Vintage articles and more in the Celebrities & famous people category at Click Americana

Dorothy with the Wicked Witch and Glinda - Wizard of Oz

Behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz movie (1939)

The magic of modern moviemaking at its miracle best breathes life into that beloved classic of childhood. Take a look behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz in this story from the film's debut in 1939!

Nikola Tesla on an iPad - Click Americana

100 years ago, did Nikola Tesla predict the iPad, Skype, mobile phones & more? (1915)

How much of today's tech did Nikola Tesla predict a century ago? Here's a look back at some spot-on predictions from Nikola Tesla -- along with a few, that, well... we haven't quite seen yet.

I Love Lucy debuts, and a leading TV critic hates it (1951)

"I Love Lucy," a domestic comedy TV series, reduces the role of husband to roughly that of the male spider, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if, at the end of the season, Miss Ball ate him.

Thomas Alva Edison holding an incandescent lightbulb c1911

Thomas Edison says electricity will cure everything (1914)

Electricity will cure all the ills of the world, predicts Thomas Edison, whose inventive genius is responsible for the widespread application of electricity.

Debbie Harry & Blondie have the punk rock moves (1977)

The band Blondie was discovered one night by some wealthy people out slumming after the theatre, and hired to perform at a party in a posh apartment.

Old silent movies: Why so many classic films have been lost

Silent movies were not part of a primitive style of filmmaking, but an alternate form of storytelling - with artistic triumphs equivalent to or greater than those of the sound films that followed.

Sonny and Cher’s hit TV variety show: Music, comedy & divorce (1976)

In the early '70s, Sonny and Cher turned to television, and to everyone's surprise, became the hit of the 1971 season, paving the way for many other successful musical variety shows on TV.

Kermit, Miss Piggy and Jim Henson bring ‘The Muppet Show’ to life (1976-1981)

There's an all-new all-family comedy-musical-variety series - 'The Muppet Show,' the latest offering from Jim Henson. Find out about the show, and see the opening credits and theme song lyrics here!

Creedence Clearwater Revival runs a rock ‘n’ roll factory (1971)

Unlike most rock groups, Creedence Clearwater Revival doesn't even have a booking agency or a manager, yet they are currently the most successful pop-rock group in the world - and the richest.

In the movie Rocky, Sylvester Stallone packs a real punch (1976)

In ‘Rocky,’ Sylvester Stallone packs a real punch (1976)

If you haven't heard of 'Rocky' or Sylvester Stallone, welcome back from Mars - about the only place where you could not see or hear about this movie about a boxer, and the rags-to-riches story of the guy who wrote it.

President Nixon resigns - farewell speech 1974

President Nixon’s last 17 days in office: Desperate search for a way out after Watergate (1974)

Nixon's final presidential crisis was thrust upon him by the ruling that he could no longer withhold 64 disputed White House tapes from the Watergate prosecutors. Here is the story of those last 17 days of his presidency.

Howard Hughes: Hollywood’s secret heartbreaker (1942)

He's rich as Croesus, with achievements that are many and brilliant. He has a soft voice, half Southern, half Western, shy eyes and an infectious grin. He's Howard Hughes. There should be a law against him.

Simon and Garfunkel reunite for half a million fans in Central Park (1981)

In 1981, Simon and Garfunkel reunited to play a free concert in New York's Central Park. It was their first full performance together in eleven years, and nearly half a million people flocked to see it.

Ghostbusters: A blockbuster movie that’s not a bust (1984)

With a cast headed by Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, and a script by Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (who helped script 'Animal House'), the 1984 movie 'Ghostbusters' had blockbuster written all over it.

Marie Curie tells how she discovered radium (1921)

The discovery of radium gave Madame Curie immediate worldwide fame, and changed the face of medicine. Here, she describes how this historic scientific discovery was really made.

The Godfather movie - Brando and Pacino 1972

The Godfather: The gangster movie moves uptown (1972)

You liked the side action upstairs in the bedroom during the wedding from the book The Godfather? In the movie, you got it. Liked the horse-head bit? You got it. The restaurant caper with the crooked police captain? You got it, you got it.

Indiana Jones & Raiders of the Lost Ark a stunning summer hit (1981)

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have seemingly boundless energy, and that energy is unharnessed in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' - a startling spectacle, starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones.

John McCain after being released in 1973

Ex-POW John McCain tells the story of his captivity in Vietnam (1973)

The third-generation carrier sailor parachuted into Truc Ban Lake northwest of Hanoi while his stricken jet plunged into a factory compound. I was going at 500 knots, inverted, and my plane was a spinning fireball. At 4,000 feet, I ejected."

