Holiday Movie Trivia for the OGR-ers

Tis the season.

Oh, holiday parties and family gatherings

And yes, those few moment where you find yourself in a conversation lull before the spiked eggnog takes effect or the dreaded mistletoe spotted. So if a “silent night” moment hits when talking with your boss or weird uncle, here’s a bit of useful trivia to entertain the whole gang.


Miracle on 34th Street:
Even though "Miracle on 34th Street" is one of the ultimate Christmas movies, studio boss Darryl F. Zanuck insisted on a May release because he believed more people saw movies during the summer months.

The studio’s PR department was given the difficult task of marketing a movie about Santa Claus while trying to keep the fact that it was a Christmas movie secret.
Zanuck not only insisted on a Summer release of this holiday movie but wasn’t fond of the project to begin with because it was so corny and wouldn’t attract an audience.

Well, prove Darryl wrong and it ended up nominated for a Best Picture Oscar won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay, among others.

It’s a Wonderful Life:
Actor, Cary Grant, not Jimmy Stewart was originally cast for the staring role. But when Frank Capra came on board, he rewrote the part for Stewart.

And thanks to Kellogs and the 1940s, the movies effects departments routinely used corn flakes painted white as snow. One hitch though, when actors walked through the "corn snow," the crunching of the flakes was so loud that dialogue couldn't be recorded. Frank Capra wanted live dialogue in his snow scenes, so he called upon the effects department at RKO Studio to create a new kind of artificial snow. The result: a new chemical snow, blown through a wind machine, for a truly silent night.

"Wonderful Life" was a box office flop in 1946 and couldn’t recoup its production costs. Over the next 30 years and as TV sets invaded household America, networks searched for family oriented holiday programs and “It’s a Wonderful Life” became an annual holiday program.
A Christmas Story:

"A Christmas Story" is considered one of the most beloved Christmas movies around, but its existence is entirely because of the success of director Bob Clark’s previous effort "Porky’s" -- a teen sex comedy that's far less beloved.

Jack Nicholson wanted the role of The Old Man, but the studio wouldn’t consider the actor's fees, which would have doubled the budget.

In 2005 the original home of "A Christmas Story" went up for sale. Avid fan Brian Jones bought it on eBay for on eBay for $150,000. Then added another $500,000 in exterior restoration to make it look exactly like the movie. Turned it into a museum and bought the house next door for a gift shop.
Home Alone:
Joe Pesci kept kept forgetting he was staring in a family movie and not “Goodfellas”. He kept dropping the F-bomb during production. Director Chris Columbus told Pesci to say the word "fridge" instead of that other word.

Daniel Stern agreed to have that tarantula crawl on his face for only one take. He had to pantomime the scream, though. Screams tend to freak out the spiders,  and it's never a good idea to do that when they're on your face.
Elf:
If you look quickly, you’ll see that Peter Billingsley makes a cameo as the elf Ming Ming at the beginning of the film. He is, of course, better known for playing the lead in another Yuletide yarn: "A Christmas Story."

The twelve-second belch Buddy busts loose after downing a two liter bottle of Coca-Cola is real, dubbed by voice actor Maurice LaMarche. That’s some serious talent.

From Winnie and the OGR staff, we wish you and your families, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Legends and Wishes for a Blessed Christmas

