Monday, September 27, 2010

Gloria Stuart, R.I.P.

From USAToday --

Gloria Stuart, who became the oldest woman to be nominated for an Academy Award after the blockbuster Titanic relaunched her career, has died at 100.

Her grandson, Benjamin Stuart Thompson, says Stuart died in her sleep Sunday night at her Los Angeles home.

Gloria Frances Stewart was born July 4, 1910, in Santa Monica, Calif., and got into acting while attending the University of California-Berkeley.

Stuart was discovered at the Pasadena Playhouse and signed to a contract by Universal Studios.

It is said she changed the spelling of her last name because it looked better on the marquee.

Stuart was selected as one of the 13 Baby Stars of 1932 by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers and soon caught the eye of horror director James Whale, for whom she starred in The Old Dark House, The Invisible Man, The Kiss Before the Mirror and Secrets of the Blue Room. She made nine movies in 1933 alone, including The Invisible Man opposite Claude Rains.

Though her career at Universal foundered, Stuart moved to 20th Century Fox, where she starred opposite the likes of Shirley Temple in Rebecca of SunnybrookFarm and Don Ameche in The Three Musketeers.

Stuart retired from acting in 1946 to concentrate on a career as an artist and decorator.

In 1998, Stuart's second time around as an actress far eclipsed her years as a contract star.

She was cast in Titanic as 101-year-old Rose Dawson Calvert after director James Cameron heard her commentary on the laser disc of The Old Dark House.

Stuart auditioned for the part but was unhappy with her reading. "I wanted this part desperately," she told Cinemania. "I wrote him a letter: 'Dear Mr. Cameron, I reread the script several times, and I think I should have given you a feistier reading, because young Rose is a very feisty kind of woman. And I don't think that my reading showed that.' That was Friday afternoon, and Tuesday morning, (casting director) Mali Finn called to say, 'Gloria, how would you like to be Old Rose?' Well, I screamed and hollered, jumped up and down, cried, called everybody." She joked later to The New York Times that she was cast because, at 87, she was one of few actresses in her age group who was "still viable, not alcoholic, rheumatic or falling down."

Stuart was nominated for a supporting-actress Oscar and also scored Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations. At age 87, Stuart became the oldest nominee ever for a competitive, non-honorary Oscar. She lost to Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential, even as Titanic swept many of the awards that year, including best picture and director.

In Titanic's wake, Stuart found herself in demand, appearing in guest shots on such TV series as Touched By an Angel and General Hospital. In 1999, she published a memoir, I Just Kept Hoping, and the next year, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


Friday, September 24, 2010

Countdown To Halloween


It's almost that time again. Time for the Countdown to Halloween! As I've done for the past few years, I'll try to do a Halloween or monster related post every day in October. I think I've got a bunch of cool ideas, I just need to take some time and pre-plan the posts. There probably won't be any posts at the Wonderful Wonderblog until the Countdown starts on October 1st.

Last year there were around 157 blogs that participated! Make sure you visit the Countdown to Halloween blog to see who will be joining all the fun this year. And let them know if you have a blog and are planning on doing a bunch of Halloween posts during October.

If you don't have a blog but still want to be part of the Countdown, you can do a "guest post" on my blog. All you have to do is write a short story about your favorite Halloween memory. It could be about your favorite costume, candy, haunted house, trick or treat adventure or anything else Halloweenie. Or you could just send me some of your old Halloween photos. Email all submissions here.

To get you in the mood, you can see all of my past Halloween posts at the following links --

2009
2008
2007
2006

I'll see everyobody on October 1st. Happy haunting!


Please Help!

Dear readers of The Wonderful Wonderblog,

My walk to stop Diabetes is coming up soon. It's on October 3rd! Please consider making a donation to this wonderful cause. I would really appreciate it. No donation is too big or too small. If you can only spare a buck or two that would be great. Every little bit helps.

Click on the link below to see my personal web page and make a donation --

http://main.diabetes.org/goto/erickbognar

Thank you!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Zombie Rabbit Award

Woohoo! I gots me another blog award! The Zombie Rabbit Award was bestowed upon me by Mother Firefly's Faster Pussycats! Please check out her blog for a whole bunch of wonderful spooky stuff. She's also a participant in The Countdown to Halloween. Can't wait to see what she posts. Thanks for the award Mother Firefly, it's really appreciated!

