LONG LIVE THE QUEEN

August 12 in history:

The U.S flag was raised over Iolani Palace in Honolulu on August 12th, 1898, marking America’s official annexation of Hawaii.  The last monarch to reign over Hawaii from the palace was Queen Lili’uokalani.

August 12th is marked as the day in 30 B.C. when Egyptian Queen Cleopatra the 7th died, apparently by allowing a snake to bite her.

Director Cecil B. DeMille, born on this date in 1881, made a movie about Cleopatra in 1934, starring Claudette Colbert. “Cleopatra” was nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards the following year.

Actor John Cazale only made five movies in his brief career, but they were all nominated for best picture Oscars: the first two “Godfather” films, “The Conversation”, “Dog Day Afternoon” and “The Deer Hunter”. Cazale died of cancer at age 42.  He was born August 12th, 1935.

LEAVE THE GUN, TAKE THE BATMOBILE

April 25th in history:

Two members of the Corleone family from the “Godfather” movies have real-life birthdays on April 25th: Al Pacino (1940) and Talia Shire (1946).

In 2003, Pacino’s portrayal of Michael Corleone in “The Godfather Part II” was chosen as one of the 50 greatest movie villains of all time by the American Film Institute. The same AFI survey listed Batman as one of the 50 greatest movie heroes. The character of Batman was introduced in Detective Comics #27, published on April 25th, 1939.

On the “Batman” TV series of the 1960s, the Batmobile displayed four different license plates issued by Gotham City, including “BAT-1.” On this date in 1901, New York became the first state in the U.S. to require cars to carry license plates.

Actor Hank Azaria, born on this date in 1964, has never played a Batman villain, but the Spiderman villain Venom is one of many voices he has done for animated TV series.  Among Azaria’s regular character voices on “The Simpsons” are Comic Book Guy and Moe the bartender, said to be based on Al Pacino.

SEND A MESSAGE

April 3rd in history:

The first run of the Pony Express between St. Joseph, Missouri and Sacramento, California began on April 3rd, 1860.

Laptop computers have become a favorite means of communication for many people. IBM’s first laptop was introduced on April 3rd, 1986.

Former college professor Ted Kaczynski sent messages to the media complaining about modern technology. His crusade against technology also included bombings which killed three people. Kaczynski, better known as the “Unabomber,” was arrested at a cabin in Montana on April 3rd, 1996.

The first portable “cell phone” call made in New York City happened on this date in 1973.

Actor Alec Baldwin was once removed from an airplane parked at the Los Angeles airport when he refused to stop playing a word game on his cell phone. Baldwin, born on this date in 1958, played fictional TV network boss Jack Donaghy on the sitcom “30 Rock,” and has often impersonated President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”  Alec Baldwin played Stanley Kowalski in a Broadway production of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” a role originated by Marlon Brando, born April 3rd, 1924.  Brando won two Oscars, for “On the Waterfront,” and for the role of Don Corleone in “The Godfather.”

And telephone calls are a major element to the plot of “Pillow Talk,” the only movie for which Doris Day received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Day had a long show business career in movies, TV, and music, but retired from performing by the 1970’s and became better known for her support of animal rights. Day publicly celebrated her 90th birthday in 2014, but by the time of her death in 2019, records had been found in Ohio to show that she was born on April 3rd, 1922, not 1924.

LADIES FIRST

January 5th in history:

George and Martha Washington never lived in the White House, but they were married at the “White House” in January of 1759.  This White House was Martha’s plantation in Virginia.  Sources disagree on what day the Washington wedding took place.  Some say it was January 5th.  Others say it was on the 6th, or the 17th.  Martha became the first “First Lady” of the United States 30 years later.

Jane Wyman also married a future U.S. President, Ronald Reagan, but wasn’t married to him long enough to be a First Lady. When Reagan was president, Wyman was starring on TV in “Falcon Crest.”  Her movie career included a Best Actress Oscar for the movie Johnny Belinda.  Wyman was born January 5th, 1917.

Another Oscar winner born on this day is Diane Keaton (1946), the first of many ladies to earn an Academy Award for acting in a Woody Allen film (Annie Hall).  Keaton’s credits include Reds and the Godfather movies.  She also starred in a TV movie as Amelia Earhart, the first lady to fly solo across the Atlantic.  Earhart was declared dead on this date in 1939, more than a year after she disappeared while trying to fly around the world.

And Nellie Tayloe Ross became America’s first “lady governor” when she was sworn in as governor of Wyoming on January 5th, 1925.  Nellie had won a special election to succeed her husband, William Ross, who had died after an appendectomy.