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SCIFIPEDIA:This Day in SCI FI/March 2008 <span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>
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SCIFI.COM launches (1995). SCIFI.COM, known throughout its formative years as "The Dominion," launches on the World Wide Web, heralding a new era in science fiction history. And if you believe that last bit, we have a black hole we'd like to sell you. Timothy Daly is born (1956). Timothy (brother of Tyne) played Mike Anderson in the television miniseries version of Stephen King's Storm of the Century (1999). Timothy's other credits include television's From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995), Year of the Comet (1992), Spellbinder (1988) and Made in Heaven (1987). Timothy also provided the voice of Clark Kent for television's 1996 animated Superman series. Timothy was born in New York, New York. Jack Clayton is born (1921). This respected film director was at the helm of the still chilling The Innocents (1961), based on Henry James's classic ghost story, "The Turn of the Screw." Jack's credits also include the big-screen adaptation of Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983). Jack, who died in 1995, was born in Brighton, East Sussex, England. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Ghoulies opens in US theaters (1985). Ghoulies starred Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Mariska Hargitay, and a batch of Satanic small fry, in what was to become the first of a comedy/horror franchise. Theodor Seuss Geisel was born (1904). Known as Dr. Seuss, Geisel created a panoply of outlandish and compelling characters in his 46 books for children. Some of his most cherished works include The Cat and the Hat (1957), The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1957), Horton Hears a Who (1954), and too many more to mention, with numerous spin-off television specials and feature films. His career brought him multiple Academy awards and Emmy awards, and a Pulitzer Prize. Dr. Seuss, who died September 24, 1991, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Jack Wild dies (2006). British actor Jack Wild is best known to genre fans for his role as Jimmy, the boy with the taking golden flute, on the children's show H.R. Pufnstuf. Wild was born September 30, 1952, in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Attack of the Crab Monsters opens (1957). B-movie specialist Roger Corman is the director behind this beloved feature about a group of scientists trapped on an island populated by giant, killer crabs. As the gargantuan crustaceans eat the brains of the scientists—thereby acquiring their memories and voices—the island grows increasingly smaller thanks to a series of underground explosions. The cast includes genre regulars Richard Garland and Pamela Duncan (who also share the screen in Corman's The Undead) as well as Russell Johnson (of This Island Earth and It Came from Outer Space). Miranda Richardson is born (1958). This intensely emotional, Oscar-nominated British actress lost her head when she played the duplicitous Lady Van Tassel in Tim Burton's version of Washington Irving's classic Sleepy Hollow (1999). Miranda's other credits include two made-for-television fantasies, Alice in Wonderland (1999) and Merlin (1998), as well as Dance with a Stranger (1985) and Transmutations (1985). Miranda was born in Southport, Lancashire, England. George Miller is born (1945). This Australian genre specialist, active as a director, writer and producer, had a trio of high-octane, apocalyptic hits with Mad Max (1979), The Road Warrior (1981) and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985), all of which star fellow countryman Mel Gibson. George's other credits include The Witches of Eastwick (1987) and the "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). George was born in Chinchilla, Queensland, Australia. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Timeslip opens in US theaters (1956). Timeslip, also known as The Atomic Man, was directed by Ken Hughes (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968; Casino Royale, 1967), and written by Charles Eric Maine. Gene Nelson and Faith Domergue star in a story that combines the device of the evil twin and a few seconds' time differential. John Candy dies (1994). John Candy is probably best known by genre fans for his role as Tom Hanks's lecherous brother in the beloved mermaid's tale, Splash (1984), and for his equally comedic role as the mawg Barfolomew in Spaceballs (1987). John was born October 31, 1950, in Toronto, Canada. Paula Prentiss is born (1939). Paula gave a memorable performance as loud-mouthed Bobbie Markowe, a transplanted city dweller and feminist who become a suburban automaton in the popular big-screen adaptation of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives. Her other genre appearances include the comic Saturday the 14th (1981), the short-lived television series Mr. and Mrs. Dracula (1980), and the political thriller The Parallax View (1974). Paula was born Paula Ragusa in San Antonio, Texas. