Born on this day – Alfred Sole:

Alfred Sole

Director

Writer

Producer

Production designer

July 2, 1943 – February 14, 2022

Credits:

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1989); Alice, Sweet Alice / aka Holy Terror and Communion (1976); Bodily Harm (1995); Castle (2009–2016); Castle: Your Home Is Your Castle (2013); Cheeseball Presents (1984); Clubland (1999); Darkness Before Dawn (1993); Deep Sleep (1972); Divided by Hate (1997); Every Woman's Dream (1996); Face of Evil (1996); First Communion: Alfred Sole Remembers Alice, Sweet Alice (2019); Friday the 13th: The Series (1988); Glory Daze (1995); Gotta Kick It Up! (2002); Halloweentown (1998); Halloweentown High (2004); Hatching Pete (2009); Horse Sense (1999); Hotel (1988); Hounded (2001); In the Blink of an Eye (1996); Johnny Tsunami (1999); L.A. Johns (1997); Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story (1995); Lone (2011); MacGyver (2017–2019); Melrose Place (2009); Miracle in Lane 2 (2000); Moonlight (2007–2008); Natural Selection (1994); Night of the Running Man (1995); One Minute Soap Opera (2003); Pandemonium (1982); Replacing Dad (1999); Right on Track (2003); S. Darko (2009); Satan's Playground (2006); Secret Witness (1988); Semper Fi (2001); Shattered Image (1994); Slammed (2004); Somebody's Daughter (1992); Tanya's Island (1980); The Ballad of Deep Sleep (2022); The Con (1998); The Poof Point (2001); The Rialto Report (2015); These Old Broads (2001); Treacherous Crossing (1992); Trial by Media (2000); Under Siege (1986); Unforgivable (1996); Veronica Mars (2004–2007); When the Cradle Falls (1997); When You Believe: Music from 'the Prince of Egypt' (1998); Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey: When You Believe (Alternate Version) (1998); Widow's Kiss (1996); Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999).

Born on this day – Polly Holliday:

Polly Holliday

Actress

July 2, 1937 – September 9, 2025

Credits:

A Loss of Innocence (1996); A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991); Alice (1976–1980); All the President's Men (1976); All the Way Home (1981); Amazing Stories (1986); American Playhouse (1982); American Tongues (1988); Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976); Dinah! (1979); Distance (1975); Fair Game (2010); Flo (1980–1981); Gremlins (1984); Home Improvement (1993–1999); Homicide: Life on the Street (1996); It Must Be Love (2004); Konrad (1985); Lots of Luck (1985); Match Game (1977); Match Game PM (1978); Missing Children: A Mother's Story (1982); Moon Over Parador (1988); Mr. Wrong (1996); Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); NBC Special Treat (1976); Private Benjamin (1982–1983); Search for Tomorrow (1974); Stick It (2006); Stir Crazy (1985); The $10,000 Pyramid (1977); The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978); The 31st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1979); The 44th Annual Tony Awards (1990); The American Parade (1974); The Catamount Killing (1974); The Client (1995–1996); The Equalizer (1988); The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983); The Golden Girls (1986); The Heartbreak Kid (2007); The Jim Nabors Show (1978); The John Davidson Show (1980); The Mike Douglas Show (1977–1980); The One and Only (1978); The Parent Trap (1998); The Silence (1975); The Toni Tennille Show (1981); The Very Very Best of the 70s (2019); TV's 50 Funniest Catch Phrases (2009); W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975); Wedding Band (1974); You Can't Take It with You (1979).

Born on this day – Jean Craighead George:

Jean Craighead George

Writer

July 2, 1919 – May 15, 2012

Credits:

Books:

