Lots of activity on the Keener Facebook Page this week. Editor, Jeff Smith, did his usual job of finding fascinating and fun Keenerania for us fans.
The Michigan Central Depot was the centerpiece for a Documentary which ran on July 1 on the History Channel. Ford’s purchase of the iconic structure and their intention to revitalize Corktown as a 1.2-million-square-foot campus for 2,500 employees has drawn praise from every corner of Keenerland. Narrated by actor and Detroit native J.K. Simmons, the program, “pulled no punches, and emphasized the boom and bust of this city,” Gregory Sumner, professor and chair of the history department at the University of Detroit Mercy told the Detroit News. The Depot is one of 12 Detroit renovations currently under way, according to Curbed Detroit.
The Question of the week was “Without saying your age, what is something from your childhood that a younger person wouldn’t understand?” Here are a few answers Keenerfans shared: Jarts, party lines, Twin Pines “worry free home delivery” and just 5 television channels (including Channel 9 from Windsor) were among the contributions.
Keenerfan Gary Plopan instantly got the reference we alluded to in this picture, posted on July 3. It’s a tip of the hat to Roger Miller’s Keener Hit, “King of the Road”. It peaked at number 9 on the WKNR Music Guide the week of February 25th, 1965. Roger charted on Keener with other hits, too, including, Engine #9 and Dang Me. Extra credit if you remember the tune that was number one that week: “Red Roses for a Blue Lady”. Keener played versions by both Vic Dana and bandleader Bert Kaempfert.
Before her Academy Award performances in films like Norma Rae, we remember Sally Field as “The Flying Nun” and “Gidget”. We celebrated July 4th with several photos including this one from Sally’s Gidget incarnation. Wikipedia tells us that the original Gidget was created by Frederick Kohner in a 1957 novel that lead to a number of sequels. There were three films inspired by the character: Gidget (1959), starring Sandra Dee, Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961), starring Deborah Walley and Gidget Goes to Rome (1963), starring Cindy Carol. Sally Field took over the role when Gidget came briefly to Channel 7 on ABC. The show ran from September 15, 1965 until April 21, 1966 when low ratings and an impatient network lead to its demise. ABC would swing the bat one more time, with Karen Valentine in the lead in the telemovie, Gidget Grows Up, in 1969.
And then, there is this photograph of the World’s Largest American Flag, that flew for many years across the façade at Hudson’s. Over 60,000 of you saw this iconic image on the Keener Facebook Page. According to the Detroit Historical Society. “Hudson’s will always be remembered for owning the world’s largest flag, which was draped across the building’s Woodward façade on Armistice Day and other patriotic holidays. The flag was first hung on Armistice Day in 1923 and was later shown off at the World’s Fair in 1939. At 3,700 square feet, the stars were a half-foot tall, and one mile of rope was needed to hang it. The original flag was last displayed in 1949, to be replaced a year later with a new seven-story flag that required 55 men to hang it. After being hung for the final time in 1976, the flag was donated to the Smithsonian Institution.” Even today, there is some dispute about the flag’s size. Keenerfan, Mary Braun, remembered, “My grandmother was five feet tall and I grew up looking at pictures of her friend, just slightly shorter who could fit in the star completely. At an elegant five foot even, my grandmother could not fit completely. So she said.”
A lasting piece of Detroit nostalgia went up in flames, when The Boblo Boat, SS Ste. Claire, caught fire on the Detroit River. Early investigations point to welding activities as a possible spark for the fire. The Ste. Claire and the Columbia together are the last classic excursion boats in the nation, Maritime Historian, Bill Worden, told the Detroit News. “They’re really the last of their type.” How many of us rode the boats to BobLo Island in it’s heyday?
On July 6th, 1964, The Beatles’ film “Hard Day’s Night” opened to positive reviews and great box office. Time magazine rated it as one of the all-time great 100 films, according to Wikipedia. British critic Leslie Halliwell described it as a “comic fantasia with music; an enormous commercial success with the director trying every cinematic gag in the book” and awarded it a full four stars. The film is credited as being one of the most influential of all musical films, inspiring numerous spy films, the Monkees’ television show and pop music videos. The film earned $11 million (over $880 million in todays dollars) on top of a budget of $200,000. A Hard Day’s Night was nominated for two Academy Awards: for Best Screenplay (Alun Owen), and Best Score (Adaptation) (George Martin). The film was a huge hit in Detroit, playing for weeks at Motor City “neighborhood and drive-in theaters”. Judy Phillips Spriggs spoke for many of us when she wrote that she, “Saw it numerous times at the Mai Kai theater in Livonia!”
Speaking of the Beatles, Ringo Starr turned 78 on July 7th. We share this video featuring some of the drummer’s he’s influenced during his career. Born Richard Starkey, Ringo still tours today with his all star band. He’s single handedly responsible for the explosive popularity of Ludwig Drums after percussionists everywhere saw the logo on the front of his kit.
Keener #1s for the week ending June 8th over the years:
(1964) Rag Doll, Four Seasons
(1965) Satisfaction, Rolling Stones
(1966) Wild Thing, Troggs
(1967) Light My Fire, Doors
(1968) Journey to the Center of the Mind, Amboy Dukes
(1969) In The Year 2525, Zager & Evans
(1970) Signed Sealed Delivered, Stevie Wonder
(1971) Smiling Faces Sometimes, Undisputed Truth
And this week’s deep dive into the WKNR Music Guide comes from the week of July 7, 1965. How many of these Keener hits do you remember?
Debuting that week was Lesley Gore’s last big hit, “Sunshine, Lollypops and Rainbows”. Legend has it that a relative of songwriter Marvin Hamlisch was Quincy Jones’ dentist and the doc pitched Marvin’s work while the legendary producer was in the dental chair. The tune was part of the teen film Ski Party. We leave you with Lesley singing the tune in a clip from the film. Look for Dobie Gillis star Dwayne Hickman and teen heartthrob actress Deborah Walley in the shot.
