S is for Steichen #11
Greta Garbo (1928)
for the series:
S is for Steichen
December 31, 2008
Tricky: Scenes from a Life #70
Tricky prepares to sign an autograph (1958)
for the series:
Tricky: Scenes from a Life
December 30, 2008
Freddie Hubbard dies at 70
Freddie Hubbard
Somehow 70 seems too early for this masterful trumpeter, known as much for his work with Ornette Coleman on Free Jazz, Eric Dolphy on Out to Lunch and John Coltrane on Ole Coltrane and Ascension (among others) as for his own recordings as an ensemble leader. (I must confess to only owning a copy of his Blue Note solo debut Open Sesame, an error I plan to rectify in the very near future.)
Read the International Herald Tribune obituary here.
for the series:
Obits
The Art of Cinema #362
Gli Specialisti
(The Specialist)
(Sergio Corbucci; 1969)
for the series:
Art of Cinema
Poets are both clean and warm
And most are far above the norm
Whether here or on the roam
Have a poet in every home! #38
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
for the series:
Poets are both clean and warm
The Art of Pop #28
amour, amor, amore
(Percy Faith and His Orchestra)
(Columbia Records; 1955)
for the series:
Art of Pop
December 29, 2008
Ann Savage Dead at 87
Actress Ann Savage quietly passed away on Christmas day.
Read the Los Angeles Times Obituary here.
for the series:
Obits
When Legends Gather #491
James Baldwin, Charlton Heston and Joseph L. Mankiewicz
for the series:
When Legends Gather
December 28, 2008
Annals of Crime #54
Original Caption:
New York -- Accused of stabbing his wife in a wordless rage after a beatnik party, novelist Norman Mailer, 37, was ordered sent to Bellevue Hospital for observation. A psychiatrist's report described Mailer as suffering from acute paranoia with homicidal tendencies. Mrs. Adele Mailer, 35, was in critical condition at the hospital after being stabbed twice with a pen knife, Nov.20th. (1960)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
December 27, 2008
Artists in Action #468
Marlene Dietrich disguises herself as Maurice Chevalier
for the series:
Artists in Action
When Legends Gather #490
Akira Kurosawa, Sydney Pollack, Barbara Streisand and John Huston
for the series:
When Legends Gather
December 26, 2008
Eartha Kitt Dies at 81
Eartha Kitt, photographed here by Gordon Parks died yesterday.
Read the BBC coverage of her passing here.
for the series:
Obits
Artists in Action #467
Sheila Burniston and Shirley Anne Field at the opening of the Battersea Pleasure Grounds, London; 11th May 1956.
for the series:
Artists in Action
Through the Lens of Cyril Arapoff #20
Hanbury Buildings, 1939. Children were denied access to this adjacent empty lot, even though it served no useful purpose.
for the series:
Through the Lens of Cyril Arapoff
Signs and Meaning in Cinema #11
Signs: The Naked Kiss
(Samuel Fuller; 1964)
for the series:
Signs and Meaning in Cinema
The Art of Jazz #82
Cool Struttin'
(Sonny Clark)
(Blue Note Records; 1958)
for the series:
Art of Jazz
December 25, 2008
Harold Pinter Dies at 78
News announced at lunch time, UK time that Harold Pinter died.
Read The Times obituary here.
for the series:
Obits
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #12
Brenda Lee - I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus
(Decca Records 30107;1956)
This year's 12th title isn't particularly rare, I'm sure it's been featured in commercials and movies in recent years, although for a long, long time this song languished in relative obscurity, at least compared to Brenda Lee's other Christmas recordings. It's always been a favourite of mine, its youthful exuberance gets to me every time, and yes it does remind me of a more innocent time, as maudlin as that may sound. Little Brenda gives it all she's got in this song, right down to firing off her water pistol with mischievous "Squirt SQUIRT!" As childhood novelty songs go, I'll take this over the Chipmunks anyday.
