SCIFIPEDIA:This Day in SCI FI/September 2007

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September 1

Yvonne De Carlo is born (1922). Peggy Yvonne Middleton, best known as Lily Munster in TV's The Munsters (1964–1966) and such spin-off movies as Munster, Go Home! (1966) and The Munster’s Revenge (1981). De Carlo, who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, died January 8, 2007.

Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde opens (1995). This comical, gender-bending version of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale stars Tim Daly (Storm of the Century) as an ancestor of the original Dr. Jekyll, whose experimentation transforms him into Helen Hyde—an evil, seductive alter-ego played by ex–Hollywood bad girl Sean Young. Despite the modern twist, the critical reception is chilly and the box office less than impressive.

Lost Horizon opens (1937). James Hilton's popular story about a group of travelers who find an otherworldly Tibetan land of happiness, health, and longevity is turned into a lush Hollywood fantasy. Directed by Frank Capra and starring Ronald Coleman and Jane Wyatt, the movie becomes a undisputed Hollywood classic.

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September 2

Mark Harmon is born (1951). Thomas Mark Harmon portrayed serial killer Ted Bundy in the television movie The Deliberate Stranger (1986). Other roles of interest include Freaky Friday (2003) and miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998).

Salma Hayek is born (1966). Salma Hayek Jiménez played Esmeralda in the 1997 made-for-television version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the alluring but highly dangerous Satanico Pandemonium in 1996's From Dusk till Dawn. Her other genre credits include Wild Wild West (1999) and The Faculty (1998). Hayek was born in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico.

Cynthia Watros is born (1968). Cynthia Michele Watros is best known for her role as Libby on the ABC TV series Lost.

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September 3

Merritt Butrick is born (1959). Butrick portrayed Dr. David Marcus, the only known offspring of Captain James T. Kirk, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation as T'Jon in a 1988 episode, "Symbiosis"). Merritt was born in Gainesville, Florida.

Charlie Sheen is born (1965). Sheen has appeared in the alien invasion flick The Arrival (1996, as Zane Ziminski). He also made a special "ghost" appearance as Jake in The Wraith (1986). He is the son of Martin Sheen (The Dead Zone) and the brother of Emilio Estevez (Repo Man). Sheen was born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York, New York.

Frank Capra dies (1991). Frank Capra, film director, has made two notable contributions to the genre, with his Christmas story It's a Wonderful Life (1946), and the adaptation of the Utopian novel by James Hilton, Lost Horizon (1937). Capra was born May 18, 1897, in Bisacquino, Sicily.

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September 4

Nick Copus is born (1966). Director Nick Copus has directed episodes for several genre series, including the pilot episode of Painkiller Jane and episodes of The Dresden Files, The Dead Zone and The 4400. Copus was born in London, England.

Patricia Tallman is born (1957). Actor and stunt performer Pat Tallman appeared as Barbara in Tom Savini's remake of the 1968 classic, Night of the Living Dead (1990). Her television work includes guest-starring roles on Tales from the Dark Side, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Babylon 5 (as the telepath Lyta Alexander).

Nona Gaye is born (1974). Actor and singer Nona Marvisa Gaye is best known to genre fans for her small part in the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. She starred alongside Will Smith in the biopic Ali, and appeared in the Academy Award–winning film Crash, in the Robert Zemeckis 3-D animated film The Polar Express, and in xXx: State of the Union. Gaye was born in Washington, DC.

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September 5

Beauty and the Beast series debuts (1987). The series starred Linda Hamilton as a New York lawyer and Ron Perlman as Vincent, a lion-faced society outcast who lives in a Utopian society in the tunnels beneath the city. The two form a strong bond, and the show developed a devoted audience.

The Brides of Dracula opens in theaters (1960). Terence Fisher directed this Hammer horror film, a sequel to Dracula. The film was produced by Anthony Hinds and distributed by Universal Pictures.

