Sixty

[Bill Brown]

On 5/10/2023 at 8:42 PM, Ron Bulman said:

Interesting on the Billboard chart Puff the Magic Dragon by Peter, Paul and Mary was number 12.  Not on the other chart, a classic.  Number 13 by them also was Blowing in the Wind.  Another instrumental I liked years later by the Chantays at number 21 (also the Ventures) as done years later by a couple of guitar virtuosos. 

 

 

Stevie Ray Vaughan grew up in Oak Cliff, was a frequent visitor of the Top Ten Records store on Jefferson and is buried in Laurel Land Memorial Park not far from J.D. Tippit.

 

[Ron Bulman]

13 hours ago, Pete Mellor said:

Not included, but if memory serves, was supposed to have had its movie premier in New York on 22nd November '63, but cancelled due to Dallas & re-scheduled into '64, my all time fav b/w Dr. Strangelove.

Hi Pete.  Joseph McBride talks about this and how the film affected him in his book Political Truth, The Media and the Assassination of President Kennedy.  "Strangelove had been scheduled for its first press screening in New York on the night of the assassination, but Kubrick wrote with a red pen on an invitation, "NEVER HELD, THE DAY KENNEDY WAS SHOT."

He says he didn't get the black comedy the first time he watched it with a friend who was chuckling all the way through, it being about a subject which had terrified him since childhood.  The friend suggested they stay and watch it again, Joseph said he got it the second time, and it changed him.

He also mentions another film that had a delayed release date because of the assassination.  Seven Days In May, scheduled for release in December 1963 didn't come out until early 1964.  There was a full page ad on the back of the New York Times promoting it on 11/22/63.  An earlier version of the ad "saying of the president (in the film) "Impeach him hell, there are better ways of getting rid of him."  was thought too provocative and dropped.

Prior to this 1962's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is discussed in depth.  John Wayne shooting Lee Marvin from the dark alley (grassy knoll).  The press classic, "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend" (said as the reporter tears up his notes on the Truth!).

[Ron Bulman]

PT - 109 came out in 1963.  The last straw for some in JFK's election strategy, before Dallas?

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

A few more random films from 1963 I remember seeing in the years afterwards in no particular order.

To Kill A Mockingbird.

Mc Lintock

The Birds, this still scared me at 12-13 years old.

Flipper.

It's A Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Beach Party.

HUD.

Spencer's Mountain, a favorite of my Mother.

Fun In Acapulco.

[James DiEugenio]

That is quite a divergent list.  I mean Spencer's Mountain, Fun in Acapulco, Beach Party, Flipper. McLintock, Its a Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Pure Hollywood frivolity.  Elvis Presley was a terrific singer, he could not act worth a darn.  But I  think he was the first to get a million per picture, even though he never made a decent one.

To Kill a Mockingbird was a pretty decent adaptation of a good novel.  Unlike Moby DIck it was within Peck's range as an actor and he did a neat workmanlike job.  But at the end, you saw a trace of what a fine actor Robert Duvall could be.

Hud is the best of the lot. Marked by a  realistic script and characters, James Wong Howe's striking photography, and some really accomplished acting by Newman and Patricia Neal.  Every once in awhile Martin Ritt hit a triple: this, Norma Rae and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

[W. Niederhut]

1 hour ago, James DiEugenio said:

That is quite a divergent list.  I mean Spencer's Mountain, Fun in Acapulco, Beach Party, Flipper. McLintock, Its a Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Pure Hollywood frivolity.  Elvis Presley was a terrific singer, he could not act worth a darn.  But I  think he was the first to get a million per picture, even though he never made a decent one.

To Kill a Mockingbird was a pretty decent adaptation of a good novel.  Unlike Moby DIck it was within Peck's range as an actor and he did a neat workmanlike job.  But at the end, you saw a trace of what a fine actor Robert Duvall could be.

Hud is the best of the lot. Marked by a  realistic script and characters, James Wong Howe's striking photography, and some really accomplished acting by Newman and Patricia Neal.  Every once in awhile Martin Ritt hit a triple: this, Norma Rae and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is one of my favorites from that era.  Richard Burton was terrific as Alec Leamas.

And let's give Larry McMurtry a nod for writing the 1962 novel that Hud was based on-- Horseman, Pass By.

Among other interesting details about McMurtry's life and work is the fact that he studied creative writing as a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford, with Ken Kesey, from 1960-61.

Edited June 5, 2023 by W. Niederhut

[Ron Bulman]

I've got Horseman Pass By.  Maybe time to re-read it and watch HUD again as I don't remember many details of either. A few scenes from HUD mainly.  I do remember watching The Last Picture Show at the drive-in in High School.

My parents had a couple of friends, the wife of which was an Elvis fan, as well as Little Richard.  During Saturday night bridge games their daughter and I watched Elvis movies and ones like Beach Party.  My first "girlfriend" you could say, fond memories of the 8-10 year old range.  After watching Mickey Mouse Club House, I was in love with Annette Funicello.  I digress.

I mentioned in an earlier post I don't remember going to movie theaters in the 1963 ish time period.  We lived in the suburbs, I don't remember seeing or being aware of any in the area.  We did go to the Centennial Drive-In, by the Centennial Race Track in Denver on occasion.  I may have seen parts of some of these films, I usually made it through the first film or short and the cartoons then fell asleep during the feature.  Good chance I may have been taken there to see Flipper.  

Dick Dale and others,

 

 

[Ron Bulman]

Off by two days.  1963 news, certainly not as explicit then.

Reporting America at War . Malcolm W. Browne . The Buddhist Protests of 1963 | PBS

[Ron Bulman]

From a History Today radio short.  The Rolling Stones released their first single today in 1963, (Chuck Berry's) Come on.  JFK lived in London in his youth, toured Europe right before the start of WWII.  But I doubt he was aware of the Beatles or Stones in 1963.

60 Years Ago: The Rolling Stones Release Their First Single (ultimateclassicrock.com)

 

[Ron Bulman]

Today, June 9, 1963.  Sixty years ago.  JFK, eloquently to US mayors in Hawaii on civil rights.

 

[Ron Bulman]

Sixty years ago today JFK signed the equal pay (for women) act.

[David Von Pein]

60 years ago today (June 11th).....

JFK'S “CIVIL RIGHTS” SPEECH (JUNE 11, 1963) (VIDEO VERSION)

JFK'S “CIVIL RIGHTS” SPEECH (JUNE 11, 1963) (AUDIO VERSION)

 

[Ron Bulman]

I'm part of a day early on this one.  After JFK's historic civil rights speech on the 11th, maybe in reaction to it (?), just after midnight . . .

Medgar Evers battled for civil rights. His home shows what it cost him. (msn.com)

[Ron Bulman]

Believe it or not, the number one song June 15, 1963 on the pop charts.

 

The number one song in the UK, well before this Washington version was . . .

 

The former number 1 in pop was still so in R & B.

Then in country, Ringo Starr had a hit with this in the 1970's, a 1966 version.  I still have my dad's 8 Track greatest hits version, but no player, if the tape would still work.

 

[W. Niederhut]

10 hours ago, Ron Bulman said:

Believe it or not, the number one song June 15, 1963 on the pop charts.

 

 

Ah, yes, Sukiyaki!

To this day, the song evokes profound, 60 year-old nostalgic emotion for me, as music is wont to do.

The guy who used to MC the Friday Night Dance at the Tincup, Colorado Townhall in the early 60s used to play this 45 rpm record through the PA system.