Special Holidays
National Frankenstein Friday The last Friday in October is National Frankenstein Friday where we recognize author Mary Shelly’s novel “Frankenstein” and its characters…the Doctor and the Monster (just in time for Halloween). Frankenstein’s monster is one of the best known horror characters of all time.
How to honor this brute? Watch a Frankenstein movie or read the original book. Draw your version of Frankenstein’s Monster or write a poem about him.
Did you know?
*The 1931 film starring Boris Karloff as the “monster” was directed by James Whale who also directed “The Old Dark House”, “The Invisible Man” and the “Bride of Frankenstein” and even a musical “Showboat” in 1936.
*The quote “It’s alive, it’s alive” came in at No.49 on the AFI’s list of 100 of the greatest movie quotes, it was between “Well, nobody’s perfect” (Some Like it Hot) and “Houston we have a problem” (Apollo 13)
*After several filming “takes” of little girl Maria (actress Marilyn Harris) being thrown into the lake by Karloff, Whale promised her anything she wanted if she could please do one more “take”. She requested a dozen hard boiled eggs (her favorite snack)…she got two dozen.
National Oatmeal Day
Hearts get healthy on National Oatmeal Day! A warm bowl of oatmeal starts a day off right.
Add spices, or fruit, brown sugar or cinnamon, some use pepper and salt! There’s Steel cut oats, rolled oats or instant and quick oats. You can choose those that you cook for a really long time or the kind that cooks for just one minute.
A bowl of oatmeal daily can lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease as well reduce your risk of cancer. It’s low in fat, low in calories and good source of iron and fiber.
Oats can be mixed in ground beef to make meatloaf, they can be made into cookies, granola, muffins, pancakes, or bread. And think of all the things that you can make out of the oatmeal cardboard containers!!
The Quaker Man is one of the oldest advertising mascots in America as he was registered as the first trademark for a breakfast cereal in 1877.
World Lemur Day
A salute to all Lemurs!! What is a Lemur? A Lemur is a primate with 100 existing species and native only to the island of Madagascar. They have a pointed snout, large eyes and a long tail. They live in trees and are nocturnal. They eat a wide variety of fruits and leaves. Many lemur species are endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
Did you know?
*The smallest Lemur is the ‘Mouse Lemur’. It’s head and body are less than two and a half inches long, it’s tail is twice the size. The largest is the ‘Indri Lemur’ known to grow as tall as 3 feet and weigh as much as 10 pounds.
*Lemurs are considered the “creators of the forests” through the movement of seeds. They can get seeds stuck on their fur as they search for fruits and nectar then they pass this pollen and seeds on to other flowers, as well as pass through their digestive system.
*Lemurs are the oldest living primates, they roamed Africa along with the dinosaurs. It is believed they floated across the Indian Ocean to the Island of Madagascar on floating vegetation.
*Protecting lemurs not only benefits them but also the Malagasy people. Conservationists believe that ecotourism boosts the economy. They say visitors do not visit empty forests!! That shows local people that lemurs are more valuable alive, in hopes that they will protect them
Lemurs are fascinating creatures, unique in many ways. But they are at risk and have an uncertain future. So do what you can to praise these amazing souls and support those that can defend them.
FYI….on the Animal Planet Channel …there are entertaining shows to watch that highlight all kinds of animals in various zoos in New York, Great Britain, Ohio and Australia.
They dive into the hard work and heartwarming moments of daily life at these zoos and you come to appreciate how important those establishments are. These programs follow stories on individual animals, which at times even includes Lemurs. The workers know all of these animals and birds by name! The hippopotamus to puffins, flamingos to lizards, Rhinos to penguins, elephants to wombats! Take a look at: “The Zoo”, “The Secret Life of the Zoo” and even “Crikey! It’s the Irwins”
Birthdays
Richard Dreyfuss…Oct. 29, 1947
Richard is an American actor known for starring in popular films in the 70’s through the 90’s.
Richard was born in Brooklyn, New York into a Jewish family, he was the son of an attorney, restaurateur and plastics company owner. His Mother was a peace activist.