William Devane is born (1940). William has lent his stern presence to such genre titles as Hollow Man (2000) and Space Cowboys (2000). His earlier big-screen credits include The Dark (1979), Marathon Man (1976), and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot (1976). His television credits include Robin Cook's Virus (1995) and Timestalkers (1987), as well as a guest spot on Stargate SG-1 as President Hayes in 2004 episodes "Inauguration," "Lost City: Part 1," and "Lost City: Part 2." William was born in Albany, New York.

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September 6

China Miéville is born (1972). Author China Miéville's first novel was King Rat, (1998), followed by the Arthur C. Clarke Award and British Fantasy Award–winning Perdido Street Station, The British Fantasy Award–winning The Scar and the Arthur C. Clarke Award–winning Iron Council. Miéville was born in Norwich, England.

H.R. Pufnstuf series debuts (1969). Sid & Marty Krofft's live-action puppet series starred Jack Wild as Jimmy, the boy with a magic flute, Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo, with Roberto Gamonet as Mayor H.R. Pufnstuf. Only 17 episodes were broadcast but the show proved itself a cheesy cult classic, much like another Krofft series, Land of the Lost.

Hellraiser: Hellworld, the eighth entry in the popular horror franchise based on Clive Barker's novella The Hellbound Heart, skips the formality of a big-screen release and heads straight for the video market. Cinematographer Rick Bota—director of the two previous Hellraiser movies—returns, as does Doug Bradley as Pinhead, while veteran actor Lance Henriksen lends his sinister charm.

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September 7

John Phillip Law is born (1937). Law is remembered as Pygar, Jane Fonda's winged companion in Barbarella (1968), and as Sinbad in The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974). His other credits include Alienator (1989), Space Mutiny (1988), Night Train to Terror (1984), and Tarzan: The Ape Man (1981). Law was born in Hollywood, California.

Dario Argento is born (1940). Argento is the stylish Italian writer and director whose work includes such nightmarish horror films as Phantom of the Opera (1999), Trauma (1993), Two Evil Eyes (1990), Demons (1985) and Demons 2 (1986), Creepers (1985), and the classic Suspiria (1977). Among Argento's earlier projects are Deep Red (1975), Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971), and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970). Argento was born in Rome, Italy.

Devon Sawa is born (1978). Sawa led an active career in television and movies from the age of fifteen. Some of his genre-related efforts include the telefilm Robin of Locksley (playing Robin, 1996), horror thrill ride Final Destination (playing Alex Chance Browning, 2000), and The Devil's Den (2006). Sawa was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

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September 8

Hilary Brooke is born (1914). Before she became known as the sidekick to Abbott and Costello on their popular 1950s television series, blonde Hilary played Mary MacLean, the sinister mother possessed by aliens in the popular Invaders from Mars (1953). Her other genre credits include The Maze (1953), The Lost Continent (1951), and the 1941 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Hilary, who died in 1999, was born in Astoria, New York.

Star Trek debuts (1966). The Enterprise, helmed by Captain James T. Kirk, begins its five-year mission into the galaxy as Star Trek makes its 8:30 p.m. prime-time debut with the episode "The Man Trap."

Star Trek: The Animated Series debuts (1973). Although grounded in prime-time, the Enterprise warps its way through the uncharted reaches of deep space for Saturday morning viewers. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols all return to voice their characters. Missing in action is Walter Koenig, whose character, Ensign Pavel Chekov, is replaced by a three-armed alien named Lieutentant Arex.

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September 9

Michael Keaton is born (1951). Michael played the Caped Crusader for Tim Burton in Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992), and also starred in the director's ghostly comedy, Beetlejuice (1988). Later, he played a man who clones himself in Multiplicity (1996) and a dead father who returns to life as a snowman in Jack Frost (1998). Michael was born in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania.

Sylvia Miles is born (1932). Oscar nominee and Warhol survivor Sylvia lent her throaty voice and intimidating presence to Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse (1981) and to the 1977 screen adaptation of The Sentinel. Sylvia was born in New York, New York.

