Before Captain Robert K. Morgan flew his first of 25 missions in the massive Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress, he decided the aircraft needed a more familiar nickname. He chose “Little One,” the pet name he had for his sweetheart, Margaret Polk, back in Memphis, Tennessee. Morgan and his copilot Jim Verinis saw the John Wayne – Joan …
“To be stupid, selfish, and have good health are three requirements for happiness, though if stupidity is lacking, all is lost.” — Gustave Flaubert The celebrated French author Gustave Flaubert lived a life of outspokenness and debauchery and suffered from venereal disease most of his life. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of …
If you’re going to believe a made-up story about a strong and inspiring woman during the Revolutionary War, forget the one about Betsy Ross. Here’s the story of Nancy Hart. According to various accounts, Nancy Hart and her husband Benjamin lived near Savannah, Georgia with their eight children. Nancy was a strong and resourceful woman, …
As a teen, Roger Charlery was a fan of punk rock and was the drummer in the punk band Nam Nam Boys. He began a friendship with second wave ska band The Beat… and by friendship, I mean Roger would crash their gig, storm the stage and begin “toasting” (a form of rapping originating in …
“Allright! Break time is over in two minutes!,” yelled the dungeon keeper, as he checked his watch.
George and Ira Gershwin wrote the character “Bess” in their opera “Porgy and Bess” with popular contralto Etta Moton Barnett in mind. When she was approached to play the role, the singer was firm about refusing to sing the “N” word that was prominent throughout the libretto. The Gershwins honored her conviction and deleted the …
The 1957 low-budget science fiction film The Amazing Colossal Man was a favorite of the MST3K gang.
At 11 years old, Elizabeth Cotten scraped together three dollars and seventy-five cents and purchased a guitar from Sears & Roebuck. It was a right-handed model, so the young, aspiring musician turned it upside-down to play, as she was left handed. She developed her own unorthodox playing style, using her fingers to play bass lines …
Lon Chaney was “The Man of A Thousand Faces.” All of them black & white.
How could you not love Katherine Helmond? Every character she portrayed was a delight, even if they were quirky and odd. But that’s what Katherine brought to her characters. And that’s what made them endearing. And that is the mark of an accomplished actor. She was a staple on television, with roles on the sitcoms …
