Bunny Yeager on Bettie Page
Bunny Yeager on Bettie Page: "Bettie was like a comic strip come to life, unreal, but real," she said. "She seemed so perfect: flawless tanned skin and a beautiful, well-structured…
Casey Stengel: Both a Winner & a Colorful Philosopher
New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel was both a winner, and a colorful philosopher. One of his many observations: "The trouble is not that players have sex the night before…
Alan Ladd Steals THIS GUN FOR HIRE
Ad-line: “Lover without a heart…killer without a conscience!” Another: “He’s dynamite with a gun or a girl.” Or, there are the spoken lines excerpted for the theatrical trailer: “That’s sucker…
The words of Mark Twain
Always a source of wisdom, the words of Mark Twain: "Those who won't read are just as illiterate as those who can't read."
Mario Lanza: The American Caruso
The tenor and actor Mario Lanza was the subject of a 90-minute PBS documentary made in 1983 called MARIO LANZA: THE AMERICAN CARUSO. It was hosted by Placido Domingo and…
Timothy Leary’s personal archives
The famous 1960's counterculture figure Timothy Leary was an author and clinical psychologist who experienced a controversial tenure at Harvard University. He was often in the news for advocating psychedelic…
David Niven & the British Army
David Niven took part in the Allied invasion at Normandy during World War II, though several days after D-Day. He served in a secret reconnaissance and signals unit. Through the years he was often asked for…
Tinker to Evers to Chance
This is a remarkable baseball story few know. It was written by one of the game’s serious historians, Gary Livacari, and excerpted here in part: “We’re all familiar with the…
The Leading Violinist of the Twentieth Century
A virtuoso from childhood, Jascha Heifetz was probably the leading violinist of the twentieth century. A contemporary, Fritz Kreisler, had this to say when he saw and heard Heifetz's debut,…
“Win one for the Gipper”
"Win one for the Gipper" was a phrase Ronald Reagan used as a political slogan when he successfully ran for President of the United States in 1980. Why? And what…