On this day: Grace Kelly became a Princess, Madonna's "Live to Tell" and more...
Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 10:13AM On this day in history as it relates to showbiz!
1907 Composer Miklós Rózsa born in Budapest. He becomes an Academy favorite in the early 40s and is nominated 17 times for his music with 3 Oscar wins (Spellbound, A Double Life, Ben-Hur)
1922 Emmy winner Barbara Hale (Perry Mason) born in Illinois
⇱ 1946 Hayley Mills born in London. She becomes the very last winner of the special "juvenile Oscar winner" for Pollyanna (1960) and chases it with the classic twin comedy The Parent Trap (1961). Did you know she was TFE's favorite classic child star? Now you do.
1947 James Woods born in Vernal, Utah
1953 Rick Moranis born in Toronto. Today's movie fans probably don't know this but in '89 he starred in 3 consecutive $100 million grossers in one single summer (Ghostbusters II, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Parenthood) and it was a very big deal because back then the same people weren't in every movie. TFE's theory is that casting is divided into two eras, pre Samuel L Jackson and after. After Samuel L Jackson (ASLL) it's mandatory to only have excessively familiar faces in every franchise, and it's even okay if they're competing franchises or the same franchises with different roles. It's madness!
Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly on this exact day in 1956 arriving to their civil ceremony. More photos at Vogue
Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier on this day in 1956 greeting fans at their civil ceremony. More photos at Vogue
1956 Grace Kelly becomes a princess, marrying Prince Rainier III of Monaco (well, the civil ceremony at least) and thus ending her film career simultaneously. On this same day 80s star Eric Roberts is born.
1966 Underappreciated actor Frederick Weller (The Shape of Things, The Business of Strangers, Stonewall) born in New Orleans. Here's a stingy factoid: despite three Drama Desk nominations and a win, he's never been nominated for a Tony.
1967 Happy 50th birthday to the awesome Maria Bello who should have been nominated for at least one Oscar (A History of Violence) maybe two (The Cooler)
1971 Happy 46th to Doctor Who and Killgrave himself, David Tennant
1974 Edgar Wright is born. Later becomes a beloved director of niche comedies. Famously ousted or quit Ant-Man depending on what you believe. Next up: a crime flick with pretty great reviews Baby Driver.
1983 Happy 34th to Reeve Carney, of Penny Dreadful and Spider-Man on Broadway fame
1986 At Close Range opens in movie theaters starring Sean Penn and Mary Stuart Masterson. Madonna, then a newlywed, did the theme song "Live to Tell" for her new hubby's film. Despite being early in her career it's already her third hit movie theme song (after "Into the Groove" from Desperately Seeking Susan and "Crazy For You" from Vision Quest). There would be many more but Oscar snubbed her every f***ing time. Rude.
1998 The 51st BAFTAs are held. This is back when BAFTA wasn't trying to be an Oscar predictor. The winners were The Full Monty (1997) -- yes it beat Titanic AND LA Confidential for Best Film -- and Baz Lurhmann for Best Director for Romeo + Juliet (a 1996 film but apparently released in the UK in 97).
← 2003 Holes opens starring teenager Shia Labeouf
2006 Suri Cruise born to Tom & Katie. Instantly very very famous. Which must be so weird
2012 American Bandstand host Dick Clark dies, ending theories that he was immortal and never aging
2015 "Uptown Funk" enjoys its last week as the #1 song after a very long run. We've always loved it because it name-checks Michelle Pfeiffer upfront
This hit, that ice cold
Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold 🎵
2017 ... who knows?!? Each day could be our last given the ignorant petulant batty old men in the White House. Enjoy your life. Celebrate something today!
Reader Comments (25)
What does ASLL stand for in reference to Samuel L. Jackson?
my favourite hayley mills film is whistle down the wind; yours?
Mark -- After Samuel L Jackson
par -- it's absolutely The Parent Trap but i love her movies in general
"Live to Tell" will always be on my top 5. The silence before "If I ran away, I'd never have the strength to ge very far" line gives me goosebumps everytime.
Peggy Sue, agreed. But if only one could be nominated, I would choose "Crazy for You". Such a perfect song about longing and the frustration of unrequited love. That last line when she says the title, just says it all.
I have such a soft spot for the song Who's That Girl? Just a wonderful tune.
