Twitter's Redesign is a Big Mistake

Today Twitter rolled out its new redesign to me. In a post on the Twitter Blog from July 15 2019, Twitter claims that the new design is "...a refreshed and updated website that is faster, easier to navigate and more personalized." It also claims that the redesign has "Easy Access to Your Favourite Features." To say that many Twitter users, myself included, disagree with them would be an understatement. The redesign doesn't seem faster than the old design and it is certainly not easier to navigate. It certainly does not give users easy access to their favourite features.

Indeed, it would seem the reaction of Twitter users to the redesign is universal hatred for it. Today I spent several minutes reading through tweets related to the redesign and I found no one who actually liked it. Now to a degree this can be expected. Many, perhaps most people, don't like change. That having been said, there are so many people speaking out against the redesign, often quite vehemently, that I think there is more behind people's reactions than a mere dislike of the redesign. Quite simply, the redesign was poorly executed and actually makes Twitter harder to use than the old design.

To begin with, the Twitter redesign is simply unattractive. There is far too much blank space on either side of the screen. The sidebars are too wide and the centre column for tweets is too narrow.  Overall, it just looks a bit cluttered. If the redesign were merely ugly, that would not be a problem.  Unfortunately there are other problems that make Twitter harder to use. To begin with, the feed is set to Twitter's algorithm determined "Home" feed, just as the Twitter mobile app is. Now, just as on the app, one can switch to "Latest Tweets" by clicking on the stars at the top of the feed. That having been said, I suspect that like the mobile app this means it will switch back to the "Home" feed sooner or later, requiring the user to manually switch it back to "Latest Tweets." Quite frankly, this is something that has always annoyed me about the app. I much preferred the old Twitter web design where one could simply turn the algorithm off in settings and never see the algorithm determined feed again.

Another problem, and one that makes the redesign harder to use, is that Notifications, Messages, Lists, Profile, et. al. are in the left sidebar rather than at the top. For me at least, it makes more sense to have such important things as Notifications, Messages, and, in particular, the Profile at the top. I think this might be true of many people. You'll notice other sites generally have their navigation bars (or menus, if you prefer) at the top. Facebook has its so you can reach your profile, friend requests, notifications, and so on at the top. The web version of Instagram has it so one can reach his or her likes and profile at the top and even on the mobile app one can access messages at the top (everything else is at the bottom, which seems more reasonable than having it on the left). Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, and various other social media sites have navigation bars at the top. Now I am not a fan of Facebook and some of these other social media services (some I don't even use), but I think there is a good reason they have their navigation bars at the top. I think it makes it easier for users to navigate the sites than having them in a sidebar does.

Of course, this brings me to another way that the redesign is harder to use. To reach Settings and privacy, Help Centre, et al., one must press a "More"  button and then press on whatever one wants. The old design one simply clicked on his or her profile picture to access a drop down window through which he or she could access these things. Quite simply, I think the redesign makes it harder to reach such things as Settings, Help Centre, et. al. Indeed, while I never used Moments, I have heard complaints from people who do that now they have to click the "More" button.

As to the Trends that occupied the left sidebar in the old design, they are now in a sidebar on the right. This doesn't really present any problems, except that it seems to display fewer Trends. The old design displayed about ten Trends, while the redesign only displays about five. This makes it harder to see what is trending.

Among the biggest problems with the redesign is the feed itself.  Despite Twitter's claim that the redesign is faster, I haven't seen any evidence for that claim. When scrolling down it not only seems slower than the old design, but even a bit jerky. I am honestly puzzled as to why Twitter is claiming the redesign is faster. It doesn't seem to be on Firefox or Chrome on a desktop using Windows 10.

Now it is true that Twitter rolled out some nifty new features with the redesign. For fans of Dark Mode, there is an even Darker Mode called "Lights Out." One can also control the font size of tweets, and there are new colour options. Twitter has also made it easier to switch to another account if one has multiple accounts. Unfortunately, I am not sure any of these new features make up for the fact that the redesign is poorly designed and harder to use.