Cliff Robertson is born (1925). Oscar winner Cliff played the President of the United States in John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. (1996). His résumé also includes roles in Brainstorm (1983), Dominique (1978), director Brian de Palma's Obsession (1976), and the made-for-television Return to Earth (1976), in which he played Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. Cliff also played the villainous Shame on several episodes of the original Batman series, starred in two installments of the original Twilight Zone (Episode 3.33, "The Dummy", and Episode 2.23, "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim"), and holds the distinction of having appeared in episodes of both the original and updated versions of The Outer Limits. Cliff was born in La Jolla, California.

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September 10

Ryan Phillippe is born (1974). Ryan Phillippe starred in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Lifeform (1996), and the made-for-television Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare (1995). He also was featured in an installment of the new Outer Limits (Episode 2.8, "Straight and Narrow"). Ryan was born in New Castle, Delaware.

Amy Irving is born (1953). Before she married (and divorced) Steven Spielberg, Amy starred as Sue Snell, the classmate who tries to mend her mean ways (too late) in Brian de Palma's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie (1976). She reprised that role for the belated sequel, The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999). Her other genre credits include de Palma's The Fury (1978), the made-for-television Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994), and a 1990 television version of Henry James's haunting The Turn of the Screw. She also provided the singing voice of Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Amy was born in Palo Alto, California.

Robert Wise is born (1914). Famed and esteemed director Robert Wise was the hand at the helm of the critically maligned but financially successful Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), which jolted the franchise into new life, spawning five more films with the original cast, four television series, and more films with the stars of the Next Generation of Starfleet explorers. He has also directed Audrey Rose (1977), The Andromeda Strain (1971), and The Haunting (1963). Robert was born in Winchester, Indiana.

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September 11

The Kiss of the Vampire opens in US theaters (1963). This vampire horror film was directed by Don Sharp, written by Anthony Hinds, and starred Clifford Evans, Edward de Souza, Noel Willman, Jennifer Daniel, and Barry Warren.

Cube opens in limited release in US theaters (1998). Nicole de Boer, Nicky Guadagni, David Hewlett, Andrew Miller, and Julian Richings star in this low-budget chiller shot in Canada. It became a cult hit and inspired Cube 2: Hypercube and Cube Zero.

Virginia Madsen is born (1963). Virginia has been a genre regular since her 1984 performance as Princess Irulan in director David Lynch's big-screen version of Dune. That same year, she was romanced by a smitten computer in Electric Dreams. Her subsequent genre projects include The Haunting (1999), The Prophecy (1995), Candyman (1992), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), and Zombie High (1987). She also guest-starred in a 1998 episode of Star Trek: Voyager (episode 4.22, "Unforgettable"). Virginia was born in Chicago, Illinois.

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September 12

Peter Scolari is born (1955). Actor Peter Scolari's performances enhanced The Polar Express (2004) and HBO's miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1997). He was featured in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997–2000). Scolari was born in New Rochelle, New York.

The Flatwoods Monster is encountered (1952). A group of children who witness it describe the monster as having a head shaped like the Ace of Spades. Their dog vomits at the sight of it.

Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman debuts (1993). This ABC TV series was loosely based on the Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel Superman comics, giving top billing to Lois Lane (Teri Hatcher). Clark was played by Dean Cain.

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September 13

Roald Dahl is born (1916). Dahl's world of fantasy—sometimes disturbing fantasy—has made its way into such films as James and the Giant Peach (1996), The Witches (1990), and a pair of movies based on his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), which was remade by director Tim Burton in 2005. Dahl also hosted and wrote for Tales of the Unexpected (1979), which showcased stories of horror and the supernatural. The author was born in Llandaff, Wales.

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare opens (1991). In this sixth installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Freddy Krueger reconnects with his long-lost daughter and tries to break free of his hometown constraints. Robert Englund returns as the title monster and manages to lure fans of the series back to the box office for another bad dream. Freddy's Dead boasts tongue-in-cheek cameo appearances by Alice Cooper, Roseanne, and Johnny Depp, among others.

Thriller debuts (1960). Hosted by veteran ghoul Boris Karloff, this series evoked bona fide chills in a modern audience.

