Today it would be "Like, like me do"

On October 4, 1962, the Beatles released "Love Me Do" on Parlophone Records. Their manager, Brian Epstein, bought 10,000 copies. The song went to the Top 20, and the Fab Five were on their way in England. In America, however, Capitol Records, who owned the rights to "Love Me Do," sold it cheap to Vee Jay Records. VJR later released it as part of an album, "Introducing the Beatles." In May 1964, "Love Me Do" became a Number-One hit in the U. S. of A.    

Blonde on Blonde

Today in the birthday of Jean Harlow, the American actress known as "The Blonde Bombshell," born in 1911. She died in 1937, at the age of 26.

"It isn't that gentlemen really prefer blondes, it's just that we look dumber." -- Anita Loos, author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

Say it ain't so, Babe

Birthday of Babe Ruth (born 1896).

"It's (baseball) a business, I tell ya. There ain't no sentiment to it. Forget that stuff." -- Babe Ruth.

We don't want to be alone

September 23: Actor Mickey Rooney was born Sept. 23, 1920. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest career of any actor ever. He was also married eight times.

"The dread of loneliness is greater than the fear of bondage, so we get married." -- Cyril Connolly.


Sept. 24: Author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born Sep. 24, 1896. He wrote:

"It is in the thirties that we want friends. In the forties we know they won't save us any more than love did."


“What could Babbitt have done that was better than he did?”

“That’s the point,” Cutterback said. “He had the resolve but not the will.”
“Maybe his better self is just a voice, telling him there’s something better. Maybe there’s not.” The girl brought more drinks.
“Gatsby thought there was something better,” Cutterback said. “The green light at the end of Daisy’s dock.”
“He wanted a fresh start, too. Maybe there’s no such thing. Like Fitzgerald said, no second acts.”
“I think I could be a better man,” Cutterback said, leering at the waitress, “with your help.” She scowled and moved off, and he burst into song.  --  Chapter 17, The Misforgotten.

Life is a circus

P. T. (for Phineas Taylor) Barnum was born on this day in 1810. He, of course, uttered the immemorial words:


"There's a sucker born every minute."

Sit down and be counted

Jim Thorpe, the greatest American athlete ever, was born on this day in 1888.

“I hate all sports as rabidly as a person who loves sports hates common sense.” – H. L. Mencken.

   “What’s your interest in football?” Sully, slumped in a chair after dinner (turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green bean casserole, deviled eggs, okra, fruit salad, rolls, and then dessert), was working on his second six-pack.

   “What’s my interest in it?” Jack didn’t drink, as it turned out; he sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, hands cradling the mug of coffee in his lap.
   “Did you play football?”
   “No. I just always liked it.”
   “Why?”
   “I don’t know. I just have.”
   Sully had a theory that Americans’ lust for this idiotic game was explained by their shrinking attention span. Six seconds of actual play, sandwiched in between interminable stretches of players standing around while a crew of crazed announcers—were they on steroids, too?—told viewers what they’d just seen and what they were just about to see, was the perfect diversion, or religion in many cases.  --  Chapter 36, The Misforgotten.

Cringe when I say that, Pilgrim

Sally Ride, the first U. S. astronaut, was born on this day in 1951.
"They (women) have a right to work wherever they want to--as long as they have dinner ready when you get home." -- John Wayne, born May 26, 1907.

"The Duke" also said:

"I don't feel like we did wrong by taking this great country away from them (the Indians). There were people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves."

Tutu funny

Birthday of Charlie Chaplin, born 1889. He died on Christmas Day, 1977.


"The son of a bitch is a ballet dancer." -- W. C. Fields.

He said, with clouded brow

Birthday of actress and singer Doris Day. She was born Doris Mary Ann von Kappelhoff in 1924.


"Her personality untouched by human emotions, her brow unclouded by human thought, her form unsmudged by the slightest evidence of femininity." -- Film critic John Simon, on Day.

Birthday of the Month

W. C. Fields was born April 9, 1880.

"I am free of all prejudices," Fields said. "I hate everyone equally."

The boredom caused by mimes

Marcel Marceau, the world's most famous mime, was born on this day in 1923. He died in 2008.


Where did Marceau get his inspiration?

"I do not get my ideas from people on the street," he said. "If you look at faces on the street, what do you see? Nothing. Just boredom."

We'd like to see more blood, though

The first Academy Awards presentation to be shown on TV was on this day in 1953.

"We are drawn to our television sets each April the way we are drawn to the scene of an accident." -- Vincent Canby.

And he never even met the Barrenmoores

Actor Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady) was born on this day in 1908.

"What a set of barren asses are actors." -- John Keats.

Blonde on blonde

Birthday of Jean Harlow, American actress known as "The Blonde Bombshell," born in 1911. She died in 1937, at the age of 26.

"It isn't that gentlemen really prefer blondes, it's just that we look dumber." -- Anita Loos, author of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.