9 to 5 at 8-30

In the continuing saga of the American Treasure Tour movie poster on-line exhibit, we are going to discuss the comedy 9 to 5, starring Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda as three disillusioned employees of boss Dabney Coleman, who they describe as a, "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical boss."

This 1980 vehicle for Dolly Parton portrays how sexually harassed women in a hostile workplace might react.  This tale of comic retribution satisfied audiences to the tune of almost four million dollars in its opening weekend.  The American Film Institute rates 9 to 5 as the 74th funniest movie out of 100.

Question:

The character Judy Berly, as performed by Jane Fonda, is forced to get a job when her husband loses everything and then runs off with his secretary.  What was her husband's name?

a)  Tom

b)  Dick

c)  Harry

d)  Bob

e)  Eustis

Answer Below

Today in History

Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first African American man to the United States Supreme Court on this date in 1967, under president Lyndon B. Johnson.  Marshall established himself as a nationally-renowned lawyer with his involvement in the Brown v Board of Education case, which officially dismantled segregated education three years prior.  As a Justice, he espoused many progressive interpretations of the law.  Upon his retirement from the Court in 1991, President George H.W. Bush filled his chair with Clarence Thomas.

Births

Today celebrates the birth of Huey Long, a highly controversial but important Louisiana politician whose career was cut short when he was gunned down in the state capitol building in Baton Rouge in 1935 at the age of 42.

Long's motto, "Every Man a King," complemented his left-wing intention to assist homeless and struggling Americans suffering the affects of the Great Depression.

Fred MacMurray shared an August birthday with Huey "The Kingfish" Long.  Far from a controversial politician, MacMurray was an accomplished actor who starred in what many critics consider one of the best of the Film Noir movies of the 1940s:  1944's Double Indemnity, as well as many other extremely well-regarded movies, prior to entering American homes as Steve Douglas, the father for twelve seasons of televisions' My Three Sons.

Quote:

I'm for the poor man - all poor men, black and white, they all gotta have a chance.  They gotta have a home, a job, and a decent education for their children.  "Every man a king" - that's my slogan.  -- Huey Long

Answer:  b)

Walk Tall - 8-29

Walk Tall, continuing the saga of ATT-highlighted movies, is a 1960 western about a lawman intent on bringing an outlaw to justice.  A fairly conventional concept, this film tells the story of Ed Trask, portrayed by Willard Parker, chasing down Kent Taylor's villain, Ed Carter.  Carter exacerbates his troubles when he antagonizes a Shoshone Indian tribe, who support Trask's efforts and assist him in the hunt.

Prior to starting his career as an actor, Willard Parker, originally Worster Van Eps, was a meter reader and a tennis pro.  He was predominantly seen on television, but his movie roles gave him the opportunity to play opposite Gene Kelly and Leo G. Carroll.

Question:

American audiences have been enamored with the western since the dawn of film technology.  Considered one of the first westerns ever filmed, the 1903 movie The Great Train Robbery was twelve minutes long.  Where did actual filming for the movie occur?

a) New Mexico

b) California

c) Arizona

d) New Jersey

e) Colorado

Answer Below

Today in History

Tensions come to a head in the new United States of America in 1786, when a group of Massachusetts farmers, incensed over high debts, tax burdens, a lack of hard currency, and a number of other financial pressures, first took up arms against local courts on August 28th.  This event was called Shays Rebellion, after one of their leaders, Daniel Shays.  When the Shaysites attempted take over the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, militia forces were called to stop them and, aside from scattered protests, the fighting ended.  This was a leading cause for the abandonment of the Articles of Confederation, which inspired the creation of a new Constitution the next year.

WEAF-AM, a radio station located in New York City, broadcast the very first advertisement over the airwaves on this date in 1922.  This NBC station broadcast a ten-minute precursor to the infomercial dedicated to selling real estate in an apartment building in the Jackson Heights district of the city, near a newly-constructed elevated train line (now the number 7 line).

Births

On this date in 1898, beloved film director Preston Sturges was born in Chicago.

Despite making such classic Hollywood films as Sullivan's Travel, The Lady Eve, Unfaithfully Yours, and The Palm Beach Story, the only Academy Award that Sturges ever won was for writing the screenplay for The Great McGinty in 1940.