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man opens (1943). In this sequel (to both The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man), werewolf Lon Chaney, Jr. is awakened from his slumber by reckless graverobbers. He then sets out to find the legendary Dr. Frankenstein in the hope that the famous medical madman can put an end to his suffering. Needless to say, Chaney instead comes face to face with Frankenstein's monster—here played by none other than Bela Lugosi (in his only incarnation as the monster). Samantha Eggar is born (1939). Red-headed UK native Samantha earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as a young woman held captive by a deranged butterfly collector in William Wyler's creepy The Collector (1965). Later, she starred as a woman whose pent-up anger spawns a crew of killer children in David Cronenberg's The Brood (1979). Samantha's other genre credits include The Astronaut's Wife (1999), The Phantom (1996), Curtains (1983), Demonoid, Messenger of Death (1981), the made-for-television Tales of the Unexpected (1979), The Uncanny (1977), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976) and the family-friendly fantasy Doctor Dolittle (1967). Samantha's television appearances include playing Marie Picard in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ("Family") and an installment of the updated Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Deathmate"). Samantha was born in London, England. Dean Stockwell is born (1936). Dean is a noted actor in the genre, but he is probably best known to fans as Rear Admiral Albert "Al" Calavicci, the holographic guide to time-traveler Sam Beckett on the acclaimed TV series Quantum Leap. Dean's movie credits include The Dunwich Horror (1970), The Werewolf of Washington (1973), David Lynch's Dune (1984), The Time Guardian (1987), the made-for-television miniseries Stephen King's The Langoliers (1995), and the made-for-cable They Nest (2000). His guest-starring roles on TV have included episodes of such series as Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman ("The Rival"), the updated Twilight Zone ("Room 2426"), Night Gallery ("Whisper"), Mission: Impossible ("The Pendulum"), the original Twilight Zone ("A Quality of Mercy"), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("The Landlady"). He also has provided voice characterizations for such animated projects as Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) and Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990). Dean was born Robert Stockwell in Hollywood, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Lawnmower Man opens in US theaters (1992). The Lawnmower Man is a horror movie loosely based on the Stephen King short story "The Lawnmower Man." Brett Leonard (Virtuosity, Highlander: The Source) directed, and Jeff Fahey, Pierce Brosnan, Jenny Wright, Mark Bringelson, and Austin O'Brien starred. Allison Hayes is born (1930). Allison, one of the genre regular B-movie leading ladies of the 1950s, will forever be associated with her role as a wealthy, emotionally unbalanced woman whose encounter with a mysterious UFO transforms her into a towering, curvaceous giant, hell-bent on revenge against her philandering husband in the camp classic, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958). Her other genre projects include The Crawling Hand (1963), The Hypnotic Eye (1960), The Disembodied (1957), The Undead (1957), The Unearthly (1957), and Zombies of Mora Tau (1957). Allison, who died in 1977, was born in Charleston, West Virginia. Rob Reiner is born (1947). Comic actor-turned-director Rob steered Kathy Bates toward an Academy Award when he directed her opposite James Caan in his screen adaptation of Stephen King's Misery (1990). Rob's other directorial credits include the family-oriented fantasy North (1994), and the popular The Princess Bride (1987). Early in his acting career, Rob starred in an episode of the original Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Thanatos Palace Hotel"). Rob was born in The Bronx, New York. