Wednesday 31 October 2012

1960, Cars: Ford Anglia 105E

The Ford Anglia 105E was introduced on 30 September 1959 with sales started in 1960. It succeeded the Anglia 100E and it was the last English Ford baring the Anglia name. The design was typical of this generation. Noteworthy are the 'reverse' rear window, which was also built on the 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, and the prominent headlamps separated by a large grille. Furthermore there are some American influences such as the rear fins and the streamlined design.
Ford Anglia 100E
Ford Anglia 105E Standard
Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe
The Anglia 105E was available in three body styles the Saloon, the Estate and the Van (untill 1965 called Thames 307E or 309E Van). The Anglia was available in two trim versions, Standard and Deluxe. The latter variant had chrome side strips, grille and headlight frames. The interior was richly equipped including "two-tone" side panels and a lockable glove box. Both of the models used the new overhead valve 997 cc Kent-engine capable of up to 75mph.
Ford Anglia 105E Estate
Ford Anglia (Thames) 307E
In 1962, the 123E Anglia Super was introduced. The new version had a 1198 cc Kent-engine Ford Cortina under the hood. A special variant was the Anglia Sportsman, built by Ford of Belgium, at Antwerp, it was to all intents and purposes a normal Anglia deluxe, except that the spare wheel was mounted on the outside of the boot lid.
Ford Anglia 105E Sportsman
In 1965 the Ford Anglia 105E Torino was introduced by the Italian arm of Ford. The Ford Anglia 105E Torino used the chassis, doors, windscreen and all the mechanical parts of the Anglia 105E Saloon, but the outer body was of an all new design drawn by Michelotti and built by Officina Stampaggi Industriala (O.S.I). The Italian design did away with the protruding headlights, rear wings and sloping rear screen and replaced them with a more "European" influenced body. In reality the car was a rather bland boxy saloon. The car was also sold in the Benelux. The number of Ford Anglia 105E Torino's built is unknown, but approximately 10,007 were sold in Italy.
Ford Anglia 105E Torino
The Anglia was replaced by the Ford Escort Mark I in 1968. By then 954,426 Saloons, 129,529 Estates and 205,001 Vans were produced.
 
Ford Anglia 105E Launch

Monday 29 October 2012

1977, News: Vrancea Earthquake (Romania)

The Vrancea Earthquake occurred on Friday, 4 March 1977, 21:20 local time and was felt throughout the Balkans. The epicentre was situated in Vrancea with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter scale at a depth of 94 km.
Around 1,578 people (1,424 in Bucharest) lost their lives and more than 11,300 were wounded. About 35,000 buildings were damaged. Most of the damage was concentrated in Romania's capital, Bucharest, where 33 large buildings collapsed.
Vrancea is an area with exceptional seismic activity. There have been 10 major earthquakes in the past:
  • October 26, 1802 at 10:55, magnitude: 7.9, depth: 150 km
  • March 5, 1812 at 12:30, magnitude: 6.5, depth: 130 km
  • November 26, 1829 at 01:40, magnitude: 7.3, depth: 150 km
  • January 23, 1838 at 18:45, magnitude: 7.5, depth: 150 km
  • October 6, 1908 at 21:40, magnitude: 7.1, depth: 125 km
  • November 10, 1940 at 03:39, magnitude: 7.7, depth: 133 km
  • March 4, 1977 at 21:22, magnitude: 7.2, depth: 100 km
  • August 31, 1986, magnitude: 7.1, depth: 131.4 km
  • May 30, 1990, magnitude: 6.7, depth: 90 km
  • October 27, 2004 at 20:34, magnitude 6.0, depth: 98.6 km

Saturday 27 October 2012

1976, Television: “I, Claudius”

"I, Claudius" premièred on 20 September 1976 on BBC2. It is a television adaptation of Robert Graves's "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God". It was adapted by Jack Pulman and proved to be one of the most successful drama serials produced by the BBC. A total of 13 episodes were broadcast between 20 September 1976 and 6 December 1976. The series was a breakthrough for various novice actors like Derek Jacobi (as the stuttering Claudius), John Hurt (as Caligula) and Patrick Stewart (as Sejanus).
 
