Saturday, February 28, 2009

Paul Harvey R.I.P.

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Paul Harvey, a familiar radio voice for six decades who used long pauses to punctuate his delivery of news and observations, died today in Phoenix. He was 90.
Harvey’s death was announced in a statement by ABC Radio Networks where his “News and Comment” was a fixture aired from coast to coast since 1951. He had impressed network executives with high ratings in Chicago, where he’d been a newscaster at ABC affiliate WENR-AM since 1944.
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Beaky Buzzard

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Unfortunately, Beaky had a relatively short career compared to other Warner Bros. characters, primarily because his creator Bob Clampett left Warner’s, and Beaky’s voice (Kent Rogers) was killed in World War II.
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Happy Birthday Vincent Minnelli 2-28-1903

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Director Vincent Minnelli was born on this day-February 28, 1903.

This Just In From Russia

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die

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One of the best of the worst. I used to watch this on television as a child, and even then it wasn’t scary as much as campy. Through combing the internet I’ve found that there are lots of articles written about this 1962 film, the best one being from a site called 1000misspent hours.com It has also been posted on YouTube, split into seven short installations. Just Click Here!

Space Age Designs # 1

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From wellmedicated.com

Friday, February 27, 2009

Sam Phillips & Elvis - Sun Records 1954

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A rare glimpse of Elvis, Bill Black, and Scotty Moore in the Sun Records control room with Sam Phillips , 1954. The disc cutting lathe in foreground looks to be a Presto (?)

Happy Birthday Franchot Tone

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Franchot Tone was born on this day-February 27,1905.
(photo by Nat Farbman)

E. Simms Campbell

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E. Simms Campbell was the first African American artist hired by a national publication, Esquire magazine, and the first black syndicated cartoonist. While he is perhaps best known for his voluptuous enchantresses and "Esky"--the white-mustachioed, bulging-eyed connoisseur of feminine pulchritude--featured in Esquire, Campbell produced award-winning artwork for numerous periodicals throughout his career. He was a master cartoonist of urbane humor, caricaturist, and artist.
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James Ellroy-Destination Morgue

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This 2004 anthology by master crime fiction author James Ellroy contains three novellas, eight non-fiction crime reportage essays that were originally published in GQ magazine, plus one short story.
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1955 Ford Mystere

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Showgirls Of The Golden Age # 1

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Linda Lombard backstage, photographed by George Silk- NYC, 1949

How To Avoid Getting Laid # 3

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1951 Buick XP-300

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Envisioned by Charles Chayne, head of GM Engineering at the time, the Buick XP 300 was conceived as an experiment in styling and engineering. The lightweight aluminum body and skirted rear wheel openings make the XP 300 appear as if it is floating. Coupled with a high horsepower engine, Charles Chayne himself tested the XP 300’s performance by reaching more than 140 miles per hour during an engineering test run.
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Happy Birthday Renoir

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Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born on this date-February 25, 1841.

Vintage Space Toy # 1

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Choros Que Marcaram Epoca

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When I discovered Choro music some years ago it seemed to give me a whole new lease on life. For those not familiar, the Choro is Brazilian Salon Music that spanned several decades, reaching its peak in the 30’s & 40’s. It’s considered to be the precursor of the Bossa Nova that came to worldwide popularity in the late 50’s/early 60’s. This compilation has some great early examples and a nice variety of rarities from the 40’s-50’s. There is an extraordinary track in particular that sounds like Les Paul-definitely worth checking out.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Mardi Gras 1941

Howard Pyle-1853-1911

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Howard Pyle wrote many of the books and stories he illustrated, and though he will always be remembered first for his art, many of his books are considered classics and still in print or available in recent reprints. These include: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Pepper & Salt, The Wonder Clock, Otto of the Silver Hand, Men of Iron, The Garden Behind the Moon, and the four volume Arthurian legends. Most of these were illustrated with his distinctive pen & ink style that hearkened back to the wood-engraved images that were common during his childhood and early years of his career. He wasn't restricted to this more-formal style, but seemed to gravitate towards it in pen illustrations for his own work.
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Happy Birthday Abe Vigoda

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Actor Abe Vigoda was born on this day-February 24, 1921.

