Pop culture is as American as apple pie. Enjoy the stories behind favorite hobbies, sports, and collectibles.
Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of America’s past.
These stories are about Americans—people just like you—who have made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around the site and find what inspires you.
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Discovering Hollywood’s Homes of the Stars
Last night I attended an event at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, which is located in the Lasky-DeMille Barn, said to be Hollywood’s Oldest Movie Studio. The Barn itself is a separate story that I’ll tell another day. Today I want to write about Mike Oldham, last night’s speaker, because his story is an inspirational story about following your passion.
The topic of the evening was “Movie Star Homes,” a subject on which Mike has written two books: Movie Star Homes: From the Famous to the Forgotten with co-author Judy Artunian and More Hollywood Homes. He began his remarks by explaining that his obsession began as a hobby ten years ago when he started collecting vintage postcards of movie star homes. The postcards featured watercolor drawings of the home and identified the star and the neighborhood (Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica), but some actually printed the star’s full address—something that would certainly give today’s stars pause.
CONTINUE READING…
National Park Week Celebration Continues: The Movies 100 Years Ago
Most of us love going to the movies. Whether we are there to be entertained, enlightened, or to be exposed to other worlds, we love sitting in the darkened theater to “be told a new story.”
Fenway: America’s Most Beloved Ballpark
On April 20, 2012 most of the Boston citizenry will be wearing something that designates them as the loyal Red Sox fans that they are. Tomorrow they will celebrate the centennial their beloved ballpark with a game against the New York Yankees. One hundred years ago on this date they played the New York Highlanders who would later become the Red Sox arch rivals–the New York Yankees. (In that first game, the Red Sox were victorious.)
Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige (1906-1982), Legendary Pitcher
- One of the greatest baseball pitchers of all times
- Great crowd-pleaser who attracted huge audiences wherever he was
Leroy Robert Page was born in Mobile, Alabama to John Page, a gardener, and Lula Page, a domestic worker. John died a few years after their son was born, and Lula changed the spelling of the last name to Paige, perhaps to make a new beginning.
The Nicholas Brothers: Fayard (1914-2006) and Harold (1921-2000)
Magical tap dancers; charismatic performers
The Nicholas Brothers may never have become the household names that Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire became, but they should have. Astaire and Kelly were great dancers; the Nicholas Brothers were even better. In Fayard’s obituary from USA Today in 2006, Gregory Hines notes that if the Nicholas brothers’ life story were ever to be filmed, their dance numbers would have to be computer-generated because no dancer could duplicate them.
The Early Days of Football: Far Removed from the Super Bowl
My grandfather was the quarterback for the University of Colorado in 1917. This photo hangs in our home and never ceases to catch the attention of today’s football fans. (He’s third from the right and his name is misspelled.) And yes, indeed. The garb for the game has changed!
P.T. Barnum, New Details
American Snapshots, my November newsletter on “P.T. Barnum, Promoter Extraordinaire”, provided a few snippets of information about P.T. Barnum, and last week I received an email from friend, author and expert, David Carlyon, Ph.D. Carlyon is not only a theatre historian who has written a book about the very successful 19th century performer, Dan Rice (Dan Rice: The Most Famous Man You’ve Never Heard Of), but he spent the early years of his career working as a clown with the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus.
