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- Welcome to the Archive for February, 2008
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- February 1
Mary Shelley dies (1851). Literary legend Mary Shelley, the ladylike novelist behind the gruesome but immortal Frankenstein, died on this day in 1851. She was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30, 1797, in London, England.
Sherilyn Fenn is born (1965). Sherilyn has appeared in Darkness Falls (1998), Nightmare Street (1998, television, as Joanna Burke/Sara Randolph), The Shadow Men (1997), Twin Peaks (1990, as Audrey Horne), Zombie High (1987, as Suzi), and The Wraith (1986, as Keri). She also starred in the direct-to-video feature Meridian (1990). Sherilyn was born Sheryl Ann Fenn in Detroit, Michigan.
Heather O'Rourke dies (1988). Young Heather, the blonde child star who made a lasting impression as Carol Anne Freeling in Poltergeist (1982), Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), and Poltergeist III (1988), died tragically on this day in 1988. Heather was born in 1975 in San Diego, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 1.
- February 2
Brent Spiner is born (1949). Brent Spiner is best known for his portrayal of the android, Data, in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the Next Generation films. He also made guest appearances on Star Trek: Enterprise as Dr. Arik Soong. Brent was born in Houston, Texas.
Farrah Fawcett is born (1947). Farrah Fawcett, who first achieved fame as a 1970s blonde sex symbol, made two significant big-screen genre appearances, first in Logan's Run (1976), then opposite Kirk Douglas and a villainous Harvey Kietel in Saturn 3 (1980). Farrah was born in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Pierre Boulle dies (1994). Novelist Pierre Boulle's classic La Planète des Singes was published as Monkey Planet in the United States, but Rod Serling and Michael Wilson's film adaptation used the title's literal translation: Planet of the Apes. Outside the genre, Pierre also penned the novel Le pont de la rivire Kwai, which movie fans also know better under its English-language title, The Bridge on the River Kwai. Pierre was born February 20, 1912, in Avignon, Vaucluse, France.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 2.
- February 3
The Secret of Roan Inish opens in U.S. theaters (1994). This independent family film was directed by John Sayles and stars Jeni Courtney. The screenplay, also written by Sayles, is based on the book by Rosalie K. Fry. The film is centered around the Irish myth of selkies—seals able to transform themselves into human form.
Keith Gordon is born (1961). Keith played Arnie Cunningham in John Carpenter's adaptation of Stephen King's Christine (1983). His other acting credits include Brian DePalma's Dressed to Kill (1980) and Jaws 2 (1978). Keith also has a directing career, helming the ghostly romantic drama Waking the Dead (1999) and two episodes of the anthology series Night Visions. Keith was born in New York, New York.
Warwick Davis is born (1970). British actor Warwick Davis has played feature roles in a number of fantasy and science fiction movies. He created the role of Wicket the Ewok in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and in the TV movies The Ewok Adventure (1984) and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985). Davis also played the title character Willow Ufgood in George Lucas's 1988 fantasy Willow, and the leprechaun in Leprechaun (1993) and its sequels. Most recently, Davis portrayed Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 3.
- February 4
Videodrome opens in U.S. theaters (1983). Videodrome was reviled by many critics and ignored by mainstream audiences upon its initial release, but writer-director David Cronenberg's disturbing vision has slowly gained a reputation as a prophetic masterpiece. James Woods, Sonja Smits, and Deborah Harry star.
Mitchell Kosterman is born (1958). Mitchell Arthur Edgar Kosterman is known for playing police and military characters; in particular, Sheriff Ethan Miller on the series Smallville. Mitchell was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Pamela Franklin is born (1950). Pamela began her career as a child star when she played the precocious Flora in The Innocents, Jack Clayton's masterful 1961 screen adaptation of Henry James's classic ghost story, The Turn of the Screw. Her other genre appearances include H. G. Wells's Food of the Gods (1976), The Legend of Hell House (1973), Necromancy (1972), And Soon the Darkness (1970), and The Nanny (1965). Pamela's television projects include Screamer (1975) and the original Satan's School for Girls (1973). Pamela was born in Tokyo, Japan.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 4.
