Writer of Pop Culture

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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for May 9

“Vertigo”, “Speed Racer”, “Friday the 13th” and lost socks.

May 12, 2020

2–3 minutes

1958: ‘Vertigo’ Premieres

Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller Vertigo premiered on this day in San Francisco, which was fitting since a good portion of the movie was filmed there. Based on the French novel D’entre les morts (From Among the Dead) by Boileau-Narcejac, the film starred Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak.

The film features John “Scottie” Ferguson, a former police detective forced into early retirement due to his extreme fear of heights and vertigo. Even so, he is hired to follow a man’s wife who is acting strange.

Vertigo was the first movie to use the in-camera effect, dolly zoom, which distorts perspective giving the audience an idea of what Scottie saw and felt on screen. (Image: Wikimedia)

National Lost Sock Memorial Day

It is better to have worn two socks and lost one than to never have worn any socks at all. No one is immune. We all have had socks that were once close to us only to turn up missing one day. Rather than morn those socks all year long, the National Lost Sock Memorial Day is observed ever year on this day.

1980: Before Jason

The first of many Friday the 13th movies debuted on this day. Teen counselors arrived at Camp Crystal a day or two before the campers. It’s the same place where young Jason Voorhees drowned in the lake many years earlier. Soon, the counselors were killed off one by one. Not exactly Shakespeare. Except for Betsy Palmer, it didn’t star any big names (unless you count the unknown Kevin Bacon.)

1662: How About a Punch, Judy?

In Victorian times, one of the first puppet shows ever featured the iconic Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. It was on this day that the duo made their first recorded appearance in England. Back then, the show was presented by one puppeteer hiding in a booth while a “bottler” would bring in the crowd. He might also accompany the show by providing music or sound effects.(Image: Wikimedia)

2008: ‘Speed Racer’ Stalls

Based on the 1960’s cartoon series, Warner Bros had high hopes when bringing a live action version of Speed Racer to theaters. It started well as the movie resembled the cartoon well. Perhaps too well. Other than true fans of the original series, people in attendance and critics just didn’t seem to get it. Much like its source material the movie was chaotic, overly long and had a thin plot. But it also had great visuals, lots of action, a great score and special effects.

Speed Racer had been in “development hell” since 1992 trading out different directors finally landing with The Wachowskis directing. The cast included Emile Hirsch (as “Speed”), Christina Ricci (Trixie), John Goodman (Pops), Susan Sarandon (Mom) and Matthew Fox (Racer X). The movie was made with a $120 million budget but only made $94 million, so not sequel.