Today’s Past in the Movies … May 25

May 25 †¦ What occurred in movie-land today in years past?

Events on this day:

1927 – Movietone News (newsreel) first shown at the Sam Harris Theatre in New York City.
1969 – Midnight Cowboy opened in theaters with an X-rating.
1977 – Star Wars: Episode IV, A New Hope opened in theaters.
1983 – Star Wars: Episode VI, Return of the Jedi opened in theaters.
1998 – Godzilla records $55,726,951 box office on opening weekend.

Born on this day:

1909 – Marie Menken (Experimental Filmmaker: Moonplay, Notebook, Andy Warhol)
1918 – Claude Akins (Actor: The Defiant Ones, Rio Bravo, Battle … Planet of the Apes)
1925 – Jeanne Crain (Actress: A Letter to Three Wives, Cheaper by the Dozen)
1939 – Ian McKellan (Actor: Apt Pupil, X-Men movies, Lord of the Rings movies)
1944 – Frank Oz (Director: Little Shop of Horrors, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)
1963 – Mike Myers (Actor: So I Married an Axe Murderer, Austin Powers movies)
1969 – Anne Heche (Actress: Donnie Brasco, Wag the Dog, Six Days Seven Nights)
1970 – Jamie Kennedy (Actor: Scream movies, Malibu’s Most Wanted)
1976 – Cillian Murphy (Actor: 28 Days Later, Cold Mountain, Batman Begins)

Died on this day:

1940 – Joe De Grasse (Director, co-founder of Motion Picture Directors Asscoiation)