Synopsis
"I, Claudius" follows the history of Rome, narrated by the elderly Claudius, from the death of Marcellus, nephew and son-in-law of Augustus, to Claudius' own death. The series opens with Augustus, the emperor of Rome, attempting to find an heir, and his wife, Livia, plotting to elevate her own son Tiberius to this position. The plotting and double-crossing continue through the conspiracy of Sejanus and the rule of the lunatic emperor Caligula, culminating in the seemingly accidental rise to power by Claudius.
Derek Jacobi as Claudius
Brian Blessed as Augustus and Siân Phillips as Livia
Main Cast
  • Derek Jacobi as Claudius
  • Siân Phillips as Livia
  • Brian Blessed as Augustus
  • George Baker as Tiberius
  • John Hurt as Caligula
  • Margaret Tyzack as Antonia
  • Ian Ogilvy as Drusus
  • Frances White as Julia
  • John Paul as Marcus Agrippa
  • Christopher Guard as Marcellus
  • Kevin McNally as Castor
  • Patricia Quinn as Livilla
  • David Robb as Germanicus
  • Fiona Walker as Agrippina
  • John Castle as Postumus
  • James Faulkner as Herod Agrippa
  • Patrick Stewart as Sejanus
  • Stratford Johns as Piso
George Baker as Tiberius, John Hurt as Caligula and Derek Jacobi as Claudius
Patrick Stewart as Sejanus
Awards
  • BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor: Derek Jacobi (1977)
  • BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress: Siân Phillips (1977)
  • BAFTA TV Award for Best Design: Tim Harvey (1977)
  • Royal Television Society Award for Best Performance: Siân Phillips (1977)
  • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Drama Series: Tim Harvey (1978)

"I, Claudius" intro

Monday 22 October 2012

1975, Music: Eurovision Song Contest

The twentieth Eurovision Song Contest was held on 22 March 1975 at the "Stockholm International Fairs”, Älvsjö, Sweden. Karin Falck presented the festival and of the 19 participants Teach-In won for The Netherlands with "Ding-A-Dong". The arena for the event was the newly built. ABBA's victory in Brighton the previous year gave Sweden the right to host the contest for the first time.
A new scoring system was implemented, it is still in use today. Each jury would give 12 points to the best song, 10 to the second best, then 8 to the third, 7 to the fourth, 6 to the fifth and so forth until the tenth best song received one point. Greece withdrew from the contest in response to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and Turkey's participation to the contest. The Portuguese entry "Madrugada" was a celebration of the Carnation Revolution.
Winner Teach-In with "Dinge-Dong"
Second Place The Shadows with "Let Me Be the One"
Teach-In victory at Schiphol 1975
Draw
Country
Artist
Song
Place
Points
01
Netherlands
Teach-In
"Ding-A-Dong"
1
152
02
Ireland
The Swarbriggs
"That's What Friends Are For"
9
68
03
France
Nicole Rieu
"Et bonjour à toi l'artiste"
4
91
04
Germany
Joy Fleming
"Ein Lied kann eine Brücke sein"
17
15
05
Luxembourg
Geraldine
"Toi"
5
84
06
Norway
Ellen Nikolaysen
"Touch My Life (With Summer)"
18
11
07
Switzerland
Simone Drexel
"Mikado"
6
77
08
Yugoslavia
Pepel In Kri
"Dan ljubezni"
13
22
09
United Kingdom
The Shadows
"Let Me Be The One"
2
138
10
Malta
Renato
"Singing This Song"
12
32
11
Belgium
Ann Christy
"Gelukkig zijn"
15
17
12
Israel
Shlomo Artzi
"At Va'Ani" (את ואני)
11
40
13
Turkey
Semiha Yankı
"Seninle Bir Dakika"
19
3
14
Monaco
Sophie
"Une chanson c'est une lettre"
13
22
15
Finland
Pihasoittajat
"Old Man Fiddle"
7
74
16
Portugal
Duarte Mendes
"Madrugada"
16
16
17
Spain
Sergio y Estíbaliz
"Tú volverás"
10
53
18
Sweden
Lasse Berghagen
"Jennie, Jennie"
8
72
19
Italy
Wess & Dori Ghezzi
"Era"
3
115


 
Teach-In with Ding-A-Dong

Saturday 20 October 2012

1974, Film: “A Woman Under the Influence”

"A Woman Under the Influence" was released on November 18the 1974. It's an American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. The story focuses on a woman whose unusual behaviour leads her husband to commit her for psychiatric treatment. Main stars were Gena Rowlands and Peter Falk. John Cassavetes wrote "A Woman Under the Influence" when wife Gena Rowlands expressed a desire to appear in a play about the difficulties faced by contemporary women. The script was so emotional, Rowlands couldn't perform it eight times a week, so he decided to adapt it for the screen.