Quote:

The most incredible thing about my career is that I had one.  -- Preston Sturges

Answer:  d)

Loretta Lynn 8-28

When she was forty-eight years old, Loretta Lynn's autobiography was released in theaters in the guise of the movie Coal Miner's Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek in the title role, with Tommy Lee Jones playing her husband, Mooney Lynn.  The poster for this film adorns the wall in the ATT Music Room above one of our very favorite nickelodeons, the Wurlitzer PianOrchestra with the peacock proudly dominating it:

Michael Apted, famous for his "UP" film series, directed this 1980 movie, with Loretta Lynn's involvement.  In fact, Lynn herself selected Sissy Spacek to play her.  Spacek was reluctant to do so until she received what she perceived to be a sign when she was in her car and Lynn's song, "Coal Miner's Daughter" came on the radio. Later, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

Question:

In which of the following songs did Loretta Lynn sing a duet with Conway Twitty:

a)  "Don't Come Home a-Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)"

b)  "Lead Me On"

c)  "You Ain't Woman Enough"

d)  "Fist City"

e)  "One's On the Way"

Today's History

It was 1609 on this very day that Henry Hudson discovered Delaware Bay for the Dutch East India Company (although the Lenni Lenape might have argued that they preferred it undiscovered).  Hudson would continue making discoveries in North America until, two year later, his crew mutinied and abandoned Hudson, his son, and seven others adrift in the Canadian bay named after him.  None of them were ever seen again.

This was a day of tragedy in 1955, when African-American 14 year-old Emmett Till was found murdered during a visit to the town of Money, Mississippi after he supposedly flirted with a Caucasian woman.  His murder, trial and funeral triggered national outrage and proved a pivotal impetus for the American Civil Rights Movement.

Births

Luis Guzman is a Puerto Rican character actor with a distinctive face who has been in numerous films since his debut in 1977 until now, most recently in the comedy We're the Millers with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis.  He will be 57 years old.

Answer Below

Answer:  b)

Jo Jo Dancer - 8-27

The newest chapter in our on-going series of "The Movie Posters of the American Treasure Tour" highlights is comedian Richard Pryor's solo directing venture.  Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling was released in 1986 and tells the story of a comedian who burns himself in a drug-related accident.  Pryor insisted that the film was non-autobiographical; however, the parallels to his own life were clear to many.

Richard Pryor teamed up with fellow comedian Gene Wilder in a number of films.  Which of the following is NOT one of the films in which they shared the headlines?

a)  Silver Streak

b)  See No Evil, Hear No Evil

c)  Another You

d)  Stir Crazy

e)  Car Wash

Answer Below

Today in History

This date in 1859 inspired one of the greatest oil rushes in world history.  This one was in Titusville, Pennsylvania, where oil was discovered at Drake's Well.  Many aspiring entrepreneurs built cities in the western region of the state almost overnight in the effort to exploit this natural resource.

When all the oil was extracted from a region, the towns built up over the reserves were occasionally evacuated overnight.  Pitthole, Pennsylvania is a perfect example of that!

Births

Charles G. Dawes, the 30th Vice President of the United States, under Calvin Coolidge, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was born on August 27th, 1865.  He received the Peace Prize for his efforts at reparations at the end of World War I.

Dawes had been a life-long friend of United States Army General John J. Pershing, who led the American Expeditionary Forces during the Great War and the only man to be promoted to General of the Armies during his own lifetime (the only other man to receive this honor was George Washington, who received it posthumously in 1976).

Another American Vice President shares this birthday with Mr. Dawes:  Hannibal Hamlin, born in 1809, held the position under Abraham Lincoln during his one full term as the Chief Executive of the United States.

Quote of the Day:

How majestic is naturalness.  I have never met a man whom I really considered a great man who was not always natural and simple.  Affectation is inevitably the mark of one not sure of himself -- Charles G. Dawes

Answer:  e)

The ATT & Pinocchio - 8-26

Today's movie poster, adorning a wall in our Music Room, honors a famous film character even if this is not the version everyone knows.  Pinocchio was introduced to American audiences most famously by Walt Disney with his 1940 animated film.  The story has been retold many times since then, including this 1996 version, directed by Steve Baron, starring Martin Landau and Udo Kier:

(Our poster is the image on the left).  

