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)
