Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

TV fans the world over mourned the passing of Larry Hagman, who succumbed after a long, hard-fought battle against cancer on Friday, November 23rd. Rarely does an actor get to create an iconic role in his or her career, whether in television or film, but Larry created two. From 1965 to 1970, he played the nice guy, easygoing Major Tony Nelson on the beloved sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. Then from 1978 to 1991, he did a complete about-face and gained TV immortality as the nasty oil baron John Ross (J.R.) Ewing on the soap opera Dallas. Both of these diverse roles made Larry popular with millions of TV fans around the globe.

Although he garnered his greatest fame from television, Larry also had a distinguished career in movies. His film resume includes Fail Safe (1964), Harry and Tonto (1974), Superman (1978), JFK (1991), Nixon (1995), and Primary Colors (1998). Here are a few facts you may not have known about one of TV's all-time greats, Larry Hagman.

* He was the original anti-smoking crusader. Long before it became fashionable to campaign against cigarettes, Larry was a staunch crusader against the evils of smoking. As a teenager, a girl offered Larry a feel of her breast if he's smoke a cigarette. Being a guy, Larry couldn't resist her offer, but he hated the experience of smoking and never smoked another cigarette for the rest of his life. He was to become a virulent anti-smoking advocate and was the chairman of the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smoke-Out."

* He had eclectic tastes. Larry lived life to the fullest. His many hobbies included collecting canes, hats, and flags. He was a devout art collector and also loved motorcycles, especially his beloved Harley. He also enjoyed skiing, fishing, sailing, backpacking, and touring around in his custom-designed motor home. In one of Hollywood's longest-ever marriages, Larry and his wife of 58 years, Maj, lived in a home in Ojai, California, which they called "Heaven."

* He was in the Air Force before he became Major Nelson. Yes, everyone knew him as Major Nelson on I Dream of Jeannie, but Larry had actually served four years in the U.S. Air Force (1952-1956). He spent most of his time in the service stationed in England, staging, performing in, and directing shows for his fellow servicemen.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

On August 4, 1999, Victor Mature died at age 86 in Rancho Santa Fe, California. He was the first male Hollywood star to be dubbed a "hunk." The term "hunk" was a direct response to the many years where actresses and starlets had been asked to display their charms. This was referred to as "showing some cheesecake." You can see this in many old films from the '30s and '40s, where the leading lady will be asked to lift up her skirts a little, so the reporters can see a "little cheesecake."

The term "cheesecake" referred to a woman (an actress or model) showing her legs off, much to the delight of male photographers and spectators present, who would whistle and make sly "guy comments." This practice is not used anymore, except in satire. Political correctness, of course, set in as well as the much more revealing clothing worn by countless women we see not only in movies and TV, but also in society at large.

After many years, it was realized that there was no male counterpart to "cheesecake." Hence, the "hunk" …of beefcake. In a much cruder comparison, the term "hunk" was also thought to counteract its feminine counterpart: a cute girl = a "piece." The term "hunk" probably is more a derivation of "piece" than anything else. Interestingly, the term "cheesecake" seems now to be dated and almost archaic, but both "hunk" and "piece" are still going strong in the vernacular for men and women, respectively.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Okay, I know many of you haven't seen the new Steven Spielberg film Lincoln yet. I saw it myself last week, and yes, it really is a great film. Steven Spielberg directing Lincoln -isn't that the very definition of a "must see" picture? Well, here are a handful of facts you may not have known about the movie Lincoln, with no spoilers. That's right, go ahead and read, because this list contains no spoilers.

* Steven directed the entire three-and-a-half month production in a suit and tie. "I think I wanted to get into the role more than anything else," he said. "Because we were creating a part of history, and I didn't want to be the shlubby baseball-cap-wearing 21st century guy. I wanted to be like the cast."

* Steven addressed everyone in the cast by their character name. At all times during the shoot, Daniel Day-Lewis was addressed as "Mr. President" by the director. Sally Field was addressed as either "Mrs. Lincoln" or "Molly." Every other cast member was addressed as his or her character.

