Category: This Day in Movie History

This Day in Movie History: December 30

So this might be more of a This Day in Television History, but not really. 60 years ago today is when the first color TV sets went on sale to the American public. This is a historically significant event in Movie History for many reasons. It changed the way moviegoers experienced the world of film. In fact, the advent of TV’s in the homes of Americans made films such as The Wizard of Oz and It’s a Wonderful Life the classics that they now are. TV continues to change the way the film industry operates with a prime recent example being the blossoming of Netflix.

As for birthdays, Fred Ward is 71 today. Mr. Ward is one of those instantly recognizable faces you may not know by name, but has had extensive character actor work over the last few decades. He’s appeared in two of Robert Altman’s most celebrated works, The Player and Short Cuts and turned up in films including Escape from Alcatraz, The Right Stuff, Miami Blues, Tremors, Road Trip, Sweet Home Alabama, and 2 Guns.

Tyrese Gibson is 35 today. First known as an R&B singer, Mr. Gibson has made a smooth transition into film. His first significant role was as the lead in John Singleton’s underrated 2001 drama Baby Boy. Since then he’s gotten himself into two huge film franchises, The Fast and Furious and Transformers. Other notable roles: Four Brothers and, most recently, Black Nativity.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two:

Fred Ward in 2 Guns with Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg was in Four Brothers with Tyrese Gibson

And that’s today – December 30 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 29

Eighteen years ago on This Day in Movie History – December 29 – brought a trio of pictures opening for Oscar qualifying runs. While none of them were nominated for Best Picture, they all found varying degrees of success with their actors being nominated for awards.

First up, Terry Gilliam’s sci-fi pic 12 Monkeys starring Bruce Willis, Madeline Stowe, and Brad Pitt. It earned Oscar nominations for Mr. Pitt for Supporting Actor (his first nomination) and Costume Design. Pitt would lose in the category to Kevin Spacey for The Usual Suspects, but he did win the Golden Globe.

Next is Dead Man Walking, the capital punishment drama from director Tim Robbins starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon. It would earn nominations for Director, Actor, Actress, and Original Song with a title track from Bruce Springsteen. Only Sarandon was victorious while Penn would lose to Nicolas Cage for Leaving Las Vegas.

Finally, Mr. Holland’s Opus with its Oscar nominated performance from Richard Dreyfuss in this drama spanning the life of a music teacher. Dreyfuss’s work was the only Academy nomination, but the pic turned into an unexpected box office hit with an $82 million domestic haul.

As for birthdays today, Jude Law is 41. Mr. Law has worked with some of the greatest directors alive from Scorsese (The Aviator) to Spielberg (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence) to Eastwood (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) to Nichols (Closer). Other notable roles include Gattaca, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Road to Perdition, Cold Mountain, Side Effects, and his work as Watson alongside Robert Downey Jr. in the two Sherlock Holmes flicks.

Danny McBride is 37 today and he’s one of the most recognizable faces in comedy over the past few years with roles in Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Up in the Air, 30 Minutes or Less, Your Highness, and This is The End. There’s also his starring role in the HBO cult hit “Eastbound&Down”.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the birthday performers:

Jude Law was in Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. was in Tropic Thunder with Danny McBride

And that’s today – December 29 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 28

Twelve years ago today in Movie History was the release of Black Hawk Down for its Oscar qualifying run. Ridley Scott’s true life tale of the Battle of Mogadishu starred Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Sam Shephard, and Ewan McGregor. It won Academy Awards for Sound and Editing and Scott was nominated for his direction, while the film itself did not receive a nod. Down was a box office success with $108 million domestic, providing Scott with his third $100M+ grosser in less than two years with Gladiator and Hannibal having been released prior.

As for birthdays, Denzel Washington is 59 today. He is an Oscar winner for 2001’s Training Day in the lead category and won Supporting Actor in 1989 for Glory. Other Academy Award nominations: Cry Freedom, Malcolm X, The Hurricane, and Flight. Beyond his nominated performances, he’s been one of the most consistent actors over the past 25 years with box office hits that include Philadelphia, The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide, Remember the Titans, American Gangster, and Unstoppable.