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Highlander opens in U.S. theaters (1986). Highlander from director Russell Mulcahy is the first of several in the franchise, which includes two television series as well as comics using the characters. The next movie in the series is Highlander II: The Quickening. Highlander stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. Donna Murphy is born (1959). Donna Murphy made her genre film debut in Star Trek: Insurrection and followed up with The Astronaut's Wife and Spider-Man 2. Donna was born in Corona, New York. John Heard is born (1945). John has made genre appearances in Mindwalk (1990), Demi Moore's supernatural The Seventh Sign (1988), the fantasy smash Big (1988), Scorsese's surreal After Hours (1985), Too Scared to Scream (1985), the first C.H.U.D. (1984), and Paul Schrader's remake of Cat People (1982). John's television credits include episodes of The Outer Limits ("Dark Matters"), Tales from the Darkside ("Ring Around the Redhead"), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents ("Breakdown"). John was born in Washington, DC. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy debuts on BBC Radio (1978). BBC Radio airs Episode 1 of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which the Galactic Hyperspace Planning Council announces Earth's demolition to facilitate the construction of a Hyperspace Express route. "The process will take slightly less than two of your Earth minutes," booms the voice from above. "Thank you very much." Douglas Adams's hilarious SF saga eventually romps through many media formats: radio, print, television, and a movie. Aidan Quinn is born (1959). This handsome actor has made genre appearances in In Dreams (1998), Practical Magic (1998), Haunted (1995), Blink (1994), Frankenstein (1994), and The Handmaid's Tale (1990). Aidan was born in Chicago, Illinois. Alan Hale, Jr. is born (1918). Alan, forever associated with his role as the Skipper on Gilligan's Island, played a small-town sheriff in two low-budget genre flicks: The Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and The Crawling Hand (1963). Other titles on Alan's résumé include Terror Night (1987) and The Iron Maiden (1962). Alan, who died in 1990, was born in Los Angeles, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Children of the Corn opens in US theaters (1984). Children of the Corn is a horror thriller based on the short story Children of the Corn by Stephen King. A young boy-preacher, Isaac, visits the small town of Gatlin, Nebraska, and manages to convince the children to murder all the adults. A young couple attempts to get help but finds themselves trapped in a deserted town. Several sequels were made, including Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (1993) and Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995). Linda Fiorentino is born (1960). Linda, who has a reputation for being both sexy and tough-as-nails, played coroner Dr. Laurel Weaver (a.k.a. Elle) in Barry Sonenfeld's smash hit Men in Black (1997). Linda's other credits include What Planet are You From? (2000), Kevin Smith's Dogma (1999), Unforgettable (1996), Charlie's Ghost Story (1994), and Martin Scorsese's surreal After Hours (1985). Her television credits include an installment of the updated Alfred Hitchcock Presents titled "Night Caller." Linda was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Trish Van Devere is born (1943). Trish—the widow of George C. Scott—has made genre appearances in the made-for-television Haunted (1984), The Hearse (1980), The Changeling (1980), and The Day of the Dolphin (1973). She also starred opposite Scott in a 1976 version of Beauty and the Beast. Trish was born in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Silent Running opens in US theaters (1972). Silent Running was directed by Douglas Trumbull and is particularly noted for its special effects. Trumbull was behind the special effects in the ground-breaking 2001: A Space Odyssey. A crew member of a spaceship containing Earth's last nature preserve is ordered to destroy the forest he cares for and go home. When he finds he is unable to destroy all his work, and cannot convince his crewmates to help him, he resorts to extreme measures. Bruce Joel Rubin is born (1943). Bruce Joel Rubin, a screenwriter and producer, may be best known for his work on Ghost, for which he won an Academy Award. Rubin made his feature-film writing debut with the 1983 scifi thriller Brainstorm. He followed up with more genre films: Deadly Friend in 1986, Jacob's Ladder in 1990, Deep Impact (1998), Stuart Little 2 (2002), The Last Mimzy (2007), and The Time Traveler's Wife (2008). Bruce was born in Detroit, Michigan. Ray Milland dies (1986). Oscar-winning actor Ray Milland was the subject of sinister scientific experiments in both The Thing with Two Heads (1972) and X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (1963). He also battled vengeful ghosts in the classic The Uninvited (1944) and played Sire Uri in television's original Battlestar Galactica (1978). Ray's other big-screen genre credits include The Attic (1979), The Uncanny (1977), Terror in the Wax Museum (1973), Frogs (1972), The Premature Burial (1962), Panic in Year Zero! (1962), and Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder (1954). Ray's television projects include Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976), Daughter of the Mind (1969), and a 1971 episode of Night Gallery titled "The Hand of Borgus Weems." Ray was born in 1907 in Neath, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
