K.A.C. 2024 - T - 23 Days ...

     1977 - We start off with this MAD Magazine cover (actually on newsstands in November of '76, this would have been their Christmas issue of that year) from one of television's juggernaut shows of that era, The Six Million Dollar Man, which was followed up by The Bionic Woman, plus a Bionic Dog, plus Bigfoot, plus ... what's that, you say? No one would ever believe this? Who would even watch this stuff?

      What if I told you those WEREN'T the strangest things that ever happened on the show? What if I told you they actually wound up filming a CORPSE in real life during the December 8th, 1976 episode called 'Carnival Of Spies'? His name was Elmer McCurdy and his story is almost too good to be true - but it IS - Believe It Or Not. The full Bionic Brouhaha can be found in the link below:

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer_McCurdy

     There! THAT set the Christmas spirit, right?  

     

    

     There was One film, released on May 25th, 1977, that set ALL kid's hearts on fire for Christmas - a film that was first in the nation from May through Thanksgiving for round-the-block lines, repeated viewings and a rabid fanbase. That film was STAR WARS.

      There's an oft-told story of how Lucas's Empire (pun firmly intended) was based on his total control of the tie-in merchandising, as he gambled correctly that kids seeing the movie were going to want any and EVERY toy tie-in, especially action figures of all the characters to send their imaginations soaring to new adventures of their own. There was just 'one small problem' with that idea ... the toymakers were caught completely flatfooted by the phenomenal success of the film and couldn't POSSIBLY have the toys ready for Christmas! So what WAS the hottest SW toy in '77? An empty cardboard 'Early Bird Certificate Package' box, promising the first wave of action figures as soon as they were ready ... in 1978! Take a look below at 'The First, 'Worst' Star Wars Christmas' for the full story:

     https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/the-first-worst-star-wars-christmas-a-look-182628649.html

      I don't wish to take a second away from Elmer McCurdy's fifteen minutes of fame above, but speaking of Christmas Corpses (just pausing here to stare at the sentence I'm writing ... shaking my head and moving on), there's one other MUCH MORE famous person whose body got involved in making international headlines after his death. Famed comedian and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin died on Christmas Day this year, was laid to rest with all honors and laurels and SHOULD have rested in peace. He did, for awhile, until two enterprising grave robbers dug him up and decided to hold his body and coffin for ransom - and the rest, as they say, is history. Read the whole astonishing tale below:

     https://blog.nationalmuseum.ch/en/2023/06/when-chaplins-corpse-was-kidnapped/ 

     I think we're stopping here today. This spiraled WAY out of control from where it was supposed to go! Typical - back tomorrow with more!