7 random things that happened on this day, september 6th, in showbiz history...
← 1879 Max Schreck born in Berlin. He is immortalized by playing undead Orlok in Nosferatu. Later Willem Dafoe will be Oscar-nominated for playing him in all his creepy eccentric possibly actually vampiric glory in Shadow of the Vampire (2000).
1928 How's this for a weird bit of history? Warner Bros second talkie was released on this day (well, some accounts say August 15th... dates are so iffy the further back you go) and it was a horror film called The Terror. In '28 many theaters had yet to convert to sound so a silent version of the same picture was released the following month. The film is one of many lost films from the era.
1954 Federico Fellini's La Strada premieres at the tail end of the 15th annual Venice Film Festival...
... though a now little discussed version of Romeo & Juliet starring Laurence Harvey wins the competition. Fellini has to settle for a shared Best Director prize.
1980 "Upside Down" by Diana Ross hits #1 and stays there for a month. It's one of the biggest hits of her career. Weirdly, as far as I can tell, it's never be licensed for a movie (the only Ross songs movies seem to use of hers are "I'm Coming Out," "Love Hangover" and songs from her days with the Supremes.)
← 2002 'Bad Movie (Lots of) People Love' Swimfan hits theaters. Confession: I've never seen it. Have you?
2010 The King's Speech premieres in Telluride, setting in motion the real life heist movie in which it steals The Social Network's Best Picture and Best Director trophies.
2019 It: Chapter Two opens in movie theaters to enormous box office. What? It's a safe prediction. Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James McAvoy, Isaiah Mustafa, James Ransome, and Bill Skarsgård star.
Today's Showbiz Birthdays: Oscar Nominees Naomie Harris and Rosie Perez. Also... Justina Machado (One Day at a Time), Director Jacob Estes, Birgitte Federspiel, Singer Macy Gray, Swoosie Kurtz, John Ridgely, Tony-winner Anika Noni Rose, Ultra Violet, Musician Pål Waaktaar (A-ha) Musician Roger Waters (Pink Floyd), Ty Wood, and Laugh-In's Jo Anne Worley.
Today's Birthday Suit: Happy 46th birthday to Idris Elba!
