Waldina
1,139 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago -Become a Paid Subscriber: https://anchor.fm/waldina/subscribe
Transcriptions of the daily blog Waldina. We celebrate people, places, and things that inspire us. We celebrate classic radio plays.
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Episodes
Happy 95th Birthday Christine Jorgensen
May 30, 2021 17:04 - 4 minutes - 2.65 MBToday is the 95th birthday of Christine Jorgensen. When confronted with people’s opinions about the gender identities of others, I often claim that they are the bravest people we will ever meet. Think about it. If how you felt on the inside didn’t match how you looked on the outside and you chose to dress and alter yourself to align those two more closely, but in doing so, in making yourself feel more whole, you are going to get stares and snickers every time you left your house. All day...
Happy 112th Birthday Benny Goodman
May 30, 2021 16:59 - 17 minutes - 9.85 MBToday is the 112th birthday of the musician and band leader Benny Goodman. Whenever I hear his music, I think of my grandparents. The hight of his popularity coincided with them being the age of dating and just married, going to dances that played popular music. He represents the time between the two wars that was full of hope, prosperity, youth, vibrancy, jazz and optimism. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. Song: Sing, Sing, Sing by...
Happy 104th Birthday John Fitzgerald Kennedy
May 29, 2021 15:00 - 43 minutes - 25.1 MBToday is the 104th birthday of the 35th president: JFK. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. Attached is JFK's "Peace Speech" given at American University on June 10, 1963 This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/29/happy-104th-birthday-john-fitzgerald-kennedy/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
"Only Angels Have Wings" Lux Radio Theatre - May 29, 1939
May 29, 2021 14:47 - 1 hour - 26.7 MB"Only Angels Have Wings" Lux Radio Theatre - May 29, 1939 Staring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Rita Hayworth, and Richard Barthelmess. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
"Old Acquaintances" Lux Radio Theatre - May 29, 1944
May 29, 2021 14:47 - 1 hour - 24.1 MB"Old Acquaintances" Lux Radio Theatre - May 29, 1944 Staring: Alexis Smith, Miriam Hopkins, Otto, Kruger, Robert Bailey, and Gloria Fischer --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 127th Birthday Dashiell Hammett
May 28, 2021 01:14 - 1 hour - 24.9 MBToday is the 127th birthday of the man that wrote some of the best detective novels of the early 20th century: Dashiell Hammett. A lot of them went on to become very popular films that I am sure you know. His contribution to the film noir genre is tremendous. When I was living in San Francisco, I would walk by 891 Post Street every time I went to the gym. There is a literary landmark plaque on the side of the building entrance that I would read little bits of as I passed. The world is a ...
Happy 64th Birthday Siouxsie Sioux
May 28, 2021 01:06 - 9 minutes - 6.36 MBToday is the 64th birthday of the singer Siouxsie Sioux. Amongst my group of high school friends, all the girls wanted to be her, half the boys wanted to be with her, and the other half also wanted to be her. She was so punk, so badass, and so beautiful. Her music is part of the soundtrack of my life. The world is a better place because she is in it. Song: Hong Kong Garden This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/27/happy-64th-birthday-siouxsie-sioux/ ---...
Happy 110th Birthday Vincent Price
May 28, 2021 00:59 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBToday is the 110th birthday of Vincent Price. I think my first exposure to him was probably the Hawaiian episodes of the Brady Bunch, followed next by the Michael Jackson “Thriller” music video. I have since made up for the lack of well-rounded knowledge. I actually have a copy of “The Bat” on this very computer, as well as the original “House on Haunted Hill.” Even last night, I listened to a radio episode of “The Saint” he did in the early 1950s. The world is a better place because he...
Boom! (1968)
May 27, 2021 00:37 - 3 minutes - 3.25 MBFifty-three years ago today, the film Boom! premiered. Take Elizabeth Taylor, add Richard Burton and Noel Coward, mix in a screenplay written by Tennessee Williams based on a play by Tennessee Williams, music by John Barry (think James Bond themes), and even that hat she wears is designed by Karl Lagerfeld (for Tiziani of Rome). This movie does not fuck around, it is insane screaming over the house intercom and slapping the servants. It’s having a cocktail while getting a blood transfusion....
Happy 126th Birthday Dorothea Lange
May 27, 2021 00:35 - 5 minutes - 3.07 MBToday is the 126th birthday of one of the world’s most recognizable photographers: Dorothea Lange. The images that she captured of the dustbowl during the Great Depression change politics and policies and the hearts and minds of anyone fortunate enough to view them. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/26/happy-126th-birthday-dorothea-lange/ --- Send in a...
