Born on this day – Leslie Dilley:

Leslie Dilley

Production designer

Art director

Producer

January 11, 1941 – May 20, 2025

Credits:

Alien (1979); Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986); An American Werewolf in London (1981); Bad Medicine (1985); Beware the Moon: Remembering 'An American Werewolf in London' (2009); Black Angel (1980); Black Knight (2001); Casper (1995); Cold Creek Manor (2003); Death, Be Not Proud: A 'Wonderfull' Time (2016); Death, Be Not Proud: All This Bleeding (2016); Death, Be Not Proud: The Devil in the Details (2016); Deep Impact (1998); Diabolique (1996); Drew Peterson: Untouchable (2012); Eureka (1983); Guilty by Suspicion (1991); Guilty by Suspicion (1991); Honey I Blew Up the Kid: The Making of 'Honey I Blew Up the Kid' (1992); Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992); How to Make an American Quilt (1995); Inspector Gadget (1999); Invaders from Mars (1986); Jesus Christ Superstar (1973); Kelly's Heroes (1970); Lady Chatterly Versus Fanny Hill (1971); Legend (1985); Little Man (2006); Lucky Lady (1975); Macbeth (1971); Men of Honor (2000); Monkey Trouble (1994); Never Say Never Again (1983); Pay It Forward (2000); Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Scorpio (1973); Sitting Target (1972); Son of the Mask (2005); Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Stars and Bars (1988); Superman (1978); Teacup Travels (2015–2017); The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978); The 54th Annual Academy Awards (1982); The Abyss (1989); The Alien Legacy (1999); The Boy Friend (1971); The Devils (1971); The Distinguished Gentleman (1992); The Exorcist III (1990); The Fifth Element (1997); The Final Programme (1973); The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974); The Galaxy Britain Built (2017); The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977); The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); The Peacemaker (1997); The Quinn-tuplets (2010); The Three Musketeers (1973); What About Bob? (1991).

On this day in movie history - The Case of the Black Parrot (1941 movie & novel):

The Case of the Black Parrot

directed by Noel M. Smith,

written by Robert E. Kent,

based on the 1923 play In the Next Room by Eleanor Robeson Belmont and Harriet Ford,

and the 1912 novel The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet by Burton E. Stevenson,

was released in the United States on January 9, 1941.

Music by Bernhard Kaun.

Cast: William Lundigan, Maris Wrixon, Eddie Foy Jr., Paul Cavanagh, Luli Deste, Charles Waldron, Joseph Crehan, Emory Parnell, Phyllis Barry, Cyril Thornton, Leyland Hodgson, Ernie Stanton, Cliff Saum, Sidney Bracey, Kenneth Harlan, William Hopper, Jack Mower, Louis Natheaux.

Recommended reading:

The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet

by Burton E. Stevenson.

Filmed as The Case of the Black Parrot (1941), directed by Noel M. Smith.

Published by Legare Street Press.

First published 1962.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 101977469X

ISBN-13: 978-1019774694

Description:

The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet is a classic detective novel written by Burton Egbert Stevenson. The plot revolves around a crime committed against a wealthy family, and a detective is brought in to solve the case. Along the way, the detective must navigate a web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth. The book is a fast-paced and thrilling read, sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Born on this day – George P. Cosmatos:

George P. Cosmatos

Director

Writer

January 4, 1941 – April 19, 2005

Credits:

Shadow Conspiracy (1997); Tombstone (1993); Leviathan (1989); Cobra (1986); Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985); Of Unknown Origin (1983); Escape to Athena (1979); The Cassandra Crossing (1976); Massacre in Rome (1973); The Beloved (1971).

Born on this day – John McPherson:

John McPherson (center, seated behind camera)

Cinematographer

Director

Writer

December 30, 1941 - December 21, 2007

Born on this day, John Capodice:

John Capodice

Actor

Producer

December 25, 1941 – December 30, 2024

Credits:

