Welcome to BlogHub: the Best in Veteran and Emerging Classic Movie Blogs
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You can rate and share your favorite classic movie posts here.
"The Andy Griffith Show" and How It Grew
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Mar 2, 2018
“The Andy Griffith Show” is Griffith’s best work — certainly his most personal. It was never out of TV’s Top 10 programs for its entire eight-season run, and it inspired a spinoff series, a TV movies and several reunion specials. Fifty years after it left the air, the r read more
James Cagney's Final Act(ing)
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 23, 2018
After a thirty-year Hollywood career, James Cagney made what he thought would be his final film in 1961 -- a comedy directed by Billy Wilder called "One Two Three." Cagney then retired, spending his time between two farms he owned -- one on Martha's Vineyard and one in upstate New York. But Cagney g read more
James Cagney's Final Act(ing)
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 23, 2018
After a thirty-year Hollywood career, James Cagney made what he thought would be his final film in 1961 -- a comedy directed by Billy Wilder called "One Two Three." Cagney then retired, spending his time between two farms he owned -- one on Martha's Vineyard and one in upstate New York. But Cagney g read more
The Variety Show Skirmishes of 1963
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 16, 2018
In the fall of 1963, the big TV news was that three bonafide movie stars were going to host weekly variety shows — Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis and Danny Kaye. By the end of the season, only one of them would still be on the air — the other flamed out spectacularly and the third, after bein read more
The Variety Show Skirmishes of 1963
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 16, 2018
In the fall of 1963, the big TV news was that three bonafide movie stars were going to host weekly variety shows — Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis and Danny Kaye. By the end of the season, only one of them would still be on the air — the other flamed out spectacularly and the third, after bein read more
1952: The 60-Second Election
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 9, 2018
In 1952, Republican Dwight Eisenhower squared off against Democrat Adlai Stevenson in the presidential election. Eisenhower, who had been commander of allied forces in Europe during World War II, was enormously popular but not much of a public speaker. So a combination of talents from America’ read more
1952: The 60-Second Election
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 9, 2018
In 1952, Republican Dwight Eisenhower squared off against Democrat Adlai Stevenson in the presidential election. Eisenhower, who had been commander of allied forces in Europe during World War II, was enormously popular but not much of a public speaker. So a combination of talents from America’ read more
The Jack Benny-Johnny Carson Connection
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 2, 2018
In 1949, Jack Benny took advantage of new capital gains laws and moved his popular program from NBC to CBS, an immense boost to that network in ratings and prestige. At about the same time, a senior at the University of Nebraska named Johnny Carson was putting together his thesis, “How to Writ read more
The Jack Benny-Johnny Carson Connection
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Feb 2, 2018
In 1949, Jack Benny took advantage of new capital gains laws and moved his popular program from NBC to CBS, an immense boost to that network in ratings and prestige. At about the same time, a senior at the University of Nebraska named Johnny Carson was putting together his thesis, “How to Writ read more
The Quiz Show Scandals: "Twenty-One"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Dec 1, 2017
We end our two-part look at the quiz show scandals with the most infamous example of all -- the NBC program "Twenty-One." Contestants on the show were deliberately given answers to questions, directed to lose games and were even coached on how, for maximum dramatic effect, to hesitate when answering read more
The Quiz Show Scandals: "Twenty-One"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Dec 1, 2017
We end our two-part look at the quiz show scandals with the most infamous example of all -- the NBC program "Twenty-One." Contestants on the show were deliberately given answers to questions, directed to lose games and were even coached on how, for maximum dramatic effect, to hesitate when answering read more
The Quiz Show Scandals: "The $64,000 Question"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Nov 24, 2017
We end our podcast's first season with a two-part look at the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. Part two drops next week.
During the summer of 1955, a new TV show kept people in front of their sets on hot Tuesday nights. “The $64,000 Question” was a big-money quiz show that made its cont read more
The Quiz Show Scandals: "The $64,000 Question"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Nov 24, 2017
We end our podcast's first season with a two-part look at the quiz show scandals of the 1950s. Part two drops next week.
During the summer of 1955, a new TV show kept people in front of their sets on hot Tuesday nights. “The $64,000 Question” was a big-money quiz show that made its cont read more
In Godfrey We Trust
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Oct 13, 2017
In the late 1940s and early '50s the biggest moneymaker on CBS radio and television was Arthur Godfrey -- at one point he reportedly brought in 12 percent of the network's income. He had an unpretentious style of communicating with his audience, and a smooth manner of selling products that sponsors read more
In Godfrey We Trust
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Oct 13, 2017
In the late 1940s and early '50s the biggest moneymaker on CBS radio and television was Arthur Godfrey -- at one point he reportedly brought in 12 percent of the network's income. He had an unpretentious style of communicating with his audience, and a smooth manner of selling products that sponsors read more
The Rise and Fall of "Dragnet"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Oct 6, 2017
In the summer of 1949, "Dragnet" premiered on NBC radio. It was a show that sounded like no other thanks to creator-star Jack Webb's obsession with authenticity. "Dragnet" then moved to TV and ran for most of the 1950s. Its theme song and opening disclaimer -- "The story you are about to see is true read more
The Rise and Fall of "Dragnet"
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Oct 6, 2017
In the summer of 1949, "Dragnet" premiered on NBC radio. It was a show that sounded like no other thanks to creator-star Jack Webb's obsession with authenticity. "Dragnet" then moved to TV and ran for most of the 1950s. Its theme song and opening disclaimer -- "The story you are about to see is true read more
When Maude Findlay Had an Abortion
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Sep 29, 2017
In the fall of 1972, the first spinoff from "All in the Family" premiered. It was "Maude," with Beatrice Arthur as Edith Bunker's liberal cousin. And right out of the gate, "Maude" took on controversial topics like psychotherapy, black militancy and modern morality. Then on November 14, in the ninth read more
When Maude Findlay Had an Abortion
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Sep 29, 2017
In the fall of 1972, the first spinoff from "All in the Family" premiered. It was "Maude," with Beatrice Arthur as Edith Bunker's liberal cousin. And right out of the gate, "Maude" took on controversial topics like psychotherapy, black militancy and modern morality. Then on November 14, in the ninth read more
Ed Sullivan, American Gatekeeper
The Man on the Flying Trapeze Posted by David on Sep 22, 2017
In 1948, Ed Sullivan began hosting a weekly variety series on CBS-TV. His background as a newspaper columnist served him well — he had an unerring instinct for what people wanted to see, and he used his unique power to become an influential American gatekeeper for most of the 1950s and ’ read more