A Special Gift for Grammy (2013); Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad and Other Wild Dishes (1995); All Upon a Sidewalk (1974); All Upon a Stone (1971); Animals Who Have Won Our Hearts (1994); Arctic Son (1997); Autumn Moon (2001); Beastly Inventions (1970); Books You Can Sink Your Teeth Into (1997); Brave Quail (1985); Bubo, the Great Horned Owl (1954); Call from the Swamp (2008); Charlie's Raven (2004); Cliff Hanger (2002); Coyote in Manhattan (1968); Crowbar (2015); Dear Katie, the Volcano Is a Girl (1998); Dear Rebecca, Winter Is Here (1993); Dipper of Copper Creek (1956); Elephant Walk (1998); Everglades (1995); Everglades Wildguide (1972); Exploring the Out-Of-Doors (1983); Fire Storm (2003); Frightful's Daughter (2002); Frightful's Daughter Meets the Baron Weasel (2007); Frightful's Mountain (1999); Galapagos George (2009); Giraffe Trouble (1998); Going to the Sun (1976); Goose and Duck (2008); Gorilla Gang (1999); Gull Number 737 (1964); Hold Zero (1966); Hole in the Tree (1957); Hook a Fish, Catch a Mountain (1975); How To Talk to Your Animals (1985); How to Talk to Your Cat (1986); How to Talk to Your Dog (2000); Ice Whale (2014); Incredible Animal Adventures (1994); Journey Inward (1982); Julie (1994); Julie of the Wolves (1972); Julie's Wolf Pack (1997); Look to the North (1997); Luck (2006); Masked Prowler (1950); Meph, the Pet Skunk (1952); Morning, Noon, and Night (1999); Mountain Climbing Picture Book (2005); My Side of the Mountain (1959); Nutik & Amaroq Play Ball (2001); Nutik, the Wolf Pup (2000); On the Far Side of the Mountain (1990); One Day in the Alpine Tundra (1996); One Day in the Desert (1983); One Day in the Prairie (1986); One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest (1995); One Day in the Woods (1988); Pocket Guide to the Outdoors (2009); Red Robin, Fly Up! (1963); Rhino Romp (1998); River Rats, Incorporated (1979); Shark Beneath the Reef (1989); Snow Bear (1999); Snow Tracks (1959); Snowboard Twist (2004); Spring Comes to the Ocean (1965); Spring Moon (2002); Summer Moon (2002); The American Walk Book (1979); The Buffalo Are Back (2010); The Case of the Missing Cutthroats (1996); The Cats of Roxville Station (2009); The Cry of the Crow (1980); The Eagles are Back (2013); The Fire Bug Connection (1993); The First Thanksgiving (1993); The Grizzly Bear with the Golden Ears (1982); The Last Polar Bear (2009); The Missing 'gator of Gumbo Limbo (1992); The Moon of the Alligators (1991); The Moon of the Bears (1970); The Moon of the Chickarees (1992); The Moon of the Deer (1970); The Moon of the Fox Pups (1992); The Moon of the Gray Wolves (1991); The Moon of the Moles (1992); The Moon of the Monarch Butterflies (1993); The Moon Of The Mountain Lions (1968); The Moon of the Owls (1993); The Moon of the Salamanders (1967); The Moon of the Wild Pigs (1992); The Moon Of The Winter Bird (1969); The Summer of the Falcon (1962); The Talking Earth (1983); The Tarantula in My Purse (1996); The Wentletrap Trap (1977); The Wild Wild Cookbook (1982); The Wolves Are Back (2008); The Wounded Wolf (1978); There's an Owl in the Shower (1995); To Climb a Waterfall (1995); Tree Castle Island (2002); Vison the Mink (1949); Vulpes the Red Fox (1948); Water Sky (1987); Who Really Killed Cock Robin? (1971); Winter Moon (2001).

Ursula K. Le Guin, on books and reading:

As you read a book word by word and page by page, you participate in its creation, just as a cellist playing a Bach suite participates, note by note, in the creation, the coming-to-be, the existence, of the music.

And, as you read and re-read, the book of course participates in the creation of you, your thoughts and feelings, the size and temper of your soul.

– Ursula K. Le Guin.

July in movie history - Cage of Evil (1960):

Cage of Evil

directed by Edward L. Cahn,

written by Orville H. Hampton,

based on a story by Orville H. Hampton and Alexander Richards,

was released in the United States in July, 1960.
Exact release date unknown.
Music by Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter.

Cast:

Ronald Foster, Patricia Blair, Harp McGuire, John Maxwell, Preston Hanson, Doug Henderson, Hugh Sanders, Helen Kleeb, Robert Shayne, Owen Bush, Ted Knight, Howard McLeod, Eve Brent, Henry Darrow, Abel Franco, Joseph Hamilton, Jack Kenney, Gregg Martell, Patrick Miller, Ralph Neff, Ralph Sanford, Jack Tesler.

July in movie history - Chicago Syndicate (1955):

Chicago Syndicate

directed by Fred F. Sears,

written by Joseph Hoffman,

based on a story by William Sackheim,

was released in the United States in July 1955.

Exact release date unknown.

Cast:

Dennis O’Keefe, Abbe Lane, Paul Stewart, Xavier Cugat, Allison Hayes, Richard H. Cutting, Chris Alcaide, William Challee, John Zaremba, George Brand, Hugh Sanders, Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra, Nina Borget, John Breen, Al Cantor.

On this day in movie history - The Mask of Dimitrios (1944 movie & novel):

The Mask of Dimitrios

directed by Jean Negulesco,

written by Frank Gruber,

based on the novel A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler,

was released in the United States on July 1, 1944.

Music by Adolph Deutsch.

Cast:

Sydney Greenstreet, Zachary Scott, Faye Emerson, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen, Steven Geray, Florence Bates, Eduardo Ciannelli, Kurt Katch, Marjorie Hoshelle, Georges Metaxa, John Abbott, Monte Blue, David Hoffman.

Recommended reading:

A Coffin for Dimitrios

By Eric Ambler.

Filmed as The Mask of Dimitrios (1944), directed by Jean Negulesco.

Published by Vintage Crime / Black Lizard.

Published 1939.

ISBN-10: 0375726713

ISBN-13: 9780375726712

Description:

"Our greatest thriller writer." – Graham Greene.

"Anyone who hasn't read Ambler is in for a real treat." – The Washington Post Book World.

A chance encounter with a Turkish colonel with a penchant for British crime novels leads mystery writer Charles Latimer into a world of sinister political and criminal maneuvers throughout the Balkans in the years between the world wars. Hoping that the career of the notorious Dimitrios, whose body has been identified in an Istanbul morgue, will inspire a plot for his next novel, Latimer soon finds himself caught up in a shadowy web of assassination, espionage, drugs, and treachery.