March 17 is upon us once again, a celebration of all things Irish, including the patron saint of Ireland himself, Saint Patrick. Once only celebrated in Ireland, the holiday is now recognized worldwide – with numerous parades scheduled, millions donning at least a wee bit of green apparel, plates of corned beef and cabbage served by the truckload, and, of course, every Irish pub in existence concocting huge batches of green beer in preparation for an onslaught of those, Irish or not, ready to celebrate well into the night.
Of course, back when we were schoolchildren, we probably weren’t hanging in the pub. Instead, we were thinking about shamrocks and leprechauns, and perhaps that poor sap in the third row who forgot to wear green and was about to get pinched within an inch of his life as soon as the teacher turned her head. Perhaps you even tuned in to watch some holiday programming, such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, or even the 1948 film, The Boy with Green Hair. Ah yes, those were the good ol’ days as we remember them, but how about you?
We want to hear how you celebrated the holiday when you were a kid, so share those memories! Irish or not, we bet you have some interesting traditions, or a story or two about being the kid who neglected to wear green. And finally, have a wonderful and safe holiday. To get you in the mood, here are a few clips:
And last but certainly not least, a classic clip from Saturday Night Live, featuring John Belushi at his best:
Just when you thought we never gave any love to the 90s in this blog, we present a trip back in the Retroland time machine to the faraway era of 1995. It was the year that Cal Ripkin broke the consecutive games record in baseball, the year Yahoo was founded, the year of the OJ Simpson trial, and most importantly, the year that Goofy finally got his very own movie – A Goofy Movie! And not one of those direct to VHS shams either: this was a full-length theatrical release, based on the animated Disney television series, Goof Troop.
Here’s a clip from the film:
Now, if you want to see something really cool, an example of life imitating art (if there ever was one), check out what these creative individuals have done with $100 and a borrowed camera:
Pretty spiffy, eh? We think Goofy would give a nod of approval to their efforts.
Are you fond of The Goofy Movie? Were you a regular watcher of The Goof Troop? Or, perhaps you are more of the “old-school” type and prefer a little classic Goofy from yesteryear? Share your memories of all things Goofy with us at Retroland as we tip our hats to the big guy and reflect upon his big-screen debut.
We were first alerted to the wonderful work of Charles Brogdon via our Retrotalk message boards, and were so impressed that we knew we needed to share it with all of you. Charles creates incredible miniature sets from numerous television shows in painstaking detail. From sitcoms to soap operas, there’s plenty of eye candy here to keep you busy for a while.
Let’s take a look at some of his craftsmanship (click on the pictures for a bigger view). Here is the set of Happy Days:
Finally, one of the many sets he has created of The Brady Bunch:
Over at Flickr, you can see dozens of the sets he has built, or you can purchase his book, On the Set, by clicking here. And you can let him know what you think of his work by sharing your thoughts here, as we tip our hat to Charles and his beautifully designed miniature sets.
More sad news from Hollywood this evening, as we regret to report that on March 14, 2010, actor Peter Graves was found dead at his home. Best known for the role of team leader Jim Phelps on television’s Mission Impossible, Graves starred on the action series from 1967-1973.
Far from being the only memorable role for the celebrated actor, during the 50s, Graves starred in the NBC series, Fury, played a WWII prisoner in the 1953 film Stalag 17, and of course, few will ever forget his portrayal of Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 comedy blockbuster, Airplane! (as well as the sequel). And in 1988, he reprised his familiar role on an all-new version of Mission Impossible. Let’s take a look:
And now, for his less serious side:
Please share your memories of Peter Graves and his large body of work with all of us at Retroland, as we mourn the loss of this beloved actor.
For the past four decades, St Patrick’s Day has marked the return of an old friend, the frozen confection known as the Shamrock Shake. McDonalds first introduced the green-tinted, mint-flavored dessert back in 1970, and they have been a perennial favorite ever since. Here’s an early commercial, featuring Uncle O’ Grimacey:
Unfortunately, the Shamrock Shake doesn’t seem to be available at all McDonalds restaurants. But a handy little guide over at www.shamrockshake.com is ready to lend a hand, offering a listing of the various places that this green minty goodness has been spotted at this year.
Are you someone that looks forward to the Shamrock Shake each year? Are they a cherished part of your childhood? Share your memories of these classic frozen treats as we celebrate 40 years of the Shamrock Shake at Retroland.
By today’s standards, where the world is filled with portable music emanating from iPods, the eight-track tape seems rather (click) antiquated. Big and bulky, the endlessly-looping tape contained within also had this annoying habit of (click) interrupting songs midway through with an audible click as they moved through each of their quadrants. Furthermore, the intended order of songs was often disrupted, and occasionally (click) long periods of silence lingered between tracks. Having said that, they allowed, for the first time, the ability to bring music of one’s choice into (click) an automobile, as well as a portable listening device – something previously impossible.
The format was introduced in 1964, with Ford Motors offering factory-installed players the following year. Their reign of popularity began to fade in the 70s, however, with the introduction of the cassette tape – showcased by a series of popular ads for Memorex, which featured jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald breaking a glass with her voice. Here’s a sample:
By the time CDs arrived in the 80s, the glory days of the eight-track tape had come to an end. Most sources agree that Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits album in 1988 was the last commercially produced eight-track. But if a man named James “Bucks” Burnett (who was once the manager of Tiny Tim) has his way, there will be another place, other than Retroland, to reminisce fondly about the former media format. Burnett’s mission is to open an eight-track tape museum! A collector since 1988, his first endeavor was to compile all of The Beatles albums on eight-track, a task that took him over two years to complete. From there, he expanded his collection and hopes to some day fill a museum with these classic artifacts.