Merry Christmas everyone, from all of us at If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger... and here's to better things in 2009.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
A Is For Arbus #50
This Ho Ho Ho Business
(Saturday Evening Post; December 14, 1964)
for the series:
A is for Arbus
Politicians In Action #28
Harry S. Truman enjoys a Christmas meal with reporters during a 1950 holiday visit to his hometown of Independence, MO.
for the series:
Politicians in Action
December 24, 2008
Artists in Action #466
Ingrid Bergman captured by Gordon Parks in contemplative mood on set of 'Stromboli'.
for the series:
Artists in Action
They Were Collaborators #532
Robert Wagner, Steve McQueen, Shirley Anne Field and director Philip Leacock on set of 'The War Lover'.
for the series:
They Were Collaborators
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #11
Jerry Lee Lewis-White Christmas
(Taken from the 1977 Johnny Cash Christmas Special)
Today's offering is a bit of a cheat, since it isn't from a record, but rather the 1977 Johnny Cash Christmas Special, which featured a tribute to Sun Records with guests Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis, and an additional nod to former Million Dollar Quartet member Elvis Presley who'd passed away only a couple of months before this show was taped.
I could be wrong, but I don't recall any other Christmas recordings by the Killer, and this brief run through White Christmas is a delight, as you can hear him borrowing the vocal hook from the version Clyde McPhatter sang with the Drifters, which Presley also did on his first Christmas album. This also goes out as a tribute to my late friend and musical mentor (and possibly the world's biggest Jerry Lee fan) Bob Switzer, who held an open house at his Taz Records store in Halifax every Christmas Eve, with drinks on the house and amazing rockabilly and R&B on the stereo. This day just hasn't been the same since Bob passed on and if anyone cares to join me in a toast or two to loved ones recently or long ago departed, I'll go get some more ice.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
The Ink & Paint Set #38
Wheeler & Woolsey in Mickey's Gala Premiere
(Burt Gillett; Walt Disney; 1933)
for the series:
The Ink and Paint Set
Similar Images #8
Finian's Rainbow
(Francis Ford Coppola; 1968)
Apocalypse Now
(Francis Ford Coppola; 1979)
for the series:
Similar Images
December 23, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #10
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet-Faster, Santa Claus, Ho! Ho! Ho!
(It Came From Canada 4, Og Records 17; 1988)
Today's pick is by the late, lamented Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Canadian purveyors of twangy guitar instrumentals with consummate skill and a tongue-in-cheek joie de vivre. They're probably best known for supplying the theme song (Having an Average Weekend) and incidental music for the sketch comedy series Kids In The Hall, but they also made a handful of albums well worth seeking out, as well as a number of rarities for hardcore nerds like yours truly.
One such nugget is this track, a tribute to the Christmas album by surf guitar pioneers the Ventures, on which they mixed familiar holiday songs with hooks from pop hits, so you'd get a bit of Tequila before Frosty the Snowman, or the guitar riff from the Beatles' I Feel Fine kicking off Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. In their case, the Shadowy Men combine a medley of Christmas songs with riffs from a certain '60s rock opera you may have heard of, for a compilation on Montreal-based Og Records, the home of legendary sludgeabilly duo Deja Voodoo.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
December 22, 2008
Just a word . . .
Beginning now, and for the immediate to near future, I have to take some time off from this blog due to the passing of a family member earlier today. Can't say at this time when I'll regain even the inclination to update this blog, but I will return eventually; sooner rather later I hope.
Any rate, I wish you all the best there is to wish for the holidays.
Thanks,
Tom
for the series:
Announcements
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #9
Stan Rogers-Here's to You Santa Claus
Stan Rogers-Coventry Carol
(RCA single 57-1056; 1970)
This is probably the rarest Christmas record I own, which I only say because I've never come across another copy. I could also say the same thing of my Christmas LP by the NFL's New York Giants called Holiday Halftime, but in the case of this single it's something people might actually want to hear.
The late Stan Rogers is akin to a songwriting god in Canadian folk music, acclaimed for passionate ballads of seafarers and rural life sung in a hardy baritone. While for most listeners his career begins with the 1976 album Fogarty's Cove, he had previously been signed to RCA Records in Canada, producing a handful of singles which he later disowned as mere novelty songs (another was 1971's Fat Girl Rag). It's also amusing to see his songwriting credit listed as "Stanley Rogers" as I've never heard anyone refer to him by his proper name in all the years I've been aware of his work (including his brother Garnet, a fine musician and songwriter as well, and his parents, who live here in Nova Scotia).
