On this day: Jungle Book's First, Dolly's Near Last, and Annie Hall vs. Star Wars
Monday, April 3, 2017 at 7:00AM on this day in history as it relates to showbiz...
1882 The titular event in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) happened on this very day in Missouri
1893 Leading man of the 1930s Leslie Howard (Gone With the Wind, Of Human Bondage) born in London
1921 Jan Sterling born in NYC. (We recently discussed her Oscar nominated performance in The High and the Mighty )
1922 After years of "which year is it?" it's finally settled... Doris Day was born on this day 1922. So happy 95th birthday to the icon, still with us, today.
1924 Another cinematic icon, Marlon Brando, born in Omaha
1930 The Broadway Melody becomes the first sound film and the first musical to win Best Picture at the 2nd annual Academy Awards
1942 It's the 75th anniversary of the first cinematic adaptation of The Jungle Book. It was nominated for 4 Oscars. UPDATE: Most of the streaming versions available online are of poor quality that don't showcase the movie's Oscar nominated visuals but we're hearing that Filmstruck has a good one, so watch it there! (thx Daniel)
... On this same day Oscar favorite Marsha Mason was born in Missouri (more on her later today)
1958 Alec Baldwin born in New York
1961 Eddie Murphy born in New York
1969 Aussie critics darling Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline, Animal Kingdom) born
1970 Madonna dancer Luis Camacho born in NYC. Featured heavily in Madonna's work in the early 90s he revisits that time in the new documentary Strike a Pose (read our interview) which is premiering on LOGO this week after touring various film festivals
1973 Adam Scott (Big Little Lies, Parks & Recreation) born in Santa Cruz California
1977 Austrian actress Birgit Minichmayr (Everyone Else, White Ribbon, Perfume) born
1978 Annie Hall is named Best Picture of 1977 but Star Wars wins the most Oscars home that night (6 of its 10 nominations plus a special Oscar for its Sound Effects, not yet a regular category) at the 50th annual Academy Awards. On this same day the world's most perpetually handsome man Matthew Goode born in England
1987 Rachel Bloom, creator and star of the wondrous Crazy Ex Girlfriend born in LA. On this same day the sci-fi romantic comedy Making Mr Right about a PR woman (Ann Magnuson) falling for an android (John Malkovich) with better social skills than the scientist who created him opens in movie theaters. Somehow I think Rachel Bloom would appreciate this connection.
1992 Straight Talk starring overnight radio talk show sensation Dolly Parton opens in movie theaters. Strangely she quit leading motion pictures immediately thereafter, only returning for one more leading role in a theatrical movie (Joyful Noise in 2012)
1998 New Line attempts a new film franchise with the release of Lost in Space based on the TV series. It doesn't take off.
2009 Fast & Furious (the 4th movie in the franchise) opens
2015 Terrible but successful movie Woman in Gold hits movie theaters opposite Furious 7... The Fast and Furious franchise loves April as release month. There doing it again this very month
2020 Warner Bros has claimed this date for Cyborg. That's a long time to wait considering the character is introduced this year in Justice League. ICYMI, since we didn't do a Yes No Maybe So... here's that Justice League trailer.
What will you be celebrating today?
Reader Comments (19)
The dude in Jane Fonda's spot.
I don't like Keaton in Annie Hall,is there something wrong with me,much prefer her 80's drama work.
Can I just throw in Marisa Paredes, who turns 71 today?
Although both seem almost (different kinds of) ageless, it's nonetheless a bit startling that Ben Mendelsohn and Adam Scott were born only 4 years apart.
markgordon -- yes. (lol)
MrW -- OOH GOOD ONE. I'm sorry i missed her. I shall add.
Scott -- isn't that weird about celebrities. their ages dont always track.
I'm so bummed that Parton didn't continue headlining movies-it feels like such a weird missed opportunity. She was genuinely good in movies, and had a genuine charm as an actor.
Mark-I love Annie Hall, so I can't feel you there, but I do feel like Keaton's best work is in Reds. She was a very fine dramatic actress-I wish she'd give that a shot again-just doing straight drama.
I think Jan Sterling is terribly underappreciated. She had just a bit too much brass to make it as an A level star but I've seen many of her films and she was consistently excellent and always a welcome presence even if the film itself was wanting.
