Birthdays: Robert Schumann, Frank Lloyd Wright, Barbara
Bush, Admiral David Dixon Porter, Leroy Neiman, Emmanuel Ax, Alexis Smith,
Nancy Sinatra, Boz Scaggs, Jerry Stiller is 87, Dana Wynter, British cricketeer
Ray Illingsworth, Juliana Margulies, Joan Rivers is 81, Keenan Ivory Wayans is
56, Scott Adams (the creator of Dilbert) is 56. Gary Trousdale is 53, Kanye
West is 37
1889 –The Red Car cable car began
service in LA.
1889 - Start of the Sherlock
Holmes Adventure "Boscombe Valley Mystery"
1900 - Start of Sherlock Holmes
story the "Adventure of 6 Napoleons"
1912- Carl Laemmle forms Universal Pictures Studio.
1942 - Bing Crosby records
"Silent Night".
1946- Bob Clampett's cartoon 'Kitty Kornered', the first
Sylvester the Cat cartoon debuted.
1948 - "Milton Berle
Show" Uncle Miltie- premiered on NBC TV.
1949- During the Hollywood
Blacklist, today an FBI report named actors Paul Muni, Frederick March, Edward
G. Robinson, Paul Robeson and Dorothy Parker. They had no proof, mostly
anonymous accusers. Robinson was
blacklisted, but never called upon to testify before the committee to clear his
name. He said “ It’s like I was accused of being a rabbit. I am not a rabbit,
but how do we know if you cannot prove you’re not a rabbit?”
1950- Universal pictures released 'Winchester '73', the
first film in which the star James Stewart negotiated for a back end percentage
of the profits. Stewart's agent was Lew Wasserman, the head of MCA and mentor
of Steven Speilberg.
1954- During the Army-McCarthy Anti-Communist hearings, in
front of a live television audience, attorney Joseph Walsh takes apart Senator
Joseph McCarthy for stooping to accuse a junior law partner in Walsh’s office
for once belonging to a socialist organization. Walsh’s dramatic cry gained
national prominence “ Finally Senator, have you no shred of decency?”
McCarthy was censured by Congress, stripped of his chairmanships, and was
politically finished.
1962- Twentieth Century Fox fired Marilyn Monroe for her
erratic, druggy behavior on the set of “Something’s Got to Give”, and cancelled
the picture. Monroe went into a tailspin that would lead to her suicide four
weeks later. Even after her death Fox then sued her estate for $80,000.
1968 - Rolling Stones release
"Jumpin' Jack Flash".
1969 "Smothers
Brothers Comedy Hour," last airs. The show was canceled by CBS, not for
bad ratings, but because its format highlighted liberal and anti-Vietnam War
performers like Buffy Saint-Marie, Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger. Producer Tommy Smothers was constantly
battling nervous network executives to let Seeger sing songs like “Big Muddy”,
a direct criticism of U.S. war policy. Finally when former President Lyndon
Johnson personally called CBS chief Bill Paley to complain, the show was
yanked. When
writer/singer Mason Williams learned the Smothers Brothers Show was canceled,
he planned to make an enormous pie to throw at the eye logo on the CBS
building, but they threatened to sue him for trespassing if he actually staged
the stunt...
1983- The films "Trading
Places," & "Gremlins," premiered.
1984-Ivan Reitmans’ film
"Ghostbusters" premiered.
1984- Donald Duck officially
became a member of the Screen Actors Guild- SAG.
1986- NBC was bought by General Electric. David Letterman
joked about now having to interview toaster ovens on his show.
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