There are even stories of Rogers attempting to track down all commercially available copies of these singles and destroying them, which might explain why I've never come across a copy for sale; this one is from the stash of an old AM radio station that was cleaning house (as are a great deal of my Christmas singles).
But I have a great deal of fondness for Here's to You Santa Claus, a satiric carol aimed at the marketing of war toys for kids at the height of the Vietnam War. It's certainly a far cry from Sgt. Barry Sadler's I Won't Be Coming Home This Christmas. As a bonus, I'm throwing in the b-side, a rendition of Coventry Carol that really sounds like the late '60s/early '70s.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
Annals of Crime #53
Original Caption:
Man Inspecting Purses at Police Station
Los Angeles -- Robert 'Red' Manley identifies Elizabeth Short's purse in the Black Dahlia murder case. The mutilated body of Elizabeth Short, nicknamed the Black Dahlia for her black wardrobe and dahlias in her hair, was found in a vacant lot in downtown Los Angeles. Manley, a salesman and acquaintance of Short, was one of the last people to be seen with her before her murder. (1947)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
December 21, 2008
Collect 'Em All #56
Barbara Stanwyck
(No. 41 in a series of 50 from Player's Navy Cut cigarettes)
Barbara Stanwyck, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, July 16th, 1907, and christened Ruby Stevens, began to earn her living as a telephone operator. Then she appeared in cabaret as a dancer, and later on the musical comedy stage. She was with the famous Ziegfeld Follies before taking up film work. Broadway Nights was her first film, but it was her role in The Locked Door that brought her popularity. Her latest films are Ever in My Heart and Gambling Lady. She is married to Frank Fay, who is well-known in American musical comedy and vaudeville; they have an adopted son, Dion.
for the series:
Collect 'em All
When Legends Gather #488
Johnny Cash, Andy Kaufman and Tom T. Hall
for the series:
When Legends Gather
Animated Images #4
The Three Caballeros
(Norman Ferguson)
(Walt Disney Studios; 1944)
for the series:
Animated Images
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #8
Ray Middleton-Chanukah
(from Ten Jewish Holidays, Candle Records CAN-112; 1957)
Hanukkah begins at sundown tonight, so I thought it would be appropriate to include something to mark the occasion, and since I don't have much in the way of Jewish holiday music--beyond Holidays, a duet between Mickey Katz and his song Joel Grey that includes all of the high holy days--I found this tune among the seasonal goodies posted at Ernie (Not Bert).
Ray Middleton may not be a household name (or even a Jewish one), but the late New York actor has a few claims to fame, including appearing in the initial Broadway run of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman and as the first actor to portray Superman in public, at the 1940 World's Fair.
And since Superman is the brainchild of Jewish comic creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, whose origin bears some resemblance to the birth of a certain Nazareth übermensch, somehow this brings everything full circle.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
The Art of the Panel: Marvel #3
from The Death Ray of Dr. Zemo
(by Stan Lee, Dick Ayers, George Roussos and Sam Rosen)
(Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos, #8; July, 1964)
for the series:
Art of the Panel: Marvel
They Were Collaborators #531
Luis Buñuel and Gabriel Figueroa
for the series:
They Were Collaborators
G is for Gedney #19
Woman in high heels walking by a large billboard (1967)
for the series:
G is for Gedney
December 20, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #7
The Les Tucker Singers, Hardrock, Coco & Joe
(Inn Records 7" single M-346; 1956)
Today's pick isn't something I experienced as a child, but anyone who grew up in the midwest in the '50s, '60s and '70s probably saw the stop-motion cartoon The Three Little Dwarfs: Hardrock, Coco & Joe annually on locally hosted kids' programs like Bozo the Clown and Garfield Goose & Friends.
