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This Day in Pop Culture for December 12

On this day in pop culture history, a family had to guess who was coming to dinner, Winona Ryder shoplifted, “The Godfather” came back for more and Pennsylvania became a state.

December 12, 2020

1967: ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?’

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy shared the screen for the last time on this day in 1967 with the release of the film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner which also starred Sidney Poitier and Katharine Houghton. Directed by Stanley Kramer, the movie explores what happens when a white woman brings her black doctor boyfriend home for dinner. The forward-thinking movie was made during a time when interracial marriages were still illegal in some parts of the United States.

Although the ground-breaking film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it only won two for Best Actress (Hepburn) and Best Story and Screenplay. (Image: TVDB)

2001: Winona Ryder is Caught Shoplifting

It was such strange news when on this day Winona Ryder was caught shoplifting at a Sakes Fifth Avenue department store in Beverly Hills. She was arrested for allegedly stealing $5,500 worth of clothes and accessories and using drugs like oxycodone, diazepam, and Vicodin without a valid prescription. The latter charges were dropped when it proved that a doctor had prescribed those drugs for her. However, one year later, she was sentenced for her crimes.

Ryder was put on probation for three years, ordered to serve 480 hours of community service, pay $3,700 in fines and another $6,355 to the department store. By 2005, Ryder had served her community service, and her probation ended.

So, why did Ryder do it? She has said that she was going through a hard time and was in pain, but the medication that Dr. Jules Mark Lusman gave her clouded her judgement. Eventually, he had his medical license revoked for his unethical prescriptions.

1974: The Godfather Comes Back

Lightning struck twice with The Godfather Part II. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, it serves as both a sequel and prequel to the first award-winning film. It is loosely based on Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather. (Puzo also co-wrote the screenplay for this movie.) It picks up where the 1972 film left off with Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) leading as the new Don of the Corleone family while it also tells the story of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert DeNiro) and his rise to his family’s establishment.

Initially, the response from critic was mixed with some stating that it was better than the first while other dismissed it altogether. However, today, many critics considers it one of the best movies ever done and on par with the first. The movie also starred Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Mariana Hill, Michael V. Gazzo and Lee Strasberg.

The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor (De Niro won, but Gazzo and Strasberg were also in the running), Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction and Dramatic Score.

1966: ‘A Man for All Seasons’ Wins Big

The British film, A Man for All Seasons, which was released in theaters on this day, won big at the 39th Academy Awards winning six of the eight awards for which it was nominated for including Best Picture, Director, Actor, Screenplay (based on material from another medium), Cinematography and Costume Design.

Directed by Fred Zinnemann, the historical drama was adapted from Robert Bolt’s play of the same name. The story is about the final years of 16th-century Lord Chancellor of England, Sir Thomas More. The movie starred Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Leo McKern, Orson Welles, Robert Shaw, Susannah York, Vanessa Redgrave and John Hurt.