This Day in Pop Culture for February 8
First Star is Presented on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
On this day in 1960, the sidewalks in Hollywood began to crumble as actress Joanne Woodward was the first star to have a star dedicated to them. After the official groundbreaking ceremony, construction continued for 16 months installing 1,500 others stars belonging to actors, musicians, fictional characters and filmmakers. The stars, placed on both sides of Hollywood Boulevard, stretch from Gower to La Brea (15 blocks) and another row are placed on Vine Street from Yucca to Sunset (three blocks). The Hollywood Walk of Fame currently holds more than 2,500 terrazzo and brass stars with about 20 added each year.
‘Witness’ Arrives in Theaters
Witness, the American crime thriller about an Amish boy who was a “witness” to a murder, arrived in theaters on this day in 1985. Directed by Peter Weir, the movie starred Harrison Ford and Kelly McGillis. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards (including Harrison Ford’s only nomination to date) and won two for “Best Original Screenplay” and “Best Film Editing.” However, the movie was not a hit by those living in the Amish communities where the movie was filmed as they felt that the movie did not portray them accurately. They also voiced concerns that more tourists would come by to stare at them due to the popularity of the film.
Birthdays
- 1828: Jules Verne (author)
- 1914: Bill Finger (co-creator of Batman)
- 1921: Lana Turner (actress)
- 1922: Audrey Meadows (actress)
- 1925: Jack Lemmon (actor)
- 1931: James Dean (actor)
- 1932: John Williams (composer)
- 1940: Ted Koppel (journalist)
- 1941: Nick Nolte (actor)
- 1953: Mary Steenburgen (actress)
- 1955: John Grisham (author)
- 1968: Gary Coleman (actor)
- 1969: Mary McCormack (actress)
- 1974: Seth Green (actor)
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