20th-Century-Scrapbook

[20th-century-scrapbook]

1950s American Televison screen after their playing of the National Anthem

[gregorygalloway]

Monty Python’s Life of Brian was released in the US on 17 August 1979 (and in the UK on 8 November).

George Harrison established HandMade Films in order to provide financing for the film (putting almost $4 million - about $14 million in today’s value - of his own money).

Terry Jones directed, with Terry Gilliam providing set design and animation.

Protesters appeared at many screenings in the US, including nuns and rabbis, who thought the film was sacrilegious and/or blasphemous (Terry Jones is quoted as saying, “I think the film is heretical, but it’s not blasphemous).“It was banned for in Ireland (for 8 years) and in Norway (for a year).

Shortly after the film’s release, John Cleese and Michael Palin debated a journalist and Bishop on BBC2.

The film was a box office success (earning more than $36 million worldwide) and has been cited as the "greatest comedy film of all time” by a variety of publications.

[gregorygalloway]

Animal Farm: A Fairy Story was published in the UK on 17 August 1945.

The book was rejected by many editors and publishers (including T.S. Eliot at Faber & Faber) before being accepted by Secker and Warburg. Orwell had originally intended to include a preface denouncing the attitudes of the British media (”The sinister fact about literary censorship in England is that it is largely voluntary”) but decided not to include it in the final version.

The US edition was published in 1946, but with Orwell’s subtitle removed.

[baseballbybsmile]

Today In 1920: Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman dies after being beaned by New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays the day before. Chapman is the only player to be fatally injured during a major league game.

[baseballbybsmile]

Today In 1984: A U.S. Postage stamp honoring Roberto Clemente is unveiled in Carolina, Puerto Rico - the birthplace of the Pittsburgh Pirates legend and humanitarian!

[20th-century-scrapbook]

Zale Parry set a record for diving to a depth of 209 feet, she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated / Bob Landry/Sports Illustrated, via Getty Images

Hollywood also took notice. Ms. Parry joined the documentary TV show “Kingdom of the Sea,” appearing in segments on water safety. On “Sea Hunt,” she played a damsel in distress onscreen; offscreen she tutored Mr. Bridges on diving techniques.

[gregorygalloway]

The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on 15 August 1939, and then opened in New York City 2 days later. While the movie was popular, it did not turn a profit for MGM until 1949.

[goshyesvintageads]

Philip Morris Inc, 1999

[modbrother]

Mick Jagger and John Lennon at the recording of The Beatles “All you need is love”, Abbey Road Studios, 24 June 1967.

Photo by David Magnus

[monkeypants]

Margaret Hamilton ~ The Wizard of Oz 1939

[gregorygalloway]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered at the Rialto Theater in London on 14 August 1975 (it opened in the US on 26 Sept).

Based on the 1973 musical, director Jim Sharman (who also wrote the screenplay with creator Richard O’Brien) retained many of the original cast (including Tim Curry) but the studio insisted on casting 2 Americans in main roles (Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon).

While the film had some success in London and Los Angeles, it was quickly withdrawn from its eight opening cities due to very small audiences, and its planned New York City opening on Halloween night was cancelled. It was not until the Waverly Theater in New York City began having midnight screenings in 1976, that the film began to find its audience. It has been playing in theaters ever since.

[gregorygalloway]

Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released on 13 August 1982, in fewer than 500 theaters.

Written by 25-year-old Cameron Crowe (based on his book of the same name) and directed by 28-year-old Amy Heckerling (her first feature film), the movie was the film debuts of Nicolas Cage (credited as Nicolas Coppola), Eric Stoltz, and Forest Whitaker, as well as breakout roles for 20-year-old Jennifer Jason Leigh (who had been acting professionally since she was 11), 22-year-old Sean Penn (in his second feature), and 19-year-old Phoebe Cates (in her second feature film).

Produced for around $4.5 million, Fast Times at Ridgemont High went on to earn nearly $30 million on its initial release.

[gregorygalloway]

The Who’s 5th studio album was released in the UK on 14 August 1971 (and 11 days later in the US).

As a follow-up to Tommy, Pete Townshend envisioned another “rock-opera” and outlined a basic plot (people living in a future where music is outlawed, but a rebel begins broadcasting music) in an October 1970 interview, but also indicated that the story would be developed with audience involvement at a number of live performances. The project was called Lifehouse.

After only a few concerts (where the audience had little interest in creative input, but only wanted the band to play their hits), Townshend gave up on the project in April 1971 and the remaining concerts were cancelled. According to Roger Daltrey, the band nearly broke up; and according to Townshend, he suffered a nervous breakdown, unsure of how to continue.

In the end, Who’s Next contained 8 songs from the Lifehouse project, with John Entwistle’s “My Wife” being the only song on the album not written for the abandoned rock-opera.

It was their first album to top the charts in the UK (and peaked at #4 in the US), and has been cited not only as one of the greatest albums of the 1970s, but one of the greatest albums of all-time.

[theamericanpin-up]

Fritz Willis - "All American Girl" - 1960's Brown & Bigelow Calendar Illustration - The American Pin-up Calendar Collection

[20th-century-scrapbook]

The Chantels in 1958: from left, Arlene Smith, Sonia Goring, Renée Minus, Jackie Landry and Lois Harris / James Kriegsmann, via Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Arlene Smith, the lead singer and songwriter of the Chantels, a quintet that in the late 1950s helped start the “girl group” wave with a ballad, “Maybe,” that became one of doo-wop’s most enduring hits. The group were in their midteens when they convened in a Manhattan church basement in October 1957 to record “Maybe.”

The song is a stately eruption of romantic loss and hunger that showcased the group’s soaring harmonies and Ms. Smith’s raw, pleading lead vocals. It was written by Ms. Smith — although she was initially denied credit by her label. (The label owner took credit, as was common practice at the time, to keep the songwriting royalties.)

Released in December, “Maybe” shot to No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and to No. 2 on the R&B chart.

[gregorygalloway]

20-year-old Aretha Franklin’s 3rd studio album (and 2nd of 1962) was released on 13 August 1962.

The Tender, the Moving, the Swinging Aretha Franklin was her first album to chart, peaking at #69 on the US Billboard chart.

[holespoles]

“August 11, 1962,” by Arthur Getz