On this day in movie history - Mad Max 2 (1981):

Mad Max 2

aka The Road Warrior,

directed by George Miller,

written by Robert Benton, Terry Hayes, George Miller and Brian Hannant,

was released in Australia on December 24, 1981.
Narrated by Harold Baigent.
Music by Howard Shore.

Cast:

Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps, Vernon Wells, Kjell Nilsson, Emil Minty, Virginia Hey, William Zappa, Arkie Whiteley, Steve J. Spears, Syd Heylen, Moira Claux, David Downer, David Slingsby, Kristoffer Greaves, Max Fairchild, Tyler Coppin, Jerry O'Sullivan, Tony Deary, Kathleen McKay, Guy Norris, Anne Jones, James McCardell, Harold Baigent, Stewart Finlay-McLennan, Joanne Samuel.

Born on this day – Clarence Gilyard:

Clarence Gilyard

Professor

Actor

Writer

December 24, 1955 – November 28, 2022

Credits:

227 (1987); A Matter of Faith (2014); artScene (2013); Boondoggle (1999); CHiPs (1982–1983); Christmas on the Coast (2017); Die Hard (1988); DieHard is Back (2020); Diff'rent Strokes (1981); Eleanor's Bench (2020); Fan des années 80 (2010); From Above (2013); L.A. Takedown (1989); Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002); Left Behind: The Movie (2000); Legacy of a Spy (2021); Little Monsters (2012); Making the Grade (1982); Matlock (1989–1993); Off the Mark (1987); Orange Bowl Parade (1997); Riptide (1984); Simon & Simon (1986); Solomon's Universe (1985); Sons of Thunder (1999); Soul Train (1996); The 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2023); The Beast (2016); The Duck Factory (1984); The Facts of Life (1979); The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990); The Karate Kid Part II (1986); The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983); The Making of 'Left Behind II: Tribulation Force' (2002); The Making of 'Left Behind: The Movie' (2000); The Perfect Race (2019); The Sector (2016); The Track (2015); Things Are Looking Up (1984); Top Gun (1986); Top Gun 2: Back to Traffic School (2012); Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion (1994); Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001); Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005); Walker: Behind the Scenes with TV's Toughest Cop (1996).

Born on this day – Sharon Farrell:

Sharon Farrell

Actress

Dancer

December 24, 1940 – May 15, 2023

Credits:

Broken at Love (2013–2014); JAG (1999); Last Chance Love (1997); The Young and the Restless (1991–1997); Timeless Obsession (1996); White Cargo (1996); Yakuza Connection (1995); Beyond Desire (1995); A Gift from Heaven (1994); Arcade (1993); Sworn to Vengeance (1993); Matlock (1992); Lonely Hearts (1991); Freddy's Nightmares (1989); One Man Force (1989); Can't Buy Me Love (1987); Rituals (1984-1985); Night of the Comet (1984); Lone Wolf McQuade (1983); Small & Frye (1983); T.J. Hooker (1983); Sweet Sixteen (1983); Born to Be Sold (1981); Separate Ways (1981); Rage! (1980); Out of the Blue (1980); Hawaii Five-O (1977–1980); The Stunt Man (1980); Mrs. Columbo (1979); The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979); The Fifth Floor (1978); The Magical World of Disney (1978); Confessions of the D.A. Man (1978); Man from Atlantis (1978); Switch (1977); Gibbsville (1976); Police Woman (1974–1976); Doc (1976); Bronk (1975); The Premonition (1975); McCloud (1975); Police Story (1973–1975); Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1975); Harry O (1975); The Six Million Dollar Man (1974); The Wide World of Mystery (1973–1974); Petrocelli (1974); Police Surgeon (1974); The Underground Man (1974); It's Alive (1974); Insight (1968–1974); This Is the Life (1974); Chase (1974); The F.B.I. (1974); Love, American Style (1974); The New Perry Mason (1973); Marcus Welby, M.D. (1972); Banyon (1972); The Eyes of Charles Sand (1972); The D.A. (1971); The Love Machine (1971); The Name of the Game (1969–1971); Men at Law (1970); Medical Center (1970); Quarantined (1970); The Reivers (1969); Marlowe (1969); Premiere (1968); A Lovely Way to Die (1968); The Wild Wild West (1968); The Virginian (1967); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964–1967); Iron Horse (1967); Not with My Wife, You Don't! (1966); Run for Your Life (1965); The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1966); Dr. Kildare (1964–1965); My Three Sons (1965); I Dream of Jeannie (1965); Rawhide (1965); Ben Casey (1963–1965); The Spy with My Face (1965); The Fugitive (1965); The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1964–1965); The Beverly Hillbillies (1965); Burke's Law (1964); Gunsmoke (1963–1964); Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1964); The Movie Maker (1964); Wagon Train (1962–1964); Arrest and Trial (1964); The Lieutenant (1963); Kraft Suspense Theatre (1963); Death Valley Days (1953); My Favorite Martian (1963); Saints and Sinners (1962–1963); Empire (1963); 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962); Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1962); Naked City (1961); Kiss Her Goodbye (1959).

