Illinois' I & M Canal's 175th Anniversary-- Part 2

The importance of the Illinois & Michigan (I&M) Canal lies in the fact that it in effect, connected the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River via the Illinois River.

The miniature 16-by-24-foot museum is filled with interesting artifacts that lend color to the daily lives of the canal toll collectors.  On a shelf, you'll find a bugle and a conch shell, both used by boat captains to wake up the sleeping collector, whose rope bed was in the southwest corner of the building.

In 2009, a full-sized replica canal boat, previously featured in the film "Prairie Tides," was moved to the site.  The barge is lined with boxes and crates symbolizing the 150-plus tons of cargo those boats hauled along the canal.

For more information, visit pickusottawail.com/attractions/im canal-toll-house.

--Cooter

Illinois' I&M Canal's 175th Anniversary-- Part 1

From the April 8, 2023, Northwest Herald "Experience I&M Canal's 

Of course, people have heard of the Erie Canal, the Suez Canal and Panama Canal, but fewer are familiar with this one.

At the end of April, I wrote about Illinois Governor JB Pritzker declaring April as the official month of the I&M (Illinois & Michigan).

Here are some things you might want to check out in regards to this important canal, which connected the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River via the Illinois River.

Ottawa, Illinois, has a remarkable I&M Canal structure in the form of an original tollhouse which has many recovered items and fascinating displays about the waterway' storied history in a compact one-room footprint.

Located in the heart of Ottawa's downtown, right along the I&M towpath, you'll find the immacilate-looking, 175-year-old structure that a group of dedicated volunteers turned the husk of a building into a paonstakenly researched approximation of what the canal collector's tollhouse would have looked like back in 1848.

--Cooter

McHenry Outdoor Theater-- Part 2: Doin' a Retro Night

It is now open on weekends, but come June seven days a week.  Cost is $14 a person and includes two feature films.  This weekend it is "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania."

I would like to do an ultimate retro night at some point this summer. That would mean going out to the Ingleside, Illinois, Don 'N Suds for a Coney Dog and some of that good root beer.  Carhops serve you. (We are lucky to have three remaining Dog 'N Suds here in close proximity.  The other two are in Grayslake and Richmond.)

 Then go the the McHenry Outdoor Theater for a movie(s).

My big problem, however, is that during the summer, the movies don't start until 9 which seriously pushes my bedtime.  And, if I stay for the second film (to get my money's worth), 2 am is REALLY past my bedtime.

Plus, these new cars have things on them that I do not know how to operate.

We'll See.  --CootFilm

McHenry Outdoor Theater-- Part 1

This drive-in theater is located about six miles from home and it is not one of those billboard theaters, but has a massive stone (or something like it) screen housing.

From Drive-In Movie.com.

Originally opened in 1951, the Skyline Drive-In, now the McHenry Outdoor Theater, is a single screen drive-in theater located in McHenry, Illinois.

It is the Chicago area's last  remaining drive-in.

Double features are shown seasonably.

In December 2020, the owner announced that he had bought ten more additional acres and plans to turn it into a three-screen venue.

--Coot-In

This Month in American Revolution: Tea Act, Ethan Allen, Some Intolrable Acts and Barren Hill and Waxhaws

From the American Battlefield Trust.

MAY 10, 1773

**  Tea Act:  An attempt by Parliament to undercut smugglers by reducing the price of tea to the colonies.

MAY 10, 1775

**  Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys seize Fort Ticonderoga, Second Continental Congress meets.

MAY 20, 1774

**  Administration of Justice Act and Massachusetts Government Act, two of the so-called Intolerable Acts, further anger colonists.

MAY 20, 1778

**  Battle of Barren Hill, Pennsylvania.

MAY 29, 1780

**  Battle of Waxhaws, South Carolina.

--Cooter

April 2023 Official Month of I&M Canal in Illinois

To commemorate the 175th anniversary of the openingof the Illinois & Michigan Canal and the enormius impact it had on the region, state and nation, Governor JB Pritzker declared April 2023 the official month of the I&M Canal.

The next several posts will be about it and things you can do along it today.

--CootCanal

Return of Drive-In Theaters-- Part 8:The Spud Drive-In Theatre

It would be possible to build a whole vacation around a visit to The Spud Drive-In Theatre in Idaho's Teton Country, located about an hour's drive from Grant Teton National Park.

Operating since 1953, it beckons to guests with a giant potato (what, a giant potato in Idaho, who'd have figured) sitting in "Old Murphy," a 1946 Chevrolet flatbed truck, parked along the driveway.

The drive-in sign is modeled after an Idaho license plate, featuring the motto "Famous Potatoes."  

A couple years ago, owner Lenny Zaban added two rustic cabins at the back of the lot, where overnight guests can watch movies from the porch or the nearby hot tub and enjoy specialties from the snack bar, including "Spud Buds" (potato tots) and caramel corn made fresh nightly.

Spend a Night at the Theater.  --Cooter

Return of Drive-In Theaters-- Part 7: The 66 Drive-In Theatre

And what would drive-in theater's be without at least one on the famed Mother Road, Route 66?  There are several, including one that just reopened on Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and, of course, Litchfield, Illinois, but probably the most famous one even carries the name, 66 Drive-In Theatre neat Carthage, Missouri.

Its original neon sign continues to attract road-trippers.  (Route 66 is part of the National Trust's National Treasures Program.)

Tickets are often sold out of the original ticket booth, a glowing little building with walls made entirely of glass blocks.

For a complete Route 66 experience ,owner Nathan McDonald recommends staying at the recently restored Boots Court motel (1939) in the nearby town of Carthage, which advertises "A Radio In Every Room)"

Whether You Want One Or Not.  --CootBoots

Return of the Drive-In Theaters-- Part 6: Capri Drive-In

Also in Michigan is the Capri Drive-In Theater at Coldwater, which replaced its original 1964 marque with a faithful replica after it was destroyed in a 2001 auto crash.  It opened in 1964 and had a contest to pick a name. The name was submitted by Mary Magocs and she got a sewing machine for her name.

Admission in 1964 was $1 and a cheeseburger would set you back 45 cents.

The original double lane snack bar is still in place and does a brisk business in footlongs and garlic pickles.

Last Halloween, the drive-in offered socially distanced "trunk-or-tricking" and spotlighted best costumes on the screen during intermission -- a tradition that Susan Magocs says will continue forward.

--CootTrunk

Return of Drive-In Theaters-- Part 5: Ford-Wyoming Drive-In

The FORD-WYOMING DRIVE-IN--in Dearborn, Michigan -- where the headquarters of the Ford Motor Company are also located -- is one of the country's largest, with a roughly 1,700 car capacity.

Named for its location at the intersection of Ford Road and Wyoming Avenue, this drive-in is open year round.  "The only time we've ever been closed is when there is a snowstorm just before the theater opening, or in extreme cold," says co-owner Bill Clark.

Taking a cue from the movie palaces of old, the back of the movie screen -- whuch faces the road -- is designed to look like an Art Deco building, with jaunty red accents.

The theater has upgraded two of its five screens with laser projectors and will be doing the same on the remaining screens soon.  It offers streaming audio over Wi-Fi and broadcast audio over  FM radio.

--Cooter

Return of Drive-In Theaters-- Part 4: The Mahoning, Shankweiler's and Bengies

**  THE MAHONING DRIVE-IN THEATER in Horsham, Pennsylvania decided not to go with digital and stay retro with 35 millimeter films.  Today, fans travel from all over the country for its multi-day movie marathons of genre and cult classics.  ("Zombiefest" regularly sells out.)

