6 random things that happened on this day, September 26th, in film history
1949 the Hollywoodland is sign torn down for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new shorter "Hollywood" sign.
1955 "America's Sweetheart" Debbie Reynolds (23) marries the hugely popular singer Eddie Fisher (27). They quickly have two children, Carrie and Todd Fisher. Their marriage will last only three and a half years and end in one of the biggest showbiz scandals of the 20th century when Eddie leaves her for her BFF Elizabeth Taylor...
If you've never read or heard the late great Carrie Fisher talk about that scandal in her book and show "The Year of Wishful Drinking," you really must rectify that.
1964 Gilligan's Island debuts with the episode "Two on a Raft". Basically ALL of Gilligan's Island sitcom contemporaries eventually got (mostly bad) film reboots. Isn't it weird that Hollywood skipped this one?
1968 The movie musical Oliver! gets a Royal Premiere in London. It will hit UK cinemas directly after and become a sensation in the US around Christmas time before winning five Oscars including Best Picture.
1982 Kitschy crimefighting series Knight Rider about a man (David Hasselhoff) and his artificially intelligent car "KITT" premieres on NBC.
2010 Downton Abbey premieres in the UK and becomes a surprise smash when it transfers to the US in January. Originally conceived as a standalone miniseries it runs for six seasons plus a feature film.
Today's Birthday Suit
Happy 64th to Sarah Connors herself, bad-ass actress Linda Hamilton. Bless her and Michael Biehn both for their appropriate nudity in sci-fi classic The Terminator (1984). The conception of John Connor is central to the Terminator mythology but you know a modern version of this would leave out the sex scene entirely. Movies are so prudish now.
Other actors born on this day: Yoon Shi-yoon (34), Talulah Riley (35), Alaa Safi (36), Sun Li (38), Maria Bonnevie (47), Ben Shenkman (52), Jim Caviezel (52), Lysette Anthony (56), Melissa Sue Anderson (58), Togo Igawa (74), and Mary Beth Hurt (74); Other Showbiz types born on this day: Catfish creator Nev Schulman (36), Tennis superstar Serena Williams (39), singer Christina Milan (39), BAFTA nominated film editor Fred Raskin (47), Transparent creator Joey Soloway (55), superstar Olivia Newton-John (72); Gone But Not Forgotten: Miracle on 34th Street's Edmund Gwenn (born on this day in 1877), Poet T.S. Eliot (born on this day in 1888), Legendary composer George Gershwin (born on this day in 1898), Some Like It Hot's George Raft (born on this day in 1901), Bollywood star Dev Anand (born on this day in 1923), Singer Julie London (born on this day in 1926), Working Girl's Philip Bosco (born on this day in 1930), Beverly Hillbillies' Donna Douglas (born on this day in 1932), Blind Melon singer Shannon Hoon (born on this day in 1957)