On this day: Carmen, Moonlighting, and the Star Spangled Banner
Friday, March 3, 2017 at 10:40AM Yesterday we missed celebrating Zodiac's 10th anniversary (the shame the shame) so we'll have to be more careful moving forward. So let's jump right back into daily anniversaries to reflect on and / or celebrate...
1845 Florida becomes the 27th State. It's been a problem ever since! I was born there so I can say that but seriously, Florida, get your act together. Between alligators, hateful politicians, legalized murder under deplorable Stand Your Ground laws, it's seriously a mess. Have y'all ever seen John Sayles Sunshine State? What other good movies about Florida are there besides Moonlight of course which just won Best Picture - woohoo!
1875 Bizet's Carmen premiered in Paris. It would go on to considerable global fame and the story would be adapted several times for cinema...
...albeit not always with the music. The first adaptations were silents after all. The most famous movie iteration is surely Carmen Jones (1954) with Oscar nominated Dorothy Dandridge which was adapted from a Broadway musical version of the story but the most faithful to the opera is Carmen (1984) starring Julia Migenes and Plácido Domingo. Beyoncé even starred in a 2001 adaptation but considering everyone's obsession with discussing all things Beyonce that project is rarely ever is mentioned.
1887 Annie Sullivan begins teaching blind deaf and mute Helen Keller. This true life inspirational story will become the cultural classic The Miracle Worker
1901 Gwen Wakeling, who designed the Oscar winning costumes of Samson & Delilah (1949) was born in Detroit
1903 Fashion giant Adrian is born. He did costumes for silents, costumes for The Wizard of Oz (1939) and other film classics before opening a successful couture business. Did you know that he was also Mr. Janet Gaynor? He was married to the very first Best Actress winner right after Oz and remained so until his death.
1911 Jean Harlow, the original Platinum Blonde is born
1923 Time Magazine is first published!
1931 The US adopts the "Star Spangled Banner" as National Anthem. Cue inspired Angels in America quote
1933 King Kong premieres in NYC where its über famous denouement takes place
1934 John Dillinger escapes from prison using a wooden pistol. Was this scene in Public Enemies (2009) starring Johnny Depp? I forget. No one speaks of that movie anymore.
1937 Bobby Driscoll, the voice and model of Disney's Peter Pan is born.
1945 Mad George Miller is born in Australia. Much later in life he wins an Oscar for Happy Feet but curiously not for Mad Max Fury Road (2015), his masterpiece though most of his department heads did win Oscars for their work.
1958 The great Miranda Richardson is born in Lancashire. She makes one of the all time most confident film debuts 28 years later as the lead of true crime romance drama Dance With a Stranger
1964 Laura Harring is born. 37 years later she whispers one of the great film titles "Mulholland Drive" as if in a trance
1975 The very first People's Choice Awards are held. The "favorite" winning film and tv stars are John Wayne, Barbra Streisand, Alan Alda, Telly Savalas & Mary Tyler Moore
1976 Jo Jin-Woong is born in Busan, South Korea. He was black tongued Uncle Kouzuki in The Handmaiden, one of 2016's very best films
1985 the classic series Moonlighting, not to be confused with our new Best Picture (woohoo) premieres on TV starring Bruce Willis (pre Die Hard) and Cybill Shepherd (post movie stardom). It takes until the second season for awards groups to really notice though when they're both nominated for Emmys and win the Golden Globes.
2006 Remember Dave Chapelle's Block Party? That was such an enjoyable doc and it opened on this day. Did you know it was edited by Sarah Flack (who also did Sofia Coppola's sublime Marie-Antoinette that year)
and today...
Opening in movie theaters: Logan (review soon), The Shack, Before I Fall, Table 19 (reviewed) and The Last Word. If you've missed any of the Oscar nominees, it's probably the last chance to see them on the big screen as they're all losing a bunch of theaters this weekend and won't be around much longer. Yes, even the biggest hits Hidden Figures and La La Land are losing hundreds of theaters this weekend as the film year closes, post Oscar.
on this day
Reader Comments (16)
What other good movies about Florida are there besides Moonlight of course which just won Best Picture - woohoo!
Some Like It Hot (1959) - although San Diego plays the role of Miami
Ruby in Paradise (1993) - set in the Florida Panhandle for a change
The Truman Show (1998) - real Seaside, FL became fictional Seahaven, FL
The John Dillinger wooden gun scene WAS in Public Enemies, but I think he only took 3 guards hostage in the movie. In real life, he took 17
Source: http://www.cracked.com/article_19999_5-true-stories-cut-from-movies-being-too-unrealistic.html
A moot point: the man behind the original Camen was named Bizet, not Bizette. You must have Gay Purree on the brain. ;-)
All hail King Kong in its (his?) anniversary! One of my favourite movies ever.
Re Florida, off the top of my head:
The Palm Beach Story
Key Largo
Sweet Bird of Youth
Cocoon
Scarface
Donnie Brasco
the Magic Mikes
Looking forward to BEFORE I FALL, which is based on a popular teen novel with a Groundhog Day premise: a high school mean girl has to live the last day of her life over and over again while she figures out how not to be part of the bullying privileged set. It has Zooey Deutsch in the lead (she's Lea Thompson's daughter!). Director is Ry Russo Young who directed NOBODY WALKS at Sundance a few years ago. Screenwriter is Maria Maggenti who made new queer cinema classic THE INCREDIBLY TRUE ADVENTURES OF TWO GIRLS IN LOVE.
Stephane -- thanks for correction!
"Key Largo" and "Body Heat" to name two romantic thrillers.
Do you think Miranda has a shot for Stronger this year, Nathaniel?
I love Key Largo.
If you want to read an amazing book about Florida, read Devil in the Grove. Horrifying true story, great book.
Bobby Driscoll has such a tragic end...
It's just a weird coincidence I know but it's a rough day for several stars born on this day.
The great Jean Harlow only made it to 26-thank goodness for advancements in kidney treatments!,
Bobby Driscoll was a drug casualty at 31, dying in a deserted NYC tenement and being buried in a unmarked grave in potter's field.
The incredibly beautiful Gia Scala plagued by depression committed suicide at 38.
Cathy Downs, the title character of the John Ford classic My Darling Clementine died of cancer at 50.
Thank goodness the divine Miranda Richardson is hale and hearty and busily working. Now if she could just win that damn Oscar!
Adaptation!
For Florida, first thing that comes to mind weirdly is Charlize Theron in Monster.
Body Heat! Also, The Birdcage.
Oh, and Marvin's Room.