Happy 208th Birthday Ralph Waldo Emerson
May 26, 2021 01:14 - 6 minutes - 5.97 MBToday is the 208th birthday of poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. The world is a better place because he is in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/25/happy-208th-birthday-ralph-waldo-emerson/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 139th Birthday Marie Doro
May 26, 2021 01:11 - 7 minutes - 4.22 MBToday is the 139th birthday of the stage and silent film actress Marie Doro. Huge worldwide fame, then walked away from all of it and went into hiding. I adore a recluse. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/25/happy-birthday-marie-doro/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
The Thin Man (1934)
May 25, 2021 23:53 - 1 hour - 28.2 MBEighty-seven years ago today, the film The Thin Man premiered. This is by far one of my very favorite movies for a multitude of reasons, it is a screwball comedy murder mystery written by a master and performed by masters. I remember the first time I watched it and how quickly I sought out it’s five sequels. It lead me to going to a small revival movie house every Friday for six weeks to see them all in a theater. You must watch this film. I have attached The Thin Man radio play below. Lux ...
Happy 151st Birthday Ynes Mexia
May 25, 2021 01:15 - 6 minutes - 3.58 MBToday is the 151st birthday of the botanist Ynes Mexia. She is considered one of the most successful botanists and plant collectors of her time, and she didn’t begin her career until she was 55 years old. Second acts and longevity are running themes of inspiration here and her story of it never being too late is great. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/24/hap...
Happy 93rd Birthday Rosemary Clooney
May 23, 2021 15:03 - 3 minutes - 2.22 MBToday is the 93rd birthday of the actress and singer Rosemary Clooney. She had a big bold voice, a quick wit, a longevity envied by many, and a legacy that endures. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/23/happy-93rd-birthday-rosemary-clooney/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 91st Birthday Marisol
May 22, 2021 17:01 - 3 minutes - 1.82 MBToday is the 91st birthday of the artist Marisol. Her pieces are so completely original and beautiful. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/22/happy-91st-birthday-marisol/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 177th Birthday Mary Cassatt
May 22, 2021 17:00 - 7 minutes - 4.13 MBToday is the 177th birthday of artist Mary Cassatt. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/22/happy-177th-birthday-mary-cassatt/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 56th Birthday Venus Xtravaganza
May 22, 2021 16:57 - 3 minutes - 3.26 MBToday is the 56th birthday of the performer Venus Xtravaganza. She has arguably some of the best and most-quoted reads in Paris is Burning. Her murder at 23 years old put a spotlight on the murders of trans women, at least it did for me. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/22/happy-56th-birthday-venus-xtravaganza/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcast...
Happy 162nd Birthday Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
May 22, 2021 16:55 - 9 minutes - 5.21 MBToday is 162nd the birthday of the author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. His characters of Holmes and Watson have been entertaining the world for over one hundred years. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://waldina.com/2021/05/22/happy-162nd-birthday-sir-arthur-conan-doyle/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 91st Birthday Harvey Milk
May 22, 2021 16:52 - 7 minutes - 4.06 MBToday is the 91st birthday of the activist and humanitarian who said “It takes no compromise to give people their rights…it takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression.” Harvey Milk. His contribution to the American equality dialogue is still felt today. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post: http://wa...
Happy 114th Birthday Sir Laurence Olivier
May 22, 2021 16:48 - 10 minutes - 6.24 MBToday is the 114th birthday of the actor Sir Laurence Olivier. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Springtime in the Rockies - May 22, 1944 - Lux Radio Theatre
May 22, 2021 16:34 - 42 minutes - 17.2 MBSpringtime in the Rockies - May 22, 1944 - Lux Radio Theatre Staring Betty Grable and Dick Powell. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 177th Birthday Henri Rousseau
May 22, 2021 01:25 - 3 minutes - 2.28 MBToday is the 177th birthday of the artist Henri Rousseau. The world is a better place because he was in it still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 119th Birthday Marcel Breuer
May 22, 2021 01:22 - 8 minutes - 5.04 MBToday is the 119th birthday of the designer and architect Marcel Breuer. I guarantee you have sat in a chair he designed or at least in one inspired by one he designed. They are beautiful. He is a big name in Mid Century Modern and Brutalist styles. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 104th Birthday Raymond Burr
May 22, 2021 01:20 - 9 minutes - 5.72 MBToday is the 104th birthday of the actor Raymond Burr. He played Lars Thorwald in Rear Window and I am not even sure he had any lines, but was nevertheless frightening. He played Perry Mason and Robert T. Ironside, two of the best TV detectives of the 60s and 70s. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Pulp Fiction (1994)
May 22, 2021 01:08 - 8 minutes - 8.02 MBTwenty-seven years ago today, the film Pulp Fiction premiered at Cannes Film Festival. It was nominated and won so many awards that year, do you remember how good it is? You have to see this film (again). This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 111th Birthday Jimmy Stewart
May 21, 2021 02:50 - 58 minutes - 20 MBToday is the 111th birthday of Jimmy Stewart. Chances are that one of your favorite classic movies also happens to be one of his. Some of my favorites of his are: After The Thin Man, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, The Philadelphia Story, Rear Window and The Man Who Knew Too Much. I could have gone on naming more, I could have just copied his IMDB listings and it would have been accurate. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. Lux Rad...
