Tuesday 28 July 2015

1960, Music: Eurovision Song Contest

The 5th Eurovision Song Contest was held on Tuesday 29 March 1960 at the Royal Festival Hall in London, United Kingdom. Katie Boyle presented the festival and of the 13 participants Jacqueline Boyer won for France with "Tom Pillibi". It was France's second win, in 1958 France won the contest with "Dors, mon amour" performed by André Claveau.

Although the Netherlands had won the contest in 1959 (Teddy Scholten with "Een beetje"), the Netherlands Television Foundation (NTS) declined to host another contest so soon after staging the event in 1958 after the 1957 victory with Corry Brokken performing "Net als toen". Norway participated for the first time and Luxembourg returned to the contest after a one-year break.
First Place: Jacqueline Boyer with "Tom Pillibi" for France
Second Place: Bryan Johnson with "Looking High, High, High" for the UK
Third Place: François Deguelt with "Ce soir-là" for Monaco
Draw Country Artist Song Place Points
01 United Kingdom Bryan Johnson "Looking High, High, High" 2 25
02 Sweden Siw Malmkvist "Alla andra får varann" 10 4
03 Luxembourg Camillo Felgen "So laang we's du do bast" 13 1
04 Denmark Katy Bødtger "Det var en yndig tid" 10 4
05 Belgium Fud Leclerc "Mon amour pour toi" 6 9
06 Norway Nora Brockstedt "Voi Voi" 4 11
07 Austria Harry Winter "Du hast mich so fasziniert" 7 6
08 Monaco François Deguelt "Ce soir-là" 3 15
09 Switzerland Anita Traversi "Cielo e terra" 8 5
10 Netherlands Rudi Carrell "Wat een geluk" 12 2
11 Germany Wyn Hoop "Bonne nuit ma chérie" 4 11
12 Italy Renato Rascel "Romantica" 8 5
13 France Jacqueline Boyer "Tom Pillibi" 1 32


Jacqueline Boyer performing "Tom Pillibi" at the 5th Eurovision Song Contest

Friday 24 July 2015

1977, Film: “Mort d'un pourri”

The French crime-thriller "Mort d'un pourri" (“Death of a Corrupt Man”) is released on 7 December 1977. The film was directed by Georges Lautner with a script by Michel Audiard based on the novel with the same title by Raf Vallet (Jean Laborde) from 1973. Main stars are Alain Delon, Ornella Muti, Stéphane Audran, Mireille Darc, Maurice Ronet, Michel Aumont and Klaus Kinski. “Mort d'un pourri” was nominated for two Césars in 1978, Best Actor: Alain Delon and Best Sreenplay: Michel Audiard.

Synopsis
Member of Parliament Philippe Dubaye (Maurice Ronet) wakes up his old friend Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal (Alain Delon) in the middle of the night with rather disturbing news: he just killed the racketeer Serrano...
Stéphane Audran, Maurice Ronet and Alain Delon
Michel Aumont and Alain Delon
Alain Delon
Klaus Kinski
Ornella Muti
Ornella Muti and Alain Delon
Ornella Muti, Alain Delon and Jean Bouise
Main Cast
  • Alain Delon as Xavier 'Xav' Maréchal
  • Ornella Muti as Valérie
  • Stéphane Audran as Christiane
  • Mireille Darc as Françoise
  • Maurice Ronet as Philippe Dubaye
  • Michel Aumont as Commissaire Moreau
  • Jean Bouise as Commissaire Pernais
  • Daniel Ceccaldi as Lucien Lacor
  • Julien Guiomar as Fondari
  • Klaus Kinski as Nicolas Tomski
  • François Chaumette as Lansac
  • Xavier Depraz as Marcel
  • Henri Virlojeux as Paul
  • Colette Duval as La secrétaire de Serrano

"Mort d'un pourri" Trailer (1977)

Wednesday 22 July 2015

1976, Car Spotting: San Francisco

From front to back:

In front of the tram a Volkswagen 1300 (Beetle), right of the Beetle a Fiat 131 Mirafiori. Right of the tram some unknown American cars with the exception of the dark red Chevrolet Corvair Mk1. In the middle of the road a Toyota Corolla (KE15 or KE17) coupé. Left of the Corolla, there's a parked Mercedes Benz (type?) and at least two Volkswagen Beetles. Further up the road, downhill there's a yellow Volkswagen Beetle and right of it a parked Volkswagen T1. The white car left of the yellow Beetle looks European, maybe a Fiat 124.

Saturday 18 July 2015

1975, Cars: BMW 3 Series (E21)

In July 1975 German carmaker BMW introduces the whole new 2-doors 3 Series at the Munich Olympic Stadium. The new car succeeded the BMW 2002. Paul Bracq designing director at BMW (1970 – 1974) was the driving force behind the E21, while Wilhelm Hofmeister drew the first sketch.

In 1975 three models were available: BMW 316 (1.6-litre, 66 kW), BMW 318 (1.8-litre, 72 kW) and BMW 320 (2.0-litre, 80 kW) all variants of the BMW M10 four-cylinder engine. The 320 models had dual round headlights, while the 315 - 316 and 318 had single round headlights. By december 1975 the BMW 320i was introduced with 92 kW.
Predecessor: BMW "02 Series" (1502 / 1602 / 1802 / 2002)
BMW 316 (E21) 1975
BMW 318 (E21) 1975
BMW 320 (E21) 1975
In 1977 BMW introduced a new 320 featuring the new six-cylinder M20 engine (90kW). The 323i model was introduced in 1978, featuring 2.3 litres six-cylinder M20 engine with 105 kW. A low-level model, the 315 powered by a 1.6-litre M10 engine with 55 kW was introduced in 1981.
BMW 321i (E21) 1975
BMW 323i (E21) 1978
BMW 3-series (E21) Baur cabrio
A cabriolet conversion, featuring a targa roof combined with an independent rear soft-top, was offered by German Karosserie Baur in 1978.