As part of the award, I'm supposed to pass it on to 10 other blogs. Here's 10 that I currently enjoy --

The Aquaman Shrine
Electronic Cerebrectomy
Frog On The Pumpkin
G33K4L1F3
John Rozum.com
Magic Carpet Burn
Retrospace
ShellHawk's Nest
3-D Monster
Toyriffic

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Avast, Me Hearties!


Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Arrr! Me name be Dagger Wilson! Get your pirate name here.

Top Ten Pickup lines for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day --

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?
9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?
8. Come on up and see me urchins.
7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.
6. I'd love to drop anchor in your lagoon.
5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if I fired me cannon through your porthole?
4. How'd you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?
3. Ya know, darlin’, I’m 97 percent chum free.
2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is …

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

We Don't Need Another Hero...

...but I got one anyway. I pulled another autograph out of a pack of Heroes Archives trading cards.

Dawn Oliveri as Lydia

KISS In Koncert - Sept. 12, 2010

OK, this is my last post on KISS concerts I've been to. It seems that I'm about the only person who is a huge KISS fan :)

September 12, 2010 at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Opening acts: Love Turns Hate, The Envy, The Academy Is... (Love Turns Hate were OK. They had some rocking tunes. But the other bands really sucked.)
Ticket price: Back in June there was a one day sale of lawn tickets for $10. When we got to the show they were selling pavilion upgrades for an additional $10. So my tickets cost $20 for pavilion seats.
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer
Tour: The Hottest Show On Earth

Set List (courtesy of Wikipedia):

"Modern Day Delilah"
"Cold Gin"
"Let Me Go, Rock 'N Roll"
"Firehouse" (Gene Breathes Fire)
"Say Yeah"
"Deuce"
"Crazy Crazy Nights"
"Calling Dr. Love"
"Shock Me" (Tommy and Eric Jamming Together)
"I'm An Animal"
"100,000 Years"
"I Love It Loud" (Gene Spits Blood And Flies)
"Love Gun" (Paul Solo and Excerpt from "Whole Lotta Love")
"Black Diamond"
"Detroit Rock City"

Encore:

"Beth"
"Lick It Up" (with bridge from "Won't Get Fooled Again")
"Shout It Out Loud"
"I Was Made for Lovin' You" (Paul Flies Onto Mini Stage)
"God Gave Rock 'n' Roll to You II"
"Rock and Roll All Nite"

My very expensive shirt --




Monday, September 13, 2010

KISS In Koncert - July 6, 2004

July 6, 2004 at Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Opening acts: Poison, ZO2
Ticket price: $12.50 (lawn seats)
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer
Tour: Rock the Nation

Set List (courtesy of KissFAQ.com) --

Love Gun
Deuce
Makin' Love
Got To Choose
Lick It Up
I Stole Your Love
War Machine
Christine Sixteen
I Want You
I Love It Loud
100,000 Years
Unholy
Shout It Out Loud
I Was Made For Lovin' You
Detroit Rock City
God Gave Rock And Roll To You II
Rock And Roll All Nite




Sunday, September 12, 2010

Kevin McCarthy, R.I.P.

Excerpts from latimes.com --

Kevin McCarthy, the veteran stage and screen actor best known for his starring role as the panicked doctor who tried to warn the world about the alien "pod people" who were taking over in the 1956 science-fiction suspense classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," died Saturday. He was 96.

McCarthy died of natural causes at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass., said his daughter Lillah.

During a career that spanned more than 70 years, beginning on stage in New York in the late 1930s, McCarthy played Biff Loman opposite Paul Muni's Willy in the 1949 London production of "Death of a Salesman."

Reprising his role in the 1951 film version opposite Fredric March, he earned a supporting-actor Oscar nomination and won a Golden Globe as most promising male newcomer.

McCarthy had appeared in several other films and had a string of TV anthology-series credits behind him when he was cast as Dr. Miles Bennell in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," director Don Siegel's thriller about an unsuspecting California town whose residents were being replaced by emotionless alien clones grown in oversized seed pods.

In the film's most memorable scene, McCarthy's frantic Bennell runs into traffic, screaming to motorists, "Stop and listen to me. …. They're not human. … Can't you see? Everyone! They're here already. You're next!"

The low-budget film became an enduring cult classic that was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1994.

McCarthy, who made a cameo appearance in the 1978 remake, got a lot of mileage out of the original film in his later years, appearing often as a guest at film festivals and autograph shows.

McCarthy's long career included numerous guest appearances on TV series such as "The Twilight Zone," "Burke's Law," "Flamingo Road" and "Murder, She Wrote."