Aretha Franklin - Aretha - With The Ray Bryant Combo 1961

Aretha Franklin’s earliest reviews from the ’60s

Just 18 years old, Aretha Franklin moves flawlessly in her vocals -- from spiritual, to blues to jazz and to pop; and her ability as a pianist is something more to reckon with. Aretha is the girl to watch!

Barry Manilow says he likes being middle-of-the-road king (1976)

'I seem to be the king of the middle of the road,' bestselling singer Barry Manilow said in 1976. 'And that's a very fine place to be these days!'

Chuck Berry, the real daddy of rock ‘n’ roll, goes on a cosmic boogie trip (1972)

This story is about the father of rock 'n' roll music. In a decade of American history condemned for its small-mindedness, blandness and apathy, Chuck Berry set the spark. Chuck Berry kindled the flame.

The Beatles’ John Lennon shot and killed in New York (1980)

Former Beatle John Lennon shot and killed in New York: The musician who set the beat for a revolutionary youth generation in the 1960s, was shot to death outside his Manhattan home.

The real Bonnie & Clyde: Texas officers trap and kill notorious duo in shootout (1934)

After a lengthy crime spree, Bonnie & Clyde were finally caught and killed in 1934: Clyde Barrow, the Southwest's No. 1 outlaw, and his gunwoman companion, Bonnie Parker, were trapped and shot dead by Texas and Louisiana officers.

The Civil War: President Abraham Lincoln’s call to arms (1861)

President Lincoln's call to arms - and the start of the Civil War The day after the surrender of Fort Sumter, President Lincoln met with his cabinet ... Click to read more...

Elusive ‘Mary Poppins’ at last captured by Disney (1965)

Another look at the story covered in the Tom Hanks movie, Saving Mr Banks!

Meet Josephine Garis Cochrane, inventor of the dishwasher (1892)

The inventor of the dishwashing machine The patron saint of the emancipated woman of the future will be Josephine Garis Cochrane, the inventor of... Click to read more...

Friends TV show opening credits - Main titles

The Rembrandts turn ‘Friends’ theme song into a hit record (1995)

The season's most unlikely novelty hit -- 'I'll Be There for You,' best known as the 'Friends' theme song -- started life as a 42-second musical snippet treated for a TV comedy series.

Cast of Family Ties TV show - The Keatons

Family Ties: A hit TV show all on its own (1985)

'Family Ties' has the most enviable time slot in network TV, following 'The Cosby Show.' But the four-year-old sitcom has managed to create its own following, and now clocks in at #2.

The ‘Cosby Show’ appeals to young and old, black and white (1986)

'The Cosby Show' enters millions of American living rooms precisely because it so well mirrors those living rooms. Sure, the Huxtable family is funnier, wealthier and more idealized than most.

The Jackie Kennedy Look (1967)

7 pages of Jackie Kennedy and her fabulous clothes The elegance, the chic, the supertaste that comprise... The Jackie Kennedy Look (but what is... Click to read more...

Bosom Buddies - Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari and Wendie Jo Sperber

Tom Hanks gives thanks for Bosom Buddies (1981)

For two years, Tom Hanks pounded the streets of the city searching for a job. Then he was flown to LA, screen tested, and finally selected for the role of Kip Wilson in 'Bosom Buddies.' And so a star was born.

Jell-O Pudding Pops & other brands in the ’80s pudding pop craze

While boxes of Jell-O pudding pops may be but a memory, we can still remember their glory days through these magazine ads and TV commercials!

Elvis Presley: A different kind of rock idol (1956)

Wherever Elvis Presley goes to howl out his combination of hillbilly and rock 'n' roll, the lean, 21-year-old Tennessean is beset by teenage girls yelling for him.

Model Jennifer Connelly as Jenny Connelly in 1982

Before she was famous: Meet a young Jennifer Connelly (1982)

Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Connelly started out as a child model. Here's a look back to those days in the early '80s when she was just getting her career off the ground!

Louis Gossett Jr. (Fiddler) and LeVar Burton (Kunta Kinte)

A guide to Roots: The TV miniseries, night by night (1977)

The story 'Roots' spans six generations and 100 years. Here's a day-by-day synopsis of Roots: The TV miniseries.

Larry Hagman loves playing the evil JR Ewing on TV’s Dallas (1978)

Larry Hagman has a juicy, lip-smacking role, and he plays it to campy perfection. His J.R. Ewing on Dalas is rotten to the core. If he had a redeeming feature, he'd probably swap it for cash, and use the money to swindle somebody.

Celebrities & famous people

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