Absent from this version of the story is Jiminy Cricket, replaced if only briefly by a cricket named PePe, but the goal of becoming a real boy remains intact for the wooden puppet and the good-hearted Gepetto, played by Martin Landau.

Question:

Martin Landau's career as an actor traces to the 1950s and one of Alfred Hitchcock's most compelling films, North by Northwest.  His television roles include spots on Mission: Impossible and Space: 1999, but it was not until what movie did he receive an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor:

a)  Crimes and Misdemeanors

b)  Tucker, The Man and His Dream

c)  Frankenweenie

d)  Ed Wood

e)  The Hallelujah Trail

Answer Below

Today's History

Decades of struggle paid off on this date in 1920, when American women finally gained access to the voting booths.    They received the right to vote with the implementation of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.  Only one of the original attendees of the Women's Rights Conference at Seneca Falls, New York, was still alive to appreciate this momentous event, but she and approximately half of the population were no longer disenfranchised and could now participate in the political process.

Births

Melissa McCarthy is turning 43 today.  A popular television and movie actor, McCarthy began acting in a supporting role in the beloved program Gilmore Girls, and has moved on to a starring role in the situation comedy Mike & Molly and successful films Bridesmaids, Identity Thief and The Heat, the latter co-starring with Oscar winner Sandra Bullock.

Ten years younger than Ms. McCarthy is Macaulay Culkin, who became famous at the age of ten with a starring role in the film Home Alone.  Although he has taken a backseat in the entertainment industry, Culkin remains a quiet presence.

Quote of the Day:

Universal suffrage is the only guarantee against despotism.  -- May Wright Sewall

Answer:  d)

Dick Tracy at the American Treasure Tour - 8/23

Today's installment of Movie Posters at the American Treasure Tour features the much-loved icon of incorruptibility:  Dick Tracy.  Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc. was a Republic serial released in 1941.  Eleven years later, it was re-released as Dick Tracy vs. Phantom Empire.

In this continuing story line, Dick Tracy is up against the insidious The Ghost, an evil criminal whose ability to become invisible is used for nefarious purposes.  Ralph Byrd played Dick Tracy in four separate serials.  It was highly unusual for a serial to have one sequel, let alone three.

Today's Question:

In the 1990 film Dick Tracy, Warren Beatty takes the title roll, while Madonna plays Breathless Mahoney.  Who stars in the roll of Mumbles?

a)  Dick van Dyke

b)  Dustin Hoffman

c)  Al Pacino

d)  Paul Sorvino

e)  Charles Durning

Answer Below

Today in History

On this date in 1775, King George III officially proclaimed that the American colonies were in a state of open rebellion against the crown and England.

Births

101 years ago today, film star Gene Kelly was born.  He danced onto the scene out of a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and performed in over twenty-five movies during a career that spanned from the 1942 film Me And My Gal to 1980's Xanadu.

Also born today, and celebrating her 82nd birthday, is Barbara Eden, who established herself as a television sex symbol with her eponymous role in the situation comedy I Dream of Jeannie, which aired between 1965 and 1970.

Today's Quote:

At 14, I discovered girls.  At that time, dancing was the only way you could put your arm around a girl.  Dancing was courtship.  -- Gene Kelly

Answer:  b)

Bobby and the American Treasure Tour - 8/22

Is there no end to the movie poster collection at the American Treasure Tour?  The answer is: of course there is, but it's far in the distance...

Today, we are going to talk about the Walt Disney version of the story of Greyfriars Bobby.

Walt Disney Productions created this film in 1961, based on the true story of a Skye Terrier who remained loyal to his master well after the master's death.  The dog preferred to maintain guard over his tombstone over an adoption by another family.  Pulling at the heartstrings of its audience, the movie describes how the children of Edinburgh, Scotland rally together to try to save the life of the stray, Bobby, while it is up to  Edinburgh's Lord Provost to determine whether the dog needs to be put to sleep.  Does Bobby's fate mirror that of Old Yeller?  Check out the film to find out!

