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July 26th marks the 96th anniversary of the birth of Stanley Kubrick. The film director, screenwriter, and producer made some of our generation’s most ground-breaking films. However, because of his perfectionism bordering on mania, Kubrick only directed thirteen feature films over his 46 year career.

Born in Manhattan, Stanley was given a camera when he turned thirteen. By the time he reached his late teens, Kubrick was gaining recognition as a photographer and began receiving regular assignments from  “Look” magazine. He was also an avid film fan and decided to combine his interests in the early 1950s. After directing a few forgettable short films Kubrick gained critical acclaim with 1956’s film noir, “The Killing”. The following year he directed  Kirk Douglas in the classic anti-war film, “Paths of Glory” .

Spartacus and Beyond

In 1960 Kubrick directed Kirk Douglas in Spartacus, which at the time, was Hollywood’s  most expensive production (12M).

Wishing to write and direct a nuclear war thriller, Kubrick found a book called “Red Alert” by Peter George and used it as the basis for 1964’s “Dr Strangelove”.  Originally written as a drama, Kubrick decided that that the subject matter was too funny to be taken seriously. While audiences were amused by the dark comedy, the film set off alarm bells at U.S. government agencies. Procedures were adopted to ensure that no one individual e.g. General Jack Ripper would have access to the complete code needed to unlock a nuclear weapon.

He spent four years working on his next film, “2001:A Space Odyssey”, a science fiction masterpiece that revolutionized the use of visual effects in cinema.

1971’s “A Clockwork Orange” was a critical success but was blamed for a series of copycat break-ins and murders in England. As a result, Kubrick requested that the movie be pulled from UK theaters.

Having turned down the opportunity to direct a sequel to 1973’s “The Exorcist”, Kubrick produced his own horror movie, 1980’s “The Shining”. The film was not only a box-office success but maintains a legion of fans and scholars captivated by the movie’s symbolic imagery and subliminal messages.

1987’s “Full Metal Jacket” won critical acclaim and was another box-office success.

Directing from Afar

Kubrick moved from the United States to England in 1961 because of his dissatisfaction with Hollywood studio practices. In 1974 while filming “Barry Lyndon” in Ireland,  Kubrick received death threats from the Irish Republican Army.  He fled with his family back to England and became a recluse for the rest of his life.

Perfectionist to the End

Kubrick’s attention to detail was legendary and his management style could be brutal. While filming “The Shining”, Kubrick bullied the late Shelly Duvall to get her into the hysterical state he desired.  Things became so stressful for Duvall that she began losing her hair. And that was before Kubrick demanded 127 takes for the classic scene where she swings a baseball bat at Jack Nicholson.

Kubrick died less than a week after the release of 1999’s “Eyes Wide Shut”, a movie that holds the  Guinness Book of World Records record for longest continuous  film shoot (fifteen months).  An example of Kubrick’s tenacity was his forcing  Tom Cruise to walk through a door 97 times before the director was satisfied. Co-star Nicole Kidman observed  “I think Stanley would have been tinkering with it for the next 20 years… He was never finished. It was never perfect enough.”

Trivia

Kubrick received thirteen Academy Award nominations but won only one.  Ironically, his Oscar  was not for directing but for Best Special Visual Effects (2001:A Space Odyssey).

Peter Ustinov is the only actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Kubrick film (Spartacus). The only other Kubrick-directed actor to be nominated was Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove).

Sellers was paid $1 million for Strangelove  which was 55% of the film’s budget. In addition to the three roles he played, Sellers  was slated to play gung-ho pilot Major Kong. Surprisingly the brilliant actor couldn’t perfect a Texas accent. Kubrick reached out to John Wayne and Bonanza star Dan Blocker before settling for the great Slim Pickens.

Have a great weekend. Make mine a grain alcohol with unchlorinated rainwater.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Supernatural

July 20 marks the 77th birthday of legendary guitarist. Carlos Santana. Born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico, Santana’s family moved to Tijuana when he was five. That year he began playing the violin but ditched that instrument in favor of a guitar when he was eight.

The family moved to San Francisco when he was a teenager. Soon after the move, Carlos quit school and started washing dishes at a restaurant. He became heavily influenced by the city’s hippie culture and opened himself up to different styles of music including folk and jazz. After seeing his idol B.B. King in concert, Carlos became focused on playing professionally. He formed “Santana Blues Band”  with some fellow street musicians and it soon became simply “Santana”.

