1914: Thurl Ravenscroft is Born
On this day back in 1914, a baby boy named Thurl was born in Norfolk, Nebraska. Many years later, Mr. Ravenscroft moved to California to study at the Otis Art Institute. In the late 1940’s, Thurl joined the singing group The Mellomen who sang back up for the likes of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. The Mellomen also sang for a few of Walt Disney’s animated films including Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp and Alice in Wonderland. But it was Thurl’s distinctive voice that most people know him. Thurl also sang the theme song to the original animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In addition, Thurl’s voice can also be heard in many of Disney’s theme park attractions including The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Country Bear Jamboree and the Enchanted Tiki Room. Thurl was also the original voice of Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger through 2004. Sadly, he passed away in his home on Mary 22, 2005. (Image: Wikimedia)
1981: The Brady Girls Get Married
On this day in 1981, NBC aired what was the start of a short-lived sitcom revival. Originally planned as a full-length Brady Bunch reunion movie where the two oldest daughters had a double wedding, the network decided that maybe a revival of the classic show could work. The Brady Brides featured, at least initially, the entire cast of the original show. The first three episodes focused on the wedding, and the remainder of the 10 episodes focused on Marcia and Jan (Maureen McCormick and Eve Plumb) and their new husbands (Jerry Houser and Ron Kuhlman) settling in their new house the foursome would share together. Marcia and her husband, Wally were the fun-loving couple while Jan and her husband, Philip were the more serious and conservative couple. What could go wrong? Low ratings. Even with Florence Henderson and Ann B. Davis appearing regularly, the series was cut short and this time, they couldn’t blame the ratings on Cousin Oliver.
1937: ‘Of Mice and Men’ is Published
Both the novella and the stage play of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men were published during the same year, but it was the Novella that was published for the first time on this day in 1937. In 1939, Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath and it is said that his work became more sentimental with the following works of Cannery Row and The Pearl. In the 1940’s he tried his hand writing movie scripts with good success for Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata (1952). In 1962, he wrote Travels with Charlie, a non-fiction book which chronicled his travels across the states with Charlie – his poodle and he won the Nobel Prize. He died in 1968.
Movies Released
- Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
- Catch That Kid (2004)
- Coraline (2009)
- He’s Just Not That Into You (2009)
- Jupiter Ascending (2015)
- Miracle (2004)
- Temple Grandin (2010)
- The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015)
TV Series Debuts
- Katy Keene (2020)
- Mozart in the Jungle (2014)
- Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999)
- Smash (2012)
Famous Birthdays
- 1895: Babe Ruth (baseball player)
- 1911: Ronald Reagan (American president)
- 1914: Thurl Ravencroft (voice actor)
- 1917: Zsa Zsa Gabor
- 1931: Rip Torn (actor)
- 1940: Tom Brokaw (journalist)
- 1943: Fabian Forte (actor)
- 1945: Bob Marley (singer)
- 1950: Natalie Cole (singer)
- 1957: Kathy Najimy (actress)
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