The Legend of the Snowflake

Long ago, a gleaming star led the way
To a child born in a manger.
Today it is believed that snowflakes
Are little pieces of that special star
That leads us to the light of the world,
Jesus
The Nativity Scene
Legend has it that Saint Francis of Assisi constructed the first nativity scene. His depiction included live animals. Francis knew that all the earth can be "holy land."
Robin's Red Breast
Legend has it that a little brown bird shared Bethlehem's stable. One night as the holy family lay sleeping, she noticed their fire was going out. So she flew down and fanned the fire with her wings throughout the night. In the morning, she was rewarded with a red breast as a symbol of her love for the newborn king.
la Bafana and Babouska
As Legend has it on Jan. 6, presents are delivered by a kind ugly witch called Befana riding a broomstick as she searches for Baby Jesus. The three kings asked her to follow them, but she was to busy cleaning house to leave. She missed the Star, lost her way and has been flying around ever since, leaving presents for good children and coal for the bad ones. In Poland a similar legend is told as the gifts are brought to the children by Babouska.
Spider
Legend has it that a poor woman had no decorations for her Christmas tree. She went to bed wondering how she would explain the unadorned tree to her children on Christmas Day. Angels prompted the house spiders to cover the tree with webs and on Christmas morning the branches covered with spider webs turned to silver by the rising sun.
The Legend of the Christmas Candle
The legend of the Christmas Candle foretells good luck, good health, and happiness during the year if burned on Christmas Day. Once lighted, it must be allowed to burn until it flickers out. Today people hold to the tradition of placing a Christmas candle in each front window of their houses as a welcoming symbol of friendship.
The Donkey
Legend has it the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday followed Him to Calvary. Appalled by the sight of Jesus on the cross, the donkey turned away but could not leave. It is said that the shadow of the cross fell upon the donkey’s shoulders and back. A cross marking found on many donkeys today remains a testimony of the love and devotion of a humble, little donkey.
The Rooster
Legend has it, the rooster has only crowed once at midnight to announce the birth of the Baby Jesus. For this reason, Spanish and Latin American countries call their midnight mass on Christmas Eve, the Mass of the Rooster, or Misa Del Gallo.
The Christmas Cat
Legend has it a small tabby cat crawls out from beneath a pile of straw in the stable. Mary says "I'm sorry Cat, I think no creature in this barn is going to get rest tonight." So it curls up and began purring, softly at first, then steadily louder and soon the barn was filled with the cat’s calming purr. Mary , was so pleased she reached down and gently traced her first initial, the letter M, on the cat's forehead, in thanks. So today all Tabbies are marked with the letter “M” as a symbol of Mary’s love.
The Legend of the Christmas Rose The Christmas or Snow Winter rose blooms at Christmas in winter in the mountains of Central Europe. Legend has it a little shepherdess named Madelon tending her sheep saw the wise men and shepherds bringing gifts for the Maji. Having nothing to give, she began to cry. An Angel brushed away the snow and showed her a white flower tipped in pink - the Christmas Rose. To this day, parts of central and northern Europe break off a cherry tree branch at the beginning of Advent and keep it in water so flowers burst into bloom at Christmas time.

Haven’t we all experienced that conversation “lull” at the office Christmas Party or the family get-together. Well, don’t panic, just dazzle them and feel free to quote some of this useless trivia. Then duck cause what’s flying towards you probably won’t be Santa and the reindeer.

Did you know: Santa’s sled would weigh 333,333 tons loaded with one toy for every child on earth?
Did you know: it would require 214,206 reindeer and Rudolph to pull a 333,333 ton sleigh?
Did you know: that if Santa ate every snack left for him both the weight of the sled and number of reindeers would double?

DO NOT Add a sign to the back of his sleigh - WIDE LOAD DO NOT FOLLOW
Remember he has an automatic coal dispenser at the ready.

So Merry Christmas to all OGR's listeners around the world including those in:

North Pole, Alaska
Santa Claus, Indiana
Santa Claus, Georgia
Rudolph, Wisconsin
Noel,Missouri
Merryville, Louisiana
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem, West Virginia
Bethlehem, Georgia
Jolly, Texas

Thanksgiving

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.


THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.


TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

To you, and your family, wishes for a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.

Winnie

November 11

This is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from Carol, a special person and OGR listener. I thought it a great tribute for November 11, Veterans’ Day and a small way to honor family, friends and all who sacrificed and served in the military.

It's the Soldier, not the reporter 
Who has given us the freedom of the press.

 
It's the Soldier, not the poet, 
Who has given us the freedom of speech.

 
It's the Soldier, not the politicians 
That ensures our right to Life,  Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..

 
It's the Soldier who salutes the flag, 
Who serves beneath the flag, 
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.


Pray for our men and women Who have served and are currently serving our country 
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom....

THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
 


 AMEN!

"War of the Worlds" and Crypt Tunes

TUNE IN OGR ON
Saturday, October 30th for a special airing of the 72nd anniversary of the 1938 broadcast adaptation of H. G. Wells’ “The War of the Worlds” by Orson Welles. The original broadcasted over Mercury Theatre on the Air, a CBS radio network, scared audiences all over the country with vision of aliens landing in New Jersey.

DJ Jitar will rebroadcast the complete original airplay, uninterrupted, on Our Generation Radio on October 30, 2010 starting at 6 PM Eastern Time.

Be sure to tune in and get everyone ready for Halloween.

Sit back and enjoy a small glimpse of radio's hay-day, just as our Moms and Dads did, when words played a triple role that of sight,sound and imagination.

Orson Welles, 1937
The first two thirds of the 60-minute broadcast, a series of simulated "news bulletins", led listeners to believe an actual alien invasion by Martians was happening.

What made it more realistic was Mercury Theatre running it without commerical interruption. Sensationalist accounts in the press occurred about a supposed panic in response to the broadcast but the precise extent of listener response has been debated. Widespread outrage followed the broadcast. It was decried as cruelly deceptive by some newspapers and public figures, leading to an outcry against the perpetrators of the broadcast, but the episode secured Orson Welles' fame.






Halloween always a time for scary songs, but not the overplayed "Monster Mash", "Werewolves of London", or "Witchy Woman". Try downloading one or two of these classics for a haunting change of pace.



