Today's Birthdays 9/21 - Anthony Page, Rob Morrow, Ricki Lake

[do_re_milla]

Posted: 9/21/03 at 4:21pm

Maurice Barrymore 09/21/1847 - Mar 26, 1905 the poppa of the great acting dynasty: Father of Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, husband of Georgiana Drew Barrymore - BECKY SHARP (Tyrone Power, Sr.)

H. G. Wells 09/21/1866 - Aug 13, 1946 Source Material, Writer - THE WONDERFUL VISIT; HALF A SIXPENCE (Tommy Steele, John Cleese, Carrie Nye); book's & film's War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Invisible Man

Earl Carroll 09/21/1892 - Jun 17, 1948 Producer, Writer, Lyricist, Composer, Director, Designer, Performer - series of EARL CARROLL VANITIES

Gail Russell 9/21/1924 - 8/26/1961 performer, truly a sad life & unfulfilled potential - film's ANGEL AND THE BADMAN; 1 of my all time favs THE UNINVITED (Ray Milland, love "Stella By Starlight"); tv's WAGON TRAIN

Larry Hagman 09/21/1931 Mary Martin's bouncing boy - COMES A DAY (Judith Anderson, Brandon de Wilde, Irene Ryan, Geo. C. Scott); THE WARM PENNINSULA (Julie Harris, June Havoc, Farley Granger); THE BEAUTY PART (Fiddle Varicova, Charlotte Rae, Alice Ghostley, Bert Lahr); tv's & film's I DREAM OF JEANNIE; DALLAS; FAIL-SAFE

Anthony Page 09/21/1935 director - INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE (Nicol Williamson); HEARTBREAK HOUSE (Rex Harrison, Rosemary Harris, Amy Irving, Philip Bosco, Dana Ivey); 1997 A DOLL'S HOUSE (Janet McTeer, oh how I loved this show!); 2003 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

Jan Handzlik 09/21/1945 performer - MUSIC IN MY HEART (Vivienne Segal, Jan Murray, Jack Cassidy); AUNTIE MAME (Roz Russell, Peggy Cass)

Marsha Norman 09/21/1947 Writer, Lyricist - 'NIGHT MOTHER [Pulitzer Prize for this] (Kathy Bates, Anne Pitoniak); SECRET GARDEN (Alison Fraser, Daisey Eagen, Rebecca Luker, Mandy Patinkin); THE RED SHOES

Stephen King 09/21/1947 Source Material - CARRIE; book's & film's Christine, The Duel, Misery, The Stand, Carrie, The Shining

Bill Murray 9/21/1950 performer, Emmy Award-winning comedy writer: Saturday Night Live [3/12/77]; actor: Stripes, Ghostbusters series, Groundhog Day, Mad Dog and Glory, What About Bob? [my fav, "Baby steps to the elevator...]

Bill Buell 09/21/1952 performer - THE FIRST (Lonette McKee, Trey Wilson); WELCOME TO THE CLUB (Sally Mayes [debut], Marilyn Sokol); THE WHO'S TOMMY (Alice Riply, Tracey Nicole Chapman); TITANIC (Don Stephenson, Judy Blazer, Brian d'Arcy James, William Youmans)

Marcus Olson 09/21/1955 performer - IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? (Harry Groener, Philip Hoffman, Maureen Silliman [get this gal back on Bway!]); PASSION

Rob Morrow 09/21/1962 performer - THE BOYS OF WINTER (Matt Dillon, Ving Rhames, Wesley Snipes); tv's Northern Exposure

Ricki Lake 09/21/1968 performer - 2002 FUNNY GIRL Fundraiser; film's HAIRSPRAY

Alfonso Ribeiro 09/21/1971 performer - THE TAP DANCE KID

SHOWS THAT OPENED ON THIS DATE:

1954 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - Moira Shearer, Philip Guard, Joan Benham, Margaret Courtenay, Terence Longdon, Patrick MacNee(!))

1966 ANNIE GET YOUR GUN - Ethel Merman, Bruce Yarnell (died way too young), Jerry Orbach, Benay Venuta,

ON THIS DAY IN:

1897 - 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon had written a letter to The New York Sun: “I am eight years old. Some of my friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?” Editor Frank Church wrote the response that was printed for the first time on this day: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist. No Santa Claus? Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay ten times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”

1937 ''The Hobbit,'' by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first published.

On Sept. 21, 1938, a hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming more than 600 lives.

1957 - Famed trial lawyer Perry Mason came to TV. The creation of attorney/novelist Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason found fame first as a series of novels, then as a CBS radio series (1943-1955). TV’s Perry Mason, which continued for 9 seasons (TV’s longest-running lawyer series) on CBS, starred Raymond Burr in the lead role. Della Street was played by Barbara Hale. [love this series, being the murder mystery addict that I am]

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

Milla