10 random things that happened on this day, August 25th, in showbiz history...
1885 Silent film master G.W. Pabst (Pandora's Box) born in Germany.
1918 Today is the Centennial of composer Leonard Bernstein. We've been posting a three part West Side Story tribute that I hope you will all read and comment on! Part 3 later today, apologies for the 24 hour delay. (Oh, and check out today's Google Doodle in his honor)
←1939 The Wizard of Oz arrives in movie theaters. Though popular in its initial release, the 9th highest grossing film of its year and a Best Picture nominee, the budget was high enough that MGM recorded a loss of $1 million...
But that was not to be the end of its story. It was re-released in 1949 and again in 1955. In 1959 it began receiving annual special airings on network television (a tradition which lasted until the 1990s) helping to make it the most beloved film of all time. I've seen it so many times and it's so perfect that it always feels fresh, lively, and magical.
1955 Carl Theodor Dreyer's Ordet wins the Golden Lion in Venice...
1958 Tim Burton born in Burbank, California. Next up is Dumbo (2019). Do you think he'll get his mojo back?
1987 Liu Yifei born in China. She'll soon be globally famous as Disney's Mulan.
1991 The 43rd annual Emmys are held with Cheers and LA Law were both victorious (for the fourth time each) in Comedy and Drama but Cheers was the darling of the night winning acting trophies for both Kirstie Alley and Bebe Neuwirth. Four shows are tied for most wins in "Best Drama Series" and LA Law is the only one of the four reigning champs that didn't take all four wins consecutively (the shows it's tied with are Hill Street Blues, Mad Men, and The West Wing).
1995 Desperado opens in movie theaters starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek
1998 Happy 20th birthday to one of the greatest albums ever released: "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" Everyone I know was listening to that album (and Madonna's "Ray of Light") on loop in 1998 and 1999.
2017 One year ago today Beach Rats hit movie theaters. We expect big things from the star Harris Dickinson, even if his follow up The Darkest Minds was a complete miss.
Other showbiz people born on this day:
German-Turkish director Fatih Akin, Danish director Nikolaj Arcel, Director John Badham, Screenwriter Marshall Brickman, Director Tim Burton, Sean Connery, Musician Elvis Costello, Musician Billy Ray Cyrus, Musician Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Tom Hollander, Van Johnson, Ruby Keeler, Blake Lively, TV legend Marti Noxon, John Savage, Model Claudia Schiffer, Alexander Skarsgård, Mink Stole, Tom Skerritt, Blair Underwood, Norwegian director Roar Uthaug, Joanne Whalley, and Director Joe Wright.