* On the daily call sheet, the part of Abraham Lincoln was listed as being played by "Abraham Lincoln." Daniel Day-Lewis' name was never mentioned.

* Describing playing Lincoln, Daniel said, "I never, ever felt the depth of like for another human being that I never met, and that's, I think, probably the effect Lincoln had on most people that take the time to discover him. I wish he had stayed [with me] forever."

* The original choice to play Abraham Lincoln was Daniel Day-Lewis, "8 or nine years ago." He turned the role down. Then Steven considered Liam Neeson. Neeson agreed and waited a few years for the script to be developed, but by the time it had come together, he turned the role down, thinking he was "too old." Then it came back to the original choice of Daniel Day-Lewis, who finally agreed.

* Once Daniel decided on the voice he wanted to use while playing Lincoln, he sent an audiotape of it to Steven with a skull and crossbones on it so no one but Spielberg would hear it.

* Abraham Lincoln's executive mansion was recreated to the letter for the film. Lincoln's office was duplicated, including the same wallpaper and books Lincoln used. The ticking of Lincoln's watch in the film is the sound of Lincoln's real watch, which was recorded in its home at Lincoln's presidential library.

* Hal Holbrook, who plays Francis Preston Blair, won an Emmy award for playing Abraham Lincoln himself, in the 1974 miniseries Lincoln. He also played Lincoln in the North and South miniseries and on The Ed Sullivan Show.

* Sally Field desperately wanted the role of Mary Todd Lincoln, but Steven thought she was too old (she is ten years older than Day-Lewis and twenty years older than Mrs. Lincoln at the time the film took place). It wasn't until Daniel Day-Lewis personally agreed to screen test with her (he flew out for the test from his home in Ireland as a favor) that Steven saw the film and agreed to give her the role.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Without question, the most misunderstood political campaign song in history is Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." Used in countless political rallies over the past 25 years, Springsteen's classic rock song is considered by many to be the ultimate "All-American" song. Many fist-pumping, beer-drinking fans at baseball games all over America have sung along with the tune's catchy chorus, not realizing the true meaning of Springsteen's popular tune.

All-American tune? Quite the contrary, Springsteen's song is an angry diatribe against America's treatment of Vietnam veterans. It also deals with the effects the war had on America, and would seem to be, at least partially, about a friend (or friends) of Springsteen's who had been killed serving in the war (although the lyric in question may be hypothetical; see the third verse below).

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
*
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
*
I had a brother at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

"Born in the U.S.A." was initially written in 1981. It was recorded in 1982 in New York. It was to be the first song on the title track of Bruce's Born in the U.S.A. album. The album (and the song, the first written for the album) were both smash hits. The album went multi-platinum, selling 18 million copies. The song became an instant classic, is huge popularity attributed, in part, to the fact that the song is hymn to the greatness of America.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Sometimes in the history of great films, a great film is not initially appreciated as such. As examples, we have The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, and It's a Wonderful Life, three of the most beloved American movies of all time, all of which laid a gigantic egg at the box office upon their initial release. And it was with perhaps the greatest of all the wonderful films left to us by that wonderful comedy team known as the Marx Brothers.

Duck Soup was the boys' fifth film, coming in the wake of four straight box office smashes by the team. Their previous film Horsefeathers was Paramount Studios' biggest hit of the year. According to most sources, Duck Soup was such a failure at the box office it almost bankrupted Paramount. In fact, after Duck Soup's failure, the Marx Brothers were released by Paramount Studios and were looking for work for several months. At least two other sources dispute the "massive flop" story and while admitting that Duck Soup wasn't as big a hit as their other films, claim it still did alright at the box office. According to one source, it was actually the sixth highest-grossing film of 1933. Whatever.

