"Born Free" filming tragedy.

 "Born Free" is a 1966 film based on Joy Adamson's 1960 book.

The film stars Bill Travers and Virgina McKenna as George and Joy Adamson.
A couple who raised Elsa the lioness to adulthood.
The film was produced by Open Road Films and Columbia Pictures.

However, Columbia's president Leo Jaffe insisted on veteran actors Cederick Hardwickle and Benita Hume to play Bill and Virginia Travers.

Hardwickel was 69 and Hume 59. Author Joy Adamson fought the studio's choice claiming the  actors were much too old for the parts.

Filming started April 25th 1965 in Kenya.
Hardwicle and Hume were both training with lions under the supervision of chief technical advisor George Adamson. When, on May 3rd, while rehearsing, Hardwickle was attacked by one of the young lions, a former mascot of the Scots Guards.

Virgina Hume ran to his rescue but was herself attacked by the other animals.
Both died within weeks of the incident.

Thomas "Guide & Muffins" promotion

Cartographer George Coupland Thomas and his two brothers started Thomas Bros Maps in 1915.
They were the nephews of Samuel Bath Thomas, founder of the "Thomas'"brand. Maker of English Muffins and bagels in North America.

After George Coupland died in 1955, the ownership was bought by family lawyer Warren Wilson.
Wilson started an aggressive advertising campaign in California.
Which included these famous "Thomas & Thomas" print ads.

Sony's first radio: the 1954 "Sony Boy"

The "Sony Boy", also known as TR-54, was Sony's 1st transistor radio. It was the 1st model using the company's new name "Sony".(Which had been Tokyo Ysushin Kogyo since 1946)

It was built in very limited numbers in 1954, and was replaced the next year with the updated TR-55.

While vacationing in New York in 1953, Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony,  became friend with songwriter celebrity Lew Brown. Who was one third of a successful songwriting team with ray Henderson and Buddy De Sylva. 

According to Ibuka, Lew Brown was, by then, obsessed with his old 1928 hit "Sonny Boy".

Ibuka would have to listen to Brown's rendition of the song multiple times a day.

Upon his return to Japan later that year, he chose the name "Sony" for the brand. And "Sony Boy" for its first ever portable transistor radio.

Sony's principal bank at the time, Mitsui, had strong negative feelings about both the name and the song. Forcing "Boy" to be taken out by the next year.

The "Sony Boy" remains to this day one of the rarest vintage radio model ever produced.