We love to celebrate the history of cinema here at More Movies and we really enjoy delving in to the rich history of the film industry. Each week, we like to highlight some of the most interesting moments in the world of movies, including milestone releases, births and deaths of the industry’s most notable characters, along with other historic happenings. This week we cover the period between 8th – 14th March.
Italian actor Frank Puglia, famous for his roles in 20 Million Miles to Earth, The Black Orchid and The Jungle Book, was born in Sicily, Italy
9th March, 1892
American actor and comedian Shemp Howard, one of The Three Stooges, famous for his roles in Malice in the Palace, Soup to Nuts and The Bank Dick, was born in Brooklyn, New York
11th March, 1895
American actor Cyrus “Cy” Kendall, famous for his roles in The Lonely Trail, Tarzan’s New York Adventure and Mysteries of Chinatown, was born in St Louis, Missouri
10th March, 1898
A United States court of appeals rules that Thomas Edison did not invent the movie camera
10th March, 1902
British actor Richard Haydn, famous for his roles in Ball of Fire, The Sound of Music and Alice in Wonderland, was born in Camberwell, London
10th March, 1905
American actor Paul Stewart, famous for his roles in Citizen Kane, Kiss Me Deadly and Twelve O’Clock High, was born in New York City
13th March, 1908
American actress Claire Trevor, famous for her roles in Stagecoach, Key Largo and Marjorie Morningstar, was born in New York City
8th March, 1910
American heavyweight boxer and actor Tony “Two-Ton” Galento, famous for his role in On the Waterfront, was born in Orange, New Jersey
12th March, 1910
American actor Alan Gifford, famous for his roles in Time Lock, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Paris Holiday, was born in Boston, Massachusetts
11th March, 1911
American actress Marguerite Chapman, famous for her roles in The Seven Year Itch, Spy Smasher and Flight to Mars, was born in Chatham, New York
9th March, 1918
German actor and playwright Frank Wedekind, famous for his roles in Lulu, Pandora’s Box and Earth Spirit, died aged 53
9th March, 1918
American singer and actor Gordon MacRae, famous for his roles in On Moonlight Bay, Oklahoma! and Carousel, was born in East Orange, New Jersey
12th March, 1921
American dancer and actress Cyd Charisse, famous for her roles in Party Girl, The Band Wagon and Singin’ in the Rain, was born in Amarillo, Texas
8th March, 1922
German film director F.W. Murnau, most famous for directing the iconic film Nosferatu, died aged 42
11th March, 1931
The first theater was built for rear movie projection, the Trans-Lux theater at 58th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City
14th March, 1931
English actor Michael Caine, most famous for his roles in Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job, was born in London, England
14th March, 1933
Jezebel, directed by William Wyler and starring Bette Davis and Henry Fonda, premieres in the U.S.
10th March, 1938
American martial arts actor Chuck Norris, famous for his roles in Lone Wolf McQuade, The Delta Force and Missing in Action, was born in Ryan, Oklahoma
10th March, 1940
The Road to Singapore, directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, premiered in the U.S. This was the first of seven such Road To.. films released.
14th March, 1940
English actress Rita Tushingham, famous for her roles in A Taste of Honey, Green Eyes and Doctor Zhivago, was born in Liverpool, England
14th March, 1942
British-American actress Lynn Redgrave, famous for her roles in Gods and Monsters, Georgy Girl and Tom Jones, was born in London, England
8th March, 1943
American singer/actress Liza Minnelli, famous for her roles in The Sterile Cuckoo, Cabaret and Stepping Out, was born in Hollywood, California
12th March, 1946
British actor Philip Merivale, famous for his roles in The Stranger, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Nothing But Trouble, died from a heart ailment aged 59
12th March, 1946
American actor and comedian Billy Crystal, famous for his roles in When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers and Analyze This, was born in New York City
14th March, 1948
13th March, 1950
American western film The Searchers, directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood, was released in the U.S.