The song was written by former singing cowboy Stuart Hamblen, probably best known for penning This Ole House, Open Up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine In)--famously burbled by Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm--and the gospel standard It Is No Secret (What God Can Do), which he composed after becoming a born again Christian with the help of Billy Graham. The recorded version of Hardrock, Coco & Joe is different from the cartoon, with more instrumentation, but fairly similar in terms of the vocal arrangement. The film also carries a footnote of notoriety in the form of a painstakingly accurate parody version produced for Robert Smigel's TV's Funhouse, titled Christmas With Tingles, in which a magical elf goes around spreading holiday anxiety and remorse.
Visit here for more info on the cartoon version, and a copy of the short itself.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
December 19, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #6
The Goons-I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas
(Decca EP DFE 6396; 1957)
Sung by Spike Milligan, I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas was known to me for years only as a tune performed on an episode of the BBC's The Goon Show, but I was very pleased to come across a genuine studio recording a few years back, first on a Goon songs compilation and later scoring the original Decca EP with the picture sleeve (featured in our Stacks O' Wax series back in 2005).
The song originated as a bit of impromptu nonsense (of course) by Milligan when he had to fill for time on a pair of 1956 episodes--The Great Tuscan Salami Scandal and The Treasure in the Lake/a.k.a. The Treasure of Loch Lomond--due to a musicians strike, and the absence of regulars harmonica whiz Max Geldray and singer Ray Ellington. The popularity of the show was such that an official release was a must, hence this recording, made "with Nick Rauchen conducting the Ball's Pond Road near 'The One-in-Harmony'."
The song has become more readily available in recent years, thanks to its appearance on a handful of compilation CDs. In 2003, residents in the Australian town of Woy Woy planned to celebrate their love of the song and the Goons by walking backwards in a parade through the town, but the town council feared potential lawsuits if anyone injured themselves by walking backwards, so the members of the 300-strong parade had to wear their clothes backwards whilst actually walking forwards.
Ying Tong merrily on high.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
W. Mark Felt Dead at 95
W. Mark Felt, Former Associate Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . . . and a self-described 'Hoover Man' at a time when the term stood for something admirable, if only within the bureau itself . . . no longer walks among us, having passed away at the age of 95.
He had a secret, a big one, that will go unmentioned here.
In its stead (appropriately enough), here is a look back at the life and times of a for-real, honest-to-god G-Man, courtesy of today's Washington Post.
for the series:
Obits
The Cool Hall of Fame #153
They Were Collaborators #529
Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff
for the series:
The Cool Hall of Fame,
They Were Collaborators
Annals of Crime #52
Original Caption:
Freed on Bond in Death of Coed.
New York -- Angelo 'Mike' Morelli, 27, leaves Bronx County Courthouse with his attorney, Judge Francis X. Mancuso, after his release on $10,000 bond in connection with the Greenwich Village murder of NYU coed Anne Yarrow. Morelli, a haberdashery salesman, had been listed by police as a "prime suspect" in the February 6 rape-slaying. He was taken into custody February 9th when police learned that Miss Yarrow, 23, had written a letter to her father a few hours before her death saying she was going to meet her new boyfriend "Mike." Morelli denied he knew Miss Yarrow but said he was acquainted with Herta Payson, in whose apartment Miss Yarrow was raped and stabbed 37 times. (1955)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
December 18, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #5
Simon & Garfunkel, The Star Carol
Theodore Bikel & the Pennywhistlers - Sweetest Dreams Be Thine
(A Very Merry Christmas, Volume 1; Columbia Special Products; 1967)
Today in the spirit of sharity, it's a double shot from A Very Merry Christmas, Volume 1, a promotional item that was only available via Grants Department Stores. While most of the artists contained within are usual suspects like Patti Page, Johnny Mathis and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, I thought I'd pass along its two most unusual tracks: a traditional carol sung by Simon & Garfunkel which until just recently was only available on this compilation, and a ballad by actor, folk singer and rooftop fiddler Theodore Bikel.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
The City: Houston #3
An Illustrated History of Vice #11
Original Caption:
Rangers Wreck Texas Night Club.
Houston -- The above photo shows the interior of The Playhouse, an ornate night club of Houston, Texas, after Texas Rangers wielded axes during the state-wide drive on gambling. In this club, equipment valued at $15,000 was destroyed, three alleged operators were arrested, and eighty men and women were to be called as witnesses. (1935)
for the series:
An Illustrated History of Vice,
The City: Houston
The Art of the Panel: DC #7
from Superboy's First Day at School!