His Father suffered from physical effects of a mortar explosion in WWII which required the use of crutches and canes for the rest of his life. He left the family when Richard was 21 years old. His Mother was a peace activist.
He attended Beverly Hills High School and began acting in his youth at Temple Emmanuel of Beverly Hills Art Center. He debuted in television when he was 15. After college he acted in small parts in “Gidget”, “Gunsmoke”, “Bewitched” and “The Big Valley” as well as stage productions.
His first major film role was a small appearance in “The Graduate”. He then landed a role in “American Graffiti” with Harrison Ford and Ron Howard. Two very successful films followed, “Jaws” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”.
Dreyfuss began using cocaine frequently around 1978 and was arrested for possession of the drug after he blacked out while driving and struck a tree. He entered rehabilitation and made a miraculous comeback.
Over the years Richard made over 70 films. He was nominated for two AA awards for Best Actor and won one for “The Goodbye Girl”. He created The Dreyfus Civics Initiative with the mission to revitalize and enhance the teaching of Civics in American public education.
Short list of Richard Dreyfuss films
American Graffiti…1973, director George Lucas, starred Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, film nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture
Jaws…1975, director Steven Spielberg, starred Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, film nominated for four AA awards and won three (Best Sound, Best Film Editing and Best Music
Close Encounters of the Third Kind…1977, director Steven Spielberg, starred Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut, film nominated for nine AA awards and won two (Best Cinematography and Special Achievement Award)
The Goodbye Girl…1977, director Herbert Ross, starred Marsha Mason, film nominated for five Oscars and won one (Best Actor- Dreyfus)
Stand By Me…1986, director Rob Reiner, starred River Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland, film nominated for one AA award
W.…2008, director Oliver Stone, (Richard played Dick Cheney)…also starred Josh Brolin, Scott Glenn and Ellen Burstyn
Winona Ryder…Oct.29, 1971
Winona Laura Horowitz was born in Winona, Minnesota. She was named after her hometown. Her mother is an author, video producer and editor and her father is an author, publisher and antiquarian bookseller. He also worked as an archivist for psychologist and writer Timothy Leary. Her father is from a Jewish family, most of the family on his side died in the Holocaust.
Ryder’s family friends were (her godfather) Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg and Philip K. Dick. When she was 7 her family relocated to Rainbow, a commune in California where they lived with seven other families on a 300 acre plot of land. They had no electricity or tv sets. When she was 10 the family moved to Petaluma.
Ryder enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco where she took acting lessons. She got small parts in a few films but was in a major big hit Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” in 1988. It was a huge success and with positive reviews. Another successful Burton film followed in 1990 “Edward Scissorhands”.
Winona Ryder starred in over 44 films and remains a major star in the Netflix science fiction supernatural drama “Stranger Things” as Joyce Byers. The character Joyce is the divorced Mother of Will and Jonathan Byers and spent much of her time trying to connect with Will who disappeared in the ‘Upside Down’. Winona has been nominated two times for an AA award and also nominated for four Saturn Awards for Best Actress.
Did you know?
*Winona was convicted in 2001 of grand theft and vandalism as she stole over $5,000 worth of goods from Sax Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.
*Ryder has a fear of water, (aqua phobia) as she almost drowned when young.
*She used to babysit singer Tom Waits children and together wound up starring in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.”
*Winona and Michael Keaton both signed on to star in “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian” but Tim Burton and Keaton made Batman instead….(thank goodness).
Short film list of Winona Ryder
Beetlejuice…1988, director Tim Burton, starred Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, film won one Oscar (Best Makeup)
Edward Scissorhands..1990, director Tim Burton, starred Johnny Depp and Alan Arkin, film nominated for one AA award
Bram Stoker’s Dracula…1992, director Francis Ford Coppola, starred Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins and Keanu Reeves, film nominated for four AA awards and won three.