On site camping is available and the door to the projection room is always open so guests can see the original 1940s-era film projectors in action.

**  SHANKWEILER'S DRIVE-IN THEATER is Orefield, Pennsylvania, close to The Mahoning.  It opened in 1934, a year after Hollingsfead's now-lost, groundbreaking venue.   It is now the oldest drive-in in thye country.

**  THE BENGIES DRIVE-IN THEATRE in Middle River, Maryland (1956).  Drive-in design has its own refinements and architectural engineer Jack Vogel was an expert at it.   For one of his family's own venues (this one) he designed a special curved screen that focuses light for a better image, with the right proportions to display the then-new Cinemascope widescreen format without cropping.

The 120-by 52 foot screen is now the largest drive-in screen in the United States.

The venue is now run by Jack's son, D. Vogel, who has continued the tradition of audience participation, asking people to flash their headlights to vote for upcoming movies if they like the trailer.

Love Them Old Drive-Ins.  --Cooter

The Return of Drive-In Theaters-- Part 3: The Problem With Netflix and Digital Distribution

These days, movie venues must contend with the rise of Netflix and other streaming sites.  And, of course, those who people who say they'll wait until the film comes out and they can watch it on their 75-inch HDTV.  (But I say there is absolutely no comparison between a 75-inch screen and the BIG SCREEN in the theater.)

But, nearly a decade ago, they also had to deal with anothern technological upheaval -- the switch from film to digital distribution.  To show new releases, owners had to switch to digital projection systems.  And, that was a pricer upgrade.

*********************************

The article listed several well-known drive-ins across the country:

WELLFLEET DRIVE-IN on Massachusetts' Cape Cod.  Carries on the early tradition of being a comperehensive entertainment center.  In addition to its outdoor screen, the 1957 venue has an 18-hole miniature golf course that dates from 1961, an ice cream bar and even a four-screen indoor movie theater.

It is one of the few drive-ins that still offer sound through traditional stereo speakers that attach to the inside of the car window.  (They do, however, also sound via the FM radio.)

--CootGital

The Return of the Drive-In Theaters-- Part 2: A Huge Decline in Numbers

Drive-In popularity peaked in 1958, when there were more than 4,000 in operation in  the United States.  According to the United Drive-in Theatre Owners Association, 305 remained as of October 2019.  

These drive-ins usually show new releases with audio comng through the car radio instead of theater-supplied speakers that attached to your car windows (and had that wonderful tinny sound, just remember to remove the speaker from your window before you go home).

Snack bars are likely to have vegetarian options.

Most still offer a double feature for the price of one ticket.  (Although this leads to a late movie start in the summer and even earlier morning end to the second movie which pretty much rules out the second feature for me.) 

--Coot-In

The Return of the Drive-In Theaters-- Part 1

From the Summer 2021 Preservation Magazine "Movie Magic" by Lydia Lee.

One thing that improved during the pandemic was the fate of the drive-in theater business which had been in decline for a long time.  But because of the way they are set up, conditions were excellent for them.

After World War II, drive-ins flourished as part of a new life-style including an automobile and a house in the suburbs.  According to Mary Morley Cohen: "Drive-ins allowed audiences to experience the new pasttimes in a familiar, cheaper, and more public context.

From their start, the drive-ins were more welcoming than the fancy movie palaces of previous decades (especially those built around 1928).

Riverton, New Jersey, native Richard Hollingshead, Jr., opened the first drive-in theater in nearby Camden in 1933, promoting it as a venue where "the whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are apt to be."

To entice families, drive-ins offered playgrounds, snack bars that served full meals, and, in some cases, even bottle warmers for babies.  "The highly sociable atmosphere was quite a bit different from sitting quietly in a darkened, indoorn theater," wrote Cohen.

--Cooter

About Those Humphrey Bogart Movies

Of course, he was famous for "Casablanca" but here are some others he starred in:

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

To Have and Have Not (1944)

The Big Sleep  (1946)

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre  (1948)

In A Lonely Place  (1950)

The African Queen  (1951)

Sabrina  (1954)

The Caine Mutiny  (1954)

We're No Angels  (1955)

--CootGart

'Casablanca'-- A Talented Cast: Wilson and Page

SAM

Played by Dooley Wilson

Unquestionably one of the most famous supporting characters any actor has played on the big screen:  That's one way to describe the role of Sam "the Rabbit," ably filled by Wilson, who was in fact, not a pianist, but a drummer.

He couldn't play the piano at all, but achieved immortality with his rendition of "As Time Goes By."

Already in his fifties when he starred in "Casablanca," Wilson was about to quit acting when he got the role.

*************************

ANNINA BRANDEL

Played by Joy Page

Perhaps the only actor younger than Labeau to appear in the film, Page was just 17 when she found her fame in the movie.

And this came about at least partially because she was the stepdaughter of studio chief Jack Warner.

Still, her exotic beauty was perfect for her part of the young Bulgarian refugee whose virtue is saved after Rick intervenes when Captain Renault suggests he will arrange safe passage of Brandel and her husband if she will sleep with him.

Well, Rick couldn't have this so fixed it where her husband won enough money gambling where she wouldn't have to.

Sorry Renault.  --Cooter

'Casablanca': A Talented Cast: Labeau and Veidt

YVONNE

Played by Madeline Lebeau.

The French actress was just 19 when she appeared as Rick's soon-to-be-discarded girlfriend near the begnning of the movie.  Bogart was nearly twice her age at the time.

During the scene where the patrons of Rick's burst into the rendition of "La Marseillaise" that is her face up front and center singing with gusto.

She died in 2016, the movie's last surviving cast member.

*******************************

MAJOR STRASSER

Played by Conrad Veidt.

Another German Jew, Veidt was a highly respected actor who escaped the Nazisin 1933.

Despite being Jewish, Veidt often insisted on playing Nazis to bring asttention to their villainous agenda.

He only made one more movie after "Casablanca" before dying of a heart attack while playing golf in April 1943.

--CootBlanca

'Casablanca' A Talented Cast: Kinskey, Lorre and Sakall

SACHA THE BARTENDER

Played by Leonid Kinskey.  Anither refugee in the cast.  Was a Russian Jew who escaped to America.  Got the role because he was a regular drinking biddy of Bogart's.

SIGNOR UGARTE

Played by Peter Lorre.  One of the best-known actors of his era whose name is linked to creepy characters.  Of course, that famous voice of his.

CARL THE WAITER

Played by S.Z. Sakall.  Possibly the most amiable character in the movie.  Born in Hungary and was another Jewish cast member who had fled the Nazis.

--Cooter

Casablanca: A Talented Cast-- Part 1: Henreid, Rains & Greenstreet

**  VICTOR LASLO

Played by Paul Henreid.

He didn't want to do "Casablanca" saying the script was "terrible, really rotten."  Born in Austria-Hungary and emigrated from there in 1935.

**  CAPTAIN LOUIS RENAULT

Played by Claude Rains.

He was the first choice to play the Vichy French policeman.  Fought in World War I.  Was a force on Broadway and in movies.  Didn't like Paul Henreid and called him "Paul Hemorrhoid."

*********************************

**  SIGNOR FERRARI

Played by Sydney Greenstreet.

The conniving owner of Rick's competition, the Blue Parrot.  Was a latecomer to movies, starting at age 62.  Was in "The Maltese Falcon" with Bogart.

--Cooter

A Timeless Song 'As Time Goes By'-- Part 2: 'The Lousiest Tune'

Producer Hal Wallis gave him the go ahead, and Max Steiner got to work on a new one, but there was a problem.  The scenes featuring "As Time Goes By" would need to be reshot and Ingrid Bergman had already moved on to her next movie, an adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and had cut her hair short for the role.