(by Otto Binder and George Papp)
(Superboy #75; September, 1959)
for the series:
Art of the Panel: DC
When Legends Gather #486
David Hemmings, Michelangelo Antonioni and Natalie Wood
for the series:
When Legends Gather
December 17, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #4
The Melodeers-Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
(Studio 9908, 1960)
Today's disc is an interesting novelty that's been kicking around my 45 collection for years, but I'd never bothered to play before because of my general loathing for the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (although Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians have a fun Spike Jones-esque take on it). Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess, but when I put this on, I heard a fun doo wop version that bears little resemblance to most versions of the Johnny Marks classic, including a completely different melody that owes more to The Book of Love than any previous reindeer games.
As for the Melodeers themselves, the most I can find out is that they were one of many acts in the stable of late '50s/early '60s rock and roll impresario Vinny Catalano who ran a variety of labels, managing and producing dozens of acts, many of whom were simply Catalano himself teamed up with different singers and musicians. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (with the Catalano-penned b-side Wishing Is For Fools) came out on the Studio Records label, although as you can see my copy is courtesy the Canadian vinyl clearing house Quality Records (via the 20th Fox imprint).
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
Annals of Crime #51
Original Caption:
Santa Claus Arrested in Akron
Akron -- A Sheriff's deputy frisks Santa Claus, John Kaufman, 30, after he was arrested Tuesday for allededly assaulting a jeweler who objected to his method of soliciting contributions. Kaufman, who was booked on assault charges, was in charge of a group of three Santas from the Cleveland Temple of Hare Krishna who were soliciting contributions in an aggressive manner, according to police reports. (1978)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
Poets are both clean and warm
And most are far above the norm
Whether here or on the roam
Have a poet in every home! #37
Daisy Fried
for the series:
Poets are both clean and warm
Welcome to Show Business! #14
Original Caption:
Hollywood -- Screen actress Rita Hayworth is shown at a Sunset Strip night spot with an old friend. Actor's agent Charlie Feldman. Rita returned from Nevada last week where she filed suit for a divorce from Prince Aly Khan. The divorce cannot be granted until 60 days after the Prince is notified. (1951)
for the series:
Welcome to Show Business
December 16, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #3
Morcambe & Wise, The Happiest Christmas of All
(HMV 7" single, 1964, POP 1373)
Beloved comics Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were to Christmas in England what Bob Hope was to the holidays in North America, with annual Christmas specials drawing some of the largest audiences in UK television history (in Canada we had Wayne & Shuster, but their chemistry was a little different). The spirit translated to disc as well, with a pair of Christmas singles, and later an LP of songs and sketches taken from the shows.
The Happiest Christmas of All was the flipside of A-Wassailing--I'm still looking for their later Pye single The 12 Days of Christmas b/w Bingle Jells--with a mix of music hall and some snappy repartee typical of Eric, the tall one with the glasses, and Ernie, the one with the short, fat, hairy legs.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
Great Moments in Moxie #18
Gaze into the omniscient stare of the Moxie Man.
for the series:
Great Moments in Moxie
The Art of Jazz #81
See You at the Fair
(Ben Webster)
(Impulse! Records; 1964)
for the series:
Art of Jazz
December 15, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #2
Have Reindeer, Will Travel
(from Johnny Mathis's Sounds of Christmas; Mercury SR 60837, 1963)
Today's 12 Discs of Christmas entry is a bit of a rarity from Johnny Mathis, during a brief sojourn he took on Mercury Records, away from his usual home at Columbia, in the early-to-mid '60s. To my knowledge, Have Reindeer, Will Travel hasn't shown up on CD yet although other tunes from his 1963 Mercury LP Sounds of Christmas have (it can be hard to tell which ones, Mathis has recorded a lot of Christmas music over the years, which has been issued and reissued in a number of different forms). My copy is taken from a Mercury 7", the flipside of The Little Drummer Boy (which has to be one of my least favourite Christmas songs, in any rendition).
Maybe this particular song hasn't seen the light of day again because of its comparison of Santa Claus to NASA celebrities Alan B. Shepard and John Glenn. That may date the song in the minds of some, but just increases its charm as far as I'm concerned.