The band’s big break came at the rock cathedral, Fillmore West when blues singer Paul Butterfield became so drunk he couldn’t perform. Santana’s manager convinced concert promoter Bill Graham to let Santana fill the void.  After their acclaimed performance, the group received a record contract and soon became world famous because of their dynamic performance at 1969’s Woodstock Festival. That same year, their first album was released featuring their first hit “Evil Ways”. The recording reached triple platinum status with its unique blend of African rhythms, blues, jazz, and Latin-infused rock.

The 1970s and Beyond

The band enjoyed great celebrity for a few years but Carlos was becoming disenchanted with the drug fueled rock scene. He had experimented with hallucinogens for years and was under extreme influence during his legendary Woodstock performance. He became enthralled with the music of jazz greats Miles Davis and John Coltrane and started developing an interest in spirituality. He teamed up with legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin who had played on Miles’ classic album “Bitches Brew” and was now fronting the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Santana and McLaughlin brought their bands together to record an album in 1973.  That year, McLaughlin introduced Santana, and Santana’s wife Deborah, to his guru, Sri Chinmoy who accepted the couple as disciples.

Santana claims the guru enforced a strict regimen for his followers- “It was like a West Point approach to spirituality. Five o’clock in the morning mediating, every day.” Santana was forced to cut his hair and become a strict vegetarian. The guitarist decided to leave Chinmoy’s fold when he heard the guru mocking Billie Jean King’s same-sex relationship. Carlos explains “this guy’s supposed to be spiritual after all these years; mind your own spiritual business and leave her alone”.

Santana easily mixes spiritualism and music and his performing schedule continues to be relentless. In 1986 he finally got to perform with Miles a milestone that Santana claims was ”the musical highlight of my life”. The following year Santana was able to pay tribute an earlier idol, fellow Mexican/American rocker Ritchie Valens. Santana wrote the score to the movie, “La Bamba”, the life story of Valens.

Music, Spirituality and Mentorship

Santana was already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when his  2000 “Supernatural” album won nine Grammy awards, breaking the previous record of eight Grammys earned by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Santana dedicated his award to “all the people who don’t have running water or electricity…if I could do it, you could do it.”

He gives millions in financial aid through his Milagro (miracle) Foundation. For many years he has mentored a new generation of musicians. During his 1992 tour he invited members of the then up and coming band Phish to jam with his band. He has also acted as a mentor to Derek Trucks,  Robert Randolph and Billy Strings.

Santana has designated a building on his California estate as his “church”. He claims that Miles sometimes visits him at night and that he also converses with John Coltrane and several saints. He also records his thoughts with hopes of inspiring others”. One entry from the year 2000 is “If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment”. “There is no person that love cannot heal; there is no soul that love cannot save”.  

Happy Birthday Carlos and thanks for all that incredible music.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you happen to run into Harrison Ford on July 13, be sure to wish him a happy 82nd birthday.  Born in Chicago, Harrison’s mother was a radio actress and his grandfather worked in Vaudeville. He was a philosophy major at Ripon College when he became  involved in  summer stock. Ford not only learned a few things about acting but also developed some carpentry skills by building stage sets.

In 1964 Ford travelled to Hollywood in search of voiceover work. He honed his carpentry skills by studying woodworking books and  practiced on an empty house before accepting any paying jobs. He developed a reputation as one of the best cabinetmakers in Los Angeles and was hired by some famous clients including directors  Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.

Lucas cast Ford in 1973’s  “American Graffiti” and Coppola cast him in the 1974 classic, “The Conversation”. Because of his success as  a carpenter, Ford could be selective about his screen roles.  He was offered the role of Michael Stivic (Meathead) in “All in the Family” but turned it down because of Archie Bunker’s bigotry.

Many Hollywood actors auditioned for the role of Hans Solo in 1976’s “Star Wars” including Jack Nicholson, Robert de Niro, Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell, Billy Dee Williams, Christopher Walken and Nick Nolte. Harrison Ford prevailed as Lucas wanted a new face and the production crew members were enchanted by Ford’s charm.

Lucas was reluctant to cast Ford in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” because he did not want every George Lucas film to be a “Harrison Ford movie”. However Lucas’ first choice, Tom Selleck dropped out because of his “Magnum PI commitment” and Ford became Indiana Jones.

