Today's Birthdays 8/27

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 8/26/07 at 9:27pm

Sophia Smith 8/27/1796 - 6/12/1870 American philanthropist; founded Smith College

Theodore Dreiser 08/27/1871 - Dec 28, 1945 Writer, Source Material - AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY; film's AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY (Montgomery Clift, Liz Taylor, Shelley Winters); SISTER CARRIE (Jennifer Jones)

Sam S. Shubert 08/27/1878 - May 13, 1905 Producer, Writer, Director, Theatre Owner/Operator

C. S. Forester 08/27/1899 - Apr 2, 1966 writer, source material - PAYMENT DEFERRED; film's FOREVER & A DAY; HORATIO HORNBLOWER; THE AFRICAN QUEEN; THE PRIDE & THE PASSION

Roger Pryor 08/27/1901 - Jan 31, 1974 Ann Southern's ex, performer - orig THE ROYAL FAMILY (Otto Kruger)

Frederick O'Neal 08/27/1905 - Aug 25, 1992 performer -1944 all black cast of ANNA LUCASTA (Hilda Simms); HOUSE OF FLOWERS (Pearl Bailey, Alvin Ailey, Diahann Carroll, Carmen De Lavallade, Geoffrey Holder, Sabu, Ray Walston)

Lyndon B. Johnson 8/27/1908 - 1/22/1973
36th president of the United States. What became of "The Great Society"?

Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu) 8/27/1910 - 9/5/1997 Albanian-born nun; awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for serving the poor in India, missionary, humanitarian

Martha Raye 08/27/1916 - Oct 19, 1994 Wife of David Rose (1938 - 1941) divorced; Ed Begley (1954 - 1956) divorced; Robert O'Shea (1956 - 1962) divorced; Mark Harris (1991 - 1994) her death; Bud Westmore (1937 - 1937) divorced; Neal Lang (1941 - 1944) divorced; Nick Condos (1944 - 1953) divorced; Whew!; comedienne, performer - CALLING ALL STARS; HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS (Al Jolson); replacements orig. HELLO DOLLY & 1971 NO, NO, NANETTE; tv & film McMillan and Wife, All Star Revue, The Martha Raye Show, The Concorde, Airport ’79, Rhythm on the Range; winner of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award [1969], Presidential Medal of Freedom [1993]

Leo Penn 08/27/1921 - 9/5/1998 performer, husband of Eileen Ryan (1958 - 1998 his death, Olive Deering (? - 1952) divorced, Sean's pop - DINOSAUR WHARF (Sal Mineo); orig VIEW FR THE BRIDGE & A MEMORY OF 2 MONDAYS (J. Carrol Naish, Van Heflin, Jack Warden, Eileen Heckart)

Ira Levin 08/27/1929 Writer, Lyricist, Director - Levin will go on to write the mother of all Broadway thrillers, Deathtrap. Other plays include No Time for Sergeants; Drat the Cat!; General Seeger

Tuesday Weld [Susan Ker Weld] 8/27/1943 performer; married to Pinchas Zukerman (18 October 1985 - 199 (divorced) 1 child; Dudley Moore (20 September 1975 - 1980) (divorced) 1 son; Claude Harz (October 1965 - 1970) (divorced) 1 child; Was considered for the title role in Lolita (1962). Turned down the role of Bonnie in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). She was director Roman Polanski's first choice for the title role in Rosemary's Baby (196 because he thought her pure, American looks would contrast well with the film's dark undertones. The studio preferred Mia Farrow, however, who had become a star on the enormously popular night-time soap opera "Peyton Place" (1964). A few years later, Polanski wanted her to star in his film version of The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971). She lost the part when she refused to do a nude sleepwalking scene. The role was eventually played by Francesca Annis - The Dark at the Top of the Stairs [u/s](Eileen Heckart, Pat Hingle, Teresa Wright, Evans Evans); tv's & film's The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Author, Author; Soldier in the Rain; Rally Round the Flag Boys; Return to Peyton Place; The Cincinatti Kid

OPENED ON THIS DATE:

1931 Earl Carroll's Vanities

1934 Life Begins at 8:40 with Ray Bolger, Brian Donlevy, Bert Lahr

1963 Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling so Sad with Hermione Gingold, Sam Waterston

1991 Thorton Wilder's The Matchmaker opens anew at Off-Broadway's Roundabout Theatre Company's Haft Theatre. The original production of the play was produced on Broadway Dec. 5, 1955. The play was then later adapted into the musical Hello, Dolly! by Jerry Herman and Michael Stewart.

2001 The musical Urinetown begins Broadway previews.

ON THIS DAY IN:

1883 The island volcano Krakatoa erupted; the resulting tidal waves claimed some 36,000 lives on the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra.

1928 The Kellogg-Briand Pact was signed in Paris, outlawing war and providing for the peaceful settlement of disputes. So much for that!

1945 American troops began landing in Japan following the surrender of the Japanese government in World War II.

1967 The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, was found dead in his London flat from an overdose of sleeping pills.

(sources: IBDB, IMDB, NYT's ON THIS DAY, 440.com’s Those Were The Days, Playbill.com)

Milla

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 10:59am

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