The film, upon release, received very mixed reviews and, whatever its actual success monetarily, was considered a failure and a disappointment by many, to the extant that many actually believed the Marx's movie career was over after its initial run.

Duck Soup underwent several rewrites before shooting and had several different planned titles, including Ooh La-La, Cracked Ice, Grasshoppers, and Firecrackers before Duck Soup was finally settled upon.

Harpo recalled the filming of Duck Soup to be the most depressing job he ever experienced. Someone kept bringing a radio to the set and everyone would listen to the speeches of Adolf Hitler, the new Fuhrer of Germany, during the shoot, bringing everyone down. This type of atmosphere would hardly seem conducive to such a hilarious and brilliant comedy. Go figure.

Duck Soup contains many classic Marx brothers moments, although it is a rare Marx Brothers movie with no piano interlude by Chico and no harp solo by Harpo. But Margaret Dumont, the greatest straight woman in comedy history, was back to take the constant barrage of insults from Groucho. The fourth Marx Brother, the always-questionable Zeppo, makes his last thankless appearance in Duck Soup. Zeppo was to become a Hollywood agent after Duck Soup, finally refusing to face the great indignity of being regarded as the "unfunny one" of the team. Oddly, Duck Soup is actually Zeppo's smallest role of his five Marx Brothers films. By this time, I guess poor Zeppo had been almost completely reduced to being an afterthought.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

The classic song "Hound Dog" was released in 1952 and was number one on the charts for seven weeks. Yes, that was 1952. Okay, before you jump the gun, let me tell you, this original version of "Hound Dog" had nothing to do with Elvis Presley. The first version of "Hound Dog" was recorded by a 25-year-old African-American rhythm and blues singer named Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. The song was a smash hit and sold almost two million copies. Sadly, "Big Mama" Thornton hardly collected any of the profits she rightfully deserved.

(YouTube link)

Alright, now lets skip up to the spring of 1956. A young rock and roll singer named Elvis Presley was the hottest act in show business. The hip-shaking Elvis already had number one records and albums and was selling out live concerts all over America. But the red-hot Elvis was currently experiencing his first bit of comeuppance.

In April of '56 Elvis committed to a two-week booking in Las Vegas at the Venus room of the new Frontier Hotel. Elvis was declared a flop by Las Vegas audiences and critics alike, playing nightly to half-bored adults who failed to fall under his spell as their teenaged kids had. Being a flop in Las Vegas (or anywhere) is no fun, and after giving a less-than-spectacular show to a less-than-enthused crowd one night, Elvis drifted over to another hotel to take in a show.

The group onstage was Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. They gave their own version of Willa Mae's "Hound Dog," a more souped-up, rockier version. Elvis broke up when he first heard the funny song with its strange lyrics. Soon, Elvis was coming to see Freddie and his Bellboys every night, and yes, every time they sang "Hound Dog," Elvis would crack up hysterically.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Jimmy Nicol was an adept and professional 24-year-old drummer who had played with several British bands and on many recording sessions. Jimmy, a well-respected journeyman musician, had recently formed a new band in 1964 called The Shubdubs. Ordinarily, all this would probably never meant a hill of beans to anyone but Jimmy's friends, relatives, bandmates, and girlfriend -but things were to take a very abrupt change in the life of Jimmy Nicol. He was about to skyrocket from total obscurity to becoming one of the most famous people on the planet Earth.

On June 3, 1964, Ringo Starr, the Beatles' ultra-popular drummer, collapsed and was hospitalized from a severe and sudden case of tonsillitis. The Beatles, the four most popular and famous human beings in show business (or any other business), were on the eve of their next tour, taking in Australia, Holland, Denmark, and Hong Kong. Frantic, the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein huddled with their producer George Martin.

The "canceling the tour" option was obvious, but that would result in thousands of disappointed fans, not to mention millions of lost pounds. The Beatles were approached with the idea of embarking on their tour without Ringo, using a fill-in drummer instead. John and Paul were surprisingly agreeable and accepted the idea readily. It was George Harrison who refused. "If Ringo's not going, I'm not going,"said George firmly. "You can find two replacements." Finally, after much persuasion, George gave in.