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
Adventures in the Fight Racket #27
Today's Adventure
Original Caption:
Chicago -- Musician Lucky Thompson holds sheet music as Archie Moore strums out the tune of "Too Young" on a ukulele in his hotel room here, November 28th. Moore, in training for his scheduled heavyweight title bout, November 30th, against Floyd Patterson, apparently shows no concern over the fact that he has been sued for $750,000 on breach of promise and assault charges. Three suits, filed in Federal court, were on behalf of Mrs. Dolree Mapp of Ohio, and her daughter, Barbara Bivins, 12. Barbara is the daughter of former heavyweight Jimmy Bivins, and was adopted by Mrs. Mapp. (1956)
for the series:
Adventures in the Fight Racket
Artists in Action #462
Jack Benny appears to play the Violin while standing on one foot
for the series:
Artists in Action
Broadcasters #54
Friends and Family #48
Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal (and guest)
for the series:
Broadcasters,
Friends and Family
Signs and Meaning in Cinema #10
Signs: La Chinoise
(Jean-Luc Godard; 1967)
for the series:
Signs and Meaning in Cinema
December 14, 2008
The 12 Discs of Christmas 2008 #1
The Mariners, Bagpipers Carol
(from Christmas 'Round the World, Columbia 10" LP CL 6227)
Among the stacks of ephemera I've managed to accumulate over the years is a substantial collection of Christmas recordings, from 78 r.p.m. platters to boxes full of 7-inch singles, LPs and what Big Black's Steve Albini once referred to as "the rich man's 8-track", compact discs. (And no, I don't have any 8-tracks, a fella's gotta draw the line somewhere.) These have been gleaned from the family collection, thrift shops and used record stores on both sides of the pond, and the generosity of friends and people simply trying to clean out their basements.
So in the spirit of what some popular music blogs have termed "Christmas sharity" I'm presenting 12 of these gems between now and Christmas Day, with tracks from all genres and formats, starting with this prosaic rendition of an old Italian carol by The Mariners, a mixed race vocal group that appeared on The Arthur Godfrey Show from 1949 until 1955.
The Mariners were four former Coast Guard officers who began singing together in 1942, and later became one of Godfrey's featured performers, or "Little Godfreys." Reportedly, Godfrey received complaints by some viewers shocked by the sight of seeing white and black men singing together (it's a good thing they didn't hold hands or anything) but the ol' redhead adamantly refused to pull them from the program.
Christmas 'Round the World features a variety of songs from Appalaichan folk ballads to Negro spirituals and European carols from France and Czechoslovakia, with sparse accompaniment. I like the Bagpiper's Carol for its unique melody and that eerie organ which I assume is trying to imitate the titular instrument. Just click on the link under the cover and enjoy!
for the series:
12 Discs of Christmas
When Legends Gather #485
Maureen O'Hara, Fidel Castro and Alec Guinness
for the series:
When Legends Gather
Annals of Crime #50
Original Caption:
Los Angeles -- A police officer blocks the driveway while officers search in front of the house where a middle-aged couple was stabbed to death, late, August 10. There are striking similarities between the double murder of Leno La Bianca, 44, and his wife Rosemary, 38, and the murders of actress Sharon Tate and four other persons the day before. (1969)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
The Art of the Panel: EC #7
from Steve Rampart
(by John Severin)
(Extra! #5; Nov-Dec, 1955)
for the series:
Art of the Panel: EC
December 13, 2008
Artists In Action #461
James Montgomery Flagg gives a palm reading.
for the series:
Artists in Action
The Golden Age of Publicity #20
Original Caption:
Hollywood -- Like the rest of the world, Hollywood is answering the call to arms in the face of invasion. Hollywood being what it is, however, the screen version is made to fit another kind; that of the box office. The arms used in Hollywood need no machine tool plants and assembly lines behind them to spring into production. They have been provided by Mother Nature. Already the arms of the screen's lovers are in action to provide entertainment for the nation by the time the first of the drafters answer the call. Here Claudette Colbert and Ray Milland do their bit in the Hollywood arms industry during the filming of their latest picture for Paramount, Arise, My Love, directed by Mitchell Leisen. (1940)
for the series:
The Golden Age of Publicity
December 12, 2008
Betty Page dies at 85
It was a strange kind of fame, finally achieving her place in pop culture while languishing in obscurity in a mental institution, decades after she'd tried to put her past as an erotic icon behind her. But it's comforting to know that in her final years, Page was finally receiving compensation for her 1950s plain brown wrapper work, and that what she once considered sin ultimately proved to be her salvation.
