On This Day

Hi

On this day 22 December

64 years ago the Canadian actor Peter helm was born. He appeared in only three pictures including The Longest Day.

83 years ago the actress Ruth Roman was born she appeared briefly (in more ways than one) as a girl in a negligee in Without Reservations.

3 years ago the actor Kenneth Tobey died age 85. A Red headed actor he appeared in Whirleybirds and Wings of Eagles.

36 years ago the director Josef von Sternberg died aged 75, he directed John Wayne in Jet Pilot and claimed that during the picture Duke was terrified of him. But this was Sternbergs stock in trade he like to boast that he was the direcetor that actors loved to hate.

10 years ago the actress Butterfly McQueen died aged 84 she was in Gone With The Wind and the television series Beulah, she also appeared in Flame of the Barbary Coast.

12 years ago Don Defore died aged 80 he was John Wayne's companion in Without Reservations.

On the same day Marion Burns died aged 86 she starred in Dawn Rider.

74 years ago the director William Wellman married Marjorie Crawford.

Regards

Arthur

Hi Jay

When Howard Hawks was looking for the actor to play the romantic lead in The Big Sky with Kirk Douglas he looked at the Thing From Another World with a view to using Kenneth Tobey but at the last minute changed his mind and went for another actor also in the film Dewey Martin.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 23 December

70 years ago The Dawn Rider was released in the UK.

74 years ago the actor Kenneth Becker was born. He only appeared in nine pictures True grit with John Wayne and four films with Elvis Presley including Viva Las Vegas and Girls Girls Girls.

94 years ago the actor James Gregory was born he played Morgan Hastings in the Sons of Katie Elder.

100 years ago the actress Leona Mericle was born she appeared as a secretary in Without Reservations.

10 years ago Patric Knowles died aged 84 he had played Tunstall in Chisum.

43 ears ago the Spanish actor Luis Alberni died aged 76 he was a Mexican Bandit in the Man From Monteray.

And here I have to make an apology to all afficinados of Howard Hawks, and I include myself in that catagory for an unforgivable lapse in the On this Day history of John Wayne's co-workers. .

On Saturday December 3rd 1977, after completing a lone dinner Hawks tripped over his dog Raven and fell hitting his head on the stone floor. Unable to move he was not discovered until the next day, and rushed to Hospital Doctors thought that he may have had a slight stroke or heart attack at some time after the fall.

On December 17th Hawks insisted that he be returned to his house at which point we will leave the story for the time being:

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this Day 24th December

77 years ago the British actor Norman Rossington was born he was in The Longest Day.

109 years ago Danny Borzage was born, the brother of the director Frank, he was John ford's favourite accordianist playing Bringing in the Sheaves as Ford arrived on te set.

118 years ago the actor Bob Kortman was born. Appearing innumerous westerns he worked with Duke in The Shepherd of the Hills

119 years ago the director Michael Curtiz was born he directed two films with John Wayne including his last The Comancheros.

11 years ago the actor Rossano Brazzi died aged 78. He was in Legend of the lost.

21 years ago Peter Lawford died aged 78. A member of the Sinatra clan he appeared as Lord Lovatt in the Longest Day.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 24th December at 1455

I have just been going through my mail box seeing what can be deleted and such. Reading some of the messages received over the past two years. It it may be the day or something I don't know, but it brings home to me what a fantastic board this is and the many many friendly and brilliant people on it.

There are too many to name and I wouldn't like to offend anybody by an ommission, but I would just like to thank you all and Wish You a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

All My Best Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 25th December

40 years ago The Sons of Katie Elder was released in Finland

26 years ago Donovan's Reef was released in Finland.

89 years ago the actor Eugene Jackson was born he appeared in Reap the Wild Wind.

95 years ago Marguerite Churchill was born she was in Girls Demand Excitement.

97 years ago Helen Twelvetrees was born she was in Words and Music.

98 years ago Mike Mazurki was born he was in Donovans Reef.

101 years ago the Director bernard Vorhause was born, After directing Lady From Louisiana and Three Faces West he was brought before the HUAC and moved to London where he became an interior decorator until his death a couple of years ago.

104 years ago the actor Joe Bonimo was born. He appeared in Noahs Ark, and I believe he founded one of Hollywoods most famous acting schools.

114 years ago Earl Foxe was born he appeared in Hangman's House.

26 years ago Joan Blondell died aged 73 she appeared in Lady For A Night.