Happy 75th Birthday Cher
May 21, 2021 02:21 - 10 minutes - 7.42 MBToday is the 75th birthday of Cher. Love her or love her, there are any number of reasons you love her more, any decade that you love more, any humanitarian cause you love more, but you love her. She is bad ass at everything she does, be it a Vegas show that would kill performers half her age or calling into C-SPAN to support body armor for our troops. You love her, it is in our American DNA to love her. The world is a better place because she is in it. Song: If I Could Turn Back Time ...
Happy 73rd Birthday Grace Jones
May 20, 2021 01:15 - 13 minutes - 10.7 MBToday is the 73rd birthday of the absolutely ageless Grace Jones. I first experienced her when she and Adam Ant made a Honda Elite Scooter commercial. I thought they were both the coolest people I had ever seen. I still think they are. The world is a better place because she is in it. Song: I'm Not Perfect by Grace Jones This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 91st Birthday Lorraine Hansberry
May 20, 2021 01:08 - 4 minutes - 2.78 MBToday is the 91st birthday of the playwright Lorraine Hansberry. She wrote one of the most significant plays of the 20th century. Her contribution to the American experience is so extremely valuable. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 96th Birthday Malcolm X
May 20, 2021 01:04 - 10 minutes - 6.28 MBToday is the 96th birthday of the Civil Rights Activist Malcolm X. He is quoted as saying: The future belongs to those who prepare for it today. and You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/mes...
Happy 80th Birthday Nora Ephron
May 20, 2021 00:31 - 5 minutes - 5.25 MBToday is the 80th birthday of the undeniably brilliant Nora Ephron. Her list of things she will and won’t miss after she dies is heartbreaking, centering, and hilarious. The world is a better place because there was a Nora Ephron. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 124th Birthday Frank Capra
May 19, 2021 00:12 - 6 minutes - 3.46 MBToday is the 124th birthday of the man who directed unarguably some of the classic of classic films from the golden age of Hollywood: Frank Capra. With a Capra film, you are guaranteed to be entertained and most likely learn a lesson or be reminded of humanity in some form. We have watched It’s a Wonderful Life every year on Christmas for as long as I can remember, it is part of a lot of family’s tradition. My other two very favorite Capra films are Arsenic and Old Lace and It Happened One...
May 17, 2015 Swing Years and Beyond
May 18, 2021 02:07 - 53 minutes - 49.9 MBSwing Years and Beyond May 17, 2015 This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 71st Birthday Howard Ashman
May 18, 2021 01:57 - 9 minutes - 8.49 MBToday is the 71st birthday of the playwright and lyricist Howard Ashman. He contributed to some of the most successful Disney animated films. Jeffrey Katzenberg claims there are two angels watching down on them that put their magic touch on every film they made. Those two angels are Ashman and Walt Disney himself. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://...
Happy 110th Birthday Maureen O’Sullivan
May 18, 2021 01:51 - 7 minutes - 4.27 MBToday is the 110th birthday of the beautiful actress Maureen O’Sullivan. The first film I saw her in was also one of my favorite all-time films: The Thin Man. She had Mia Farrow, Prudence Farrow (the woman behind The Beatles’ “Dear Prudence”) and five other children. She was Jane in all the Tarzan films. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcast...
Happy 123rd Birthday Tamara de Łempicka
May 16, 2021 16:02 - 13 minutes - 7.51 MBToday is the 123rd birthday of the artist Tamara Łempicka. Her Art Deco paintings are immediately recognized and widely adored. Her art was forgotten and rediscovered, and is now gaining huge auction prices. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 109th Birthday Studs Terkel
May 16, 2021 15:58 - 7 minutes - 4.23 MBToday is the 109th birthday of writer and broadcaster Louis “Studs” Terkel, born in the Bronx, New York . His family moved to Chicago when Terkel was 10 years old and his parents ran rooming houses. Terkel remembers all different kinds of people moving through the rooming houses — dissidents, labor organizers, religions fanatics — and that that exposure helped build his knowledge of the outside world. Why are we born? We’re born eventually to die, of course. But what happens between the tim...
