Dec 02 2024
Frosty the Snowman had already discovered the magic of coming to life, befriended a group of children, survived a dangerously warm greenhouse, and headed north before he melted when Rankin/Bass decided that his next television adventure required a new problem. Frosty was lonely. That simple idea became the heart of Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, the 1976 …
Sep 23 2024
On September 23, 1962, American television viewers met George Jetson, his boy Elroy, daughter Judy, and Jane, his wife. Within minutes, The Jetsons introduced a future filled with flying cars, moving sidewalks, apartment buildings floating high above the ground, video calls, robot servants, push-button meals, and machines designed to remove almost every inconvenience from daily …
Jul 17 2024
Disneyland opened its gates on July 17, 1955, on a plot of land in Anaheim, California that previously consisted of orange groves. It cost $17 million to open the park, but despite the high cost, its opening day was less than ideal. It was even referred to as “Black Sunday” by Disney employees for years …
May 04 2024
Few movie robots have as much personality as R2-D2. He does not have a human face, speak a recognizable language, or even have arms in the conventional sense, yet a few whistles, beeps, nervous movements, and turns of his dome are enough to tell us exactly what he is thinking. Since his first appearance in …
Dec 06 2023
On December 6, 1964, American television viewers met a glowing-nosed reindeer, an elf who wanted to become a dentist, a prospector obsessed with striking it rich, an enormous snow monster, a collection of unwanted toys, and a talking snowman voiced by Burl Ives. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on NBC as part of The General …
May 18 2023
A row of drinking glasses stands on a table, but the glasses are almost impossible to separate from the light passing through them. Reflections break into streaks of turquoise, violet, yellow, green, and orange. Water bends the background into fragments. One transparent surface overlaps another until the objects seem less solid than the light moving …
Jul 17 2022
Today is the birthday of Aleksandr Petrov, the Russian animator born July 17, 1957, in the village of Prechistoye. He is known for his unique technique of creating animations from pastel oil paintings on glass, using his fingertips to paint for added texture. Petrov’s first animation was made in 1988, Marathon, and was a tribute …
Mar 07 2022
Folk artist Maud Lewis was born on this day March 7, 1903 in Nova Scotia, Canada. Lewis spent most of her life in a small house in Nova Scotia, and the 2016 movie Maudie is based on her life.
Jan 07 2022
Remembering Sidney Poitier, who passed away today at the age of 94. His 1967 film To Sir, With Love is a prime example of Poitier’s poise and passion as an actor. Serving as an inspiration to audiences, teachers, and of films to come, To Sir, with Love (1967) is a lesson in walking with grace, …
