News of the Week: Ian Fleming, BarcaLoafers, and 75 Years of Dunkin’ Donuts

Captain Jamaica

Two lost stories by Ian Fleming have been found. A couple of weeks ago it was the Beatles’ lost demo and a couple of years ago it was a Raymond Chandler story. People are always finding things!

One find is a short story titled “The Shameful Dream” and concerns the editor of a London magazine going to an important meeting with his powerful boss. It has been published in the latest issue of The Strand.

The second find sounds a bit more intriguing. It’s a script for a mid-’50s TV series titled James Gunn – Secret Agent. It’s about an American agent who uses Jamaica as his base and is looking for a criminal mastermind named Dr. No.

Hmmm … that sounds familiar.

An American producer wanted to make the show and call it Captain Jamaica (later Commander Jamaica). Douglass Watson was going to be asked to play Gunn, but the series never came to be (Watson went on to play Mac Cory on Another World for many years). Jeremy Duns did the digging and has a fascinating history of the project.

The Case of the Forgotten TV Show

In similar news, did you know there was a syndicated Sherlock Holmes TV series in the 1950s? It was produced by an American company and filmed in France. It lasted for 39 episodes. And every single one has been uploaded to YouTube by the streaming network FilmRise.

Uploaded to YouTube by FilmRise Television

Time to Make the Donuts

I was watching a repeat of Emergency! a couple of weeks ago, and as the paramedics were racing down a Los Angeles street to their next case, they passed a giant Dunkin’ Donuts sign. I had no idea that there were Dunkin’ Donuts locations in California in the mid-’70s!

America has been running on Dunkin’ for 75 years now. The pic above is what the first location in Quincy, Massachusetts looks like. I think all of them should look like that.

Uploaded to YouTube by FM1156

Headline of the Week

“Chicago Sun-Times Prints Summer Reading List Full of Fake Books”

RIP George Wendt, Charles Strouse, Jim Irsay, Gerry Connolly, Joan O’Brien, Brian Glanville, Ed Smylie, Dalene Young, and Walter Frankenstein

George Wendt had many TV and movie roles over the years but is probably best known for his role as Norm on Cheers. He died Tuesday at the age of 77.

Charles Strouse won Tonys for writing the music for such Broadway shows as Annie, Applause, and Bye Bye Birdie. He also wrote the theme song to All in the Family, “Those Were the Days.” He died last week at the age of 96.

Jim Irsay was the longtime owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts. He died Wednesday at the age of 65.

Gerry Connolly was a Democratic congressman from Virginia. He died Wednesday at the age of 75.

Joan O’Brien was an actress and singer who appeared in such films as The Alamo, It Happened at the World’s Fair, and Operation Petticoat, as well as TV shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Crosby Show, and Perry Mason. She died earlier this month at the age of 89.

Kathleen Hughes appeared in such films as It Came from Outer Space, The Glass Web, and Mr. Belvedere Goes to College, as well as many TV shows, including a regular role on Bracken’s World. She died Monday at the age of 96.

Brian Glanville was widely considered to be the best football (that’s soccer) journalist and novelist in the world. He died last weekend at the age of 93.

Ed Smylie led the team of engineers that helped to save the crew of Apollo 13. He died last month at the age of 95.

Dalene Young wrote Little Darlings and such classic TV movies as Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway, Deadman’s Curve, Can You Hear the Laughter? The Story of Freddie Prinze, and Will There Really Be a Morning? She died earlier this month at the age of 85.

Walter Frankenstein and his family hid from the Nazis in Berlin for two years, moving from secret spot to secret spot. He died last month at the age of 100.

This Week in History

Brown v. Board of Education Decision (May 17, 1954)

You’ve probably heard of this landmark case, but are you familiar with two important cases that came before it in 1950, Sweatt v. Painter and McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents?

Evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson Vanishes (May 18 1926)

What a strange story.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: The BarcaLoafer (May 22, 1948)

I didn’t know the BarcaLounger had a sister (or brother) recliner. But I can picture you sitting in one this Memorial Day weekend. Well, not you specifically. I have no idea what you look like. I mean the universal you.

Memorial Day Recipes

I don’t know what you do for Memorial Day weekend – cookout? beach? watch TV? laundry? – but you’re probably going to eat something. Like these Garlic-Mustard Glazed Skewers and Roseanne Cash’s All-American Potato Salad, both from Smitten Kitchen.

The Pioneer Woman has BBQ Chicken Wings and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, while Country Living has Root Beer Baked Beans and Old-Fashioned Lemonade. Taste of Home has Barbecue Burgers, and you can’t forget hot dogs. Serious Eats has these Hot Slaw Dogs.

And for dessert, Delish has the red, white, and blue Freedom Bark.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

French Open (May 25)

It now airs on TNT! They’ll have coverage for the next two weeks (along with sister stations Tru and TBS and streaming on Max), and Tennis Channel will have morning roundups and highlights.

Indianapolis 500 (May 25)