Cheaky Thief - In 1975 a thief stole a radio from a shop in Ashton-underLyme. When he got home and turned it on, he found that it was defective. He then went back and demanded that it was repaired free of charge. Unable to produce a receipt, his request was turned down, so he went round to the police station and complained. During his interview with the duty sergeant he was charged with theft.
Added : 04-04-2003
Star Bucks - Back in 1972, a young unknown film director, George Lucas, developed was working on a project for a film to be called American Graffiti. The budget was only $700,000. United Artists decided to back it - and then withdrew after the script had been completed. Then AIP refused to back it, as it was `commercially unacceptable'. Universal decided to reject it too - then relented at the last moment. American Graffiti became one of the highest-grossing pictures of all time. Following the success of American Graffiti, Lucas decided that his next project would be a sci-fi movie tentatively titled Star War. In spite of the success of his first picture nobody seemed interested, not even Universal. After months, Twentieth Century Fox decided to gamble some development money. But Lucas had to raise most of the money himself - all the other established film companies having rejected the film. When the film was eventually completed, Lucas was flat broke and dispirited - though he, rather than Fox owned the picture and the rights to any sequels. In the first four months after its opening in May 1977 Star Wars grossed £134 million. Receipts for the first year exceeded $300 million. In the year after it opened the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, grossed a further $200 million.
Added : 04-04-2003
A Titanic Mistake - In 1910 the White Star Line, decided to construct a prestigious new flagship to carry passengers across the Atlantic ocean. It was decided that the mighty liner, which was to draw 46,300 tons, was to pioneer a brand new form of construction, a series of watertight bulkheads running vertically at intervals through her hull. "We believe the ship is unsinkable", declared the VicePresident of the Line as the luxury liner set out on her maiden voyage to New York, laden with celebrities and dignitaries. So confident, were the White Star Line that the liner was "unsinkable" they only put a token number of life-boats on the ship. The ship of course was the Titanic.
Added : 04-04-2003
Carpeted - One summer's day, English housewife Mrs. Dora Wilson looked out of her kitchen window in and saw a group of men loading her neighbors' priceless collection of Persian carpets into a large truck. `What are you doing?' she called, knowing her neighbors were on vacation. `We're taking them to be cleaned, Madam,' the men replied. Quick as a flash Mrs. Wilson decided to take advantage of the service they offered. `Will you please take mine too?'she asked. The men were more than happy to oblige. They were house robbers.
Added : 04-04-2003
Embarrassment On April 26th, 1981, British politician Richard Alexander called in the Bomb Squad to deal with an ominously ticking parcel which had been delivered to his local party office in Retford, Nottinghamshire. The parcel was carefully X-rayed. When the X-ray was examined, a timing mechanism could clearly be seen. Therefore, the Bomb Squad decided to blow up the parcel. After the parcel had been blown-up, the remains were examined. The "bomb" turned out to be the politician's spare pajamas, toothbrush, razor and a traveling clock, which was a gift from his wife. They had been sent on to him by a hotel where he had left them after a speaking engagement.
Added : 04-04-2003
Things go better with ... The owner of a half share in a small firm which made a soft drink sold it because he thought that it could never be a success because of the product's name. He had not, however, lost faith in the soft drinks business, so he invested the proceeds from the sale in a company he thought had more chance of succeeding - the Raspberry Cola Company. Have you guessed the name the name of the product which he thought would never be successful? That's right, it was Coca-Cola.
Added : 04-04-2003
Everyone gets it wrong occasionly. - A few years later the Coca-Cola Company, which had by then grown into a large and successful company, was offered a bankrupt soft drink company. Its then owner, Charles Guth of Loft Inc, was willing to let his subsidiary go for a mere $1000. But since Coca-Cola had a virtual monopoly of the soft drink business, they turned down the offer, and so missed the chance to takeover the business which would eventually become their arch rival, Pepsi-Cola.
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