What we want to know is – do you still have any eight tracks among your personal property? Even better, do you have a way to play them? Do you have a particular one that you remember listening to all the time? Share those memories of eight-track tapes with us here at Retroland. Oh, and a word to the wise, don’t be so quick to put them out at your next yard sale. A copy of a Led Zeppelin tape recently fetched a respectable $152. You may be sitting on a small gold mine.
It is perhaps the most iconic baseball stadium ever to exist, and to list all of the historic feats that have been accomplished behind its walls would take a significant amount of time. But nothing, as they say, is forever. And for the baseball purist, the dismantling of Yankee Stadium this week, captured in this heartbreaking footage from March 10, 2010, is enough to make the Bambino weep like a baby.
Constructed in 1922, this behemoth of a ballpark, located in New York’s Bronx borough, hosted 6,581 games over the course of its 85-year history. Along the way, The Babe hit his long-held record 60 homers, and Iron Horse Lou Gehrig called it quits after 2,131 games, before giving perhaps the most moving farewell speech of any athlete ever. And let’s not forget Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio, whose 56-game hitting streak in 1941 still stands. Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Thurman Munson, Alex Rodriguez, Casey Stengal – the list literally goes on and on. All said, The Bronx Bombers played 37 World Series at Yankee Stadium and won 26 of them.
Here’s a wonderful little tribute film we dug up:
So, let’s hear from all the baseball fans out there. Yankee fan or not, it’s impossible to disregard the historical significance of this iconic structure that now belongs to the ages. Have you been to a game at Yankee Stadium? Did you see any important milestones occur at the ballpark in your youth? Share your childhood memories with all of us at Retroland as we celebrate an American original, and mourn its passing.
We are saddened to report on the passing of Hall of Fame football player and television actor, Merlin Olsen. A defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams for fifteen years, and a regular on shows such as Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy, he lost his battle with cancer on March 11, 2010. Olsen was 69.
Olsen got his football start with Utah State University before turning pro, and enjoyed a career that included being a six-time All-Pro, playing in 14 Pro Bowls (a record he shares with Bruce Matthews), and being inducted into the Football Hall of Fame in 1982.
Retro fans will fondly remember his portrayal of Jonathon Garvey on Little House on the Prairie for five seasons, starting in 1977. Michael Landon also cast Olsen in the lead role of Father Murphy, an NBC series that ran from 1981 to 1983 and featured Olsen as a 1870’s frontiersman who pretended to be a priest in order to help a group of orphan children. Let’s take a look:
And here is Merlin on Little House on the Prairie:
Share your memories of Merlin Olsen with all of us as we celebrate his life and diverse career here at Retroland.
Throughout the 80s, they were an inseparable team – a pair of heartthrobs sharing the same first name, top billing in a number of teen-oriented films, and a friendship that endured to the end. Yesterday, with the tragic passing of Corey Haim, his friend and colleague Corey Feldman issued the following statement:
“I am so sorry for Corey, his mother Judy, his family, my family, all of our fans, and of course my son who I will have to find a way to explain this to when he gets home from school. This is a tragic loss of a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul, who will always be my brother, family, and best friend.”
Their profession screen debut came in 1987, as teen vampire hunters in the hit film The Lost Boys. The following year, the two heartthrobs appeared together in License to Drive, a lighthearted comedy that also did well at the box office. And, in 1989, they finished up their 80s screen time with a teen romance flick, Dream a Little Dream.
Here’s a great clip of these two friends discussing the filming of The Lost Boys:
As we continue to mourn the loss of Corey Haim, we invite our readers to share their memories of these two young actors whose friendship and screen chemistry delighted millions of teenage filmgoers in the 80s, and whose pictures graced an immeasurable amount of magazine covers, school lockers, and bedroom walls. Rest in peace, Corey, and thanks for the memories.
It’s with great regret and sadness that the Retroland community says farewell to one of the original “brat pack” actors from the 1980s, “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys” star Corey Haim.
Haim was found in the early morning of Wednesday, March 10, 2010 in the apartment he shared with his mother. The cause of death is being preliminarily reported by the Los Angeles police department as an accidental overdose. Haim had been suffering flu-like symptoms. As of this writing, the official cause of death is pending an autopsy.
Haim was largely known as a child star who was often paired on-screen with his best friend, the actor Corey Feldman. Recently, Haim and Feldman could be seen on the reality show “The Two Coreys.” Haim was still very active in Hollywood at the time of his death as an actor, director and producer with nine films in pre-production, two completed and ready for release, and one, “The Dead Sea,” still being filmed.
March 17 is upon us once again, a celebration of all things Irish, including the patron saint of Ireland himself, Saint Patrick. Once only celebrated in Ireland, the holiday is now recognized worldwide – with numerous parades scheduled, millions donning at least a wee bit of green apparel, plates of corned beef and cabbage served by the truckload, and, of course, every Irish pub in existence concocting huge batches of green beer in preparation for an onslaught of those, Irish or not, ready to celebrate well into the night. 
