1960s Timeline

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Mar 3

Sophia Loren's Sister Marries Son of Mussolini in Chaotic Scene

Mar. 3, 1962 - Romano Mussolini, jazz pianist and son of Benito Mussolini, today married Anna Maria Scicolone, sister of film star Sophia Loren (pictured at the wedding), in a scene of almost complete confusion. About 2,000 persons crowded into the Church of St. Anthony in Predappio, Italy, while 5,000 filled the square outside. Photographers swarmed around the couple inside the church. At one point, they prevented the Bishop, who officiated at the wedding, from approaching t

Mar 2

Movies: "Sweet Bird of Youth" with Paul Newman, Geraldine Page

Mar. 2, 1962 - “Sweet Bird of Youth,” the MGM version of Tennessee Williams’ play co-starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page in their original stage roles, will follow “Sergeant’s 3” at New York’s Capitol Theatre. Richard Brooks adapted and directed the production. The supporting cast is headed by Ed Begley, Mildred Dunnock, Rip Torn, and Shirley Knight. #classicmovies #classicmoviestars #1960s #Movies #moviestar #movieset #MovieStars #moviescene #moviescenes #moviestagram #M

Feb 27

Movies: Truffaut's "Jules and Jim"

Feb. 27, 1962 - “Jules and Jim,” a new French film teaming the “New Wave’s” leading dramatic actress, Jeanne Moreau (pictured right with Oskar Werner), with one of its most gifted young directors, Francois Truffaut, will be released in New York this spring. The film is currently playing in three Parisian theatres, after opening last month to enthusiastic critical praise. This is the third film by the 31-year-old director, who won the New York Film Critics award for his first

Feb 26

Oscar Nominations Announced

Feb. 26, 1962 - Nominations in the annual competition for Oscars were announced today by the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. Named in the best picture category were: “Fanny,” “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Hustler,” “Judgment at Nuremberg,” and “West Side Story.” Nominees for the best performance by an actor were: Charles Boyer, “Fanny”; Paul Newman, “The Hustler”; Maximilian Schell (pictured) and Spencer Tracy, “Judgment at Nuremberg”; and Stuart Whitman, “The Mar

Feb 26

Queen Elizabeth II Braves Snowstorm to See "West Side Story"

Feb. 26, 1962 - Queen Elizabeth II braved a London snowstorm today to go to the movies. For the first time in four years, she attended the Royal Film Show to see the American movie version of “West Side Story.” The Royal party met 16 movie stars singled out for presentation. The Queen chatted with singer Pat Boone, Claudia Cardinale (pictured left), Italian movie star, and Melina Mercouri, Greek movie star. She told Yul Brynner she enjoyed his work and congratulated him on hi

Feb 23

William Bendix Leaves Play After Conflict with George C. Scott

Feb. 23, 1962 - William Bendix (pictured), veteran film actor, has dropped out of the title role in “General Seeger,” the Ira Levin dramatic play that completes a two-week run in Detroit tonight. The actor, who gave his last performance in the play Thursday night, said today that he withdrew because of a difference of opinion over the role’s interpretation with George C. Scott, the director and co-producer of the venture. Mr. Scott, last seen as an actor on screen in “The Hus

Feb 22

Frank Sinatra and Juliet Prowse Call Off Wedding

Feb. 22, 1962 - Juliet Prowse and Frank Sinatra (pictured in 1959) today issued a joint statement which called off their planned wedding. The statement gave “a conflict of career interests” as the reason. The couple had announced in January their plans to wed. Miss Prowse met Mr. Sinatra on the set of “Can-Can,” in which she appeared. She went on to appear with Mr. Sinatra on the 1959 “Frank Sinatra Show,” on which she would sing in the chorus with other guests or Mr. Sinatra

Feb 22

Movies: Arthur Kennedy Replaces Edmond O'Brien on "Lawrence of Arabia"

Feb. 22, 1962 - Arthur Kennedy (pictured between Peter O’Toole and David Lean) has been signed to replace Edmond O’Brien in the role of an American newspaper man in “Lawrence of Arabia,” now being produced by Sam Spiegel for presentation by Columbia Pictures. Mr. O’Brien had a heart attack during filming and is currently recuperating in California. Mr. Kennedy will go before the cameras in Spain, where the company is filming location sequences. #classicmovies #classicmoviesta

Feb 21

Movies: Frank Overton Cast as Sheriff in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Feb. 21, 1962 - Frank Overton (left), stage and film actor, has been signed by Alan Pakula, the producer, for the role of the sheriff in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize novel now before the cameras at Universal. Mr. Overton’s Broadway credits include “The Desperate Hours” (1954), “The Trip to Bountiful” (1953), “Truckline Cafe” (1945) and “Jacobowsky and the Colonel” (1943). He has appeared on numerous television programs since, the earl

Feb 19

"Anna Christie" (1930) Gets Production Board Approval 32 Years Later

Feb. 19, 1962 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer today obtained a seal of approval for “Anna Christie” (1930) from the Production Code Authority. The studio thus maintained, almost at the last minute, its record of never having released a movie without a seal from the industry’s self-censoring body. “Anna Christie,” the first film in which Greta Garbo’s voice was heard, will be revived Wednesday at the Eighth Street Playhouse in New York. It was adapted from the Eugene O’Neill Pulitzer Pr