Read the L.A. Times obituary here.
for the series:
Obits
Annals of Crime #49
Original Caption:
Newark -- Mrs. Laura Bell Devlin, 72, who murdered her 75-year-old husband, Thomas Devlin, then dismembered his body with a hacksaw and scattered the parts in the backyard, today professed her dislike for jail. She protested vehemently when officials tried to fingerprint her saying "that ink will make my hands dirty," and again when she was placed before the camera, "No," she asserted. She kept repeating "Can I go home now?', unmoved and in no way penitent for the alleged crime. (1947)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
December 11, 2008
When Legends Gather #484
Christopher Plummer, Leslie Caron and Peter Hall
for the series:
When Legends Gather
December 10, 2008
Civic Portraiture #31
Welcome to Show Business! #13
Original Caption:
Las Vegas -- Comedian Buddy Hackett, currently at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas, mugs it up in the Clark County Sheriff's office where he went to obtain a work permit. The law requires a work permit for anybody who works in an establishment where there is gambling or liquor sold. The Actor's Equity association is contesting the law. (1968)
for the series:
Civic Portraiture,
Welcome to Show Business
Annals of Crime #48
Original Caption:
San Rafael -- Mrs. Frances Couturier, who started visiting convict-author Caryl Chessman in San Quentin Prison two years ago, is hopeful that they may be reunited some day. Chessman's execution, scheduled for July 30th, has been postponed pending U.S. Supreme Court review of his case. Mrs. Couturier displays her wallet containing pictures of Chessman and her two children. (1954)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
December 09, 2008
Oliver Postgate dead at 83
News arrived yesterday that Oliver Postgate, co-creator of some of the most popular Children's television in the UK has died, aged 83. Here, Oliver is photographed with Bagpuss in 1997.
Read the BBC story here.
For the uninitiated go here or here.
for the series:
Obits
The City: Houston #2
Original Caption:
Houston -- Eyes sealed shut and completely covered with mud, a Rice University student stumbles out of the "slime pit" after being tossed into the pool of mud during a tug of war game between the University of Houston and Rice. The U of H won the annual event. (1968)
for the series:
The City: Houston
An Illustrated History of Vice #10
Original Caption:
Mayor Destroys Last of Slot Machines.
New York -- A modern St. George conquering a moral dragon, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia of New York City has the personal satisfaction of destroying some of the 2000 slot machines which were loaded on a municipal barge, towed out to sea, and dumped. They are believed to have been the last machines in the city. The money remaining in the machines at the time of confiscation will be turned over to the police pension fund. Watching the Mayor are Police Commissioner Lewis J. Valentine and State Senator Joseph Esquirol, sponsor of a bill outlawing the evil. (1934)
for the series:
An Illustrated History of Vice
Old New York #34
S is for Steichen #10
George Washington Bridge (1931)
for the series:
Old New York,
S is for Steichen
December 08, 2008
Welcome to Show Business! #12
Original Caption:
Hollywood -- Evelyn Nesbit, famed Gibson girl and stage beauty of the early 1900's, looks at herself as she was 50 years ago. She visited the movie set where British actress Joan Collins is portraying Miss Nesbit in a film based on her life called The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing. Miss Nesbit, now 70 and teaching sculpture and ceramics at a Los Angeles art school, was a principal figure in the sensational Stanford White-Harry K. Thaw murder case in 1906. (1955)
for the series:
Welcome to Show Business
December 07, 2008
Annals of Crime #47
Original Caption:
Chicago -- Four prisoners at the Cook County jail display markings worn by the Pachuco Terrorist gang. 17 prisoners at the jail were found to have similar tattoo and ink markings after more than 250 were examined. Only one of them actually admitted being a Pachuco. The gang has a secret code, and takes pride in narcotics addiction, beatings, rape and robbery. The dots surrounding the cross supposedly represent the number of arrests the individual has to his credit. (1954)
for the series:
Annals of Crime
They Were Collaborators #528
Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane
(A rough mix of thanks and praise to Matt Blankman for this image)
for the series:
They Were Collaborators
Aftermath: Japan #5
Original Caption:
Tokyo -- Seventeen-year-old Yamaguchi Otoya uses a foot-long sword to kill Japan Socialist Party leader Asanuma Inajiro on a public stage in Tokyo. Yamaguchi was upset with Asanuma's support of a U.S.-Japan mutual defense treaty. (1960)
for the series:
Aftermath: Japan
December 06, 2008
Signs and Meaning in Cinema #9
Meaning: Smiley Face
(Gregg Araki; 2007)
for the series:
Signs and Meaning in Cinema
Adventures in the National Pastime #10
Original Caption:
Carl Erskine Tearing Down Ebbets Field
Brooklyn -- Former Dodger pitcher Carl Erskine pretends he's back on the mound, using a one ton demolition ball to pitch with, at Ebbets Field, February 23. The iron demolition ball, painted with stitching like a regulation horsehide, was used to start tearing down the ballfield, where the Brooklyn Dodgers played for 43 years. Erskine, who pitched two no hitters at the park, was among several former Dodger greats on hand for the sad ceremonies. Ebbets Field soon will be the site of a huge middle income housing project. (1960)
for the series:
Adventures in the National Pastime
Friends and Family #47
Original Caption:
Morgue Workers Removing Body of Victim
New York -- The body of one of two brothers shot to death in gangland style late November 27th is removed by morgue attendants from a pizzeria on Manhattan's East Side. The dead men were identified as Carmine L. Baffa, 46, and his brother, Joseph, 38. Police said the brothers had records of arrests on charges of gambling, assault and robbery. (1961)
for the series:
Friends and Family
December 05, 2008
December 04, 2008
They Were Collaborators #527
Vincent, Zoltan and Alexander Korda
for the series:
They Were Collaborators
The Art of the Panel: EC #6
from Nell Baker
(by Al Feldstein)
(Crime Patrol #12; Jun-Jul, 1949)
for the series:
Art of the Panel: EC
The Golden Age of Prurience #53
Confidential
(March, 1957)
for the series:
The Golden Age of Prurience
December 03, 2008
Odetta Dead at 77
Bleary-eyed and groggy souls this AM are greeted with profoundly sad news of the passing of Odetta Holmes . . . one of the great and mighty singers of this time, or any other . . . at the age of 77.
Here is an account from the Los Angeles Times
for the series:
Obits
When Legends Gather #483
John Huston, Roberto Rossellini and Jean Negulesco
for the series:
When Legends Gather
The Art of Jazz #80
Bill Evans at Town Hall, Volume One
(Bill Evans Trio)
(Verve Records; 1966)
for the series:
Art of Jazz
Tricky: Scenes from a Life #68
Tricky lets his daughter listen in (1958)
for the series:
Tricky: Scenes from a Life
Seminal Image #886
The Fearless Vampire Killers
(Roman Polanski; 1967)
for the series:
Seminal Images
December 02, 2008
December 01, 2008
Marilyn in Action #10
Marilyn promotes
(I would be remiss if I went one more entry in this series without mentioning The Adventures of Marilyn, an ongoing series at Doc 40; that lovely pasture in the blogosphere maintained by one of the great men of our time, Mick Farren. Though you may note a thematic and visual similarity between this exploration of Joe DiMaggio's ex and that one . . . and though 'Marilyn in Action' technically debuted first . . . I can freely endorse, and salute, 'Adventures' as the better series of the two. Long may it wave)
for the series:
Marilyn in Action
When Legends Gather #482
Los Angeles Police Chief William H. Parker and Jack Webb
for the series:
When Legends Gather
The Art of Jazz #79
Off to the Races
(Donald Byrd)
(Blue Note Records; 1958)
for the series:
Art of Jazz
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