That meant that Steiner was stuck with "As Time Goes By, a song which he described to his wife, Louise, as "the lousiest tune."

But Steiner wasn't considered one of the best composers in the film business for nothing, and he worked with what he had.  He incorporated the song into his score, along with bits of the two songs played in the epic musical showdown between the German soldiers and the club patrons:  "Die Wacht am Rhein" and "La Marseillaise."

By using inpirtation for all three, Steiner earned his 11th Oscar nomination of the astonishing 24 he would get over the course of his long career.

(It would be hard to think of "Casablanca" without "As Time Goes By.")

--CootSeillaise

This Month in the American Revolution: Halifax Resolves, Paul Revere, Lexington, Concord and Hobkirk Hill

From the American Battlefield Trust 2023 April calendar.

APRIL 12, 1776

**  The Halifax Resolves, North Carolina.  The first colony to authorize its delegates to vote for independence.

APRIL  18, 1775

**  Revere and Dawes warning rides from Boston, Massachusetts.

APRIL 19, 1775

**  Battles of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

APRIL 25, 1781

**  Battle of Hobkirk Hill, South Carolina

APRIL 27,1777

**  Battle of Ridgefield,Conecticut.

--Cooter

A Timeless Song 'As Time Goes By'-- Part 1

We just watched the movie and throughout it, this song was played more than a bit often.  And, that would be "As Time Goes By."

It is rare that a single song is so tied to a single movie, but this is certainly the case with "As Time Goes By" and "Casablanca."  It is so closely identified that when you see any movie released by Warner Brothers (the company that made the movie) these days, several bars of the song play with the WB logo.

But it almost wasn't that way.  The song was written by Herman Hupfield in 1931 for the Broadway musical "Everybody's Welcome."  It had been included by playwrights Joan Alison and Murray Bennett in their original play, "Everybody Comes to Rick's."

Once the film production was underway, composer Max Steiner, who had already won two Oscars wanted to change the song and insert something original of his, giving him the potential to easrn rotyalties and possibly another Academy Award.

--Cooter

'Casablanca' Trivia-- Part 6: That Oscar and First Scene

MAGICAL TALISMAN

In 2006, David Copperfield paid $231,500 for director Michael Curtiz's Best Director Oscar for "Casablanca."

The Las Vegas showman, who kept it by his bed, said the statuette represented the excellence of old films that influenced his career:  "It keeps me hungry."

An unnamed seller later sold that statue at auction for more than $2 million.  Nice profit.

**********************************

THE FIRST SCENE

It wasn't the director's original plan to begin shooting the movie with a love scene, but when filming of "Now, Voyager" ran behind scedule and both Paul Heinreid and Claude Rains were unavailable, he had to change his mind.

The very first scene shot for "Casablanca" featured Rick and Ilsa standing over Sam's piano in Paris.

The Usual Suspects.  --Cooter

'Casablanca' 80th Anniversary-- Part 5: Looking Good and Looking At You

Well, actually 81st.

HER BEST SIDE

Ingrid Bergman preferred to be shot from her left side and cinematographer Arthur Edeson, who previously worked on "The Maltese Falcon" and "Frankenstein," did just that for most scenes.

He also used a gauze filter and targeted lights to soften her features and make her eyes sparkle.  The effect was designed to make her face seem sad and nostalgic.

**********************************

HERE'S LOOKING

Bogart is credited with improvising the line "Here's looking at you, kid," which was written as "Here's good luck to you," in the Parisian scenes.

But the phrase was used by Eddie Cantor in 1932 (a decade before "Casablanca" was released) to sign his name in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater n L.A..

He wrote, "Here's looking at you, Sid," in reference to the theater's owner Sid Grauman.

--CootKid

'Casablanca' Trivia-- Part 4: A Nod and a Cameo?

A SILENT NOD

During filming, Bogart was called to the studio to stand in Rick's Cafe and nod silently.

He had no idea why, but that shot would be added to the "La Marseillaise" scene, showing his character, Rick, giving the band the OK to play the French anthem.

*****************************

COMIC CAMEO

A Chicago newspaper reported in 1943 that funnyman Jack Benny visited the set when Bogart and Bergman were shooting a cafe scene.

"There were about 50 extras seated at tables, with a number of waiters scurrying around," the paper reported.  "There's where you will see Benny, among the waiters.  He borrowed a white coat and appears in the background."

This story has been much debated but Benny's daughter, Joan, said that she believed it was true.

--CootBlanca

'Casablanca' Trivia-- Part 3: Playing Games and Groucho

PLAYING GAMES

Because of script changes nearly every day, Bogart had free time on the set.  He could usually be found playing chess against Paul Henreid (Victor Laszlo), who later claimed, "I beat the hell out of him time and time again."

Bergman, on the other hand, learned to play poker on the set.

*****************************

MARX BROTHERS MAYHEM

The Marx Brothers wrote a parody of the movie shortly after it was released, even naming Groucho's character "Humphrey Bogus," but they changed the storyline after Warner Brothers issued a formal inquiry concerning the title:  "A Night in Casablanca."

Groucho used the inquiry for a publicity stunt, writing a series of letters back to the studio in which he told them:  "Professionally, we were brothers before you were."  The comedy featuring Groucho as the newest manager of  the Hotel Casablanca, was released in 1946.

--CootBrother

'Casablanca' Trivia-- Part 2: Lois Meredith? And, It Hit Home

**  A NEW NAME FOR A HEROINE

When "Casablanca" was being cast, the lead female role was to be an American named Lois Meredith.  But when Bergman got the role, the name of Rick's love interest was changed to Ilsa Lund; her nationality was switched to Norwegian.

Director Michael Curtiz came up with her name, taking it from a 19th-century travelogue called "The Harz Journey" by Heinrich Heine, which featured an enchantress named Princess Ilse.

**********************************

**  TEARS ON THE SET

Several extras and actors in the cast were from Europe, and the realities of war hit close to home.  While filming a flashback scene, Ilsa and Rick talked about how the Germans would soon storm Paris -- when a female extra burst into loud sobs, ruining the take.

Another extra walked over to the director to apologize.  "I am very sorry, sir, but that is my wife," he told Michael Curtiz of the crying woman.  "Please pardon her.  You see, our home was in Paris.  And we went through that awful day."

--Cooter

Some Interesting 'Casablanca' Trivia: That Fez and Last Line

From the same book as the quotes.

**  A FEZ OF THE HEART

Sydney Greenstreet wanted to wear traditional Moroccan garb but the producers wouldn't hear of it.  They wanted him to wear the white suit he was becoming known for (in other films).

Greenstreet settled for wearing a fez and doing the traditional salaam gsture (touching his heart, lips and brow).

**************************************

**   A DIFFERENT LAST LINE

The film almost ended with Rick Blane saying to Captain Renault, "Louis, I might have known you'd mix your patriotism with a little larceny."

Producer Hal Wallis came up with a better last line -- about a beautiful friendship-- after shooting was completed.  He had to bring Humphrey Bogart back to the studio a month later to dub the new line.

--Cooter

80th Anniversary of Casablanca-- Part 4: More Quotable Quotes 'I'm a Drunkard'

**  "I'm a Drunkard"

Major Strasser:  "What is your nationality?"

Rick:  "I'm a drunkard."

Captain Renault:  "That makes Rick a citizen of the world."

****************************

**  "I remember every detail."

Ilsa:  "That was the day the Germans marched into Paris."

Rick:  "Not an easy day to forget."

Ilsa:  "No."