- February 5
Barbara Hershey is born (1948). This Academy Award nominee played a woman sexually violated by a ghost in The Entity and later portrayed an astronaut's wife in The Right Stuff (1983). Other genre projects in which she has appeared include Trial by Combat (1976), the made-for-television Angel on My Shoulder (1980), Last of the Dogmen (1995), and Lantana (2001). Her TV appearances include roles on The Invaders and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Barbara was born in Hollywood, California.
William S. Burroughs is born (1914). William was a Beat author and actor who shook people up with the force of his ideas. He once wrote, "Man is an artifact designed for space travel. He is not designed to stagnate in present form any more than a tadpole is designed to remain a tadpole. Man is in a state of arrested evolution." William narrated a 1960 re-release of the 1922 film Häxan, and appeared in the mystery feature Decoder (1984). William, who died on August 2, 1997, was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is born (1962). The always intriguing Jennifer played Allegra Geller, the computer game inventor who finds herself trapped in a maze of her own creation in David Cronenberg's eXistenZ (1999). Her other genre credits include Single White Female (1992), Heart of Midnight (1988), The Hitcher (1986), and Eyes of a Stranger (1981). Jennifer was born in Hollywood, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 5.
- February 6
Zardoz opens in U.S. theaters (1974). This post-apocalyptic science fiction film was directed by John Boorman and stars a uniquely garbed Sean Connery. It takes place in a future (2293) society where the refined Eternals are separated from the Brutals.
Zsa-Zsa Gabor is born (1916). Zsa-Zsa made for a shapely extraterrestrial when she played Talleah in the ever-campy Queen of Outer Space (1958). Her other projects include A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984), Picture Mommy Dead, and episodes of Night Gallery ("The Painted Mirror") and the original Batman ("Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires"). Zsa Zsa was born Sari Gabor in Budapest, Hungary.
Rip Torn is born (1931). This sturdy character actor, an Academy Award nominee, played Zed in Men in Black (1997) and Nathan Bryce in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976). Rip's other genre credits includes RoboCop 3 (1993), The Beastmaster (1982), A Stranger Is Watching (1982), and Coma (1978). His television appearances include two installments of the original Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("The Kiss-Off" and "Number 22") and one of Thriller ("The Purple Room"). Rip was born Elmore Rual Torn, Jr., in Temple, Texas.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 6.
- February 7
Charles Dickens is born (1812). Charles Dickens, a prolific author, contributed a number of impressive ghostly figures to the genre in the seasonal classic The Christmas Carol. Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, and died on June 9, 1870.
Miguel Ferrer is born (1955). Actor and voice artist Miguel José Ferrer is the son of actor José Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney. He may be remembered by some for his role as a villainous executive in the movie RoboCop. In 2007, he made an appearance on the pilot episode of the reimagined Bionic Woman. Ferrer was born in Santa Monica, California.
Gloria Talbott is born (1931). Gloria, a leading lady of the 1950s, played Marge Bradley, a young bride who finds herself sharing a bed with an extraterrestrial in the still-compelling I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958). Gloria also starred in such memorable genre features as The Leech Woman (1960), The Cyclops (1957), and as the title character in Daughter of Dr. Jekyll (1957). Gloria, who died in 2000, was born in Glendale, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 7.
- February 8
Mary Steenburgen is born (1953). This Oscar winner played opposite real-life significant other Ted Danson in the 1996 made-for-television version of Gulliver's Travels. Mary also played a modern woman caught in time between heroic H. G. Wells and murderous Jack the Ripper in director Nicholas Meyer's highly regarded Time After Time (1979). Her other credits include The Butcher's Wife (1991), Back to the Future, Part III (1990), and Dead of Winter (1987). Mary was born in Newport, Arkansas.