And to end on a sad note and to continue with Howard Hawks on this day in 1977 he slipped into a coma from which he would never recover.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this Day 26th December (Boxing Day)

50 years ago The Sea Chase was released in Sweden

45 years ago The Alamo was released in Sweden

Travis' man: Hey, Davy! Is it true that you and Mike Fink fought a three day fight on the Mississippi?
Davy Crockett: That's just an example of the tall tales folks tell about me! Me and Mike fought all right, but we quit at dark. It wouldn't of been the third day until the next morning!
[Laughs and rides off]

40 years cago The Sons of Katie Elder was released in both Norway ad Sweden.

28 years ago at 6.50pm Howard Hawks died.

91 years ago One of my favourite actors Richar Widmark was born he played Bowie in The Alamo.

113 years ago the actor Don Barclay was born he appeared in I Cover The War.

5 years ago the actor Leo Gordon died aged 78 he was in Hondo ad McLintock.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 27th December

28 years ago John Wayne appeared on the cover of The national Enquireo for the third time.

22 years ago, and four years after his death, the National Enquiror voted John Wayne as one of hollywoods best actors of all time.

104 years ago In Germany Marlene Dietrich was born, a legend in her own lifetime she appeared in Pittsburgh, Seven Sinners and the Spoilers. She was also reputed to have a an affair with John Wayne during which she taught him all he knew, and despite Wayne having a college education, including how to read and write. The mind boggles.

113 years ago the director Albert D'Agostino was born he directed I Married A Woman

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 28th December:

72 years ago the author Charles Portis was born. He wrote True Grit and Rooster Cogburn.

24 years ago the veteran director Allan Dwann died aged 96. A phenominal director with over 400 hundred films to his credit and included among these was Sands of Iwo Jima for which Wayne won his first Academy Award nomination.
It was said that the actors tryig to keep up with John Wayne's drinking would arrive on the set much the worse for wear, while Duke was fit as a fiddle. To stop this Dwann ordered a drill sergeant to lick them into shape.

65 years ago Glendon Swarthout the author of The Shootist married Kathryn Swarthout.

55 years ago Henry Fonda married Susan Blanchard.

All information regarding dates and only dates, used on this site is taken from IMDB verified by Google and Yahoo. All other information is taken from my own records, numerous biographies, paper cuttings and obituaries.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this Day 29th December

95 years ago the actress Ruth Hall was born. Until her death in October 2003 she held the distinction of being the last surviving member of Stagecoach.

104 years ago the director George Marshall was born he directed the railroad sequence in How The West Was Won.

122 years ago the actor Forrest Taylor was born a veternan of numerous B westerns he appeared in In Old California and The Spoilers.

140 years ago one of the oldest actors Otis Harlan was born. He was in The Telegraph Trail.
It is when you see these dates that you release how short time is. An actor who we have probably seen in a number of pictures was born when pictures hadn't been invented and when only eight months earlier cannons were still firing over American battlefields.

7 years ago the director and actor Don Taylor died aged 78 he was in The Flying Leathernecks.

34 years ago the actor Stuart Holmes died aged 87 he played a small role in The Man Who Shot liberty Valance.

47 years ago Ed Peil Snr died aged 75 he was inReap the Wild Wind.

64 years ago Maureen O'Hara married Will Price.

On this day 28 years ago

[B]A Memorial Service was held for Howard Hawks

At some time between Hawk's death on December 26th and the 29th December Hawks body was taken to the Desert Lawn Memorial Park Calimesa and cremated. he ashes in accordance with his wishes, were loaded on to a plane and scattered over the desert - a fitting end for one who valued plane so highly.

On this day A Memorial service was held at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills the service was plain there was no ritual and no music. it was attended by about 200 people and included John Wayne, James Stuart Angie Dickinson and Sherry Lansing. It was noticed that many people who owed their reputations to Hawks were conspicuous by their absence.

John Wayne recited the words that he had said over the grave in Red River - an interesting point that he had been able to do this for Hawks but had been unable to recite Home is the Sailor from They Were Expendable at Ford's funeral.

He alsoread the eulogy 'Please don't stand at my grave a weep' the poem that made such and impression on Pat Stacey.

references Howard Hawks the Grey Fox of hollywood by Todd Macarthy.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day 30th December

56 years ago the film Dark Command was released in Finland

Andrew 'Doc' Grunch: You knock 'em loose and I'll pull 'em out. Maybe, I'm just saying maybe, you know; if you was more promiscuous with your punching, we might make a little more money.
Bob 'Shortcut' Seton: What do you mean - promiscuous?
Andrew 'Doc' Grunch: Well, ah, you got strange ideas about justice. You don't want to hit nobody unless they deserve it. Now, that's all right, but we're in business. And business is different!

(from Imdb)

71 years ago the actor Russ Tamblyn was born he was in How The West was Won.