Jimmy Nicol received a phone call from out of the blue, midday on June 3, 1964. "I was having a bit of a lie down after lunch when the phone rang," said Jimmy. After what must have been the most surreal phone call of his life, Jimmy Nicol drove to the Beatles' office, rehearsed quickly with the boys, and was packed and ready to leave for Australia.

When Jimmy's fee was discussed, Brian offered £2,500 and a £2,500 bonus up front. "Good God," chimed in perennial agitator John Lennon. "You'll make the chap crazy. Give him £10,000!"

Jimmy Nicol was going to be the new drummer for the Beatles. "I got no sleep that night," remembered Jimmy (you think?). Now one-fourth of the Fab Four, Jimmy arrived with his mated in Melbourne the next day. On June 4, 300,000 fans lined the streets and greeted the Beatles as they were driven from the airport to their hotel. (As an interesting bit of Beatle trivia, this crowd was to be the biggest to ever see the Beatles. It is quite ironic that Ringo was not there to share the experience.)

His hair now combed down into a semi-Beatles moptop, Jimmy hopped up on his drum kit and drummed on that night's Melbourne concert, undoubtedly realizing that just a few hours ago, if he had dropped off the face of the Earth, a handful of people would have been affected or cared. Jimmy wore Ringo's suit (the pants were too short). Paul recalled, "He was sitting up on his rostrum eyeing all the women." The Beatles' usual concert set of eleven songs was clipped down to ten, as Ringo's trademark song "I Wanna Be Your Man" bit the dust.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer was the most famous and popular member of the Little Rascals comedy shorts series. Several generations grew up watching these funny, talented kids in dozens of short subjects in the 1930s. (Note; the series was originally called Our Gang and was later changed to The Little Rascals, which is how most fans refer to it today.) These black-and-white films enjoyed a whole new life in television in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and even now the classic shorts are seen by countless new generations on video and DVD (Image left: Wikipedia)

Producer Hal Roach (who also produced the classic Laurel and Hardy films) produced dozens of Little Rascals and Our Gang comedy shorts throughout the depression years of the 1930s. They starred very talented kids with names like Spanky, Buckwheat, Froggy, and girl heroine and sometimes love interest for the boys, Darla Hood.

Like Curly of the Three Stooges, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer quickly rose above his young co-stars in terms of popularity. Alfalfa received fan mail from kids all over the world. According to one "Hollywood legend," Alfalfa was once mobbed by a big group of fans, while nearby, Clark Gable stood by unnoticed.

With his too-tight suit, freckles, and slicked-down haircut (complete with high cowlick), Alfalfa became a true Hollywood icon. Although he played an immensely likable character in the comedy shorts, in real life Alfalfa Switzer was no angel. According to co-star Darla Hood, "Alfie once put fish hooks in Spanky's back pockets and poor Spanky had to have stitches placed on his tush."

Another time, "Alfie put an open switchblade in his pocket and tricked Darla into into putting her hand in his pocket on the pretense that he had a ring for her from a Crackerjack box. She almost lost her fingers." On one occasion, to get back at a rude cameraman, Alfalfa had the kids all chew big wads of gum. then he took the combined wads and put them inside the man's camera.

According to other kids in the Our Gang cast: "Alfie would not pay attention to his school lessons in Mrs. Fern carter's class. He'd be kept after school often and kept everyone waiting on the set of the films."

Spanky told of Alfalfa's most dangerous prank: "We were filming one day and the scene called for the kids to show their own movie on a process screen. The rear projection system and the lights (with a thousand watts per bulb) were taking a long time to set up, so Alfie decided to use his time by going behind the screen and peeing on the bulbs. This is extremely hazardous, for even spitting on those bulbs is tantamount to setting off a series of bombs. The lights exploded and filled the studio with a tremendous stench. Everyone had to be taken off the set as the crew and director fixed the bulbs and cleaned up the mess Alfalfa created that day."

