Showbiz History: "Mr Smith" Premiere and Happy 40th to Nicholas Britell
Saturday, October 17, 2020 at 9:30AM 8 random things that happened today, October 17th, in showbiz history
shot of the audience at the jampacked world premiere of "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" (image source)
1920 Montgomery Clift born in Nebraska 100 years ago today. He becomes a professional actor at 15 and a dazzling movie star by 28. We hope you've been watching/reading along our daily Centennial celebration series. We're almost finished and we're proud of it.
1939 Mr Smith Goes to Washington has its world premiere in Washington DC (fitting) before opening in movie theaters two days later..
Ava and Artie
1945 Ava Gardner surprises her fans by marrying bandleader Artie Shaw. Though she was only 22 it was her second marriage as she'd already married and divorced fellow film star Mickey Rooney.
1956 All star adventure travelogue comedy Around the World in 80 Days premieres in theaters. It will shockingly go on to beat the epic Giant for the Best Picture Oscar for that film year.
1957 Elvis Presley musical Jailhouse Rock has its word premiere in Memphis Tennessee. It will open a month later in theaters and become a sizeable hit with all three of its released singles hitting #1 on the Billboard singles charts.
1968 Steve McQueen action flick Bullitt hits movie theaters. It will win Best Editing at the Oscars.
1997 I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Devil's Advocate both open and dominate the box office that weekend.
2003 Opening in movie theaters that day were indie sleeper Pieces of April, courtroom drama thriller Runaway Jury, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and soon to fail Best Actress bids Sylvia (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett). Texas Chainsaw won the weekend but in fifth place was the expanding Mystic River which would develop strong box office legs and become a major Oscar player winning both the male acting Oscars for Sean Penn and Tim Robbins.
Today's Birthday Suit
Happy 40th birthday to genius composer Nicholas Britell who has been nominated for two Oscars (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) and won one Emmy (Succession) already. He's also just a sweet guy -- no wonder Barry Jenkins and Natalie Portman both love him so. Next up for Britell are two TV new series (The Underground Railroad and Untitled Lakers Project).
Actors celebrating birthday today:
Barry Keoghan (28), Dora Madison (30), Max Irons (35), Chris Lowell (36), Michelle Ang (37), Felicity Jones (37), Alimi Ballard (43), Bárbara Paz (46), Matthew MacFadyen (46), Rizwan Manji (46), Björn Bengtsson (47), Sharon Leal (48), Wood Harris (51), Mark Gatiss (54), George Wendt (72), Michael McKean (73) and Marsha Hunt (103 -- the second oldest living screen actor of note!)
Other showbiz types with birthdays today:
Rapper Eminem (48), musician Wyclef Jean (51), musician Ziggy Marley (52), director Rob Marshall (60), country star Alan Jackson (62), producer Lawrence Bender (63), director Hans Petter Moland (65), Broadway powerhouse Susan Stroman (66), and musical theater producing legend Cameron Mackintosh (74).
Bonus birthday suit: Love goddess Rita Hayworth
Gone but not forgotten:
You Can't Take It With You's Oscar nominated character actress Spring Byington born on this day in 1886, Comic romantic movie star Jean Arthur born on this day in 1900, Lonelyhearts novelist Nathanael West born on this day in 1903, Superman creator Jerry Siegel (1914), Playwright Arthur Miller born on this day in 1915, Sex symbol and legend Rita Hayworth born on this day in 1918, Creature from the Black Lagoon's Julie Adams and Alligator People's Beverly Garland both born on this day in 1926, legendary stuntman Evel Knievel born on this day in 1938, Superman's Margot Kidder born on this day in 1948, Ragtime's Howard E Rollins Jr born on this day in 1950, and Spartacus' Andy Whitefield born on this day in 1971,
Reader Comments (6)
Nicholas Britell is a genius. We're so lucky to have him!
Ummm....the amazing Marsha Hunt is 103 today not 93.
So many legends born today!! Besides Monty, Rita Hayworth, Jean Arthur, Spring Byington and Arthur Miller!
How ironic that Julie Adams and Beverly Garland shared the exact same birthday since they both became so noted for a classic 50's sci-fi.
Love Bullitt but both Around the World in 80 Days and Pieces of April are wretched films.
Just saw that we've lost Rhonda Fleming. I know she wasn't an Oscar nominee but I'm sure she was one of the oldest surviving stars from the Golden Age at 97. A beautiful woman and decent actress often stuck in empty swashbucklers to highlighted her looks more than her talent. Still she appeared in some great films-The Spiral Staircase, Spellbound, Out of the Past and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral among them.
Wasn't Jean Arthur in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington? Nice way to celebrate a birthday, and honestly, I'm really surprised she was 38 or so when she hit that peak of Mr. Smith, You Can't' Take It With You, Only Angels Have Wings etc. That's pretty "old" for Hollywood and may explain why we didn't see so much of her in the 40s. Such a distinctive actress.
Nicholas Britell could be a movie star himself. That chin!
Loved Julie Adams and Beverly Garland, talented beauties who had dozens of movie credits and scores of TV episodes, after fending off fish-man or alligator husband. Rita Hayworth always dazzled and Jean Arthur a fine actress. I also remember Howard Rollins in TV series "In the the Heat of the Night" who passed much too young. I think Nicholas Britell's score for "Moonlight" is magical. Many Birthday wishes to Marsha Hunt whom I've seen in a few things and she's very good. On a side note, I am also recalling the late Rhonda Fleming, breathtaking beauty, must-see in color. She along with Maria Montez, Yvonne De Carlo, and Maureen O'Hara were noted as "The Queens of Technicolor."
Nicholas Brittell is an awesome composer as I know he's going to win an Oscar soon.
I forgot Montgomery Clift, so terrific and I enjoyed the celebration series.