Ultimately, I think the mistake that Twitter has made with its redesign is that they have made it like the mobile app. It's as if they took the worst aspects of the mobile app and applied them to the desktop site. Quite frankly, I think this is backwards. I have never enjoyed using the mobile app and, except for those times when I don't have access to my computer, I always use the desktop site for that reason. The old design was easier to use, easier to navigate, and faster than the mobile app. I can't say the same for the redesign.

Given the reaction users have had to the Twitter redesign, I think they are going to regret having gone forward with it. In 2018 Snapchat introduced a dramatic redesign that its users hated. Ultimately they  lost users and its stock actually dropped as much as 20%. In the end Snapchat had to make changes to the redesign. I rather suspect the same thing could happen to Twitter given how much users dislike the new design. While many media outlets have pointed out that users always hate changes to the designs of social media services and that eventually they adjust to those changes, I think that is not true in every case. Aside from Snapchat's controversial redesign, there is also the example of Facebook's double column Timeline. Users never warmed to it and eventually Facebook had to change it. If users eventually stop complaining about a social media service's redesign, it may be because they simply realise that their complaining is doing little good, not because they have grown to love the new design. Ultimately, I don't think people are ever going to like Twitter's new design and it could cost them users.

In the end, I think it would be best for Twitter if they scrap the redesign and return everyone back to the old design. If they want the website and the mobile to look and behave the same, then they ought to come up with a design that makes the mobile app look and behave more like the old web design, not the other way around. Put Notifications, Messages, et. al. at the top of the page. Give users back a means of permanently disabling the algorithm sorted feed in settings. They can keep many of the new features. I think if they come up with a design that draws on the old design for both the web and mobile and ditch the redesign, Twitter users will be much happier.

The Late, Great Rutger Hauer

Rutger Haeur, the Dutch actor known for playing the replicant Roy Batty in Blade Runner (1982) and Navarre in Ladyhawke (1985) among many other film roles, died on July 19 2019 at the age of 75 following a short illness.

Rutger Hauer was born on January 23 1944 in Breukelen, Netherlands. His parents were both drama teachers. At 15 he ran away from home to join the Dutch merchant navy. He returned to Amsterdam in 1962 and attended the Academy for Theatre and Dance there. His acting training was interrupted when he served as a combat medic in the Royal Netherlands Army. Afterwards he joined the experimental acting troupe Noorder Compagnie. He remained with them for several years.

His television debut came when he was cast as the lead in the medieval drama Floris in 1969. In the Seventies he reprised the role of Floris in a German remake of the series, Floris von Rosemund. He also had a recurring role in the TV series Duel in de diepte and the mini-series Voor koningin en vaderland. In the Seventies he appeared in the TV shows The Pathfinders, and  Waaldrecht. He made his film debut in 1973 in the movie Turks fruit. In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Repelsteeltje (1973) and Pusteblume (1975) before making his first English language film, The Wilby Conspiracy in 1975. For the remainder of the decade he appeared in the films Keetje Tippel (1975), Das Amulett des Todes (1975), Het jaar van de kreeft (1975), Max Havelaar of de koffieveilingen der Nederlandsche handelsmaatschappij (1976), La donneuse (1976), Soldaat van Oranje (1977), Pastorale 1943 (1978), Mysteries (1978), Een vrouw tussen hond en wolf (1979), Grijpstra & De Gier (1979), and Spetters (1980).

In 1981 Mr. Hauer made his first appearance in an American film, playing a psychopathic terrorist in Nighthawks. It was in 1982 that he played what might be his most famous role, Roy Batty, in Blade Runner. In the Eighties he appeared in such films as Chanel Solitaire (1981), Eureka (1983), The Osterman Weekend (1983), A Breed Apart (1984), Flesh+Blood (1985), The Hitcher (1986), Wanted: Dead or Alive (1986), La leggenda del santo bevitore (1988), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Blind Fury (1989), In una notte di chiaro di luna (1989), and The Blood of Heroes (1989).