He also appeared in about 50 films, including "An Annapolis Story," "40 Pounds of Trouble," "The Prize," "The Best Man," "Kansas City Bomber," Buffalo Bill and the Indians," "Piranha" and "The Howling."

In addition to his many Broadway and other stage credits, McCarthy toured for many years as President Harry Truman in the one-man show "Give 'Em Hell, Harry."

He also was a footnote in the movie career of Marilyn Monroe, playing the husband Monroe divorced in Reno at the outset of "The Misfits," the Arthur Miller-written, John Huston-directed 1961 drama starring Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift.

The son of a lawyer and his homemaker wife, McCarthy was born Feb. 15, 1914, in Seattle. He and his two brothers and sister — Mary McCarthy, who later became an author and wrote the bestselling novel "The Group" — were orphaned when both parents died in the 1918 flu epidemic and were sent to live with relatives.

McCarthy began acting in the 1930s at the University of Minnesota, where, on a dare from a friend, he played a bit part in "Henry IV, Part 1."

After moving to New York, he made his Broadway debut in a small role in " Abe Lincoln in Illinois," starring Raymond Massey, in 1938. As Sgt. Kevin McCarthy during World War II, he appeared in Moss Hart's "Winged Victory," the Broadway play produced by the Army Air Forces.

McCarthy appeared in several Broadway plays in the years immediately after the war, including Maxwell Anderson's short-lived "Truckline Cafe" with Marlon Brando and Karl Malden. He also was a founding member of the Actors Studio.



KISS In Koncert - May 5, 2000

May 5, 2000 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland
Opening acts: Ted Nugent, Skid Row
Ticket price: $45.00
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss
Tour: The Farewell Tour
Notes: This was the first concert we took our then almost 8 year old son to. You could get your face painted as your favorite band member. He chose the Catman.


Set List (courtesy of Wikipedia) --

Detroit Rock City
Deuce
Shout It Out Loud
I Love It Loud
Shock Me
Firehouse
Do You Love Me
Calling Dr. Love
Heaven's on Fire
Let Me Go, Rock And Roll
2,000 Man
Psycho Circus
Lick It Up
God of Thunder
Cold Gin
100,000 Years
Love Gun
I Still Love You
Black Diamond
Beth
Rock And Roll All Nite

My shirt --




Saturday, September 11, 2010

KISS In Koncert - Dec. 6, 1998

December 6, 1998 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland
Opening act: Econoline Crush
Ticket price: ?
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss
Tour: Psycho Circus
Notes: I'm sure I saw this show, but I can't find my ticket stub. I have the t-shirt and I remember the 3-D effects on the huge screen behind the band.

Set List (courtesy of KissFAQ.com) --

Psycho Circus
Shout It Out Loud
Deuce
Do You Love Me?
Firehouse
Shock Me
Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll
Calling Dr. Love
Into The Void
Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
King Of The Night Time World
Gene Simmons Bass Fart
God Of Thunder
Within
Peter Criss Drum Solo
Cold Gin
Love Gun
100,000 Years
Rock And Roll All Nite
Beth
Detroit Rock City
Black Diamond

The shirt --



Bruce Kulick Autograph

I met Bruce Kulick when he was doing a promotional tour of music stores for Marshall Amps back in the mid 90s. He took requests from the crowd and jammed with some local musicians. It was pretty cool. He signed a photo and a trading card that I brought with me. He also gave me a pick. Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera.

9/11

I took this photo on August 14, 1990.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Billie Mae Richards, R.I.P.

Actress Billie Mae Richards, the voice of Rudolph in the classic 1964 Rankin/Bass holiday special, passed away today. Read more at THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS.

KISS In Koncert - July 20, 1996

July 20, 1996 at the Gund Arena in Cleveland
Opening act: D Generation
Ticket price: $29.50
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss
Tour: Alive/Worldwide
Notes: First tour of the group's original lineup since 1979.

Not sure of the actual Set List. This is the Set List for the July 25 show at Madison Square Garden (courtesy of KissFAQ) --

Deuce
King Of The Night Time World
Do You Love Me?
Calling Dr. Love
Cold Gin
I Stole Your Love
Shout It Out Loud
Watchin' You
Firehouse
Shock Me
Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
Strutter
Rock Bottom
Gene Simmons Bass Fart
God Of Thunder
Peter Criss Drum Solo
New York Groove
Love Gun
100,000 Years
Black Diamond
Detroit Rock City
Beth
Rock And Roll All Nite

The shirts --


I used to know a guy who was part of the road crew for this tour. He gave me these picks --




Thursday, September 09, 2010

KISS In Koncert - June 9, 1990

June 9, 1990 at the Richfield Coliseum
Opening acts: Slaughter, Little Ceasar
Ticket price: $18.50
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr
Tour: Hot in the Shade (H.I.T.S.)
Notes: The last tour with drummer Eric Carr who died of cancer on November 24, 1991. Only tour in which Gene Simmons did not breath fire.

