Classic Chronicles

Classic Chronicles A photographic history of 🇺🇸 and all the fascinating stuff in it.

Happy Birthday to Mackenzie Phillips who turns 66 today! Pictured here as Julie on One Day at a Time.
11/18/2025

Happy Birthday to Mackenzie Phillips who turns 66 today! Pictured here as Julie on One Day at a Time.

November 17, 1977 Michael Jackson with his sister Janet Jackson went shopping at Barney's clothing store in New York. ...
11/18/2025

November 17, 1977 Michael Jackson with his sister Janet Jackson went shopping at Barney's clothing store in New York.

On the beach, USSR, 1980s
11/18/2025

On the beach, USSR, 1980s

Anne Frank in May 1935. In this picture, she’s just 5 years old.
11/18/2025

Anne Frank in May 1935.

In this picture, she’s just 5 years old.

The Task of Getting Ringo’s First Original Tune on a Beatles AlbumRingo wrote “Don’t Pass Me By” long before anyone ever...
11/18/2025

The Task of Getting Ringo’s First Original Tune on a Beatles Album

Ringo wrote “Don’t Pass Me By” long before anyone ever heard it —shortly after he joined the Beatles in 1962.

“I was fiddling with the piano… I just bang away,” said Ringo.
“Then, if a melody comes and some words, I just have to keep going.
That’s how it happened.
I was just sitting at home alone, and ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ arrived.
It was a very exciting time for me.”

Ringo cherished the song. The challenge?
Convincing the world’s most prolific songwriting duo to give a Ringo original space on an album.

The earliest hint of the song came during a BBC chat segment in 1964.
Ringo revealed he’d written one.
Paul teased him, singing:

“Don’t pass me by, don’t make me cry, don’t make me blue, baby…”

The interviewer asked if the Beatles would ever record it

“I don’t think so, actually,” said Ringo.
“I keep trying to push it on them every time we make a record.”

“Unfortunately, there’s never enough time to fit Ringo’s song on an album.
He never finishes it,” Paul said.

This became the running joke:
Ringo had a song — and he kept nudging John and Paul for a chance to record it.

Fast forward to 1968.
The Beatles were splintering, exploring, competing — and The White Album became the perfect place for everyone to get their own space.

Ringo finally got his moment.

“Don’t Pass Me By” was recorded with a loose, country-blues feel, complete with:
• a chugging piano part
• fiddle (played by Jack Fallon)
• Ringo on the drum kit and lead vocal
• Paul helping with arrangement and structure

The track became Ringo’s first-ever solo composition released by the Beatles.

It even reached #1 in Denmark—the only country where it charted on its own.

“Don’t Pass Me By” isn’t the Beatles at their most sophisticated — and that’s exactly why people love it.
It’s Ringo: earnest, charming, and wholly original.

Where do you rank “Don’t Pass Me By” among Ringo’s Beatles moments — top tier, hidden gem, or fun oddity?

Sally Field recently turned 76 - try not to smile when you see her today.
11/18/2025

Sally Field recently turned 76 - try not to smile when you see her today.

Sentimental Sunday!My wedding portrait in 1968. I was 20 years old.Credit: Candace Giard-Gonsalves
11/18/2025

Sentimental Sunday!
My wedding portrait in 1968. I was 20 years old.

Credit: Candace Giard-Gonsalves

Toshiro Mifune in Red Sun — The Samurai Who Stood Tall Among Western LegendsIn the 1971 Western Red Sun, Toshiro Mifune ...
11/18/2025

Toshiro Mifune in Red Sun — The Samurai Who Stood Tall Among Western Legends

In the 1971 Western Red Sun, Toshiro Mifune shared the screen with Hollywood heavyweights Charles Bronson, Alain Delon, and Ursula Andress. Playing a Samurai, Mifune adhered to authenticity in costume, which meant he could not wear heeled boots like his co-stars. This subtle choice made him appear shorter on screen, despite his actual height of around 5’7”–5’8”—tall for a Japanese man of his era.

Even without the visual height advantage, Mifune’s commanding presence never faltered. His intensity, precision, and magnetic charisma dominated every scene, proving that stature on film is about presence and skill, not inches.

Fans also remember Mifune’s legendary work in Akira Kurosawa classics such as Seven Samurai, where his performances—especially in iconic moments like the rainy climactic battle—cemented him as a cinematic icon.

In Red Sun, the small detail of footwear highlights that even a samurai legend had to adapt to the Western stage—but Mifune’s brilliance ensured he stood tall among giants, leaving a lasting impression that transcends mere physical height.

Happy 83rd Birthday to LINDA EVANSNovember 18, 1942(Photo : Linda Evans with Lee Majors in "The Big Valley" - TV Series,...
11/18/2025

Happy 83rd Birthday to LINDA EVANS

November 18, 1942

(Photo : Linda Evans with Lee Majors in "The Big Valley" - TV Series, 1965-1969)

Early 1950’s bride and bridesmaids…. Edit: Just discovered bridesmaids dresses were pale green and lemon….Credit: Jacki ...
11/18/2025

Early 1950’s bride and bridesmaids…. Edit: Just discovered bridesmaids dresses were pale green and lemon….

Credit: Jacki Hannah

“And I want to say to the people, if I am a star, the people made me a star. No studio, no person, but the people did.”📸...
11/18/2025

“And I want to say to the people, if I am a star, the people made me a star. No studio, no person, but the people did.”

📸: Sam Shaw

Audie Murphy (June 20, 1924 – May 28, 1971)Remembering the boy who became a legend — on the battlefield and on the silve...
11/18/2025

Audie Murphy (June 20, 1924 – May 28, 1971)

Remembering the boy who became a legend — on the battlefield and on the silver screen.

Audie Murphy grew up in poverty in rural Texas, one of twelve children, often hunting just to feed his family. By 17, he was in uniform. By 19, he had become America’s most decorated soldier of World War II, earning every major U.S. combat award for valor — including the Medal of Honor — after single-handedly holding off 200 German troops.

After the war, he carried scars no one could see. Yet he turned that pain into purpose, speaking openly about “shell shock” long before the world had a name for PTSD. He fought for veterans as fiercely as he once fought the enemy.

Hollywood soon came calling. Murphy starred in more than 40 films, including To Hell and Back — where he played himself, reenacting the war he survived. He became a beloved Western hero, a quiet, humble figure who never forgot where he came from.

Audie Murphy died in a plane crash on May 28, 1971, at just 46 years old. But his legacy endures: a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and the extraordinary power of an ordinary American who refused to quit.

A soldier.
A cowboy.
A hero for the ages. 🇺🇸

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