In the Nineties Rutger Hauer appeared as the villain in the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). In the Nineties he appeared in such films as Past Midnight (1991), Split Second (1992), Beyond Justice (1992), Nostradamus (1994), The Beans of Egypt, Maine (1994), Surviving the Game (1994), Omega Doom (1996), Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997), Simon Magus (1999), Partners in Crime (2000), and Wilder (2000). On television he appeared in several TV movies as well as the  mini-series Il principe del deserto, Lexx, Merlin, and The Tenth Kingdom. He also appeared on the TV show Screen One and several TV movies, including Fatherland.

In the Naughts Mr. Hauer appeared in the TV series Alias, Smallville, and Salem's Lot. He appeared in the TV movie The Poseidon Adventure, Starting Over, and The Prince of Motor City.  He played Earle, the crooked businessman who had taken over Wayne Enterprises, in the movie Batman Begins (2005). In Sin City (2005) he played the corrupt Cardinal Roark. He also appeared in such films as Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), In the Shadow of the Cobra (2004), Minotaur (2006), Moving McAllister (2007), Barbarossa (2009), and Happiness Runs (2010).

In the Teens Rutger Hauer had recurring roles on the TV shows True Blood, Galavant, Channel Zero, and Porters. He guest starred on the shows Wilfred, The Last Kingdom, and Mata Hari. He appeared in such films as Spoon (2011), Dracula 3D (2012), Life's a Beach (2012), The Letters (2014), Drawing Home  (2016), The Broken Key (2017), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), Samson (2018), and The Sonata (2018).

Rutger Hauer was an incredibly talented actor. While it seems certain he will always be best remembered as Roy from Blade Runner, he played his share of heroes as well. He was Navarre in the medieval fantasy Ladyhawke. He played a blinded swordsman in Blind Fury. In Split Second he played a police detective tracking down a serial killer. Of course, he was well known for his villainous roles, and he played several throughout his career, from the title psychopath in The Hitcher to Lothos in Buffy the Vampire Slayer to Cardinal Roark in Sin City. Rutger Hauer was well known for the many action movies in which he appeared, but he also played many non-action roles as well. He was a television journalist in The Osterman Weekend, a philandering status seeker in Eureka, and a member of a poor family who was convicted of hunting deer out of season in The Beans of Egypt, Maine. He played everything from priests to spies to police officers. He played both Dracula and Van Helsing at various points in this career. Rutger Hauer certainly had incredible range as an actor.

Denise Nickerson Passes On

Denise Nickerson, the child actress who played Amy Jennings on the soap opera Dark Shadows and Violet Beauregarde in the classic film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), died on July 10 2019 at the age of 62. The cause was complications from seizures and a stroke.

 Denise Nickerson was born on April 1 1957 in New York City. The family moved to Miami, Florida when she was still a baby. She was only two when she appeared in a TV commercial for a Florida heating company. She was 4 years old when she was discovered by Zev Buffman, a Florida theatre producer, at a local fashion show. She later appeared as Wendy in a production of Peter Pan at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami.

Miss Nickerson made her television debut in an episode of Flipper in 1965. It was in 1968 that she began playing Amy Jennings, the orphaned sister of Tom and Chris Jennings (twins both played by Don Briscoe). She continued on the show until 1970. She also appeared on the soap opera The Doctors and she later had a role on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. Denise Nickerson was also a regular on the children's show The Electric Company, playing Alison (one of the Short Circus, a singing group on the show). She guest starred on the shows Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law; The Brady Bunch; and The Wonderful World of Disney. She appeared in the TV movies The Neon Ceiling; The Man Who Could Talk to Kids; If I Love You, Am I Trapped Forever?; The Dark Side of Innocence; and Bert D'Angelo/Superstar. In 1968 she had appeared in an unsold pilot starring Bill Bixby titled Rome Sweet Rome. She also appeared in a 1977 commercial for Burger Chef, as well as other commercials.

