I opened the record. To my amazement, the record was pressed in RED see-thru vinyl. Not like the normal black disc, but red!
I played and played that record all day... and the next day... and through New Years. It was the best gift I ever got!
I no longer can remember what happened to the old record player, but guess what?!? I STILL have that red-vinyl Chipmunks record album today (a bit scratched up), but it's worth a million dollars in memories and will be with me until the day I die.
Eddie, your article was a great Christmas gift to me. It made me remember those feeling once more!
I awoke, as did my younger brother, on Christmas morning to rush out and find that Santa had come and left us presents under the tree.
My parents were poor at the time, and both my brother and I had just celebrated our birthdays within the last few weeks of Christmas day (we were both born in the month of December). That meant our parents had to split the money they were going to spend on Christmas presents, with getting us birthday gifts in the same month. Still, unlike the expensive gifts of laptop computers, cell phones and designer shoes the kids get today... we were just as thrilled to get model cars, toy guns and erector sets.
Well, we raced through opening our presents in about 10-minutes. I remember feeling a little let down because I got more clothes than "fun" stuff. Still, I managed to be entertained by some of the things I got.
An hour passed when my father looked over at me and said, "I think I see something over there"... I looked over and didn't see anything when he added, "What's that behind the couch?".
I got up and ran over to find a huge two-foot square box all wrapped with my name on it. I ripped it open as fast as I could and discovered a large record-player in a wooden cabinet. Wrapped along with the record player was an LP album - The Chipmunks Christmas record.
My Dad plugged it in and my Mom put the needle in and I opened the record. To my amazement, the record was pressed in RED see-thru vinyl. Not like the normal black disc, but red!
I played and played that record all day... and the next day... and through New Years. It was the best gift I ever got!
I no longer can remember what happened to the old record player, but guess what?!? I STILL have that red-vinyl Chipmunks record album today (a bit scratched up), but it's worth a million dollars in memories and will be with me until the day I die.
Eddie, your article was a great Christmas gift to me. It made me remember those feeling once more!
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Ah... The Chairman of the Board... Sinatra was as big as they come for an entertainer.
For those under 50 years of age, one has to go back into newsreels and archival footage to see the impact that Frankie had on females of all ages. It was incredible! Here was a scrawny little guy, who in my opinion, didn't resemble a handsome Casanova, but he had an aura about him and a voice to match, that made the girls hysterical over.
Frank Sinatra conquered the world of music. He did pretty good at the box-office, and he commanded standing-room-only in concert halls and stages. But one place Sinatra had difficulty achieving heights with, was television. Sure, his specials were really well made They were top-notch, had a lot of guest stars and music, but they didn't capture the magic Sinatra had in other aspects of his career.
I remember Greg Garrison (Producer of The Dean Martin Show) once saying, "When Frank and Dean are performing together in front of the camera, everyone takes notice of Frank because he's considered a master singer, but slowly your eyes drift away from Frank and you can't stop focusing your attention on Dean".
He was right, and Sinatra's jealousy and hesitation would show through. He wanted the magic that he once had early in his career, and what he saw that Dean had... that twinkle in the eye and the little mannerisms that endeared the TV audience to their star.
I loved Eddie's article, mainly because I think the magnitude of Frank Sinatra's career and life is slowly dissolving with time. Not because he wasn't great, but because people are starting to forget. Unlike Audrey Hepburn or Elvis Presley - not enough is being written about Sinatra to keep his history and flame burning as bright as it once did - even after his passing.............Thank's Eddie! Long live The Man and His Music!
For those under 50 years of age, one has to go back into newsreels and archival footage to see the impact that Frankie had on females of all ages. It was incredible! Here was a scrawny little guy, who in my opinion, didn't resemble a handsome Casanova, but he had an aura about him and a voice to match, that made the girls hysterical over.
Frank Sinatra conquered the world of music. He did pretty good at the box-office, and he commanded standing-room-only in concert halls and stages. But one place Sinatra had difficulty achieving heights with, was television. Sure, his specials were really well made They were top-notch, had a lot of guest stars and music, but they didn't capture the magic Sinatra had in other aspects of his career.
