4 random things that happened on this day, December 13th, in showbiz history
1956 Historical drama Anastasia is released starring Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman. It will bring Bergman back into Hollywood's graces after her banishment due to her extramarital affair and win her her second Best Actress Oscar (though she doesn't attend the ceremony).
1957 Peyton Place which we discussed quite a bit this past summer premieres in NYC, becomes a smash hit and Oscar contender. The soapy drama about a mother and daughter and a small gossipy town is quickly adapted into a TV series...
1985 A memorable weekend in movie theaters. Jewel of the Nile, the fast sequel to Romancing the Stone was the new box office hit. Clue, the other wide opener, flopped. Now, many years years later, it's much beloved proving yet again that box office isn't everything.
The buzziest film opening that day was would-be major Oscar contender A Chorus Line: The Movie in limited release. But the movie disappointed critics and fans and had to settle for just 3 Oscar nominations: Film Editing, Original Song, and Sound.
2013 American Hustle and Saving Mr Banks (which we reminisced about this summer) hit movie theaters. They're both expected to blow up at the Oscars but only American Hustle does with shocking 10 nominations. It was the second year in a row that a David O. Russell film had scored the uncommon feat of receiving nominations in all four acting categories!
Today's Birthday Suit
Happy 95th birthday today to Dick Van Dyke (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Dick Van Dyke) who was born on this day way back in 1925. The movie musical star and sitcom star is one of the 25 oldest living film or television stars and still in good shape. We assume you saw his spirited tapping in Mary Poppins Returns just two years back when he was 93.
A selection of other showbiz people who were born on this day:
Oscar winners Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) and Christopher Plummer (Beginners, The Sound of Music), plus Grammy favourite Taylor Swift, TV regular James Kyson (Lovecraft County, Heroes), the late Darlene Cates (What's Eating Gilberg Grape), the late Van Heflin, Composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Mulan, The Martian), Current cinematographer Peter Deming (The New Mutants, The Good Lord Bird), French actor Michaël Cohen aka the former Mr Emanuelle Béart (It Begins with the End, Them), and the late Oscar winning producer Richard D Zanuck (Driving Miss Daisy, Jaws, The Verdict)