Denise Nickerson made her film debut in 1971 in Willy Wonka & Chocolate Factory. She also appeared in the films Smile (1975) and Zero to Sixty (1978). Miss Nickerson also appeared on Broadway in the productions Sherry! (1967) and Our Town (1969).

Denise Nickerson retired after the movie Zero to Sixty to become a nurse. She later became an accountant.

Denise Nickerson was certainly talented as a child actress. While best known for playing the bratty Violet in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, she was capable of playing other roles quite well. The role of Amy on Dark Shadows was certainly a far cry form Violet. In Zero to Sixty she played 16 year old repo agent "Larry," who was different from both Violet and Amy.

From all reports Miss Nickerson was also a very sweet woman. She attended Dark Shadows conventions, and everyone who met her remarked on her kindness. In real life, Denise Nickerson was the exact opposite of Violet Beauregarde. A talented child actress and a very nice woman, she will be missed by her fans.

David Hedison Passes On

David Hedison, who appeared in the movies The Fly (1958) and Live and Let Die (1973) and starred on the TV show Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, died on July 19 2019 at the age of 92.

David Hedison was born Albert David Hedison, Jr. on May 20 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1945 and served for 18 months. He attended Brown University where he became interested in the theatre. He studied acting under Sanford Meisner at The Neighborhood Playhouse and under Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio. He made his Broadway debut, using his name Al Hedison, in Much Ado About Nothing in 1952. He later appeared on Broadway in A Month in the Country in 1956.

David Hedison made his television debut in an episode of Danger in 1954. He was credited Al Hedison in episodes of Kraft Theatre and Star Tonight. In 1958 he signed with 20th Century Fox and his stage name was changed to David Hedison ("David" being his middle name). He was the lead on the TV show Five Fingers, which ran from 1959 to 1960. He made his film debut in 1957 in The Enemy Below. Mr. Hedison appeared in The Fly (1958), Son of Robin Hood (1958), and The Lost World (1960--the first film in which he was credited as "David Hedison").

In the Sixties he played Captain Lee Crane on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He guest starred on the show Hong Kong; Bus Stop; Perry Mason; The Saint; The Farmer's Daughter; Journey to the Unknown; and Love, American Style. He appeared in the films Marines, Let's Go (1961), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), and Kemek (1970.

In the Seventies David Hedison played Felix Leiter for the first time in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die (1973). He also appeared in the film North Sea Hijack (1980). Mr. Hedison guest starred on such shows as ITV Saturday Night Theatre, BBC Play of the Month, The F.B.I., The New Perry Mason, Shaft, Medical Center, The Manhunter, Cannon, Ellery Queen, Family, Barnaby Jones, Wonder Woman, The Bob Newhart Show, Benson, and Charlie's Angels.

In the Eighties David Hedison had a recurring role on The Colbys. He appeared in the mini-series A.D. He guest starred on such shows as Nero Wolfe, Hart to Hart, T. J. Hooker, Matt Houston, Amanda's, Dynasty, Fantasy Island, The Fall Guy, Love Boat, Simon & Simon, Knight Rider, Crazy Like a Fox, The A-Team, Trapper John M.D., Hotel, and Murder, She Wrote. He reprised his role as Felix Leiter in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989), making him the only actor to play the character twice in the history of the franchise. He appeared in the films The Naked Face (1984) and Smart Alec (1986).

In the Nineties Mr. Hedison had a regular role on the soap opera Another World. In the Naughts he had a role on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. He appeared in the films Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 (2001), Spectres (2004), and The Reality Trap (2005). He made his last appearance in the film Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk (2017).

David Hedison was a very talented actor, well suited to playing heroic roles. He was perfect in the roles of Captain Crane and Felix Leiter. While Mr. Hedison would play many heroic roles over the years, he was capable of playing other roles. Indeed, aside from Felix Leiter his most famous role may be that of obsessive, amoral scientist André Delambre in The Fly. In Kemek he played a writer who tests the drug of the title. While David Hedison played many heroic roles through the years, he was capable of playing many other sorts of roles as well.

