Friday, February 28, 2014

The Oscars and Burt....




It’s OSCAR weekend so let’s talk movies.

Let’s talk Burt Lancaster movies....which could take all day and night.
I watched “The Train” last night...the John Frankenhemer directed flick from 1964...about the French resistors saving the nation’s art from going to Germany.
Burt was in rare form...initially disregarding the important of saving the paintings and then because of his attitude forced into the foray by a pig headed Nazi colonel played so well by Paul Scofield.
I have two other Lancaster films that may not be on your list of his favorites.
Yes...I did check his list and it is perhaps the most prolific list of “A” movies of any male star anytime....and consists of an Oscar for “Elmer Gantry” and awards for the likes of “Atlantic City” ,“ From Here To Eternity”and everything from “Judgement At Nuremberg” to “Airport.”
But here are two lesser know films with Burt well in control.
“Trapeze” from 1956 with Tony Curtis and Gina Lollobridgida...with Burt the “catcher” high on the wires for Curtis’s attempts at the impossible” triple” on the Trapeze.  Very colorful and exciting high wire stuff.
...and...last but certainly not least
Burt’s 1957 portrayal of the infamous J.J. Hunsecker...the brutal New York City newspaper columnist in “Sweet Smell Of Success.”
You can’t go wrong watching any or all...of these three fine films on this Oscar weekend!



stanmajor@aol.com

the ghost of Nixon returns...





the ghost of Richard Nixon came again.

and as last time (with JFK and a warning to Hilly)...he wasn’t alone.

"Mr. Major...meet Elvis!"

Yep...it WAS “E” right in my bedroom.

“ah...I wanted  to thank you for the fine job of reporting the facts from the Vietnam war” he said. “ and it was a pleasure to have you as our guest at the Hilton in Las Vegas in 1970.”.

“It was a thrilling show, Elvis.  My favorite was that long version of “Suspicious Minds”!  That couldn’t be topped!”

“Thank ya sir...thank you very much.”

“and you tell everyone..I’m ok...ahh..I’m doing just fine.”

and with that...as in the past...they slipped away.   

...so Elvis fans...rejoice.  The King is fine!


stanmajor@aol.com

sunday am panic (repost)


Sunday morning panic at NBC Radio

I was a news writer at NBC Chicago in 1969...before going to Nam as their correspondent.
NBC Radio network had a thing called the “rack” which was a manuel switcher between New York and Chicago. Chicago originated news on the hour several times a day with John Dancy or Jim Ruddle so New York would “flip” the rack and when Chicago finished we’d “flip” it back.
One sunday morning I was writing the newscasts and Jim Ruddle read one at the top of the hour on the whole NBC Radio Net.  Engineering went through their normal routine but  we couldn’t get the rack back to New York!
The very popular “Monitor” program was set to begin the next hour so panic began to set in.
We were told in Chicago that we would have to improvise “Monitor” until the rack problem was corrected.
Faxed scripts were coming in...Jim Ruddle was standing by to host and all hands were digging through wastebaskets for tossed copy to use as filler.
Ruddle was cool...but the rest of us were shook-up!
Then about five minutes before the top of the hour...engineering got the “rack” back to NYC....and Monitor went on the air as scheduled!

stantalks@gmail.com
stanmajor@aol.com

Thursday, February 27, 2014

east coast blackout...65






East Coast blackout (re-post)

Bernie Shaw (later with CNN)..Dave Baum and a bunch of other pretty good radio news folks and I were handling the night shift at Chicago’s  first all news station,  WNUS,  back in 1965.  
Then the lights went out.
Not in Chicago...but in New York City, Washington DC,  Boston, Philadelphia and all up and down the eastern half of the country.
I was in charge of the shift..with each newsman reading twenty minutes of news and sports and then handing off to the next guy for the same.  
All of the sudden our many wire machines (we had about a dozen) started slowing down and then quitting.  I warned everyone to hold on to whatever copy they might have...they might need it.
Meantime...our inside phone rang and it was AP audio in Washington.  They had phones...but no power so they couldn’t fed anything about what was happening.