The actor insisted on performing his own stunts for the Indiana Jones trilogy. One of the best scenes in the original was fortuitously created by Ford because he was suffering from dysentery. The script called for a long fight with the swordsman in black but the ailing Ford asked director  Steven Spielberg if they could shorten the scene. The duo quickly agreed that Ford would take out his gun and shoot the villain- to the great surprise of most who were on the set.

Hits and Misses

Ford auditioned for the role of Joe Buck in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy but was passed over for Jon Voight. Since that time he has seemingly won every role he sought.

Ford declined Tom Skerritt’s role in 1979’s “Alien” and turned down Jack Nicholson’s role in Terms of Endearment. He rejected Kevin Costner’s roles in “The Untouchables” and “JFK”. He turned down the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October” but eventually starred as Ryan in “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger”.  Ford also turned down Liam Neeson’s title role in “Schindler’s List”, Warren Beatty’s role as “Dick Tracy”, Mel Gibson’s role in “The Patriot” and George Clooney’s role in “The Perfect Storm”.

Real Life Hero

Ford’s heroic exploits aren’t reserved solely for the screen. Because of his flying skills, he’s always volunteered for search and rescue missions. In 2000 Ford landed a helicopter onto Wyoming’s Table Mountain and rescued a hiker who had fallen ill. In 2001, he rescued a lost boy scout in the Wyoming wilderness.

Closing Tidbits

Fords’ films have grossed over $10 Billion. While he is one of history’s most beloved actors, he has never won an Oscar. His only nomination was for 1985’s “Witness”.

He had a small role as a school principal in 1982’s “E.T.” but the scene was cut because Steven Spielberg felt that Ford’s presence would break the flow of the film.

His  portrayal of Branch Rickey in 2012’s “42” marked the first time Ford’s played a real-life character.

We’ve already mentioned his exploits as Hans Solo, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan but let’s not forget his great work in 1988’s “Working Girl” and 1993’s “The Fugitive”.

Finally, don’t believe everything you see in the movies. Harrison Ford  is not afraid of snakes. In fact  while serving as a counselor at a  Wisconsin summer camp, Ford prepared boy scouts for the Reptile and Amphibian Study Merit Badge.

Happy birthday to an American original.

Have a great weekend.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Happy July Fourth. Here are some random facts and stories about the U.S. War of Independence that you can share at your Independence Day celebration:

Thomas Jefferson was the chief wordsmith for the Declaration of Independence but received a great deal of help. He based much of our founding document on the June 1776, Virginia Declaration of Rights, crafted by George Mason. That document proclaimed that, “all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights.” Jefferson was part of a committee  that worked on America’s declaration. Their final draft was edited by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. The document was approved by the Continental Congress on July 2nd and after additional edits was officially adopted on July 4.

The British military was the most powerful on earth and its leaders assumed they would quickly suppress the rebellion. They failed to calculate how difficult it would be to win a war in such a vast and open countryside. As the war began, George Washington wanted to engage and defeat the British in a massive battle. The Father of Our Country was not versed in military history but was wise enough to listen to more knowledgeable officers. By September 1776 Washington took on a defensive strategy that emulated the tactics of Roman commander Fabius Maximus in the Second Punic War (218-201 BC). Fabius was able to defeat Carthaginian potentate Hannibal by avoiding large scale battles and instead employing hit and run maneuvers. Washington decided his army’s best route was to fight a war of attrition until the  British government abandoned its campaign.

Studies show that only half of American colonists were committed Patriots during the war and one third of the colonists fought for the British. One such (secret) British loyalist was Washington’s personal bodyguard, Thomas Hickey. Shortly before the Declaration of Independence was signed, Hickey participated in a plot to kill the general. His collaborators included New York’s governor and the mayor of New York City. The plot was uncovered by a committee established by Washington. Hickey was the only conspirator sentenced to death. As a warning to others, Washington ordered every Continental soldier in the New York area to witness the outdoor execution.

Spy networks played an important role in the success of the Colonial cause. The Culper Ring was so secretive that its existence didn’t become public knowledge until the 1930s. The organization supplied information on British plans and  troop positions. The identities of most Culper agents are now known except for Agent 355, a female operative whose identity remains a mystery. BTW, the Culper Ring’s code name for General Washington was Agent 711.

When Washington’s entourage travelled through the countryside, the general rode in a coach. However as the cortege approached a village, Washington leaped on to his horse, “Blueskin”, and rode through town to raise the morale of the citizenry.

Who Knew?

