Friday Blog

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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On Friday, please take a few minutes away from celebrating Flag Day to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the death of explorer, conservationist and world-famous zoo director, Marlin Perkins. A pioneer in the filming of wild animals, Perkins hosted Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom from 1963 to 1972. The show was a worldwide sensation that at its height was broadcast in forty countries.

In memory of loveable old Marlin, we present these (hopefully) interesting animal facts:

Giant anteaters consume up to 35,000 ants and termites in a single day.. Anteaters purposefully never destroy an ant nest, preferring to leave some ants alive to rebuild. This insures that the anteater will be provided with a future feast.

Corvids (crows, rooks, ravens) are highly intelligent. Crows are expert at solving  puzzles and tests show that rooks have the same level of understanding of physics as a 6-month-old baby, (higher than the score of your average ape or this blogger).  Crows have the uncanny ability to recognize faces and will actively avoid people who have been aggressive toward them in the past.  

Rabbits run differently than other animals because they are the only land mammals that do not have paw pads. Instead the thick fur on their paws provides cushioning from all that hopping.

Speaking of yard critters, would you believe the average squirrel is able to avoid dogs, hawks and cars to attain a lifespan of sixteen years.

Otters hold hands while sleeping, so they don’t float away from each other.

Penguins have a gland above their eye that converts saltwater into freshwater.

Only the males are called peacocks. Females are peahens.

The Giant Pacific Octopus has three hearts and nine brains. Apparently, the extra brains come in handy. Octopuses have shown remarkable problem-solving abilities, escape artistry, and adaptability. They can navigate mazes and open jars to get food.

Beware the seemingly friendly ostrich. Their legs are so powerful that their kicks have been known to kill lions. Because both two-toed feet have a long, sharp claw, predators generally run away from the strange flightless bird.

Noteworthy Statistics

Scientific models estimate there are 8.7 million species on earth and more than 80% of them are undiscovered. It will likely take another 500 years to find them all. 

Less time separates the existence of humans and the Tyrannosaurus rex than the T-rex and the Stegosaurus.

It was just in 2014, that fourteen new species of dancing frogs were discovered, bringing the global number of known dancing frog species to 24.

Sex and the Single Sloth

Sloths are too lazy to go looking for a mate, so a female sloth will often sit in a tree and scream until a male hears her and decides to mate with her.

Female dragonflies will fake being dead in order to stop unwanted male advances.  

Dolphins have “bromances” in which two males pair up for as long as fifteen years and help each other hook up with females.

All halibut are male until they reach 45 inches in length. They then all become female.

Seahorses are the only animals where the male carries the baby rather than the female. The male seahorse has a pouch on its stomach in which to carry babies—as many as 2,000 at a time.

Icky

There are more than 1.4 billion insects for every human on the planet.

It is estimated that bats save the U.S. agriculture industry up to 50 billion dollars annually by eating insects.

Gross but (hopefully) Interesting

Turtles can breathe through their butts.

To make up for their extreme myopia, beavers mark their territory with castoreum, a secretion from their anal glands. For many years the sweet smelling substance was used as a substitute for vanilla in food products. Today, Castoreum, is not often found as a flavor agent but can be found in some perfumes and in  Baverhojt, a style of Swedish schnapps also known as beaver shout.

Have a great weekend and go easy on the Baverhoit.

If you enjoyed this blog you will love my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Please visit Books (tedcurtinstories.com) for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Terry and I are away for a few weeks so I am reposting this blog which is almost as old as Henny Youngman’s jokes. Thankfully almost everyone still enjoys his classic one-liners. Here is Henny’s story.

Unlike many show businesspeople, Henny has a boring life story although it is interesting that the life-long New Yorker was born in London, England. His parents emigrated to NYC when Henny was six months old. Henny’s father wanted his boy to be a classical violinist however as one of Henny’s fellow comedians quipped in the 1930s, “Henny’s the only guy who when he opens his violin case, the audience hopes he’s got a machine gun in there.”

After high school, Henny worked nights as leader of a band called the Swanee Syncopaters, Henny would tell an occasional joke during his band’s performances. During the day, Henny worked at a print shop where he wrote “comedy cards” containing one-line gags. His cards were discovered by up-and-coming comedian Milton Berle who mentored Youngman. They enjoyed a life-long friendship and of course constantly traded one-liners. Berle said Youngman was “the king of one-liners because he couldn’t remember two.” Youngman responded “Milton, is your family happy? Or do you go home at night?”

I’m happy to say that I am two degrees of separation from Mr. Youngman. My college friend, Kevin Kelleher ran into Henny in a New York City elevator. Kevin said hello and the legend immediately pulled out his wallet and asked, “Would you like to see a picture of my pride and joy?”. Youngman proceeded to show Kevin a card with the images of Pride Detergent and Joy Detergent. That exchange personifies Henny’s reputation as a person who despite his fame was always friendly and unassuming.

Despite the hundreds of jokes he told about his wife, the couple had a very happy marriage and Sadie accompanied him on many of his tours. Their marriage lasted 59 years until Sadie’s death in 1987. Sadie was terrified of hospitals so when she became ill, her notoriously cheap husband paid for an ICU to be set up in their home. He stayed with her continuously during her last month, a rare departure from the grueling tour schedule the workaholic maintained for almost 70 years.

