Run, Forrest! Run!

Today's History Lesson...the movies

From the humble beginnings of the cinema have been films with memorable movie lines, those that spark moments of happiness, laughter, sadness and tears. Then, there are the movies themselves...the unforgettable ones, the ones we watch time and time again never growing tired of any dialogue, scene, action or romance...Gone With the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), The Sound of Music (1965), Grease (1978), Top Gun (1986), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Titanic (1997), The Pianist (2002) just to name a few. Notice two were mentioned from the 90s and such is decade for the movie on this day in history.

This Day in History: July 6, 1994

Run, Forrest! Run! Forrest Gump, an American epic romantic comedy-drama film opens in US theatres on July 6, 1994. The film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom won Tom Hanks his second Oscar, Best Actor in a leading role. As of July 3, 2014, Forrest Gump ranked 31st in the All-Time Box Office charts.

Did you know...

With every transition of Forrest's age, one thing remains the same- in the first scene of each transition he wears a blue plaid shirt.

Forrest and Dan's Shrimp Emporium "Bubba Gump" is now a themed restaurant in 33 locations around the world in the U.S., Japan, China, Mexico, Malaysia, Philippines and Bali.

Gary Sinise's lower legs were wrapped in a special blue fabric that allowed them to be digitally removed later.

The girl in the school bus with the red hair is Tom Hanks's daughter Elizabeth Hanks. 

Bill Murray, John Travolta and Chevy Chase turned down the role of Forrest Gump. Travolta later admitted that passing on the role was a mistake.

The necklace worn by Lt. Dan is a rosary with a Saint Christopher medal, inscribed "Protect Us In Combat". It was worn in Vietnam by Gary Sinise's brother-in-law, Jack Treese, in 1967-68.

These & so much more found @ Forest Gump (1994) Trivia

 

The movie's line "My Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." was voted as the #40 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

Forrest Gump (1994) Goofs

Forrest Gump (1994) Goofs

How closely do you really watch and listen to a movie? With any movie production, there are always 'goofs'...anachronisms, audio/visual not synchronized, character errors, lack of continuity, errors in geography, factual errors, etc. Most interesting are scenes incorrectly regarded as goofs that the review team decides it best to leave as is. One of the best 'goofs' in Forrest Gump is the obvious revealing mistake (among others) where... 

Dan's first successful shrimp catch after the hurricane where they are emptying their full shrimp nets onto the deck of the boat, the shrimp nets are full of headless shrimp. Shrimp caught in nets are complete animals, and they are processed on the boat after they are dumped, at which time their heads are removed. Shrimp boats do NOT catch pre-processed shrimp from the waters of the gulf.

Truth about the Smiley...

The film suggests that Forrest Gump inspired the happy face logo in the late 1970s. Although there is dispute as to when and who originated The Smiley face (sometime in the mid 1960s) it was being commonly used in the early 1970s by brothers Murray and Bernard Spain, who used the image in a campaign to sell novelty items such as pin back buttons. The smiley face had already passed its peak of popularity by the late 1970s when the film suggests it was first created.

  

Have a nice day! Put on your happy face and make someone smile!

Run, Forrest! Run!

This Day in History: July 6, 1994

Run, Forrest! Run! Forrest Gump, an American epic romantic comedy-drama film opens in US theatres on July 6, 1994. The film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom won Tom Hanks his second Oscar, Best Actor in a leading role. As of July 3, 2014, Forrest Gump ranked 31st in the All-Time Box Office charts.

Did you know...

With every transition of Forrest's age, one thing remains the same- in the first scene of each transition he wears a blue plaid shirt.

Forrest and Dan's Shrimp Emporium "Bubba Gump", is now a themed restaurant in 33 locations around the world in the U.S., Japan, China, Mexico, Malaysia, Philippines and Bali.

Gary Sinise's lower legs were wrapped in a special blue fabric that allowed them to be digitally removed later.

The girl in the school bus with the red hair is Tom Hanks's daughter Elizabeth Hanks. 

Bill Murray, John Travolta and Chevy Chase turned down the role of Forrest Gump. Travolta later admitted that passing on the role was a mistake.

The necklace worn by Lt. Dan is a rosary with a Saint Christopher medal, inscribed "Protect Us In Combat". It was worn in Vietnam by Gary Sinise's brother-in-law, Jack Treese, in 1967-68.

