7/4 Celebrity Birthdays, Events & Thoughts

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 7/4/03 at 12:56am

Nathaniel Hawthorne 07/04/1804 novelist, short story writer, source material – SCARLET LETTER; 3 WONDER TALES

Stephen Foster 07/04/1826 composer, source material – SUSANNA, DON’T YOU CRY

George M. Cohan 07/04/1878 (hummmm, NYT lists GC’s bd as 7/3) Producer, Composer, Writer, Lyricist, Director, Performer, Theatre Owner/Operator – LITTLE JOHNNY JONES; orig. AH! WILDERNESS

Pat Rooney 07/04/1880 performer – LOVE BIRDS, orig GUYS & DOLLS

Louis B. Mayer 07/04/1885 – MGM exec. extraordinaire

Thomas E. Jackson 07/04/1886 Producer, Director, Performer - BROADWAY

Irving Caesar 07/04/1895 Producer, Writer, Lyricist, Composer – PINS & NEEDLES; NO, NO, NANETTE; YES, YES, YVETTE; var. GEO. WHITE SCANDLES; WHITE HORSE INN (w/Kitty Carlisle)

Gertrude Lawrence 07/04/1898 (another disagreement on bdays, IBDB says 07/04) performer - PRIVATE LIVES; LADY IN THE DARK; KING & I

Angela Baddeley 07/04/1904 performer – orig. NIGHT MUST FALL

Elliot Sullivan 07/04/1907 performer, blacklisted during McCarthy years – orig. GREEN GROW THE LILACS

Eva Marie Saint 07/04/1924 performer – orig. TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL; & film ON THE WATERFRONT & verrrry sexy scenes w/Cary Grant in NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Eric Fleming 07/04/1925 performer – STALAG 17; TV’s RAWHIDE (“Head ‘em up. Move ‘em out”

Neil Simon 07/04/1927 Producer, Lyricist, Writer, Theatre Owner/Operator – BAREFOOT IN THE PARK – SUNSHINE BOYS; ODD COUPLE; PRISONER OF 2D AVE; THE DINNER PARTY (I enjoyed this 1); comedy writer for TV’s Sid Cesar’s YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS

George M. Steinbrenner III 07/04/1930 producer & owner of NY Yankees – yup, that George Steinbrenner; 90 DAY MISTRESS (Dyane Cannon, Tony Lo Bianco, Martin Milner); NOT NOW DARLING; APPLAUSE; ABELARD & HELOISE (Keith Michell, Dianna Rigg. What was that famous quote about Dianna Rigg in the buff?); SEESAW (Ken Howard, Lainie Kazan, Michele Lee, Anita Morris, Amanda McBroom, Tommy Tune, Baayork Lee, Wayne Cilento; Thomas Walsh, WOW 4 choreographers came out of this show! W/so much talent, what the heck happened to this show?); LEGGS DIAMOND (Peter Allen, Julie Wilson). I guess LEGGS was the last straw for Geo. He just couldn’t hit a home run.

Bill Withers 07/04/1938 Grammy Award-winning songwriter, singer: Ain’t No Sunshine [1971], Lean on Me, Use Me (1 of my fav songwriters), source material - STREETCORNER SYMPHONY

Lamont Washington 07/04/1943 performer – GOLDEN BOY, HAIR

Joe Lynn 07/04/1947 performer – origs. TIMBUKTU!, DREAMGIRLS

Mary Ann Lamb 07/04/1959 performer – SONG & DANCE; STARLIGHT EXPRESS; CARRIE; JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY; GOODBYE GIRL; revivals FORUM & CHICAGO; FOSSE; SEUSSICAL


SHOWS WHICH OPENED ON JULY 04:

This Is the Army 07/04/1942 (w/Irving Berlin, Burl Ives, Gary Merrill

Charley's Aunt 07/04/1970


ON THIS DAY IN:

1776 The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO U.S.!

1826 Former presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died.


1831 James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, died in New York City.

1832 - It was on this day that America was sung in public for the first time -- at the Park Street Church in Boston, MA. Dr. Samuel Francis Smith wrote the words, borrowing the tune from a German songbook. Ironically, and unknown to Dr. Smith at the time, the melody is the same as the British national anthem.

1943 - The Rhythm Boys, Bing Crosby, Al Rinker (Mildred Bailey’s brother) and Harry Barris, were reunited for the first time since the 1930s on Paul Whiteman Presents on NBC radio.

1965 The Long Wharf Theatre opens for the first time in New Haven, Connecticut w/a new staging of Arthur Miller's The Crucible.

(sources, IBDB, NYT On This Day, playbill.com & 440.com’s Those Were The Days)

Milla Updated On: 7/4/03 at 12:56 AM

[Sunfish]

Posted: 7/4/03 at 1:24am

Thank you so much for posting them.