Born on this day – Mary Higgins Clark:

Mary Higgins Clark

Writer

December 24, 1927 – January 31, 2020

Credits:

A Cry in the Night (1982); A Stranger is Watching (1977); All Around the Town (1992); All By Myself, Alone (2017); All Dressed in White (2015); All Through the Night (1998); As Time Goes By (2016); Aspire to the Heavens / Mount Vernon Love Story (1968); Bad Behavior (1995); Before I Say Good-Bye (2000); Burned (2005); By Hook or By Crook and 27 More of the Best Crime and Mystery Stories of the Year (2010); Caribbean Blues (1988); Caribbean Blues (1988); Cursed (2009); Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (2013); Daddy's Little Girl (2001); Dashing Through the Snow (2008); Death on the Cape and Other Stories (1989); Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories (2015); Deck the Halls (2000); Deck the Halls (2000); Decked (1991); Double Vision (1988); Every Breath You Take (2017); Fleeced (2001); Ghost Ship (2007); Gypped / Scammed (2012); He Sees You When You're Sleeping (2001); Hitched (2006); I Heard That Song Before (2007); Iced (1994); I'll Be Seeing You (1993); I'll Walk Alone (2011); Inherit the Dead (2013); I've Got My Eyes on You (2018); I've Got You Under My Skin (2014); Jinxed (2002); Just Take My Heart (2009); Justice in Manhattan (1995); Kiss the Girls and Make Them Cry (2019); Kitchen Privileges (2002); Laced (2007); Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1995); Loves Music, Loves to Dance (1991); Malice Domestic 1 (1992); Malice Domestic 14 (2019); Malice Domestic 2 (1993); Manhattan Mayhem (2015); Master's Choice: Mystery Stories by Today's Top Writers and the Masters Who Inspired Them (2000); Mobbed (2011); Moonlight Becomes You (1996); More Malice Domestic (1997); Murder For Love (1996); Murder in Manhattan (1988); Murder on the Aisle (1987); Murder on the Run (1998); My Gal Sunday (1996); Nighttime is My Time (2004); No Place Like Home (2005); On a Raven's Wing (2009); On the Street Where You Live (2001); Piece of My Heart (2020); Popped (2003); Pretend You Don't See Her (1995); Remember Me (1994); Santa Cruise (2006); Silent Night (1995); Sisters in Crime 2 (1990); Snagged (1993); Stillwatch (1984); The Anastasia Syndrome (1989); The Best American Mystery Stories 1998 (1998); The Body in the Closet and Plumbing for Willy (1998); The Christmas Thief (2004); The Christmas Thief (2004); The Cinderella Murder (2014); The Cradle Will Fall (1980); The Crown Crime Companion (1995); The Lost Years (2012); The Lottery Winner (1994); The Magical Christmas Horse (2011); The Melody Lingers On (2015); The Night Awakens (1998); The Plot Thickens (1997); The Second Time Around (2003); The Shadow of Your Smile (2010); The Sleeping Beauty Killer (2016); The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories 1996 (1995); Twanged (1997); Two Little Girls in Blue (2006); Weep No More, My Lady (1987); We'll Meet Again (1999); Where Are the Children Now? (2023); Where are the Children? (1975); Where Are You Now? (2008); While My Pretty One Sleeps (1989); Women of Mystery (1992); Wrecked (2010); You Belong To Me (1999); You Don't Own Me (2018); Zapped (2008).

