"Batman" TV Show Premiered January 12, 1966

Today marks 60 years since Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward, premiered on ABC. The guest villain was the Riddler (Frank Gorshin).  

The show was an immediate hit. I have the record album of the main theme and music cues from the show.

Above, the record album from the show that's in my collection.

I had mentioned this before, but my last happy memory of my maternal grandfather was when he came over for dinner a week later and laughed his head off at the opening credits cartoon of Batman and Robin. The guest villain for that was the Penguin (Burgess Meredith). My grandfather passed away few weeks later on February 12. 

14 years ago, I did see Adam West at a Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles. I didn't meet him but I did take a photo of him (below).

Above, Adam West at the 2012 Comikaze Expo in Los Angeles. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Batman comic book from DC Comics was in trouble and on the verge of being discontinued. But the television show did revive the comic book's sales, so it was not dropped. 

It is incredible how some memories persist sixty years later. 

60th Anniversary of Japan's Bullet Train

Above, the first Shinkansen train I rode in 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Introduced just a few days before the 1964 Tokyo Olympic games, Japan's Shinkansen (bullet train) was introduced into service with the Tokaido Line between Tokyo and Osaka.

This year marks 60 years since that event and bullet trains serve passengers with more lines around the country. The country will celebrate this milestone this coming Tuesday.

Above, a Shinkansen's car interior. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

I have been on several bullet trains over the years including the aforementioned Tokaido Line and routes to Sendai, Fukuoka and Sendai. The ride is so smooth that its speed is not noticeable until the train passes one going the opposite direction and the air cushion between them hits.

Above, a Shinkansen arrives at Atami Station in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

.Here's a video from British Pathé:

 

Here's a video from the Film Archive of Japan:

 

"Goldfinger" Is 60 Today

Above, a 1964 French poster.

Today marks 60 years since (arguably) the best James Bond movie, Goldfinger, was released. Goldfinger had its world premiere in London's Leicester Square on 17th September 1964, according to an email I received from the 007 Store. It opened in the U.S. on December 22, 1964.

I saw the movie with my parents and two friends in downtown Torrance, California. I think the theater's name was the Stadium Theater. I was already familiar with James Bond after having seen a double-feature of Dr. No and From Russia With Love the year before.

The movie starred Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Frobe and Harold Sakata. 

This marked a beginning of "Bond Mania", at least among our group. One bought the Goldfinger soundtrack album, which we played to death.

G-FEST Day 2

Above, Jessica Tseang, Toshio Miike and interpreter Mariko Horikawa. Photo by Armand Vaquer. 

Right now, I am taking a breather from walking around G-FEST and attending this morning's sessions on the 60th anniversary Mothra vs. Godzilla (also known as Godzilla vs, The Thing), an interview with production designer Toshio Miike and an interview with Rie Ota, who played Baragon in Godzilla, Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. 

While attending the Toshio Miike interview session, J. D. Lees and I caught up on the latest happenings in the world of kaiju and other stuff.

Naturally, I took some photos of the various proceedings, most of which are for G-FAN.

Above, the Mothra vs. Godzilla session attendees. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Jessica Tseang and Rie Ota. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ford Celebrates The Mustang's 60th Anniversary

Above, the 1989 Mustang LX in the garage with my other "toys". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Ford Mustang is celebrating its 60th anniversary. 

The Mustang is one of those rare cars that one can still immediately identify it. Cars nowadays all look like each other as if they came from the same cookie cutter. I can look at a vintage photo of 1950s cars and can tell which is a Ford, a Buick, an Oldsmobile, a Chevrolet and so on. Those were the days when cars had style.

I still drive my late dad's 1989 Mustang LX on a Fox chassis. It was his last car and I really don't see the need to spend $24k and up for a new car. It is a 4-cylinder with a manual 5-speed transmission. It loves the open highway.

KABC-AM's "Motorman" Leon Kaplan has advocated that if one has an older car that runs and looks good, why spend money on cars that cost hundreds of dollars just to diagnose a problem with all their computers and other gizmos. 

I have been approached twice in the last month by people asking me if I want to sell the Mustang,

Fox Business has an article on the 60th anniversary of the Mustang. They go through the evolution of body styles of Mustangs over the years.