10th & Wolf (2006); A Family X-mas (2003); A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994); A Month of Sundays (2001); A Wake in Providence (1999); Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1995); ABC Afterschool Specials (1989); Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994); Angel (1999); Another World (1987); As the World Turns (1989); At Face Value (1999); Blasphemy the Movie (2001); Bloodlines: Murder in the Family (1993); Blossom (1991); Blue Steel (1990); Boy Meets World (1994); Brilliant But Cancelled (2002); Capital News (1990); Carolina (2003); Cattle Call (2006); Chain of Command (2000); Chicago Sons (1997); Civil Wars (1991–1992); Conversation with Mobster (2024); Cooperstown (1993); Cousin Skeeter (1999); CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2007–2008); Damon (1998); Dark Room Theater (2009); Dead Last (2001); Desert Rose (2002); Detention (2010); Diagnosis Murder (1996–1999); Dilemma (1997); Double Bang (2001); Dragnet (2003); Dream On (1994); El Coyote (2019); Ellen (1997); Enemy of the State (1998); Everybody Hates Chris (2005); Executive Power (1997); Eye Wide Open (2010); Family Business (1989); Family Prayers (1993); Fever (1991); Follow Your Heart (1999); Frank and Ava (2020); General Hospital (1994–1995); George & Leo (1998); Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990); Honeymoon in Vegas (1992); Hoods (1998); Hunter (1990); I Think I Want Out (2011); Independence Day (1996); Internal Affairs (1988); Internal Affairs (1990); Jacob's Ladder (1990); Jesus, Mary and Joey (2005); Johnny Garage (1983); Kate & Allie (1988); Kiss of a Stranger (1998); Knit Wits (2004); Knots Landing (1990); L.A. Law (1992); Last Call (2012); Law & Order (1990); LAX (2005); Leave My Flowers Alone (2012); Leaving L.A. (1997); Living Single (1994); Lookwell (1991); Lost Angelas (2019); Mad About You (1995); Mafia II (2010); Malcolm & Eddie (1998); Melrose Place (1992); Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills (1994); Miami or Bust: A Hoboken Bet (2012); Michael Hayes (1998); Monk (2008); Monty (2013); Moonlighting (1989); Murder One (1997); Murder, She Wrote (1994); Murphy Brown (1989); Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994); Nick & Hillary (1988); Not For Nothin' (2018); Nothin' Goes Right (1988); NYPD Blue (1993); Office Politics (2010); Out of the Black (2001); Percy & Thunder (1993); Pizza with Bullets (2010); Point of No Return (1993); Price of Glory (2000); Private Sessions (1985); Providence (1999); Q&A (1990); Q: The Winged Serpent (1982); Ringmaster (1998); Rockabye (1986); Route 66 (1993); Rude Awakening (2001); Rush It (1978); Ryan's Hope (1978); See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989); Seinfeld (1991); Shaky Ground (1992); Sharkskin (2015); Shut Up and Kiss Me! (2004); Simon Says (2000); Sinatra! Eternity (2025); Sirens (1993); Sisters (1995); Six Feet Under (2001); Speed (1994); Spenser: For Hire (1985); Spike of Bensonhurst (1988); Starting from Scratch (1988); Stone (2025); Superman: The Animated Series (1997); Tales from the Crypt (1991); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023); That's Life (2002); The Amati Girls (2000); The Batman Superman Movie: World's Finest (1997); The Children of Times Square (1986); The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1987); The Defectors (2001); The Doors (1991); The Ellen Burstyn Show (1986); The Equalizer (1985); The Evil Inside Me (1993); The Hard Way (1991); The Heart of Justice (1992); The Man in the Family (1991); The Misery Brothers (1995); The Phantom (1996); The Practice (1999); The Scout (1994); The Secret of My Success (1987); The Specialists (1992); The Streetsweeper (2002); The Water Engine (1992); The Wayans Bros. (1995); The West Wing (2001); The White Gorilla (1997); Three (1998); To Love, Honor and Deceive (1996); Total Security (1997); Trial by Jury (1994); True Blood (1989); True Friends (1998); Wall Street (1987); Wedding Bell Blues (1996); Will & Grace (1999); With Friends Like These (1998); Without a Trace (2009); Wizards of Waverly Place (2008).

Born on this day – Barbara O. Jones:

Barbara O. Jones

Actress

December 12, 1941 – April 16, 2024

Credits:

A Powerful Thang (1991); Back Inside Herself (1984); Black Chariot (1971); Bush Mama (1979); Child of Resistance (1973); Daughters of the Dust (1991); Demon Seed (1977); Diary of an African Nun (1977); Enigma (1977); Freedom Road (1979); Laverne & Shirley (1977); Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003); Lou Grant (1978); Maangamizi: The Ancient One (2001); Mute Love (1999); The Dream Catcher (1999); The Johnson Girls (1996); The Powers of Matthew Star (1983); The Quest (1976); Wonder Woman (1977).