Trivia:

Terriers have been extremely popular dog breeds in film and television.  What type of Terrier was Toto, from The Wizard of Oz?

a)  Jack Russell Terrier

b)  Cairn Terrier

c)  Bull Terrier

d)  Boston Terrier

e)  Yorkshire Terrier

Answer Below

Today's History

On August 22, 1902, 111 years ago today, Theodore Roosevelt became the first active United States president to take a ride in an automobile.

Fifty-four years before Mr. Roosevelt's historic ride, New Mexico was annexed by the United States.  After years of effort, it would become the 47th state of the United States.

 Today's Birthdays

The American poet and writer, satirist Dorothy Parker entered the world on this date in 1893.  Over the course of her 74 years, she became a highly-regarded member of the Algonquin Round Table, a group of New York City intellectuals that could be considered a precursor to today's podcasts.

On August 22nd, 1934, Norman Schwarzkopf was born.  A career military man, he was Commander-in-Chief, United States Command, during the Persian Gulf War under the presidency of George H.W. Bush.

Quote:

The cure for boredom is curiosity.  There is no cure for curiosity.  - Dorothy Parker

Answer to Question:  b)

The Boatniks & The American Treasure Tour - 8/21

Adorning a wall above a row of Nickelodeons in our Music Room is a row of original movie posters, including the one for the 1970 Walt Disney Productions film The Boatniks (below):

Any movie that stars the inimitable Phil Silvers as the ringleader for a group of jewel thieves promises to be a silly experience.  Norman Fell (Mr. Roper from the popular tv show "Three's Company") is one of the gang of hoodlums led by Silvers, while a cast of classic comedians from the 1960s and 70s appears that includes Wally Cox (Underdog), Al Lewis, (Grandpa on The Munsters), and Stephanie Powers (Hart to Hart).  The Boatniks tells the story of a young Coast Guard ensign who struggles in the shadow of his war-hero father, while he tries to woo the pretty owner of a sailing school.  The appearance of the jewel thieves only complicates the situation.

Don Ameche stars in The Boatniks as Commander Taylor.  What popular comedy did he star in as a rich Philadelphian who placed a bet that he could transform, pygmalian-like, a beggar who accosted him for money into a city sophisticate?

a)  Cocoon

b)  Harry and the Hendersons

c)  Coming to America

d)  Heaven Can Wait

e)  Trading Places

Answer Below.

Today in History.

It was on this day in 1888 that the first United States patent was awarded to an inventor for an adding machine.  The patent request was submitted by William Seward Burroughs.  He was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention.

August 21, 2013 marks the 54th anniversary of Hawaiian statehood.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the executive order making this official on this day in 1959.

Today's Birthdays

American jazz great Count Basie was born today in the year 1904.  He was one of the finest and best-regarded bandleaders of the 1930s and remained in the limelight for almost fifty years.  He passed away in April, 1984.

One year to the day after Count Basie was born, Friz Freleng entered the world.  If his name is unfamiliar to you, hopefully his art is not.  He introduced such characters as Bug Bunny, Sylvester the Cat, Porky Pig, Tweety Bird and Yosemite Sam to the world as one of the most prolific directors of Warner Brothers animated shorts.  He won four Academy Awards during his career and has made countless people laugh over the years.

Today's Quote:

Don't take life too seriously.  You'll never get out alive. -- Bugs Bunny

Answer:  e)

Gnomes at the Treasure Tour 8/20

Welcome back to the American Treasure Tour blog!

Today's chapter honors yet another movie for which the original artwork is displayed in our Music Room at the American Treasure Tour.  Our subject is:  The Gnome-Mobile:

This musical was directed by Robert Stevenson and was one of the last films that Walt Disney produced personally, prior to his death in December of 1966.  It was also the final film for two of its main actors:  the iconic Ed Wynn, and Mathew Garber, who died tragically young at the age of 21 due to complications from hepatitis.  As such it was also the last time Matthew Garber paired with Karen Dotrice, his sister in both The Gnome-Mobile and Mary Poppins.

The film tells the story of a family who stumbles upon some gnomes.  The gnomes feared that they were the last of their kind, so they set out to discover if any other gnomes survived in a world dominated by humans.  Based on a story by Upton Sinclair, The Gnome-Mobile is an indictment against deforestation.

