4th – 10th January: Discover This Fascinating Week in Film History

This week we cover the period between 4th – 10th January 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. .

British actor Gibson Gowland, famous for his roles in Greed, Blind Husbands and The Phantom of the Opera, was born in Durham, England

4th January, 1877

British actor Patrick Aherne, famous for his roles in Green Dolphin Street, Rocketship X-M and The Court Jester, was born in King’s Norton, England

6th January, 1901

British actor Francis L. Sullivan, famous for his roles in Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and Missing Rembrandt, was born in London, England

6th January, 1903

British actor Alan Napier, famous for his roles in The Sword in the Stone and Batman, was born in Birmingham, England

7th January, 1903

American actor and dancer Ray Bolger, most famous for playing the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts

10th January, 1904

American actor Sterling Holloway, famous for roles in The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland and The Aristocats, was born in Cedartown, Georgia

4th January, 1905

Italian actor George Dolenz, famous for roles in Scared Stiff and Count of Monte Cristo, was born in Trieste, Austria-Hungary

5th January, 1908

British actor Bernard Lee, famous for playing M in the first eleven James Bond movies, was born in London, England

10th January, 1908

German actor Willy Millowitsch, famous for his role in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, was born in Cologne, Germany

8th January, 1909

American actress Loretta Young, famous for her roles in Farmer’s Daughter and Stranger, was born in Salt Lake City, Utah

6th January, 1913

British character actor Francis De Wolff, famous for his roles in A Christmas Carol and From Russia With Love, was born in Essex, England

7th January, 1913

American actor George Reeves, famous for his roles in Superman and Gone with the Wind, was born in Woolstock, Iowa

5th January, 1914

American actress Jane Wyman, famous for her role in Magnificent Obsession and for being the first wife of Ronald Reagan, was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri

5th January, 1917

British actress Rosalie Crutchley, famous for her roles in Armchair Theatre: Black Limelight and Four Weddings and a Funeral, was born in London, England

4th January, 1920

British actor Douglas Wilmer, famous for his roles in Sherlock Holmes, Octopussy and El Cid, was born in London

8th January, 1920

American actor John Russell, famous for his roles in Pale Rider and Rio Bravo, was born in Los Angeles, California

3rd January, 1921

American actor Lee Van Cleef, famous for his roles in For a Few Dollars More and Escape from New York, was born in Somerville, New Jersey

9th January, 1925

Fritz Lang’s silent film Metropolis premiered in Berlin

10th January, 1927

American scriptwriter and author William Peter Blatty, famous for The Exorcist, was born in New York City

7th January, 1928

American actor Salvatore “Robert” Loggia, famous for his roles in Jagged Edge, Big, An Officer and a Gentleman and Scarface, was born in Staten Island, New York

3rd January, 1930

American award-winning actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall, famous for his roles in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and Lonesome Dove, was born in San Diego, California

5th January, 1931

Cavalcade, based on the play by Noël Coward, directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Diana Wynyard and Clive Brook, premiered in New York

5th January, 1933

The first Dutch talkie movie, Jan Teunissen’s Willem of Orange, premiered

4th January, 1934

English actress Sylvia Syms, famous for her roles in Asylum, Moonraker and Shirley Valentine, was born in Woolwich, London

6th January, 1934

American actor Sal Mineo, famous for his roles in Exodus and Rebel Without a Cause, was born in New York City

10th January, 1939

Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, famous for his film Spirited Away, was born in Tokyo, Japan

5th January, 1941

English actor and comedian Graham Chapman, famous for being part of Monty Python and their films such as Life of Brian, was born in Leicester, England

8th January, 1941

American actor William Sanderson, famous for his roles in Newhart, Blade Runner and True Blood, was born in Memphis, Tennessee

10th January, 1944

American actress Diane Keaton, famous for her roles in Annie Hall and Little Drummer Girl, was born in Los Angeles, California

5th January, 1946

American actor George “Slim” Summerville, famous for his roles in All Quiet on the Western Front and Keystone Cops, died aged 53

5th January, 1946

American film director Victor Fleming, famous for his films The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind, died aged 65

6th January, 1949

American filmmaker John McTiernan, famous for his films Predator, Die Hard and Medicine Man, was born in Albany, New York

8th January, 1951

The Greatest Show on Earth, directed and produced by Cecil B. DeMille, starring James Stewart and Charlton Heston, premiered in New York

10th January, 1952

English comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson, most famous for his Mr Bean character, was born in County Durham, England

6th January, 1955

American actress Sandra Bernhard, famous for her roles in Follow That Bird and King of Comedy, was born in Flint, Michigan

6th January, 1955

English actor Julian Sands, famous for his roles in A Room with a View and Arachnophobia, was born in Yorkshire, England

4th January, 1958

American actor Nicolas Cage, famous for his roles in Moonstruck and Leaving Las Vegas, was born in Long Beach, California

7th January, 1964

English-born footballer and actor Vinnie Jones, famous for his roles in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, was born in Watford, England

5th January, 1965

American actress Maria Pitillo, famous for her roles in Ryan’s Hope and Natural Born Killers, was born in Elmira, New York

8th January, 1966

Indian film producer & actor Irrfan Khan, famous for Paan Singh Tomar, Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi, was born in Jaipur, India

7th January, 1967

American actor Bradley Cooper, famous for his roles in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5th January, 1975

British actor John Gregson, famous for his roles in The Longest Day and Shirley’s World, died aged 55

8th January, 1975

English actor Eddie Redmayne, famous for his roles in The Other Boleyn Girl and The Theory of Everything, was born in London

6th January, 1982

American film actress Gaby Hoffman, famous for her roles in Field of Dreams, Uncle Buck and Now & Then, was born in New York City

8th January, 1982

Oscar-winning American cinematographer Robert L. Surtees, famous for his work on Ben-Hur, died aged 78

5th January, 1985

Trevor Howard, English actor in over 70 films including Brief Encounter, Superman and The Third Man, died aged 71

7th January, 1988

Scottish actor Ian Charleson, famous for his roles in Gandhi and Chariots of Fire, died aged 40

6th January, 1990

American screenwriter Richard Maibaum, famous for writing Goldfinger, died aged 81

4th January, 1991

British actor Llewellyn Rees, famous for his role in A Fish Called Wanda and Invisible Creature, died aged 92

7th January, 1994

English comic/actor Peter Cook, famous for his roles in Without a Clue and Bedazzled, died aged 57

9th January, 1995

Italian-American actress Catherine Scorsese, mother of Martin Scorsese and famous for her roles in The King of Comedy, Goodfellas and Cape Fear, died aged 84

6th January, 1997

Italian actor Massimo Girotti, famous for his roles in Last Tango in Paris and In the Name of the Law, died aged 84

5th January, 2003

American actor Martin Patterson “Pat” Hingle, famous for his roles in Hang ’em High, Splendor in the Grass and Batman Returns, died aged 84

3rd January, 2009

Irish actor Donal Donnelly, famous for his roles in The Godfather: Part III and The Dead, died aged 78

4th January, 2010

The King’s Speech, starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, and Helena Bonham Carter, was released in the UK

7th January, 2011

Australian actor Rod Taylor, famous for his roles in Time Machine and The Birds, died aged 84

7th January, 2015

American actor and writer Brad Stephen “Taylor” Negron, famous for Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Easy Money, died aged 57

10th January, 2015

Star Wars: The Force Awakens breaks North American box office record, passing the $760.5m taken by Avatar

6th January, 2016

English director and producer Michael Apted, known for the Up series and The World is Not Enough, died aged 79

7th January, 2021

Well there we have our picks for this week in film history between 4th – 10th January.

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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