They begin it with:

Ford Motor Co. celebrated the Mustang's 60th anniversary on Wednesday with the pony car now in its seventh generation, having become an icon of the American auto industry.

The Ford Mustang debuted April 17, 1964, at the New York World's Fair and has carved out a unique legacy in the decades since its launch, even as its features have changed over time.

"Mustang has stylistically and performance-wise been a vehicle that appealed to the masses — anybody who wants a cool-looking car that goes fast, Mustang is there for you," Ford Heritage Brand Manager Ted Ryan told FOX Business.

They refer to the Fox body (or platform) Mustangs (1979-1993) as the third generation. 

To read the article, go here.

60 Years of "King Kong vs. Godzilla"

Above, Universal's cheesy U.S. poster.

Sixty years ago yesterday, Toho's King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) was released in the U.S. by Universal Pictures on June 26, 1963.

It was a heavily-edited version that really did an injustice to the original Japanese version. But, at least it was released theatrically around the country. It was the first Godzilla movie I saw on the big screen. 

Above, looking south on Vermont Avenue, the Balboa Theater can be seen center left, early 1950s.

During its run, my parents took two friends and I to go see it at the Balboa Theater in Manchester/Vermont section of Los Angeles (the shopping area there got hit hard two years later during the Watts Riots of August 1965). It was the second feature to the John Ford/John Wayne comedy, Donovan's Reef. We sat up in the balcony.

After closing down, the Balboa Theater was used as a mosque. Currently, it is being used as a production studio. 

Above, the Balboa Theater in the 1970s.

For us, it was a night of brawls. First, between John Wayne and Lee Marvin and then between King Kong and Godzilla.

Here's the Universal teaser trailer:

Back then, it was inconceivable to me that I would eventually interview actress Akiko Wakabayashi, know THE Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima and meet actor Kenji Sahara, all stars of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

Caroline Munro In Her Own Words

Actress Caroline Munro discusses her experiences as Naomi in 1977's James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me.

Above, Caroline Munro with yours truly at Monsterpalooza, April 2012.

James Bond Day Celebrating 60 Years of 007

Today marks 60 years since Dr. No, starring Sean Connery, premiered on October 5, 1962. Each October 5, it is James Bond Day around the world.

I first viewed Dr. No a year or so later on a double bill with From Russia With Love with my parents and have been hooked ever since.

From 7HOFM (Australia):

Bond. James Bond.

He’s the most famous spy in the world who really needs no introduction, but we couldn’t resist including that famous line.

And October 5 every year is Global James Bond Day to show our love for 007!

The date of James Bond Day comes from the World Premiere of the first James Bond film, Dr No, in 1962, in which Sean Connery played 007.

60 years of Bond

This year marks the 60th anniversary of James Bond franchise, and a fabulous highlights video was played at this year’s Academy Awards to celebrate.

It’s a terrific reminder of what makes James Bond so enthralling after so many decades and was a particularly wonderful tribute for Bond actors Sean Connery who died in 2020 and Roger Moore who died in 2017.

By the way, the "Bond. James Bond" line was not in the original Dr. No script. Sean Connery came up with it.

To read more, go here. 

60th Anniversary of "King Kong vs. Godzilla"

Today marks 60 years since King Kong vs. Godzilla by Toho Co., Ltd. was released in Japanese theaters.

The movie holds the record for box office receipts in Japan at 11.2 million tickets during its initial theatrical run.

It was premiered in the United States on June 26, 1963 in New York City by Universal Pictures. It was the first Godzilla movie I saw in a theater. I saw it co-billed with Donovan's Reef at the Balboa Theater in Los Angeles.

Here's the official Japanese trailer:

KOA's Future: "Luxury and Rustic"?

Above, the Beaver, Utah KOA office. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

KOA Kampgrounds (or Kampgrounds of America) is celebrating 60 years this summer. It is one of the "big dogs" in the camping and recreation industry.

I first heard of KOAs back in the late 1960s by the security guard at Hawthorne High School. He was an older gentleman and we used to hang out with him at his truck and smoke during lunch periods. He mentioned camping and KOA Kampgrounds. 

