Showbiz History: A Lavender Couple, Single White Female, and More...
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 at 8:44AM 10 random things that happened on this day in history as it relates to showbiz (Aug 14th)
1040 King Duncan is killed in battle by an army led by his cousin Macbeth, which will all later be rewritten by William Shakespeare as altogethier plottier and magically damning. Macbeth hasn't been transferred to cinema as much of some other Shakespearean tragedies which is TOTALLY fine because no one will ever top Kurosawa's Throne of Blood anyway.
1851 Outlaw Doc Holliday born in Georgia. The gambler / dentist / gunfighter / tuberculosis-victim has made for quite a scenery-chewing role for famous actors over the years, including Cesar Romero, Walter Huston, Kirk Douglas, Arhtur Kennedy, Adam West, Martin Landau, Jason Robards, Stacy Keach, Willie Nelson, Dennis Quaid, and Val Kilmer.
1928 Lina Wertmuller born in Rome. She'll become the first woman ever nominated for a directing Oscar when she's 48 years old for the masterpiece Seven Beauties.
1939 Oscar's first Best Actress, Janet Gaynor marries a costume designer so famous, he didn't even need a last name: Adrian. Many people believe it was a "lavender marriage"...
Adrian was known to be queer and Gaynor was often rumored to be bisexual and more than 'best friends' with Broadway star Mary Martin but Adrian and Gaynor remained together until his death 20 years later. Despite "gowns by Adrian" being synonomous with MGM glamour (He designed for Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer dozens of times) he was never honored with an Oscar as there was no costume design category until 1948 after Adrian had stopped designing for films. His classics all pre-date the category but they are many and include Marie Antoinette, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Woman of the Year, The Women, The Wizard of Oz, Queen Christina, Waterloo Bridge, Ninotchka and The Great Ziegfeld. But, given his iconic status in the Golden Age of American cinema we must assume it was homophobia that prevented an Honorary Oscar!
1945 Steve Martin born in Waco, Texas. Somehow I never think of him as Texan... or even Southern!
1953 James Horner, Oscar favorite and Titanic composer born in Los Angeles.
1959 "What a thrill." Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden born in La Jolla California on this day. What a thrill to meet her this year at gay pride in NYC!
1966 Oscar winner Halle Berry born in Cleveland.
1992 Single White Female hits movie theaters starring Bridget Fonda (long retired *sniffle*) and Jennifer Jason Leigh
2009 District 9 opens in movie theaters and becomes an unexpected big hit. It's also one of the rare sci-fi films to receive a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. It's also the last film I took my nephews to see before they all moved far away from me *sniffle*
2020 Universal has claimed this date for "untitled event film" so we hope it's eventful!
Other celebrity birthdays today:
Mila Kunis, Emmanuelle Béart, Ana Matronic (The Scissor Sisters), Raoul Bova, Romane Bohringer, Adrian Lester, René Goscinny (Creator of Astérix), Sarah Brightman, David Crosby, and Jackée Harry
Reader Comments (12)
I think at the time it was released SINGLE WHITE FEMALE as just another "_____ from Hell" psycho movies that were everywhere that year.
People often don't realize how very good it is.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrifying in that role!
David - I only watched it once, way back in the 90s when I was too young to really be watching. I loved all of the "Kill The Bitch" movies (wasn't that an actual awful term for those films of the time that all had the same misogynistic outlook, having to end with the murder of someone mentally ill? Fatal Attraction, Misery, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle etc)... strangely, they merely encouraged me to root for any female in a movie, even if she's the villain (or anti-heroine, as I prefer to name it)...
Anyway, it sits waiting for me on my TV box and this post may have inspired me to watch - tonight's the night...
Kermit -
YAY! I hope it ages well. I haven't seen it in years!
I do remember that early 90's gave us so many of those type of movies.
Ray Liotta as the COP from Hell in UNLAWFUL ENTRY
J J Leigh as the ROOMMATE from Hell in SINGLE WHITE FEMALE
Rebecca DeMornay as the NANNY from Hell in THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE
etc...
Is it wrong to kinda want more of those in 2019? :)
For any SWF fans Scream Factory will release the film on a special edition dvd apparently it will inc deleted footage as an extra feature.
And Consenting Adults,Final Analysis,Deceived,Sleeping with then Enemy,Mother's Boys,Malice,The Good Son,Basic Instinct,An Eye for an Eye.
markgordonuk-
wow Forgot all about those ones... Isn't it funny that if those movies were made today that would be 3rd-rate Redbox trash.... Yet back then they were given major theatrical releases and made big money at the box office.
I unequivocally LOVE Single White Female. It's so-o-o early '90s but nevertheless so deliciously committed to what it is: an effective, twisted thriller. 1992 really was the apex of that (Basic Instinct, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, SWF, Unlawful Entry, etc.). Good times.
P.S. Bridget Fonda is sorely missed!
I miss Bridget Fonda too!
Single White Female is lots of fun. Barbet Schroeder did a fine job directing it and the two leading women are excellent.
I miss Hit me With Your Best Shot. The Throne of Blood entry was the best of all time
I read this and it is great to read such these articles. Thanks for sharing such these articles.
As a model, I remain busy in learning different poses as well as meeting with professionals to beginners in the field of showbiz. She is a great lady who lead the showbiz world of her country on the track of success. Here is article source which impressed me in getting best writing help. It sounds good to read about her.
Hello guys! Amazing post, was quite interesting to read it, especially for me as for the writer, I found it quite informative and modern on, I guess that each writer can find something useful for hemself of herself, and readers of that blog if you have the problem with writing your essays, do not worry you can use our site, where writer will be glad to help you