THX 1138 opens (1970). This visually stylish debut feature from director George Lucas (who also created a genre franchise known as Star Wars, which you might have heard of) follows three independent thinkers who plot to escape from a futuristic society in which sex is outlawed, drugs are mandatory, and people are encouraged to look and behave like automatons. Adapted from an award-winning short Lucas made while a student at USC, this sci-fi feature stars Academy Award-winning actor Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence of Halloween fame. John Wyndham dies (1969). John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris began writing SF during the 1930s. His first major work was The Day of the Triffids (1951, which combines aspects of an alien invasion novel with a traditional disaster story. It has been adapted for movies and television, as has one of his later novels, The Midwich Cuckoos (1957), which tells the story of alien invasion through impregnation, Wyndham was born July 10, 1903, in Warwickshire, England. Fredric Brown dies (1972). Fredric Brown wrote many science fiction novels and stories. "Answer," one of genre's most famous stories, is the one about the scientist who builds the biggest computer ever and asks it whether there is a God. Brown was also a successful mystery writer. His first novel, The Fabulous Clipjoint, won an Edgar Award Brown was born October 29, 1906, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Fire in the Sky opens (1993). This "fact-based" sci-fi feature, based on Travis Wilson's book The Walton Experience, explores the circumstances of the author's mysterious five-day disappearance. After a group of government-hired workmen return from the Arizona wilderness claiming that one of their number was abducted by aliens, disbelieving authorities treat the disappearance as a case of murder. Five days later, the missing man returns—with strange memories of his extraterrestrial captors. The cast includes D. B. Sweeney, Peter Berg, James Garner, and Henry Thomas (from E.T.). Jay Anson is born (1921). Jay Anson is an American author whose best-known work is The Amityville Horror. The book was published as a nonfiction account of a haunting, although the veracity of the events has since been questioned. His novel 666 was posthumously published in 1981. Anson was born November 4, 1921. Aaron Eckhart is born (1968). The Golden Globe–nominated actor shows another face (or two of them) as Harvey Dent in 2008's Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Aaron Eckhart Eckhart was born in Cupertino, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Ghost of Frankenstein opens in US theaters (1942). The horror movie The Ghost of Frankenstein is the fourth in a series of Frankenstein films produced by Universal Studios. Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr., Ralph Bellamy, Lionel Atwill, and Bela Lugosi star, with Erle C. Kenton as director and a screenplay by Scott Darling. Lucio Fulci dies (1996). Lucio Fulci is a filmmaker who directed everything from comedies and musicals to Westerns and psychological thrillers. Best known for the gory Zombie Flesh Eaters (1979), an unofficial "sequel" to George Romero's Dawn of the Dead (1978), he followed it with City of the Living Dead (1980), The Beyond (1981), and The House by the Cemetery (1982). Fulci was born June 17, 1927, in Rome, Italy. Deborah Raffin is born (1953). Deborah has starred in a variety of genre projects, including Larry Cohen's creepy cult favorite God Told Me To (1977) and the first Scanners sequel, Scanners II: The New Order (1991). Deborah's other credits include Dance of the Dwarfs (1983), The Sentinel (1977), and a slew of made-for-television features, including Sparkling Cyanide (1983), Mind Over Murder (1979) and Ski Lift to Death (1978). She also starred in an episode of the updated Twilight Zone titled "Something in the Walls." Deborah was born in Los Angeles, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Walking Dead opens in US theaters (1936). The Walking Dead is a horror movie about a mad scientist (played by Edmund Gwenn), who restores life to an executed man (Boris Karloff). Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) directed. The black-and-white feature was remade as The Man They Could Not Hang in 1939, starring Karloff as both doctor and corpse. Kevin Williamson is born (1965). Kevin is the screenwriter who single-handedly revived the slasher genre with his script for Wes Craven's original Scream (1996). Kevin's other writing projects include Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), The Faculty (1998), Scream 2 (1997) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). Kevin also served as a producer on Scream 3 (2000) and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998). Williamson was born in New Bern, North Carolina. Grace Park is born (1974). Grace Park plays Lt. Sharon Valerii (Boomer) on The SCI FI Channel TV series Battlestar Galactica. Park was born in Los Angeles, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Craig Wasson is born (1954). Craig Wasson played David Wanderley in the big-screen adaptation of Peter Straub's Ghost Story (1981) and low-budget horror film actor Jake Scully in Brian De Palma's Body Double (1984). Wasson also fought against the relentless Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Wasson's other credits include Trapped in Space (1993), Midnight Fear (1990), and Schizoid (1980). His television credits include installments of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ("Hard Time") and Tales from the Darkside ("The Greezenstacks"). Wasson was born in Eugene, Oregon. David Cronenberg is born (1943). Medical student-turned-auteur David Cronenberg has established himself as one of the genre's most gifted—and, at times, disturbing—visionaries. His filmography as a writer-director includes such classics as Scanners (1981), the update of The Fly (1986), Videodrome (1983), and eXistenZ (1999). He also directed the adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Dead Zone (1983). Cronenberg was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Renny Harlin is born (1959). Director Renny Harlin's first outing in the genre was A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988). He then put a trio of mechanical sharks through their paces in the underwater sci-fi thriller Deep Blue Sea (1999). A few other relevant entries from the director include The Covenant (2006), Exorcist: The Beginning (2004), Mindhunters (2004), and Prison (1988). Harlin was born in Riihimäki, Finland. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Children of Dune premieres on the SCI FI Channel (2003). Children of Dune was adapted by the SCI FI Channel in miniseries format as a sequel to their well-received miniseries Dune. The book is the second sequel to Frank Herbert's award-winning novel Dune, with the action following some time after Dune Messiah (1969), and occurring immediately before God Emperor of Dune (1981). Dr. Robert H. Goddard successfully launched the first liquid fueled rocket (1926). The launch took place at Auburn, Massachusetts, and is regarded by flight historians to be as significant as the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk. Alan Tudyk is born (1971). Alan Tudyk is an American actor best known for his role on the series Firefly as Hoban "Wash" Washburne, a role he reprised in the feature film Serenity. Other notable roles include A Knight's Tale alongside Heath Ledger; Hearts in Atlantis; I, Robot; and voice roles in the animated comedies Ice Age and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. Tudyk was born in El Paso, Texas. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Final Destination opens in U.S. theaters (2000). Final Destination is a horror fantasy directed by James Wong, and is the first in a series of films with the same theme. Devon Sawa (Devil's Den, 2006) stars, along with Ali Larter (Heroes) and Kerr Smith (Charmed). Andre Norton dies (2005). Alice Mary Norton was a prolific and much-loved author of space opera and fantasy fiction, perhaps best known for her Witch World series that was set in an alternate universe where magic works. She received the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1983. To honor her decades of contribution to the young adult field, SFWA created the Andre Norton Award in 2005, an annual award for outstanding work in fantasy or SF for young adults. Norton was born February 17, 1912, in Cleveland, Ohio. Kurt Russell is born (1951). Kurt Russell is an American actor with a rich history of genre roles. As a boy, he had guest roles on both Gilligan's Island and Lost in Space. Later, he did some solid work for Disney in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, reprising the role of Dexter Reilly in Now You See Him, Now You Don't and The Strongest Man in the World. In 1981, he starred as Snake Plisken in John Carpenter's Escape from New York. Other outings for Carpenter included the remake of The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China 1986. He originated the role of Colonel Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil in the movie Stargate (1994). The watchable star livened up Vanilla Sky (2001), had to live down Soldier (1998), flew Sky High (2005), and took a bath in Poseidon (2006). Kurt was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