52nd Street

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52nd Street, circa 1948-photo by William Gottlieb

Vogue Picture Disc

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Vogue picture records were produced by Sav-Way Industries of Detroit, Michigan. The first 10-inch Vogue picture record was released to the public in May 1946. Production ceased less than a year later in April 1947, with Sav-Way entering into receivership in August 1947. During this time, approximately seventy-four different 10-inch Vogue picture records were released.
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Lesbian Pulp # 1

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From vintagepaperbacks.com

Monday, February 23, 2009

Etch A Sketch Art

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Mohamed Ali, as created by George Vlosich, from Etched In Time.

1955 Pontiac 870 Station Wagon

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From Plan59.com

Happy Birthday Peter Fonda

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Actor Peter Fonda was born on this day-February 23,1939.

Ska On 45 # 1

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Jacques Tati

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Jacques Tati is one of the great comic icons of French cinema, a Gallic equivalent of Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton, whose works as director, writer, and actor are regarded fondly by audiences as well as harder-to-please critics. Like a true auteur, Tati essentially made only one kind of film, in his case, the physical comedy. There is little to no dialogue in his movies, and the action, frenzied but tightly choreographed, is invariably set to a breezy musical score. The main protagonist of all his movies is also his screen alter ego, the ubiquitous Monsieur Hulot who, with his pipe and trenchcoat, eventually came to personify the Tati canon. From 1953 to 1974, Tati played Hulot a total of five times, winning an Oscar and two Cannes prizes along the way. Two of the best known Hulot films, M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953) and Mon Oncle (1958), have been released on DVD by the Criterion Collection.
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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Snooks Eaglin-R.I.P

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February 19, 2009 - Soul, blues and R&B guitarist Snooks Eaglin died of a heart attack Wednesday in his hometown of New Orleans. He was 72.
In the 1950s, Eaglin was a one-man band on the streets of New Orleans. That's where folklorist Harry Oster saw him and asked him to record the album of acoustic blues that would become New Orleans Street Singer. But it wouldn't be long before Eaglin had a band to make the music he really loved: electric R&B.
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1953 Cadillac Ghia Coupe

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This is one of two 1953 Cadillacs designed and built by Ghia of Turin, and was exhibited at numerous European auto shows. Ghia’s intent was to illustrate Italian coachwork on the American Chassis.
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Happy Birthday Guy Mitchell

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1950's Pop singer Guy Mitchell was born on this day-February 22,1925.

Pulp Art # 6

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Le cochon danseur - el cerdo bailarín - dancing pig

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Friday, February 20, 2009

Marvin Rand-R.I.P.

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Marvin Rand, a photographer whose images captured more than five decades of Los Angeles' architectural history, including landmark works by Irving Gill, Charles and Henry Greene and Watts Towers creator Simon Rodia, died Saturday at his Marina del Rey home. He was 84.
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Happy Birthday Ansel Adams

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Photographer Ansel Adams was born on this day-February 2, 1902

Robert A. Heinlein-The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress

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Currently reading this Heinlein masterpiece for the first time, and can’t get over how amazing he was in so many ways-depth, articulation, imagination, invention, and humor.
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Space Age Vinyl # 3

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The Best Years Of Our Lives

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This ranks as one of my favorite films-a truly compelling story of three servicemen returning home after World War II, and the readjustments/obstacles they’re forced to deal with. This 1946 masterpiece starring Dana Andrews, Frederick March, and Myrna Loy, won seven Oscar Awards for best picture, leading actor, supporting actor, director, editing, original score, adapted screenplay, and honorary.
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Thursday, February 19, 2009

Weegee’s World # 3

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Arrested for bribing basketball players-photo by Weegee, 1942

1956 Pontiac Club De Mer

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Happy Birthday Lee Marvin

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Oscar award winning actor & famous Hollywood bad boy Lee Marvin was born on this day, February 19,1924.

Atomic Platters

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This brilliant box set of Cold War music from the golden age of homeland security is truly a big bang for the buck, featuring over 100 songs, two full length spoken word “scare” albums from 1961,more than a dozen
frighteningly naïve public service announcements voiced by such celebrities as Groucho Marx, Pat Boone,, and Johnny Cash, plus a 300 page book and DVD.
Check Out Website Here

Wayne Thomas R.I.P.

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Wayne Thomas, who as Freight Train Wayne was the off-screen voice orchestrating the "red light, green light" milk-drinking game that was a highlight of the children's TV show hosted by Engineer Bill, has died. He was 77.
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