He may only be known for cameos in films, but you could certainly argue that no one has been more important in the world of film over the past decade as Stan Lee. He turns 91 today. Lee is the creator of many comic books that have been adapted into hugely grossing Marvel adaptations, including Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Captain America, and Daredevil. He has had cameos in nearly 20 of those pictures based on his works.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two birthdays boys:

Denzel Washington was in Inside Man with Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe was in Spider-Man with Stan Lee

And that’s today – December 28 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 27

This Day in Movie History – December 27 – brings us another trio of pictures that opened attempting to make their Oscar qualifying runs.

13 years ago brought Traffic, Steven Soderbegh’s epic pic which explored the war on drugs from various different angles with multiple storylines. With an all-star cast featuring Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro, Don Cheadle, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Don Cheadle, Traffic won Oscars for its Direction, Supporting Actor (del Toro), and Adapted Screenplay. It would lose Best Picture to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. It was a massive box office success earning $124 million domestically. **Blogger’s note: a few scenes of Traffic were filmed in my town of Columbus, Ohio and I got to witness part of it being filmed at the Ohio Statehouse. I saw Michael Douglas descend the steps of the Statehouse (it’s early in the movie) and I even got to chat briefly with Mr. Soderbergh, who was wearing an Ohio State ball cap (Go Bucks!).

22 years ago today saw the release of Fried Green Tomatoes, Jon Avnet’s Depression era comedic drama. It combined the Best Actress winner from two years prior, Jessica Tandy, with the Best Actress winner from the previous year, Kathy Bates. The pic resonated with audiences with an $82 million domestic box office tally but received Oscar nods only for Tandy in Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay, winning neither.

Milos Forman’s The People vs. Larry Flynt opened 17 years ago today. The biopic of Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt cast Woody Harrelson in the title role with Courtney Love and Edward Norton in supporting roles. Flynt failed to resonate with moviegoers earning just $20 million. It did manage to pick up Oscar nominations (but no wins) for Forman and Harrelson.

As for actors with birthdays today, John Amos turns 74. You may know the veteran actor best for TV work from “Good Times” to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to “The West Wing” to the miniseries Roots. He’s had his share of notable film roles as well, including Coming to America, Die Hard 2, and Madea’s Witness Protection.

Actress Theresa Randle is 49 today. She’s appeared in many high-profile pics over the past coupe of decades from the two Bad Boys flicks to Sugar Hill to Beverly Hills Cop III to her starring role in Spike Lee’s Girl 6.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two birthdays performers:

John Amos was in Coming to America with Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy was in Beverly Hills Cop III with Theresa Randle

And that’s today in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 26

On this day after Christmas in Movie History, it is time to introduce you to the term “qualifying run” if you aren’t already familiar with it. Qualifying run means when a studio releases a picture between December 26 and December 31 and there’s only one reason to do it: so that the picture is eligible for Oscar consideration. This will likely be the case with most movies featured on This Day in Movie History for the remainder of the year. These releases typically aren’t released wide until January or sometimes February of the following year.

Such is the case with Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, which came out six years ago today. Daniel Day-Lewis earned his second Best Actor Oscar for the pic (with another to follow five years later for Lincoln), but it lost in the Picture and Director race to No Country for Old Men and the Coen Brothers.

Twelve years ago today was the release of Robert Altman’s comic murder mystery Gosford Park, which opened to critical raves and a surprising $40 million domestic take. It also was the final Best Director nomination for Altman and earned Supporting Actress nominations for Maggie Smith and Helen Mirren.