I remember Greg Garrison (Producer of The Dean Martin Show) once saying, "When Frank and Dean are performing together in front of the camera, everyone takes notice of Frank because he's considered a master singer, but slowly your eyes drift away from Frank and you can't stop focusing your attention on Dean".
He was right, and Sinatra's jealousy and hesitation would show through. He wanted the magic that he once had early in his career, and what he saw that Dean had... that twinkle in the eye and the little mannerisms that endeared the TV audience to their star.
I loved Eddie's article, mainly because I think the magnitude of Frank Sinatra's career and life is slowly dissolving with time. Not because he wasn't great, but because people are starting to forget. Unlike Audrey Hepburn or Elvis Presley - not enough is being written about Sinatra to keep his history and flame burning as bright as it once did - even after his passing.............Thank's Eddie! Long live The Man and His Music!
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It's funny... I was a big Beatles fan during their heyday - but I was never much of a John Lennon fan.
Feeling a sense of negativity and rebellion in the aura Lennon gave off, I thought the balance of McCartney's warmer disposition brought John Lennon more towards the middle.
I liked "Woman" and "Imagine", but "Give Peace a Chance" and "Instant Karma" eluded my tastes. Teenage life was already hard enough... I think I was wanting to have music as an escape from the worries and challenges, more than having to make heavy statements.
Oh............ and somehow I NEVER understood "Yoko Ono" - Period.
Still, a very interesting article Eddie, it helps peek into that mysterious mind of John Lennon that I just never quite adjusted to.
Feeling a sense of negativity and rebellion in the aura Lennon gave off, I thought the balance of McCartney's warmer disposition brought John Lennon more towards the middle.
I liked "Woman" and "Imagine", but "Give Peace a Chance" and "Instant Karma" eluded my tastes. Teenage life was already hard enough... I think I was wanting to have music as an escape from the worries and challenges, more than having to make heavy statements.
Oh............ and somehow I NEVER understood "Yoko Ono" - Period.
Still, a very interesting article Eddie, it helps peek into that mysterious mind of John Lennon that I just never quite adjusted to.
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Like most other boys, I bought my share of "Batman" comics... but it was "Superman" that really enthralled me. He could really fly, where Batman had to use his grappling hook and some rope he always managed to have tied to his Bat-belt.
As I got a bit older, ABC had started airing a Batman TV series. It starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder. At first, I just liked it because it was sort of "campy", much like all the other TV shows of the time (Love Boat, Bewitched, Flying Nun, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, etc...). But as the show progressed, I found that I liked it because Batman was like an ordinary guy, not some hero with super powers beyond mortal man.
I never thought of Batman as being homosexual in the least. It was a different time... a time of innocence... a time where being "politically correct" didn't go overboard. I look back on movies made during the depression period and WWII years, and they often depict males sharing a bed. It wasn't something strange back then, or something sexual... men often shared sleeping arrangements in hotel rooms or while visiting on vacation. It didn't seem out of place, even by the 1960's and 70's when Batman was first on television.
Now... sure, the "tights" seemed a little awkward. I think every boy laughed a little seeing what Adam West showed below his Bat-Belt, but his costume is what set him apart and made him unique. To this day, Batman costumes are one of the biggest selling items at Halloween.
As far as romantic scenes in the comic books or on the early series, you have to remember that young boys don't want to see couples kiss - and I am just talking about HETEROsexual couples... the sexual tension between the women (Cat Woman, Bat Girl... etc...) and Batman was just enough to show temptation, but "duty" called first.
Today, the Batman franchise has turned dark. "The Dark Knight" and all the other versions are not of much interest to me. Everything is becoming overly violent today. Everyone in Hollywood talks about gun and violence control, but Hollywood is the main culprit of many of the evils we have today. Just take a look at all the movies that are out in theatres today (or are coming out)... how many are filled with violence or sex and how many are films can take your 11-year-old son to? The 11-year old of today has a completely different view of Batman than I have. The average 11-year old has a completely different view of just about everything.
If Batman is gay or not doesn't even enter my psyche, but Eddie brought up an interesting subject to make us think about what younger people may perceive today.