Monday, February 28, 2011

Will She Be Buried In A Playtex 18-Hour Bra?

Jane Russell, the voluptuous actress who first gained fame in the controversial movie "The Outlaw," who was married three times---one marriage was to UCLA and Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams quarterback Bob Waterfield----and who was a commercial spokeswoman for Playtex, passed away on Monday at her Santa Maria, California home from a respiratory-related illness at age 89.

Do You Prefer Racko Or Easy Money?

Here's a commercial I remember from many moons ago.  From the mid-1960s, here's an advert for two Milton Bradley games, Racko and Easy Money.

Enjoy!

At Least Nobody Went Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs In This Ad

From 1960, here's a pre-Sonny commercial for General Mills Cocoa Puffs cereal.  Two brothers and a sister pretend that they are in Africa when they are pursued by a lion.  The three siblings were used in television commercials for the cereal's first six years of existance before they were replaced in 1964 by that winged and feathered fugitive from an insane asylum, Sonny.

Coo Coo For Cocoa Puffs!

Frankly, I like Sonny better with his clothes on.

From 1964, here's a commercial for General Mills' Cocoa Puffs as Sonny tries to become cultured.

Chuck McCann did Sonny's voice.

Wow!

Tennessee Tuxedo, Chumley, and Baldy appear in a commerical for General Mills' Frosty-Os Cereal which originally appeared during an episode of Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, which aired at the time over CBS television.  This commercial was from the 1964-65 season.  It was back in the days when stars appeared in integrated commercials that appeared during their respective shows.  General Mills sponsored (and owned) Tennessee Tuxedo.

While Bradley Bolke (as Chumley) and Kenny "Senator Claghorn" Delmar (as Baldy) appeared in this ad, Don Adams, who starred as Tennessee's voice, did not appear.  Mort Marshall, who played the voice of Tennessee's nemesis, Megopolis Zoo manager Stanley Livingston, filled in.

Anyone Out There In InternetLand Remember This?

Here's a 1960s commercial for Slinky!

Here's A Word From Out Sponsor

From the 1970s, here's a 16mm film of an Ex Lax commercial.

Frank Buckles, Last Surviving US World War I Veteran

Frank Buckles, the last surviving United States World War I veteran, passed away on Sunday at the age of 110.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Now, Only Willie Remains

Hall of Famer Duke Snider, who played sixteen seasons with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, a feared hitter who had five straight seasons of 40 or more home runs, who played on the Dodgers' 1955 (Brooklyn) and 1959 (Los Angeles) World Series championship teams, passed away at age 84, the Baseball Hall of Fame revealed on Sunday.  Mr. Snider had been battling an undisclosed illness at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, California.


Rest in Peace, Duke.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

More Thrills With The Green Archer

Time for the ninth installment in our 1940 Columbia Pictures chapter play, The Green Archer, "Mirror of Treachery."


Thursday, February 24, 2011

Blast From The Past

From the ABC Network premiere telecast of The Lawrence Welk Show, as aired on July 2, 1955, here's Myron Floren playing "Tico, Tico."

Here's A Fall Preview

Here's a preview of the 1961 CBS Network fall lineup.  Last year, I embeded this same program in several parts.  Here it is again, this time in one piece.

Enjoy!

Here's Someone Achin' To Become A Movie Star

In "She Had To Choose" (Majestic Pictures, 1934), A young actress hits Hollywood with dreams of becoming a movie star, only to see roadblocks in her way.  Larry (Buster) Crabbe, Isabel Jewell, Sally Blaine, and Regis Toomey are featured here.  This movie, with original story by Mann Page and Izola Forrester and adaptation by Houston Branch, was produced by Larry Darmour and directed by Ralph Ceder.

Was He Born With A Star On His Chest?

From Republic Pictures in 1937, we present Johnny Mack Brown starring in "A Lawman Is Born."  With original story by Harry F. Olmstead and screenplay and adaptation by George H. Plympton, this motion picture, which, alongside Johnny, featured Iris Meredith, Warner Richmond, Mary MacLaren, Dick Curtis, and Al (Fuzzy) St. John, was produced by A.W. Hacker (who had earlier produced some of Johnny's movies at Supreme Pictures) and directed by Sam Newfield.

Enjoy, pardners!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Time For Champagne Music

In this clip from the February 15, 1964 ABC Network telecast of The Lawrence Welk Show, here are the Champagne Music Makers with "The Poor People of Paris."

Time For Another Tune!

From 1950, here's Eileen Barton, along with the New Yorkers, with "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked A Cake."  This recording was originally released by National Records.  If I recall, that label was in dire financial trouble and that this recording was eventually taken over by Mercury Records.

Ol'Man River

Here are the Ravens, with Jimmy Ricks on the lead vocal, with their 1947 recording of "ol' Man River," released on the National Records label.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Time For A Movie!