Brooke Adams is born (1949). Brooke starred in two popular Stephen King titles: David Cronenberg's adaptation of The Dead Zone (1984) and the ghostly Sometimes They Come Back (1991). She also played Elizabeth Driscoll in Phillip Kaufman's expert remake of the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978). Brooke's other genre appearances include Shock Waves (1977), The Unborn (1991) and The Stuff (1985). Brooke was born in New York, New York.
Seth Green is born (1974). Seth Benjamin Gesshel-Green is well known to genre fans as the stoic werewolf Oz on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Scott Evil in the Austin Powers movies. Seth was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 8.
- February 9
The Haunting of Morella opens in theaters (1990). Based on the story by Edgar Allan Poe, this gory tale of witchcraft and possession stars David McCallum, Nicole Eggert, Lana Clarkson, and Christopher Halsted. B-movie maestro Jim Wynorski directs.
Amber Valetta is born (1974). Model-turned-actor Amber Valetta cranked up the spotlight in What Lies Beneath (2000), which starred Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer. She followed up with roles in The Family Man, Perfume, The Transporter 2, The Last Time, Premonition, and Dead Silence. Valetta was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
Mia Farrow is born (1945). This delicate, waifish actor gave a memorable, moving performance as a terrified woman impregnated by Satan in Roman Polanski's masterful 1968 adaptation of Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby. Farrow's résumé also includes The Haunting of Julia (1976), See No Evil (1971), Supergirl (1984), and a slew of adult-oriented fantasies, including Reckless (1995) and Alice (1990). She also provided the voice of The Last Unicorn (1982). Farrow's television credits include playing the title role in a 1975 version of Peter Pan. Farrow was born in Los Angeles, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 9.
- February 10
Attack of the Crab Monsters opens (1957). Produced and directed by Roger Corman from an original story and screenplay by Charles B. Griffith, Attack of the Crab Monsters pits Richard Garland, Pamela Duncan, and Russell Johnson against giant-sized, mutated, mind-gobbling crustaceans.
Jim Varney dies (2000). James Albert Varney Jr. was perhaps best known for a character he created, Ernest P. Worrell, who started as a commercial pitchman and ended up with his own movie franchise. Varney's talents as a voice actor saw him contribute to the genre in movies such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Toy Story (1995), and Toy Story 2 (1999). Varney was born June 15, 1949, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Robert Wagner is born (1930). Robert Wagner is probably best known to mainstream audiences for his roles in It Takes a Thief and Hart to Hart, but genre fans know him best as Dr. Evil's Number Two in the Austin Powers movies. Wagner was born in Detroit, Michigan.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 10.
- February 11
My Bloody Valentine opens (1981). To cash in on the spate of "holiday slasher" films begun three years earlier (thanks to the runaway success of John Carpenter's Halloween), Paramount releases this gory Canadian quickie about a masked slasher who crashes a Valentine's Day party being held in an underground mine. The gimmick is that the killer cuts out the hearts of his victims, then leaves them to be found in the strangest places—including a heart-shaped candy box, a clothes dryer, and a boiling pot of hot dogs. Who says romance is dead?
Jennifer Aniston is born (1969). Before she hit it big as Rachel on Friends, Jennifer played the female lead in 1993's Leprechaun. She also provided the voice of Annie Hughes for The Iron Giant (1999) and was featured in a 1992 episode of Quantum Leap titled "Nowhere to Run - August 10, 1968." Jennifer was born in Sherman Oaks, California.
Leslie Nielsen is born (1926). Leslie played the heroic Commander John Adams in the trend-setting sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet (1956). He also starred in such genre fare as Creepshow (1982), Prom Night (1980), Day of the Animals (1977), and The Reluctant Astronaut (1967). Later in his career, Leslie turned comedic in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), Repossessed (1990), and 2001: A Space Travesty (2000). Leslie's television credits include episodes of Night Gallery ("A Question of Fear" and "Phantom of What Opera?") and Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Ambition" and "The $2,000,000 Defense"). Leslie was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 11.
- February 12
Christina Ricci is born (1980). This outspoken performer made a strong first impression when she played the morbidly droll Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993). She starred opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow (1999). Christina's other genre credits include Speed Racer (2008), Cursed (2005), The Gathering (2002), Bless the Child (2000), Casper (1995), and Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998). Christina was born in Santa Monica, California.
