Ray Conniff, Herb Alpert, Ray Charles win Grammys 1967

 

Ray Conniff and Herb Alpert won Grammys at the 9th annual ceremony held March 2, 1967.  

The Ray Connniff Singers won Best Performance by a Chorus for their performance of Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago). 

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass won Best Instrumental Performance (Other than Jazz) and Best Instrumental Arrangement for What Now My Love.  The song was nominated for Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

Ray Charles's performance of Crying Time won Best R&B Solo vocal Performance, Male or Female and Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.

Neal Hefti won Best Instrumental Theme for Composing and Arranging for the Batman Theme.

Somewhere My Love by Ray Conniff

"Daredevil" released 2003

Marvel Comics released the first movie to bring its superhero Daredevil to the big screen, February 14, 2003. Daredevil starred Ben Affleck in the title role, with Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Colin Farrell (swoon!) as the supervillain Bullseye, and Michael Clark Duncan as Kingpin.  

The movie opened to mixed reviews and didn't fare as well at the box office as some of the other MCU movies did.  It did hold the #1 spot for two weeks before falling to #3 in the third week.  Afterwards, Ben Affleck vowed that he would never appear in a superhero movie again, but went on to play Batman in several DC movies.

I enjoyed the movie, but felt it could be stronger.  A sequel was planned but never materialized.  Pity.  The second movie is usually better than the first.  For example, X2 and Spiderman 2 (the Toby Maguire versions). 

Bob Kane, co-creator of Batman, born 1915

Bob Kane, born October 24, 1915 in New York City, is best known for his creation Batman.  He had worked in animation and began working in comics in 1936 as a freelance penciler and inker.  After the huge success of Superman, Kane wanted to create his own series and worked with ghost writer Bill Finger for additional ideas, and Batman was born.  Batman's first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in Detective Comics, which would eventually morph into DC Comics.   

Batman has become a worldwide icon, appearing in comic books, television series, and feature films. 

Bob Kane retired from DC Comics in 1966, to focus on fine art, and created television animation characters such as Courageous Cat and Cool McCool.  He passed away in November 1998 in Los Angeles.  He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 2015 for his work in motion pictures. 

"Batman" released 1989

Tim Burton's Batman was released June 23, 1989. Although Michael Keaton starred in the lead role, Jack Nicholson, playing the Joker, got top billing.  The movie also starred Kim Basinger as Vicki Vale and Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent.  Jack Nicholson's take from the movie is rumored to be about $60 million, to date the highest single-movie take for an actor.

Batman won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration. It grossed over $400 million world-wide and broke numerous box office records.

"Batman Returns" released 1992

Batman Returns, the sequel to Tim Burton's blockbuster Batman, was released June 19, 1992 to positive reviews.  It starred Michael Keaton as Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny Devito as the Penguin.  It was the highest-grossing opening for a film at that time.  Jurassic Park beat its record the next year.

It received nominations for two Academy Awards: Best Visual Effects and Best Makeup.  The movie received criticism for its dark nature, violence and sexual references.

"Batman" debuts 1966

Everyone's favorite super-hero show, Batman, aired its first episode Hi Diddle Riddle, January 12, 1966.  The show featured a theme song to which we  know the all words...word, rather and took 'camp' to heights never achieved before or since.  It starred Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo.  Throughout its three season run, a galaxy of stars appeared, such as Frank Gorshin as the Riddler, Cesar Romero as the Joker, Burgess Meredith as the Penguin, and Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. 

Other guests were Vincent Price, Caroline Jones, Bruce Lee, Ethel Merman, Liberace, Roddy McDowall, Joan Collins and Lee Meriwether.

Remember 'some days you just can't get rid of a bomb'?  The shark jumping out of the water and clamping on Batman's leg? 

Wonder Woman episode "The Deadly Toys" airs 1977

I don't know why this is one of my favorite episodes of Wonder Woman, but The Deadly Toys is a lot of fun.  Perhaps its Frank Gorshin as a dirty old man (the Toymaker, but not the Superman villain Toymaker), who makes a life-sized Wonder Woman robot.  One wonders why he really made her.  Hmmm....

Frank Gorshin played the Riddler in Batman, with Adam West and Burt Ward.  He also appeared in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (also with Adam West).  So he's been up against  DC's Big 3!

In The Deadly Toys, Frank Gorshin and John Rubinstein are replacing scientists with look-alike robots so they can create a powerful weapon.  But Diana Prince and Wonder Woman are on to them.

I really liked the scene with the remote-controlled attack plane but couldn't find the clip.

Happy birthday, Adam West!

Probably the most famous Batman of them all!  Adam West was born September 19, 1928.

You think you have it rough?  Some days you just can't get rid of bomb!