Alan Stafford's New Novel, Bonkore!

Alan Stafford, photo by Lynda George

Alan Stafford, author of the non-fiction books Too Naked for the Nazis (a biography of the music hall act Wilson, Keppel and Betty) and It's Friday, It's Crackerjack! (about the long running British children's show Crackerjack!) has a new book out. Bonkore!: Second Coming of a Sex Comedy is Mr. Stafford's debut novel. You can read about it in the press release below.

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CARRY ON? THEY'RE BONKERS!

The Carry Ons are to return – brand new and ‘politically correct’. But do they have any place in the modern world? And would a cleaned-up Carry On raise as much as a titter?

Comedy writer Alan Stafford’s new novel – BONKORE! Second Coming of a Sex Comedy imagines just such a situation, and Alan has his doubts. ‘It’s easy to forget what a woeful state the Carry Ons were in towards the end. Both Carry On England and Carry On Emmannuelle tried to push the barrier of smuttiness and nudity but never really succeeded. Even before these movies were released, the sex comedy was now X-rated, heralded by Robin Askwith’s Confessions of a Window Cleaner. The Carry Ons were too saucy for some – but not nearly saucy enough for many others.  They’d well and truly lost their way.’

Alan’s debut novel – BONKORE! – imagines a Confessions-type movie franchise that is abruptly cut short when one of the actors suddenly and mysteriously dies midway through filming. But there’s a twist. A present-day movie director comes along and plans to finish the incomplete movie with the original cast, who are by now far older than when the movie began.

‘It’s the usual tale of a group of ageing actors reuniting to shoot a naughty movie set in outer space,’ says Alan.

Alan finds it slightly bizarre that just weeks after the publication of his novel, life is imitating art. ‘The idea of the Carry Ons returning to a world where they no longer belong, is exactly the situation I explore in my book. Logically, it’s doomed to failure, but everyone is swept along on a wave of enthusiasm and never really questions the folly of this enterprise. The whole premise behind this bizarre plan is a mystery – which can only be solved by reading to the end!’

And does Alan think the Carry Ons have any chance of success? ‘It all comes down to the writing – though, as I writer, you’d expect me to say that. We’ve seen any number of disastrous remakes in recent years, but just occasionally the production team really pull it off. I expected to hate the reboot of the St Trinians films – but there was a strong cast and a strong script that transformed all the schoolgirl shenanigans into something relevant to a present day audience. Let’s just hope the Carry Ons can do the same. And if they need any help, they only have to ask.’

Bonkore! Second Coming of a Sex Comedy is published in paperback and on Kindle by KGHH Publishing and available from Amazon.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON UK and AMAZON USA
BOOK PAGE ON KGHH 

BONKORE! SECOND COMING OF A SEX COMEDY

Why would anyone wish to resurrect the saucy sex comedy? Surely it died a natural death decades ago. Along with one unnatural death. An actor who killed both himself and an entire movie. And now, out of the blue, a fresh young director is keen to complete that movie – with the original cast!

Thus begins leading lady Amanda’s improbable quest – to seek out her co-stars and persuade them to strip off and get sexy for one last movie. But will her fellow performers be in any shape (mental or physical) to face the unforgiving glare of the studio lights? Nostalgia and neuralgia, libido and lumbago collide in this sometimes wry and wistful, sometimes bizarre and bawdy, sex comedy about the making of a sex comedy. Expect a bumpy ride as the old gang reassemble for a final bonkbusting encore … BONKORE! … a delicious debut novel from comedy writer Alan Stafford.

The 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

The Apollo 11 crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and
Buzz Aldrin

It was fifty years ago today that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to set foot on the moon. It had only been eight years earlier that President John F. Kennedy proposed before Congress that the United States "...should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. " It was only in 1962 that John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Apollo 11 was not simply a remarkable achievement, but one of the greatest achievements in the history of humanity.