It appears that KOA is moving towards luxury camping as well as rustic camping. RV Travel wonders if the two can co-exist. 

The posted an article that begins with:

KOA is marking its 60th anniversary this summer, long enough to become the camping industry’s big dog. Over those six decades it has grown from a string of mom-and-pop campgrounds in the country’s northern tier into a web of 540 RV parks, campgrounds and glamping parks across the United States and Canada, 40 of which are company-owned and the rest owned by franchisees. KOA is big enough and has been around long enough, in other words, that when it speaks about the state of the industry, others lean in to listen.

All of which have made Toby O’Rourke, the company’s president and CEO, a much-sought-after speaker within RVing circles. Sometimes she appears at events with a ream of statistics gleaned from KOA’s ongoing market research—statistics compiled in response to the questions KOA feels are important. Sometimes she simply talks about the industry’s future, telling reporters how she sees the industry evolving and how she envisions KOA responding. Because of her position, and because she’s smart and articulate, O’Rourke’s analysis and pronouncements carry extra heft. And because KOA is such a dominant presence in the industry, when it banks either left or right, the industry overall tends to do likewise.

To read more, go here. 

Buddy Holly Remembered 60 Years Later

A sad anniversary is commemorated today in an article from Lubbock, Texas.

It was 60 years ago that Buddy Holly was killed in a plance crash in Clear Lake, Iowa during a snowstorm.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal wrote:

In his brief, meteoric career, Buddy Holly changed the world and forever put Lubbock, Texas, not in the rear-view mirror but firmly on the radar of so many who would follow in his footsteps of innovation and inspiration. Today, Feb. 3, reminds us of what Don McLean in the iconic musical ballad “American Pie,” referred to as “the day the music died.” 

It was 60 years ago that a plane carrying Holly, J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper), Ritchie Valens and pilot Roger Peterson crashed into an Iowa cornfield shortly after takeoff from the Mason City airport in the face of inclement weather. Holly, who was already having a significant impact on the national music scene, was only 22. It is not inconceivable that had the plane crash not cut his life short, Holly could still be with us today. 

The style and substance of Holly’s life is chronicled elsewhere in today’s edition. We’ve also taken the step of re-creating part of the front page of that day’s Lubbock Evening Journal that broke the tragic story of Holly’s death to the community. We hope you enjoy today’s package of information for its value as entertaining information and also as a nostalgic reminder of Holly’s outsized place on the landscape of Lubbock history.

To read more, go here. 

60 Years: The Million Dollar Quartet

Above, the Million Dollar Quartet at the Sun Studio soda fountain. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It's funny. No sooner than when I visited Sun Studios in Memphis last month, an anniversary of an event that took place there is being noted. I am currently on Graceland's mailing list and they sent me and email on the anniversary. The jam session took place on December 4, 1956.

According to a Gates of Graceland video at posted at YouTube three days ago:

The Million Dollar Quartet - Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash - jammed at Sun Studio 60 years ago this month. Elvis' date for the jam session, Marilyn Evans Riehl, chats with host Tom Brown about what it was like to attend that jam session. Marilyn talks about how she met Elvis in Las Vegas, what it was like to meet Elvis' family, the famous jam session and how her story was lost over time. Learn more about Elvis Presley's career when you visit Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee! Make your plans now at Graceland.com.

Above, the Million Dollar Quartet is shown on the outside of Sun Studio. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In Sun Studios, the Million Dollar Quartet is celebrated with a huge photo of the group at the soda fountain and CDs of the jam session are being snapped up by visitors. I also bought one.

Be sure to watch this video on the story behind the jam session!

60 Years of Japan, As Told By Godzilla

Above, the Godzilla statue in HIbiya, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since World War II, Japan has gone through many phases over the past seven decades.

The 1950s saw reconstruction of the country following the end of World War II. 1960s saw Japan become an economic powerhouse (becoming the world's number 2 economic power) with optimism for a bright future. The 1970s saw Japan deal with pollution and the energy crisis. Japan's economic bubble began in the 1980s, only to have it burst in the 1990s.