Happy 116th Birthday Henry Fonda
May 16, 2021 15:55 - 13 minutes - 7.82 MBToday is the 116th birthday of the actor Henry Fonda. Attempting to name a few films of his that are great is leaving too many off the list. The Grapes of Wrath and The Lady Eve are two that come to mind immediately. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 103rd Birthday Liberace
May 16, 2021 15:52 - 6 minutes - 3.64 MBToday is the 103rd birthday of the showman with the most showmanship there ever was: Liberace. He got people listening to classical piano music, perhaps initially dazzled and intrigued by what he was wearing, they still listened. He once said, “Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.” Those are words to live by, words I live by. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the lost that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- ...
Gigi (1958)
May 15, 2021 15:43 - 7 minutes - 4.19 MBSixty-three years ago today, the film Gigi premiered at the Royale Theatre in New York City to immediate affection. Gigi went on to become the most Oscar winning film of all time. Directed by Liza’s father, music conducted by Mia’s husband. What more do you want? It really is just a wonderful movie. You should see this. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 98th Birthday Richard Avedon
May 15, 2021 15:40 - 8 minutes - 8.23 MBToday is the 98th birthday of famed photographer Richard Avedon. His iconic images capture the beauty, fragility, vulnerability, and life of his subjects that very few other photographers have the ability to express. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 84th Birthday Madeleine Albright
May 15, 2021 15:38 - 8 minutes - 4.71 MBToday is the 84th birthday of the woman who is quoted as saying “There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women” and I sincerely hope she did. Madeleine Albright normalized seeing women in powerful roles and because of her there are more women elected to high offices, more women CEOs, and the descriptor of “woman” before titles have become passé if not insulting. The world is a better place because she is in it. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- S...
Happy 91st Birthday Jasper Johns
May 15, 2021 15:35 - 5 minutes - 3.33 MBToday is the 91st birthday of the the best American Abstract Expressionist artist alive, maybe the best American Abstract Expressionist artist, maybe the best Abstract Expressionist artist. I love his work. I can remember sitting in the college library looking through art books and being mesmerized by his paintings, how iconic and pedestrian are mixed into beautiful imagery. The world is a better place because he is in it. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voic...
Happy 293rd Birthday Thomas Gainsborough
May 15, 2021 00:57 - 4 minutes - 2.49 MBToday is the 293rd birthday of the artist Thomas Gainsborough. You will easily recognize The Blue Boy and maybe a couple other works, but he really made his money painting portraits for the aristocratic set. Those paintings now are valued for his artistry as well as being a terrific record of the styles and fashions of the 18th century. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a ...
Happy 81st Birthday Bruce Chatwin
May 14, 2021 01:16 - 35 minutes - 20.4 MBToday is the birthday of the author and explorer Bruce Chatwin. His life’s adventures are enviable. He has lived an extraordinary life and accumulated the who’s who of friends and admirers. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 139th Birthday Georges Braque
May 14, 2021 01:11 - 3 minutes - 2.24 MBToday is the 139th birthday of the man who is widely recognized as the co-founder of Cubism: Georges Braque. While his counterpart’s name is much more recognizable, his works in the genre are equal to Picasso’s and breathtakingly beautiful. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 99th Birthday Bea Arthur
May 14, 2021 01:08 - 5 minutes - 2.95 MBToday is the 99th birthday of the actor Bea Arthur. I have seen every episode of The Golden Girls so many times, I have lost count. They used to be on late at night and I would fall asleep watching them. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left. This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Sherlock Jr. (1924)
May 13, 2021 01:31 - 3 minutes - 1.92 MBNinety-seven years ago today, the film Sherlock Jr. premiered. Buster Keaton directed, co-produced, starred, and edited this silent film originally titled The Misfit. In 1991, Sherlock Jr. was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” This episode is also available as a blog post. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/waldina/message
Happy 114th Birthday Katharine Hepburn
May 13, 2021 01:28 - 9 minutes - 5.16 MBToday is Katharine Hepburn’s 114th birthday. I tried to narrow down my favorite film of hers, but I couldn’t. If you haven’t seen “A Delicate Balance,” you should, it showcases some of the her best acting in a screenplay by Edward Albee. You can’t go wrong with that team. We can all take inspiration from her fearless individuality. She created her own identity, her own reality, how she knew was the best way for her to live her life how she could do it within the construct of Hollywood, f...