7 Faces of Dr. Lao opens in US theaters (1964). Adapted by Charles Beaumont from The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney (1935), 7 Faces of Dr. Lao is a fantasy film that depicts the effects of a mysterious circus on a small town. Directed by George Pal (Atlantis, the Lost Continent, 1961), Tony Randall stars and provides voices for many of the stop-motion animation characters. Other stars include Barbara Eden and Noah Beery Jr. Brad Dourif is born (1950). Oscar-nominated actor Brad Dourif, who plays Grima Wormtongue in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is known by many genre fans as Charles Lee Ray (aka "The Voice of Chucky"), the mad murderer whose spirit seeks refuge in a boyish doll in Child's Play (1988) and its sequels, up to and including Bride of Chucky (1998) and Seed of Chucky (2004). Brad (who specializes in "creepy" roles) has a long list of genre credits that also includes The Ghost (2000), Prophecy III: The Ascent (2000), The Progeny (1999), Urban Legend (1998), Nightwatch (1998), Alien: Resurrection (1997), Dario Argento's Trauma (1993), Body Parts (1991), Graveyard Shift (1990), Grim Prairie Tales (1990), Exorcist III (1990), David Lynch's version of Dune (1984), and Eyes of Laura Mars (1978). On television, Brad played serial-killing crewman Lon Suder on three episodes of Star Trek: Voyager ("Basics, Part 1," "Basics, Part 2," and "Meld") and also was featured in installments of Babylon 5 ("Passing Through Gethsemane"), The X-Files ("Beyond The Sea"), and Tales from the Crypt ("People Who Live in Brass Hearses"). Brad was born in Huntington, West Virginia. Peter Graves is born (1926). Silver-haired Peter Graves, a long-time staple on television, spent the early part of his pre–Mission Impossible career as the leading man in a variety of memorable, low-budget genre flicks, including Bert I. Gordon's giant-grasshopper epic Beginning of the End (1957), Roger Corman's It Conquered the World (1956), Killers from Space (1954), and Red Planet Mars (1952). Peter's post–M:I genre appearances include Missile X (1978), Parts: The Clonus Horror (1978), The Mysterious Monsters (1975), the made-for-television Scream of the Wolf (1974), and Addams Family Values (1993). Peter was born Peter Aurness in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Farscape series debut (1999). On an experimental flight, astronaut John Crichton's Farscape-1 Module is drawn into a wormhole that drops him in distant space with no way to return to Earth. The premiere episode was written by Rockne S. O'Bannon and directed by Andrew Prowse. Edgar Rice Burroughs dies (1950). Edgar Rice Burroughs was above all an adventure writer, whose best known contributions to the genre include Tarzan of the Apes, the Barsoom series dealing with life on the planet Mars, and the dinosaur epic The Land That Time Forgot. Burroughs was born September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois. Glenn Close is born (1947). Glenn, a five-time Oscar nominee who has yet to take home a statuette, played Alex Forrest, the mistress from Hell in Adrian Lyne's popular thriller, Fatal Attraction (1987). Close also starred for Tim Burton in Mars Attacks! (1996), took on the role of Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000), and played opposite Julia Roberts in her Jekyll and Hyde project, Mary Reilly (1996). Close's other credits include The House of the Spirits (1993), Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991), the ghostly romantic comedy Maxie (1985), and The Stepford Wives remake (2004). Close was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Final Conflict opens in theaters (1981). Third in The Omen film series, The Final Conflict is a religious horror film starring Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon, and Lisa Harrow. Damien (Neill) learns that Christ has been reborn in Great Britain and decides to kill all male children born on that day in order to stop the child who could put an end to his evil. John de Lancie is born (1948). Actor John de Lancie is probably best known for his role of Q, a very powerful alien that he played in Star Trek: The Next Generation and other Star Trek media. His voice work includes a role as Sinestro, the Green "Loontern's" nemesis in Duck Dodgers, and Jonny's dad on The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. John was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Theresa Russell is born (1957). This sexy leading lady has starred in a handful of quirky titles that flirt with the genre, among them The Grotesque (1995), Being