22nd – 28th February: Discover This Fascinating Week in Film History

This week we cover the period between 22nd – 28th February as we look back at the the fascinating past of the film industry. We love to celebrate the history of cinema here at More Movies and we really enjoy delving into and highlighting some of the most interesting moments in the world of movies, including milestone releases, infamous events, births and deaths of the industry’s most notable characters, along with other historic happenings.

American film director Victor Fleming, famous for his films The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, was born in Pasadena, California

23rd February, 1889

American silent era screenwriter and actor George O’Hara, famous for his roles in The Sea Beast and The Grapes of Wrath, was born in New York City

22nd February, 1899

American comedian and actor Zeppo Marx of the Marx Brothers was born in New York City

25th February, 1901

British actor Reginald Gardiner, famous for his roles in The Flying Deuces and The Great Dictator, was born in London, England

27th February, 1903

British actress Madeleine Carroll, famous for her roles in The 39 Steps and Secret Agent, was born in West Bromwich, West Midlands

26th February, 1906

British actor Sir John Mills, famous for his roles in Ryan’s Daughter, Great Expectations and Hobson’s Choice, was born in Norfolk, England

22nd February, 1908

American actress Billie Bird, famous for her role in Jury Duty, was born in Pocatello, Idaho

28th February, 1908

American actor James “Jim” Backus, famous for his roles in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Rebel Without a Cause, was born in Cleveland, Ohio

25th February, 1913

Mutual Film Company signs Charlie Chaplin to a film contract

26th February, 1916

British actor Alfred Burke, famous for roles in Public Eye, Backfire and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was born in London, England

28th February, 1918

American actor Abe Vigoda, famous for roles in Barney Miller and The Godfather, was born in New York City

24th February, 1921

British actor Kenneth Williams, famous for his roles in the Carry On films, was born in King’s Cross, London

22nd February, 1926

American actress Joanne Woodward, famous for her roles in 3 Faces of Eve and Rachel, Rachel, was born in Thomasville, Georgia

27th February, 1930

English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor, famous for her roles in Cleopatra, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, was born in London, England

27th February, 1932

It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra and starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, opened at New York’s Radio City Music Hall

22nd February, 1934

The Little Colonel, starring Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore and Bill Robinson, featuring famous staircase dance with Hollywood’s first interracial dance duo, premiered in the U.S.

22nd February, 1935

Walt Disney’s animated movie Pinocchio was released in the U.S.

23rd February, 1940

Former Columbia Pictures Producer and CEO David Puttnam, whose productions include Chariots of Fire, The Mission and The Killing Fields, was born in London, England

25th February, 1941

American actor Bill Duke, famous for his roles in Bird on a Wire and Predator, was born in Poughkeepsie, New York

26th February, 1943

American actor Barry Bostwick, famous for his role as Brad in Rocky Horror Picture Show, was born in San Mateo, California

24th February, 1944

American actor Edward James Olmos, famous for his roles in Stand & Deliver, Blade Runner and Selena, was born in Los Angeles, California

24th February, 1947

English actress Julie Walters, famous for her roles in Educating Rita and Prick Up Your Ears, was born in Birmingham, England

22nd February, 1950

At the 12th Golden Globes Awards, Marlon Brando’s legendary performance in On The Waterfront wins him Best Actor, the film also winning Best Picture

24th February, 1955

English actor Timothy Spall, famous for his roles in the Harry Potter films, The King’s Speech and Mr. Turner, was born in London, England

27th February, 1957

British comedian and actor Stan Laurel, famous for his performances in the Laurel & Hardy films, died aged 74

23rd February, 1965

German-American film score composer Franz Waxman, famous for scoring Rebecca, Sunset Boulevard and A Place In The Sun, died aged 60

24th February, 1967

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, based on the novel by Muriel Spark, and directed by Ronald Neame and starring Maggie Smith, premiered in London

24th February, 1969

American actor Sean Astin, famous for his role in The Goonies and as Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings films, was born in Los Angeles, California

25th February, 1971

Austrian actor Tullio Carminati, famous for his roles in War and Peace and Roman Holiday, died aged 76

26th February, 1971

American actress Drew Barrymore, famous for her roles in ET, Firestarter and Poison Ivy, was born in Los Angeles, California

22nd February, 1975

Malaysian-Australian film director James Wan, famous for his films Saw and The Conjuring, was born in Kuching, Malaysia

26th February, 1977

English-American actress Emily Blunt, famous for her roles in A Quiet Place, The Devil Wears Prada and Mary Poppins Returns, was born in London, United Kingdom

23rd February, 1983

British actor and writer Daniel Kaluuya, famous for his roles in Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah and Black Panther, was born in London, England

24th February, 1989

American singer and actor Eddie Constantine, famous for his roles in Alphaville, Poison Ivy and Your Turn, Darling, died aged 79

25th February, 1993

American actress Dakota Fanning, famous for her roles in I Am Sam, War of the Worlds and Man of Fire, was born in Conyers, Georgia

23rd February, 1994

Trainspotting, based on the book by Irvine Welsh and directed by Danny Boyle and starring Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle and Jonny Lee Miller, opened in cinemas in the UK and Ireland

23rd February, 1996

American film production company Happy Madison Productions was founded by Adam Sandler

27th February, 1996

Irish-British actor and comedian Spike Milligan, famous for his roles in History of the World Part I, The Hound of the Baskervilles and Postman’s Knock, died aged 83

27th February, 2002

American actor John Randolph, famous for his roles in King Kong, Lucan, Lucas Tanner and Angie, died aged 88

24th February, 2004

American actor Dennis Weaver, famous for his roles in Duel, Touch of Evil and The Gallant Hours, died aged 81

24th February, 2006

Heath Ledger posthumously wins Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight

22nd February, 2009

American actress Jane Russell, famous for her roles in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Outlaw and Double Dynamite, died aged 89

28th February, 2011

American actor Leonard Nimoy, famed for playing Mr. Spock in the Star Trek films, died aged 83

27th February, 2015

American actor and boxer Tony Burton, famous for his role as Duke in the Rocky films, died aged 78

25th February, 2016

American actor Bill Paxton, famous for his roles in Twister, Titanic and True Lies, died aged 61

25th February, 2017

British director, producer and screenwriter Lewis Gilbert, famous for You Only Live Twice and Sink the Bismarck!, died aged 97

23rd February, 2018

Indian actress and film producer Sridevi Kapoor, referred to as Indian cinema’s “first female superstar”, famous for her roles in Himmatwala and Solva Sawan, tragically drowned aged 54

24th February, 2018

Influential film review site Rotten Tomatoes implements changes after internet trolls target the Captain Marvel film

25th February, 2019

Captain Marvel, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and starring Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson, premiered in the U.S.

27th February, 2019

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape and a criminal sexual act in landmark case that ignited the #MeToo movement

24th February, 2020

Chadwick Boseman posthumously wins “Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” at the Golden Globes

28th February, 2021

Well there we have our picks for this week in film history between 22nd – 28th February.

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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