They wondered if there was anyway we could fed out to their multitude of stations across the country?
I told them I’d call the phone company and inquire.
We lucked out that bad powerless night.
At the Bell Telephone office in Chicago...there just happened to be a guy like me...a guy who never said “it can’t be done”.
Sadly, even to this day I don’t know his name...maybe I never knew it but  do know that he got it done.  
First, he called the AP Audio office in DC and asked to talk to one of their tech people.  He got the answers he needed and within thirty minutes...that’s thirty short minutes... he had us set up to feed AP Audio reports on the blackout all across the country.
So...in addition to doing our own three newscasts each hour...I now had to staff for intaking and feeding out reports on the power outage as AP Audio from Chicago...an entity which hadn’t existed a half hour earlier.
And on and on it went through the night until Washington called us hours later to thank us profusely (we later received plaques, awards and stuff) and to tell us the lights had come back on.
Just another day in the newsroom.

...and how many news folks would have simply told AP that it couldn’t be done?


stanmajor@aol.com

3 new countries




Countries around the world viewing this blog:
                                       35!
(random order)
U.S.
Malaysia
Canada
Russia
France
Germany
China
United Kingdom(England)
Ireland
Poland
Cambodia
Spain
Israel
Turkey
Serbia
Ukraine 
Indonesia
Czech Republic
Philippines
Australia
Greece
Japan
Italy
South Africa
Sweden
Mexico
Hungary
India
New Zealand
Thailand
Slovakia
Brazil
Peru
Andorra
Columbia

Over 233 Posts....Over 22,000 views as of February 27, 2014

If your nation was not mentioned please email the info in English please:

stanmajor@aol.com

a bum on times square




some more bits and pieces of my life...
...while still living in Philadelphia in 85...I made contact with a top local GOP official who called the Reagan White House to get me job interview.  It was polite but nothing came of it.  
Anyhow I can say I interviewed at the White House for a job!
---------------------------------


.....in the wake of the Boston aspects of the JFK assassination...I left there and headed for New York City.
My sister, Sallee, and her husband were going to the Caribbean for a week and they ask me to “cat sit” their two kitties.
They would not be leaving for about a week...so I stayed in a Times Square hotel until my money almost ran out and I actually did something I hadn’t done since being out in Los Angeles.
I bummed around.   
I slept in Grand Central station or at the Greyhound Bus Depot.
It was a once in a lifetime experience (thank heavens) but I got a real dose of life from it!
I wouldn’t recommend it though.

I learned one thing from one of my fellow “bums”.  
Since I was fairly decently dressed wearing a nice shirt under a sports jacket...he said when walking on the streets in NYC always keep your right hand in your jacket pocket.
The bad guys will leave you alone thinking you’ve got the protection there.
He was right...nobody bothered me.


stanmajor@aol.com

I'd almost forgotten....

http://www.timesofoman.com/News/Article-30425.aspx

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

ABC ethics & Eddie Olmos calls




....but wait a minute...doesn’t Disney own ABC now?

nice little hype piece aimed at the Oscars by ABC-TV’s “Nightline” program giving a huge FREE commercial for a Disney song and movie “Let it Go”.  
But I didn’t see the disclaimer?  Did they forget to tell the viewers that Disney owned the company giving the huge free plug for the movie/song?
Back in my days in the news business...we would be forced by ethics to admit to the audience what they were doing!  But...not anymore, I guess.
So you’ll find out here...or maybe from Drudge.  I’m gonna inform him of it.
------------------------------------

......after my honeymoon....Eddie Olmos of Miami Vice calls:

http://soundcloud.com/stan-major-radio/edward-j-olmos-calls-the-stan


stanmajor@aol.com


in search of... Faces

Julia/Hugh

        Have you ever noticed there just aren’t any Julia Roberts look alikes anywhere.  I live in the midst of the largest hispanic female population here in south Florida and I’ve only seen one female who could shadow JR.
  She was shopping in Target for a really big bag of dog food and I screwed around until she checked out and as she got into her car I buoyed up my shy strength and laughed, “that must be a big dog!” she smiled back and said “yep”.  I then went boldly where Stan never goes..
  “Are you married?” I asked.
  “Not until next week” was the reply...with another smile.
  “Just my luck.” I said as she drove off.

  I saw pint size JR knockoff in the supermarket....  shopping with Mom she appeared to be middle school age.  
I chatted with them both briefly and mentioned the Julia Roberts look and the girl said “oh yeh...I’ve been told that before.”  I looked at Mom and said...“think modeling!”.
  I’ve never seen another JR look alike.  Sadly.
   ______________________

  This reminded me of an unfulfilled dream of mine.  I’d like to get a good camera (but not so good that I couldn’t work it) and just travel around taking photos of beautiful people...young and old.  Going to colleges...high schools and even into the elementary grade types...to take photos of both girls and guys and select a few hundred to publish in the book titled: “Beauty in America” or something like that.
  I would get releases from all and use their first name only  and I think a book of beauty like that would sell well.
  People don’t read regular books much anymore but they would be interested in one filled with great faces in the bookstore or the library.
  Well...I’ll put that at the top of my wish list if I win a lotto!

  stanmajor@aol.com

22,000 views!