Successor: BMW 3-series E30
The BMW E21 was replaced by the BMW 3-series in 1982. A total of 1.364.039 E21 were build.

BMW 3-series (E21), German advert 1975

Brochure BMW 3-series (E21), Germany 1975

Wednesday 15 July 2015

1974, Music: Eurovision Song Contest

The 19th Eurovision Song Contest was held on Saturday 6 April 1974 at the The Dome in Brighton, United Kingdom. Katie Boyle presented the festival and of the 17 participants ABBA won for Sweden with "Waterloo". It was Sweden's first win.

The UK and the BBC agreed to organise the event after the double win by Luxembourg in both 1972 and 1973. France entered the contest with "La vie à vingt-cinq ans" by Dani, but after the death of French President, Georges Pompidou, during Eurovision week, French broadcaster ORTF made the decision to withdraw the entry. President Pompidou's funeral was held the day of the contest. Portugal's entry "E depois do adeus" was used as the first of the two signals to launch the Carnation Revolution against the Estado Novo regime.
ABBA: Björn Ulvaeus, Frida Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Benny Andersson
ABBA (Benny Andersson, Frida Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus)
performing "Waterloo" at the 19th Eurovision Song Contest
ABBA (Benny Andersson, Frida Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus)
after winning the 19th Eurovision Song Contest
Victory for Benny Andersson, manager Stig Anderson, Frida Lyngstad,
Swedish conductor Sven-Olof Walldoff, Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus
ABBA (Benny Andersson, Frida Lyngstad, Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus)
at Waterloo Station (London) in 1974
The winner of the Contest ABBA (Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida), Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog) went on to become one of the most popular bands of all time. 

Draw
Country
Artist
Song
Place
Points
01 Finland Carita Holmström "Keep Me Warm" 13 4
02 United Kingdom Olivia Newton-John "Long Live Love" 4 14
03 Spain Peret "Canta y sé feliz" 9 10
04 Norway Anne-Karine Strøm "The First Day of Love" 14 3
05 Greece Marinella "Krasí, thálassa ke t' agóri mu" 11 7
06 Israel Kaveret as 'Poogy' "Natati La Khayay" 7 11
07 Yugoslavia Korni Grupa "Moja generacija" 12 6
08 Sweden ABBA "Waterloo" 1 24
09 Luxembourg Ireen Sheer "Bye Bye I Love You" 4 14
10 Monaco Romuald "Celui qui reste et celui qui s'en va" 4 14
11 Belgium Jacques Hustin "Fleur de liberté" 9 10
12 Netherlands Mouth and MacNeal "I See a Star" 3 15
13 Ireland Tina Reynolds "Cross Your Heart" 7 11
14 Germany Cindy & Bert "Die Sommermelodie" 14 3
15 Switzerland Piera Martell "Mein Ruf nach dir" 14 3
16 Portugal Paulo de Carvalho "E depois do adeus" 14 3
17 Italy Gigliola Cinquetti "Si" 2 18

First Place: ABBA with "Waterloo" for Sweden
Second Place: Gigliola Cinquetti with "Si" for Italy
Third Place: Mouth & MacNeal with "I See a Star" for The Netherlands


Video: ABBA performing "Waterloo" at the 19th Eurovision Song Contest

Saturday 11 July 2015

1973, Film: Westworld

The American science fiction western-thriller "Westworld" is released on 21 November 1973. The film was directed and written novelist Michael Crichton. Main stars are Yul Brynner as an android in a futuristic amusement park, and Richard Benjamin and James Brolin as visitors of the park. The musical score was composed by Fred Karlin. “Westworld” was the first film directed by Michael Crichton, it was also the first film to use 2D computer generated images (2D-CGI).

Synopsis
Delos is a high-tech adult amusement park divided into three zones: Westworld, Medieval World and Roman World. The entertainment in the park is provided by androids programmed to interact with human guests. Delos's guests pay $1,000 a day for the experience. Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) visits the park for the first time and his friend John Blane (James Brolin), who has visited previously, come to the Westworld zone...
Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin
Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin and James Brolin as John Blane
James Brolin as John Blane and Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin
Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger
Main Cast
  • Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger
  • Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin
  • James Brolin as John Blane
  • Norman Bartold as the Medieval Knight
  • Alan Oppenheimer as the Chief Supervisor
  • Victoria Shaw as the Medieval Queen
  • Dick Van Patten as the Banker
  • Linda Scott as Arlette, the French prostitute
  • Steve Franken as the Delos Technician
  • Michael Mikler as the Black Knight
  • Terry Wilson as the Sheriff
  • Majel Barrett as Miss Carrie, madam of the Westworld bordello
  • Anne Randall as Daphne, the serving-maid who refuses the Medieval Knight's advances
James Brolin as John Blane, Richard Benjamin as Peter Martin and
Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger
Yul Brynner as The Gunslinger and James Brolin as John Blane

Westworld Trailer

Thursday 2 July 2015

1972, Car Spotting: Astridplaats, Antwerp

From front to back:

Ford Taunus GXL (TC 1), Renault 16, Volkswagen 1300 (Beetle), Fiat 850 Spider, Renault 4, Peugeot 404 (ATM Taxi), BMW Neue Klasse 1500/1800, BMW E3 2500/2800 ?, Renault 4, Opel Blitz, BMW 2002 touring ?, Citroën DS (roofline far right), Fiat 600, Volkswagen Transporter T1, Alfa Romeo Guiletta ?, Peugeot 404 (ATM Taxi).