Rick:  "I remember every detail.  The Germans wore gray, you wore blue."

A World Citizen.  --CootDrunk

80th Anniversary of 'Casablanca'-- Part 3: 'The Usual Suspects'

Some More Quotes.

**  "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."  --Rick Blane

**  "Round up the usual suspects."  --Captain Louis Renault  (I called out usual group of friends the "Usual Suspects.")

**  "Just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust."  --Ugarte

**  "We'll always have Paris."  --Rick Blane

*******************************

**  "I came to Casablanca for the waters."  Rick Blane

       "The waters?  What waters?   We're in the desert."  --Captain Renault

       "I was misinformed."  --Rick Blane

--CootPect

80th Anniversary of Cassablanca-- Part 2: 'Play It, Sam'

Some more quotable quotes from the movie.

**  "Play it, Sam.  Play 'As Time Goes By'."  --Ilsa Lund

**  "Kiss me.  Kiss me as if it were the last time."  --Ilsa Lund

**   "Here's looking at you, kid."  --Rick Blane

**  We might as well be frank.  It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles."  --Signor Ferrari

"Play 'As Time Goes By'."  --Cooter

Fox Lake (Illinois) Historical Society Presentation on 'The Midway'

The Fox Lake Grant Township Historical Society will be having a presentation on a major village party area back around the early 1900s when folks would arrive by train from Chicago at a series of hotels, bars and dance halls in Nippersink Lake called "The Midway."

This area now has the Fox Lake Lakefront Park right by US-Highway 12 and is considered a fine example of what life was like during the area's Resort Era.

The presentationwill be given by Paul Jakstas whose family owned the famed Mineola Hotel for many years.

The presentation follows the General meeting at 9:30 am and will be held at the Grant Hall Museum at 411 Washington Street, Ingleside, Illinois.

Refreshments will be served.

--CootWay

80th Anniversary of 'Casablanca'-- Part 1: 'You Must Remember This....'

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the famed movie "Casablanca."

From the magazine book"Casablanca:  The Greatest Love Story Ever Told."

These were some famous quotes from the movie:

**  "I'm shocked-- shocked! -- to find that gambling is going on here." --  Captain Louis Renault

**  "With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love."  --Ilsa Lund

**  "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."  --Rick Blaine

** "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."  --Rick Blaine

"A Kiss Is Just A Kiss."  --CooterRick

10 Colonial Punishments That Are No More

From the January14, 2023, ListVerse "10 Colonial Punishments We Thankfully Ended" by Brittney D. Herz.

I am just listing them, to find out more and see a video, go to the site.

10.  Stocks

9.  Flogging

8.  Branding

7.  Ear Cropping

6.  Branks

5.  Ducking

4.  Hanging

3.  Beheading

2.  Burning at the Stake

1.  Drawing and Quartering  

--Cooter

Top Ten TV Theme Songs from the 1950s

From the January 10, 2023, ListVerse by  Sally Morem.

I am just listing them.  For lots of information and a place to click on to hear it, go to the site.

10. The Lone Ranger (1949-1957)

9.  Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1958)  Ohhh, Annette.

8.  Bonanza  (1959-1973)

7.  American Bandstand  (1952-1989)

6.  Peter Gunn  (1958-1961)

5.  Dragnet  (1951-1959)

4.  Rawhide  (1959-1966)   Ahh, the Blues Brothers.

3.  The Twilight Zone  (1959-1964)

2.  I Love Lucy  (1951-1957)    You've got som 'splain' to do.

1.  Perry Mason  (1957-1966)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Who's The Leader Of The Club That's Made For You And Me?"  Answer below.  --  RoadAnza

"Mickey Mouse Club"

The Titanic by the Numbers-- Part 6: Macy's Co-Owner, Molly and Benjamin

Other notables on the Titanic:

Macy's co-owner Isidor Straus and his wife Ida.

Benjamin Guggenheim

Jack Thayer, 17, and heir to a Pennsylvania railroad fortune.

Amount Molly  Brown claimed for lost items:  $27,887

This included 14 hats, some 20 gowns, an opera cape, two Japanese kimonoes, jewelry and more.

--Cooter

The Titanic By the Numbers-- Part 5: Who Was the Richest Passenger to Die That Night?

Number of iceberg warnings received:  6

Miles sailed before sinking:  2,070

Temperature of the water at sinking:  28 degrees

Number of lifeboats the ship was equipped to carry:  64

Number of lifeboats the Titanic actually had:  20

Number of people who died:  1,517

Who was the richest passenger:    John J. Astor

How much was he worth:  $787 million  (about $2.21 billion today)

--Cooter

This Month in the American Revolution: Boston Massacre, 'Liberty or Death', Charleston Siege

From the American Battlefield Trust calendar and timeline.

MARCH 5, 1770

**  Boston Massacre

MARCH 7, 1776

**  British evacuate Boston.

MARCH 23, 1775

**  Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech in Richmond, Virginia.

MARCH 29, 1780

**  Siege of Charleston, South Carolina, begins. 

MARCH 31, 1774

Boston Port Act.  Parliament closes the city's December Tea Party.

--Brock-Perry

The Titanic By the Numbers-- Part 4: Food, Wine Parings & Cigars

Number of courses served during the ship's final first class dinner:   10

Menu choices:  oysters, consomme, poached salmon, filetm mignn, lamb with mint sauce,  punch romaine,  roast squab, cold asparagus,  vinigrette, pate de foie gras, Waldorf pudding.

Wine pairings:  each course had one.

Spirits and cigars:  Offered after dinner

Second Class fare:  Classic French bistro and American  dishes

Third Class:  Typically soup or stew

--Cooter

The Titanic By the Numbers-- Part 3: What Was the Ship Carrying Besides Passengers?

Bottles of Wine:  1,000

Cargo:  Valued at  $420,000  ($11 million today)

Teacups:  3,000

Eggs:  40,000

Grand pianos:  5

Oranges:  36,000

Mail:  3,364 bags   

The RMS in its name referred to it being a Royal Mail Steamer.

--Cooter

The Titanic By the Numbers-- Part 2: How Many First Class Passengers?

Ticketed Pasengers:  1,317

Maximum persons:  3,300

People on board for maiden cruise:  2,200 including 900 crew

First Class: 324

Second Class:  284

Third Class: 709

--Cooter

The Titanic By the Numbers-- Part 1: How Long Did It take It to Sink?

From October 30, 2020, History "Titanic by the numbers: From construction to disaster to discovery" by Lesley Kennedy.

Two Hours and 40 Minutes:  How long it took the "Unsinkable" ship to sink.

Cost to Build:   $7.5 million (then)

Rivets:  3 million

Length of construction:  3 years

Weight:  46,000 tons

Length:  882 feet 8 inches

Workers:  3,000

--Cooter

About That Octagonal Barn in Spring Grove-- Part 3: Save That Old Barn

One wall of the barn is open, but the roof, reinforced in 1986, looks solid.  There is also a beautiful 1957 rainbow truss barn on the property.  Destroyed by fire January 31, 1957, local farmers gathered and raised the current barn in two months.

The Kattners will continue to farm the property through this year.  Pease expects it will take about a year before work begns on the residential lots and at that time the barn will come down unless someone wishes to move it.

He is willing to give it away in order to preserve the octagonal barn.

"I'd love nothing better than to drive five miles away and say, 'Hey, they reconstructed the barn over here'," Pease said.  "We would, at a minimum, sell the timbers so that they would end up in someone's recreation room."

Let's hope the barn is saved and moved.  Perhaps to Horse Fair Park or the Spring Grove Fish Hatchery.

