The 59th Annual Academy Awards

Today in 1987 - The 59th Annual Academy Awards were handed out at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center.

Chevy Chase, Goldie Hawn and Paul ‘Crocodile Dundee’ Hogan hosted. (Hogan was also an Oscar nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen with Ken Shadie and John Cornell for Crocodile Dundee.)
Best Picture: Platoon (Arnold Kopelson, producer); Best Director: Oliver Stone for Platoon; Best Actor: Paul Newman for The Color of Money; Best Actress: Marlee Matlin for Children of a Lesser God; Best Supporting Actor: Michael Caine for Hannah and Her Sisters; Best Supporting Actress: Dianne Wiest for Hannah and Her Sisters and Best Music/Song: Giorgio Moroder (music), Tom Whitlock (lyrics) for Take My Breath Away from Top Gun. And HBO (Home Box Office) earned its first Oscar as Down and Out in America tied for Best Documentary feature. The cable-TV film played in a Los Angeles movie theatre for one week to qualify for the Academy Award.

Happy Birthday

Today in 1970 one of, if not the greatest thoroughbred of all time, Secretariat was foaled at Meadow Farm in Virginia.

"Big Red" would win the Triple Crown in 1973 and in the process beat the 2 minute barrier in the Kentucky Derby. and win the Belmont stakes in 2:24, both of which have not been beaten. He was called by other jockeys "a living breathing locomotive" and in the famous Belmont race he was called "a tremendous machine".

45th Annual Academy Awards

Today in 1973 It was Oscar night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles Cailfornia

The show was hosted by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson. Most people, when offered an Academy Award, can’t get up to the stage fast enough to claim the little gold guy. But, Marlon Brando said, “You can keep it," when AMPAS offered him the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as The Godfather. Brando refused to accept the award because he felt that the U.S. and Hollywood were discriminating against American Indians. The Godfather (Albert S. Ruddy, producer) also was awarded the the prize for Best Picture. That Oscar was accepted, as were several for Cabaret: Best Director (Bob Fosse), Best Actress (Liza Minnelli) and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey). Best Supporting Actress was Eileen Heckart for Butterflies are Free and the Best Music/Song prize went to Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn for The Morning After from The Poseidon Adventure.

Japan's Victoire Pisa wins $10M Dubai World Cup

Japan's Victoire Pisa wins $10M Dubai World Cup - More Sports - SI.com

Top 5 Books on the NY Times Bestseller List (Fiction) for March 27th 2011

Here are the Top 5 books on the New York Times Fiction Bestseller list for the week ending March 27th 2011

1 - The Jungle - Clive Cussler with Jack Du Brul (Debut)

From Publishers Weekly
Juan Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries engage in one daring rescue operation after another with progressively higher stakes in Cussler's high-octane eighth Oregon Files novel (after The Silent Sea), his sixth collaboration with Du Brul. The rescue of a kidnap victim, an Indonesian teenage boy, from an Afghan village, yields a bonus in the form of MacD Lawless, a former U.S. Army Ranger, who proves of immediate value. Betrayals, more rescues, and escapes follow as one mysterious man seeks world domination using a discovery linked to 13th-century China. Cabrillo's handpicked team members, who operate from their state-of-the-art ship, the Oregon, are the only chance to stop a plot that threatens to bring the U.S. government to its knees. The frenetic action moves from Afghanistan to Singapore and the Burmese jungle with lots of derring-do at sea before climaxing in a surprising locale in a fashion sure to delight series fans.

2  - Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult (2nd week on list)

3 -  The Wise Man's Fear - Patrick Rothfuss (2nd week on list)

4 -  The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson (42 weeks on list)

5  - Love You More - Lisa Gardner (Debut)

The 21st Academy Awards

Today in 1949 the Academy Awards were handed out for achievements in 1948 motion pictures.

Actor/producer/director Robert Montgomery hosted the ceremony held at the AMPAS Theater in Los Angeles. Hamlet, produced by Lawrence Olivier for J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films, won Best Picture of 1948. Olivier also was pronounced Best Actor for his portrayal of Hamlet.

The real star of the evening, however, was the Hollywood flick, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, the story of a trio of prospectors in their search for gold in them thar hills. The search finally led them to gold in the shape of Oscar ... three Oscars, to be exact, and a nomination for Best Picture.

And, as far as we know, it was the first, and remains the only time a father and son both won Academy Awards on the same night. They were presented to Walter and John Huston for their stunning work in the 1948 film. Walter was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and his son, John, received honors for Best Director and for Best Screenplay (based on a B. Traven story).

Other winners of the treasured golden statuette on this spring night were: Jane Wyman (the former Mrs. Ronald Reagan) for Best Actress (film: Johnny Belinda); Claire Trevor for Best Supporting Actress (film: Key Largo); Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for Best Music/Song (Buttons and Bows from the Bob Hope/Jane Russell flick, The Paleface). And although Olivier won the Best Actor Oscar, Humphrey Bogart was superb as the paranoid, and ultimately, homicidal Fred C. Dobbs in Sierra Madre.

