Seventy-three years ago today, the film Easter Parade premiered. Why at the end of June? I am not sure. Still, it went on to be the highest grossing musical of 1948 and the second-highest grossing MGM musical of the 1940s.

Today is the 104th birthday of the singer Lena Horne. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 121st birthday of the pilot and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. He wrote The Little Prince, a copy of which was given to me by a very good friend. His inscription is included below. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Stonewall is seen as the birth of the LGBT rights movement. But there were pickets, protests, even riots, in the years before June 28, 1969.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/06/28/riots-sit-ins-demonstrations-protests-and-celebrations/

"The Swing Years and Beyond" October 18, 2008 (partial show: hours 3-5)

The Swing Years and Beyond was a radio program on KUOW, an NPR station from Seattle. It began in 1968 and was hosted by then-KUOW program Director Don Wirtz before he handed the reins to Bill Snoopy who became the first to hold the position long term. In 1979 Cynthia Doyon took over the hosting duties, and in 2003 Amanda Wilde hosted until the last show on February 25, 2017.

There is a generation of Seattle residents that spent at least some of their Saturday nights listening to a thoughtfully curated playlist of music from the 1920s to the 1950s. I was able to connect with Amanda Wilde and offered to make one of her shows available for fans to download. Then, my scouring of the internet turned up two other shows available and have added them here.

"Yesterday's Murder" - CBS Radio Mystery Theater - June 27, 1974

Plot:  Determined to change her fate, a woman is granted the chance to go back in time to set her life in order.

"The Swing Years and Beyond" October 4, 2008 

The Swing Years and Beyond was a radio program on KUOW, an NPR station from Seattle. It began in 1968 and was hosted by then-KUOW program Director Don Wirtz before he handed the reins to Bill Snoopy who became the first to hold the position long term. In 1979 Cynthia Doyon took over the hosting duties, and in 2003 Amanda Wilde hosted until the last show on February 25, 2017.

There is a generation of Seattle residents that spent at least some of their Saturday nights listening to a thoughtfully curated playlist of music from the 1920s to the 1950s. I was able to connect with Amanda Wilde and offered to make one of her shows available for fans to download. Then, my scouring of the internet turned up two other shows available and have added them here.

Today is the 117th birthday of the actor Peter Lorre. He was in some of the very best classic movies of all time. If he is in the film, you are guaranteed to be scared. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 118th birthday of the little boy who’s first word was “beastly” and became George Orwell.  For some reason, they showed the animated version of Animal Farm in school.  I remember finding it exceptionally disturbing, which is the correct response, but I also remember thinking that it was a strange thing to show grade school children.  The first time I read 1984 was in 1984.  My grandmother was the librarian at our local public library at the time and it was one of the most popular books of the year, so she said I needed to read it quickly because people were waiting.  I have read it since and think I probably missed a lot the first time around.  I have included full length videos of both below.  The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss than he left.

Radio Play:  NBC University Theater Nineteen Eighty-Four - Aired August 27, 1949 - Staring David Niven

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/06/25/happy-118th-birthday-george-orwell/

Blade Runner is 39 years old.  I had no idea.  I mean, I guess I knew, I just hadn’t done the math.  I first saw it at a midnight showing at the long-gone old United Artists movie theater in downtown Seattle.  I lived in the neighborhood and went to a lot of second-run or late night movies there, usually by myself.  I loved it.  I loved the less-than bright and shinny sterile future that was depicted.  The dirty, grimy over-developed and over-advertised future seemed more accurate to me than the other option of living in a white spherical pod and wearing a white jumpsuit.  If you ever get a chance, see Blade Runner in a theater, on a large screen, until then, add it to your list and watch it some night.  You won’t be disappointed.  I know I am adding it back to my list right now.