I've talked to local farmers who believe the barn's roof is in way too bad of a shape to save.

--CootBarn

About That Octagonal Barn in Spring Grove-- Part 2

"We want to take the 28 acres south of Main Street where the barn and farm house are located and subdivide it into four 5-acre home sites,"  Pease said.  "None of those buildings there [now] would really be in tune with me leaving one building where homes would go.  I paid too much for the property."

Pease would like to annex the property to the village of Spring Grove, although village Building and Zoning Officer Bob Walczak confirmed that no paperwork has been submitted to date for the property.

Gene Kattner said his family has lived on the property at 801 Main Street since 1921, originally part of a 230-acre farm that focused on raising corn, dairy cows and some beef cattle.  Fifteen years ago, the family sold 115 acres along the Nippersink Creek to the McHenry County Conservation District.

The 1876 octagon barn, which once housed horses on its lower level, purportedly has beams repurposed from Bliven's Mill.  Spring Grove used to be known as Bliven's Mill.

--Cooter

About the Octagonal Barn in Spring Grove That Is Endangered at the Former Fred Hatch Farm

 From the October 1, 2022, Northwest Herald (McHenry County, Illinois) "Only you can ensure local history will be 'barn' again" by Kurt Begalka.

The exterior of the 1876 octagonal horse barn in Spring Grove, Illinois, is not much to look at (despite being octagonal).  However, go inside and look up.  Well, that's a whole different story.  That ceiling appears almost cathedral-like.  

And, it might well be the only remaining octagonal barn in McHenry County.

Jack Pease, president of McHenry-based Super Aggregates Inc., recently bought the remainder of the Fred Hatch Farm (site of the now-demolished first silo in the United States that was designed by Fred Hatch).  This farm was most recently owned by the Kattner family.

I knew one of the Kattners, Ed.

Pease said he intends to mine the estimated 100 acres on the north side of Main Street and develop the current Kattner farmstead to the south (where the barn is located).  That means tear it down, subdivide it into lots.

This land is on Spring Grove's Main Street a short distance east of Wilmot Road.

--Cooter

December 2022 Deaths: Hughes, McGrath, Alley, Noss, Harris and Pele

DOROTHY PITTMAN, HUGHES, 84

**  A pioneering black feminist, child welfare advocate and lifelong community activist who toured the country speaking with Gloria Steinem in the 1970s and appears with her in one of the most iconic photos of the second-wave feminist movement.

Died December 1.

BOB McGRATH, 90

**  Actor, musician and children's author known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on "Sesame Street."

Died December 4.

KIRSTIE ALLEY, 71

Two-time Emmy-winner whose roles on "Cheers" and the "Look Who's Talking" films made her one of the biggest stars in comedy in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Died December 5.

STEPHEN "tWITCH" NOSS, 40

**  Beloved dancing DJ on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and former contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance."

Died December 13.

FRANCO HARRIS. 72

**  Hall of Fame running back who caught the "Immaculate Rcception," considered the most iconic play in NFL history.

Died December 20.

PELE, 82

**  Brazilian king of soccer who won a record three World Cups and became a global sports giant.

Died December 29.

November 2022 Deaths: Clary, Cara and McVie

ROBERT CLARY, 96

**  A French-born survivor of Nazi concentration camps during World War II who played a feisty POW in the improbable 1960s sitcom "Hogan's Heroes.

Died November 16.

IRENE CARA, 63

**  Oscar, Golden Globes and two-time Grammy winning singer-actor who starred and sang the title cut from the 1980 hit movie "Fame" and then belted out the era-defining "Flashdance...What a Feeling" from 1983's "Flashdance."

Died November 25.

CHRISTINE McVIE, 79

**  British-born Fleetwood Mac vocalist, songwriter and keyboard player whose cool, soulful contralto helped define such classics as "You Make Loving Fun," "Everywhere" and "Don't Stop."

Died November 30.

November 2022 Deaths: Takeoff, Chrysostomas and Cook

**  TAKEOFF, 38

A rapper best known for his work with the Grammy-nominated trio Migos.

Died November 1.

**  ARCHBISHOP CHRYSOSTOMAS II, 81

Outspoken leader of Cyprus' Greek Orthodox Church whose forays into the country's complex  politics and finances fired up supporters and detractors alike.

Died November 7.

**  JEFF COOK, 72

Guitarist who co-founded the country group Alabama and steered them up he charts with such hits as "Song of the South" and "Dixieland Delight."  Of course, their "Farewell Tour" took five years.

Died November 8.

One of my all-time favorite country acts that got their start at Myrtle Beach's "Bowery."  We used to go their regularly.  The house band, which Alabama was before they hit it big, was not paid, but relied on tips.

October Deaths in 2022: Carter, Jordan and Lewis

**  ASH CARTER, 68

A former defense secretary whom opened combat jobs to women and ended a ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Died October 24.

**  LESLIE JORDAN, 67

Emmy-winning actor whose very Southern drawl made him a comedy and drama standout in TV series including "Will and Grace" and "American Horror Story.

Died October 24.

**  JERRY LEE LEWIS, 87

Untamable rock 'n' roll pioneer whose outrageous talent, energy and ego collided on such definitive records as "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin'On" and sustained a career otherwise upended by personal scandal.

Died October 28.

Deaths in Oct. 2022: Fuller, Lynn, Lansbury and Coltrane

CHARLES FULLER, 83

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of the searing and acclaimed "A Soldier's Play" who often explored and exposed how social institutions can perpetuate racism.  

Died October 3.

LORETTA LYNN, 90

The Kentucky coalminer's daughter whose frank songs about life and love as a woman in Appalachia pulled her out of poverty and made her a pillar of country music.  

Died October 4.

ANGELA LANSBURY, 96

British actor who kicked her heels in the Broadway musicals "Mame" and "Gypsy" and solved endless murders as crime novelist Jessica Fletcher in the TV series "Murder, She Wrote."  

Died October 11.

ROBBIE COLTRANE, 72

Comedian and character actor whose hundreds of roles included a crime-solving psychologist on the TV series :Cracker and the gentle half-giant Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" movies.

Died October 14.

What?  No More Hagrid?

Deaths in Sept. 2022: Starr, Fletcher and Coolio

KEN STARR, 76

A former federal appellate judge and a prominent attorney whose criminal investigation of Bill Clinton led to the president's impeachment and put Starr  in the center of one of the country's most polarizing debates in the 1990s.  Died September 13.

LOUISE FLETCHER. 88

A late-blooming star whose riveting performance as Nurse Ratched in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" set a new standard for screen villains and won her an Academy Award.  Died September 23.

I always felt she was just doing her job and trying to deal with Jack Nicholson.

COOLIO, 59

The rapper was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Fantastic Voyage."   Died September 28.

I really liked those two songs and I am not a rap fan.

This Month in the American Revolution: France Becomes Ally, Treaty of Paris Ends French and Indian War

From the American Battlefield Trust.

FEBRUARY 6, 1778

**  The United  States and France become allies.

FEBRUARY 10, 1763

**  The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War.  The English drive the French from North America and the English national debt soars.  This led to the unpopular taxes in the colonies.

FEBRUARY 11, 1768

**  The Massachusetts Assembly  issues the Massachusetts Circular Letter, denouncing the Townsend Acts.

FEBRUARY 14, 1779

**  Battle of Turtle Creek, Georgia.

FEBRUARY 27, 1776

**  The Battle of  Moore's Creek, North Carolina.

--Cooter

Deaths in Sept. 2022: Ehrenreich, Shaw, Lewis and Godard

BARBARA EHRENREICH, 81

Author, activist and self-described "myth buster" who is notable works as "Nickel and Dimed" and "Bait and Switch" challenged conventional thinking about class, religion and the very idea of an American Dream.  Died September 1.

