Showbiz History: Shirley, Silkwood, and the Spider-Verse

6 random things that happened on this day, December 14th, in showbiz history

1916 Shirley Jackson, the famed horror writer, was born on this day. Shirley, the artful biopic (of sorts) starring Elisabeth Moss, celebrated her earlier this year. You really should queue it up if you haven't yet seen it.

1945 National Velvet hit movie theaters 75 years ago on this very day, making a major star of 13 year-old Elizabeth Taylor. Unlike many a child star, her stardom would never dim but grow blindingly year by year...

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Showbiz History: American Hustle, Clue, and Dick Van Dyke

4 random things that happened on this day, December 13th, in showbiz history

1956 Historical drama Anastasia is released starring Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman. It will bring Bergman back into Hollywood's graces after her banishment due to her extramarital affair and win her her second Best Actress Oscar (though she doesn't attend the ceremony).

1957 Peyton Place which we discussed quite a bit this past summer premieres in NYC, becomes a smash hit and Oscar contender. The soapy drama about a mother and daughter and a small gossipy town is quickly adapted into a TV series...

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Showbiz History: Noni shoplifts and Jennifer Connelly & Regina Hall are born

10 (gulp) random things that happened on this day, December 12th, in showbiz history...

1917 Father Edward Flanagan founds Boys Town in Nebraska, a home for at-risk kids. Twenty-one years later the movie version will arrive winning Spencer Tracy an Oscar as Father Flanagan. We talked about this movie quite a bit this summer. 

1941 Universal's horror picture The Wolf Man opens in movie theaters with early giants like Lon Chaney Jr in furry face plus Claude Raines, Bela Lugosi, Ralph Bellamy, and Maria Ouspenskaya in support.

Star Trek, Winona Ryder shoplifting, Jennifer Connelly, Regina Hall, and more after the jump...

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Showbiz History: Sam Cooke, Jean Marais, and William Shakespeare (in love)

7 random things that happened on this day, December 11th, in showbiz history

1936 King Edward VIII abdicates the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. Many years later Madonna will make a movie about it by the name of  W.E. but the royal scandal is covered and/or referenced in multiple other movies too.

1964 Singer Sam Cooke is shot and killed at a hotel where he was staying. Leslie Odom Jr plays Cooke in the Oscar-bound One Night in Miami, which is a fictional story about four real life black icons, which takes place earlier that same year...

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Showbiz History: Superman's premiere, Middle Earth's arrival, Bollywood's physique

Six random things that happened on this day, December 10th, in showbiz history

1966 "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys, considered on of the most influential and important compositions of the rock era, hits #1. Remember when Paul Dano did such amazing work playing Beach Boys genius Brian Wilson in the biopic Love & Mercy (2015) and then got such a shabby awards season response (though at least we nominated him here!)?

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