1960s Timeline

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Sep 7, 2021

Rita Hayworth Divorces Fifth Husband on Grounds of "Extreme Mental Cruelty"

Sept. 7, 1961 - Rita Hayworth, 42, was granted a divorce today from her fifth husband, James Hill (left), a producer, when she testified he was no longer interested in being married. California Superior Judge Orlando H. Rhodes granted an interlocutory decree to the actress on grounds of extreme mental cruelty by Mr. Hill. Miss Hayworth's four previous marriages, all of which ended in divorce, were to Edward C. Judson, Orson Welles, Prince Aly Khan, and Dick Haymes. #movienigh

Sep 6, 2021

Movies: "The Hustler"

Sept. 6, 1961 - "The Hustler" will follow "The Big Gamble" into New York's Paramount Theatre. Robert Rossen directed and produced the 20th Century-Fox drama about pool sharks. Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, and Piper Laurie have leading roles. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #film #films #classicmovies #celebrities #pool #billiards

Sep 5, 2021

Movies: "Two Weeks in Another Town"

Sept. 5, 1961 - George Hamilton (left) will play a leading role in "Two Weeks in Another Town," the film version of Irwin Shaw's novel that will start production in Rome next month. Vincente Minelli will direct the MGM release, with Kirk Douglas, Cyd Charisse, Edward G. Robinson, and Claire Trevor in the cast. After spending three years in an asylum, a washed-up actor (Douglas) views a minor assignment from his old director (Robinson) in Rome as a chance for personal and prof

Sep 5, 2021

TV: Henry Fonda Succeeds on Small Screen Too

Sept. 5, 1961 - Henry Fonda seems to be doing well in his relatively new role as television host and narrator. CBS-TV announced today that Mr. Fonda would be the host-narrator of "The Good Years," an adaptation of Walter Lord's book, which will be televised Jan. 12 from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The announcement said Mr. Fonda would act in several scenes in "The Good Years," which deals with the years before World War I. Last year, Mr. Fonda was the TV host for "The Fabulous Fifties."

Sep 5, 2021

Movies: "The Manchurian Candidate," with Laurence Harvey and Frank Sinatra

Sept. 5, 1961 - Laurence Harvey has been signed for the title role in "The Manchurian Candidate," the Richard Condon novel, which will be filmed early next year with Frank Sinatra heading the cast. George Axelrod, the playwright-turned-Hollywood-producer, said he had completed a screenplay for the psychological suspense drama dealing with "a brainwashed Korean War veteran who works as an unwitting spy during the McCarthy era." Discussions are being held with Anne Bancroft to

Sep 4, 2021

Movies: 20th Century-Fox Plans Film on Gen. George S. Patton Jr.

Sept. 4, 1961 - A movie about the life of the late Gen. George S. Patton Jr. (pictured) is scheduled to be made for 20th Century-Fox next year. The movie will be made by Frank McCarthy, a staff producer at Fox. Mr. McCarthy's present plan is to cover General Patton's career from his graduation at West Point in 1909 until his death in an auto accident on Dec. 21, 1945. During the war, Mr. McCarthy was secretary to Gen. George C. Marshall, Army Chief of Staff. In this capacity,

Sep 3, 2021

Movies: "Nikki, Wild Dog of the North"

Sept. 3, 1961 - "Nikki, Wild Dog of the North" and "The Sign of Zorro," two adventures presented by Walt Disney, will open this week as a double feature. "Nikki," with Jean Coutu and Emile Genest in the leading roles, was photographed in color in the Canadian Rockies. The film tells the story of a dog separated from his owner. In the second film, Guy Williams repeats his starring role in the adaptation of the television series. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #film #fil

Sep 2, 2021

Movies: "Splendor in the Grass" with Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood

Sept. 2, 1961 - Warner Brothers, in an effort to stimulate advance interest in their expensive new film, "Splendor in the Grass," scheduled today a paid public "preview" of the film at two New York theatres, to take place a month before opening. By holding audience previews, the film company hopes to create favorable "word of mouth" for the high-budget film with a reportedly controversial subject, which lacks the usual "star" box-office names. The original screenplay by Willi

Sep 1, 2021

Movies: "Bridge to the Sun" with Carroll Baker

Sept. 1, 1961 - Carroll Baker (left) scored a personal success in Venice with her performance in the official American entry, "Bridge to the Sun." The audience greeted her with loud applause at the film's end, and this morning's newspapers, despite reservations regarding the movie, had words of praise for her effort. Based on a true story, the drama relates the difficulties of a young woman married to a Japanese diplomat during World War II. #movienight #movietime #movie #mov

Aug 31, 2021

Movies: "Fanny" Sets Box-Office Record at Radio City

Aug. 31, 1961 - "Fanny," which started its ninth and final week at the Radio City Music Hall today, grossed a total of $1,432,292 in its first eight weeks, setting a record for the theatre. The film, starring Leslie Caron, Horst Buchholz, Maurice Chevalier, and Charles Boyer, is about a love triangle between a young woman, a rich older man, and an aspiring sailor. It is set in early-20th-century Marseilles. "Fanny" is based upon the stage musical of the same name, but there a

Aug 31, 2021

Movies: 20th Century-Fox Postpones "The Greatest Story Ever Told"