Feb 19

Elizabeth Taylor Out of Hospital, 20th Century-Fox Relieved

Feb. 19, 1962 - Twentieth Century-Fox heaved a $20 million sigh of relief today when it learned that Elizabeth Taylor would return to work in Rome this week. The star’s brief hospitalization because of food poisoning and exhaustion demonstrated how the fate of “Cleopatra,” the most expensive movie in history, is dependent on the health of one person. It also indicated how the future of the entire Fox studio is affected by the well-being of Miss Taylor. If she was unable to co

Feb 17

Movies: "Walk on the Wild Side" with Jane Fonda and Laurence Harvey

Feb. 17, 1962 - Opening this week in local theatres is “Walk on the Wild Side,” a dramatic film directed by Edward Dmytryk and featuring Laurence Harvey, Jane Fonda, Capucine, and Barbara Stanwyck in the cast. It was adapted from the 1956 novel “A Walk on the Wild Side” by American author Nelson Algren. A man (Harvey) arrives in New Orleans searching for his former girlfriend (Fonda), an artist who now works in a bordello. #classicmovies #classicmoviestars #1960s #Movies #mov

Feb 16

Movies: Jessica Tandy Signed to Appear in Hitchcock's "The Birds"

Feb. 16, 1962 - Jessica Tandy has been signed for a co-starring role with Rod Taylor in Alfred Hitchcock’s forthcoming “The Birds,” which Evan Hunter has adapted from a Daphne du Maurier story. The project goes before the cameras early next month. The story deals with a California community that is attacked by flocks of birds kamikaze style. #classicmovies #classicmoviestars #1960s #Movies #moviestar #movieset #MovieStars #moviescene #moviescenes #moviestagram #MovieStill #c

Feb 15

Movies: Don Weis to Direct Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in "Critic's Choice"

Feb. 15, 1962 - Don Weis has been signed to direct the comedy film “Critic’s Choice,” which goes before the cameras at Warner Brothers on March 19. The Ira Levin play will have Lucille Ball and Bob Hope in the leading roles. Supporting roles will be played by Rip Torn, Marilyn Maxwell, Jim Backus, and Marie Windsor. Parker Ballantine (Hope) is a New York theater critic. His wife (Ball) writes a play that may not be very good. Now, Parker must either get out of reviewing the p

Feb 15

Character Actor Vladimir Sokoloff Dead at 72

Feb. 15, 1962 - Vladimir Sokoloff, character actor who once estimated he had portrayed 35 different nationalities during his 50-year career, died of a stroke in his sleep last night at his home. He was 72 years old. Mr. Sokoloff suffered painful injuries last November in Argentina when he fell from a horse during the filming of “Taras Bulba.” Among the Hollywood moves he performed in were “Juarez” (1939, pictured) “Road to Morocco” (1942), “Cloak and Dagger” (1946), “Macao” (

Feb 14

Houk Joins Production of "Safe at Home" to the Amusement of Yankee Players

Feb. 14, 1962 - The Yankees went Hollywood today, and for more than four hours Manager Ralph Houk’s well-regulated training camp became a merry shambles. The occasion was the first shooting of scenes in Columbia Pictures’ forthcoming film, “Safe at Home,” featuring Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, and with William Frawley (right) playing the role of a Yankee coach. In an unguarded moment, Houk (left) allowed himself to get involved in the act. “Well,” agreed the Yankees’ skippe

Feb 14

ActressPier Angeli Weds in London

Feb. 14, 1962 - Pier Angeli (left), 29-year-old film actress, was married in London today to Armando Trovajoli (right), an Italian band leader. Miss Angeli’s previous marriage, to Vic Damone, American singer, was dissolved in 1959. She has a 6-year-old son by that marriage. #classicmovies #classicmoviestars #1960s #Movies #moviestar #movieset #MovieStars #moviescene #moviescenes #moviestagram #MovieStill #celebrities #MovieStills #moviescreen #Moviesnight #moviestime #movies

Feb 13

Movies: "The Explosive Generation" with William Shatner

Feb. 13, 1962 - Today’s new film is “The Explosive Generation,” a United Artists drama with William Shatner and Patty McCormack, at neighborhood theatres. Buzz Kulik directed. A high school teacher (Shatner) gets in trouble when he tries to teach a class in sex education. #classicmovies #classicmoviestars #1960s #Movies #moviestar #movieset #MovieStars #moviescene #moviescenes #moviestagram #MovieStill #celebrities #MovieStills #moviescreen #Moviesnight #moviestime #movieser

Feb 13

Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" Set to Open this Spring

Feb. 13, 1962 - Stanley Kubrick’s film version of “Lolita,” which has been described as a “faithful adaptation” of the controversial novel by Vladimir Nabokov, will be released this spring by MGM. The world distribution arrangement was made after the company had received assurance that the film would not be condemned by the National Legion of Decency. According to a source close to the production, the Roman Catholic reviewing organization has agreed to place the film in a “se

Feb 12

More Children Getting Key Hollywood Roles

Feb. 12, 1962 - Hollywood is betting millions that children in key roles will not ruin movies. This marks a reversal of the industry’s recent resistance to films that rely heavily on performances by children. Mainly, this reversal has resulted from the pressure for “family” movies and the success of Walt Disney films. At least seven movies released last year had children in important roles. Three more have been completed but have not yet been released, and five others are bei