These & so much more found @ Forest Gump (1994) Trivia

 

The movie's line "My Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." was voted as the #40 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

 

Forrest Gump (1994) Goofs

 

The film suggests that Forrest Gump inspired the happy face logo in the late 1970s. Although there is dispute as to when and who originated The Smiley face (sometime in the mid 1960s) it was being commonly used in the early 1970s by brothers Murray and Bernard Spain, who used the image in a campaign to sell novelty items such as pin back buttons. The smiley face had already passed its peak of popularity by the late 1970s when the film suggests it was first created.

  

Have a nice day! Make someone smile!

The Smiley

There is probably not a single one of us who has not at some point in time drawn a smiley face. Fogged-up windows beckon fingers of children and adults alike with the art of the smiley. In fact, that is exactly the source of this whimsical little fellow. Such a simple little icon but when did this button of a smile first appear? Who is its creator? 

In 1994, the Academy Award winning film, Forrest Gump depicted its own version of how the smiley got its start. In one of the scenes when Gump runs across America, he is given a T-shirt from an down-and-out T-shirt salesman. Gump wipes his face, then, hands the T-shirt back to the salesman. The dirt soiled shirt reveals a imprint of what appears to be eyes and a mouth. Thus, the smiley is born. Fact or fiction? This account, of course, is purely fictional but with the movie's setting in the 70s, its appearance was quite apropos. At that time, the smiley was the symbol of peace therefore providing encouragement along with its happy face. 

 
In actuality, there is a connection to a shirt but the smile did not come out of the dirt. The smiley's first appearance in pop-culture was on a sweatshirt as a result of a promotion by New York radio station WMCA in 1962. Much like the iconic smiley it had two dots for eyes but the smile was crooked instead of full and was void of the creases in the mouth. 

Many claimants have stepped forward to register the first smiley. The most popular, which is also considered the iconic smiley, was created by Harvey Ball in 1963. Ball was a freelance artist who created the smiley face to be used on buttons, desk cards and posters. He completed the smiley in less than 10 minutes earning $45 for his design.

Through the years, the smiley has mirrored many faces, happy, sad, loving, mad, quizzical, whimsical, with the list going on and on. There are 2-D versions, those in 3-D, animated and gyrated. Did you know there is even a smiley dictionary?

 

Smiley Faces 

The ubiquitous smiley face, a classic bit of Americana, can be seen almost anywhere: buttons, posters, notes, greeting cards, T-shirts, bumper stickers, jewelry, and key chains, just to name a few. What started out as an ad campaign grew & grew & grew.

A yellow button with a smile
Two dots representing eyes
Satire of a happy day
The image that never dies

Smiley faces in all kinds of places
Over, under, all 'round town
Feeling low, keep your head high
One is surely to be found

 

Two parallel vertical lines
Atop a quarter moon
A circle wrapped all around
Bright as the sun at noon
 

A happy face in a somber place
Warms the hearts of those near
Contagious smiles swiftly abound
Shifting the atmosphere

Two tiny circles round
Above murky shadows that loom
A nifty smiley face
Upon the craters of the moon

Happy faces of sudden smiles
Convey an element of surprise
Pass on a smile in someone's way
Capturing the gleam in their eyes

Muah! Have a nice day! Make someone smile!

Tribute to the Unsung Hero

There are countless nameless heroes throughout history. These are the lesser-known persons who encourage and inspire by example or deed. They are the champions of unrecognized contribution doing what comes naturally without effort, without question, whose bravery is unquestionable, unknown or unacknowledged. They Never, Ever Give Up! They are more often than not considered 'underdogs' who may not rise to the top of the ladder but without whom those at the top would not be where they are today.

December 19 is...

Underdog Day

 Being the underdog isn’t a bad thing. It might mean you have more at stake,
more to prove, more headroom to grow, and more reasons to succeed. 
 ~The Underdogs

For those that may not know, an “underdog” is a person in a competition or other event who is popularly expected to lose or fail. On Underdog Day honor goes to the world’s greatest unsung heroes, runners-up and unlikely winners who have pulled off the unexpected! Remember Susie Simple? How many times have you rooted for the underdog in major league sports event, especially when you didn't have a favored team playing?  

A Bit of 'UnderDog' Trivia...

Originally, an underdog was a shipbuilder who stood in a dark pit and helped to saw planks of wood from beneath whilst the overdog, a supervisor of sorts, sawed the planks from above. The underdog got all dirty and covered in sawdust, yet the overdog got all of the credit for the hard work carried out. The first recorded uses of the term occurred in the second half of the nineteenth century; its first meaning was “the beaten dog in a fight”.  An “underdog bet” was a bet on the underdog for which the odds were always considerably higher.