Darren Aronofsky is born (1969). Darren Aronofsky, the indie upstart who made a vivid first impression with his low-budget, black-and-white mathematical thriller Pi (1998), went on to add to his genre resume with The Fountain (2006). Darren was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Michael Ironside is born (1950). This genre regular starred as Darryl Revok, the psychic killer who leaves a bloody trail in David Cronenberg's original Scanners (1981). Michael's plentiful genre credits also include Mindstorm (2001), The Omega Code (1999), Starship Troopers (1997), The Vagrant (1992), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Total Recall (1990), Watchers (1988), Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), and Visiting Hours (1982). Michael's television credits include Johnny 2.0 (1997), Murder in Space (1985), and the popular 1984 miniseries, V. Michael was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 12.
- February 13
David Naughton is born (1951). David is best remembered for his role as David Kessler, an unsuspecting young American tourist who gets bitten by a werewolf in John Landis's 1981 hit, An American Werewolf in London. David's other genre credits include Ice Cream Man (1995), Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995), Amityville: A New Generation (1993), John Carpenter's made-for-television Body Bags (1993), and The Sleeping Car (1990). David also starred in a 1988 episode of the new Twilight Zone titled "Secret Service." David was born in Hartford, Connecticut.
Kim Novak is born (1933). Kim played sexy witch Gillian Holroyd in Bell, Book and Candle (1958) and was the duplicitous blonde (or was she?) at the heart of Hitchcock's classic Vertigo (1958). Her other credits include Tales that Witness Madness (1973), The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968) and the made-for-television Satan's Triangle (1975). Kim was born Marilyn Pauline Novak in Chicago, Illinois.
Bo Svenson is born (1944). This Swedish tough guy played the monster in a 1973 made-for-television version of Frankenstein. He also appeared in Beyond the Door III'' (1989), Curse II: The Bite (1988), Deep Space (1987), Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985), and the made-for-television feature Snowbeast (1977). Bo was born in Göteborg, Sweden.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 13.
- February 14
Gregory Hines is born (1946). Song-and-dance man turned actor Gregory Hines starred as Jim McQuade, the detective hot on the trail of a robotic blonde bombshell in Eve of Destruction (1991). His other genre credits include Wolfen (1981), The Preacher's Wife (1996), and an episode of Amazing Stories titled "The Amazing Falsworth." Gregory was born in New York, New York.
Meg Tilly is born (1960). This Oscar nominee (and sister to Jennifer "Bride of Chucky" Tilly) has made a number of memorable genre appearances, most notably in Abel Ferrara's updated Body Snatchers (1993), the creepy Impulse (1984), One Dark Night (1983), and Psycho II (1983). Meg was born in Long Beach, California.
Ray Corrigan is born (1902). This athletic star of Westerns made a memorable genre appearance when he played the nameless monster of the title in the classic It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958). Other titles on his résumé include Zombies of Mora Tau (1957), Killer Ape (1953), Unknown Island (1948), and The Monster and the Ape (1945). Ray, who died in 1976, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 14.
- February 15
Moon 44 opens in theaters (1990). Moon 44, directed by Roland Emmerich, stars Michael Paré and Lisa Eichhorn in a tale set in a troubled, robot-run mining colony in 2038. Other key performers include Dean Devlin, Brian Thompson, and always-a-scoundrel-never-a-bride Malcolm McDowell.
Renée O'Connor is born (1971). Evelyn Renée O'Connor is best known for her role as Gabrielle on the series Xena: Warrior Princess. O'Connor was born in Katy, Texas. In 1994 she made her first appearance in the Hercules TV franchise, appearing as Deianara in the second Hercules TV movie, Hercules and the Lost Kingdom. She then appeared in another Robert G. Tapert production, Darkman II: The Return of Durant, eventually leading to her role as Gabrielle. Following the end of Xena, O'Connor appeared in Alien Apocalypse (2005), Ghost Town: The Movie (2007), Boogeyman 2 (2007), and Genesis Code (2008).
