Birthdays: Andrew Jackson, Lee
Schubert-one of Broadways Shubert Brothers, Ry Cooder, Sly Stone, Harry James,
Lightnin' Hopkins, Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, Judd Hirsch, Norm Van Brocklin, Sabu,
Fabio, Reni Harlin, David Cronenburg is 74, Eva Longoria is 42, Simpsons director David Silverman
1915- Universal Studios formed.
Carl Laemmele bought a huge track of Burbank farmland and set up his studio.
Laemmele had wooden bleachers built next to the movie sets where he charged
people a nickel to come watch the filming. Universal actually had been operating as a film company since
1912 but the company counts today as its birthday.
1933- Young animator Chuck Jones
first hired at Leon Schlesingers Looney Tunes cartoon studio.
1941- The daughter of Cecil B. DeMille,
Katherine DeMille, had married actor Anthony Quinn. This day tragedy struck the
family. On a visit to Cecil B.’s estate the couple’s three year old son
Christopher walked off into neighbor W.C. Fields yard where he fell into Fields
unsupervised swimming pool and drowned. The parents were so shattered they
divorced afterward. Anthony Quinn refused to talk about the rest of his long
life. Fields was so depressed he had the pool filled in and landscaped so no
reminder of the tragedy would remain.
1944- The DeHAVILAND CASE- A judge
ruled actress Olivia DeHaviland free of her exclusive seven year personal
contract to Warner Bros.. For years movie stars like Bette Davis, Barbara
Stanwyck and James Cagney had been fighting in court the system of exclusive
contracts the studios used to keep them under control. They had no choice in
the type of films they did, no residuals and studios could rent them out to
other studios for higher fees and keep the money.
If the actor complained they were
put on disciplinary leave by the studio without pay and the penalty time added
onto the end of their contract. Garbo called it the closest thing to White
Slavery. Some contracts even ordered some stars not to get married for fear it
would erode their sex appeal. The DeHaviland Case broke that system and allowed
actors to make their own deals.
1956- Lerner & Lowe’s musical
"My Fair Lady" premiered.
1977- Television sitcom Threes
Company debuted.
1985- Symbolic.com is assigned the
first registered private domain site on the Internet.
2002- Blue Sky’s hit animated film
Ice Age premiered.
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