The word “independence” never appears in the Declaration of Independence — rather, it’s titled “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America.” (those are not my typos).

After the British routed the continental army at The Battle of Germantown, Washington displayed the good manners prevalent during those times.  After the battle, a fox terrier with British General William Howe’s name on its tag wandered into the Colonial camp. Washington promptly returned the pup to the commander with an explanatory note.

The phrase “fog of war” originated in an 1836 poem by McDonald Clarke entitled “The Battle of Bunker Hill”. Because of the type of gunpowder used in muskets and canons, battlefields were often completely engulfed in smoke, making it difficult to see the enemy.

Paul Revere was a successful silversmith who practiced dentistry on the side. Two months after his famous midnight ride, Revere was asked to identify the body of a soldier whom he might have known. The body was too decomposed for Revere to identify so he examined the man’s mouth. He was able to identify the deceased as his friend,  Major Joseph Warren. Revere had  crafted Warren’s  ivory teeth and wired them into his jaw. Historians believe that this was the first instance of identification through dental forensics.

Have a Happy Fourth and a great weekend.

If you enjoyed this blog, you will love my book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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I have always known that June 28^th was an important date in history and not just because it is the birthday of myself, my “twin sister” Suzanne and golfer extraordinaire, Bill Ten Eick. On June 28, 1914 Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, an act that precipitated World War I. Exactly, five years later to the day, The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany, ending the gruesome conflict.

Further research indicates that June 28^th is the anniversary of the birth of British king and certified marriage counselor, Henry VIII. It is also the anniversary of the births of Methodism founder,  John Wesley, circus entrepreneur Otto Ringling and Broadway songsmith Richard Rogers. June 28^th is the birthday of actors Jon Cusack, Kathy Bates, the late Pat Morita (wax on-wax off) and the dearly departed Gilda Radner.

Today is also the 98^th birthday of American treasure Melvin Kaminsky, better known as Mel Brooks. Born to Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, Mel saw his first Broadway Show (“Anything Goes”) when he was nine. The experience hooked the young boy on show business. By the time Mel turned fourteen he had become an accomplished drummer and started playing at Catskills resorts.

In 1944, Mel graduated from high school, joined the army and was deployed to Europe. A member of an engineering unit, the Brooklynite participated in the Battle of the Bulge although most of his service involved building bridges or searching for land mines with his bayonet.

What a Career!

Returning stateside, Mel set his sights on the new medium of television. Now known as Mel Brooks, he was hired by Sid Caesar’s “Show of Shows” where he met Carl Reiner. The comedic duo produced several albums featuring Brooks’ “2000 year old man”.  Mel’s character had conversed with Jesus, danced with Marie Antoinette and fathered over 42,000 children (“Not one of them ever comes to visit me”, he complains.)

Tasked in the sixties with designing a sitcom that combined James Bond and Inspector Clouseau, Brooks and Buck Henry co-created the hit series, “Get Smart”.

Mel went on to direct “The Producers”, “Blazing Saddles”, and “Young Frankenstein”. While developing a spoof of Hitchcock films, Brooks mailed the unfinished script to the legendary director and offered to cancel the project if Hitch disapproved. In response, Hitchcock invited Brooks to his office where the two met regularly to finalize the hilarious “High Anxiety”.

In the early eighties, Mel branched out from his zany comedies and produced a wide variety of films under his new company Brooksfilms. He produced megahits “The Elephant Man” and “The Fly”. He also produced “Frances”, the biopic of actress France Farmer as well as the charming comedy, “My Favorite Year”.

Mel is one of nineteen EGOTs walking the planet. These are the rare talents who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. Brooks won the Emmy for Best Writing for a Sid Caesar reunion show. He won three additional Emmys for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy. Brooks won three Grammys including Best Spoken Comedy Album for “The Two Thousand Year Old Man” and Best Musical Show Album for “The Producers”. He was awarded an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the 1968 version of “The Producers” and won a Tony for Best Musical for his stage adaptation of “The Producers”.

A Great Life

In 1962, native New Yorker Anne Bancroft became an international star with her acclaimed performance as Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker”. One year earlier, she was rehearsing for a show at The Ziegfeld Theater in New York. Brooks was in the audience and became enchanter with the lovely actress. When she finished singing a number entitled-ironically enough-“I Wanna Get Married”, Brooks jumped to his feet and yelled, “Anne Bancroft-I love you”. They married in 1964 and were together until Anne’s death in 2005.