The most likely places to find innumerable underdogs are in our military, among our firefighters and within the police force. Our service men and women, military and community, give their all on a daily basis without thoughts of 'going for the gold', being the fastest, best or baddest, and becoming rich or famous. Their bravery is the epitome of one being an unsung hero.

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It is inherit for many of us to root for the underdog starting with our love of cartoons and comic books. Popeye the Sailor appears to be no match for Bruno, Superheros become their alter ego in hopes of saving the day (which in their normal state would never happen), and possibly a favorite from the 60s, Underdog himself, whose rhythmic tune stuck in our heads all day long.

The movies that always capture our hearts are those where inevitably the losers become winners in the end. Don't you just love The Karate Kid, Forrest Gump, Rocky and Braveheart! What about the humble sidekicks where the main heroes would not be who they are, and would not have achieved what they achieved, if it wasn’t for the underdogs. Imagine Batman without Robin, Sherlock Holmes without Watson, Lone Ranger without Tonto, Green Hornet without Kato, Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Willow. The list goes on. Not quite the same, right? 

Fact: Life tends to favor the underdog. More often than not, the underdog will try, try, try and try again sometimes realizing countless failures, few successes. After all, Life = Risk. One doesn't lose to say, "I quit. I'll only lose next time." When one loses one says, "I'll practice more. Try harder. Next time I may win."

If there's a contest or competition scheduled around the holidays, make sure to become involved but remember to root for the underdog!

*****

Next on the Calendar...Stay tuned!

Where were you in '52?

Today's History Lesson...the movies

Sometimes it takes only one movie...just one...to kick start the careers of film actors and directors. Then, the movie itself goes on to become a classic, an American icon. These are the films that truly bring back the memories as you stroll down memory lane revisiting the scenes and listening to the music of the era!

This Day in History: August 11, 1973

The 50s - Rockin' in the 50s, Rollin' Too! and the 60s - The decade that changed a nation proudly claim eras of their own. None ever like either one, none to ever be again. Both are definitely iconic America. Today in history marks the opening of not only one of the most nostalgic movies of all time, American Graffiti, but also launched the careers of Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford, as well as the future Oscar-winning film maker Ron Howard. If that was not enough, because of the movie's overwhelming success, it enabled the film's director, George Lucas, to get his next movie made, the mega-hit Star Wars (1977). We all know where that led!

American Graffiti was the first in a series of movies and television shows that evoked nostalgia for the more carefree days of the 50s and early '60s and the iconic cars that defined the era. Within both decades evolved some of the greatest music of all time. And what is a movie without an awesome soundtrack?

It’s the soundtrack, man, the soundtrack. This, the best film George Lucas ever “directed,” felt like it was birthed from a kid’s subconscious before the world became a darker (read: Kennedy assassination) place. Hearkening back to his nights as a bored teenager in Modesto, California, Lucas’s homage to his youth takes place over one summer night in 1962, when all you had to do was slick back your hair, roll some cigs into your t-shirt sleeve, and drive your bitchin’ car up and down the main drag. The real star, though, was the faux radio station’s soundtrack that played non-stop through the entire film. It made Wolfman Jack a household name, and created a resurgent interest in everything ‘50s (including, for better or worse, the creation of Happy Days).
Source: Pretty Cleaver Films

American Graffiti: A Step Back in Time

41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of
American Graffifi

The Real Stars of America Graffiti: The Cars

Terry the Toad and the Impala
 Played by Charles Martin Smith

 John Milner’s ’32 Deuce Coupé
Played by Paul Le Mat 

 The Blonde in the T-Bird
Played by Suzanne Somers

American Graffiti was just the beginning. In 1975, Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic, a company that has provided cutting-edge visual effects to a long list of films, including the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones films, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Men in Black and the Harry Potter movies. Source: History.com

Let's rock, let's roll, let's go to the movies...watch the classics!

American Graffiti

This Day in History: August 11, 1973

The 50s - Rockin' in the 50s, Rollin' Too! and the 60s - The decade that changed a nation proudly claim eras of their own. None ever like either one, none to ever be again. Both are definitely iconic America. Today in history marks the opening of not only one of the most nostalgic movies of all time, American Graffiti, but also launched the careers of Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford, as well as the future Oscar-winning film maker Ron Howard. If that was not enough, because of the movie's overwhelming success, it enabled the film's director, George Lucas, to get his next movie made, the mega-hit Star Wars (1977). We all know where that led!

