September, 1965

In the ninth month of 1965, baseball fans reveled in the aura of excellence displayed at major league ballparks. Ernie Banks, the jovial Cubs shortstop, whose trademark suggestion “Let’s play two!” indicates pure delight in playing baseball, knocked...

The Comedy and Tragedy of Bob Crane

Bob Crane became a television icon with his starring role in Hogan’s Heroes, a comedy set in a POW camp in Germany during World War II. Hogan’s Heroes aired for six years on CBS—from 1965 to 1971—enthralling viewers with missions to help the French...

Baseball Announcers

Sounds associated with baseball form a vital part of the spectator experience.  Vendors hawking beer, fans booing and cheering, and a bat meeting a ball create an aural experience at the ballpark. For fans not watching the game in person, baseball announcers convey...

Maxwell Smart, Spy Extraordinaire

Get Smart parodied the popular spy genre in the 1960s, countering serious offerings, including The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart gave American television audiences a humorous view of espionage during the Cold War.  Don Adams...

The Year the Indians Won the Pennant

Major League thrilled movie audiences in 1989 with its classic underdog theme.  Focusing on a fictional version of the Cleveland Indians, Major League starred Charlie Sheen as rookie pitching sensation Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn, Tom Berenger as veteran...