Set List (courtesy of Wikipedia) --

I Stole Your Love
Deuce
Heaven's on Fire
Crazy Crazy Nights
Black Diamond
Shout It Out Loud
Strutter
Calling Dr. Love
I Was Made for Loving You
Rise To It
Fits Like A Glove
Hide Your Heart
Lick It Up
God of Thunder (Eric Carr drum solo)
Forever
Cold Gin
Tears Are Falling
I Love It Loud
Love Gun
Detroit Rock City
I Want You
Rock and Roll All Nite

Here's the shirts --




Wednesday, September 08, 2010

KISS In Koncert - Jan. 15, 1988

Jan. 15, 1988 at the Richfield Coliseum
Opening act: Ted Nugent
Ticket price: $16.50
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr
Tour: Crazy Nights

Set List (courtesy of KissFAQ.com) --

Love Gun
Cold Gin
Bang Bang You
Fits Like A Glove
Shout It Out Loud
Crazy, Crazy Nights
War Machine
Reason To Live
Heaven's On Fire
I Love It Loud
Lick It Up
Rock And Roll All Nite
La Bamba
Whole Lotta Love
Tears Are Falling
Detroit Rock City

Here's the shirts I got at this show --




Glenn Shadix, R.I.P.

From E! Online --

Glenn Shadix will always be remembered for what he accomplished under the watchful eye of a ghostly Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis.

The portly actor, who played a pretentious interior decorator who communed with the spirits in Beetlejuice, died Tuesday at his home in his native Birmingham, Ala. He was 58. Cause of death wasn't immediately known, but his sister told reporters that her brother, who used a wheelchair to get around, appeared to have hit his head in a fall.

"There is a part of me that is not surprised," Shadix said of Beetlejuice's cult-classic status. "We had so much fun filming this unusual and so very original movie that I had a feeling something very special was happening."

Born William G. Scott, Shadix enjoyed a long professional relationship with Tim Burton, who also cast the character actor in Planet of the Apes and used his voice in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Shadix also worked in TV, enjoying a recurring role in the HBO drama Carnivàle, playing Jerry's landlord on Seinfeld and appearing on shows such as ER, Providence and Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

His funeral is planned for Sept. 11 in Birmingham.



Tuesday, September 07, 2010

KISS In Koncert - Dec. 11, 1985

I'm going to see KISS this Sunday, so I thought I'd relive all of the past KISS shows I've been to.

Dec. 11, 1985 at the Richfield Coliseum
Opening act: Black 'N' Blue
Ticket price: $14.00
Band members: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Bruce Kulick, Eric Carr
Tour: Asylum World Tour
Notes: This was my first KISS concert and also the very first concert I ever went to.

Set List (courtesy of KissFAQ.com) --

Detroit Rock City
Fits Like A Glove
Cold Gin
Paul Stanley Guitar Solo
Uh! All Night
Eric Carr Drum Solo
War Machine
I Still Love You
Under The Gun
Bruce Kulick Guitar Solo
Tears Are Falling
Gene Simmons Bass Fart
I Love It Loud
Love Gun
Rock And Roll All Nite
Heaven's On Fire
Won't Get Fooled Again
Lick It Up

Here's what's left of my t-shirt --




Monday, September 06, 2010

Request: Ghost of John

I got this email the other day and I don't have this song. Can anybody help?

I ran across your blog (which I very much enjoyed) and thought you may be able to help me locate an old Halloween song we sang in elementary school.

Back in the mid-70's, every Halloween our music teacher would pull out a couple of Halloween albums and the 2 songs I remember the most are "Purple People Eater" and "Ghost of John" I can't find the song "Ghost of John" anywhere - well, at least not the original, which was far "scarier" than all the recently remade versions I've found on iTunes. Seeing that you have a very extensive collection I was hoping that you may either have this song or know where I can find it. I'm making a Halloween CD for my 5 year old niece and I want to introduce her to all the songs I heard when I was her age.

Thanks for your help.
Jason=