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September 14

Lost in Space debuts (1965). Irwin Allen crews a spacecraft with a fine American family (complete with robot and saboteur), played by Angela Cartwright, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Jonathan Harris, June Lockhart, Guy Williams, and Bill Mumy. As you might have anticipated, Dad wouldn't stop to ask for directions. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes.

Nicol Williamson is born (1938). Nicol most recently played Cogliostro in the big-screen Spawn (1997). He is remembered by genre fans for his role as Merlin in John Boorman's Excalibur (1981) and for his highly regarded turn as Sherlock Holmes in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976). His other credits include Exorcist III (1990), Return to Oz (1985), and Venom (1982). Nicol was born in Hamilton, Scotland.

Carnivàle premieres (2003). This HBO series starred Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, and Clea DuVall. Set during the Great Depression, the show concerned individuals in a traveling carnival in the American West.

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September 15

Tommy Lee Jones is born (1946). Tommy Lee, professional rugged man, can claim these genre works on his résumé: Space Cowboys (2000); Small Soldiers (1998, voice of Chip Hazard); Men in Black (1997) and Men in Black II (2002), as Agent Kay; Volcano (1997, as Mike Roark); Batman Forever (1995, as Harvey Dent/Two-Face); and The Eyes of Laura Mars (1978, as John Neville). Tommy Lee was born in San Saba, Texas.

Oliver Stone is born (1946). Before he turned his focus away from the genre toward a more political oeuvre, Oscar-winner Olive Stone (Platoon) wrote and directed The Hand, a 1981 chiller starring Michael Caine, as well as a 1974 oddity titled Seizure (aka Queen of Evil.) He also co-wrote (with John Milius) the screenplay for Arnold Schwarzenegger's breakthrough hit, Conan the Barbarian (1982). Oliver was born in New York, New York.

Lost in Space debuts (1965). Space Family Robinson begins its search for home with episode "The Reluctant Stowaway."

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September 16

The Logan's Run series debuts (1977). Drawing on the popular Michael York movie as well as the original novel, the series starred Gregory Harrison and Heather Menzies, and lasted 14 episodes.

Cry Wolf opens in US theaters (2005). It's Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick. Or is it the sinister cyber-chatter in the woods with a carving knife? Jon Bon Jovi's presence in this horror thriller doesn't save it from lackluster box office.

Jennifer Tilly is born (1961). Born Jennifer E. Chan, Tilly is perhaps best known for her voiceover work, including a killer doll Tiffany in the Child's Play series of movies. In one installment, Seed of Chucky, she does double duty, providing the voice for Tiffany as well as playing a live role. Other genre turns include Liar, Liar with Jim Carrey (1997), Embrace of the Vampire (1994) with Alyssa Milano, and the telefilm The Initiation of Sarah (2006). Tilly was born in Harbor City, Los Angeles, California.

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September 17

Battlestar Galactica debuts (1978). Producer Glen A. Larson created the original Battlestar Galactica series for the ABC network. Its premise was simple: when the 12 Colonies of Man are wiped out by a cybernetic race called the Cylons, Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) and the crew of the battlestar Galactica lead a ragtag human fleet of survivors in search of a "mythical planet" called Earth. Canceled after only one season, the show was reborn in a darker, grittier version in 2003.

Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) is born (1951). Campy horror host Elvira parlayed her late-night persona into a thriving career, even to her own feature film, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), which she co-wrote and starred in. Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow opens in U.S. theaters (2004). Written and directed by Kerry Conran, the movie was shot on a soundstage in front of a green screen, with all the backgrounds and props generated by computer. Gwyneth Paltrow plays reporter Polly Perkins, who attempts to save the world in company with the Sky Captain (Jude Law).

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September 18

Ghoulies II opens in US theaters (1987). Both Ghoulies and Ghoulies II had theatrical premieres. Two later entries in the franchise went straight to video. Directed by Albert Band, Ghoulies II has a carnival setting and the obligatory Ghoulies toilet sequence.