From Victory Pictures in 1937, we present "Blake of Scotland Yard."  This film stars Ralph Byrd, with Herbert Rawlinson, Joan Barclay, Lloyd Hughes, and  Dickie Jones.  With screenplay by Basil Dickey and William Buchanan and story by Rock Hawkey, this flick was produced by Sam Katzman and directed by Bob Hill.


Enjoy!


 

Another Adventure With The Green Archer

Our 1940 Columbia Pictures serial, The Green Archer, continues with its' eighth installment, "Garr Castle Is Robbed."


Thursday, February 17, 2011

Heeeere's Jimmy!

From 1957, here's Jimmy McCracklin with his 1957 hit, "The Walk" on a Checker Records 78 RPM record.

Enjoy!

Time For The Moonglows!

From 1957, here are The Moonglows with their recording of Percy Mayfield's "Please Send Someone To Love" on Chess Records.

A Little Surprised

It may not be very long before this network starts straying from its' original mission.



The announcement was made this past Tuesday with the name and branding change to take place on April 4.

This Guy...

Gives Alabama fans a bad name.  Fun is fun, though, this carried it a bit too far.


Satisfied, mothertrucker?

Monday, February 14, 2011

George Shearing, R. I. P.

Famed British-born jazz piano virtuoso George Shearing, who overcame blindness to become a worldwide jazz star, and who is best remembered for such recordings as "Lullaby of Birdland" and "September In The Rain," passed away from congestive heart failure on Monday in Manhattan at the age of 91.

Here's a short film from many years ago, quite likely the early 1950s of the George Shearing Quintet playing "Conception."

Heaven and Paradise

Here are Don Julian and The Meadowlarks with their 1955 Dootone Records recording of Heaven and Paradise.

Time For The Flamingos

Here's a 78 RPM record of the original version of "I'll Be Home" by the Flamingos on Checker Records, which was a sister label of Chess Records of Chicago.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

A happpy Valentine's Day from all of us here at Bob's Place!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

No, That Isn't The Voice Of Mel Allen

Here's a 1959 Abner Records (Vee Jay subsidiary) release of Dee Clark singing "How About That."

Time For TV Advertising Memories

This collection of television commercials are shown as they were presented during a 1975 telecast of Soul Train.

And Now A Word From Someone Who Makes Denture Cleaner For A Living

Here's a 1986 television commercial for Dentu Creme.

Time For More Action With The Green Archer

Time now for "The Secret Passage," chapter seven of our 1940 Columbia Pictures serial, The Green Archer.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Carl's First

Speaking of that other Flip Records label, the short-lived one based in Memphis that was owned by Sam Phillips, here's Carl Perkins with "Movie Magg," which was released early in 1955.

Era Ends In Salt Lake City

Frankly, I did not see it coming.  Jerry Sloan, in the middle of his 23rd season as Utah Jazz head coach, the longest-tenured coach/manager in the four major American sports, has called it quits.

Time For "Louie Louie"

Here is the original version, from 1957 by the song's composer Richard Berry.  It was released on Flip Records, the Los Angeles-based label that is also best remembered for a handful of hit recordings from the Six Teens.  This was also the label that brought legal action against Sam Phillips which forced the owner of Sun Records to shutter his Memphis-based same-named country-oriented label.

Time For The Nutmegs!

From 1955, here are the Nutmegs with their Herald Records recording, "Ship of Love," which made that year's Billboard rhythm and blues charts.

No, Not THOSE Diamonds

From around 1953, on Atlantic Records, here are the Diamonds (not to be confused with the same-named vocal group from Canada who had a series of hit recordings for Mercury in the mid-late 1950s) with "A Beggar For Your Kisses."  THESE were the Diamonds who were a rhythm-and-blues vocal group who recorded for Atlantic in the early 1950s.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Time For A Movie!

From Britain's Gainsborough Pictures in 1938, here's "Hey! Hey! USA."  In this one, Dr. Benjamin Twist (played by Will Hay), a man whose ambitions outstrips his abilities, is a porter on an ocean liner bound for America, who, through a series on convoluted plot twists, finds himself masquerading as a professor.  Teaming up with a gangster stowaway (played by Edgar Kennedy), our "hero" finds himself embroiled in a kidnap plot on the far side of the pond that is complicated by the fact that there are two sets of gangsters who are attempting to get their grubby hands on the ransom money.

Based upon Jack Swain's original story with scenario by J. O. C. Orton and dialogue by Marriot Edgar and Val Guest, this motion picture, which also had David Burns, Eddie Ryan, Fred Duprez, Paddy Reynolds, Tommy Bupp, Arthur Gouliet, Gibb McLaughlin, and Eddie Pola in the cast, was produced by Edward Black and directed by Marcel Varnel.

This British-Gaumont picture was controlled throughout the world (save the United States) by General Film Distributors.

Enjoy!

Sorry, Charlie

Released in 1960, here's Charlie Rich with own composition "Lonely Weekends" on the Phillips International label.  PI was a Sun Records subsidiary.

