Play At Your Own Risk – A Huge Playground Slide

1 Reply

Wait in Line For Your Turn at The Big Slide

This 1927 photo is captioned “Summer On A Children’s City Playground.”

I don’t know for sure what city this is in.  But it was typical of an early twentieth century playground.  No “helicopter mom’s” hovering over their precious children. Nothing but lots of kids experiencing fun on what is the biggest slide I’ve ever seen in a city park.

I wrote to the New York City Parks Department a few years ago and asked what happened to the monkey bars, see saws and tall slides along with all the other amusements that presented some sense of excitement and danger? Continue reading →

Permanent Street Signs in New York

Leave a reply

Looking Above Street Level

There is nothing extraordinary about 1113 First Avenue, the building at the northwest corner of 61st Street and First Avenue. A late 19th century five story walk-up building with a restaurant at ground level. But if you look up to the corner between the second and third floors you will see the street name etched in stone and attached to the building, circled in red in the photo above.

The rectilinear street grid layout imposed upon Manhattan at the beginning of the nineteenth century assured the builder of this building that it would be located at 61st street and First Avenue seemingly forever.

Before the twentieth century street signs were not at every corner. There were in fact few street signs in New York and they were usually at major intersections or the nicer parts of town.  Continue reading →

Classic Hollywood #9 – James Cagney & Brother William Cagney With Their Wives

3 Replies

The Cagney’s Arrive At The Academy Awards Ceremony March 12, 1938

From left to right are: William Cagney, producer and manager, Boots Mallory (William’s wife),  Frances (“Bill”) Cagney (James’ wife) and James Cagney, actor extraodinaire.

In 1938 the Cagney family had no nominations for any awards, and that is an unlikely reason for the dour looks on everyone’s faces. Maybe they had a fight on the way over to the ceremony.  We’ll never know, but they certainly don’t look happy.

The following year James Cagney would be nominated for a best actor award for Angels With Dirty Faces. He lost to Spencer Tracy in Boys Town.

James Cagney would win a best actor Oscar in 1942 for his portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy.

Below, a great speech by James Cagney accepting the lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute in 1974.

Mickey Mantle After Retirement

1 Reply

3 Photographs of Yankees First Base Coach – Mickey Mantle

 

 

 

 

And Bobby Murcer gets playfully pushed away after reaching first base

Mickey Mantle announced his retirement March 1, 1969. In 1970, Mickey Mantle was an announcer on the NBC Game of the Week, but left in late August and  joined Yankee manager Ralph Houk’s coaching staff for the remainder of the season.

Mantle’s first game coaching was on August 30 against the Minnesota Twins. Bobby Murcer walked to lead off the fourth inning. When Murcer came over to talk with Mantle, who would coach first base only for the middle three innings, Mantle kiddingly pushed Murcer back to first base. The Twins first baseman is Rich Reese. The Yankees won this game 5-2. Continue reading →

Ritchie Blackmore Explains The Origin of Some Of Deep Purple’s Greatest Songs

2 Replies

Is Anything Original?

In this fascinating interview with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, he briefly explains and demonstrates how he came up with the riffs to some of Deep Purple’s greatest songs, including Mandrake Root, Black Night, Speed King, Smoke On The Water, Lazy and Highway Star.

Musicians and public alike look at Blackmore and see a complicated and private man who has an immense talent for songwriting.

What Blackmore acknowledges in this interview (which I wish was complete) is that previous works by others can play a big part in your own creativity.

Inspiration can come from anywhere. From Mozart to Jimi Hendrix.

UPDATE 2025

Unfortunately the original video was taken down> Here is a truncated version where Blackmore discussion of Mandrake Root and Lazy have been edited out.

But  below that we have added Blackmore discussing Child In Time. A song that was clearly “borrowed” from the band, It’s A Beautiful Day.

 

 

Jimmy Savile, Long Time “Top of the Pops” Host (& Pervert) Is Dead at 84

Leave a reply

Jimmy Savile, Zany British TV Host & PERVERT
(see update at end of article.)

Jimmy Savile was found dead at his home in Leeds October 29. He was just two days shy of turning 85.

In the United States Jimmy Savile is a relatively unknown name except to die-hard music fans or those who might have spent time in the United Kingdom.

In the UK you could not help but know Jimmy Savile. For twenty years, from its inception in 1964, Savile hosted Top of the Pops, a television music countdown show featuring hit singles.   Think of a British version of a cross between Casey Kasem’s radio program American Top 40 and Dick Clark’s television show American Bandstand and that was, Top of The Pops. Savile ended his reign as a regular host in 1984. Continue reading →

7 Billion People, That’s 6 Billion Too Many

Leave a reply

Celebrating Rising World Poverty, Hunger and Lots of People

The news yesterday was not earth shattering. The estimated number of people living on the earth is now seven billion. But that is a number that can shatter the earth and its resources.

What all the world’s cities can look like in 20 years – hooray!

News venues are touting this historic event as if it is something to be proud of. ABC television was showing babies from around the world born October 31, 2011 speculating that any of these children could have been the seven billionth living human.  It was then remarked by anchor Diane Sawyer that when these children turn fourteen, there will likely be eight billion people on the earth. Great. Overpopulation being glorified. Continue reading →

Waiting For Harry

3 Replies

85 Years Since Houdini’s Death & Yet No Word From Harry From the Great Beyond

Houdini film still “The Grim Game” 1919

During the early 20th century perhaps no person was more famous than Harry Houdini.

Houdini about to be tossed into the water handcuffed and shackled

The master magician and escape artist had a variety of careers besides performing on the stage and in grand public spectacles. Houdini said he was not really a magician but a mystifier. He was the “King of Cards” as a master card manipulator, the “King of Cuffs” as he could escape from any locked device -many times under perilous circumstances; he was a best selling  author; lecturer; film star; pioneer aviator and most conspicuously and heroically a spiritual debunker.

Houdini standing beside his mother’s grave 1914

When Houdini’s beloved mother Cecilia passed away in 1913, he was devastated. He briefly considered suicide.  Continue reading →