As might be expected, Apollo 11 would have a lasting impact on popular culture, although in many instances it was not immediately felt after Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. It was after John Glenn had circled the earth on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission that the United States (and to some degree other countries as well) became swept up in a space craze. While Tang had been manufactured since 1959, sales soared after its use in the Mercury and Gemini missions. Tang capitalised on its link to the space programme well into the Seventies. There were other spaced themed food products on the market in the Sixties that had no connection to NASA. . In 1965 Quaker Oats introduced a cereal with a space age theme. The spokesman for Quisp was was an alien with a propeller atop his head, named, appropriately, Quisp. There were numerous space-oriented toys on the market in the Sixties, from Mattel's "Matt Mason" action figures to RCA Victor's Astronaut Space Helmet.

Television fully embraced the Space Race. Sitcoms from Gilligan's Island to Bewitched featured episodes that touched upon space in some way. Space played a central role in My Favorite Martian, as well as I Dream of Jeannie (Jeannie's master was a NASA astronaut named Tony Nelson). There were space-oriented science fiction shows such as Lost in Space and Star Trek. It was not long before and shortly after the Apollo 11 mission that there were several space-themed movies, including Countdown (1968), Planet of the Apes (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Doppelgänger (1969--now better known by its American title, Journey to the Far Side of the Sun), Moon Zero Two (1969), Marooned (1969), and Silent Running (1972).

As surprising as it might seem, Apollo 11 actually marked the end of the Sixties space craze. Public interest in the space programme waned once Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had set foot on the moon. The television audience for the further Apollo missions would decline over time. That having been said, Apollo 11 did prove to be a merchandising bonanza, with a wide array of products capitalising on the event both shortly before and after the mission. Among the best remembered products released in the wake of Apollo 11 was a booklet titled Journey to the Moon 1969 published by Tandy Corporation less than two months after the lunar landing. MGM Records released a commemorative record, First Man on the Moon, narrated by Hugh Downs. Saalfiend put out an Apollo Man on the Moon colouring book, while Milton Bradley published an Astronauts of Apollo 11 jigsaw puzzle.

Some products seeking to capitalise on Apollo 11 were more unusual than others. Tom Sims Kentucky Bourbon came out with an Apollo Space Capsule decanter (manufactured by McCoy Pottery). Marathon gas stations released a series of commemorative Libbey juice glasses featuring the Apollo 11, 12, 13, and 14 missions. In 1970 Avon manufactured what they called Moon Flight: the Game, which was basically a bottle of shampoo in the shape of the Apollo Command module and Lunar module. As might be expected, there were several toys on the market seeking to capitalise on the first mission to the moon's surface. Daishin Cogyo of Japan produced a battery operated toy Apollo 11 lunar module, while Blue Shield made a plastic toy Apollo Capsule. As might be expected, model manufacturers took advantage of Apollo 11. Revell produced an Apollo Spacecraft Model (with both the command module Columbia and the lunar module Eagle) and the Saturn V rocket, while Airfix produced an Apollo moon landing model kit.

Surprisingly enough, Apollo 11 would have very little immediate effect on music. Perhaps the song most associated with the space programme is David Bowie's "Space Oddity." The first versions of "Space Oddity" had been recorded as early as February 1969. The version that would appear on David Bowie's self-titled 1969 album David Bowie, as well as serve as the basis for the 1969 single, was recorded in June of that year. Mercury Records released the single to coincide with Apollo 11 on June 20 1969. That having been said, the BBC held off on playing "Space Oddity" until after the crew of Apollo 11 had safely returned. It proved to be a hit in the United Kingdom, reaching no. 5 on the singles chart. In the United States it stalled at no. 124.  The moon landing would inspire the Pink Floyd song "Moonhead," written in July 1969, but it has never been officially released. The only other song related to Apollo 11 that was released not long after the mission was The Byrds' "Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins," which appeared on their 1969 album Ballad of Easy Rider.

