APRIL 22 — 1937 Happy Birthday Jack Nicholson; 1954 McCarthy hearings begin; 1978 Blues Brothers appear on SNL for second time
APRIL 22
1937- Happy Birthday Jack Nicholson.
He had some great lines, right? Over the years? Let’s go through some of them. He was a great Joker, a great McMurphy, awesome Jack Torrance, Melvin Udall, you’ll need him in case Mars Attacks, Col. Jessup, a helluvan Anger Management therapist. Did I mention Udall? Happy birthday Jack. Enjoy the Laker game. Hopefully for you they’ll do better next year. Zing.
1954-McCarthy hearings begin.
Wisconsin Republican Senator Joseph R. McCarthy rocketed to fame in 1950 with his accusations of communism infiltrating the State Department and other federal agencies. Tail-Gunner Joe relentlessly continued his communist hunting throughout 1953 as he was elected Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chairman.
He immediately shifted his attention from investigating fraud and waste in the executive branch to going after Communists. He conducted hearing after hearing calling hundreds of witnesses, unremittingly grilling and insulting them. Harvard law dean Ervin Griswold described McCarthy’s role as “judge, jury, prosecutor, castigator, and press agent all in one.”
In the spring of 1954, TailGunner Joe picked a fight with the US army, charging lax security at a top secret location. The army responded that McCarthy sought preferential treatment for a recently hired subcommittee aide. McCarthy stepped down as chairman, and thus began the Army-McCarthy hearings. The army hired Bob Welch as the lawyer who would make the case against McCarthy, and during the hearings, McCarthy charged that one of Welch’s attorneys had communist ties, to which Welch famously replied: “Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty, or your recklessness.” A bi=partisan audience roared in applause, and McCarthy’s career was effectively shattered from then point on.
These days he works as a greeter at Wallmart.
Kidding!
1978- The Blue Brothers appears on SNL for the second time. Dan Akeroyd pulls out the harmonica, and John Belushi belts out the blues. Aykroyd was Jolet Jake, named after the Joilet Prison, Elwood Blues named after the Elwood Ordinance Plant which made grenades and TNT during WWII. The Blues Brotheers took on a life as its own with the album Breifcase Full of Blues, followed by a 1978 self-named movie.