James Marsden is born (1973). Marsden's breakout role came in 2000 when he starred as Scott Summers/Cyclops in the film version of X-Men. In 2003 he starred in the X-Men sequel X2. He followed up with an appearance in The Notebook, The Alibi with X-Men co-star Rebecca Romijn and 10th and Wolf. In 2006, he starred in X-Men: The Last Stand and Superman Returns. He has an upcoming role in the animated film Enchanted. James was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Jada Pinkett Smith is born (1971). Jada, rising star and wife of box-office heavyweight Will Smith, starred as Maureen Evans, the first victim of the masked killer in Wes Craven's Scream 2 (1997). She also starred opposite Eddie Murphy in his reworking of The Nutty Professor (1996) and was in the cast of Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight (1995). Jada was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

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September 19

Betty and Barney Hill abducted by aliens (1961). The allegedly abducted married couple wrote of their experiences in their book The Interrupted Journey. The 1975 telefilm The UFO Incident starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons was based on the book.

Wishmaster opens (1997). After centuries of captivity in an antique statue, a demonic genie escapes and sets out to decimate the population of 20th century Los Angeles by tricking mortals into trading their souls for wishes. Wes Craven (fresh from his initial Scream success) acts as executive producer of this horror-fantasy film.

David McCallum is born (1933). David is a veteran of the genre, having co-starred in such series as VR.5, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and The Invisible Man (1975). He has made guest appearances on such SF series as Team Knight Rider (1997, in several episodes, as Mobius), Babylon 5 (1994, episode "Infection," as Dr. Vance Hendricks), SeaQuest DSV (1993, episode "Seawest," as Frank Cobb), The Six Million Dollar Man (1974, episode "Wine, Women and War"), Night Gallery (1970, episode "The Phantom Farmhouse," as Psychiatrist), and The Outer Limits (1963, episodes "The Forms of Things Unknown," as Tone Hobart, and "The Sixth Finger," as Gwyllm Griffiths). He also appeared in several genre films and TV movies, including The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1983, TV). David was born in Glasgow, Scotland.

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September 20

The Flash (TV series) debuts (1990). This short-lived series was based on the comics about a man with superhuman speed. John Wesley Shipp starred in the title role as Barry Allen, a police scientist who experiences a lab accident and develops the ability to move extremely fast afterwards. With the help of a fellow scientist, Tina McGee (Amanda Pays), he uses his powers to fight crime.

Kristen Johnston is born (1967). Johnston played Sally Solomon on the hit sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996). She also appeared in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999, as Ivana Humpalot). Johnston was born in Washington, DC.

Asia Argento is born (1975). Argento, daughter of famed Italian horror director Dario Argento, has starred for her father in his films Phantom of the Opera (1999), Trauma (1993), and Demons 3 (1988). She was born in Rome, Italy.

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September 21

Nick Castle is born (1947). Nick, a frequent John Carpenter collaborator, wrote the script for Escape from New York (1981) and provided "the shape" of Michael Myers in the original Halloween (1978). His other credits include writing and directing The Boy Who Could Fly (1986), providing the story for Spielberg's Hook (1991), and directing the sci-fi action flick The Last Starfighter (1984). Nick was born in Los Angeles, California.

Robert L. Forward dies (2002). Robert Lull Forward was an American physicist and science fiction writer. His treatment of hard-science topics in fictional form is reminiscent of the work of Hal Clement. Some of his projects include space tethers, space fountains, solar sails,, antimatter propulsion and other spacecraft propulsion technologies, and even more distant possibilities, such as time travel and negative matter.

Bill Murray is born (1950). Murray has lent his comedic touch to the genre in such efforts as Groundhog Day (1993, as Phil Connors), Ghostbusters II (1989, as Doctor Peter Venkman), Scrooged (1988, as Frank Cross), and the original SF-comedy classic Ghostbusters (1984, as Doctor Peter Venkman). Murray was born in Portland, Maine.

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September 22

Catherine Oxenberg is born (1961). Ex-Dynasty vixen Catherine starred in Ken Russell's bizarre cult classic, The Lair of the White Worm (1988), and later lent her visage to such titles as The Omega Code (1999), Arthur's Quest (1999), and the made-for-television Time Shifters (1999). She was born in New York, New York.

