Showbiz History: Super Remake, Early Franchise, and A Barrymore
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at 9:30AM 10 random things that happened on this day in history (Aug 15th) as it relates to showbiz...
I am a collage of unaccounted for brush strokes...
1483 The Sistine Chapel is consecrated and holds its first mass at the Vatican. Remember that "anecdote" in Six Degrees of Separation (1993) about slapping the hand of god? What a fantastic play/film. Stockard Channing's nomination that year was so well-earned. In many years that performance would have been my gold medalist, but what a stellar Best Actress year 1993 was. Hunter, Bassett, Channing, etc...
1879 Future Oscar winner Ethel Barrymore (None but the Lonely Heart) born in Philadephia. She is one of only nine women to have ever been nominated for 4 Supporting Actress Oscars. We're discussing that list right now actually ...
1912 Amazing actress Wendy Hiller born in England on this day. She would go on to 3 Oscar nominations and a win (Separate Tables, 1958). On the same day in Pasadena...
Future famous chef Julia Child is born. She'll be played by Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia (2009) resulting in yet another Oscar nomination.
1936 Pro football player Mike Henry born in Los Angeles. He'd eventually forge a non spectacular screen career, getting his big break while looking spectacular in Tarzan and the Valley of Gold.
1941 Life Begins for Andy Hardy, the 11th film in Mickey Rooney's hit Andy Hardy franchise (and the last featuring Judy Garland) opens in movie theaters. Did people complain back in the 30s and 40s when their favorite franchises like this one, The Thin Man, and Tarzan weren't nominated for Oscars?
1945 Japan surrenders ending World War II (though it wasn't quite "official" until September 2nd), but World War II movies continue forever thereafter. We used to bemoan this fact. So foolish we were to think we'd heard the stories enough and what more could be learned from all the war movies and Holocaust movies? Clearly mankind didn't learn enough!
1967 Super sexy Peter Hermann born on this day in NYC. He currently stars as Charles Brooks on Younger with Sutton Foster. Did you know he was married to Mariska Hargitay and speaks four languages?!? I just learned these two trivia bits today!
1986 David Cronenberg's spectacular remake of The Fly opens in movie theaters starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, both in great form. The hit movie wins the Oscar for Best Makeup but clearly deserved more than just that one nomination.
1990 Happy 28th birthday to movie star Jennifer Lawrence. Born on this day in Kentucky. Any readers here from Kentucky? Do you have other movie stars besides Johnny Depp and JLaw?
2008 Vicky Cristina Barcelona opens in theaters. The summer Woody Allen film will win Penélope Cruz the Oscar for being so "gee-nee-uss"
More Celebs and Actors Born On This Day: Ben Affleck, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Lucille Soong, Tess Harper, Joe Jonas, Natasha Henstridge, Debra Messing, Anthony Anderson, Princess Anne, Zelko Ivanek, Quinton Aaron, Jim Dale, Lee Sang-yoon, and hunky Broadway dancer / occasional screen actor Michael Berresse.
Reader Comments (30)
O Mike Henry, how wondrous you were. Gosh.
Movie Star, Jennifer Lawrence...yes, also four time Oscar nominee, Best Actress Oscar Winner-critically acclaimed, respected as one of the best actresses of her generation long before she was a house hold name. By the way, yes, Lawrence is also a beautiful woman-its nice that you noticed!.
One reader (well, lurker, usually) from Kentucky, at least. Not sure if you were legit asking, but the Kentucky-born movie star that always leaps to my mind (largely because his aunt (yes, that one) and I share a hometown, and he fairly frequently visits, is George Clooney.
Mike Henry was also Jackie Gleason's dumb but hot son in law in the original "Smokey and the Bandit" (certain to be remade any second now, I'm sure). But damn! I need to watch that particular Tarzan again. He might tie with Ron Ely for Hottest Tarzan.
Happy Birthday, Ben Affleck. I still love you, warts and all, you disastrous hunk!
That photo of Lawrence is so obnoxious.
@/3rtful so are you!
Jennifer Lawrence is obnoxious.
Optramark -- i was seriously asking. thanks for replying! (I have actually been to Kentucky :)
Also Michael Shannon was born in Kentucky (Albeit he has been adopted career wise by Chicago)
JLaw is great and deserved her Oscar! Jesus Christ! Give the gitl a break you people!
Stockard Channing in Six Degrees of Separation was perfection. Love that movie, what a cast !
"Order, Chaos, Order, Chaos".
Everything the world needs to be a better place is pictures of men like Mike Henry. That's all.
What would you nominate The Fly for Nat?
I'm here to say that I absolutely adore Stockard Channing and to thank you for Jeff's bulge and the Tarzan guy.
"We're a terrible match" is something i've always wated to utter to a supposed b/f.
Mike Henry is one of the hottest men ever to play Tarzan
1993 was a blood bath. Michelle and Juliette were in masterpieces and they couldn't make it and I believe it might the closest Meg Ryan has ever been to a nomination.
I can't find them but there are beach pics of Jeff Goldblum with a massive erection.
mark -- maybe Jeff Goldblum for best actor, Cronenberg for Best Director, and sound nominations.
@Peggy Sue, for Flesh & Bone? Closer than in '94 when Ryan was a SAG nominee for When a Man Loves a Woman? That year was a historically "weak" Best Actress lineup, too.
Mareko -- it had to have been either Juliette Binoche or Michelle Pfeiffer who was in the unfortunate 6th spot that year as both were talked up a lot (and Globe nominated). People didn't take Meg Ryan or her romcoms all that seriously back then even though they should have.
another person who was talked up a lot but not famous enough was Ashley Judd for Ruby in Paradise. I think Siskel and Ebert stumped for her if i recall and she won the Spirit Award.
Ugh, sadly true. Ryan *easily* should've been nominated for When Harry Met Sally. (In fact, I would've nominated her over Jessica Tandy, no question; and then Tandy goes on to WIN the Oscar! A pfiasco pfor Pfeiffer.)
Channing is amazing in that movie. Such a shame the big screen never knew how to use her talents as well the small screen did. Should've been her second nomination too, first one for her iconic Rizzo.
Mareko: TANDY4EVA
Best Actress 1993
Binoche - Gold
Hunter - Silver
Thompson - Bronze
Bassett
Pfeiffer
Meg Ryan was underrated in her heyday. She was the Clara Bow of the 1980s and 90s and deserves more than the "annoying airhead" rep she had through much of those decades.
Mareko -- Sleepless in Seattle
Peggy has a point. Sleepless was a massive hit and Meg had that great scene where she listens Hanks on the radio and cries.
Rita Wilson was amazing too. She should have been nominated!
Peter Herrman IS married to Mariska Hargitay. Not “was”.