A very happy birthday to Mel Brooks: Accomplished director, producer, actor, composer, Kennedy Center honoree and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Have a great weekend, everyone. If you want a good laugh, go to YouTube and look up Mel Brook’s “Cary Grant Story”. Priceless.

If you enjoyed this blog, you will love my book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Happy 86th birthday to actor, Ron Ely, Ely who played the title role in the 1960s series “ Tarzan”. During the show’ s filming, Ely performed all of his stunts and along the way suffered two dozen major injuries including two broken shoulders and various lion bites. Somehow the handsome actor survived and was comforted by some beautiful women including Ursula Andress, Dyan Cannon, and Britt Ekland.  

In 1912, Tarzan swung into the literary world via Edgar Rice Burroughs novel “Tarzan of the Apes,” In the story, John Clayton is the son of Lord and Lady Greystoke, who perish in an airplane accident over the jungle. The boy is rescued and raised by a troop of gorillas. This unique upbringing  provides him with valuable survival skills and an ability to relate to all jungle creatures.  He adopts the name Tarzan, which means “white skin” in ape language.

Soon after the first Tarzan novels were published, the character became a hit with silent movie audiences and has remained iconic for over one hundred years. Many actors have taken on the role including: 

Elmo Lincoln starred in 1918’s ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ a faithful adaptation of Burroughs’ novel. In his three Tarzan movies, Lincoln amazed audiences with his ability to fight wild beasts.  

After performing stunts for Elmo,  Frank Merrill, an award-winning gymnast, nabbed the starring role for two Tarzan films.

Herman Brix was cast to play Tarzan in 1932 but broke his shoulder before filming began. He was replaced by Johnny Weissmuller who began a seventeen year reign as the character.

Popular actor, Buster Crabbe portrayed Tarzan in the 1933 serial film “Tarzan the Fearless” which  was released to compete with Weissmuller’s films. Buster’s performance was considered bland and inferior to Weissmuller’s work.

After Weissmuller resigned in 1949, many actors starred in the crowd-pleasing films including Lex Barker, Gordon Scott, Jock Mahoney, and former NFL linebacker, Mike Henry.

Christopher Lambert starred in 1984’s  “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan” which  offered a different take. After being discovered in the jungle, Tarzan returns to civilization to reclaim his title as Lord Greystoke but struggles with the drastically different environment. Considered one of the best Tarzan movies, it was the film debut of Andie MacDowell who plays Jane. 

Here’s Johnny

Weissmuller was born in 1904 in a small village in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. The Weissmullers moved to Chicago where Johnny’s father abandoned the family when the boy was twelve.  Forced to quit school and find a job, Johnny vowed to overcome his impoverished upbringing. He decided his excellent swimming ability might be his ticket. He was mentored  by the swimming coach at a local YMCA. Throughout his teenage years Johnny dominated swim meets across the US. He became an international celebrity by winning a combined five gold medals at the 1924 Paris Olympics and 1928 Amsterdam games.

Throughout his Tarzan tenure, Weissmuller performed his own stunts, riding untamed rhinos and elephants. He forged deep connections with the animals including the  vicious and unpredictable chimpanzees that played “Cheetah”. The beautiful Maureen O’Sullivan, who played Jane, claimed that the chimps developed an uncanny relationship with Weissmuller however they left her with “lots of scrapes and bites”.

Me Tarzan- You Jane

21 actresses have played Jane in movies and television shows. Ms. O’Sullivan played Jane in six Tarzan films starring Weissmuller,

Bo Derek starred in the 1981 film “Tarzan, the Ape Man” directed by her then-husband John Derek. This film tried to be unique by telling the story from Jane’s point of view, but many critics cited it as the ultimate bomb. It was nominated for six Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies) and Bo won the Worst Actress title.

International Icon

Johnny Weissmuller was attending a celebrity golf tournament in Cuba during the late fifties when a band of violent Fidel Castro aligned revolutionaries stopped the car carrying Weissmuller. The terrified bodyguards dropped their weapons to appease the revolutionaries.  With guns pointed at him, the quick thinking  Weissmuller stood up in the open vehicle and let out his Tarzan yell. The revolutionaries instantly recognized Weissmuller and became his party’s escort to and from the tournament.

Ungawa, Cheetah!

Have a great weekend.

If you liked this blog you will definitely enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit Books (tedcurtinstories.com) for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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