Human (1993), Steven Soderbergh's Kafka (1991), Track 29 (1988), Aria (1987), and Black Widow (1986). Theresa was born in San Diego, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Liar, Liar opens in theaters (1997). Liar, Liar is a 1997 comedic fantasy directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. Carrey plays Fletcher Reede, a lawyer who has broken his family's trust with his easy lies and forgotten promises. His young son makes a magical birthday wish that his father cannot lie. The fine cast also includes Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper, Cary Elwes, and Jennifer Tilly. Timothy Dalton is born (1946). Timothy Dalton, who was an especially suave James Bond in Licence to Kill (1989) and The Living Daylights (1987), has starred in such genre fare as The Doctor and the Devils (1985), Flash Gordon (1980), The Rocketeer (1991), and the made-for-television Possessed (2000). Dalton was also featured in an installment of Tales from the Crypt titled "Werewolf Concerto." Dalton was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales. Dack Rambo dies (1994). Norman "Dack" Rambo is known to genre fans for his work in series such as Sword of Justice (1978), Wonder Woman (1977), and Fantasy Island (1978–1984). Rambo was born November 13, 1941, in Delano, California. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning opens (1985). The fifth installment in the Friday the 13th film series is set at a woodsy retreat for troubled teens. The killings are this time attributed to a deranged parent pretending to be Jason Voorhees, the hockey-masked monster of Camp Crystal Lake. Though this one promises A New Beginning, disappointed audiences couldn't wait for it to end. Consequently, the "real" Jason is revived for the opening of 1996's Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. William Shatner is born (1931). Shatner is one of the most famous film and television actors in the world, thanks to his starring role as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. Shatner portrayed Kirk in the original 1960s TV series Star Trek, and he reprised the role in the first seven Star Trek feature films. Shatner's other film roles include Incubus (1965), the made-for-TV Horror at 37,000 Feet (1972), Impulse (1974), Kingdom of the Spiders (1977), and the sci-fi-themed comedy Free Enterprise (1998). Shatner also created, executive produced and starred in the sci-fi TV series TekWar. His extensive television résumé includes episodes of such series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the original Twilight Zone ("Nick of Time" and the famous "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet"), the original Outer Limits, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mork and Mindy (as himself), The Ray Bradbury Theatre, SeaQuest DSV, and 3rd Rock from the Sun. (Trivia note: In 3rd Rock from the Sun, Shatner appeared opposite John Lithgow, who played Shatner's role from "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" in the big-screen Twilight Zone: The Movie.) Shatner also provided the voice of Captain James T. Kirk for Star Trek: The Animated Series. Shatner was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Raymond Z. Gallun is born (1910). Raymond Zinke Gallun (rhymes with balloon) was among the stalwart group of early sci-fi pulp writers who popularized the genre. Much of his shorter work first appeared in the 1930s. His first book came out in 1957 from Simon & Schuster, People Minus X, followed by The Planet Strappers in 1961 (Pyramid). The Ballantine collection issued in 1978, The Best of Raymond Z. Gallun, provides an excellent selection of his work. Gallun was honored with the I-CON Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985 at I-CON IV; the award was later renamed The Raymond Gallun Award. Gallun, who died April 2, 1994, was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. Get more info on today's date at SCIFIpedia's Timeline.
The Thief of Bagdad opens in US theaters (1924). Douglas Fairbanks (who also put on a writer's hat for this silent movie) acts up a storm in director Raoul Walsh's fantasy The Thief of Bagdad. Snitz Edwards, Charles Belcher, Anna May Wong, and Noble Johnson also star. Kenneth Tobey is born (1919). During the 1950s, this longtime genre star fought a variety of monsters in a string of successful films including Mark of the Vampire (1957), It Came from December Beneath the Sea (1955), The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953), and the classic, trend-setting The Thing (1951). Tobey's resume also includes Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992), Strange Invaders (1983), The Creature Wasn't Nice (1981), The Howling (1980), Homebodies (1974), and Ben (1972), as well as cameos in Gremlins ( |