As mentioned earlier, the American Space Craze of the Sixties declined after Apollo 11. While there were a good many space related movies released not long before and not long after Apollo 11, there weren't that many released in the years following the mission. Hammer Films' science fiction movie Moon Zero Two, released three months after Apollo 11, did acknowledge the mission. After the mission had taken place, dialogue referring to Neil Armstrong was added to the film, as was a scene involving a monument to Apollo 11 on the moon.

Beyond Moon Zero Two and the many documentaries made about the mission over the years (1971's Moonwalk One being one of the earliest), there would be very little acknowledgement of the mission in movies until well after it had taken place. Movies referencing Apollo 11 would become much more common in the Nineties. Pontiac Moon (1994) was set in 1969 and centred around a father and son who make a road trip to the fictional the Spires of the Moon National Park (perhaps based on Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve) even as Apollo 11 is taking place. A Walk on the Moon (1999) was also set in 1969 when the first moon landing was taking place. Apollo 11 played an even bigger role in the Australian film The Dish (2000). The Dish was a fictionalised account of the Parkes Observatory near Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. The Parkes Observatory had played a crucial role in relaying live television images of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. In the Naughts Apollo 11 would play an important role in the plot of Men in Black 3 (2012). Released just last year First Man (2018) is a biographical film following Neil Armstrong in the years leading up to Apollo 11, as well as the mission itself. Of course, it must be kept in mind that there are many more films that have referenced Apollo 11 in some way shape or form over the years.

With regards to television, the Seventies science fiction series Space: 1999, set on Moon Base Alpha, obviously owed some debt to Apollo 11. It seems likely that the Eagle spacecraft on the show were named for the lunar module, Eagle, used in Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong would also be referenced on the show. As strange as it might sound, Apollo 11 was also referenced in the Seventies science fiction show Battlestar Galactica. In the final episode of the series, "The Hand of God," Apollo and Starbuck narrowly miss picking up a transmission from the Apollo 11 lunar landing.

As might be expected, Apollo 11 would be referenced on further science fiction shows. Apollo 11 has been referenced on Doctor Who multiple times, and it would play a crucial role in the plot of the episode "Day of the Moon." Apollo 11 would also play a role in the Timeless episode "Space Race," in which the heroes must insure that the mission takes place. Apollo 11 has also played a role in period TV shows. The Mad Men episode "Waterloo" is set as the mission takes place, and Bert Cooper (long a fan of the American space program) dies immediately after watching the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The Astronaut's Wives Club was a mini-series following the lives of the wives of the Mercury Seven. Its final episode, "Landing," dealt with Apollo 11. There have been at least two TV movies dealing with Apollo 11: Apollo 11 in 1996 and Moonshot in 2009. Of course, here I have to point out that there have been many more television shows and TV movies that have touched upon Apollo 11 over the years.

I was six years old when Apollo 11 took place. It is the first historical event of global importance I can remember. I remember watching as the Eagle lunar module landed on the moon and the words "Tranquillity base here. The Eagle has landed." I remember watching as Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. I remember that night looking up at the moon to see if I could somehow see the lunar module on its surface. I am sure there were many young Gen Xers and older Baby Boomers like me for whom Apollo 11 was event television. It was in the fall of 1969 that my parents bought my brother and I Tandy's booklet Journey to the Moon 1969. I have remained fascinated by NASA and the American space program ever since.

The Apollo 11 mission was an incredible accomplishment and one which has no equals in the annals of history. While Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins would become famous forevermore for their achievement, Apollo 11 was the result of the work of thousands of people, from Katherine Johnson (who calculated the trajectory of Apollo 11 and many other early space missions to Gene Kranz (Flight Director of Mission Control for Apollo 11 and many other missions) to the many engineers, technicians, and scientists who made the trip to the moon possible. For those of us who were alive to see it, the Apollo 11 lunar landing is a memory we will never forget.