BERNARD SHAW, 82

CNN's chief anchor for two decades and a pioneering black broadcast journalist best remembered for calmly reporting the beginning of the Gulf War in 1991 as missiles flew around him in Baghdad.  Died September 7.

I sure remember watching him report the war while at a bowling alley.

RAMSEY LEWIS, 87

A renowned jazz pianist whose music entertained fans over a more-than 60-year career that began with the Ramsey Lewis Trio and made him one of the country's most successful jazz musicians.  Died September 12.

JEAN-LUC GODARD, 91

The iconic "enfant terrible" of the French New Wave who revolutionized popular cinema in 1960 with his first feature "Breathless," and stood for years among the film world's most influential directors.  Died September 13.

Deaths in August 2022-- Part 9: Scully, Newton-John, Dozier, Heche and Gorbachev

AUGUST

VIN SCULLY, 94

**  A Hall of Fame broadcaster who called thousands of games involving the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers during his 67 years in the booth.  Died August 2.

OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, 73

**  Grammy-winning superstar who reigned on pop, country, adult contemporary and dance charts with such hits as "Physical" and "You're the One That I Want" and won countless hearts as everyone's favorite Sandy in the blockbuster film version of "Grease."  Died August 8.

Next to Linda Ronstadt, my second female singer heart throb.

LAMONT DOZIER, 81

**  He was the middle name of the celebrated Holland-Dozier-Holland team that wrote or produced "You Can't Hurry Love,"  "Heat Wave" and dozens of other hits, making Motown an essential record company of the 1960s and beyond.  Died August 8.

I'm a huge Motown fan.

ANNE HECHE, 53

**  Emmy-winning film and television actor whose dramatic Hollywood rise in the 1990s and accomplished career contrasted with chapters of personal turmoil.  Died August14.

MIKHAIL GORBACHEV, 91 

**  As the last leader of the Soviet Union, he set out to revitalize it but ended up unleashing forces that led to the collapse of communism, the breakup of the state and the end of the Cold War,  Died August 30.

I wish he was the Russian leader now and not the current person.

Deaths in July 2022-- Part 8: Abe, Sirico, Sorvino, Trimble, Dow, Nichols and Russell

SHINZO ABE, 67

**  Japan's longest-serving prime mnister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing complex politician in recent Japanese history.  Died July8.

TONY SIRICO, 79

**  He played mobster Paulie Walnuts in "The Sopranos" and brought his tough-guy swagger to films including "Goodfellas."  Died July 8.

PAUL SORVINO, 83

**  An imposing actor who specialized in playing crooks and cops like Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas" and NYPD Sgt. Phil Cerreta on "Law and Order."  Died July 25.

DAVID TRIMBLE, 77

A former Northern Ireland first minister who won the Nobel Peace Prize for playing a key role in helping end Northern Ireland's decades of violence.  Died July 25.

TONY DOW, 77

**  As Wally Cleaver on the sitcom "Leave It to Beaver," he helped create the popular and lasting image of the American teenager of the 1950s and '60s.  Died July 27.

I still like to watch those reruns.  And, then there was good old Eddie Haskell.

NICHELLE NICHOLS, 89

**  She broke barriers for black women in Hollywood as communiations officer Lt. Uhura on the original "Star Trek" TV series.  Diedd July 30.

Huge "Star Trek" fan.  I remember when I was a freshman at NIU and my roommate had a little 13-inch black and white TV and every day after dinner, about ten guys would crowd in the room to watch reruns of the show.

BILL RUSSELL, 88

**  NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years-- the last two as the first black head coach in any major U.S. sport -- and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr.  Died July 31.

So, the movie "Goodfellas" lost three people within three months last summer.  And, then there was that other Sonny guy in "The Godfather" who died.  Not a good year to be a movie actor who played a mobster.

Deaths in June-July 2022-- Part 7: Siragusa, Williams, Freeman and Caan

JUNE

TONY SIRAGUSA, 55

**  Charismatic defensive tackle who was part of one of the most celebrated defenses in the NFL history with the Baltimore Ravens.  Died June 22

HERSCHEL "WOODY" WILLIAMS, 98

**  The last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from World War II, whose heroics under fire over several crucial hours of the Battle of Iwo Jima made him a legend in his native West Virginia.  Died June 29.

The Greatest Generation.

*********************************

JULY

BRADFORD FREEMAN, 97

**  Last survivor of the famed American Army unit featured in the oral history book and miniseries "Band of Brothers."  Died July3.

The Greatest Generation.

JAMES CAAN, 82

**  The curly-haired tough guy known to movie fans as Sonny Corleone of "The Godfather" and to TV audiences as both the dying football player in "Brian's Song" and the casino boss in "Las Vegas."  Died July 8.

His death in "The Godfather" was a real bloody mess.

Deaths in May 2022-- Part 6: Mineta, Gilley, Lanier, Akleh and Liotta

NORMAN MINETA, 90

**  He broke racial barriers for Asian Americans serving in high profile government posts who ordered commercial flights grounded after the 9/11 terror attacks as the Federal Transportation Secretary.  Died May 3.

MICKEY GILLEY, 86

**  Country singer whose namesake Texas honky-tonk inspired the 1980 film "Urban Cowboy" and a nationwide wave of Western-themed night spots.  Died May 7.  No Bull!!

What great music.  But, I never got on one of those mechanical bulls.  My back is still okay.

BOB LANIER, 73

**  The left-habded big man who muscled up beside the likes of Kareen Abdul-Jabbar as one of the NBA's top players of the seventies.  Died May 10.

SHIREEN ABU AKLEH, 51

**  A correspondent who became a household name synonymous with with Al Jazeera's coverage of life under occupation during her more than two decades reporting in the Palestinian territories.  Died May 11.

RAY LIOTTA, 67

**  Actor best-known for playing mobster Henry Hill in "Goodfellas" and baseball player "Shoeless " Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams."  Died May 26.

"Do I Amuse You?"  

Influential Figures We Lost in April 2022-- Part 5: Harris, Gottfried, Hatch, Mower and Judd

APRIL

ESTELLE HARRIS, 93

**  She hollered her way into TV history as George Costanza's short-fused ,other on "Seinfeld" and voiced Mrs. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" franchise.  Died April 2.

Serenity Now!!

GILBERT GOTTFRIED, 67

**  Actor and legendary standup comic known for his scorched voice and crude jokes.  Died April 12.

ORRIN HATCH, 88

**  The longest-serving Republican senator in history who was a fixture in Utah politics for more than four decades.  Died April 23.

DR. MORTON MOWER, 89

**  A former Maryland-based cardiologist who helped invent and automatic implantable defibrillator that helped countless heart patients live longer and healthier.  Died April 25.

NAOMI JUDD, 76

**   Her family harmonies with daughter Wynonna turned them into the Grammy-winning country stars, the Judds.  Died April 30.

Loved their songs.

Influential Figures Lost in March 2022-- Part 4: Delgado, Gurt, Cavazos, Young and Albright

MARCH

EMILIO DELGADO, 81

**  Actor and singer who for 45 years was a warm and familiar presence in children's lives and a rare Latino face on American TV as fix-it shop owner Luis on "Sesame Street.  Died March 10.

WILLIAM HURT, 71

**  His laconic charisma and self-assured subtlety as an actor made him one of 1980s leading men in movies such as "Broadcast News," "Body Heat" and "The Big Chill."  Died March 13.