A Scanner Darkly…2006, director Richard Linklater, starred Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Keanu Reeves
Frankenweenie…2012, director Tim Burton, starred Martin Short, Martin Landau and Catherine O’Hara, nominated for one AA award for Best Animated Feature
Joaquin Phoenix..Oct. 28, 1974
Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor, producer and animal rights activist known for playing dark and unconventional characters. Joaquin was born in Puerto Rico to his Father, a founder of a landscape gardening company, and his Mother who was a secretary at NBC.
His parents joined the religious cult called Children of God and started traveling throughout South America as missionaries. They eventually grew disillusioned with the group, left it and moved to the US.
After his father stopped working because of an old spinal injury the whole family then moved to LA where the Mother got the children into commercials and bit parts on TV. Phoenix started in TV’s “ABC Afterschool Specials”, “Murder She Wrote” and “Hill Street Blues”. He dropped out of high school when he was sent a dead frog in the mail to dissect for his biology studies.
Joaquin made his film debut in 1986 in a film “SpaceCamp” with Kate Capshaw and Tom Skerritt and continued to get parts in television like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and then eventually in other films.
He retreated from acting for a short time after his brother River died from a drug overdose at the Viper Room in West Hollywood.
After his return to Hollywood he starred in a few films beginning with Oliver Stone’s “U-Turn”. His portrayal of a Roman Emperor from the Ridley Scott film “Gladiator” brought him positive reviews and he received an Academy Award nomination.
Many other films followed. He has starred in over 44 films and nominated for four Oscars and won one for Best Actor in “Joker”.
Short list of Joaquin Phoenix films
Gladiator…2008, director Ridley Scott, starred Russell Crowe, Richard Harris and Oliver Reed, film nominated for 12 AA awards and won five including Best Picture
Signs…2002, director M. Night Shyamalan, starred Mel Gibson
The Village…2004, director M. Night Shyamalan, starred Bryce Dallas Howard, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver and Brendan Gleeson, film nominated for one Oscar
The Master…2012, director Paul Thomas Anderson, starred Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, film nominated for three Oscars
Inherent Vice…2014, director Paul Thomas Anderson, starred Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon and Benicio del Toro, film nominated for two AA awards
Joker…2019, director Todd Phillips, starred Robert DeNiro, film nominated for eleven Oscars and won two, Best Actor (Phoenix) and Best Music
Honorable Mentions
Elsa Lancaster..Oct. 26, 1902-1986
Elsa was an English actress with a long career in theatre, film and television. She starred in over 30 films yet her most memorable role was when she was 17 (on screen for just three minutes) as the “Bride of Frankenstein”. However, she did also portray the author of the story, Mary Shelley, in the beginning of the movie.
Grace Slick..Oct.30, 1939 (81 years old)
Grace is an American artist, painter and retired singer. Slick was a key figure in San Francisco’s early psychedelic music scene in the mid 1960’s as singer for the group Jefferson Airplane.
Henry Winkler..Oct.30,1945 (75 years old)
Henry is an American actor and director, known for his role as ‘Fonzie’ in the television series “Happy Days” for 10 years.
Rufus Sewell…Oct.29, 1967
Rufus is a British film and stage actor who has appeared in over 40 films, most notably in the neo –noir science fiction, German expressionist film “Dark City” with Kiefer Sutherland and Jennifer Connelly in 1998. Film critic Roger Ebert said that Dark City was likened to the silent German film “Metropolis”.
On This Day
The first ballpoint pen went on sale at Gimbel’s Department store in New York on Oct. 29, 1945. The price was $12.95. The store ran circulars promoting what was described as a “fantastic, atomic era, miraculous pen”…the store boasted that “Nobody, but nobody undersells Gimbels”.
The NBC Huntley-Brinkley Report first aired Oct. 29, 1946 with anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. This evening news program aired from 1956-1970, (3,590 episodes). The show started at 15 minutes and later extended to 30 minutes (exactly a week after “The CBS Evening News” with Walter Cronkite did).
The Huntley/Brinkley Report succeeded The Camel News Caravan with John Cameron Swayze as anchor, sponsored by Camel Cigarettes. The Camel News Caravan was the first news program broadcast in color using 16 mm color film.
“Good night Chet, Good night David”
Nasa Nelly… The “War of the Worlds” and the creation of a panic.