Top of The Pops (UK Edition)

This weeks Top of the Pops segment highlights the Top 5 Singles on the UK Top 40 singles chart on March 15th 1975. 

The chart was highlight by a couple of remakes, one very strange and one that was the biggest seller of the year..

Here are the Top 5 Singles

5 - The Secrets That You Keep - Mud

Not too far removed from having the top selling UK single of 1974, the glam band MUD was back with another top 5 hit.

4 - Only You Can - Fox

3 - Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) - Cockney Rebel

A former #1 single dropping down 2 spots this week

2 - Bye Bye Baby - The Bay City Rollers

Before they were launched to superstardom in the US this scottish group was roaring up the charts this week jumping 6 spots with a remake of this Four Seasons classic from 1965.   This would hit the top and stay there for six weeks and become the biggest selling single in the UK for 1975

1 - IF - Telly Savalas

This bizarre remake of the Bread hit single from 1971, which didnt chart in the UK, hit the top for KOJAK star Telly Savalas.  This would be the 2nd of 2 consecutive weeks at the top for the bald talk/singer.

The 25th Annual Academy Awards

Today in 1953 - The Academy Awards celebrated their silver anniversary -- and came to television.
NBC paid $100,000 for the rights to broadcast the event on both radio and TV. Hollywood’s best turned out to hand out the Oscar statuettes for the movies of 1952. The party was held at the RKO Pantages Theater, Los Angeles, with Bob Hope hosting. A dual celebration was staged in New York City, where Conrad Nagel was host.
The Best Picture award went to Cecil B. DeMille’s The Greatest Show on Earth. Best Director was the legendary John Ford for The Quiet Man. The rest of the best: Actor: Gary Cooper for High Noon; Supporting Actor: Anthony Quinn for Viva Zapata!; Actress: Shirley Booth for Come Back, Little Sheba; Supporting Actress: Gloria Grahame for The Bad and the Beautiful; Art Direction-Set Decoration/Color: Paul Sheriff, Marcel Vertès for Moulin Rouge; Music/Song: Dimitri Tiomkin (music), Ned Washington (lyrics) for the song, High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’), from High Noon.

The JELLO Program starring Jack Benny

Here is one of my favorite things,  the Old Time Radio classic, JELLO Program starring Jack Benny.    
An all time classic and still funny today.
Here is an episode from 11/02/1941, the Halloween program with guest Basil Rathbone.   A prime example as to why Jack and his cast are still one of the best ever.

#1 on the NYTimes Bestseller List - Fiction and Non Fiction

The #1 Books on the NY Times Bestseller List for the Week ending 03/13/2011

Non Fiction:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

 Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010: From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know. --Juliet Disparte

 

Fiction:

Treachery in Death by JD Robb

From Booklist

After her boss, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, suggests that New York policewoman Delia Peabody’s footwork needs some work, Delia books some time in the gym for what almost becomes a “killer” workout. Rather than visit NYPD’s brand-new, state-of-the-art exercise facilities, Peabody opts for the building’s old gym, since fewer of her well-toned, light-on-their-feet co-workers will be there. Upon arriving, Peabody has the place to herself until she hears voices and realizes that she’s listening to two cops angrily arguing about a deal in which they are both involved. Fortunately, the two leave before they realize Delia has overheard them. Not only does Peabody know the name of one of the corrupt cops, she also knows they are both guilty of murder. Now it will be up to Peabody and Eve to take these crooked cops down. The thirty-second (!) entry in Robb’s gritty, futuristic procedural series is one of the best yet: a sexy, high-stakes, high-adrenaline read that will delight series stalwarts, hook readers new to Eve Dallas, and please both mystery and romance readers. --John Charles

Bonanza

Here from the 2nd season, originally aired January 7th 1961.

The Courtship

The 15th Academy Awards

Today in 1943 - The 15th Academy Awards presentation drew Hollywood luminaries to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles to celebrate the great work done during the year 1942. Everybody seemed to like Mrs. Miniver (from Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer) better than any other movie that year. That movie was so good that it won William Wyler the Best Director Oscar; Greer Garson the Best Actress statuette; Teresa Wright the Best Actress in a Supporting Role prize;
Joseph Ruttenberg the Cinematography/black-and-white Oscar; and George Froeschel, James Hilton, Claudine West and Arthur Wimperis the writing/Screenplay award. Ah, but there was more to celebrate on that March night in 1943:
James Cagney was presented the Best Actor Oscar for Yankee Doodle Dandy and Van Heflin was voted Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Johnny Eager.
And one other award is worth mentioning: a guy named Irving Berlin picked up the Best Song Oscar for a little ditty he had written for the film, Holiday Inn: White Christmas.