Aug. 31, 1961 - Twentieth Century-Fox has "indefinitely postponed" its multimillion dollar production of "The Greatest Story Ever Told," Spyros P. Skouras, president of Fox, said today. Mr. Skouras declined to give a reason for the postponement. One probable conflict is a rival film based on the life of Jesus, "King of Kings," which MGM will release in October. It is understood that more than $3 million had already been spent on "The Greatest Story." Max von Sydow, Swedish ac

Aug 30, 2021

Charles Coburn Dead at 84, Won Oscar in 1943

Aug. 30, 1961 - Charles Coburn (pictured with Marilyn Monroe in 1953), whose career in show business covered 68 years, died today of heart failure at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital. He was 84 years old. In 1943, Mr. Coburn won an Academy Award for a supporting role in "The More the Merrier," a light satire of housing conditions in wartime Washington. He was an Oscar nominee for two other pictures, "The Green Years" (1946) and "The Devil and Miss Jones" (1941). Other films in

Aug 29, 2021

Movies: "The Great War," with Vittorio Gassman and Silvana Mangano

Aug. 29, 1961 - "The Great War," an Italian-made drama, is opening at New York's Trans-Lux Theatre (with subtitles). Vittorio Gassman and Silvana Mangano have leading roles in the release directed by Mario Monicelli. The film tells the story of an odd couple of army buddies in World War I. While played on a comedic register, it does not hide from viewers the horrors of trench warfare. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #film #films #classicmovies #celebrities #foreignfilm

Aug 28, 2021

Movies: Rex Harrison to Play Julius Caesar in "Cleopatra"

Aug. 28, 1961 - Rex Harrison has been signed to portray Julius Caesar in 20th Century-Fox’s "Cleopatra," which director Joseph Mankiewicz will place before the cameras on Sept. 18 in Rome. The British actor will join a cast that so far includes Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Roddy McDowall. Mr. Harrison was last seen on the big screen last year in "Midnight Lace" with Doris Day and John Gavin. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #film #films #classicmovies #celebriti

Aug 27, 2021

TV: Swedish Actress Ingrid Thulin to Star in "Intermezzo" on NBC

Aug. 27, 1961 - Ingrid Thulin, one of the leading actresses in Sweden, will star in "Intermezzo" over the NBC-TV network on Nov. 19 from 10 to 11 p.m. Miss Thulin, a member of director Ingmar Bergman's "varsity," will be making her television debut in this country. She will play a role that was filled by another Swedish actress, Ingrid Bergman, in the 1939 film "Intermezzo." The TV drama will be adapted from the David O. Selznick movie. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #

Aug 27, 2021

36-Year-Old Actress Gail Russell Found Dead in her L.A. Apartment

Aug. 27, 1961 - Gail Russell, film actress, was found dead in her Los Angeles apartment today. The body of the 36-year-old wife of Guy Madison, TV and film actor, was found by two neighbors because they had not seen her for several days. The body was found on the living room floor. The police said there was an empty vodka bottle near the body and several other empty vodka bottles in the kitchen and bedroom. Miss Russell, who was named in 1947 as a critics' selection for "star

Aug 25, 2021

Movies: Jane Fonda, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. to Co-Star in "The Chapman Report"

Aug. 25, 1961 - Jane Fonda and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. have been cast in "The Chapman Report," a Technicolor drama by Warner Brothers that will be directed by George Cukor. Based on the best-selling novel by Irving Wallace that was inspired by the Kinsey Report, the film follows the personal lives of four women (Claire Bloom, Jane Fonda, Shelley Winters, and Glynis Johns) with four separate sexual neuroses, ranging from frigidity to nymphomania. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. plays a resea

Aug 25, 2021

Actress Mercedes McCambridge Sued for Divorce

Aug. 25, 1961 - Mercedes McCambridge, actress, is being sued for divorce by her husband, Fletcher Markle, movie director and producer. Mr. Markle filed the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court today. Miss McCambridge, who won an Oscar for her performance in "All the King's Men" (1949), has battled alcoholism, and she has been hospitalized several times after bouts of heavy drinking. She married Mr. Markle in 1950. #movienight #movietime #movie #movies #film #films #classicmovie

Aug 24, 2021

Movies: Jewison to Direct "40 Pounds of Trouble" for Tony Curtis's New Production Company

Aug. 24, 1961 - "40 Pounds of Trouble," a comedy film, will be the first feature that Curtleigh Productions, Tony Curtis's independent company, will make for Universal release. The film will be directed by Hollywood newcomer Norman Jewison and will star Mr. Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette. The film is a retelling of Damon Runyon's 1932 short story "Little Miss Marker." Hilarity ensues when a casino manager spends a day at Disneyland with a cute but troublesome little girl. #movi

Aug 24, 2021

Audrey Meadows of "The Honeymooners" Marries President of Continental Air Lines

Aug. 24, 1961 - Robert F. Six, president of Continental Air Lines, and Audrey Meadows, the actress best known for her role as Alice Kramden on the CBS-TV show "The Honeymooners," were married today in Honolulu. The marriage was the third for Mr. Six and the second for Miss Meadows. Mr. Six's second wife was Ethel Merman, the singer. Miss Meadows said she would continue her television and motion work. She has a role in the comedy romance, "That Touch of Mink," currently filmin