American Graffiti was the first in a series of movies and television shows that evoked nostalgia for the more carefree days of the 50s and early '60s and the iconic cars that defined the era. Within both decades evolved some of the greatest music of all time. And what is a movie without an awesome soundtrack?

It’s the soundtrack, man, the soundtrack. This, the best film George Lucas ever “directed,” felt like it was birthed from a kid’s subconscious before the world became a darker (read: Kennedy assassination) place. Hearkening back to his nights as a bored teenager in Modesto, California, Lucas’s homage to his youth takes place over one summer night in 1962, when all you had to do was slick back your hair, roll some cigs into your t-shirt sleeve, and drive your bitchin’ car up and down the main drag. The real star, though, was the faux radio station’s soundtrack that played non-stop through the entire film. It made Wolfman Jack a household name, and created a resurgent interest in everything ‘50s (including, for better or worse, the creation of Happy Days).
Source: Pretty Cleaver Films

American Graffiti: A Step Back in Time

The Real Stars of America Graffiti: The Cars

Terry the Toad and the Impala
 Played by Charles Martin Smith

 
  

 
John Milner’s ’32 Deuce Coupé
Played by Paul Le Mat 

 

 The Blonde in the T-Bird
Played by Suzanne Somers

American Graffiti was just the beginning. In 1975, Lucas founded Industrial Light & Magic, a company that has provided cutting-edge visual effects to a long list of films, including the Star Wars series, the Indiana Jones films, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Men in Black and the Harry Potter movies. Source: History.com

Let's rock, let's roll, let's go to the movies...watch the classics!

Unsung Heroes

There are countless nameless heroes throughout history. These are the lesser-known persons who encourage and inspire by example or deed. They are the champions of unrecognized contribution doing what comes naturally without effort, without question, whose bravery is unquestionable, unknown or unacknowledged. They are more often than not considered 'underdogs' who may not rise to the top of the ladder but without whom those at the top would not be where they are today.

December 19 is...

Underdog Day

 Being the underdog isn’t a bad thing. It might mean you have more at stake,
more to prove, more headroom to grow, and more reasons to succeed. ~The Underdogs

For those that may not know, an “underdog” is a person in a competition or other event who is popularly expected to lose or fail. On Underdog Day honor goes to the world’s greatest unsung heroes, runners-up and unlikely winners who have pulled off the unexpected! Remember Susie Simple? How many times have you rooted for the underdog in major league sports event, especially when you didn't have a favored team playing?  

A Bit of 'UnderDog' Trivia...

Originally, an underdog was a shipbuilder who stood in a dark pit and helped to saw planks of wood from beneath whilst the overdog, a supervisor of sorts, sawed the planks from above. The underdog got all dirty and covered in sawdust, yet the overdog got all of the credit for the hard work carried out. The first recorded uses of the term occurred in the second half of the nineteenth century; its first meaning was “the beaten dog in a fight”.  An “underdog bet” was a bet on the underdog for which the odds were always considerably higher.

The most likely places to find innumerable underdogs are in our military, among our firefighters and within the police force. Our service men and women, military and community, give their all on a daily basis without thoughts of 'going for the gold', being the fastest, best or baddest, and becoming rich or famous. Their bravery is the epitome of one being an unsung hero.

t

It is inherit for many of us to root for the underdog starting with our love of cartoons and comic books. Popeye the Sailor appears to be no match for Bruno, Superheros become their alter ego in hopes of saving the day (which in their normal state would never happen), and possibly a favorite from the 60s, Underdog himself, whose rhythmic tune stuck in our heads all day long.

 

The movies that always capture our hearts are those where inevitably the losers become winners in the end. Don't you just love The Karate Kid, Forrest Gump, Rocky and Braveheart! What about the humble sidekicks where the main heroes would not be who they are, and would not have achieved what they achieved, if it wasn’t for the underdogs. Imagine Batman without Robin, Sherlock Holmes without Watson, Lone Ranger without Tonto, Green Hornet without Kato, Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Willow. The list goes on. Not quite the same, right? 

Fact: Life tends to favor the underdog. More often than not, the underdog will try, try, try and try again sometimes realizing countless failures, few successes. After all, Life = Risk. One doesn't lose to say, "I quit. I'll only lose next time." When one loses one says, "I'll practice more. Try harder. Next time I may win."

If there's a contest or competition scheduled around the holidays, make sure to become involved but remember to root for the underdog!

*****

Next on the Calendar...Stay tuned!