The Woman in the Window (1944)

 (This blog post is part of the Joan Bennett Blogathon hosted by In The Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood)

The Woman in the Window (1944) is a pivotal film in cinematic history. It is counted not only as an early film noir, but one of the movies fundamental to the development of film noir. Arguably, it was director Fritz Lang's second film noir, immediately following his first (Ministry of Fear, released earlier in 1944). It would also be an important role for Joan Bennett. Beginning her career as a blonde ingenue, she went brunette in Trade Winds (1938), taking on a more sultry persona. With Woman in the Wind Miss Bennett became a film noir femme fatale. In the next few years she would appear in several more film noirs.

The Woman in the Window originated with screenwriter Nunnally Johnson, who had written such films as Jesse James (1939) and The Grapes of Wrath (1940). It was in 1943 that Mr. Johnson co-founded the independent production company International Pictures with producer William Goetz and RKO executive Leo Spitz. It was Mr. Spitz who secured distribution through RKO for International's movies. International Pictures' first film would be the comedy Casanova Brown (1944), which was both produced and written by Nunnally Johnson. International Pictures' second film would be an adaptation of the best-selling novel Once Off Guard by J. H. Wallis. Renamed The Woman in the Window, it would also be both produced and written by Nunnally Johnson.

The Woman in the Window would see director Fritz Lang and actress Joan Bennett working together for the first time since Man Hunt (1941). Edward G. Robinson played the male lead. A significant role would be played by Dan Duryea. Best known for playing antagonistic roles in films, he had earlier worked with Fritz Lang in Ministry of Fear (1944). Aside from Mr. Duryea's obvious talent, Fritz Lang insisted on casting him because he had noticed that in the novel every male character tended to be older and he wanted at least one younger man in the film. Raymond Massey played a pivotal role in the film as District Attorney Frank Lalor.

The Woman in the Window centred on middle-aged psychology professor Richard Wanley (Edward G. Robinson) who becomes fascinated by a painting of a woman in a store window. Eventually on one of his trips by the storefront he meets the woman in the painting, Alice Reed (Joan Bennett). He convinces Alice to join him for a drink. Unfortunately, when they go back to Alice's apartment, the wealthy man who has been keeping Alice, Claude Mazard (played by Arthur Loft) shows up and causes a scene leading to Richard killing him. From there Richard and Alice must figure out how to cover up Mazard's death.

The Woman in the Window received overwhelmingly positive reviews. It also proved to be a hit at the box office. Both the success of the film and Fritz Lang's desire for independence from the major studios would lead to Joan Bennett, Mr. Lang, and Miss Bennett's husband at the time, Walter Wanger, founding Diana Production Company. It would also lead to another movie teaming Edward G. Robinson with Joan Bennett, Scarlett Street (1945), produced by Diana Production Company and directed by Fritz Lang.

The Woman in the Window remains highly respected to this day. The films holds an unusually high 95% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. It is regarded as one of the best films Fritz Lang made in Hollywood. The film is also regarded as featuring one of Joan Bennett's best performances. Perhaps the only objection ever made to the film is its ending, which I won't reveal here. One has to suspect that the film's ending came about largely because of the Production Code. The original novel Once Off Guard ended with Professor Wanley, an ending that would have clearly violated the Code. Speaking for myself, The Woman in the Window is a remarkable piece of work regardless of its ending.

The Woman in the Window would have a lasting impact on film noir. Indeed, when Nino Frank first applied the term film noir to American films released in France in 1946, The Woman in the Window was included among those films. In their book Panorama du film noir américain 1941–1953, Raymond Borde and Étienne Chaumeton used The Woman in the Window as one of the examples in their attempt to define film noir. The influence of The Woman in the Window on film noir can be seen on further film noirs, as well as the related genre of neo-noir. The film would also have an influence on the careers of Fritz Lang and Joan Bennett. Mr. Lang would make several more noirs, while Joan Bennett would become one of noir's best known femme fatales. Nearly 75 years after its release. the influence of The Woman in the Window is still being felt.