This Day in Pop Culture: April 10

It’s amazing how quickly some pop culture events catch on. Like the 3D movie craze (check out the woman below who apparently insisted on not wearing those glasses – bet she got a headache.) All these years later and the novelty really hasn’t worn off all that much. Jurassic Park was re-released in 3D 2013 for its 20th anniversary.

1953: First Color 3D Movie Premieres

Warner Bros. is responsible for the first colored 3D movie, House of Wax, which was released to theaters for the first time on this day in 1953. The movie which starred Vincent Price and ushered in a new pop culture novelty, premiered two days after the world’s first black-and-white 3D movie, Man in the Dark, was presented by Columbia Pictures.

House of Wax was also the first 3D movie to feature stereophonic sound at a regular movie theater. It was one the biggest hits of that year, earning about $5.5 million and revitalized Price’s career creating a high demand for him to play other crazed maniac roles. The movie has been so historic, it was re-released to theaters in 1971 and again in the 1980’s. And of course, 3D glasses were included!

1983: ‘Casablanca’ – the TV Show?

Set one year before the events that happen in the 1942 movie, a TV series based on Casablanca doesn’t sound too bad. Unfortunately, the ratings said otherwise.

NBC only filmed five episodes of the show that starred David Soul as Rick Blaine, Hector Elizondo as Captain Louis Renault, Ray Liotta as bartender Sacha and Scatman Crothers as Sam. Landing in the 91st slot on Nielsen’s ratings list, the show was cancelled after episode three. However, for those who wanted to know how the series ended, the show’s last two episodes aired just before the 1984 fall TV season.

This wasn’t TV’s first try at making a hit from the classic movie. ABC tried it first in 1955 as part of Warner Bros. Presents. The show was a “wheel series” where four different series aired in rotating order.

The show’s director, John Peyser wanted to hire Anthony Quinn to play Rick, but Warner Bros. refused and chose Charles McGraw instead – someone Peyser described as someone who “couldn’t act his way out of a hat.” This Casablanca was mildly more successful ending after 10 episodes.

1925: ‘The Great Gatsby’ is Published

F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ginevra King and the cover of "The Great Gatsby book. — F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ginevra King *(Wikipedia)*

Published on this day in 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby was set in the fictional town of West Egg on Long Island in 1922. The story centers on the young millionaire, Jay Gatsby and his obsession with the former debutante, Daisy Buchanan. It is believed that Fitzgerald’s own romance with socialite Ginevra King inspired the novel.

With themes dealing with decadence, idealism and social upheaval with the American Dream, many have described the story as a cautionary tale. When it was first published, the book received mixed reviews and did not sell well – only 20,000 copies of the book were sold during the first year. Sadly, Fitzgerald died in 1940 feeling as if he were a failure. But after World War II, the book experienced a revival and today is considered a literary classic that is often used with English studies in American high schools.