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Let's take a look at some of the most famous mustaches in history …and their owners.

Groucho Marx

Groucho was the greatest and funniest comedian in movie history (at least in my humble opinion). Groucho always wore a fake crepe mustache in the Marx brothers act during their early years in Vaudeville. But one day he was late for a performance and, in a hurry, he just slapped on some greasepaint instead. The laughs came in, just as usual, so Groucho decided to stick with the easier-to-apply greasepaint.

When the boys hit the movies, the studio executives wanted Groucho to get a real-looking mustache. But Groucho stuck with the obviously-fake greasepaint and audiences all over the world never seemed to care. The Marx Brother were always surreal anyway, and the fake mustache seemed to fit right in.

It was only in the very last Marx Brothers movie Love Happy (1949) that Groucho finally sported his real facial hair.

Groucho Marx and Marilyn Monroe in Love Happy. (YouTube link)

Clark Gable

Although every movie fan thinks of Clark Gable with his trademark mustache, he did several films early in his career sans the 'stache. It wasn't until 1932's Strange Interlude that Gable first made the ladies swoon with his new mustache. Gable's own personal favorite of all his films, Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) features a clean-shaven Clark Gable. He was nominated for an Oscar for the role, too.

But after the mustachioed Rhett Butler swept Scarlet O'Hara (and a few million other ladies) off their collective feet in Gone With The Wind in 1939, the idea of Gable without a mustache became utterly unthinkable.

Adolf Hitler

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Humphrey Bogart appeared in some 75 movies during his legendary career from 1930 to 1957. He is, in my own opinion, the greatest actor in motion picture history. His performances in Casablanca, Beat the Devil, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and dozens of others are brilliant, unique, and unsurpassed. My favorite Bogart film is definitely Key Largo (1948).

Today, I think only the great Jack Nicholson and maybe Robert De Niro can ever approach Bogart's greatness as a film actor. One of the many things that made Bogart so great was his incredible ability to play both a very ethical, upright, honest "good guy" and a craven, unethical, immoral "bad guy."

Probably the single most asked question regarding Humphrey Bogart is "Why did he talk that way?" Bogart had a trademark lisping way of speaking, caused by a scarred-up area of his mouth.

The stories of just how Bogart got his trademark lisp number about a half-dozen. The first is that he got the lip scars from a beating his father, the very strict Belmont Bogart, gave him as a child. Supposedly this walloping occurred when he was a young boy. "Because his dad beat him" is the explanation Darwin Porter uses in his excellent biography The Secret Life of Humphrey Bogart.

Later, Bogart told his friend David Niven that his lip scars were caused by "a childhood accident." Was Bogart trying to cover up for his father when he gave this obtuse explanation? Another version of the lisp cause is that Bogart caught a large wooden splinter in his lip at the age of 12.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Was there ever a stranger, more unique, or more lovable movie star than Harpo Marx? Adolph Arthur Marx (later Harpo) was born in New York City in 1888. He got his famous nickname in a casual poker game in 1914 -it was given to him because (of course) he played the harp.

Because Harpo never spoke in his films, many people, to this day, believe he was actually mute. Groucho said one of the questions he was asked most often was, "Could Harpo talk?"

The answer is a definite "Yes."

Harpo started out in Vaudeville with his brothers, in a singing act called The Four Nightingales. He sang, not good, but yes, he did sing. Groucho said Harpo sang "if you call growling singing."

At one Vaudeville gig, Harpo's singing was so bad, the theater owner offered to pay him $5 for "not singing" in the act! He continued to speak in the Marx Brothers' act as it slowly developed into a comedy act, with much less emphasis on songs and singing.

Around 1907 or 1908, after one performance, a local reviewer wrote an article to the effect of: "The Marx Brother who plays the dumb guy is great, but the effect is lost when he speaks."