LAURO CAVAZOS, 95

A Texas ranch foreman's son who rose to become the first Latino to serve in a presidential cabinet as US Secretary of Education during the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.  Died March 15.

DON YOUNG, 88

**  The Alaska congressman was the longest-serving Republican in the history of the US House.  Died March 18.

MADELINE ALBRIGHT, 84

**  A child refugee from Nazi and then Soviet-dominated Eastern Europe who rose to become the first female Secretary of State and a mentor to many current and former American statesmen and women.  Died March 23.

Influential Figures Lost in 2022-- Part 3: Montagnier, Davis, Reitman, O'Rourke

FEBRUARY 

LUC MONTAGNIER, 89

**  A French researcher who won a  Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering HIV and more recently spread false claims about the coronavirus.  Died February 8

BETTY DAVIS, 77

**  A bold and pioneering funk singer, model and songwriter of 1960s and 1970s who was credited with inspiring then-husband Miles Davis' landmak fushion of jazz and more contemporary sounds.  Died February 9.

IVAN REITMAN, 75

**  Influential filmmaker and producer behind many of the most beloved comedies of the late 20th century from "Animal House" to "Ghostbusters."  Died February 12.  Also "Stripes" and "Meatballs."  Some of my all-time favorite movies.

P.J. O'ROURKE, 74

**   Prolific author and satirist who refashioned the irreverance and "gonzo" journalism of the 1960s counterculture into a distinctive brand of conservative and libertarian commentary.  Died Fenruary 15.  

I really enjoyed reading his articles in the Rolling Stone.

Influential Figures Lost in 2022-- Part 2: Spector, Talley, Meat Loaf, Bryan and Mangeshkar

RONNIE SPECTOR, 78

**  Sang such 1960s hits as "Be My Baby,"  "Baby I Love You" and "Walking in the Rain" as the leader of the girl group Ronettes.  Died January 12.

ANDRE LEON TALLEY, 73

**  A towering and highly visible figure of then fashion world who made history as a rare black editor in an overwhelmingly white industry.  Died January 18.

MEAT LOAF, 74

**  Rock superstar, loved by millions for his "Bat Out of Hell" album and for such theatrical, dark-hearted anthems as "Paradise By the Dashboard Light," "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" and "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)."  Died January 20.

I'll never forget singing this song with a bartender down on Bourbon Street.

**********************************

FEBRUARY

ASHLEY BRYAN, 98

**  A prolific and prize-winning children's author and illustrator who told scores of stories of black life, culture and folklore on such acclaimed works as "Freedom Over Me" and "Beautiful Blackbird."   Died February 4.

LATA MANGESHKAR, 92

**  A legendary Indian singer with a prolific, ground-breaking catalog and a voice recognized by more than a billion people on South Asia.  Died February 6.

--RoadDog

Influential Figures Lost in 2022: Poitier, Saget, Hickman and Bellecourt

From the January 1, 2023, Chicago Tribune by Bernard McGhee, AP.

JANUARY

SIDNEY POITIER, 94

**  Transformed how black people were portrayed on screen.  First black actor to win an Oscar for best lead performance. Died January 6.

To Sir.

BOB SAGET, 65

Actor.comedian known for his role on the sitcom "Full House" and wisecracking host of "America's Funniest Home Movies."  Died January 9.

DWAYNE HICKMAN, 87

Actor remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis.  Died January 9.

And that beatnik friend of his.

CLYDE BELLECOURT, 85

A leader of Native American struggle for civil rights.  Died January 11.

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 4: 'Knock On Wood'

These are some of the music industry people we lost last year.

KNOCK ON WOOD--  Eddie Floyd   (Jim Stewart co-owner of Stax records and the "ST" part of the name)

SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Fleetwood Mac   (Christine McVie)

GOING FOR THE ONE--  Yes  (Alan White, drummer)

A WHITER SHADE OF PALE--  Procul Harum  (Gary Brooker, founder, leader, vocalist and  pianist)

WHAT A WONDERFUL THING--  Fabulous Rhinestones   (Cal David, guitar)

I'LL BE AROUND--  Spinners  (Thom Bell, producer)

FULL MOON TURN MY HEAD AROUND--  Off Broadway   (Cliff Johnson, leader)

Always sad to lose these people with all the enjoyment they brought us.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "This Is Our Fork In The Road.  Love's Last Episode."   Answer below.   --Cooter

"I'll Be Around"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 3: 'Court of the Crimson King'

Musicians we lost last year.

CHINA GROVE--  Doobie Brothers   (John Hartman, drums)

PEGGY SUE--  Buddy Holly   (Jerry Allison, drummer)

HAIR OF THE DOG--  Nazareth   (Manny Charlton, lead guitarist and Dan McCafferty, vocalist)

SPINNING WHEEL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears   (Dick Halligan, keyboards)

PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT--  Meatloaf

THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING--  King Crimson  (Ian McDonald, founding member of the group and also of Foreigner.)

KEEP ON PUSHIN'--  REO Speedwagon   (Gregg Philbin, bass, backing vocals)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When The Sun Comes Up On A Sleepy Little Town Down Around San Antone."  --Answer below.  --Cooter

"China Grove"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 2: 'She's a Beauty'

Musicians we lost last year.

GLORIA--  Shadows of Knight   (Jim Sohns, leader and singer)

WOODSTOCK--  CSN&Y   (Michael Lang, producer of the celebration)

GOOD LOVIN'--  Young Rascals    (Dino Danelli, drummer)

JIM DANDY--  Black Oak Arkansas  (Harvey Jett, guitarist)

WALK DON'T RUN '64--  Ventures  (Don Wilson, guitarist)

SO INTO YOU--  Atlanta Rhythm Section   (Barry Bailey, guitar)

SHE'S A BEAUTY--  Tubes   (Rick Styles, bassist)

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER--  Al Green  (Howard Grimes, drummer)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'd Like To Tell You 'Bout My Baby You Know She Comes Around.  Just 'Bout  Five-Feet Four."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Gloria"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten' 2022-- Part 1: 'Diamond Girl'

Every new year, Bob Stroud takes a last look at the musicians that we lost in the previous year on his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  He did this on January 8, 2023, this year.

Here are the songs he played and names of the people  who died.

BE MY BABY--  Ronettes  (Ronnie Spector)

TELL MAMA--  Savoy Brown  (Kim Simmonds)

DIAMOND GIRL--  Seals & Crofts   (Jim Seals)

STRANGE WAY--  Firefall   (David Muse)

FOUR STRONG WINDS--  Neil Young  (Ian Tyson, songwriter)

OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night  (Richard Podolor, producer)

REACH OUT IN THE DARKNESS--  Friend and Lover   (Jim Post)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Think It's So Groovy Now That People Are Finally Getting Together."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Reach Out In the Darkness"

Chicago's 'Pioneer' Locomotive

From same source as last post.

1923, 100 years ago.

"The locomotive that spearheaded  the growth of Chicago from a swampy village of 4,000  inhabitants to the transportation crossroads of the world  is being groomed to ride the rails again.

"The engine, the Pioneer, has been moved to the shops of the  Chicago and North Western railway system where it is being reconditioned for a key role in the railway's centennial celebration this year."

And, this locomotive still exists today at the Chicago History Museum.

Now There's a Bit of Chicago History.  Right Frank?  --GreGen

DeKalb's Radio Station WLBK, 100 Years Ago

Same source as the last two posts.

1923, 100 years ago.

"Know  Your DeKalb Today presents 'Station WLBK, the Friendly Voice of Northern Illinois.' 

"That's the salutation and signoff for DeKalb's newest medium of entertainment, education and information.  It's a month old now, having first gone on the air December 8, and the novelty has somewhat worn off.

