In 1961, The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba; John F Kennedy became the 35th President of the United States of America; Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, debuted; Adolf Eichmann’s trial took place in Jerusalem; Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Kuwait declared independence from the UK; Alan Shephard became the first American in space; Newton Minnow… Continue reading Camelot was just beginning: A look back at 1961
Tag: Spiritual films
Five years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1971
In 1971, Charles Manson was found guilty of the Tate-LaBianca murders; Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali in The Fight of the Century; The Ed Sullivan Show aired its final episode; Starbucks and FedEx were founded; The New York Times published The Pentagon Papers; Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs; Walt Disney World opened; The… Continue reading Five years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1971
Before Elvis and his gyrating hips ruined everything: A look back at 1955
In 1955: Jim Henson built the first version of Kermit the Frog; The first US advisors arrived in South Vietnam; Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister of the UK; The Salk polio vaccine received FDA approval; Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s in Illinois; Disneyland opened to the public; Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The… Continue reading Before Elvis and his gyrating hips ruined everything: A look back at 1955
Best of the 1940s
His Girl Friday (1940) Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is an editor for The Morning Post. His ex-wife, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell), was a star reporter for his paper, but quit when she got engaged to Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). Walter goes to great lengths to convince Hildy to return, including framing Bruce for various petty crimes,… Continue reading Best of the 1940s
Best of the 1950s
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Faded silent screen star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) steadfastly believes she will regain her former glory and hires writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) to help with her planned comeback, but as the project drags on their relationship becomes dangerously complicated. William Holden brings a weary everyman quality to Joe Gillis while Gloria… Continue reading Best of the 1950s
Best of the 1960s
Testament of Orpheus (1960) In the final film installment of Jean Cocteau’s Orphic trilogy, he encounters characters from his previous films and appears before a tribunal to defend his life and art. Though not as well-known as later French filmmakers, Jean Luc Godard or Francois Truffaut, Cocteau’s films introduced avant-garde sensibilities and philosophical underpinnings into cinemas.… Continue reading Best of the 1960s