Birthdays: Spinoza, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Scott Joplin,
Zachary Taylor, Carrie Nation, Dick Powell, Garson Kanin, Cass Gilbert-the
architect of the first skyscraper, Alvan Barkley-Truman’s VP, William F.
Buckley, John Lindsay, Dale Carnegie- author of How to Win Friends and
Influence People, Steve Yeager, Denise Crosby, Billy Connolly is 73
1933- The RKO movie Flying Down to Rio opened, originally as
a starring vehicle for Dolores Del Rio, but what we remember is it is the first
pairing of the famous dance team of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
1937- The Andrew Sisters record their Boogie-Woogie version
of “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon”, an old Yiddish song that was updated by Bennie
Goodman.
1938- LENI DOES TINSELTOWN -Hitler's top filmmaker Leni
Reifenstahl arrived in Hollywood to meet the film community and show off her
new documentary 'Olympia". Nazis charges de’ affaires in L.A. Gerhard
Gyssling had bragged to the press that all Hollywood was dying to meet
Germany’s top film artist. But Hollywood had different ideas. Paramount, Warner
Bros., Columbia, Fox and Goldwyn refused to speak to her and picketers hounded
her every step. Well known Conservatives like Louis B. Mayer and Gary Cooper
were polite but begged off the bad publicity.
The only studio heads
who would meet Leni Reifenstahl were Hal Roach and Walt Disney. Uncle Walt gave
her a tour of the studio but begged off running her film, saying the union
projectionist would make trouble. ( uh-huh....) Years later Disney said he
didn't really know who she was. ( uh-huh......) Leni told LA historian Robert
Nudleman years later that she thought Walt met her because his professional
curiosity got the better of him. That he wanted to see Olympia, because it was
the only film to beat his Snow White at the Venice Film Festival, then the
world’s most prestigious.
1941- After suffering a strike and declining revenue because
of the war in Europe, Walt Disney’s studio was in trouble. Animator Ward Kimball noted in his diary for
this day: “ 100 layoffs announced. Studio
personnel from 1600 down to a Hyperion level of 300. Geez, It this the writing
on the wall?” Disney saved itself with doing training films for the Army,
and after limping through the 1940’s, with Cinderella was back on top.
1947- THE HOLLYWOOD BLACKLIST- 50 Hollywood moguls like
Harry Cohn, Jack Warner and Dori Charey meet at the Waldorf Astoria in New York
to formulate a group response to the House UnAmerican Activities Committee
anti-commie hearings that were targeting Hollywood. Besides the heat from the
feds their stockholders were clamoring for them to get the Reds out! They
agreed to enforce an industry-wide blacklisting of anyone refusing to cooperate
with the HUAC Committee. Nothing was ever officially written down or published,
if you were blacklisted you suddenly were unable to find any work.
1950- The musical Guys & Dolls opened. “ I got da horse right here, his name is
Paul Revere, I know a jock who tells me Never Fear, Can Do- Can Do..The Jock
sez da horse can –do ”
1958- The musical film Gigi opened, music by Lerner &
Lowe. Based on the writings of French author Collette, Collette herself had
insisted young unknown Dutch actress Audrey Hepburn play the lead.
1968- Hey Jude by the Beatles topped the pop charts while
Tammy Wynette’s Stand By Your Man headed the Country & Western listing.
1991- Freddy Mercury, lead singer of the rock group Queen,
died of HIV/AIDS.
1998- America On Line bought
their chief competitor Netscape.
1999- Pixars Toy Story 2. in theaters.
2000- Catherine Zeta-Jones
married Michael Douglas.
2010- Disney’s Tangled released.
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