Grace Kelly is quite a character of one of her movies. Six years of career, eleven movies, one Oscar and decides to retire to become a Princess. A real one. Among her films enduring masterpieces like High Noon and Rear Window. Nowadays a myth and a queen of popularity, symbol of beauty and it girl of fashion bloggers.
on Rick Moranis... I have to admit, I only began to dig him with his OUTSTANDING turn in Little Shop of Horrors... an amazing performance in one of the best musicals ever put to film, with visual effects that were completely robbed of an Oscar win... it's my #3rd favorite film of all times, and I have to admit, it would be my #1 film of 1986, which is still a pretty stronger year than I remember: Aliens, Blue Velvet, Platoon, Hannah and her Sisters, The Mission, The Fly, The Hitcher (outstanding film!), Stand by Me, Ferris Buehler's Day Off, Big Trouble in Little China, Sid and Nancy, The Name of the Rose, The Color of Money, Mosquito Coast, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Ruthless People, Night of the Creeps (another of my fave films from the 80's), Something Wild, Salvador, When the Wind Blows, Matador, True Stories (the MOST underrated musical ever!), Le déclin de l'empire américain, Tras el Cristal, El Viaje a ninguna parte (it was a good year for Spanish filmmakers), and my fave non-english language of 1986, the Oscar winner, The Assault. Among others... it's difficult to make even a top 20. And still, I've got no doubt on #1, with Lynch, Cameron, Carpenter and Byrne (David) coming as probably companions on the top 5...
It's a pity that Moranis did (mostly) quit acting, but hey, it was for a good reason, so we can only wish it had been for another reason.
Remember when Bafta had gr8 taste and gave Sigourney an award in 97.
Has a child actor ever deserved an Oscar, Nathaniel? I know you're sour on that phenomenon altogether. Maybe you've named an exception before but I feel like you'd give a flat "no."
At any rate, I agree that they should bring back the juvenile Oscar. The telecast spends enough time celebrating the child phenomenon of the year (from Freddie Highmore to Jacob Tremblay to Sunny Pawar, etc.) and it feels like a fun way to reconnect with Hollywood history.
As you've said before it's a special distinction so it wouldn't need to happen every year.
I always say that The Parent Trap is my favorite guilty pleasure movie. I think I love everything about it. Brian Keith's house in Monterey was my ideal home. I haven't seen Big Little Lies but I assume all the women live in places like that?
I think I need to do a Hayley Mills film festival because the only movies I can clearly recall besides Parent Trap are Pollyanna and Trouble With Angels. There must be some other decent ones in there.
I watched The Parent Trap on Netflix this weekend for maybe the 500th time. I ADORE that movie, and everyone in it, from Una Merkel's pitch perfect busy-body Verbena to incomparable Charlie Ruggles as Grandpa McKendrick. Of course Maureen O'Hara is flawless and Hayley Mills absolutely nails her performances. A top 25 favorite for me without a doubt.
Gabriel Axel, the director of Babette's Feast, was born on this day in 1918.
Live to Tell is so underrated.
Madonna is only ever given GG's and back handed compliments.
Also, Madonna's six Golden Globe nominations for songwriting don't even include the three you listed—that means she's been worthy of Oscar consideration at least nine times in that category, probably more. Was "Vogue" eligible? That's 10.
IMDb has Frederick Weller born in 1966, but Wikipedia says it was four years later. Whichever it was, you're oh so right about the "underappreciated" part.
He takes on challenging roles, and always produces first quality results.
Grace Kelly is the most beautiful human being / animal / thing that ever existed.
I still marvel that Grace Kelly won her Oscar for The Country Girl. It's a good performance in a decent (but forgettable) movie, but she was better in her films with Hitchcock, particularly Rear Window.
Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier, becomes inspiration for the film that won Julie Christie her Oscar, and the second best (nothing tops Sunday Bloody Sunday) film of John Schlesinger's filmography.
While my favorite Hayley Mills film will always be The Trouble with Angels she made several other very good movies. Whistle Down the Wind, The Chalk Garden, Pollyanna, That Darn Cat! The Parent Trap and The Truth About Spring are all good ones.
In Search of the Castaways and The Moon-spinners are quite as good but worth a view.
Hayley Mills just did a fun interview on Leonard Maltin's podcast - and she sounds *exactly* the same.
Sean Penn looked very hot in "At Close Range"
It actually makes me kind of angry that Madonna has written so many great songs for films, was never nominated, and that her descendants are invited to the party, no problem. Instead she gets constant shade and questions of her talent and relevancy 34 years into a legendary career. She's had "Crazy for You," "Live to Tell," "This Used to Be My Playground," "I'll Remember," "Beautiful Stranger," and "Die Another Day." Plus there's the absolutely gorgeous "Time Stood Still" (from the absolutely awful The Next Best Thing). And I happen to really like "Masterpiece."