Kevin McCarthy is born (1914). Kevin made the genre history books when he was cast as Miles Binnell, the small-town doctor who finds himself at the center of a sinister plot from outer space in Don Siegel's still chilling Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). Kevin's other genre appearances include Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies Go to College (1991), The Sleeping Car (1990), Innerspace (1987), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), The Howling (1980), Piranha (1978), and Nightmare (1956). His plentiful television credits include The Midnight Hour (1985), Duplicates (1992), and an episode of the original Twilight Zone titled "Long Live Walter Johnson." Kevin was born in Seattle, Washington.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 15.
- February 16
The Bishop's Wife opens in theaters (1948). The Bishop's Wife, directed by Henry Koster and based on the novel of the same name by Richard Nathan, won an Academy Award for sound recording and was also nominated for Best Picture, director, editing, and musical score. Cary Grant starred as Dudley, an angel sent to guide Episcopalian Bishop, Henry Brougham, who has lost sight of what really matters. Dudley wins over everyone, including Henry's wife, Julia (Loretta Young), but not Henry himself, who believes Dudley is trying to replace him in his family and work. The movie was remade in 1996 as The Preacher's Wife starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali is born (1974). Mahershalalhashbaz Ali is best known for his role as Richard Tyler on the TV series The 4400. His first television role was as Dr. Trey Saunders in the series Crossing Jordan. He guest-starred on Haunted, NYPD Blue, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation before landing a recurring role on the short-lived series Threat Matrix. Ali was born in Oakland, California.
William Katt is born (1950). William played Tommy Ross, the unfortunate guy who takes Sissy Spacek to the prom in Brian DePalma's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (1976). Later, William played haunted novelist Roger Cobb in House (1986) and House IV (1992). His credits also include the made-for-television Devil's Food (1996), Cyborg 3: The Recycler (1995), The Paper Boy (1994), and Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). Katt was born in Los Angeles, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 16.
- February 17
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure opens in theaters (1989). This sci-fi comedy starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter was directed by Stephen Herek and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. The film was a surprise success and spawned a sequel, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and an animated TV series.
Michael Bay is born (1965). Michael Benjamin Bay is a director and producer known for blockbuster action films like Armageddon, The Rock and Bad Boys. Bay's post-2007 films include Transformers 2, The Birds, and 2012: The War for Souls. Bay was born in Los Angeles, California.
Don Coscarelli is born (1954). Don is the stylish independent filmmaker who started the legend of the "Tall Man" as well as his very own horror franchise with the 1979 drive-in hit, Phantasm. Don went on to direct all of the sequels—Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998), and Phantasm's End (2002)—as well as the original The Beastmaster (1982). Don was born in Tripoli, Libya.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 17.
- February 18
Pluto is discovered (1930). Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovers Pluto, an astronomical body in our solar system that is now considered to be a dwarf planet. It is thought to be composed mostly of rock and ice.
Molly Ringwald is born (1968). Molly Kathleen Ringwald is known for her big impact as a teen star for writer/director John Hughes. She is perhaps best known among genre fans for her roles in Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) and Stephen King's The Stand (1994). Ringwald was born in Roseville, California.
John Hughes is born (1950). Producer, writer, and director John Hughes has had his hand in many a genre-related movie, usually ones with a splash of comedy. Weird Science (1985), the remakes of 101 Dalmatians (1996) and Flubber (1997), and Just Visiting (2001) all saw Hughes involved as writer. Hughes was born in Lansing, Michigan.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 18.
- February 19
Nicolaus Copernicus was born (1473). The astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus demoted Earth from the center of the universe and is regarded as the founder of modern astronomy. Copernicus was born in Torun, Poland.
Jeff Daniels is born (1955). Jeff Daniels is an Golden Globe–nominated actor, known to genre fans in such films as Arachnophobia, The Butcher's Wife, Grand Tour: Disaster in Time, Pleasantville, and My Favorite Martian. Daniels was born in Athens, Georgia.
