online community focused on sharing and reminiscing about video, audio, and images that stir our memories of the past – old television, theme songs, commercials, print advertisements, the sights and sounds you remember
Kim Carnes’ version of More Love peaked at number ten on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 1980. The song was written by Smokey Robinson to his wife Claudette Rogers Robinson who sadly had eight miscarriages . Claudette was part of the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles group and toured with them since 1957. She felt her touring with the band contributed to the miscarriages. Smokey wrote the song to tell her she did not let him down. She never toured with the band again but she did eventually have two healthy children, Barry named after Motown’s founder Barry Gordon and a girl named Tamla named after the Motown record label. Smokey’s version of More Love peaked at 23 on Billboard in 1967.
This is a fun what if scenario. A drag race between the 1989 Batmobile or the original 1966 version? It’s as classic as Ford versus Chevy since the 1966 was built on a 1955 Lincoln Futura chassis and the 80’s built on a Chevrolet Impala. Keep in mind these are replicas and neither had jet engines as depicted on TV or the big screen. Fun to watch regardless!
In a new feature on the Retro Site we will explore the lives of the comedians of our most popular video Send in the Clowns, today we will explore the life of Jimmy Durante.
Most people today probably know Jimmy Durante as the narrator on the animated special Frosty The Snowman we see each December.
Jimmy Francis was born in 1893 in Manhattan, New York. He quit school in the seventh grade to become a full-time ragtime pianist. He teamed up with his cousin, also named Jimmy Durante but quickly out grew his cousin’s skill set and joined one of New York’s most recognizable bands the Original New Orleans Jazz Band. Durante was the only member from New York. Jimmy was then known as “Ragtime Jimmy”.
In the mid-20’s Durante became a vaudeville star and radio personality. In the 30’s Durante was bouncing back and forth between Hollywood and Broadway. It was the Broadway musical Jumbo when Durante where the expression “Elephant in the Room” came about!
His comedic style first started by interrupting a song for a joke. In 1934 he had a hit song “Inka Dinka Doo” which became his theme song for the rest of his life. In the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle which he sang Make Someone Happy in the opening and closing credits. His version of As Time Goes By was also featured in the soundtrack.
Jimmy hated his nose in his younger days but found it to be his biggest asset in movies and television. He made fun of it more than any critic could have.
Jimmy Durante was first married to Jeanne Olson on June 19, 1921 but she expectantly died on Valentine’s Day, 1943 of a heart ailment. Jimmy would sign off all of his shows with “Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are”. Many thought he was referring to a waitress in Calabash, North Carolina. In a 1966 at a National Press Club Meeting Durante said he and his wife stopped at the diner and his wife liked the name Calabash which became her pet name and it was a tribute to his wife.
It wasn’t until 1960 until he met his second wife, Margie Little. He would kid around with the audience on his TV show and Margie was often the target of his clowning around with the audience. Margie was 41 and Jimmy was 67 when the married. They adopted a baby, Cecilia Alicia on Christmas Day 1961.
By now Durante was a beloved actor on TV. His gravelly lower east side New York accent made him one of the most familiar and beloved personalities. His gravely voice and butchering of the English language inspired the cartoon Augie Doggie/ Durante was Doggie Daddy in which he’d famously quipped “Dat’s my boy”! Jimmy also did a number of commercials for Kellog’s during the 1960’s. He also pitched for the 1973 Volkswagen about it being a big car enough for his schnozzola and his “companions”.
He often hosted ABC’s Hollywood Palace during the 1960. His last appearance was on the Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters Hour which ran for just one year.
Durante retired from performing in 1972 after he became wheelchair bound. He died of pneumonia on January 29, 1980 just shy of his 87th birthday.
The Jeep, after proving itself as a reliable, go anywhere vehicle during World War II, the United States Postal Service used the Jeep CJ-3A two wheel drive Jeep Dispatcher from 1955 through 1964 and the DJ5 model which had a 4 wheel drive option. The last Jeep used was a Jeep Cherokee 4×4 in 2001.
