A very happy quarter century to one of the best young actors working George Mackay (Captain Fantastic, Pride) born on this day in 1992. We're concocting a little series on young actors to debut soon (since we spend so much time on actresses, we'll throw a little love the other direction soon). But George's birthday isn't the only thing worth celebrating today,
Other things you can celebrate in today's showbiz history are after the jump...
1898 Oscar nominee Henry Hathaway born in California. He directed westerns like The Sons of Katie Elder and True Grit, the Marilyn classic Niagara, and his Oscar nomination came from Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935). One of his movies, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine with Fred MacMurray even opened on his birthday in 1936
1925 Tennessee makes it illegal to teach evolution in school. A law that is later challenged in court resulting in the Scopes "Monkey trial that inspired the play and movie Inherit the Wind
1941 "Cuchi cuchi" Charo was born in Spain this day
1942 The Betty Grable musical comedy Song of the Islands opened
1943 The great French director André Téchiné was born. Have you ever seen Wild Reeds (1994)? I missed his latest Being 17 but I hear it's good.
1947 The 1946 Academy Awards for, Oscar's 19th celebration, crowned The Best Years of Our Lives. One of the greatest winning pictures. Olivia de Havilland wins the first of her two Best Actress Oscars this night, too, for To Each His Own. But she wasn't happy that her sister Joan Fontaine had already beaten her to the golden idol. I'll admit that 1946 is a year I'm really weak on.
1946 Best Actress Nominees. Who would you have voted for that year? (Rita Hayworth wasn't nominated for Gilda which is bonkers but what can you do?)
- Olivia de Havilland, To Each His Own ★
- Celia Johnson, Brief Encounter
- Jennifer Jones, Duel in the Sun
- Rosalind Russell, Sister Kenny
- Jane Wyman, The Yearling
...on that very same day as the Oscars on the opposite coast, the musical Brigadoon opened on Broadway. It would become a Gene Kelly / Cyd Charisse film by 1954 nominated for three Oscars: Art Direction, Costume Design, and Sound Recording
1955 Actress and 80s film fixture Glenne Headly born. It was so great to see her recently in The Night Of
1956 Emmy winner and past Smackdown guest right here Dana Delany (China Beach, Housesitter, Hand of God, Exit to Eden) born in NYC
1961 Iconic artist Pablo Picasso marries Jacqueline Roque, one of his many lovers. They're played by Anthony Hopkins and Diane Venora in one of the rare Merchant/Ivory misfires, Surviving Picasso (1996)
1962 Spike Lee's trusted film composer Terence Blanchard born in New Orleans. Oscar has ignored him but he did snag a Globe nomination for one of Lee's best joints, 25th Hour (2002)
1972 Oscar winner Common (Selma's "Glory" was such a grand Original Song winner don'cha think?) was born in Chicago on this day.
1973 A revival of a 1919 musical Irene opens on Broadway starring Debbie Reynolds (Tony nomination). It's had two film adaptations, one silent film (for a musical, huh...) and a 1940 film with Ray Milland and
Anna Neagle which received an Oscar nomination for its score.
1982 TJ Hooker premieres on TV proving there was life for William Shatner after Star Trek
1985 Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) born in California
1987 Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II opens
1990 Emory Cohen, the worst son in Smash but the perfect boyfriend in Brooklyn, born in NYC
1992 HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY HOWARDS END. The Merchant / Ivory masterpiece Howards End opens in theaters. It goes on to win 3 Oscars but honestly the fact that it didn't win Best Director (James Ivory) and Best Picture is all kinds of messed up. Sorry Unforgiven but, nope.
My Cousin Vinny, which went on to win Best Supporting Actress for Marisa Tomei opened the same day!
1998 The Man in the Iron Mask opens in movie theaters. It was Leonardo DiCaprio's first release post superstardom via Titanic.
2014 Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which I'd (still) argue is the best superhero film of the decade (Scarlett Johansson bookended my top ten list that year), premieres in Los Angeles
2020 an Untitled Pixar film will supposedly be released on this day. We hope it's an original since everything scheduled after this November's Coco is a sequel.
Which of these anniversaries will you be thinking of today?