Synopsis
Mabel Longhetti (Gena Rowlands), a wife and mother, loves her construction worker husband Nick Longhetti (Peter Falk) and desperately wants to please him, but the strange mannerisms and increasingly odd behavior she displays while in the company of others has him concerned...

Main Cast
  • Gena Rowlands as Mabel Longhetti
  • Peter Falk as Nick Longhetti
  • Fred Draper as George Mortensen
  • Lady Rowlands as Martha Mortensen
  • Katherine Cassavetes as Margaret Longhetti
  • Matthew Laborteaux as Angelo Longhetti
  • Matthew Cassel as Tony Longhetti
  • Christina Grisanti as Maria Longhetti
John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands attending the 1975 Oscars
Peter Falk and Gena Rowlands
Awards
  • National Board of Review Award for Best Actress: Gena Rowlands (1974)
  • Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama: Gena Rowlands (1975)
  • Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress: Gena Rowlands (1976)


Trailer

Wednesday 17 October 2012

1973, Television: “Man About the House”

The British Thames Television sitcom “Man About the House” premièred on 15 August 1973 on ITV. It was broadcast for six series from 1973 to 1976. The series was written en created by Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke and starred Richard O'Sullivan, Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett. After the series ended two spin-offs were made: “George and Mildred” and “Robin's Nest”.

Synopsis
When two young, attractive girls, Chrissy (Paula Wilcox) and Jo (Sally Thomsett), search for a third sharer to help pay the rent on their Earl's Court flat, they intended on finding another female. But they reconsider when they meet young Robin Tripp (Richard O'Sullivan), a catering student whom they discover asleep in their bath the morning after a party. It just so happens that he is on the look out for somewhere local to rent, he tries to win the girls over with his wit and charm, but it is his culinary skills that make him the dish of the day as far as Chrissy and Jo are concerned and so Robin becomes their third flatmate. This innocent menage a trois understandably raises a few eyebrows, particularly with their landlords, George (Brian Murphy) and Mildred Roper (Yootha Joyce), who live downstairs.
Sally Thomsett, Paula Wilcox and Richard O'Sullivan
Main Cast
  • Sally Thomsett as Jo
  • Paula Wilcox as Chrissy Plummer
  • Richard O'Sullivan as Robin Tripp
  • Yootha Joyce as Mildred Roper
  • Brian Murphy as George Roper
Sally Thomsett as Jo
Paula Wilcox as Chrissy
Awards
  • TP de Oro (Spain) for Best Foreign Actor: Richard O'Sullivan (1979)
  • TP de Oro (Spain) for Best Foreign Actress: Paula Wilcox (1979)
 
Opening Titles (1973)

Saturday 13 October 2012

1972, Cars: Car of the Year, Fiat 127

The Fiat 127 won the Car of the year award in 1972 with 239 points. Second was the Renault 15/17 with 107 points and third the Mercedes-Benz 350 SL with 96 points.
Fiat's technical modernity was transferred from 128 to a more affordable segment. The 127 was the replacement for the Fiat 850. Initially only available as a two-door saloon in 1971, a three-door hatchback was launched the following year. This was Fiat's first super-mini-sized hatchback with a transverse-engine/front-wheel-drive layout, the design idea had been trialled since 1964, by Fiat's Autobianchi subsidiary with the Autobianchi Primula and 1969 Autobianchi A112.
Fiat 127 series 1: 1971-1977
Fiat 127 series 2: 1977-1981
Fiat 127 series3: 1982-1983
The 127 used the 903 cc overhead valve engine, that powered the Autobianchi. The 127 was produced between 1971 and 1983 (series 1: 1971-1977; series 2: 1977-1981: series3: 1982-1983)
Second place Renault 15/17
Third place Mercedes-Benz 350 SL
Launch Advert
Series 2 British Advert

Australian Advert (1976)

Wednesday 10 October 2012

1971, Film: “Klute”

“Klute” premièred on June 25, 1971. The film tells the story of a prostitute who assists a detective in solving a missing person's case. It stars Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Charles Cioffi and Roy Scheider. The movie was written by Andy Lewis and Dave Lewis and directed by Alan J. Pakula.