Many of us remember the iconic red, white, and blue paint scheme for the carrier trucks and mailboxes. I remember someone saying the truck went from being primarily white and the mailboxes going to all blue as a cost saving measure since they only have to stock one color to paint them. However, I have not been able to confirm this at this writing. It was probably something I heard on the news.
The post office then switched to the Grumman LLV (Long Life Vehicles) trucks, these are the truck we see on the road at this writing (2021). It’s the same Northrop Grumman Corporation that manufactured the F-14 and F-18 fighter aircraft. These vehicles are coming to an end of their life cycle. There are many companies vying to replace the Grumman’s, many companies from overseas. Hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles are being considered. My mail carrier just started driving a white Dodge Ram van with a USPS sticker on the front doors.
Born Julia Chalene Newmeyer we know her better as Catwoman in the Batman television series. She stared in 12 episodes. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Newmar appeared in several low-budget films. She also guest-starred on TV shows including The Love Boat, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Hart to Hart, CHiPs and Fantasy Island. She was seen in George Michael’s video clip Too Funky in 1992 as well as appearing as herself in a 1996 episode of Melrose Place. A legal altercation with her neighbor, Jim Belushi, ended amicably with an invitation to co-star with him on his sitcom According to Jim in an episode that poked fun at the feud. Not too bad for being 75 years old!
From February 28, 1983–the most watched program in American TV history. Hawkeye and B.J. part ways in the final episode of MASH. (An incredible total of 106 million people watched this episode!)
This is sort of a history of cereals we enjoyed as kids. Cereal actually started as a granola style concoction in the 1800’s that needed to be soaked in liquid to soften it up. Water made it soggy but the milk did the trick!
So which was your favorite as a kid? How about now as an adult? My all-time favorite is probably Lucky Charms. I also like Count Chocula from time to time. Cheerios, Frosted Flakes, Wheaties have stood the test of time unlike fad cereals like Mr. T and CP3Os . But what about Crispy Critters? Wow, think about that!
The popular CBS sitcom Alice, which ran from 1976 to 1985, was
loosely based on the successful 1974 film Alice Doesn’t Live Here
Anymore. The plot had recently widowed Alice Hyatt (played by Linda
Lavin) taking a waitress job in Mel’s Diner, a Phoenix eatery, to make
ends meet. One of her waitress colleagues was feisty Florence (Flo)
Castleberry played by Polly Holliday. The character became so popular
that CBS launched a sitcom focusing on Flo. The premise of the spinoff
was that Flo had moved back home to Cowtown, Texas to assume the
management of a rundown roadhouse which she re-christened Flo’s Yellow
Rose. As a mid-season replacement, Flo aired on Monday nights in March
and April 1980 and got as high as number seven in the Neilsen ratings.
However, when Flo returned in the fall of 1980 its time slot was moved
several times. Ratings tanked and it was gone after a total of 29
episodes. The Flo character never returned to Alice (with the exception
of old clips in the series finale). Here is the opening montage of
Flo.
Both videos were recorded on October 29, 2009 at their home in Monroe – Stepney home. I don’t know why she had a WV pillow behind her.
Since 1952 the Warrens have been the directors of the New England Society for Psychic Research and they have investigated over 4,000 hauntings. Here is a detailed early history of how they met. Here is Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DJeUcyS82g
Ed and Lorraine Warren ghost hunters always called Connecticut home. I had the privileged of interviewing Lorraine on October 29, 2009 and posted it right away. I forgot about Part 2 but many have asked for it so here it is. Part 1 can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow2RgO30lPk
When we left off at the early years interview Ed was in the north Atlantic when the US Navy ship he was onboard collided with another ship and Ed’s strong ability to swim helped save a shipmate who did not know how to swim. Lorraine’s had appendix ruptured and doctors were afraid to operate. In Part 2 we pick up with Ed and Lorraine’s marriage and how they became know as “Artists on the Hill” in Stepney Village in Monroe, Connecticut way before their ghost-busting days.