Through these times, Godzilla movies reflected the times and many of the issues Japan faced, and Jim Ballard of SciFi Japan TV puts them all together in an article at GaijinPot. The article looks at these eras as seen through Godzilla's eyes for his 60th anniversary, "60 Years of Japan, As Told By Godzilla."

To read the article, go here.

Godzilla Music Festival and Screening To Celebrate 60th Anniversary

Another event is going to take place to celebrate Godzilla's 60th anniversary in Japan.

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —It’s hard to believe that Godzilla is celebrating his 60th birthday this week. The original black-and-white film was released on Nov 3, 1954, and has since then spawned a whole franchise of subsequent movies and become a recognizable pop culture icon across the world. 

To commemorate everybody’s favorite havoc-wreaking monster, a full screening of the original 1954 film accompanied by a live orchestral performance of the musical score will be held on Sunday, January 18 next year at Tokyo’s NHK Hall. What better way to ring in the new year than with a blast from cinematic history past?

It might be worth a trip to Tokyo to catch this event.

To read more, go here. 

Godzilla Anniversaries

Above, Godzilla and producer Shogo Tomiyama unveil Godzilla's
star on the Walk of Fame in 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla reached 60 yesterday. The occasion, although noted among fans and some media outlets, was a far cry from the hoopla that took place ten years ago this month when the 50th anniversary of Godzilla was celebrated. Godzilla opened in Japanese theaters on November 3, 1954.

This is quite understandable as the 50th anniversary of anything is generally noted for being a half-century old, time-wise.

Back in 2004, Godzilla's 50th anniversary was celebrated by the premiere of the last Japanese-produced Godzilla movie, Godzilla Final Wars at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The Hollywood celebrations also included a Godzilla Final Wars float that traveled down Hollywood Boulevard at the Hollywood Christmas Parade and the unveiling of Godzilla's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The unveiling was led by the then-Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, the late Johnny Grant.

Above, the Godzilla Final Wars float in Hollywood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There was also a major exhibit in the town of Koriyama, Japan (said to be Eiji Tsuburaya's hometown) of Godzilla artifacts in 2004. The exhibit was called "Since Godzilla."

This year, Toho Studios got into the 60th anniversary spirit yesterday as a ceremony was held before the new Godzilla mural at the studio. Nearby, a man-sized Godzilla statue stands near the Toho Studios main entrance.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward honored Godzilla on Nov. 3 as one of its most globally recognized citizens during a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the fictional prehistoric monster's big screen debut. 

The award ceremony took place at Toho Studios in the ward’s Seijo district, where most of the Godzilla movies were filmed. The long-running franchise is one of the world's most popular movie series. 

At the event, crowds looked on as Setagaya Mayor Nobuto Hosaka presented Minami Ichikawa, the director of the board at Toho, with a certificate. Also on hand was an actor in a Godzilla suit, no taller than the mayor, who appeared with the two in front of a 14-meter-high wall featuring a giant mural of the popular creature.

 To read the full article on yesterday's event at Toho Studios, go here.

GODZILLA TURNS 60!

As it is now November 3 in Japan, today marks 60 years since Toho Co., Ltd. released Godzilla to the movie-going public in Japan.

Godzilla was filmed during the hot summer months (between August and October) of 1954 and was released to Japanese theaters on November 3, 1954. About 9.6 million Japanese bought tickets to see the movie that year, which is remarkable as Japan had a population of 88 million at the time. That means over 10% of the population went to see Godzilla.

The release of Godzilla ushered in the beginning of the daikaiju eiga (giant monster movie) genre in Japan.

Godzilla went on to make many more movies, including this year's blockbuster by Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. (which has made $525 million in worldwide box office receipts).

Now's the time to raise a glass and toast the King of the Monsters on his 60th anniversary!

G Expo Tokyo Godzilla

Above, illustration of G Expo to be held in Shibuya Hikarie.

A Godzilla exhibition is being held in Shibuya starting tomorrow, G Expo Tokyo Godzilla, to celebrate 

Godzilla's 60th anniversary and the upcoming opening of Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros. Godzilla on July 25.