Around this time, Harpo's uncle wrote a new sketch for the brothers, but he only wrote three lines for Harpo in it. When Harpo complained to Uncle Al, he was dismissed, and said, "Well, maybe I won't talk at all!" It was meant as a threat, but Uncle Al liked the idea.

Harpo's voice, in real life, was actually very rich and full, much like his older brother Chico's. Harpo, being a New Yorker, pronounced "turkey" as "toikey," "hamburger" as "hamboiger," and "girls" as "goils." This may have been another reason for Harpo adopting his "mute" character -his deep New York-accented voice was too great a contrast with Harpo's sweet, innocent stage character.

Interestingly, Harpo does "speak" in a silent movie in which he made a brief appearance in 1925 called Too Many Kisses. Harpo plays a boob, and has one line: "You sure you can't move?"

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

It was 1969 and The Beatles, although still brilliant as musicians and as a recording group, were on their last legs. But the band still owed one film on a long-ago signed contract with United Artist films. Let It Be was originally planned as a television documentary, but later became the contract-fulfilling film the Beatles needed to be over and done with it all.

By this time, John had found the great love of his life, the woman of his dreams, the enigmatic Yoko Ono, and the sad truth was he just didn't care much about being a Beatle anymore. Also, John's growing drug use, especially his current experimentation with heroin, definitely added to his growing disenchantment, paranoia, and hostility.

George's attitude about being a Beatle was about the same -if not worse. George, at the point in time, was eager and anxious to get out from under the collective thumbs of John and Paul. Frustrated at always being the fifth wheel in the band as a composer, George was seemingly always taking a back seat behind the daunting combination of Lennon-McCartney.

And George was not enamored of John's beloved Yoko, either. In fact, in a moment of characteristic bluntness one day, George actually came up to Yoko's face and told her she had "bad vibes" and tactlessly informed her that he really just didn't like her at all. John later said he didn't know why he didn't punch George for his careless statements, but tellingly, he admitted he "still loved him."

Ringo, as always the most easygoing Beatle, came along for the ride.

And Paul, seemingly the only band member who still cared about being a Beatle, became the group's de facto leader, rallying the troops and getting the Fab Four in front of the cameras. In direct contrast to the lethargy and apathy of John and George, Paul seemed chipper, eager, and optimistic to make Let It Be a great Beatles project.

Filming began on January 2, 1969, at a chilly (literally and figuratively) Twickenham Studios. For the first few days, as John and George grumbled and complained, Yoko sat firmly by John's side, almost as if they were conjoined twins. According to one witness, Yoko even accompanied John to the men's restroom. Between takes of every song, John and Yoko would huddle up together to whisper, gossip, and giggle. This, of course, only added to the increasingly frosty atmosphere.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

Athletes, like most other people, are praised, admired, and rewarded for things they have done. It is a rare thing when an athlete (or anyone) is rewarded for not doing something. But not doing something was to be the defining moment in the legendary baseball career of the immortal Sandy Koufax.  

It was the autumn of 1965 and, as usual, the World Series was to be played. That year's fall classic pitted Koufax's National League champs, the L.A. Dodgers, against the American League champs, the Minnesota Twins.

By 1965, Sandy Koufax was the undisputed best pitcher in baseball. He had won 26 games that season, losing only eight, and led the league in earned run average. On September 9th, he had pitched his record 4th no-hitter, a perfect game, against the Chicago Cubs.

Koufax also set a new season strikeout record, whiffing an amazing 382 batters in 336 innings pitched. It was a mere formality that Sandy would win his second Cy Young Award after the series (he won unanimously). Another formality was that Sandy Koufax, baseball's greatest pitcher, would pitch the opening World Series game in Minnesota.

Oh yes, I have neglected to mention one other highly pertinent fact: Sandy Koufax was Jewish. And game one of the World Series was scheduled to be played on Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish holiday of the year. Yom Kippur is the Jewish Day of Atonement, when followers are asked to fast (no food or water) for 25 hours to repent for one's transgressions of the previous year.