"It is beginning to get that comfortable, settled feeling of 'belonging,' of being a part of DeKalb."

It is still around.  WLBK, AM 1360 and FM 98.9.

--GreGen

The DeKalb Theatre

From the January 10, 2023, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1923, 100 Years Ago.

"Work on the DeKalb theatre, DeKalb's newest playhouse, is progressing rapidly now and many people stop to give the beautiful front a careful  inspection.

"Today, much additional equipment for the place arrived, as three large loads of  steam radiators were lined up in front of the place for an hour or more.

"The furniture is purchased and will be shipped as soon the order comes from the manager.  Plans are about completed for opening the new playhouse  about May 1."

And, it still stands.  The famed Egyptian Theater also is in DeKalb.

--Cooter

Twelve Discontinued Beers That We Will Miss-- Part 2

These were the discontinued beers that I did not know:

8.  Midnight Sun M

9  Pretty Things Jack  D'or

10.  Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic

11.  Goose Island King Henry

12.  Icehouse Edge

--Nope, Not Me.  --CootSober

Twelve Discontinued Beers That Sadly You'll Never See Again-- Part 1: Good Ol' Falstaff

From December 7, 2022, Eat This, Not That!  by Tanya Adwards.

If you like beer like me, you'll find this of interest.  Fortunately, I had not ever heard of or had most of them.  I will start by listing the ones with which I  was familiar.

1.  Bud Dry--  Heard of it, but never tried it.  I'm not a big Bud fan, especially of Bud Light.

2.  Miller High Life Light--   Tried it, but no Miller High Life product out of a can hits it with me.  It's got to be in a Blonde or nothing.

3.  Pete's Wicked Ale--  Heard of it but never tried it.  Unfortunately craft beers are expensive and I tend to be a cheap beer drinker.

4.  Falstaff--  A favorite of mine--  and CHEAP!!!

5.  Meister Brau--  A Chicago beer bought by Miller and phased out.  Of interest, Meister Brau was one of the first breweries to feature a light beer, Meister Brau Lite.  This is where Miller Lite comes from, my favorite beer.

6.  Milwaukee's Best--   This became a favorite beer of college students because it was CHEAP.  Back in the 1970s at NIU in the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, we drank Old Milwaukee for the same reason.  A six pack of Old Milwaukee went for 99 cents.  A six pack of Coca-Cola went for a $1.49.  As such, we were FORCED to drink beer.

7.  Red, White & Blue Lager--  Again, it was CHEAP!

**  Anybody remember Pickett Beer from Dubuque, Iowa.  I used to buy their beer for $5 a case!!  And, it was good.

Little Old Cheap Beer Drinker Me.  --CootDrunk

Remembering Ed Asner-- Part 5: 'Up'

The Voice of Carl Fredericksen in "Up"

Ed Asner voiced the cranky Carl Fredericksen -- a widower who tries hoisting his house into the air with exactly 20,622 helium balloons -- in Pixar's Oscar-winning 2009 tearjerker "Up."

"Instead of a Clint Eastwood-type senior citizen who is fitter than people half his age, 'Up' gives us a man who uses a walker and can't handle stairs but still manages to be heroic when it counts," wrote former Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan.  

"And 'Up's' multiminute montage of the long married life of Carl and his wife Ellie, is a small gem that will stay with you for a lifetime."

The animation studio tweeted that Asner was "our real life Carl Fredericksen: a vaneer of grouch over an incredibly loving and kind human being."

--Cooter

Remembering Ed Asner-- Part 4: 'Rich Man, Poor Man,' 'Roots,' 'Elf' and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'

He also played Axel Jordache in the 1976 "Rich Man, Poor Man" TV miniseries.  He played the role of the clan's tyrannical, German-born patriach.

Then came the role of Captain Thomas Davies in "ROOTS."  Here he played the morally conflicted Captain Davies who commanded the slave ship that brought LeVar Burton's Kunta Kinte to America.  He earned another Emmy for the three nights he was on that show.

SANTA CLAUS in "ELF"

He played Santa Claus in the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy.  It was a relatively small role, but a climatic one where he was marooned in New York's Central Park by a lack of Christmas spirit with Buddy the Elf aiding him.

MR. WEINER in "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

In a 2001 episode.

--CootAs

This Date in the American Revolution: Battles of Trenton, Princeton and Cowpens, Thomas Paine

From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

JANUARY  2, 1777

**  Second Battle of Trenton, New Jersey.

JANUARY 3, 1777

**  Battle of Princeton, New Jersey

JANUARY10, 1776

**  Thomas Paine anonymously publishes"Common Sense."

JANUARY 17, 1781

**  Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina

--Cooter

Preservation at the Battle of Princeton

From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.

PRINCETON BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK

The Battle of Princeton concluded the ten-day campaign that began with George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River in Christmas Day 1776.

His counterattack at Princeton -- a ferocious charge across Maxwell's Field -- secured his first victory over British regulars in the field.

The Trust has saved 24 acres at Princeton, including 15 acres at Washington's charge site.  With a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program and support from local and state partners, the Trust is ready to reinvigorate Princeton's on-site interpretation.

--Cooter 

Remembering Ed Asner-- Part 3: He Is Best Remembered As Lou

LOU GRANT IN "MARY TYLER MOORE" and "LOU GRANT"

Ed Asner's most iconic role was that of veteran newsman Lou Grant -- a character who originated as the blustery but lovable, spunk-hating news director of the 1970 sitcom "The Mary Tyler Moore Show."

The "everyman" role earned Asner three Comedy Emmys and led to the hour-long dramatic series "Lou Grant," which ran on CBS from 1977 to 1982.  Asner's portrayal of the hard-nosed city editor of the Los Angeles Tribune earned him two Emmys for playing the same character in both a comedy and a drama.

"He radiates warmth, generosity and caring, someone who who reflects a toughness over a mound of Jell-O, a nice degree of intelligence but a working intelligence as opposed to an arrogant one," he said about his character in 1977.

One of my all-time favorite scenes was the one already alluded to earlier.  His interview with Mary Tyler Moore in the first episode of the sitcom had him looking at her and saying, "You know, you've got spunk."Then Mary took it as a complimet until he added, "I hate spunk."  Now, that was just too funny and the way her face changed was, well, just too funny.

--SpunkyCoot

Remembering Ed Asner-- Part 2: To the Big Screen

BART JASON in "El Dorado"

Ed Asner made his big-screen debut in 1962's "Kid Galahad," one of two films he made with Elvis Presley.  Both were minor roles. 

But he made the "big league" as he called it, when he was cast in Howard Hawk's' 1966 John Wayne film "El Dorado" -- and it was, because the movie was also a critical success.  The movie featured John Wayne as a gunslinger, Robert Mitchum as a sheriff and Asmer as Wayne's rival, the wealthy landowner Bart Jason.

This established Asner for more and bigger roles.

Thanks John.  --CootNer

Remembering Ed Asner-- Part 1: A Varied and Long Career

From the September 3, 2021, Chicago Tribune "Remember Asner by revisiting his must-see roles" by Nardine Saad, L.A. Times.

With a storied six-decade career, the late Ed Asner packed his repertoire with dozens of beloved characters and many, many cameos and guest appearances.  

Of course, most of us always remember him for playing Lou Grant on the show of that name and the "Mary Tyler Moore Show."  But he also had a string of Broadway credits and began his TV career in anthology series like "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Route 66" then "Thunder Alley" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

He was a seven-time Emmy Award winner and died recently at age 91 and worked until near the end.

--CootNer