Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux hit their first anniversary today. You know who shares that date on the calendar? Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft, that's who! They were married on this day in 1964 when they were both in their thirties. The 1960s were good to them as they both won Oscars and each other. They were married until her death in 2005. We miss her stellar acting.
On this day in showbiz history after the jump...
1898 Lewis R Foster is born in Missouri, later becomes an Oscar player (2 noms and a win) for scripting Jean Arthur movies Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The More the Merrier (1943). Then moves into directing, his most famous picture arguably being the war drama The Bold and the Brave (1956)
1906 Auteur John Huston of the Huston acting dynasty is born in Missouri. His film classics are many (stretching from The Maltese Falcon in 1941 all the way until The Dead in 1987) and without him we also wouldn't have Angelica, Danny, or Jack today!
1918 Actor Tom Drake is born. He never becomes a big star but twenty-six years later he's just perfect as "the boy next door" in Meet Me in St Louis and all it takes for immortality is one perfect role in one perfect movie. (Not that that's easy to find!)
1920 Mickey Shaughnessy character actor is born. Among his classics: Jailhouse Rock, How the West Was Won , and From Here to Eternity
1930 Neil Armstrong is born in Ohio. Later enters the history books when he becomes the first man to walk on the moon. Weirdly he's never had a proper theatrical biopic but he's been played by actors in various shorts and movies most recently in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Men in Black 3. The story of Apollo 11's mon landing was told in the Emmy nominated TV movie Moonshot (2009) where he was played by Daniel Lapaine
1935 Famed cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (who we've kind of been obsessing over recently) is born in Berlin
1945 Two time Emmy nominee and TV regular Loni Anderson of WKRP in Cincinnati fame is born
1953 From Here to Eternity premieres in New York City. 7 months and 20 days later it wins 8 Oscars including Best Picture but sadly Monty loses the Oscar... again. Such a good movie, that. But only my second favorite of '53, because... you know.
1961 Brilliant actress Janet McTeer is born in England. She's coming to Broadway this fall as the Merquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. She's been Tony nominated for both of her eligible Broadway roles previously (A Doll's House and Mary Stuart, winning for the former). The Oscar (Albert Nobbs, Tumbleweeds) and Emmy (Into the Storm) have eluded her, though, despite nominations.
The Tony Award Best Actress races of 2017 will (presumably) be fire: Cate Blanchett, Bette Midler, Janet McTeer, Diane Lane, Mary Louise Parker, Philippa Soo, The Lovely Laura Linney, Cynthia Nixon are all headlining shows this season. And that's just the ones we know about already.
1962 Marilyn Monroe dies of a barbiturate overdose. A sad day in showbiz history.
1963 Ubiquitous sexy bald supporting actor Mark Strong is born in London. I feel like he's going to win an Oscar as soon as he manages a nomination, don't you?
1964 Mel Brooks ♥️ Anne Bancroft
1966 Beatles album "Revolver" is released in the US
1970 Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is born in St. Louis Missouri
1974 Bollywood star Kajol is born in Mumbai. This day also brings us Israeli star Iddo Goldberg. You might not know his name but you've probably seen him on TV via Supergirl (he played the Red Tornado), Peaky Blinders, or Salem. Next up is The Zookeeper's Wife with Jessica Chastain.
1981 Dreamy activist actor Jesse Williams is born in Chicago. Comes to fame on Grey's Anatomy
1983 Korean star Yoon Jin-Seo is born. Later stars in Oldboy (2003), Voices (2007), and Secret Love (2010)
2000 Sir Alec Guiness dies. But like Obi Wan Kenobi after the 1977 light saber duel, his image will continue to flicker forever
2001 Maddox Jolie-Pitt is born in Cambodia. Adopted by Angelina and then Brad soon after they become a couple. World rapidly falls in love with him as little boy because he's quite a ham for the camera. He's now 15. One wonders if any of the Jolie-Pitt brood will become actors? Cameras are surely second nature to them by now.
2015 Jennifer Aniston marries Justin Theroux. Happy first anniversary Jen & Justin!