Sandy wasn't a super-religious Jew. He often pitched on other Jewish holidays- Rosh Hashanah, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. In his 1966 autobiography Koufax, Sandy said, "Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish religion. The club knows that I don't work that day. When Yom Kippur falls during the season, which it usually does, it has always been a simple matter to pitch a day earlier, with two days rest, when my turn happened to be coming up." Dodger manager Walt Alston had been criticized in previous years for not keeping abreast of Koufax and the days Jewish holidays occurred. In 1962, a fan sent him a calendar with the Jewish holidays marked.

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

"Green figs, plain yogurt, and coffee -very black." James Bond orders breakfast in To Russia With Love (1963).

1. The First Academy Awards Banquet (May 1929)

Terrapin Soup
Jumbo Squab Perigeaux
Lobster Eugenia
L.A. Salad
Fruit Supreme

2. Elvis Presley Meets The Beatles (August 27, 1965).

In rock music's greatest summit meeting, the Fab Four met The King at Elvis's home, Graceland. Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager was present, as well as members of both entourages. Elvis' then-girlfriend, Priscilla, also made a brief appearance. Elvis and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, served the Beatles:

Broiled chicken liver wrapped in bacon
Sweet and sour meatballs
Deviled eggs
Cracked crab
Cold Cuts
Fruit and cheese  

3. The Apollo 11 Moon Mission (July 1969)

Among the various dehydrated food and beverages Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Jr. and Michael Collins dined on during the Apollo mission were:

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Ham Salad Sandwiches
Scalloped Potatoes
Peas
Bacon squares
Sausage Patties
Chicken Steak
Fruitcake Cubes
Bite-size Brownies
Pineapple Cake
Fruit Punch
Coffee (for the first time, astronauts were allowed to consume coffee)
Orange Drink (not Tang)

Neatorama presents a guest post from actor, comedian, and voiceover artist Eddie Deezen. Visit Eddie at his website.

It was the spring of 1966 and Capitol Records, the Beatles' U.S. record distribution company, wanted to issue a hodgepodge of recycled and leftover Beatles product and issue it as a "new album." For the record (no pun intended), the Beatles always hated this cheesy procedure. The Beatles were not only great artists and musicians, but also perfectionists. They, unlike so many other recording artists, refused to ever foist off a cheap or downgraded product to their fans. Unlike other artists, on Beatles albums, there were no cheap "filler" tracks; each track was strong and relevant in its own right.

The Beatles had issued just six actual official albums by this time, but this was to be Capitol's ninth of their recycled hodgepodge collection "albums." These chintzy repackaged albums did indeed infuriate the Beatles, but their ruffled feathers were surely assuaged by the millions of dollars (or pounds) they collected from these cheap products, both as singers and composers (mostly John and Paul).

Capitol asked the band to give them a photo to grace the cover of this new collection album, to be titled Yesterday ...and Today. On May 25th, 1966, the boys entered the rented photography studio of an Australian photographer named Bob Whitaker.

Whitaker was "a bit of a surrealist" who greatly admired a German artist named Hans Bellmer. Bellmer had authorized a then-controversial book called Die Puppe, which contained pictures of bizarrely dismembered dolls. Knowing of the Beatles' short attention spans and hoping to create something new and original, Whitaker showed the boys the "interesting" props he had gathered together for the session. These consisted mainly of items culled from a butcher shop and a doll factory, i.e. white butcher smocks, lines of pungent sausage links, a birdcage, joints of raw meat, and several dismembered dolls.

The Beatles quickly got into the spirit of the session. Bizarre photos were taken of George hammering a nail into John's head, John holding George's head in a birdcage, all four holding a string of link sausages in front of a young girl, and John clutching a cardboard box with the number "2,000,000" written on it over Ringo's head. But the piece de resistance was yet to come.