Born on this day – Valora Noland:

Valora Noland

Actress

December 8, 1941 – March 27, 2022

Credits:

Beach Party (1963); Burke's Law (1963–1965); Dr. Kildare (1963); Laramie (1962); Mannix (1967); Muscle Beach Party (1964); Sex and the College Girl (1964); Star Trek (1968); Summer Children (1965); The Donna Reed Show (1963–1965); The DuPont Show of the Week (1963); The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966); The Passionate Strangers (1966); The Rifleman (1961); The Virginian (1967); The War Wagon (1967); Up Your Teddy Bear (1970); Wagon Train (1964).

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day - December 7:

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

December 7

Honoring all who served and died for our freedom.

We will never forget.

Born on this day – Wende Wagner:

Wende Wagner

Actress

December 6, 1941 – February 26, 1997

Credits:

A Covenant with Death (1967); Blondie (1969); Bruce Lee: The Legend Lives On (1999); Bruce Lee: The Way of the Warrior (2022); Destination Inner Space (1966); Flipper (1965); Fury of the Dragon (1976); Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969); It Takes a Thief (1968); Lassie (1968); Mannix (1967); Out of Sight (1966); Perry Mason (1965); Rio Conchos (1964); Rosemary's Baby (1968); September Storm (1960); The Aquanauts (1960–1961); The Bait (1973); The Green Hornet (1966–1974); The Life of Bruce Lee (1994); The Rookies (1973); What's My Line? (1960).

Born on this day – Laura Antonelli:

Laura Antonelli

Actress

November 28, 1941 – June 22, 2015

Credits:

A Man Called Sledge (1970); Belmondo L'Incorrigible (2022); Black Journal (1977); Chaste and Pure (1981); Collector's Item (1985); Detective Belli (1969); Devil in the Flesh (1969); Disperatamente Giulia (1989); Docteur Popaul (1972); Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966); Dream Girl of '67 (1967); Gli indifferenti (1988); Gradiva (1970); Grandi magazzini (1986); Hotel! (2001); How Funny Can Sex Be? (1973); Il malato immaginario (1979); Il turno (1981); Incontro d'amore a Bali (1970); Inside Laura Antonelli (1980); Isabella the Liar (1989); La rivoluzione sessuale (1968); L'avaro (1990); Le sedicenni (1965); Luchino Visconti (1999); Malicious (1973); Malizia 2000 (1991); Mi faccio la barca (1980); Nos italiennes, de Magnani à Muti (2022); Passion of Love (1981); Porca vacca (1982); Quelli che... il calcio (2008); Rimini Rimini (1987); Roba da ricchi (1987); Saucy 70's Volume 2 (2010); Scusi, lei è favorevole o contrario? (1966); Senza malizia (2021); Sesso e volentieri (1982); Sexy comédie: une brève histoire de l'érotisme à l'italienne (2023); Shoe Shine Caddie (2023); Simona (1974); Tal cual (1994); The Archangel (1969); The Divine Nymph (1975); The Eroticist (1972); The Hunter Will Get You (1976); The Innocent (1976); The Magnificent Cuckold (1964); The Night Caller (1975); The Swashbuckler (1971); The Venetian Woman (1986); Tigers in Lipstick (1979); Till Marriage Do Us Part (1974); Tranches de vie (1985); Un dia és un dia (1990); Venial Sin (1974); Viuuulentemente mia (1982); Wallace & Gromit's Thrill-O-Matic (2013); Wifemistress (1977); Without Apparent Motive (1971); X-Rated Girl (1971).

Born on this day – David Hemmings:

David Hemmings

Actor

Director

Producer

Singer

Songwriter

November 18, 1941 – December 3, 2003

On this day in movie history - I Wake Up Screaming, a.k.a. Hot Spot (movie & novel):

I Wake Up Screaming

a.k.a. Hot Spot,

directed by H. Bruce Humberstone,

written by Dwight Taylor and Steve Fisher,

based on the novel by Steve Fisher,

was released in Spain on October 31, 1941.

Music by Cyril J. Mockridge.

Cast:

Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Carole Landis, Laird Cregar, Alan Mowbray, Allyn Joslyn, Elisha Cook, Jr., Chick Chandler, Cyril Ring, Morris Ankrum, Charles Lane, Frank Orth, Gregory Gaye, May Beatty, Stanley Blystone, Heinie Conklin.

