History is full of surprises, and these unearthed photos prove it. They capture the unexpected moments, forgotten faces, and quirky stories that you won’t find in textbooks. Whether it’s a peculiar trend, a famous figure in an unfamiliar setting, or a slice of everyday life that feels anything but ordinary, these images remind us that history isn’t always what we think it is. Get ready to explore the surprising, the delightful, and the downright fascinating side of the past![/caption]
Who Didn’t Love The Apple Dumpling Gang?
The Apple Dumpling Gang is a groovy era children’s classic that everyone has at least passing memories of. It’s one of those movies that everyone was sat down in front of as a kid and left to giggle at the absurdities of Don Knotts and Tim Conway. While filming with the children, Knotts and Conway had to remind their young co-stars that they only had to say their own lines, and not those of the other actors. Knotts said, “Little kids aren’t too seasoned at that age. I remember [Susan] had trouble squinting at the light. Every time she had a scene she’d [squint] and [the director] would say ‘don’t squint honey, don’t squint.’”
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A Very Young Steven Seagal
Wow, who knew Steven Seagal had such great hair? Before he was an action star or a lawman, Seagal was a sought after martial artist who studied and taught akido in North Hollywood and West Hollywood, California. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan, but after his family moved to Fullerton, California when he was five-years-old he blossomed. His mother told People that as soon as Seagal was old enough all he did was listen to ear splitting rock music and train at a local dojo. When Seagal was old enough he traveled to Japan to further his studies, although the year this actually happened is murky. He went back and forth from Los Angeles to Japan a few times and even opened a dojo in Osaka with his then wife and her family. Seagal says that at this time he was recruited by the CIA for special training. In 1988 he told the Los Angeles Times, “These guys were my students. They saw my abilities both with martial arts and with the language. You can say that I became an adviser to several CIA agents in the field, and. through my friends in the CIA, met many powerful people and did special works and special favors.” Sure, Steven, sure.
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Burt Reynolds Was The Best
To a lot of cinephiles from the groovy era, Burt Reynolds is one of the finest and most fun actors of the day. He had an ease and a charisma around him that let the audience know that everything was going to be alright, and that they were in for a fun ride. Reynolds knew that he was good at setting people at ease, but he didn’t think he was a very good actor. When it came time to film the more dialog heavy scenes in the film, Reynolds says that he was nervous, so director Robert Aldrich allowed him to do one take as written, and another “schtick take” just in case he came up with some magic. Reynolds says that more than half of his scenes are “schtick takes.”
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Clint Eastwood Made Working With an Orangutan Cool
To paraphrase a wise man, don’t work with children or animals. Clint Eastwood didn’t really have a choice when he signed on to star in the comedy Every Which Way But Loose where he shared to screen with Manis the beer drinking orangutan. The pair make a great comedy duo on screen and it’s likely because their takes are so immediate. This is because if the takes went on too long Manis got bored. We’ve never been around a bored orangutan, but it doesn’t sound pretty. Whatever he did, it couldn’t have been that bad because Eastwood agreed to come back for the sequel.
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The End of Desilu Studious
Founded in 1950, Desilu Studios served as a place for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz to create shows they wanted to create them while making sure they got a cut of the money they thought they should be making. Even though the two divorced in 1960 the remained partners with the studio for nearly three more years. In 1962 Ball bought out Arnaz’s stake in the company when he drinking began to get in the way of his business decisions. After Arnaz left Ball helped develop shows like Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. She sold the studio in 1967.
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