Saturday, December 5, 2009

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ... RICHARD TODD PASSES

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS ...
RICHARD TODD PASSES
Irish actor Richard Todd, who re-enacted his wartime exploits in the 1962 film "The Longest Day" and was Ian Fleming's choice to play James Bond, has died of cancer at age 90, his family said Friday 4th December. Todd, who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1949 film "A Hasty Heart" and starred as U.S. Senate chaplain Peter Marshall in "A Man Called Peter" (1954), died Thursday at his home in Lincolnshire in central England, according to his agent, the Richard Stone Partnership. In Britain, one of his best-known roles was playing Royal Air Force pilot Guy Gibson in "The Dam Busters." Fleming had preferred Todd to take the lead in "Dr. No" in 1962, The Daily Telegraph said in its obituary, but a schedule clash opened the way for Sean Connery to define the part. Instead, Todd took the role of role of Inspector Harry Sanders in "Death Drums Along the River," released in 1963.

JUST FOR FUN - CAMERA TRICKERY

JUST FOR FUN - CAMERA TRICKERY
There is an old saying that "the camera never lies". Well that was until Photoshopping became the norm. These are just fun - staged or accidental? Does it matter? Just enjoy the effect.

MOVIE NEWS … THE KARATE KID REMAKE

MOVIE NEWS … THE KARATE KID REMAKE
Yahoo! Movies has first official images from Jackie Chan’s remake of “The Karate Kid”. The remake stars Jaden Smith in the Ralph Macchio role, while Jackie Chan steps into Mister Miyagi’s sandals. The setting has been moved to China, and as you can see from the images below, the Great Wall of China has now become a place for what will no doubt be a kung fu training montage. Directed by Harald Zwart, the film co-stars Taraji P. Henson and is due out June 11, 2010.

TRIVIA BITS … EVERGREENS

TRIVIA BITS … EVERGREENS
In countries where the earth is blanketed with snow at mid-winter, deciduous trees and shrubs appear though dead. Evergreens are a sign of continuing life. In the Northern hemisphere, long before the birth of Christ, evergreens were an important aspect of the winter rituals to safeguard and celebrate the return of life and fertility. In time, Christians came to use evergreens as symbols of the eternal life promised by Christ. Since the Middle Ages, evergreens have been used as decorations at Christmas time. The holly has always been a special symbol of fertility, not only its leaves green in winter, but also it produces fruit. The green of the leaves and red of its berries became the colors of Christmas – green for the renewal of life in Spring and red for Christ’s love as shown by the shed blood. In Medieval times people believed that kept both witches and tax collectors away. Ivy was a weak plant compared to holly, needing to cling to other plants for support. It became symbolically associated with women, while holly typified man. In the southern hemisphere, Christmas is a time of fruit and flowers so evergreens lose their significance. Australia has the flowering Christmas Bush and, to a lesser extent, Christmas bells.
Christmas Bush

REMINISCING ... ELIZABETH TAYLOR

REMINISCING ... ELIZABETH TAYLOR
Dame Elizabeth Taylor, DBE - also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-born British-American actress. She is known for her acting skills and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages. Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood's golden years, as well as a larger-than-life celebrity. The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh on its Female Legends list. Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet - Trailer