13th March, 1956
American actor Jerry Levine, famous for his roles in Teen Wolf, Iron Eagle and Born on 4th of July, was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey
12th March, 1957
American actress Sharon Stone, famous for her roles in Basic Instinct, Sliver and Casino, was born in Meadville, Pennsylvania
10th March, 1958
American actor Aidan Quinn, famous for his roles in Desperately Seeking Susan, Legends of the Fall and Practical Magic, was born in Rockford, Illinois
8th March, 1959
Indian Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, famous for his roles in Dangal, PK and Lagaan, was born in Mumbai, India
14th March, 1965
Cuban actress Estelita Rodriguez, famous for her roles in Rio Bravo, Cuban Fireball and Havana Rose, died aged 37
12th March, 1966
British film Born Free, directed by James Hill and starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers, was released
14th March, 1966
American actor Jon Hamm, famous for his roles in Baby Driver, The Town and Bad Times at the El Royale, was born in St. Louis, Missouri
10th March, 1971
American actress Susan Hayward, famous for her roles in I Want To Live!, Garden of Evil and Rawhide, died of cancer aged 56
14th March, 1975
American actor Freddie Prinze Jr, famous for his roles in She’s All That, Scooby-Doo and I Know What You Did Last Summer, was born in Los Angeles, California
8th March, 1976
American actor Henry Hull, famous for his roles in Werewolf of London, Boys Town and Lifeboat, died aged 86
8th March, 1977
American actor John Cazale, famous for his roles in Dog Day Afternoon, The Deer Hunter and The Godfather, tragically dies aged just 41
12th March, 1978
The Passage, directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Anthony Quinn, was released in the U.S.
9th March, 1979
American actress Thora Birch, famous for her roles in American Beauty, Ghost World and Hocus Pocus, was born in Los Angeles, California
11th March, 1982
English actor Rafe Spall, famous for his roles in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Life of Pi and The Big Short, was born in London, England
10th March, 1983
American actor Emile Hirsch, famous for his roles in Into the Wild, Speed Racer and Lone Survivor, was born in Topanga, California
13th March, 1985
Welsh actor Ray Milland, famous for his roles in The Lost Weekend, Dial M for Murder and The Uninvited, died aged 81
10th March, 1986
British actor Jamie Bell, most famous for his role in Billy Elliot, for which he won a BAFTA for Best Leading Actor (the award’s youngest ever recipient), was born in Billingham, County Durham, England
14th March, 1986
British actor Maurice Evans, famous for his roles in Rosemary’s Baby, Planet of the Apes and Bewitched, died aged 87
12th March, 1989
American actress and singer Emily Osment, famous for her roles in Spy Kids 2: The Island Of Lost Dreams, Hannah Montana: The Movie and Cyberbully, was born in Los Angeles, California
10th March, 1992
Katharine Hepburn released from the hospital after suffering from exhaustion
8th March, 1993
Spanish actor Fernando Rey, famous for his roles in The French Connection, Matter of Time and That Obscure Object of Desire, died of cancer aged 76
9th March, 1994
Over one million Greeks attend the funeral of Melina Mercouri, the legendary actress and activist
10th March, 1994
Fargo, directed and written by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy and Steve Buscemi, was released in the U.S.
8th March, 1996
Italian film director Lucio Fulci, known as the “Godfather of Gore” for his movies Zombie, The Beyond, and City of the Living Dead, died aged 68
13th March, 1996
American actor Lloyd Bridges, known for his roles Hot Shots!, High Noon and Airplane!, died aged 85
10th March, 1998
Animated film Ice Age, directed by Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha with voices by Denis Leary and John Leguizamo, premiered in the U.S.
12th March, 2002
Bob Iger is named CEO of Walt Disney International, succeeding Michael Eisner. He goes on to lead the company as it buys franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars and launches its own streaming service
13th March, 2005
American actress Maureen Stapleton, famous for her roles in The Reds, Airport and Cocoon, died aged 80
13th March, 2006
Canadian actor Corey Haim, famous for his roles in The Lost Boys, License to Drive and Lucas, tragically dies aged just 38
10th March, 2010
American actor Peter Graves, famous for his roles in Mission Impossible, Airplane! and Stalag 17, died from a heart attack aged 83
14th March, 2010
The Hunger Games, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence, premiered in Los Angeles
12th March, 2012
Captain America: The Winter Soldier, directed by Joe Johnston and starring Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, premiered in Los Angeles
13th March, 2014
Superhero movie Black Panther becomes the fifth Marvel movie to earn over $1 billion worldwide at the box office
11th March, 2018
Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, known for his roles in The Seventh Seal, The Exorcist and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, died aged 90
8th March, 2020
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for several sexual offences
11th March, 2020
American actor William Hurt, known for his roles in Body Heat and A History of Violence, dies at 71 of prostate cancer
13th March, 2022
Israeli actor Chaim Topol, famous for his roles in Fiddler on the Roof and Flash Gordon, dies at 87
9th March, 2023
Well there we have our picks for this week in film history between 8th – 14th March.
Well there we have our picks for this week in film history. Be sure to check back next week for some more fun film facts and tidbits. If you think we missed something important, be sure to let us know in the comments.
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