Day Tripping: November 13

I could sneak up on a coyote if I’ve a mind to

William ‘Jack’ Elam was born in 1920 in Miami, Arizona and picked cotton while growing up. When he was in the Boy Scouts, Jack lost sight and misdirect his left eye when was stabbed with a pencil in a fight.

After school, Jack worked as a bank bookkeeper and as an auditor for Standard Oil before joining the Navy during WWII. After the war, he became an accountant in Hollywood where Samuel Goldwin was one of his clients.

“I’ve played all kinds of weirdos but I’ve never done the quiet, sick type. I never had a problem — other than the fact I was just bad.”

Jack Elam had a long and successful career as a background player and supporting actor. But some of his short screen appearances were most memorable.

The opening scene of Leone’s Once Upon A Time In The West is a prime example. For the first few minutes, the audience is riveted by Elam as he watches a fly buzz around him until he traps it against a wall with his gun.

Always the loveable bad guy or town misfit, Jack Elam acted in many of the best Westerns ever made.

Musical Ride

The Irish coastal island, Dorinch was purchased by John Lennon in 1969. The former Beatle then invited all hippies to come and live there.

Interesting Notes

Walt Disney’s groundbreaking animated film Fantasia opened at the Broadway Theater in New York in 1940.

Gone But Not Forgotten

The blues piano legend who was recognizable in his stovepipe hat, Leon Russell died in 2016 at the age of 74.

Notable Births

1955 — Whoopi Goldberg: “I don’t look like Halle Berry. But chances are she’s going to end up looking like me.”

1967 — Jimmy Kimmel: “There is no way, if I was running ABC, I would have kept me on the air.”

K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan

All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:

The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present

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