Laurell K. Hamilton is born (1963). Laurell K. Hamilton is a New York Times–bestselling author, with two hugely popular dark fantasy series.
The first is Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, which begins with Guilty Pleasures (1993). The Merry Gentry series starts out with A Kiss of Shadows (2000). Hamilton was born in Heber Springs, Arkansas.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 19.
- February 20
Jennifer O'Neill is born (1948). This model-turned-actress had a big genre hit when she starred for David Cronenberg in his original Scanners (1981). Her other genre appearances include The Psychic (1977), The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975), and a 1996 episode of Poltergeist: The Legacy titled "Revelations." O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Lili Taylor is born (1967). Lili Taylor, widely regarded as the "Queen of the Indie Films," played fragile Eleanor "Nell" Vance in Jan De Bont's big-budget remake of The Haunting (1999), which was based (loosely) on Shirley Jackson's classic novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Taylor also played a vampire in Abel Ferrara's artsy horror flick, The Addiction (1995). Taylor's other credits include Four Rooms (1995), Household Saints (1993), and a 1998 episode of The X-Files titled "Mind's Eye." Taylor was born in Glencoe, Illinois.
Dick York dies (1992). Dick York will forever be known to sci-fi fans as the first Darrin on Bewitched. York was born September 4, 1928, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 20.
- February 21
Larry Drake is born (1950). Larry is known to genre fans for his role as a mad, murderous M.D. in Dr. Giggles (1992), and for his role as Robert Durant in both Darkman (1990) and Darkman II: The Return of Durant (1994). His other genre credits include Prey (1997), the miniseries of Peter Benchley's The Beast (1996), the made-for-television Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981), and the low-budget This Stuff'll Kill Ya! (1971). Larry has also been featured in episodes of Star Trek: Voyager ("Critical Care") and the updated Outer Limits ("The Message"), and he played the killer in the Santa suit in the famous "And All Through the House" installment of television's Tales from the Crypt. Larry was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Kitty Winn is born (1944). Kitty played Sharon Spencer, the nanny who gets way more than she bargained for when she takes charge of little Regan MacNeil in both The Exorcist (1973) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977). She also was featured in the spooky, made-for-television feature The House that Would Not Die (1970). Kitty was born in Washington, DC.
Gary Lockwood is born (1937). Gary is best known for his role as Dr. Frank Poole in director Stanley Kubrick's classic 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Gary also played Lt. Commander Gary Mitchell in a 1966 Star Trek episode titled "Where No Man Has Gone Before." His other credits include The Magic Sword (1962), Night of the Scarecrow (1995), the made-for-television features The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978) and Earth II (1971), and an installment of Night Gallery titled "The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes." Gary was born in Van Nuys, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 21.
- February 22
Dwight Frye is born (1899). Though not a household name, Dwight can be seen in such genre classics as Frankenstein (1931), Dracula (1931), and The Shadow (1937). He also appeared in such films as Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Invisible Man (1933), The Vampire Bat (1933), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). Frye, who died November 7, 1943, was born in Salina, Kansas.
Kyle MacLachlan is born (1959). MacLachlan lent his good looks and serious demeanor to a variety of genre fare, including the made-for-television The Invisible Man (1998), The Trigger Effect (1996), the made-for-television Roswell (1994) and The Hidden (1987). He's also been a regular player in the work of director David Lynch, having made appearances on television's Twin Peaks as well as starring in the big-screen Blue Velvet (1986) and Dune (1984). MacLachlan was born in Yakima, Washington.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 22.