Here are some of Henny’s best:

The secret of a happy marriage remains a secret

My wife said to me, “For our anniversary I want to go somewhere I’ve never been before.” I said, “Try the kitchen!”

Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Friday.

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading

I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up – they have no holidays

My grandmother is over eighty and she still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle

I’ve got all the money I’ll ever need. If I die by 4:00

My dad was the town drunk. Most of the time that’s not so bad; but New York City?

A doctor has a stethoscope up to a man’s chest. The man asks “Doc, how do I stand?” The doctor says, “That’s what puzzles me!”

I played a great horse yesterday! It took seven horses to beat him.

The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip.

Getting on a plane, I told the ticket lady, “Send one of my bags to New York, send one to Los Angeles, and send one to Miami.” She said, “We can’t do that!” I told her, “You did it last week”

The Doctor called Mrs. Cohen saying, “Mrs. Cohen, your check came back.” Mrs. Cohen answered, “So did my arthritis!”

Have a great weekend.

If you enjoyed this blog please consider ordering a copy of my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Please visit Books (tedcurtinstories.com) for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

D-Day was the 20th century’s best-kept secret. The Allies masked their plans with a years-long series of elaborate ruses including false news reports, planted intelligence, and false radio broadcasts designed to be intercepted by the Germans. The allies also created columns of make-believe tanks , fake troop encampments, and inflatable dummy warships.

.The Allies masked their plans with a years-long series of elaborate ruses including false news reports, planted intelligence, and false radio broadcasts designed to be intercepted by the Germans. The allies also created columns of make-believe tanks , fake troop encampments, and inflatable dummy warships.

The Germans believed the allies would attack the port of Calais because it was the closest point to Britain. Thus, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to strike at Normandy. Relying on natural light, the Allies needed a full moon for the invasion. On June 5, Eisenhower ordered the attack for the following morning, the last day of the full moon. Wet weather and brutal high winds would handicap the Allies, but the ominous skies convinced Germany’s military leaders that an attack was not imminent and kept German airplanes grounded.

The Nazis’ defense of the coast centered on “The Atlantic Wall,” the most robust military entrenchment ever built. The fortifications stretched from Norway to Spain, passing through Denmark, Holland, Belgium, and France. The wall was financed by the wealth the Germans plundered from the countries they conquered. Labor was provided by the POWs from those countries. 50,000 German soldiers manned the fortifications. The wall was so strategic that Adolph Hitler brought in revered Field Marshall Erwin Rommel to oversee construction.

Allied airplane bombardments began at midnight and simultaneously 24,000 paratroopers were dropped behind German lines to support the invading troops.

As dramatized in “Saving Private Ryan,” the allied troops suffered horrific carnage on the Normandy beaches. D-Day was just the start of the brutal Battle of Normandy which finally concluded on August 25 with the liberation of Paris.

The vaunted Atlantic Wall collapsed on D-Day. It was the beginning of the end for the Nazis.

Field Marshal Rommel, convinced that the sea was too rough for an invasion, had left for Germany to celebrate his wife’s birthday.

Hitler was the only leader authorized to order a to counterattack but he slept until noon. Nobody dared wake him which cost vital time for sending reinforcements.

TRIVIA

Yogi Berra participated in the  invasion, as did author J.D. Salinger and civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Golf great Bobby Jones was forty when he successfully petitioned his Army Reserve commander to allow him to participate. British actor David Niven won a U.S. Legion of Merit Medal. Actor Charles Durning who won a Silver Star was among the only survivors from his Omaha Beach landing group. James Doohan, a Royal Canadian Artillery lieutenant  survived  six bullet wounds and lost his middle finger on Juno Beach. He eventually found fame as Scotty on “Star Trek.” Actor Henry Fonda enlisted at age 37and was a  navel quartermaster on D-Day. He went on to star in “The Longest Day,” a D-Day epic.

In one of the most notorious episodes in Oscars ‘history, the masterful “Saving Private Ryan” lost to “Shakespeare in Love” for the 1999 Best Picture  award. Shakespeare’s  loathsome  producer Harvey Weinstein employed  backroom bullying to win the honor.

Heroes

Waverly Woodson was a medic for the only African American battalion to land at Omaha Beach. Despite being wounded during the landing, Woodson found a relatively safe space on the beach to set up a first aid station. He treated scores of  black and white soldiers- removing bullets, patching wounds, and even amputating a foot. After 24 hours he collapsed of exhaustion but returned to his unit within three days. He was awarded a Bronze Star, but Maryland Senator  Chris Van Hollen has started a campaign to posthumously  award Woodson the Medal of Honor.

General Eisenhower drafted a statement in case the landings failed. It read: “I have withdrawn the troops. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”  Try finding that type of leadership today.

Thanks to all the heroes who helped liberate Europe and thanks to all of you who have served.

 Have a great weekend.

If you enjoyed this blog please consider ordering a copy of my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Please visit Books (tedcurtinstories.com) for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.