"Rumble", Link Wray & His Ray Men, 1958, used unheard of musical techniques for distortion and feedback. The song is "the only instrumental single banned from the radio airwaves as it had a rough sound and said it sounded like a street fight.
And once a long standing theme song from two of my fav local TV shows Son of Svengoolie and Screaming Yellow Theatre.




"I Put a Spell on You", Screamin Jay Hawkins, 1956. His most successful recording, was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.









“Bad Moon Rising" , Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by John Fogerty. No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks in September 1969.
The song has been recorded by at least 20 different artists, in styles that range from acoustic folk to reggae to psychedelic rock to zydeco.





“Tubular Bells” , Mike Oldfield, 1973, not a single word is spoken in an all hell breaking loose theme from THE EXCORIST.












"Gloomy Sunday", closely associated with Billie Holiday, who scored a hit in 1941. Unsubstantiated urban legends tell that it inspired hundreds of suicides, and was dubbed the "Hungarian suicide song" in the United States.








From ghoulies and ghosties, Long-leggety beasties, And things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us.

WINNIE-BOO wishes you a devilishly-delightful Holloween!

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

The “Queen of Disco” after years of touring the U.S. and Europe now embarks on a new second act: teaching.

Gloria Gaynor, singer, actress and author is back in school studying psychology and hopes to one day open a Los Angeles healing and recreational center. Her goal to teach teens and parents life skills. “I want to teach them how to survive.”

And who better - her famous chart-topping, disco song, “I Will Survive”, is still played in nightclubs and radio. Its rated 97 on Billboard’s “Greatest Songs of All Times” with over 14 million copies sold and earned her a Grammy Award.

Gloria’s life long passion for song roots back to her early childhood where she was one of six children growing up in a tiny Newark, NJ flat.
Listening to the radio with dreams of becoming a singer as great as Nat King Cole or Sarah Vaughn.
Honing her skill, she joined school choirs and glee clubs. After high school, singing with house bands in local bars and clubs.'
Soon thereafter, on the road and auditions.
Columbia Record label signed her and she recorded her 1975 first disco hit, “Never Can Say Goodbye”.
The National Association of Discotheque Disc Jockeys crowned her disco queen in 1976.

Two years later Gloria took a serious spill on stage that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down. Emergency surgery, months in a half body brace, and while still in recovery, Gloria records “I Will Survive”.
She is not surprised by the song’s staying power all these years - it just magnifies her own personal belief with its timeless lyrics.

As many OGR’ers know, like Gloria, we can not only fulfill our childhood dreams but then go on to reinvent ourselves too.

Ciao for Now!! Winnie

IDES OF MARCH

Did those 4 unassuming young boys in a Berwyn, IL (just outside of Chicago) Shopping Center lot ever think that after nearly 46 years, they would still be together?

Originally introduced as the Shon Dels they quickly became known as The Ides of March.
The winning combination: start with four high school boys, a blue collar suburb, a basement band , a great mix of music and talent. Their only goal, just impress the girls.

Now, the proof. Forty-six years later, the Ides of March “hit the street permanently“.

Berwyn renamed Home Street.
Jim Peterik recalls: “ I used to walk down that very street to school. I never thought in a million years that it would one day be named “The Ides of March Way”.


Plus all of the original members are still active in the band. Jim Peterik, Mike Borch, Bob Bergland, Larry Millas and four others added over the years (Chuck Soumar, John Larson, Scott May and Dave Stahlberg) equal the talent behind some great, and very recognizable hits: “L.A. Goodbye”, “Vehicle” and “You Wouldn’t Listen”.

Peterik took his talent one step further and co-wrote another memorable hit for Sylvester Stallone and the film “Rocky III”, “Eye of the Tiger”, while he was in the band Survivor, which he co-founded.

One thing for sure, good music as well as good bands stand the test of time and are always on air at Our Generation Radio. As they say, Don’t touch that dial!

Ciao for Now, Winnie!!

George Weiss

Famous for co-writing numerous songs including “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “What A Wonderful World”, and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. ….George David Weiss, 89, has died.

Radio, TV and even Broadway were his media and audiences loved his music, including these recorded by famous singers.....
"Lullaby of Birdland" Ella Fitzgerald
" Surrender” Perry Como
“Oh! What It Seemed to Be”,Frank Sinatra
“Confess” Patti Page
“Wheel of Fortune” Kay Starr
“That Sunday, That Summer” Nat King Cole

Perhaps the most legendary story revolves around “Cant Help Falling In Love” written for Elvis’ movie “Blue Hawaii” when new songs were being sought for the film.

Weiss recalled how it happened. Presley’s publishers “Passed out scripts to the 15-20 songwriters and said ‘If you get into the picture, good, if you don’t to damn bad’.