Travel Spot

Here's a 30-second spot promoting travel to Slovakia.

SB XLV Post Mortem

It's amazing that a team that started the season at 3-3 , and who ended up with more than a dozen players on the season-ending injured reserve list, managed to turn things around as was the case with the Green Bay Packers.  Remeber, this was a team, as the number six seed in the NFC playoffs, had to win AT Philadelphia, AT Atlanta, and AT Chicago, just to get to the Super Bowl.  The Packers made very few mistakes on Sunday night.  The offensive line did a very good job protecting Aaron Rodgers, who might have had an even better night if not for a handful of dropped passed.  The Green Bay defense certainly did their job, coming up with three big takeaways which contributed to 21 of Green Bay's 31 points---one of the touchdonws happened directly as Nick Collins returned an intercepted Ben Roethlisberger pass to the house.

The Green Bay Packers cetainly earned their fourth Super Bowl title and their 13th NFL championship overall last night down at Arlington, Texas.

Now we'll see if we have NFL football next season.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

PACKERS HOLD OFF STEELERS TO GRAB SUPER BOWL CROWN

At Arlington, Texas:

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (named the game's Most Valuable Player) threw for three touchdowns, two to Greg Jennings and one more to Jordy Nelson, while defensive back Nick Collins returned a Ben Roethlisberger pass for another score as the Green Bay Packers held off the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 Sunday night to win Super Bowl XLV.  The win marked the Packers fourth Super Bowl title (their first in 14 years) and their thirteenth National Football League championship overall, a league record. 21 of the Packers' points came off three Pittsburgh turnovers, two Ben Roethlisberger picks and a fumble by running back Rashard Mendenhall.

Red Hot

From 1957, here's Billy Lee Riley's version of "Red Hot" on Sun Records. It sold something like 37,000 copies.


Time For A Song From Billy The Kid

Billy "The Kid" Emerson, that is.  This is his original 1955 recording of "Red Hot" released by Sun Records.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Hall Of Fame Class Of 2011

Deion Sanders, an ubertalented cornerback who played on five teams (Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, and Baltimore), who was selected Defensive Player of the Year in 1994 and who played on the most recent 49ers and Cowboys Super Bowl-winning teams; Marshall Faulk, a superb running back who starred at Indianapolis and St. Louis (helping lead the Rams to their 1999 Super Bowl championship season); Richard Dent, the talented Chicago Bears defensive end who was selected MVP of Super Bowl XX; Shannon Sharpe, an outstanding tight end who starred on three Super Bowl title teams (two at Denver and one at Baltimore); Chris Hanburger, a solid linebacker, a nine-time Pro-Bowler who played his entire fourteen-year NFL career with the Washington Redskins (1965-78); Les Richter, a linebacker, center, and placekicker who played nine seasons (1954-62) with the Los Angeles Rams; and Ed Sabol, the founding father of NFL Films, were elected Saturday to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Archer, Chapter Six

Time now, boys and girls for Chapter Six of The Green Archer, our 1940 Columbia Pictures serial, "The Necklace of Treachery."

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Time For Another Tune!

Here's Dee Clark with his 1958 recording of "Nobody But You," released on Abner Records, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Vee Jay Records.

Enjoy!

It's Iceman Time, Folks!

From 1958, here's Jerry Butler and the Impressions with a classic rhythm and blues ballad "For Your Precious Love."  The song was released on Vee Jay subsidiary Falcon Records. 




Having found out that there had already been a Falcon Records label in existance, the parent company changed the label's name to Abner Records, after Ewart Abner, who was at the time the general manager at Vee Jay.

Time For A Visit From Mr. C!

Here's a kinescope of a 1954 CBS Network telecast of the 15-minute Perry Como Show, sponsored by the makers of Chesterfield Cigarettes.  Perry was seen three times a week on CBS during the half hour which was split between 15 minutes of music and variety and the 15-minutes Douglas Edwards With The News.

Time For Junior

Recorded on the Sun Records label in November , 1953 in Memphis, here's Junior Parker with "Mystery Train."

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Headin' For The Poorhouse

From Ember Records (a part of Herald-Ember) in 1958, here are the Silhouettes with their unsuccessful follow-up to "Get A Job," a ditty entitled "Headin' For The Poorhouse."

Time For A Movie, Boys And Girls

From newly-revived Monogram Picutures in 1937, we bring you "Atlantic Flight."  This movie stars Dick Merrill (who in real life, had become the first pilot to make a commercial transatlantic roundtrip flight) portrays himself as a pilot crossing the Atlantic with a medical serum that can save a friend's life.  This movie includes footage from Mr. Merrill's own stormy Atlantic crossing.  Dick is joined in the cast by Jack Lambie, Paula Stone, and Weldon Heyburn.  With Scott Dunlap in charge of production and screenplay by Scott Darling and Erna Lazarus, this motion picture was directed by William Nigh.