And on the same day the stuntman Bill Shannon made his first entry into the world and went on to appear in The Alamo and The Green Berets.

101 years ago Colonel David M. Shoup was born. Commandant General of the USMC 1960-63 he was one of four Medal of Honour winners at Tarawa and played himself in Sands of Iwo Jima.

62 years ago the actor Hobart Bosworth died age 76 he played O’Brien in Hangman’s House.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this the last day the year

38 years ago The War Wagon was released in the UK

11 years ago The actor Woody Strode died from cancer aged 80.

55 years ago The Fighting Kentuckian was released in Sweden-
and on the same day the actor Johnny Arthur died he appeared in Cheer Up and Smile.

108 years agoThe actor Rhys Williams was born in Wales. he featured inThe Sons of Katie Elder.

25 years ago the director Raoul Walsh died aged 93.

Marriages on tis day included

33 years ago Laurence Harvey married Pauline Stone

58 years ago Roy Rogers married Dales Evans

59 years ago Edmund Hamilton married the writer Leigh Brackett

73 years ago Dana Andrews married Janet Murray

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day January 1st

And a Happy New Year to you all

97 years ago the actor Dana Andrews was born. He appeared in In Harm's Way.

115 years ago the actor Charles Bickford was born he was in Reap the Wild Wind.

116 years ago Alice Tissot was born in Paris. She played the housekeeper in The Longest Day.

133 years ago the actor Frank Hall Crane was born he featured in Neath the Arizona Skies.

25 years ago we said goodbye to Beulah Bondi aged 92 she was in Back to Bataan.

56 years ago Following Brain Surgery the actor Tom Patricola died. He had appeared in Words and Music.

59 years ago the actor Charles Loft died at the relatively young age of 49 he was in In Old Oklahoma or as I prefer War Of The Wildcats.

12 years ago Cesar Romero died aged 86.He appeared in many romantic roles and in rousing adventures as well as being known as the Joker in the Batman TV series. He also appeared with John Wayne in Donovan's Reef.

24 years ago the actor Victor Bueno died aged 43, as a film actor he made an immediate impact in Whatever happened to Baby Jane and went on- because of his bulk-, to play stationary villians in such films as The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day January 2nd

92 years ago the British actress Ann Lee was born. One of John Ford's favourite actress when he first met her he pointed out to her that she was English, to get Ford to like her she had to invent Irish ancestry down the line. Over the years she appeared in many of his films including The Man Who Shot liberty Valance. Always found it difficult to cry in pictures she swore she would cry at Ford's funeral and did.

106 years ago William Haines was born. He appeared in Brown of Harvard. Extremelly handsome he was one of the great stars of the 1920s and early 1930s. At one time Joan Crawford suggested that they should get married. The great love of his life was an actor named Bobby Shields and head of MGM Louis B Mayer told him to give him up. Haines refused and at the age of 34 retired from the screen. The couple lived together until Haines death in 1973 being described as the happiest couple in Hollywood. Shields brokenhearted, died shortly after Haines.

115 years ago the actor Lloyd Whitlock was born he appeared in Reap the Wild Wind.

117 years ago the actor Walter Baldwin was born he appeared in tall in the Saddle.

43 years ago Dick Powell died aged 58, as an actor he appeared in College Coach and as a director he made The Conqueror.

40 years ago Anthony Quinn married Ioland Addolori

67 years ago Jennifer Jones married the actor Robert Walker. The couple moved to Hollywood where Jones then known as Phyillis Isley met the producer David O Selznick who married her changed her name and the rest as they say was history.

72 years ago Mervyn Leroy married Doris Walker.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this Day January 3rd

85 years ago the actor John Russell was born. He played Nathan Burdette in Rio Bravo.

101 years ago in Wales Ray Milland was born. Originally known as Raymond Truscott Jones he got his name from the Mill Lands around his home town of Neath.

6 years ago the German director Bernhard Wicki died aged 80. He directed the German segment of The Longest Day.

26 years ago Ivan Treisault died aged 81 he appeared as the general in Jet pilot.

Regards

Arthur

Hi

On this day January 4th

54 years ago In Old Oklahoma was released in the Phillipines.

90 years ago the actor, director, sound editor and general factotum Robert Parrish was born. He appeared briefly inThe big Trail and was sound editor for The Long Voyage Home.

7 years ago Iron Eyes Cody died aged 91. Never a true life indian as he liked to claim he was of Italian descent.

46 years ago the writer of Stagecoach Dudley Nicholls died aged 64.

53 years ago the actor Arthur Hoyt died aged 53 . He was in His Private Secretary.

Regards

Arthur