John Houseman is born (1902). Master thespian and Oscar-winner Houseman was a stern presence in a number of memorable genre projects, including the big-screen version of Peter Straub's Ghost Story (1981), John Carpenter's The Fog (1980), the futuristic Rollerball (1975), and the creepy Murder by Phone (1980). Houseman, who died in 1988, was born in Bucharest, Romania.

George C. Scott dies (1999). Oscar-winning Patton lead actor Scott, who worked steadily on stage and screen throughout his career, starred in such genre titles as Exorcist III (1990), Firestarter (1984), The Changeling (1980), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), and Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove (1964). Scott's television credits include Murders in the Rue Morgue (1986) and a 1976 version of Beauty and the Beast. Scott was born in 1927 in Wise, Virginia.

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September 23

Rosalind Chao is born (1957). Rosalind Chao is best known to genre audiences for her role on the series Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Keiko O'Brien. Both parents performed in the Beijing opera and, as a child, Chao took small roles in operas as well. Other genre appearances include Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Special Report: Journey to Mars, The Magic School Bus, What Dreams May Come, Brimstone, Freaky Friday, Inhabited, abd Just Like Heaven. Rosalind was born in Anaheim, California.

Charly opens (1968). Cliff Robertson won an Oscar for his performance in Charly, the 1968 movie adaptation of Daniel Keyes' enduring classic, Flowers for Algernon, which has remained in print since 1959 and received science fiction's highest honors, the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

Robert Bloch dies (1994). Robert Albert Bloch's prodigious writing career included more than two dozen novels and over 200 short stories, principally in the arena of horror. He received the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award (1989), was named World Horror Convention Grandmaster (1991), and won an Edgar, a Nebula Award, two Hugos, and three Bram Stoker Awards. Robert was born April 5, 1917, in Chicago, Illinois.

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September 24

John Brunner is born (1934). Science-fiction author John Brunner was born on this date. His works adapted to film include The Terrornauts (1967) and Lifeforce (1985). John's first novel, Galactic Storm, was published in 1951 when he was 17 years old. His other novels include The Atlantic Abomination (1960) and Squares of the City (1965). Brunner achieved critical acclaim with his 1969 work Stand on Zanzibar, which earned him the Hugo Award for Outstanding Science Fiction Novel of the Year. His later works include the novels The Sheep Look Up (1972) and Shockwave Rider (1975). Several of his stories were adapted as episodes of the British television series Out of the Unknown in the 1960s. Brunner died suddenly on August 25, 1995, while attending a science-fiction convention in Glasgow, Scotland.

Bert I. Gordon is born (1922). Special-effects expert Bert I. Gordon—one of the greats of low-budget sci-fi cinema—wrote, directed and produced a wide variety of features, many of which played with scale. Among his best-known titles are Attack of the Puppet People (1958), Earth vs. the Spider (1958), The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), War of the Colossal Beast (1958), Beginning of the End (1957), and Village of the Giants (1965). During the 1970s, he brought two classic H. G. Wells stories to the screen with The Food of the Gods (1976) and Empire of the Ants (1977). Later in his career, he directed both Burned at the Stake (1981) and Satan's Princess (1990). Bert was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Devil's Tower goes national (1906). The vertical monolith that so transfixed Richard Dreyfuss in Steven Spielberg's SF classic film Close Encounters of the Third Kind became the United States' first designated national monument on this date.

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September 25

Urban Legend opens (1998). The so-called "slasher movie revival" continues when Urban Legend opens to healthy box office. Set in and around a typical American college campus, the movie sends a mysterious murderer out on a killing spree, using popular horror tales as the basis for his (or her) grisly crimes. The perky young cast includes Alicia Witt, Jared Leto, and Rebecca Gayheart.

Heather Locklear is born (1961). Television bombshell Heather took time off from the small screen when she played Drew Barrymore's mother in the big-screen adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter (1984). She was also the put-upon heroine in The Return of Swamp Thing (1989). Heather was born in Westwood, California.