TODAY IS ... 05 DECEMBER

TODAY IS ... 05 DECEMBER
BIRTHDAYS: 1985 - Frankie Muniz IV is an American actor and racecar driver. He is known as the star of the FOX television family sitcom, Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, Muniz was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2007, he put his acting career on hold to pursue a racing career. He currently competes in the Atlantic Championship. 1979 - Nick Stahl - an American actor. Starting out as a child actor, he gained recognition for his performance in the 1993 film The Man Without a Face and then embarked on a successful career as a child actor. He later transitioned into his adult career with roles in Bully, Sin City, In the Bedroom, the HBO series Carnivàle, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, in which he took over the role of John Connor, originally played by Edward Furlong. 1968 - Margaret Cho - an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, gay icon, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race, sexuality, and sex. She has also directed and appeared in music videos and has her own clothing line. 1945 - Jose Carreras - a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini. He made his debut on the opera stage at the age of 11 as Trujamán in Manuel de Falla's El retablo de Maese Pedro and went on to a career that encompassed over 60 roles on the stages of the world's leading opera houses and in the recording studio. He gained fame with a wider audience as one of The Three Tenors along with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti in a series of mass concerts that began in 1990 and continued until 2003. \ 1932 - Richard Penniman, known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and recording artist, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s.Music included : Good Golly Miss Molly, Tutti Frutti, Slippin’ and Slidin’, Long Tall Sally, Rip It Up, Ready Teddy, The Girl Can’t Help It, Lucille, Keep a Knockin’ 1906 - Otto Preminger - an Austrian-born American film director who moved from the theatre to Hollywood, directing over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura (1944) and Fallen Angel (1945). In the 1950s and 1960s, he directed a number of high-profile adaptations of popular novels and stage works. Several of these pushed the boundaries of censorship by dealing with topics which were then taboo in Hollywood, such as drug addiction (The Man with the Golden Arm, 1955), rape (Anatomy of a Murder, 1959), and homosexuality (Advise and Consent, 1962). He was twice nominated for the Best Director Academy Award.
Otto Preminger with Frank Sinatra 1955
1901 - Walt Disney - an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the twentieth century. As the co-founder (with his brother Roy O. Disney) of Walt Disney Productions, Disney became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world. OTHER EVENTS: 2006 - Beatles lyrics handwritten by Sir Paul McCartney to an early version of Maxwell's Silver Hammer sold for $192,000 (£97,000) at an auction in New York. A guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix fetched $168,000 (£85,000), a notebook containing lyrics written by Bob Marley, sold for $72,000 (£36,445) and a poem penned by Doors frontman Jim Morrison made $49,000 (£25,500) at the Christie's sale 2006 - New York became the first city in the US to ban artery-clogging trans fats at restaurants. 2004 - Singer-songwriter Elton John and composer-conductor John Williams are among six who receive Kennedy Center Honors for 2004 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. 2004 - U2 started a two week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', the bands ninth UK No.1 album. The band also went to No.1 on the US album chart giving them their sixth US No.1 album. 2002 – Life Or Something Like It starring Angelina Jolie and Edward Burns starts screening in Australia. A reporter interviews a homeless man, who tells her that she's going to die and her life is meaningless. 2000 – A new song inspired by a soldier’s act of mercy in the Kosovo conflict is among 24 tracks included on ex-Pink Floyd principal Roger Waters’ new live album “In The Flesh. 1998 - R. Kelly started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'm Your Angel', featuring Celine Dion. A No.3 hit in the UK. 1996 – Starring Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels, 101 Dalmatians started screening in Australia, A woman kidnaps puppies to kill them for their fur, but various animals then gang up against her and get their revenge in slapstick fashion. 1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton nominated Madeleine Albright as secretary of state; she would become the highest-ranking woman ever in the federal government. 1992 - Whitney Houston started a ten-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I Will Always Love You'. The longest ever run at No.1 for a female artist the Dolly Parton penned song was taken from the Bodyguard soundtrack. 1991 – Hot Shots starring Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, and Lloyd Bridges commenced screening in Australia. Parody of "Top Gun" in which a talented but unstable fighter pilot must overcome the ghosts of his father and save a mission sabotaged by greedy weapons manufacturers.
1988 - The Reverend Jim Bakker, a popular television evangelist and founder of the PTL organization, was indicted by a federal grand jury in North Carolina on 24 counts of fraud and conspiracy.
Tammy-Faye and Jim Bakker
1987 - Belinda Carlisle went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth', the ex Go-Go's member first solo No.1, also a No.1 hit in the UK. The promotional video was directed by Academy Award-winning actress Diane Keaton and features an appearance of Carlisle's husband Morgan Mason. 1985 – No. 1 Chart Toppers Pop Hit: “Broken Wings” Mr. Mister. The song is written in 20 minutes by band members Richard Page and Steve George and their friend John Lang. 1981 - Julio Iglesias was at No.1 in the UK singles chart with 'Begin The Beguine.' A Cole Porter song from 1935 with Spanish lyrics it was the singers only UK chart topper 1978 - The American space probe Pioneer Venus I, orbiting Venus, and began beaming back its first information and picture of the planet. 1975 - "Gratitude" a double album by Earth, Wind & Fire becomes their fifth album to go gold. 1973 - Paul McCartney releases "Band on the Run" album 1970 - Amazing Grace by Judy Collins entered the UK singles chart for the first of eight times, it spent a total of 67 weeks on the chart never making the No.1 position. 1968 - Five months after its originally scheduled release date, the Rolling Stones unveil "Beggar's Banquet" in an uncontroversial white cover designed to resemble a formal invitation. A London party to celebrate the release lives up to the album title when a custard pie fight breaks out.. 1967 - Beatles clothing store "Apple" on 94 Baker Street, London, opens. 1966 - "I Do! I Do!" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 561 performances 1964 - Lorne Greene star of the NBC TV show 'Bonanza' was at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ringo', making him the second Canadian (after Paul Anka) to have a US No.1 single. The song was a No.22 hit in the UK. 1960 - Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'G.I. Blues'. His fifth US No.1 album. 1958 - Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the UK by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh. 1956 - Alan Freed's film 'Rock Rock Rock', starring Chuck Berry, Flamingos, Frankie Lymon, Lavern Baker and Johnny Burnette, opens in New York 1955 - At the BMI Annual Awards Dinner in New York City, R&B songs win an unprecendented eleven (out of 23) awards. Among the feted songs are: "Maybeline," "I Hear You Knockin'," "Pledging My Love," "Sincerely," "Earth Angel," "Dance With Me, Henry" and "Only You." 1952 - The Abbott and Costello Show started a 52-episode, syndicated run on TV. Comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello became such big hits that those same 52 episodes were run over and over on local and network TV for years. 1952 - The Great Smog of London starts, lasting until March of 1953 1951 - The first push button-controlled garage opened in Washington, DC. 1945 - The so-called "Lost Squadron" disappeared. The five U.S. Navy Avenger bombers carrying 14 Navy flyers began a training mission at the Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station. They were never heard from again. 1941 - Disney's Donald Duck cartoon Chef Donald, directed by Jack King, is released. When Donald decides to try cooking along with a radio show ... he accidentally uses rubber cement to make waffles! 1940 – Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent starring Joel McCrea, Larraine Day and Herbert Marshall starts screening in Australia. On the eve of WW2, a young American reporter tries to expose enemy agents in London 1930 - Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Pioneer Days is released. While out West, Mickey and Minnie are attacked by Indians! Minnie is captured and when Mickey tries to rescue her ... he's captured too. But Minnie escapes and winds up rescuing Mickey. 1876 - The Stillson wrench was patented by D.C. Stillson of Somerville, MA. It was the first practical pipe wrench. 1868 - The first American bicycle school opened in New York City. It announced courses for velocipede riding. 1766 - James Christie, founder of the famous auctioneers, held his first sale in London.