Showbiz History: Rita & Orson, Keira's Karenina, and an Emmy boycott
Friday, September 7, 2018 at 9:00AM 6 random things that happened on this day, September 7th, in showbiz history
1940 Dario Argento is born in Rome. He goes on to fame as the director of stylish thrillers and horror movies, and to father actress/director Asia Argento. We're about to get the remake of his best known feature Suspiria.
← 1943 Movie stars Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles marry (though various internet sources seem to disagree on the date, sometimes September 9th is cited). They're both fresh stars in their twenties at the time having broken out in 1941 with The Strawberry Blonde and Citizen Kane respectively. The marriage will last for five years. I've urged you many times over the years to see the trans documentary Prodigal Sons which has an amazing connection to Welles & Hayworth...
1954 Robert Rossellini's Journey to Italy starring Ingrid Bergman (which we wrote about here) premieres in Italy. Ingrid Bergman was still on the outs in America due to her affair with the director in 1950. Hollywood would welcome her back with open arms in 1956 with Anastasia.
1980 The 32nd annual Emmy Awards are held. Though the awards show was broadcast on NBC, 51 of the 52 nominated actors boycotted the ceremony due to a Screen Actors Guild strike. Could you imagine an awards show today where none of the actors would attend?!? The only acting nominee to attend, Powers Boothe, won for Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones. Sitcom Taxi and Drama Lou Grant repeated their series wins from the previous year.
1984 John Sayles sci-fi Harlem-set comedy, The Brother from Another Planet (the breakout role for future Emmy winner Joe Morton) is released in NYC. LA will follow and the film will become an arthouse hit.
2012 Joe Wright's already undervalued take on Anna Karenina premieres in movie theaters in both the UK and at the Toronto International Film Festival on this day. The sumptuous visuals and score will collect four Oscar nominations, winning for Costume Design. But too little is said about how many stars are roaming around in this picture: Knightley, Gleeson, Taylor-Johnson, Law, Watson, Williams, Wilson, as well as both Michelle Dockery and Alicia Vikander on the cusp of stardom.
Today's Showbiz Birthdays: Singer Gloria Gaynor, Rock star Buddy Holly, Oliver Hudson, Composer Mark Isham, Toby Jones, Julie Kavner, Director Elia Kazan, John Phillip Law, Anthony Quayle, Devon Sawa, Producer James Schamus, Evan Rachel Wood, and songwriter Diane Warren.
Today's Birthday Suit: Tom Everett Scott (La La Land, That Thing You Do!, American Werewolf in Paris)
Reader Comments (10)
not “today”, but weren’t the golden globes boycotted in the past decade for some reason i can’t think of right now?
I'd also recommend the Barbara Leaming biography of Rita Hayworth "If This Was Happiness"-a title derived from the authoress's interview with Welles and for which he provided much material. It's not a happy read, Rita's life was a troubled one despite her fame, but engrossing.
I love “The Brother From Another Planet”. Joe Morton is great, and it’s always a pleasure watching a movie by John Sayles.
@par, in 2008 the G.G. telecast was scuttled because of a W.G.A. strike. (This was the first year Mad Men scored major awards, incidentally.)
Anna Karenina is so-o-o underrated! Keira Knightley had an unfortunate run of bad luck in that she was consistently excellent in several 2010-12 films back-to-back (Never Let Me Go, Last Night, A Dangerous Method, this—even Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), but went largely unnoticed. Anyway, she was great in that.
Rita Hayworth and Orson Welles star in one of the greatest films of all-time, The Lady from Shanghai (Hayworth is #1 on my list of best American actors without Oscar nominations).
Nathaniel-are you fan of the picture?
Nice to see a shout out for Joe Wright's Anna Karenina - stellar cast, and those dancing scenes with Keira Knightley are to die for. I wonder if Keira and Joe will work again sometime soon. Please. Pretty Please...
I've been to Hayworth and Welles' home, out near Big Sur. It is now a restaurant with incredible views.
I tink tt Garbo's 1935 Anna Karenina is so indelible tt all future versions pale in comparison. Luv the sumptuous costumes n rich colours in Keira's version tho...
It's a shame tt Rita Hayworth never pick up any award luv, not even for Gilda! If Jen Jones can get a nom for a blackfaced harlot, why can't Hayworth for one o ultimate Femme Fatales!!
I love The Lady From Shanghai. I LOVE IT.
Minus this part: “Anna Karenina is so-o-o underrated!”, Mareko is spot on about Knightley’s run.