- February 23
Majel Barrett is born (1939). Few names are as closely linked with the Star Trek franchise as that of Majel Barrett—aka Majel Barrett Roddenberry, wife of the late Star Trek series creator Gene Roddenberry. Portraying such characters as the original Number One, Nurse Chapel, Lwaxana Troi, and the Computer Voice aboard all Federation starships in Star Trek, Majel has appeared in or contributed to all the Star Trek television series (including the 1973 animated series) and films to date. Her other genre credits as an actor include the films Westworld (1973) and Mars and Beyond (2000); roles in such television projects as Genesis II (1973), The Questor Tapes (1974), Planet Earth (1974), and Spectre (1977); and a recurring role as Dr. Julianne Belman in Earth: Final Conflict (1997). She also provided the voice of Anna Watson for the animated Spider-Man series and guest-starred as Lady Morella in an episode of Babylon 5 titled "Point of No Return." In addition to her turns in front of the camera, Majel also has kept Gene Roddenberry's visions of the future alive as an executive producer by bringing two of his TV series concepts to fruition after his demise: the syndicated fan favorites Earth: Final Conflict and Andromeda. Majel was born Majel Lee Hudec in Columbus, Ohio.
Terence Fisher is born (1904). This British director's name is attached to many of the most popular titles produced by the ever-reliable genre-film factory, Hammer Studios. Fisher's projects include Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966), The Gorgon (1964), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), Curse of the Werewolf (1961), The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960), The Brides of Dracula (1960), The Mummy (1959), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), Dracula (1958), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and many, many more. Fisher, who died in 1980, was born in London, England.
Dakota Fanning is born (1994). Hannah Dakota Fanning gained significant notice when she appeared in the movie I Am Sam alongside Sean Penn and sister Elle. In 2002, she took on the starring role of Allison Clarke in the miniseries Steven Spielberg Presents Taken. Fanning's upcoming roles include Winged Creatures with Kate Beckinsale, the animated film Coraline, and The Secret Life of Bees based on the Sue Monk Kidd book. Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 23.
- February 24
Edward James Olmos is born (1947). Edward James Olmos, who plays Commander William Adama on the The SCI FI Channel series Battlestar Galactica, is an actor, producer, director, and community activist. He provided the voice of the wise Pre-Columbian village chief in DreamWorks' animated The Road to El Dorado. Among his many other films are Triumph of the Spirit, Talent for the Game, Caught, and The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, based on a Ray Bradbury story. Olmos was born in East Los Angeles, California).
Billy Zane is born (1966). Billy Zane scored his biggest hit as the villain of James Cameron's Titanic (1997), but his résumé also includes frequent genre appearances in such fare as Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998), The Phantom (1996), Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995), Dead Calm (1989), and Critters (1986). Early on, he played Match in both Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future, Part II (1989). Billy's television credits include an episode of Tales from the Crypt titled "Well Cooked Hams." Zane was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Octavia Butler dies (2006). Octavia Estelle Butler, winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, was perhaps best known for her Lilith's Brood trilogy and her dystopian Parable series. Butler was born June 22, 1947 in Pasadena, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 24.
- February 25
Christopher George is born (1929). Christopher is a longtime, all-American, B-movie leading man who starred in such titles as Mortuary (1984), Graduation Day (1981), Pieces (1981), The Gates of Hell (1981), Day of the Animals (1977), Grizzly (1976), and Project X (1968). Christopher, who died in 1983, was born in Royal Oak, Michigan.
Alexis Denisof is born (1966). Alexis Denisof is an American actor best known for his role as British Watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Denisof was born in Salisbury, Maryland.
Darren McGavin dies (2006). Darren McGavin is an Emmy–nominated American actor who won uncountable hearts as the seasoned reporter Carl Kolchak in the TV movies The Night Stalker (1971) and The Night Strangler (1972) as well as the short-lived series Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974–1975). McGavin was born May 7, 1922, in San Joaquin, California.
Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia Timeline for February 25.
- February 26
Evilspeak opens in U.S. theaters (1981). This gory and graphic movie featured Clint Howard, brother of director Ron Howard, as a cadet at a military school who finds a little black book (not that kind of little black book), and uses it to perform a black mass and summon dark powers. Also appearing are R. G. Armstrong (Race with the Devil), Joseph Cortese (American History X), Claude Earl Jones (Bride of Re-Animator), and Don Stark (appeared in "Memento Mori," Stargate SG-1, 2006).
Jack Clayton dies (1995). J