When they heard “Can’t Help Falling in Love” there was a 20 second silence and then one of them said, slowly, “That’s nice, but we want another ‘Hound Dog’. Just proves that even the experts can be wrong.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was such a huge hit for Elvis that it became the trademark closing song for many of his stage performances. I can attest to that. I was privileged to see one of his last live performances a few weeks before he died. He truly captured the heart of every female in the audience.

Weiss is also credited with the 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and The Tokens took it to No. 1.

Odd that a song based on a 1939 South African song “Mbude” (Zulu for lion)would resurrect years later. Weiss began thinking about it and came up with the notion that the lion was sleeping and nobody had to worry, so he incorporated that chant into the song and changed some melodies. Proof that all things old are new again.

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” was a team effort with Bob Thiele, and recorded in 1967. Later featured in the 1987 Robin Williams movie “Good Morning Vietnam”. A song and movie that both attained classic status and took another turn perhaps as the unofficial theme song for saving the planet.

Here’s to George whose love for music made this a “wonderful world” for this and future generations of OGR-ers.

A Safe and Happy Labor Day to all.
Winnie!!!

Baby Boomer Pride

I'm passing this on as I did not want to be the only BABY BOOMER reading it.

Actually, it's not a bad thing to be called, as you will see.

BABY BOOMERS are easy to spot at sporting events; during the playing of the National Anthem.

BABY BOOMERS remove their caps and stand at attention and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them.

BABY BOOMERS remember World War II, Pearl Harbor , Guadalcanal , Normandy and Hitler.

They remember the Atomic Age, the Korean War, The Cold War, the Jet Age and the Moon Landing.

They remember the 50 plus Peacekeeping Missions from 1945 to 2005, not to mention Vietnam.

If you bump into a BABY BOOMER on the sidewalk he will apologize.

If you pass an BABY BOOMER on the street, he will nod or tip his cap to a lady.

BABY BOOMERS trust strangers and are courtly to women.

BABY BOOMERS hold the door for the next person and always, when walking, make certain the lady is on the inside for protection.

BABY BOOMERS get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like any filth or dirty language on TV or in movies.

BABY BOOMERS have moral courage and personal integrity. They seldom brag unless it's about their children or grandchildren.

It's the BABY BOOMERS who know our great country is protected, not by politicians, but by the young men and women in the military serving their country.

This country needs BABY BOOMERS with their work ethic, sense of responsibility, pride in their country and decent values.

We need them now more than ever.

Thank God for BABY BOOMERS!

I was taught to respect my elders.

It's just getting harder to find them.


Winnie

And every BABY BOOMER remembers the thrill of a live concert on a Friday Night/Date Night.....

Tune in Friday Night, August 13,2010, for a special live event on Our Generation Radio.

DJ Glee and DJ Rick Wrigley are hosting a live performance of the Sensational Epics at the Capital Senior Center in Columbia SC.

The Epics are a high energy, show band that will get your blood pumpin’ and your feet stompin’. The show starts at 7 PM Eastern time and the concert at 7:30.

"Be There or Be Square!"

Do you Remember......

In 1954, the first transistor radio by Texas Instruments with predicted sales of 20 million radios in three years. It fell short only 100,000 purchased the first year because of performance problems.
Oh by the way…..None of the major radio makers including RCA, Philco, and Emerson were interested.
Then Raytheon siezed the market in 1955 with their version for $49.95 including 4” speaker and sound quality. A little bit of sticker shock when the average annual salary was around $4,000.
Wasn’t long before RCA, Zenith, DeWald and Crosly began flooding the market.

Just in time for us baby-boomers to start listening to our '55 favorite artists' Top Hit Singles:
Bill Haley & His Comets Rock Around the Clock - becomes the first Rock and roll single to reach Number One on the American charts. The film Blackboard Jungle premieres in New York City featured "Rock Around the Clock" over the opening credits—the first use of a rock and roll song in a major film.
Tennessee Ernie Ford Sixteen Tons
Four Aces Love is a Many Splendoured Thing
Chuck Berry Maybellene recorded for Chess Records in Chicago
Frank Sinatra Love & Marriage
"Let Me Go, Lover" Joan Weber
"Hearts of Stone" Fontane Sisters
"Sincerely" McGuire Sisters

"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" Perez Prado
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" Mitch Miller


Dot Records introduces Pat Boone, with an advertisement in Billboard magazine calling him "a great new voice"



Little Richard records "Tutti Frutti" with significantly cleaned up lyrics (originally "Tutti Frutti, good booty" among other things.


Oh my!!! . Our record players, transistors, Walkman, 8-track, cassettes were our "musical magic lamps" bringing us the beginnings of great music, memories and more.

So don't touch that dial ---- Today, it's OGR!!!
Winnie