9 random things that happened on this day, September 18th, in showbiz history...
1951 The film adaptation of the Broadway smash A Streetcar Named Desire opens in movie theaters, with all but one of its principal cast intact... the leading role which went to Viven Leigh instead of stage star Jessica Tandy. Leigh would soon win her second Oscar for it.
1964 Goldfinger (one of the very best Bond movies) opens in movie theaters in the UK (though it wouldn't make it to US screens until Christmas time)...
On the same day over in the US, the influential sitcom The Addams Family begins its short-lived two season run on ABC starring Oscar nominee Carolyn Jones as Morticia and future Oscar nominee John Astin as Gomez.
1965 Two classic sitcoms, I Dream of Jeannie and Get Smart start their five season long hit runs on television.
1968 Funny Girl premieres in NYC followed by an immediate theatrical run.
1987 A hugely varied weekend in US movie theaters, the kind we just don't get anymore (and not because of COVID lol) in which moviegoers had abundant choices in genres: Erotic thriller and eventual Best Picture nominee Fatal Attraction was the #1 film, followed in descending order by the Robert Downey Jr/Molly Ringwald comedy The Pick-Up Artist, the horror film Hellraiser, and the crime-ridden high school drama The Principal.
Meanwhile action comedy Stakeout, romantic drama Dirty Dancing, steamy political thriller No Way Out, musical biopic La Bamba, romantic comedy Can't Buy Me Love and steamy crime drama The Big Easy all continued their successful runs in the top ten. (In short a lot of different genres but far hornier than movies are now). The biggest per screen average though went to the limited release opening, Merchant/Ivory's gay drama Maurice starring James Wilby and Hugh Grant who shared the Volpi Cup for Best Actor in Venice. Unlike its immediate predecessor though, A Room With a View, Oscar wasn't very interested giving it only 1 Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.
1992 Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives arrives in theaters with the press heavily centered around the Mia / Woody / Soon Yi breakup scandal. Also opening that weekend in movie theaters: School Ties with a who's who of then-rising male stars (Fraser, Damon, Affleck, O'Donnell, Hauser, Rapp, Batinkoff, etcetera), Cameron Crowe's romcom Singles, and the comedy Captain Ron. But it was the all star caper Sneakers, released the previous week, that was #1 at the box office with all of the new films settling for the 2-5 on the top ten.
1998 Family cancer drama One True Thing starring Meryl Streep and Renée Zellweger and action comedy Rush Hour starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are the new wide releases in movie theaters.
2011 The Emmys are held and in the last chance for Friday Night Lights, Kyle Chandler finally wins his long overdue Best Actor trophy "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."
Today's Birthday Suit
Mmmm James Marsden. Happy 47th. What's your favourite Marsden performance?
Other Actors Born Today: Nina Arianda (36), Liv Mjönes (41), Alison Lohman (41), Jason Sudeikis (45), Jada Pinkett Smith (49), Aisha Tyler (50), Christopher Heyerdahl (57), Anna Deavere Smith (70), Beth Grant (71), Frankie Avalon (80); Other Showbiz People Born on this Day: Comedian Billy Eichner (42), Athlete Lance Armstrong (49), Oscar nominatd composer John Powell (57), Director Mark Romanek (61); Gone But Not Forgotten: Icon Greta Garbo (born on this day in 1905), Oscar winning Cinematographer Jack Cardiff (born on this day in 1914), Actor Rossano Brazzi (born on this day in 1916), Actor Jack Warden (born on this day in 1920), Best Supporting Actress nominee Grayson Hall (born on this day in 1922), Comic Actor Fred Willard (born on this day in 1933), Soprano James Gandolfini (born on this day in 1961)