Countries around the world viewing this blog:
                                       32!
(random order)
U.S.
Malaysia
Canada
Russia
France
Germany
China
United Kingdom(England)
Ireland
Poland
Cambodia
Spain
Israel
Turkey
Serbia
Ukraine 
Indonesia
Czech Republic
Philippines
Australia
Greece
Japan
Italy
South Africa
Sweden
Mexico
Hungary
India
New Zealand
Thailand
Slovakia
Brazil

Over 233 Posts....Over 22,000 views as of February 27, 2014

If your nation was not mentioned please email the info in English please:

stanmajor@aol.com

the blond julia...




Julia Roberts is in the news not for the Oscars...but for tragic family events and for going blond. (ugh)

Julia’s half- sister leaves a long suicide note apparently laying a great deal of the blame on Julia...saying the actress abandoned her in time of need.

Add to that the fact that Julia’s mother is reportedly suffering a serious illness and things are not adding up well for the superstar going into Oscar week.

So..part of the answer, I guess, is to change your hair color when things don’t go well.   We’ll see if her luck changes at the Oscars...but don’t hold your breath.

Aside from accidentally seeing her a couple of times...on the street near that Diamonds Bakery in Hollywood and then clandestinely at the Dolphin Hotel at Disneyworld right after her marriage to Dan Moder...and possibly receiving an nice IM from her when I posted my reviews of “American Sweethearts” on my old webpage...I really had a crush on her.  Although I pissed her off by not saying her best role was Erin B.!  Oh well...I ain't perfect and who would have guessed she’d be searching the net for any reviews of her new flick?

I still say that is a lack of Julia Roberts look alikes to chase after...and I’m proof of it.  I’ve been looking for a JR replacement for the better part of 20 years.  I’ve basically given up.

Julia...redhead or blond...you are still one of a kind!  

stanmajor@aol.com


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

JADE speaks !


Jade lives!

.....if you’ve been following this blog at all you know about the mysterious “Jade” from the Tampa Bay area who called my national all night talk show several nights a week for over a year.

I’ve tried but failed to describe her voice...so now you’ll be able, for the first time, to actually her her call the night after Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida.

She sounds somewhat tired...not as perky as usual but we were discussing a serious subject.

enjoy the voice...anyway!

I’ve been waiting for years to hear it again!

stanmajor@aol.com



click here:
Jade Calls Stan Major 8/27/92

seen billy eckstine twice!

Billy Eckstine



        I was privileged to see Billy Eckstine live twice.

First time was around 1947-48 when my Dad and I went to Chicago to see the College Allstars football game at Soldiers Field.  The Chicago Tribune sponsored the annual allstar game for charity.  The best players in college would battle the National Football Champs in a game that was televised nationally.  (The NFL would be smart in bringing this game back!) 
 
       Billy Eckstine was huge...having just recorded a number one record called “I Apologize” and  he was featured at the Chicago Theater in the loop.
Not only did I see him but I got on the radio for the very first time on a big Chicago station for a short interview with the host....after the show.  

Then  in 1973 when I was filling in at WERE Cleveland...Sammy Davis Jr. came to town  to do a show in downtown Cleveland with Billy Eckstine as his opening act.  
It had been nearly 50 years since that night in Chicago and his voice was still as mellow as ever.  And because he was now legend...Billy was well received by the Cleveland crowd.
.....and I had come full circle with him!

Sammy was as terrific as you would expect.  The highlight, as always, was his rendition of  "Mr. Bo Jangles."  
I was watching tv the first time he did that still get goosbumps every time.


stanmajor@aol.com

Monday, February 24, 2014

21,900 views (re-post)




Countries around the world viewing this blog:
                                       32!
(random order)
U.S.
Malaysia
Canada
Russia
France
Germany
China
United Kingdom(England)
Ireland
Poland
Cambodia
Spain
Israel
Turkey
Serbia
Ukraine 
Indonesia
Czech Republic
Philippines
Australia
Greece
Japan
Italy
South Africa
Sweden
Mexico
Hungary
India
New Zealand
Thailand
Slovakia
Brazil

Over 228 Posts....Over 21,900 views as of February 26, 2014

If your nation was not mentioned please email the info in English please:

stanmajor@aol.com