Synopsis
When his old friend, the laboratory engineer Tom Gruneman (Robert Milli), vanishes, detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is hired by Tom's colleague Peter Cable (Charles Cioffi) to search for him. The only lead is letter written by Tom to a call-girl in New York called Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda). Klute blackmails Bree to help him to find Tom using some tapes of her phone calls that he had secretly recorded...
Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels and Donald Sutherland as John Klute
Main Cast
  • Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels
  • Donald Sutherland as John Klute
  • Charles Cioffi as Peter Cable
  • Roy Scheider as Frank Ligourin
  • Dorothy Tristan as Arlyn Page
  • Rita Gam as Trina
  • Nathan George as Trask
  • Vivian Nathan as Psychiatrist
Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels
Awards
  • New York Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress: Jane Fonda (1971)
  • Academy Awards, Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role: Jane Fonda (1972)
  • Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress: Jane Fonda (1972)
  • National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Actress: Jane Fonda (1972)
  • Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress – Drama: Jane Fonda (1972)
Donald Sutherland as John Klute and Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels

Trailer


Monday 8 October 2012

1970, News: French submarine Eurydice (S644) explodes

On March 4, 1970 the French submarine Eurydice exploded, killing all 57 sailors aboard. On the morning of March 4, the French military command lost contact with the Eurydice. At the same time 35 miles east of Toulon, a geophysical laboratory picked up shock waves of an underwater explosion.
 
The Eurydice was a ship of the Daphné class, diesel-electric patrol submarines built in France between 1958 and 1970 for the French Navy and for export. Two of these subs in this class, the Eurydice in 1970 and the Minerva in 1968 sank due to mechanical accidents.
Eurydice (S644)
Eurydice (S644)
Eurydice Crew
The cause of the explosion was never officially determined. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the sinking of the Eurydice:
1) A collision with a cargo ship;
2) An accidental leak;
3) A faulty snorkel design.
Eurydice Wreck

Saturday 6 October 2012

1969, Television: Marcus Welby, M.D.

"Marcus Welby, M.D.", an American medical television series, aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. Main stars were Robert Young (Dr. Marcus Welby) and James Brolin (Dr. Steven Kiley). The series was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell. The show ended its run in 1976 after a total of 172 episodes were made.

Synopsis
The show tells the story of the doctors Marcus Welby, a general practitioner and Steven Kiley, Welby's young assistant. The two try to treat people as individuals in an age of specialized medicine and uncaring doctors...
Robert Young as Dr. Marcus Welby
Main Cast
  • Robert Young as Dr. Marcus Welby
  • James Brolin as Dr. Steven Kiley
  • Elena Verdugo as Consuelo Lopez
  • Pamela Hensley as Janet Blake
  • Sharon Gless as Kathleen Faverty
James Brolin as Dr. Steven Kiley
Awards
  • Eddie (American Cinema Editors) for Best Edited Television Program: Gene Palmer (1970)
  • Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming - For a Series or a Single Program of a Series: Walter Strenge (1970)
  • Emmy for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series: Robert Young (1970)
  • Emmy for Outstanding Dramatic Series: David Victor & David J. O'Connell (1970)
  • Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama: James Brolin (1970)
  • Golden Globe for Best TV Show – Drama (1970)
  • Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Television: James Brolin (1971)
  • Image Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Dramatic Series or Miniseries or Television Movie: Elena Verdugo (1971)
  • Golden Globe for Best TV Actor – Drama: Robert Young (1972)
  • Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Television: James Brolin (1973)



Tuesday 2 October 2012

1968, Film: The Producers

The Producers, an American satirical dark comedy, premièred on March 18, 1968. The Film is written and directed by Mel Brooks. Set in the late 1960s it tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who want to produce a Broadway flop. The film stars Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn and Kenneth Mars. The Producers was the first film directed by Mel Brooks.
 
Synopsis
Theatrical producer Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) is forced to romance rich old ladies to finance his efforts. When his accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) reviews the accounting books, the two hit upon a way to make a fortune by producing a sure-flop. The play which is to be their gold mine? "Springtime for Hitler."...
Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock, Estelle Winwood as "Hold Me! Touch Me!"
and Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom
Main Cast
  • Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock
  • Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom
  • Dick Shawn as Lorenzo St. DuBois (L.S.D.)
  • Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind
  • Lee Meredith as Ulla
  • Estelle Winwood as "Hold Me! Touch Me!"
  • Christopher Hewett as Roger De Bris
  • Andreas Voutsinas as Carmen Ghia
  • Renée Taylor as the actor playing Eva Braun
  • Barney Martin as the actor playing Hermann Göring
Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder ans Zero Mostel
Awards
Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen: Mel Brooks (1969)Witers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Original Screenplay: Mel Brooks (1969)
National Film Registry Award (1996)
Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom, Kenneth Mars as Franz Liebkind and Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock

The Producers Trailer