Recommended reading:

I Wake Up Screaming

By Steve Fisher.

Paperback.

Published by Vintage.

First published 1941.

ISBN 13: 9780679736776

ISBN 10: 0679736778

ASIN: 0679736778

Description:

The classic novel of sexual obsession and murder amid the star-making machinery of Hollywood in the 1950s.

"She was as white as marble, but she looked lovely.  Her hair was splayed out in fine strands of gold, and her lips were bright, rich red, and there was a green eyeshadow on her eyelids.  You could see that because her eyes were closed and she was lying very still.  She was lying still and she wasn't breathing."

With its portraits of washed-up directors, jaded leading men, and a ruthless cop whose one-track mind leads straight to a cyanide pellet, I Wake Up Screaming is a magnificent thriller by a Hollywood insider whose screenplays included Lady in the Lake and I, Mobster.

On this day in movie history - The Maltese Falcon (movie & novel):

The Maltese Falcon

directed and written by John Huston,

based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett,

was released in the United States on October 18, 1941.
Music by Adolph Deutsch.

Cast:

Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr., James Burke, Murray Alper, John Hamilton, Walter Huston.

Recommended reading:

The Maltese Falcon

By Dashiell Hammett.

Introduction by Richard Russo.

First published 1930.

Published by Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0679722645

ISBN-13: 978-0679722649

Description:

“Hammett … wrote scenes that seemed never to have been written before.” – Raymond Chandler.

Detective Sam Spade is a private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. When his partner is killed during a stakeout, he is drawn into the hunt for a fantastic treasure with a dubious provenance – a golden bird encrusted with jewels. Also on the trail are a perfumed grifter named Joel Cairo, an oversized adventurer named Gutman, and Spade’s new client Brigid O’Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime.

These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett’s coolly glittering gem of detective fiction, a novel that has haunted generations of readers.

“Hammett’s prose [is] clean and entirely unique. His characters [are] as sharply and economically defined as any in American fiction.” – The New York Times.

Born on this day – Charles Richard Shyer:

Charles Richard Shyer

Director

Writer

Producer

October 11, 1941 – December 27, 2024

Credits:

Alfie (2004); Baby Boom (1987–1989); Barefoot in the Park (1970); Best. Christmas. Ever! (2023); Biography (1999); Cops (1973);  E! True Hollywood Story (2005Entertainment Tonight (2022); Father of the Bride (1991); Father of the Bride Part 3 (ish) (2020); Father of the Bride Part II (1995); Film '04 (2004); Getting Together (1971–1972);  Goin' South (1978); Happy Days (1976); HBO First Look (2001); Hey, Landlord (1967); Him and Us (2006); Home Again (2017); House Calls (1978); How Divine! (2014); I Love Trouble (1994); Ieri oggi domani (2011); In Creative Company (2022); Indie Film Hustle Show (2015); Irreconcilable Differences (1984); Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986); Lady Luck (1973); Let's Switch! (1975); Once Upon a Crime... (1992); Private Benjamin (1980); Private Benjamin / TV Series (1981); Protocol (1984); Search It Up with Sienna (2024); Smokey and the Bandit (1977); The Affair of the Necklace (2001); The Affair of the Necklace: Designing Affair (2002); The Bellinis (date?); The Media Show (1988); The Mothers-In-Law (1967–1968); The Multi-Hyphenate (2009); The Noel Diary (2022); The Noel Diary (2022); The Odd Couple (1970–1975); The Parent Trap (1998); The Parent Trap Reunion! (2020); The Partridge Family (1971); Woven (2016).

Born on this day – Anne Rice:

Anne Rice

Writer

October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021

Credits:

Interview with the Vampire (1976); The Vampire Lestat (1985); The Queen of the Damned (1988); The Tale of the Body Thief (1992); Memnoch the Devil (1995); The Vampire Armand (1998); Merrick (2000); Blood and Gold (2001); Blackwood Farm (2002); Blood Canticle (2003); Prince Lestat (2014); Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis (2016); Blood Communion (2018); The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (1983); Beauty's Punishment (1984); Beauty's Release (1985); Beauty's Kingdom (2015); The Complete Vampire Chronicles (1989); The Vampire Chronicles Collection (1992); The Vampire Chronicles: Books 1-3 (2003); The Complete Vampire Chronicles 12-Book Bundle (2013); The Mummy (1989); The Passion of Cleopatra (2017); The Reign of Osiris (2022); The Witching Hour (1990); Lasher (1993); Taltos (1994); Pandora (1998); Vittorio the Vampire (1999); Out of Egypt aka The Young Messiah (2005); The Road to Cana (2008); Angel Time (2009); Of Love and Evil (2010); The Wolf Gift (2012); The Wolves of Midwinter (2013); The Feast of All Saints (1979); Cry to Heaven (1982); Exit to Eden (1985); Belinda (1986); Servant of the Bones (1996); Violin (1997); The Anne Rice Reader (1997); The Master of Rampling Gate (1991); Interview with the Vampire: Claudia's Story (2012); The Wolf Gift: The Graphic Novel (2014); Called Out of Darkness (2008); Anne Rice-Boxed Set (1993); Belinda / Exit to Eden (2010); Into the Mummy's Tomb (1989); The New Gothic (1991); The Ultimate Zombie (1993); The Vampire Omnibus (1995); The Vampire Hunters' Casebook (1996); American Gothic Tales (1996); Vampires, Wine and Roses (1997); Blood Thirst (1997); Freniere (1976); Interview with the Vampire (excerpt) (1976); The Master of Rampling Gate (1984); The Vampire Lestat (excerpt, part 1) (1985); The Vampire Lestat (excerpt, part 2) (1985); Doctor (1990); Ballad of the Sad Rat (1995).

Movies and television:

20/20 / Segment: Vampire Empire (2003); A Place Among the Dead (2020); Ancient Mysteries (1994); Anne Rice's the Talamasca (2025); Biography (2000); Bookmark (1993); CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley (2006); Charlie Rose (1994–2005); Crossing Over with John Edward (2002); Earth Angels (2001); Eli Roth's History of Horror (2018); Ellen (1996); Entertainment Tonight (2021); Exit to Eden (1994); Great Books (1993–1999); Interview with the Vampire (1994 / 2011); Interview with the Vampire / TV Series (2022–2024); Interview with the Vampire: In the Shadow of the Vampire (2001); ITW ThrillerFest Banquet Awards (2014); La galerie France 5 (2018); Larry King Live (2003); Les Carnets de route de François Busnel (2012); Lestat (2006); Lestat, Louis, and the Vampire Phenomenon (2014); Mayfair Witches (2023 / 2025); MsMojo (2023); Night Bites: Women and Their Vampires (2003); Prisoners of Gravity (1993–1994); Queen of the Damned (2002); Rag and Bone (1998); Scarborough Country (2005); SexTV (2001–2002); Talk Stoop (2016); The 700 Club (2010); The Book Show (2011); The Colbert Report (2012); The Factor (2005); The Feast of All Saints (2001); The Future of Fear (2011); The Hour (2012); The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2012–2013); The Oprah Winfrey Show (1991); The Queen of the Damned (2011); The Real Vampire Files (2010); The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996–2000); The Undead Series (2016); The Vampire Lestat (2011); The Young Messiah (2016); Tom Cruise: An Eternal Youth (2020); Without Walls (1993).

Recommended reading - The Black Curtain (1941):

The Black Curtain

By Cornell Woolrich.

Filmed as Street of Chance (1942), directed by Jack Hively.

First published 1941.

Published by Centipede Press.

Hardcover.

ISBN-10: 1613471475

ISBN-13: 978-1613471470

Description:

A man is accused of a murder he cannot remember…

In a nightmare scenario, Frank Townsend has an apparently minor accident on his way home but he arrives to find his wife gone and doesn’t recognize his apartment. He had gone to work on a normal day but didn’t return for more than three years. Suffering from amnesia, he has to rediscover who he is, where he has been, and what he has done. A curtain has fallen to cut off all memories of his life.

First among the memories he wants to recover is whether he has committed the murder of which he has been accused. A mysterious stranger with a gun has been following him while he attempts to simultaneously understand what has happened in his past while doing all he can to extricate himself from a seemingly hopeless situation and regain his reputation. He does not yet know that he is in great jeopardy and there is no one he can trust to rescue him from the abyss.

The Black Curtain is the second of Cornell Woolrich’s celebrated “black” books, following The Bride Wore Black, which established his reputation as America’s greatest noir writer. It was adapted into film as the classic Street of Chance, starring Burgess Meredith and Claire Trevor.