Walter Brennan plays dual roles in the film.  He is D.J. Mulrooney, an executive of a timber-trading company, and also what other character?

a)  Rufus the Gnome King

b)  Knobby, the 943 year old Gnome

c)  Jasper, the Gnome with a "terrible problem"

d)  Gil Lamb, the gas station attendant

e)  Violet, Jasper's love interest

Answer below. 

This date in History!

On August 20th, 1866, United States president Andrew Johnson formally declared that the Civil War was over.

In 1938, Lou Gehrig hit his 23rd career grand slam.  His record remains intact to this day.

Births:

Today, former president Benjamin Harrison celebrates his birthday.  He celebrates 180 years.

102 years later, presidential hopeful Ron Paul was welcomed to the world by his parents.

Quote:

"I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. And I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for." - Lou Gehrig, July 4, 1939.

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Answer:  b)

Gus, The Movie!

Here on the American Treasure Tour blog, we happily continue to honor the original movie posters that are part of our collection of Americana and memorabilia.  Today, our discussion goes to an important representative of the animals-participating-in-sports phenomena of the 1970s, that of Gus, the football-playing mule:

Released in 1976, this Disney comedy stars some favorite actors, including Don Knotts, Tim Conway, Dick Van Patten and Ed Asner.  The movie was well-received when it came out, which should be a surprise to no one considering its topical subject matter.

What famous football player made a cameo in Gus, as himself?

a)  Johnny Unitas

b)  Joe Namath

c)  "Mean Joe" Greene

d)  O.J. Simpson

Answer below.

Welcome to August 15th.  There are only 138 days remaining in 2013, we're almost two-thirds of the way there!

It was this day in 1935 that America lost two of its favorite sons in a tragic plane crash just outside of Barrow, Alaska:  the famed pilot and first aviator to fly solo around the world, Wiley Post; and cowboy/humorist/social commentator/movie star (all rolled into one) Will Rogers.

 

Four years later, The Wizard of Oz premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

Celebrating a birthday today is Florence Harding, the ambitious and exceptional wife of the 29th President of the United States, Warren Harding, he having been considered one of our less-than-exceptional presidents. If she were still alive today, she would be 153 years old.

                                     

   

Quote for the Day:

There are three kinds of men.  The one that learns by reading.  The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.

                                                                                          --- Will Rogers

Quiz Answer:  a)  Johnny Unitas

Zombies at the American Treasure Tour!

The American Treasure Tour boasts a large collection of original movie posters (among many, many other fantastic pieces of Americana).  Here is one of them:

Zombies of the Stratosphere, a Republic serial in twelve parts, came to theaters in 1952.  The story starred Judd Holdren, who played hero Larry Martin, compelled to stop Martian invaders from stealing a hydrogen bomb that they needed to blow Earth out of the Sun's orbit so that Mars could take her place in the solar system.  (This was NOT based on a true story, as far as we know...)  The serial, and the movie of the same name and made from portions of the serial, inspired somewhat tepid reviews, but it proved an early opportunity for a young unknown actor to sharpen his acting chops prior to becoming a familiar name in both movies and television.

Who was the young actor who played Narab in this serial and film, and would later establish himself as another famous alien?

a)  Jeff Bridges

b)  Alec Guinness

c)  Clint Eastwood

d)  Leonard Nimoy

e)  John Agar

The Correct Answer is below.

Wednesday, August 14th!

Welcome to the 226th day of the year 2013.  Today, we celebrate the birthdays of German director Wim Wenders and actor, musician, comedian Steve Martin (they're both 68 years old).

 

Today is also the anniversary of the Japanese agreement to the terms of surrender that ended World War II in 1945.  Thirty years later, the cult film Rocky Horror Picture Show starring Barry Bostwick, Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry was released to theaters for the first time.  It can still be seen in theaters as the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

Quote of the Day:

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face...  we must do that which we think we cannot. 

                                                                                              --Eleanor Roosevelt

Trivia Question:

Answer - C.  Leonard Nimoy would become a science fiction legend playing the character of Mr. Spock for the original television show "Star Trek" in the 1960s and many of the movies that followed.