You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
Lately I've been posting beautiful photos from across Michigan on Fridays, but I found this gem on YouTube this morning and just had to share it. Enjoy the thrill of heading back in time to the 1940s and getting a peak at what the Detroit Zoo looked like back then. The footage was shot by Fred W. Boegelin and he shot numerous rolls of footage around Detroit during the 40s and 50s.
The old raccoon exhibit was a hoot! There is even a brief sighting of some non-native Wolverines in Part 3. I love the way the movies were put together with descriptions of what was to follow in the next segment. You can tell that Fred was a real film buff and worked hard to get the shots just right.
If video player doesn't appear, watch the video here.
This is Part 2 of this postSomewhere in Time Random Factoids:
Automobiles are not allowed on Mackinac Island (where Somewhere in Time was filmed), but an exception was made for filming. However, use of any automobiles outside of filming was forbidden.
The author of Bid Time Return, Richard Matheson, had a cameo in the film. He was the man Richard Collier bumped into as he left the bathroom after shaving.
This was William H. Macy and George Wendt's (Norm on Cheers fame) film debut.
Somewhere In Time received an Academy Award Nomination for Best Costume Design.
Other than the brief shots of Richard Collier (Reeve) in Chicago, the entire film was shot on Mackinac Island.
Somewhere in Time Soundtrack:
The musical score for Somewhere in Time has also taken on a life of it's own due to the same word-of-mouth that has made the film a cult classic. The timeless music crafted by John Barry has received more praise than the film over the years. Ironically, were it not for his friendship with Jane Seymour he would never have been approached to score the film.
The movie Somewhere in Time is based upon the book, Bid Time Return, by Richard Matheson. With the success of the movie, the book has since been retitled as Somewhere in Time most likely to save on confusion and capitalize on the familiarity of the movie title. A bit of controversy surrounds Matheson's book. His premise for time travel has been said to have been borrowed from Time and Again (absolutely love that book) by Jack Finney. Finney used a similar method for time travel in his book where the main character was surrounded by authentic clothing and items from the time period he wished to travel to – exactly like Richard Collier's character in Bid Time Return and the movie.
In scenes that take place in 1912 on the porch of the hotel you can sometimes see American flags in the background. The flags in the movie have 50 stars. The 50 star flag wasn't adopted until after 1959.
When Richard discovers the old registration book in the hotel attic, he appears to find his signature on the left hand page. When, in 1912, he actually signs the register, he signs on the right hand page.
In 1912, Richard Collier gives young Arthur his ball, and above their heads, you can see the 1980 fire sprinklers in the ceiling.
The 1912 hotel has frosted light bulbs hanging from the ceiling in some scenes. Frosted bulbs weren't around until the 1940s.
Near the end of the movie, C. Reeve is seated at a table on the lawn, and C. Plummer approaches, with the intent of encouraging C. Reeve to leave town. As they are talking, the camera goes back and forth between them. Whenever the camera is focused on C. Reeve, he is enjoying either a full meal or a cup of coffee.
When Richard Collier first arrives in 1912, the woman getting dressed in the hotel room is humming "You Made Me Love You," a song not published until 1913. It was first recorded by Al Jolson in June of 1913. The lady in the hotel shouldn't have known it yet.
This is Part One of a Two Part Post
Long before Michigan started to become a destination for making movies a small budget film was shooting on Mackinac Island. The year was 1979 and fresh off the success of Superman, Christopher Reeve was on the island filming a romantic film with a time traveling twist, Somewhere in Time. This was the second motion picture filmed on Mackinac Island. The first was, This Time For Keeps in 1946.
Somewhere in Time debuted in theaters on October 3, 1980 and only ran for three weeks. The film was panned by critics and were it not for appearing on cable television – it might have faded away into nothing but a memory. Audiences were so taken with the film when it was shown on cable networks that they would call or write to the network requesting that it be run again.
While not an instant classic, it has gained popularity over the years and has gathered a rather extensive fan base. Fans are so devoted to this film they actually celebrate the film every October on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel where much of the movie was filmed. The Somewhere in Time Weekend for 2009 is October 16-18. The name of the Somewhere in Time fan club that sponsors the annual Somewhere in Time Weekend is INSITE – the International Network of Somewhere In Time Enthusiasts.
The special weekend includes a screening of the movie, meet cast and crew from the film, panel discussions, and walking tours of filming locations. For answers to any questions you might have about the weekend and all it entails visit the official INSITE website. To book your stay visit the Grand Hotel website.
