Born on this day – Lois Maxwell:

Lois Maxwell

Actress

February 14, 1927 – September 29, 2007

Credits:

The Suite Life of Hudson & James (2002); The Fourth Angel (2001); Hard to Forget (1998); Lady in the Corner (1989); Rescue Me (1988); Martha, Ruth & Edie (1988); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1987); Eternal Evil (1985); A View to a Kill (1985); The Edison Twins (1985); Peep (1984); Octopussy (1983); For Your Eyes Only (1981); Mr. Patman (1980); Lost and Found (1979); Moonraker (1979); Witch of Westminster Crossing (1978); The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); Age of Innocence (1977); Bons baisers de Hong-Kong (1975); The Man with the Golden Gun (1974); Live and Let Die (1973); Endless Night (1972); The Persuaders! (1971); Diamonds Are Forever (1971); UFO (1970–1971); Adventures in Rainbow Country (1969–1970); The Adventurers (1970); On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969); My Partner the Ghost (1969); Department S (1969); You Only Live Twice (1967); Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond (1967); Operation Kid Brother (1967); The Saint (1966–1967); Rome, Sweet Home (1966); Gideon C.I.D. (1966); The Baron (1966); Thunderball (1965); Stingray (1964–1965); The Ambassadors (1965); Goldfinger (1964); Ghost Squad (1964); The Avengers (1964); From Russia with Love (1963); The Haunting (1963); ITV Play of the Week (1957–1963); Come Fly with Me (1963); Zero One (1962); Dr. No (1962); Lolita (1962); The Unstoppable Man (1961); No Hiding Place (1961); One Step Beyond (1961); Danger Man (1960); Rendezvous (1960); Face of Fire (1959); Television Playwright (1958); O.S.S. (1957); Kill Me Tomorrow (1957); Time Without Pity (1957); BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1956); Rheingold Theatre (1956); High Terrace (1956); Aggie (1956); Satellite in the Sky (1956); The Petrified Forest (1956); Passport to Treason (1956); Torpedo Zone (1954); Aida (1953); Man in Hiding (1953); Orient Express (1952); Twilight Women (1952); Scotland Yard Inspector (1952); Ha da venì... don Calogero (1952); The Woman's Angle (1952); Viva il cinema! (1952); Lebbra bianca (1951); Tomorrow Is Too Late (1950); Love and Poison (1950); Kazan (1949); The Crime Doctor's Diary (1949); The Decision of Christopher Blake (1948); The Dark Past (1948); The Big Punch (1948); Corridor of Mirrors (1948); That Hagen Girl (1947); Springtime (1946); A Matter of Life and Death (1946).

Born on this day – Florence Rice:

Florence Rice

Actress

February 14, 1907 – February 23, 1974

Credits:

The Ghost and the Guest (1943); The Boss of Big Town (1942); Stand by All Networks (1942); Let's Get Tough! (1942); Tramp, Tramp, Tramp! (1942); Borrowed Hero (1941); The Blonde from Singapore (1941); Doctors Don't Tell (1941); Father Takes a Wife (1941); Mr. District Attorney (1941); Cherokee Strip (1940); The Secret Seven (1940); Phantom Raiders (1940); Girl in 313 (1940); Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940); Little Accident (1939); At the Circus (1939); Miracles for Sale (1939); The Kid from Texas (1939); Four Girls in White (1939); Stand Up and Fight (1939); Sweethearts (1938); Vacation from Love (1938); Fast Company (1938); Paradise for Three (1938); Beg, Borrow or Steal (1937); Navy Blue and Gold (1937); Double Wedding (1937); Riding on Air (1937); Married Before Breakfast (1937); Man of the People (1937); Under Cover of Night (1937); The Longest Night (1936); Sworn Enemy (1936); Women Are Trouble (1936); Blackmailer (1936); Panic on the Air (1936); Pride of the Marines (1936); Super-Speed (1935); Escape from Devil's Island (1935); Guard That Girl (1935); The Awakening of Jim Burke (1935); Death Flies East (1935); Carnival (1935); Under Pressure (1935); The Best Man Wins (1935); Fugitive Lady (1934).

