Showbiz History: Julia peaks, Channing rises, and Maddie swings from chandeliers
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 9:10AM 6 random things that happened on this day, March 17th, in Showbiz History. Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
1941 The National Gallery of Art opened in DC eighty years ago today.
1991 The 44th annual BAFTA Awards honoring the films of 1990 are held. Italy's Cinema Paradiso (which we were just discussing) is a huge hit winning 5 awards and Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas emerges triumphant with the top prize (Dances with Wolves, which will beat it at the Oscars a week later, isn't up for the BAFTAs until the following year, but it loses then to the homegrown title The Commitments)...
2000 Erin Brockovich starring Julia Roberts opens with Julia commanding a then record paycheck for an actress ($20 million) and it's another big hit for the 90s superstar. A year later it snags well deserved Oscar nominations for Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actor and Screenplay. (We're still pissed that it missed Best Editing.)
2006 She's the Man, a star vehicle for Amanda Bynes (remember her?), opens in theaters. Audiences gasp and squeal when the then unknown Channing Tatum removes his shirt (at least they did in our theater). By the end of 2006 he was a major star with Step Up and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints following She's the Man's into theaters that same year.
2014 Sia releases the hit single "Chandelier" with a very popular video starring dancing Maddie Ziegler. They recently reunited for the autism musical Music to horrible reviews but Golden Globe favor.
2017 Disney's live action remake of Beauty and The Beast opens to a gargantuan $174 million dollars at the box office, despite a lead who couldn't sing, dooming us to endless regurgitations of animated classics always referred to as "live action remakes" even when they're animated.
Today's Birthday Suit
Happy 70th birthday to Kurt Russell, famous since his early teenage years, pictured here with his love Goldie Hawn in Swing Shift (1984) and with Sylvester Stallone in Tango & Cash one of many examples of homoerotic/ homophobic action flicks of that era.
Other showbiz birthdays today: John Boyega (Detroit, Attack the Block), Rob Lowe (St Elmos Fire, Parks and Recreation), Lesley-Anne Down (North and South, The Great Train Robbery), Arye Gross (Big Eden, Minority Report), Mark Boone Jr (Memento, 30 Days of Night), Gary Sinise (Forrest Gump, Mission to Mars), Patrick Duffy (Dallas, Man From Atlantis), Japan's Nijiro Murakami (Isle of Dogs, Mukoku), Matthew St Patrick (Six Feet Under, War), and singer Grimes
And late greats (left to right): Brigitte Helm, silent film star of Metropolis and L'Argent fame pictured left in pasties and her "false maria" seductive gown; blaxsploitation star Rudy Ray Moore (Dolemite, Disco Godfather) who Eddie Murphy recently played to acclaim in Dolemite is My Name; beloved trailblazing singer and occasional actor Nat King Cole (St Louis Blues, Cat Ballou); and ballet icon and occasional actor Rudolf Nureyev (Valentino) who recently got his own biopic with the Ralph Fiennes directed The White Crow.
Reader Comments (8)
Was hoping for Stockard Channing.
Can't believe Cinema Paradiso missed Best Original Score.
Never forget the year Julia won her oscar in May.
I miss Channing and Amanda.
Love Chandelier and Elastic Heart. Still haven't seen Music.
Nudity is always welcomed here.
Nudity IS always welcome here!
What did ever happen to Channing? I don't think I've seen him since 22 Jump Street..???
Channing's been focusing on family and Magic Mike live. And future projects, I guess.
Sia's music esp Chandalier and vocal styling has taken over modern pop so now there's no differentiating between most female singers.
I love reading when Julia ruled the movies.
I am waiting for Channing Tatum to return but I'm glad he's focusing on his family. A man's not a man if he doesn't spend time with his family.
Fuck SIA and her bullshit film as I hope it gets its Razzies and she can fuck off.
Kurt Russell always had a nice but yet... who knew had some serious nice legs in that movie.
I like that 2006 look for Channing Tatum, face thinner and leaner build - terrific. Nat King Cole, what a beautiful voice. He and Johnny Mathis (who's still with us) are my favorites. Rudy Ray Moore was hilarious in those films mentioned, among others. Can you dig it?
Kurt Russell was a cute child actor who grew up into a handsome male star. Mr Tatum really should come back in another dance musical.