The Silver State Chronicles

I’ve seen the future, and it’s Curly

Today would have been the 104th birthday to one of the alltime great movie funnymen, Jerome Howard, better known to fans around the world as Curly of The Three Stooges.

Curly was born Jerome Horwitz in Brooklyn, New York in 1903, the youngest of the five Horwitz brothers, hence his nickname ‘Babe,’ which brother Moe would usually use to refer to him.

In 1928, Jerry gained some notability in the entertainment business as a comedy musical conductor for the Orville Knapp Band, and Moe later recalled that Jerry’s performances usually overshadowed the band.

Meanwhile, brothers Moe and Shemp, along with Larry Feinberg (Fine), were working as ‘stooges’ for popular funnyman Ted Healy. Their success took them to Hollywood, but in 1932 Shemp left the act and Moe called in for their brother, Jerry – now dubbed Curly.

The rest is history.

The Three Stooges would go on to make 190 short films for Columbia in 23 years, though the roster over that period had different incarnations. They have consistently been popular, particularly after their shorts began running on television in the late 1950s. They remain iconic funnymen to this day.

Thanks for all the laughter, Jerry! You will live in the hearts of your fans forever!

Humans vs Apes…The War Begins!

I’ve been keeping my eye on the ape population my entire life, ever since I first saw Planet of the Apes in the mid 1970s on WABC-TV’s 4:30 Movie in New York City.

Well, the apes have finally made their big move, with the assassination of an Indian politician!

The BBC NEWS reports…

Monkeys kill Delhi deputy mayor

The deputy mayor of the Indian capital Delhi died on Sunday after being attacked by a horde of wild monkeys. SS Bajwa suffered serious head injuries when he fell from the first-floor terrace of his home on Saturday morning trying to fight off the monkeys.

The city has long struggled to counter its plague of monkeys, which invade government complexes and temples, snatch food and scare passers-by.

The High Court demanded the city find an answer to the problem last year.

Solution elusive

One approach has bajwa, a member of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is survived by his wife and a son, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

I say we go all Taylor on their primate rear ends and avert a Planet of the Apes!

What’s in store for this week?

I’m cruising along with my 60-29 record so far, but want to improve! So here’s my picks for week seven!

Sunday, October 21, 2008

• Redskins
  Falcons
  Ravens
  Cowboys
  Patriots
  Giants
  Buccaneers
  Titans
  Chiefs
  Jets
  Eagles
  Seahawks
  Broncos

Monday, October 22, 2007

• Colts

In Webb We Trust

It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Jack Webb, having mentioned his classic album ‘You’re My Girl: Romantic Reflections by Jack Webb’ in an earlier post. Well, lots of folks just loved the Nichelle Nichols song a couple of days ago, so I decided to follow up with a memorable tune by Jack Webb.

One of the most memorable tracks on this classic album is Mr. Webb’s rendition of ‘Try A Little Tenderness.’ Well, I’ve surrendered to popular demand and am sharing this wonderful track with you all! Enjoy!

So Long, Joey Bishop

I’m sad to report that Yahoo News is reporting that Rat Pack comedian Joey Bishop has passed away.

Joey Bishop, the stone-faced comedian who found success in nightclubs, television and movies but became most famous as a member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack, has died at 89.He was the group’s last surviving member. Peter Lawford died in 1984, Sammy Davis Jr. in 1990, Dean Martin in 1995, and Sinatra in 1998.

Bishop died Wednesday night of multiple causes at his home in Newport Beach, publicist and longtime friend Warren Cowan said Thursday.

The Rat Pack became a show business sensation in the early 1960s, appearing at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in shows that combined music and comedy in a seemingly chaotic manner.

Thanks for the laughter and great memories, Joey!

Kryptonite Nevermore!

DC was making changes back in the late 60s and early 70s, a welcome development since they honestly hadn’t made many changes since the 1940s. Their comic line was old, stale, and boring, clearly geared to youngsters. Marvel Comics, on the other hand, had made great strides in the 60s and created a vibrant product that appealed to both children and adults.

One of DC’s changes was tweaking Superman a bit. No longer just a reporter for the Daily Planet, he did double duty as a news anchor on TV station WGBS His regular cast of characters was expanded a bit. Oh, and in Superman #233 they got rid of Kryptonite as the weakness of The Man of Steel.

I Guess You Had To Have Been There

Since we’ve been on a Star Trek kick lately, I thought I’d share one of the true jewels of my collection, the lovely Nichelle Nichols and her stirring rendition of the theme to Star Trek, with the seldom-heard vocals.

Actually I think there are several different sets of vocals, and this is just the one Nichelle recorded. In any event, sit back and enjoy, and hang on for dear life for the final note!

Some Intriguing Predictions from 1900

Way back in December of 1900, The Ladies Home Journal published a fascinating article by John Elfreth Watkins, Jr. that offered a series of predictions of what would be in store for the USA and The World 100 years later, in the year 2000.

Well, here we are in 2007, so lets take a look at how well he did:

What May Happen in the Next Hundred Years
by John Elfreth Watkins, Jr.

Prediction #1: There will probably be from 350,000,000 to 500,000,000 people in America and its possessions by the lapse of another century. Nicaragua will ask for admission to our Union after the completion of the great canal. Mexico will be next. Europe, seeking more territory to the south of us, will cause many of the South and Central American republics to be voted into the Union by their own people.”

Prediction #2: The American will be taller by from one to two inches. His increase of stature will result from better health, due to vast reforms in medicine, sanitation, food and athletics. He will live fifty years instead of thirty-five as at present – for he will reside in the suburbs. The city house will practically be no more. Building in blocks will be illegal. The trip from suburban home to office will require a few minutes only. A penny will pay the fare.

Prediction #3: Gymnastics will begin in the nursery, where toys and games will be designed to strengthen the muscles. Exercise will be compulsory in the schools. Every school, college and community will have a complete gymnasium. All cities will have public gymnasiums. A man or woman unable to walk ten miles at a stretch will be regarded as a weakling.

Prediction #4: There Will Be No Street Cars in Our Large Cities. All hurry traffic will be below or high above ground when brought within city limits. In most cities it will be confined to broad subways or tunnels, well lighted and well ventilated, or to high trestles with “moving-sidewalk” stairways leading to the top. These underground or overhead streets will teem with capacious automobile passenger coaches and freight with cushioned wheels. Subways or trestles will be reserved for express trains. Cities, therefore, will be free from all noises.

Prediction #5: Trains will run two miles a minute, normally; express trains one hundred and fifty miles an hour. To go from New York to San Francisco will take a day and a night by fast express. There will be cigar-shaped electric locomotives hauling long trains of cars. Cars will, like houses, be artificially cooled. Along the railroads there will be no smoke, no cinders, because coal will neither be carried nor burned. There will be no stops for water. Passengers will travel through hot or dusty country regions with windows down.

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