It was just announced this September that a Broadway musical is in the works for Somewhere in Time. No timeline for when this might appear onstage, but you can keep up to date at SomewhereInTimeTheMusical.com.
Young writer Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early 1900s, Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour). Becoming more and more obsessed with her, he manages, by self hypnosis, to travel back in time where he meets her. They fall in love, a matching that is not appreciated by her manager (Christopher Plummer). Can their love outlast the immense problems caused by their "time" difference? And can Richard remain in a time that is not his?
Aside from having the niftiest vintage neon sign I have seen in a while - Henry's Hamburgers offers an array of tasty treats served up with a smile. I dropped in a couple weeks ago on the way to take pictures of the waves at the St. Joseph Lighthouse. The basic Brown Bag Special is a double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink for $3.99. It is not merely the "Brown Bag Special" in name only - it actually came in a brown bag :).
I knew the cheeseburger was going to be good when I opened the brown bag and the delicious aroma escaped. In retrospect, I wish I had bought a couple of Brown Bag Specials - it was that good. I'm going to try and head back up there while there is still color on the trees and before (hopefully) the snow flies.
This year, 2009, marks Henry's Hamburgers 50th anniversary of opening for business in Benton Harbor. I've tried finding some hard facts to support my conclusion, but without anything definite I can merely surmise that this is the last Henry's Hamburgers still in operation. While at other old Henry's Hamburgers locations the building still remains - they are no longer operating as Henry's.
Henry’s Hamburgers began as a part of the Bressler’s Ice Cream Company’s efforts to get in on the drive inn business in the 1950’s. In the early 60’s, there were over 200 Henry’s (more stores than McDonalds at the time!) from coast to coast, with the operations headquarters in Chicago, IL.
Don Bishop and Harold Shook opened the Benton Harbor Henry’s in April of 1959, in the new Fairplain Plaza Shopping Center. They established a reputation for service and value, listening to their customers instead of the franchisor, which enabled them to remain in business after the Henry’s chain ceased to be a player in the 1970’s. This was strictly a carryout business until the addition of drive thru service in 1988, which now accounts for over 70% of sales.
Wayne Senecal and Dave Slavicek bought out the Bishop/Shook family in 1983, embarking on a major updating of the facility. The drive thru service system was updated in 1999. With a change of ownership in the Fairplain Plaza and an obsolete building to content with, Henry’s decided to build a new, state of the art “hamburger factory”, almost directly across the street for the original store. Dave Slavicek bought out Wayne Senecal in 2006.
When I heard the weather report Monday morning calling for high winds and possible waves on Lake Michigan of 10-20 feet I felt compelled to drive over to the lighthouse at St. Joseph, Michigan for a closeup look. From the moment I drove through downtown and could just get a peak at Lake Michigan off the top of the bluff I knew it was going to be well worth the trip.
I simply cannot believe it has been 25 years since the Tigers last World Series Championship. In some ways (with all those horrible years) it feels much longer than 25 years and in many others - it just doesn't seem possible. It was an exciting summer back in 1984. The Detroit Tigers roared out of the gate to a record 35-5 record after 40 games on their way to their first title since 1968.
There will be a special ceremony before tonight's game honoring the World Series Champs. Gates will open early at 5pm with special photo opportunities from 5:10pm to 6:10pm. Some of the 1984 Tigers to appear at the game are: Sparky Anderson, Alan Trammell, Guillermo Hernandez, Kirk Gibson, Darrell Evans, Jack Morris and Lance Parrish and many others. You can watch highlights from that magical season at MLB.com.
They were in first place all year, or Wire to Wire as they like to say. Wire To Wire is also the title of a decent (it's not real in-depth, but it brings back a lot of fond memories) book on the 1984 club written by George Cantor. If you want an in-depth look into that magical 1984 season, read "Bless You Boys: Diary of the Detroit Tigers' 1984 Season" by Sparky Anderson.
Speaking of the Bless You Boys (the moniker bestowed upon them by former Detroit sportscaster Al Ackerman) here's the classic 'Bless You Boys' video montage from WDIV:
The 1984 Detroit Tigers Roster:
Pitchers:
Glenn Abbot
Doug Bair
Juan Berenguer
Willie Hernandez
Aurelio Lopez
Roger Mason
Sid Monge
Jack Morris
Randy O'Neal
Dan Petry
Dave Rozema
Bill Sherrer
Milt Wilcox
Carl Willis