Movies and television:

A Crime of Passion (2003); A Cry in the Night (1992); A Stranger Is Watching (1982); All Around the Town (2002); Books Equal Gifts Commercial (2008); Bouillon de culture (1999); C à vous (2011); Café Picouly (2011); Campus, le magazine de l'écrit (2003); CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley (2017); Ce Que Vivent les Roses (2018); Collection Mary Higgins Clark, la reine du suspense (2014); Crier Today (2000–2001); Deck the Halls (2011); Deux Petites Filles en Bleu (2014); Double Vision (1992); En aparté (2003); Encore with John Palmer (2006–2010); Ex Libris (1989–1995); Haven't We Met Before (2002); Imus in the Morning (2014); La Clinique du Docteur H (2015); Le cercle de minuit (1994); Le divan (1992); Le grand journal de Canal+ (2006); Les Années Perdues (2015); Let Me Call You Sweetheart (1997); L'invité (2006); Loves Music, Loves to Dance (2001); Lucky Day (2002); Moonlight Becomes You (1998); My Gal Sunday (2014); NOS Uit het Leven (2020); Nulle part ailleurs (1995); On a tout essayé (2003); On the Money (2005); Où Es-Tu Maintenant? (2014); Party Planner with David Tutera (2005); Pretend You Don't See Her (2002); Remember Me (1995); Rien ne vaut la douceur du foyer (2018); Souviens-toi (2015); Stillwatch (1987); Terror Stalks the Class Reunion (1992); The Cradle Will Fall (1983); The Joan Rivers Show (1991); The Last Horsemen of New York (2018); The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet (2007); The Mystery Cruise (2013); Thé ou café (2008); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1997); The Scent of Fear (1960); The View (2004); The Write Stuff (1988); Today (2010–2017); Toi Que J'Aimais Tant (2014); Tout le monde en parle (2003); Weep No More, My Lady (1992); Where Are the Children? (1985); While My Pretty One Sleeps (1997); You Belong to Me (2002).

Born on this day – Ava Gardner:

Ava Gardner

Actress

December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990

Born on this day – Carlo Rustichelli:

Carlo Rustichelli

Composer

December 24, 1916 – November 13, 2004

Born on this day – James Hadley Chase:

James Hadley Chase

Writer

December 24, 1906 – February 6, 1985

Credits:

A Can of Worms (1979); A Coffin from Hong Kong (1962); A Lotus for Miss Quon (1961); An Ace Up My Sleeve (1971); An Ear to the Ground (1968); Believe This, You'll Believe Anything (1975); Believed Violent (1968); Blonde's Requiem (1946); But a Short Time to Live (1951); Cade (1966); Come Easy, Go Easy (1960); Come Easy, Go Easy / Cade / My Laugh Comes Last (1993); Consider Yourself Dead (1978); Do Me a Favour, Drop Dead (1976); Double Shuffle / Shock Treatment / Tell it to the Birds (1974); Eve (1945); Figure It Out for Yourself (1950); Get a Load of This (1941); Goldfish Have No Hiding Place (1974); Hand Me a Fig Leaf (1981); Have a Change of Scene (1973); Have a Nice Night (1982); Have This One On Me (1967); He Won't Need It Now (1939); Hit and Run (1958); Hit Them Where It Hurts (1985); I Hold the Four Aces (1977); I Would Rather Stay Poor (1962); I'll Bury My Dead (1953); I'll Get You for This (1946); In a Vain Shadow (1951); Just a Matter of Time (1972); Just Another Sucker (1961); Just the Way It Is (1944); Knock, Knock! Who's There? (1973); Lady, Here's Your Wreath (1940); Last Page (1946); Lay Her Among the Lilies (1950); Like a Hole in the Head (1970); Make the Corpse Walk (1946); Mallory (1950); Meet Mark Girland (1977); Miss Callaghan Comes to Grief (1941); Miss Shumway Waves a Wand (1944); Mission to Siena (1955); Mission to Venice (1954); More Deadly Than the Male (1946); My Laugh Comes Last (1977); Never Trust a Woman (1957); No Business of Mine (1947); No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1939); Not My Thing (1983); Not Safe to Be Free (1958); One Bright Summer Morning (1963); Ruthless (1955); Safer Dead (1954); Shock Treatment (1959); Slipstream (1946); So Soon To Die (1975); So What Happens to Me? (1974); Strictly for Cash (1951); Tell It to the Birds (1963); The Dead Stay Dumb (1939); The Doll's Bad News (1940); The Double Shuffle (1952); The Fast Buck (1952); The Flesh of the Orchid (1948); The Guilty Are Afraid (1957); The Joker in the Pack (1975); The Mammoth Book of Twentieth-Century Ghost Stories (1998); The Mirror in Room 22 (1946); The Paw in the Bottle (1949); The Pickup (1955); The Soft Centre (1964); The Sucker Punch (1954); The Things Men Do (1953); The Vulture Is a Patient Bird (1969); The Wary Transgressor (1952); The Way the Cookie Crumbles (1965); The Whiff of Money (1969); The World in My Pocket (1959); There's a Hippie On the Highway (1970); There's Always a Price Tag (1956); This Is for Real (1965); This Way for a Shroud (1953); Three of Spades (1974); Tiger By the Tail (1954); Trusted Like the Fox (1948); Try This One for Size (1980); Want to Stay Alive? (1971); Well Now, My Pretty (1967); We'll Share a Double Funeral (1982); What's Better Than Money? (1960); Why Pick On Me? (1951); You Can Say That Again (1980); You Find Him, I'll Fix Him (1956); You Have Yourself a Deal (1966); You Must Be Kidding (1979); You Never Know with Women (1949); You're Dead Without Money (1972); You're Lonely When You're Dead (1949); You've Got It Coming (1955).

