Behind the beloved song is a surprisingly sad story — Along with Christmas trees, Santa Claus and presents, Christmas music is an integral part of the holiday season. Christmas songs are inescapable; they can be heard in stores, on television, in seasonal movies and on radio stations, some of which play them incessantly during holiday music marathons. Christmas carols are…

The enduring emotional pull of a 40-year-old blockbuster — 1983 is a year burned into my memory. I was undergoing a major life event: Getting a divorce from my wife and two young children. Terms of Endearment came along in November of that year and the timing was uncanny. I could totally relate to the characters Emma and Flap…

Has the era of “Rockefeller Republicans” been forgotten? — Today’s Republican Party — which many believe has moved permanently to the far right — may have its roots in the 1964 Republican presidential primaries. Barry Goldwater, an ultra-conservative senator from Arizona, won the majority of delegates at the Republican National Convention and became the party’s presidential nominee. …

This perennially popular film originated as a magazine article — Ahhh, Christmas: That magical time of year when lights twinkle everywhere, children anxiously await Santa Claus — and millions of folks watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. This 1989 Christmas comedy has become a legitimate Christmas classic. I know this from personal experience; growing up, my daughter memorized every line of…

The Guess Who was the most notable “Canadian Invasion ” band — Next year will be the 60th anniversary of the renowned “British Invasion.” The Beatles were the first of a long line of Brit bands that, in 1964, overtook the USA pop music scene with admittedly Americanized music. The British Invasion overshadows a musical event of a different sort that occurred…

Timing was everything for Paul Revere & the Raiders — “Now and Then” by the Beatles, and the album Hackney Diamonds by the Rolling Stones, both just released, are vivid reminders of the lasting influence of the British Invasion. When Brit bands invaded the shores of the USA in 1964, the music world was never the same. The British Invasion…

Why the second Bond film set the tone for the entire franchise — As a teenager, I had the distinct privilege of watching the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963), in a movie theater. Like most young testosterone-fueled boys at the time, I was an unabashed Double-0–7 fanatic, breathlessly looking forward to the second Bond adventure after the film introduction…

In 1962, three inmates escaped from “The Rock.” They were never found — Alcatraz was believed to be the world’s most secure prison. From 1934 until the closing of Alcatraz in 1963, fourteen separate escapes by thirty-six men were attempted. Nearly every prisoner who attempted to escape from Alcatraz was caught or didn’t survive the attempt. In June 1962, three inmates succeeded at…

Multi-talented Steve Allen hosted “The Tonight Show” nearly seventy years ago — The world’s longest-running television entertainment series, The Tonight Show, has been on the NBC television network since 1954. Hosted today by Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show was the springboard for a handful of regular hosts, none more celebrated than Johnny Carson, who captained the program for almost thirty years, from…