Born on this day – Thelma Ritter:

Thelma Ritter

Actress

February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969

Credits:

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968); The Incident (1967); Boeing, Boeing (1965); Move Over, Darling (1963); A New Kind of Love (1963); For Love or Money (1963); How the West Was Won (1962); Wagon Train (1962); Birdman of Alcatraz (1962); The Second Time Around (1961); Frontier Circus (1961); The Misfits (1961); Startime (1960); General Electric Theater (1960); Pillow Talk (1959); A Hole in the Head (1959); Telephone Time (1957); Kraft Theatre (1957); The Proud and Profane (1956); Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956); The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1955); Lucy Gallant (1955); Kraft Theatre (1955); Goodyear Playhouse (1955); Daddy Long Legs (1955); The Best of Broadway (1955); Lux Video Theatre (1954); Rear Window (1954); The Farmer Takes a Wife (1953); Pickup on South Street (1953); Titanic (1953); With a Song in My Heart (1952); The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951); As Young as You Feel (1951); The Mating Season (1951); All About Eve (1950); I'll Get By (1950); Perfect Strangers (1950); Father Was a Fullback (1949); City Across the River (1949); A Letter to Three Wives (1949); Call Northside 777 (1948); Miracle on 34th Street (1947).

Recommended reading - Gold Coast, by Elmore Leonard (1980):

Gold Coast

By Elmore Leonard.

Published by MarinerBks.

First published 1980.

Paperback.

ISBN-10: 0062206095

ISBN-13: 978-0062206091

Description:

“Lean, mean, darkly funny.” – Boston Globe.

“A zingy thriller by the master of hard-boiled suspense.” – Dallas Morning News.

Just follow the Grand Master of mystery and suspense to Florida’s Gold Coast and you’ll quickly discover that it’s so. In this classic Elmore Leonard thriller, a beautiful mafia widow stands to lose everything her late mob boss husband left her if she succumbs to her desire for an attractive Detroit ex-con – so the two conspire to outwit the thugs the dead capo assigned to make sure she stays chaste. Superior crime fiction in the vein of John D. MacDonald, Dashiell Hammett, James M. Cain, and Robert Parker – chock full of the eccentric characters, black humor, and razor-sharp dialogue for which the acclaimed creator of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (of TV’s Justified) is justifiably famous – Gold Coast is gold standard Leonard.

Doris Betts, on writing:

All one needs to write a story is one feeling and four walls.

- Doris Betts.

The Praying Mantis, poem by Ogden Nash:

The Praying Mantis

Poem by Ogden Nash.

From whence arrived the praying mantis?
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?
glimpse the grin, green metal mug
at masks the pseudo-saintly bug,
Orthopterous, also carnivorous,
And faintly whisper, Lord deliver us.

Recommended reading:

The Best of Ogden Nash
548 Favorite Poems from America's Laureate of Light Verse

Video by Jack Kost.
2025.

Praying Mantis (2019)
photographs by Jack Kost.

Sound effect credit:

Sounds of Summer

by freesound_community
from Pixabay.

On this day in movie history - Highwaymen (2004):

Highwaymen

directed by Robert Harmon,

written by Craig Mitchell and Hans Bauer,

was released in the United States on February 13, 2004.
Music by Mark Isham.

Cast:

Jim Caviezel, Rhona Mitra, Frankie Faison, Colm Feore, Gordon Currie, Andrea Roth, Noam Jenkins, Toby Proctor, James Kee, Guylaine St-Onge, Joe Pingue, Martin Roach, Ron Bell, Paul Rutledge, Kelly Jones, Bryan Renfro, Ralph Chapman, Jason McCormack, Paul Mota, Michael Stevens.