"They're young...they're in love...and they kill people"...
That was the line they used to promote a hit movie about a famous couple in 1967. This romantic pair were Romeo & Juliet with an arsenal or as Georgie Fame put it: "Bonnie & Clyde were pretty lookin' people but I can tell you people, they were the devil's children". Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were accused of 12 murders in a 2-year rampage...
"Bonnie and Clyde advanced their reputation and made the graduation into the banking business". Although they were equal opportunity robbers, they did have a penchant for banks...
"When Bonnie and Clyde came walking in the sunshine, a half a dozen carbines opened up on them. Bonnie and Clyde, they lived a lot together and finally together they died". The couple were actually in a car when they met their demise in an ambush set up by former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer who had stalked Clyde Barrow for years. Barrow stepped on the accelerator while reaching for a sawed-off shotgun and that was when a deadly barrage cut them down. Barrow was found with the shotgun in his hands, Parker had a machine gun in her lap. Officers found the following weapons in the car: 3 submachine guns, 6 automatic pistols, 1 revolver, 2 sawed-off shotguns and enough ammunition for a Waco, Texas siege...
The movie "Bonnie and Clyde" romanticized the couple just a bit and starred Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in the title roles. It also featured the movie debut of Gene Wilder who played a minor role. Like so many real, bigger-than-life people, Al Capone and Adolf Hitler come to mind, it's hard to believe there actually was a Bonnie and Clyde, but they were real and they were dead on May 23, 1934. You can read more about their killing in an excellent New York Times article by clicking: www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday...
More May 23 Memories...
1785] Benjamin Franklin announces his invention of bifocals (this man could do anything)...
1827] The 1st nursery school in the U.S. was established in New York City...
1895] The New York Public Library was created with an agreement that combined the city's existing Astor and Lenox libraries...
1911] That same library building on 5th Avenue is dedicated by President Taft...
1934] Bonnie & Clyde are gunned down in a Louisiana ambush (feature story)...
1945] Nazi official Heinrich Himmler commits suicide while imprisoned in Luneberg, Germany...
1960] Israel announces the capture of former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann in Argentina...
1960] The Everly Brothers record "Cathy's Clown"...
1960] WRCA radio changes call letters back to WNBC...
1961] Little Caesar and the Romans lip-synch the grammatically incorrect (but still great) "Those Oldies but Goodies (Remind(s) Me Of You)" on American Bandstand...
1965] The Beach Boys are #1 with "Help Me Rhonda"...
1966] The Beatles' "Paperback Writer"/"Rain" single is released...
1971] Iron Butterfly flutter into oblivion...
1978] The American League approves the transfer of the Red Sox to Jean Yawkey (widow of Tom) for $15 million...
1997] Mel Karmazin replaces Peter Lund as CEO of CBS-TV...
2002] Legendary golfer Sam Snead dies at 89...
2002] American Bandstand celebrates its 50th anniversary...
2002] Here's all the Dodger's Shawn Green did against the Brewers: hits 4 home runs, goes 6 for 6, scores 6 runs and sets a major league record with 19 total bases and oh yes, he had 7 RBI's (a typical day at the office)...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
"E-mails, we get e-mails, we get lots and lots of e-mail"...
Commenting on the passing of Long John Wade, Len Zola: "Was that Carl Wehde by chance with whom I worked at WTAO in Cambridge?". The answer to that Len is yes...
Frank Kingston Smith a.k.a WRKO's Bobby Mitchell writes "Damn shame to hear about John Whede (Long John Wade) passing. John came to Philly to replace me when I gathered my senses and moved to Providence to learn radio. At WIBG I worked with both Long John and his brother Don Wade for about a month before going to WABC. Don did mornings, John did evenings"...
"Happy Birthday, happy birthday"...
1919] Veteran actress Betty Garrett...
1931] Veteran actress Barbara Barrie...
1936] Charles (Jim Dial of "Murphy Brown") Kimbrough...
1943] The always finely plumed General Johnson (Chairmen of the Board, etc.)...
1952] Marvelous Marvin Hagler (who changed his legal 1st name to "Marvelous")...
1958] Drew Carey...
1974] Jewel (her real first name) Kilcher (yes she does have a last name)...
[Today is the 143rd day of 2006 with 222 days remaining in the year and just 6 days until Memorial Day]
...