And as I always am on this day I'm a bit baffled that two such diverse personalities as Doris Day and Marlon Brando could come forth on the same day. It seemed even stranger when it appeared they were born in the same year! They are both getting a little marathon on TCM today which makes for some odd programming, i.e. the emotional black hole A Streetcar Named Desire is being followed by the bright and shiny It's a Great Feeling!
Keaton did straight drama in The Young Pope. It's probably the only such offer she had in years. Credit should go to Paolo Sorrentino with giving Keaton and Jane Fonda opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have.
'The Assassination Of Jesse James' is the best film of the new century, and Casey Affleck deserved to win the Oscar (I would even have given him Best Actor over DDL in 'There Will Be Blood'). That is all.
i love how diane collected her oscar in costume
good grief - will this superheroes movie trend ever end???
Mark: I'm with you. Not a fan of her performance in Annie Hall. Diane was nominated for and won for the wrong role; the membership was too chicken to recognize her brilliant turn in Looking for Mr. Goodbar. Even she knew it; when interviewed by Oprah, she chalked her win up to luck. But at least she has an Oscar.
Happy birthday to Marsha Mason (who would've gotten my vote)!
Re: Jungle Book - because it's in the Sabu Eclipse Set, a beautiful restored version can be streamed on Filmstruck! But everywhere else only has the super low quality version. :(
I love Keaton in Annie Hall, but prefer her in Goodbar. Favorite performances are in Shoot the Moon and Love and Death, so clearly I like her dark or light.
Oh Diane totally deserved that Oscar. It's so rare for a comedy performance to win. She got able assistance from her work in Goodbar. I think it happens quite regularly. Nicole Kidman won her Oscar not just for The Hours (the superior film), but also for The Others (the superior performance). All just my opinion of course.
Diane Keaton - love her. I think she won for the right movie / at the right time. Charming, lovable, totally iconic in Annie Hall. I also thought she was equally perfect in Baby Boom....in which she was just totally beautiful in. She was also spectacular looking, great legs, in "Something's Gotta Give." My guess had she not won for Annie Hall - at some point she would be considered for an honorary award....Godfathers, Marvin's Room, Reds, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, etc. She's a great movie star. Very distinctive, differently beautiful. At some point, I hope she gets a Kennedy Center honor. OMG - through - these horrible movies in which she's the mother of a bride, the lost dog movie, augh - i guess we all need a paycheck.
Diane Keaton deserved her Oscar, but she won for both of her 1977 films, much the same way Richard Dreyfuss won his the same year for two films. Marsha Mason is a close second for me for the prize. Happy Birthday, Marsha! Go get that fifth nod (producers, wake up)!
Has anyone seen the in-memoriam youtube clip from this (Annie Hall) year? I saw it the other day (Feud took me there) because Joan Crawford is included. I was really surprised by how spotty and brief it is - very different from today. If you're looking for it, it's listed as "Sammy Davis Jr & Marvin Hamlish."
@joel6: I was struck by the incongruity of Marlon Brando and Doris Day too. So I started thinking of ways they could be alike.
I could imagine them together in a production of "Guys and Dolls", Brando playing Sky Masterson (as he did), and Day playing and singing Sarah Brown. I can also imagine Day in "Bedtime Story" with Brando (the precursor to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels").
Both of them retreated into a more reclusive later life, disillusioned with human beings.
Doris Day was artistically successful in her rare dramatic parts. That's not where the work was for her though.
Brando wanted to be a romantic lead, but that didn't meet with much enthusiasm. In "Last Tango in Paris", it's even a plot point that when Brando shows his sappy soft centre, it's greeted with repulsion and horror.
In bucking the status quo, Day presented a firm vision of Everywoman in her characters. The Doris Day character had a career that she was good at, she was financially independent. She was self-confident, she liked herself, she got along with other women, she had women friends. She dressed to please herself, and she looked great. She didn't suffer fools.
Brando's interest in social justice, different role models, and what regular people had to put up with, was more discussed.
So maybe some similarities?
I love Keaton in Annie Hall. My two favourites from that year weren't nominated: Shelley Duvall in 3 Women (released in NYC on 3 April 1977 coincidentally) and Gena Rowlands in Opening Night.