Movies and television:

A Kiss for a Killer (1957); Assicurazione sulla morte (1987); Bukhta smerti (1991); Ça n'arrive qu'aux vivants (1959); Cambiamento d'aria (1988); Cinépanorama (1957); Coffin from Hong Kong (1964); Crime and Passion (1975); Crime on a Summer Morning (1965); Dans la gueule du loup (1961); Dead End (1965); Délit de fuite (1959); Die Katze im Sack (1965); Emmenez-moi au théâtre: Pas d'orchidées pour Miss Blandisch (1978); Eva (1962 / 2018); Grandeur et décadence d'un petit commerce de cinéma (1986–1989); Have a Nice Night (1990); Highway Pick-Up (1963); Kazino (1992); La petite vertu (1968); L'avvoltoio sa attendere (1991); Le démoniaque (1968); Le denier du colt (1990); Les canailles (1960); Lotosblüten für Miss Quon (1967); Lucky Nick Cain (1951); Mais qui arrêtera la pluie? (1990); Man Bait (1952); Mark of the Tortoise (1964); Miraza (1983); Miss Shumway Goes West (1963); Mission to Venice (1964); No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948); On svoyo poluchit (1992); Palmetto (1998); Pas folle la guêpe (1972); Patto con la morte (1982); Playhouse 90 (1959); Pracka v láhvi (1978); Présumé dangereux (1990); Requiem per voce e pianoforte (1993); Retour de manivelle (1957); Rigged (1986); Rough Magic (1995); Snayper (1992); Spider's Web (1963); Studio One (1958); The Blonde from Peking (1967); The Catamount Killing (1974); The Flesh of the Orchid (1975); The Grissom Gang (1971); The Man in the Raincoat (1957); The Night of the Generals (1967); The Set Up (1995); The World in My Pocket (1961); Trop petit mon ami (1970); Try This One for Size (1989); Val Parnell's Spectacular (1960); Young Girls Beware (1957); Zlaté rybicky (1979).

Born on this day – Franz Waxman:

Franz Waxman

Composer

Actor

December 24, 1906 – February 24, 1967

Born on this day – Ruth Chatterton:

Ruth Chatterton

Actress

Aviator

Writer

December 24, 1892 – November 24, 1961

Credits:

20th Century Fox Promotional Film (1936); A Royal Divorce (1938); Anybody's Woman (1930); Celanese Theatre (1951); Charming Sinners (1929); Complicated Women (2003); Dodsworth (1936); Female (1933); Frisco Jenny (1932); Girls' Dormitory (1936); Hamlet (1953); Hollywood and the Stars (1964); Hollywood on Parade No. A-13 (1933); Journal of a Crime (1934); Kraft Theatre (1952); Kraft Theatre / The Philco Television Playhouse (1948); Lady of Secrets (1936); Lilly Turner (1933); Madame X (1929); Mutual Weekly, No. 16 (1915); Once a Lady (1931); Paramount on Parade (1930); Playhouse 90 (1957); Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1952); Sarah and Son (1930); Sins of the Fathers (1928); The Crash (1932); The Doctor's Secret (1929); The Dummy (1929); The House That Shadows Built (1931); The Lady of Scandal (1930); The Laughing Lady (1929); The Magnificent Lie (1931); The Prudential Family Playhouse (1950); The Rat (1937); The Rich Are Always with Us (1932); The Right to Love (1930); Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood (2008); Tomorrow and Tomorrow (1932); Unfaithful (1931).

Born on this day – Mario Bonnard:

Mario Bonnard

Actor

Director

December 24, 1889 – March 22, 1965

Henry Ward Beecher, on books:

It's a man's duty to have books.

A library is not a luxury,

but one of the necessities of life.

- Henry Ward Beecher.