As for birthdays on this day, Jared Leto is 42. He is currently the frontrunner for Supporting Actor for his work in Dallas Buyer’s Club. Known more to many in the younger generation as the lead singer of Thirty Seconds to Mars, Leto is also known for past roles in Requiem for a Dream and Panic Room.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich is 50 today. His resume in film certainly isn’t extensive, but he did appear in this year’s Metallica Through the Never and had a humorous supporting role as himself in 2010’s Get Him to Greek.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between these two gentlemen:

Jared Leto was in Dallas Buyer’s Club with Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey was in The Wolf of Wall Street with Jonah Hill

Jonah Hill was in Get Him to the Greek with Lars Ulrich

And there’s today – December 26 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 25

It’s a very special day in our collective history, blog readers, as we celebrate the holiday season today and get to spend time with our loved ones and count our blessings.

Today – December 25 – in Movie History gives us the 20th anniversary of Grumpy Old Men, which turned into an unexpected comedy hit for Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, a full 25 years following their landmark laugher The Odd Couple. It earned $70 million domestically following its Christmas 1993 debut.

23 years ago in 1990 brought the long gestating sequel The Godfather Part III, Francis Ford Coppola’s third and final chapter of the series. Released 16 years after part II, Part III had its share of negative critical reaction, especially for the performance of Sofia Coppola as Michael Corleone’s (Al Pacino) daughter. It still managed to nab a Best Picture nomination and gross a strong $66 million domestically. And Sofia moved onto an acclaimed career as a director, with quality material like The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation to her credit.

And five years ago today was Marley & Me, the tearjerker dog flick with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston that set the Christmas Day opening record at the time on its way to a terrific $143 million domestic tally. Based on the bestselling memoir by John Grogan, Marley touched a nerve with pet lovers all across the country and was the breakout hit of that year’s holiday time frame.

As for celebrity birthdays, one of the most iconic actors of all time Humphrey Bogart would be 114 years old today. His contribution to cinema is immeasurable with classics such as Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, The African Queen, and The Treasure of Sierra Madre, to name just some.

And its Sissy Spacek’s 64th birthday today. She’s had one of the most impressive filmographies of any actress, from playing the title character in 1976’s Carrie, to an Oscar win as Loretta Lynn in 1980’s Coal Miner’s Daughter, and Oscar nominated turns in Missing (1982), The River (1984), Crimes of the Heart (1986), and In the Bedroom (2001). Recently she’s been seen in Get Low and The Help.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two performers:

Humphrey Bogart was in The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn

Katherine Hepburn was in Love Affair with Annette Bening

Annette Bening was in The Great Outdoors with John Candy

John Candy was in JFK with Sissy Spacek

And there you have Christmas in Movie History! Once again, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

This Day in Movie History: December 24

On this day in Movie History, otherwise known as Christmas Eve – Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman tied the knot 23 years ago in 1990. Their union resulted in three motion pictures where the couple worked with the late Tony Scott (Days of Thunder), Ron Howard (Far and Away), and, of course, Stanley Kubrick (Eyes Wide Shut). The marriage would last until 2001. Cruise would go onto other high-profile relationships and Kidman would marry Keith Urban and win an Oscar for 2002’s The Hours (something her ex-husband has yet to do).

43 years ago today marked the debut of Disney’s animated The Aristocats, which is notable for being the last studio pic that Mr. Disney approved himself, prior to his 1966 death.

As for celebrity birthdays, we have Stephanie Meyer, author of the “Twilight” series that turned into a highly successful film franchise that ended just last year. We also have director Lee Daniels, who  broke out of the gate with 2009’s Oscar nominated Precious and had a hit this year with Lee Daniels’ The Butler.

As for the daily Six Degrees of Separation between birthday folks –

Stephanie Meyer wrote the Twilight series starring Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart was with Forest Whitaker in Panic Room

Forest Whitaker was the star of Lee Daniels’ The Butler

And there you have it – Christmas Eve in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 23

It was 22 years ago Today in Movie History when the film that finally earned Al Pacino a Best Actor Oscar debuted in theaters. Scent of a Woman cast Pacino as a retired blind Army Colonel and the role earned him Academy gold after seven previous nominations and losses.

