Writer of Pop Culture

Cool and refreshing news about pop culture and entertainment.

This Day in Pop Culture for February 9

Carmen Miranda was born, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit went back to Disney and “Cimarron”, the first Western to win a Best Picture Oscar, opened in theaters.

February 24, 2020

2–3 minutes

1909: Carmen Miranda is Born

While you may not know Carmen Miranda by name, you’ve no doubt seen photos or at least tributes to the Brazilian singer and dancer known for wearing very tall hats stuffed with fruit. Carmen was born on this day in 1909.

Before her performing career, she sold ties at age 14. She recorded here first single, “Samba Não vá Simbora” in 1929 and appeared on film for the first time in 1932. Her first appearance in an American film was in Down Argentine Way (1940), but her native country became skeptical of her claiming that she gave into American commercialism. She appeared in numerous films including That Night in Rio with Don Ameche (1941) and Copacabana with Groucho Marx (1947). Many assume that Carmen appeared in Disney’s The Three Caballeros dancing with Donald Duck, but that was her sister Aurora.

It was also Carmen’s image that inspired the Chiquita Banana logo in 1943. (Image: Wikimedia)

Today in National Pizza Day

1931: The First Western to Win a Best Picture Oscar

Set during 1889 when the government opened up the Oklahoma territory for settlement. Cimarron is about a young couple who move to make a way of life there. Newspaper editor Yancey Cravat (Richard Dix) and his wife Sabra (Irene Dunne) start up the Oklahoma Wigwam newspaper in Osage and face numerous challenges both personally and professionally.

Directed by Wesley Ruggles, Cimarron was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won three for Best Picture, Best Writing Adaptation and Best Art Direction. It was the first Western movie to win the Best Picture award.

A remake of the movie was made in 1960 which starred Glenn Ford and Maria Schell. Though the second film was nominated for two Oscars (winning neither of them) the movie failed to earn a profit in theaters.

2006: Oswald is Given Back to Disney

In 1929, Walt Disney created the first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon for Universal. It turned out to be raw deal with Disney losing the rights to the character that he created. However, many years later on this day in 2006, he was restored to the Disney Company. Here’s how: CEO Bob Iger began a conversation with NBCUniversal hoping to work out a trade. Iger traded sportscaster Al Michaels (from ABC and ESPN) for the rights to the Oswald character and 27 shorts that Disney personally worked on. In January 2023, Oswald entered the public domain and in 2024, filmmakers plan to release a horror film of the character.