Donald O Connor in "Bring Back Birdie"


Yesterday was the anniversary of a sad day in the story of war on this weary globe of blue we call Earth and today, September 2nd is the anniversary of a great day for peace. For on this day, Japan officially surrended to Douglas Macarthur aboard the USS Missouri at 9:03 am. Macarthur signed the document at 9:07 am. The once bold and brash nation of Japan who had dreamed of world conquest by means of war and ultimate destruction was now agreeing not only to a complete surrender and ceasation of hostilities, but for the first time in her long ancestrial history to be occupied by the United States and international peace keeping forces of the world. And the crazy thing is this: had she waited to attack Pearl Harbor by just two years-- if she had attacked Austrailia or South America instead of America in 1941, she just might have succeeded. America was NOT looking to become involved in World War Two, whatsoever. We didn't take the attitude back then that we do today-- that an attack by one nation over another is tantamount to attacking us. There was no United Nations then. There was no O.A.S (Organization of American States-- North and South) Japan was simply greedy-- not smart. She was the first nation at war in World History to use the "suicide bomber" or "kamakazie" . Funny thing, Japan had cut off that "fourth wave" of attack on December 7th, 1941 -- had she been smart and simply not greedy, that fourth attack would have done the United States in. That fourth attack would have destroyed every other battleship at Pearl Harbor! And you can't go to war with a nation completely across the ocean without battleships! Today is also the anniversary of the opening and closing of the biggest failure on Broadway in Broadway history! The music was by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams ans starred the one and only Donald O' Connor (God rest him) in a sequel to the smash musical "Bye Bye Birdie" It was called "Bring Back Birdie". It opened and closed in onenight! Now I loved Donald O' Connor -- but the dear actor had gained quite a bit of weight as you can see in the attached picture-- Donald O' Connor in a jump suit just doesn't make it for me! Funny thing Charles Strouse had two other spectacular failures Thr others were "Annie Warbucks" (sequel to Annie) (opened and closed in three nights and a collaboration with thae late Alan Jay Lerner in a show called "Dance A Little Closer" that opened and closed in two nights! Sometimes you just can't win!