Speaking of Best Actor wins, Jack Nicholson picked up his second Best Actor trophy for the comedy/drama As Good As It Gets, which opened 16 years ago today. James L. Brooks’s picture also earned Helen Hunt a Best Actress award and a Supporting Actor nod for Greg Kinnear.

25 years ago today marked the opening of Garry Marshall’s Beaches, the tearjerker with Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. And that film gave us one of the most gloriously cheesy monster hit ballads in memory – “Wind Beneath My Wings”.

As for celebrity birthdays, today would have marked the 42nd birthday of Corey Haim, who died in 2010. One half of the “Coreys” duo that included Corey Feldman, Haim costarred in such features as Lucas, The Lost Boys, and License to Drive.

Today is the 34th birthday of Estella Warren, best known to moviegoers as the female lead in Tim Burton’s 2001 Planet of the Apes “reimagining”. Since then, most of her work has been on TV with appearances on “Law&Order” and “Ghost Whisperer”.

As for the daily Six Degress of Separation between birthday performers:

Corey Haim was in The Lost Boys with Jason Patric

Jason Patric was in Narc with Ray Liotta

Ray Liotta was in Date Night with Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg was in Planet of the Apes with Estella Warren

And that’s today – December 23 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 22

Apparently December 22nd in Movie History could be called Ben Stiller Day as the actor has had a trio of titles debut on the day over the past decade.

For starters, 2004 brought us the sequel Meet the Fockers, which was a smash hit grossing $279 million domestically. It remains Stiller’s highest earning picture of all time.

Two years later would come Stiller’s second largest domestic grosser Night at the Museum. The family friendly pic racked up a $250 million domestic gross and spawned a sequel with another on the way in 2014.

Finally, December 22, 2010 brought Little Fockers, where the franchise seemed to run out of steam. Though it made a respectable $148 million – that’s a far cry from its 2004 predecessor.

Stiller’s movies are no stranger to the Christmas season (clearly) and this year is no exception with The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opening on Christmas Day.

As for celebrity birthdays, we have two characters actors: Hector Elizondo turns 77. You may know him for the original The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 or Beaches or Pretty Woman. He’s a particular favorite of director Garry Marshall.

And Ralph Fiennes turns 51. He first captured the attention of audiences with his Oscar nominated supporting role as a Nazi soldier in Schindler’s List. Since then he’s appeared in everything from Quiz Show to The English Patient to Red Dragon to, of course, Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise.

As for Six Degrees of Separation between the two actors:

Hector Elizondo was in Beverly Hills Cop III with Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy was with (yep) Ben Stiller in Tower Heist

Ben Stiller was in Along Came Polly with Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Phillip Seymour Hoffman was in Red Dragon with Ralph Fiennes

And that’s today – December 22 – in Movie History!

This Day in Movie History: December 21

The landscape of film changed forever on This Day in Movie History 76 years ago when Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs had its world premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood. The brainchild of Walt Disney, Snow White was the first full-length animated feature from the studio and the rest, as they say, was history. The picture was awarded an honorary Oscar and adjusted for inflation, Snow White is one of the top ten grossing films of all time.

On the other hand, 19 years ago today, Macaulay Culkin would begin to see his box office fortunes take a turn for the worse in Richie Rich. After the huge success of the Home Alone pics in 1990 and 1992, Rich fell short money wise grossing $38 million against a $40 million budget. This really marked the beginning of the end of Macaulay’s success as a draw for moviegoers.

Twelve years today marked the opening of Ron Howard’s A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly (in an Oscar winning performance). The true story of John Nash went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars, though Crowe would lose out Best Actor to Denzel Washington in Training Day (Crowe had won the year prior for Gladiator).

As for celebrity birthdays, double Oscar winner and activist Jane Fonda is 76 today while the man who has the most DVD’s/Blu Rays in my collection, Samuel L. Jackson, is 65.

Keeping with my theme of doing Six Degrees of Separation for the birthday actors:

Jane Fonda was in Lee Daniels’ The Butler with John Cusack

John Cusack was in 1408 with Samuel L. Jackson

And that’s today in Movie History!