Here's a rough translation of an article on the expo at Zakzak.co.jp:

Finally, "Revealed G Expo Tokyo Godzilla" begins with Tokyo Shibuya Hikarie from the 20th tomorrow. To commemorate the 60th anniversary / Hollywood version of new movie Godzilla birth the "GODZILLA" published, is a big exhibition of Godzilla-related. Let me introduce in its entirety.

Godzilla appeared in the silver screen for the first time in November 1954. 2014 this year after time 60 years later, GODZILLA is born in the United States Hollywood, and came back to the screen in a new form. Godzilla series that has been produced in 60 years, a total of 30 work of 28 work of Japan, two works of the U.S. version. Exhibition look back on the history of the 60-year's "G Expo". 

To see the article at Zakzak, go here. 

Pure Gold Godzilla Statuette

Above, the gold Godzilla statuette. Source: Wall Street Journal.

Attention Godzilla collectors!

To commemorate Godzilla's 60th anniversary, a Tokyo-based jeweler will be offering a pure gold statuette of the monster.

Kyodo News reported:

The operator of a Tokyo-based jewelry store chain will begin taking orders Sunday for a pure gold statuette of Godzilla priced at 150 million yen, commemorating the 60th anniversary of the original Japanese film's release. 

Tanaka Kikinzoku Jewelry K.K. will take orders for the statuette at its nine outlets with production expected to take about two months. Fifteen kilograms of pure gold will be used in each statuette. 

The statuette measures around 24 centimeters in height, 19 cm in width and 35 cm in length.

In case you're wondering what the conversion of 150 million yen to U.S. dollars is, here's today's rate of exchange:

 150,000,000.00 JPY  = 1,477,290.80 USD  

I know a number of Godzilla collectors who'd love to get their hands on a pure gold Godzilla statuette. I just doubt they have the extra cash to buy one.

I guess we can call it "Goldzilla"?

To read more, go here. 

"King Kong vs. Godzilla" On Toho Video Blu-ray

CD Japan is releasing the 60th anniversary edition of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) Blu-ray on July 16.

The item's description:

Sixtieth anniversary release of tokusatsu series "Godzilla." 16 titles are released as Blu-ray format. Comes with an anniversary logo sticker. This edition features a film "King Kong Tai Godzilla." 

Special Feature / Bonus Track: teaser, trailer, 10-sheet poster, stills, audio commentary

The price is ¥4700 (U.S. $46.14).

Along with King Kong vs. Godzilla, CD Japan will be releasing other Godzilla movies on Blu-ray on July 16. Each are 60th anniversary Toho Video editions. They are: Godzilla Raids Again, Godzilla x Mecha Godzilla, Godzilla 2000 Millennium,  Son of Godzilla, Godzilla x Mothra x Mecha Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Godzilla vs. Mothra, Terror of Mechagodzilla, Mothra vs. Godzilla and Destroy All Monsters. Each are ¥4700 ($46.14).

For details on King Kong vs. Godzilla, go here.

How The Yomiuri Shimbun Got The "Lucky Dragon No. 5" Scoop

Above, the forward deck of the Lucky Dragon No. 5. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The 60th anniversary of the Lucky Dragon No. 5 incident will be marked next month. Japan is planning a commemoration ceremony in Tokyo.

The Yomiuri Shimbun's The Japan News posted an article on how the story on the irradiation of the tuna fishing trawler was broken.

They wrote:

Sixty years ago, Mitsuyasu Abe, a second-year staff writer at The Yomiuri Shimbun's Yaizu Regional Reporter’s Office, was the first to report on the exposure of the Fukuryu Maru No. 5 to radiation from the hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll. But Abe had to thank his landlady for the tip that led to the world-shaking scoop. 

Abe, who died in 2000 at the age of 70, was at a police station in Shimada, Shizuoka Prefecture, on March 15, 1954, to gather information on the murder of a girl, when his landlady, Misa Kobayashi, called him to say that a tuna fishing boat seemed to have been irradiated in a nuclear test. 

Abe turned to other reporters and said with surprise in his voice, “My father has come from my hometown.” He used this tactic to leave the police station by himself.

To read the full story, go here.