Michael Douglas is born (1944). Michael has appeared in The China Syndrome (1979, as Richard Adams) and Coma (1978, as Doctor Mark Bellows). He also executive produced or produced Face/Off (1997), Flatliners (1990), Starman (1986, TV series), and Starman (1984). Michael was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

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September 26

Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled Enterprise, premieres (2001). The series is the fifth live-action television series in the Star Trek franchise, and was created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It is set one hundred years after first contact with the Vulcans but before Captain Kirk's five-year mission of exploration. Its voyages on the airwaves began in 2001 and ended in 2005.

Melissa Sue Anderson is born (1962). After her stint as a child star on television's Little House on the Prairie, Anderson starred as a teenage witch in the made-for-TV Midnight Offerings (1981) and as an emotionally distressed suspected murderess in the grisly Happy Birthday to Me (1981). She also starred in two installments of the new Alfred Hitchcock Presents—"Murder in Mind" (Episode #4.8) and "VCR—Very Careful Rape" (Episode #3.1). Anderson was born in Berkeley, California.

Patrick O'Neal is born (1927). Patrick was a stern and occasionally menacing presence in such genre projects as The Stuff (1985), The Stepford Wives (1975), Silent Night, Bloody Night (1973), Chamber of Horrors (1966), and The Mad Magician (1954). He also appeared on television in installments of Night Gallery (in the famous episode "A Fear of Spiders") as well as in episodes of the original The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone. Patrick, who died in 1994, was born in Ocala, Florida.

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September 27

Gwyneth Paltrow is born (1972). Academy Award winner Gwyneth Paltrow has a few genre appearances in her ledger, including parallel-universe exploration Sliding Doors (1998), horror Se7en (1995), fantasy Shallow Hal (2001), science fiction Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), spy-fi spoof Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), and animation Iron Man (2008). Paltrow was born in Los Angeles, California.

Shaun Cassidy is born (1958). Shaun Cassidy started out as Joe Hardy on the series The Hardy Boys Mysteries (1977). He went on to producer status with Hollyweird (1998), Roar (1997), and American Gothic (1995). Cassidy was born in Los Angeles, California.

Wilford Brimley is born (1934). Wilford Brimley, a sturdy character actor, has been featured in a variety of genre fare, including The Progeny (1999), Mutant Species (1995), Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988), Death Valley (1982), and John Carpenter's remake of The Thing (1983). His television projects include Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985) and Murder in Space (1985). Brimley was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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September 28

Fiona Lewis is born (1946). Fiona's quirky list of credits includes playing an Avon lady from outer space in Strange Invaders (1983), an evil lab assistant in Dead Kids (a.k.a. Strange Behavior) (1981), and a doctor assigned to control an out-of-control psychic teen in The Fury (1978). She also was featured in Innerspace (1987), played Lucy in a 1973 television version of Dracula and, early on, starred in such memorable horror titles as Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972) and Roman Polanski's The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Fiona was born in Westcliffe-on-Sea, Essex, England.

Jeffrey Jones is born (1947). Jeffrey has starred in three of Tim Burton's best-known films: Sleepy Hollow (1999); Beetlejuice (1988); and Ed Wood (1994), in which he played goofy psychic Criswell. Jeffrey's other genre credits include Robots of Mars (1999), The Devil's Advocate (1997), Alien Encounter (1995), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), the ill-fated Howard the Duck (1986), and Transylvania 6-5000 (1985). He has also done the small screen on episodes of the new Outer Limits, Tales from the Crypt, Amazing Stories, and the new Twilight Zone. Jeffrey was born in Buffalo, New York.

John Sayles is born (1950). Indie-film poster boy Sayles started his career working on scripts for genre efforts like Piranha (1978), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Alligator (1980), and The Howling (1980). His later credits include writing and directing The Brother from Another Planet (1984) and penning the big-screen adaptation of The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986). Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York.

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September 29

Madeline Kahn is born (1942). Funny lady and two-time Oscar nominee Madeline gave a classic comic performance as Elizabeth, the proper-but-lustful fiancée of Gene Wilder who beds (and domesticates) monster Peter Boyle in Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein (1974). Her other credits include Clue (1985), Slapstick (Of Another Kind) (1982), Simon (1980), High Anxiety (