The first of Alfred Hitchcock's war-time thrillers, Foreign Correspondent, starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, premiered on this date
When the shipwreck sequence was shot, a special tub within the studio tank had to be built for Herbert Marshall, who couldn't swim because he only had one leg (he'd lost a leg in combat in World War I).
August 16, 1977 -
Elvis Presley died (or not) in his home at the age of 42, while sitting on the toilet. In the bathroom, he had been reading The Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus. Presumably, Elvis' search was concluded shortly thereafter.
Elvis has long left the building
Remember, add more bran to your diet.
We are living in a material world:
And Happy Birthday to the Material Girl.
Today in History -
August 16, 1819 -
60 cavalrymen charge into a crowd of approximately 70,000 protesters at St. Peter's Field in Manchester, England.
The soldiers begin to hack away at the people with their sabers and trample them under hoof. 11 die and 400 are wounded in the Manchester Massacre, also called the Battle of Peterloo.August 16, 1858 -
U.S. President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
However, once again America was ill advised by the request for Prince Albert in a can: Victoria was not amused. The cable linked Ireland and Canada and failed after 5 days.August 16, 1930 -
Fiddlesticks, was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's first sound cartoon. It is about a happy-go-lucky, needy frog, named Flip the Frog.
This cartoon was created by Ub Iwerks in 1930. He had drawn a frog and his girlfriend in "Night'",one of the last Silly Symphonies short films he drew while working for Walt Disney.
August 16, 1938 -
Blues musician Robert Johnson, who presumably sold his soul to the devil (the story somewhat being told by the movie Crossroads), is poisoned by a jealous husband in Three Forks, Mississippi.
August 16, 1956 -
Bela Lugosi, Broadway star, Hollywood star, portrayer of the undead in countless films and formaldehyde junkie, dies of a heart attack on this day while lying in bed in his Los Angeles home. He was 73.
Bela Lugosi was buried wearing one of the many capes from the Dracula stage play, per the request of his son and fifth wife, in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Contrary to popular belief, Lugosi never requested to be buried in his cloak; Bela Lugosi, Jr. has confirmed on numerous occasions that he and his mother, Lillian, made the decision.
August 16, 1987 -
Mercury, Venus, and Mars all get bunched up near the Sun in what some call the Harmonic Convergence.
Thousands of nutballs clustered at sacred locations like Mount Shasta, California begin meditating their asses off for some damn reason.August 16, 1991 -
Shamu the Whale dies at 16, from respiratory failure.
After a brief service, the Japanese mourners at the graveside were invited to consume the dearly departed; wasabi sauce was served on the side.And so it goes.
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