Monday, August 25, 2008

Spotlight: Happy birthday to Sean Connery, who turns 78 today. The Scottish actor was the first to play James Bond in the movies, and — even though he has worked strenuously to prove that he can portray characters very different from the superspy — to many, he remains the consummate Bond. Connery was a high school dropout who worked as a milkman, coffin polisher and male model (he placed third in the tall man's division of 1953's Mr. Universe competition) before he auditioned for, and won, his first stage role, as a chorus member in South Pacific. The positive experience sparked his interest in pursuing a career in acting. In 1987, Connery received an Academy Award for his role as patrolman Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables.

Quote: "There is nothing like a challenge to bring out the best in man." — Sean Connery

Question of the Day: What kings has Sean Connery played in which films?
Sean Connery has played four kings: "King" Daniel Dravot, in The Man Who Would Be King (1975), King Agamemnon in Time Bandits (1981)...

Purple

Word of the day: purple prose
A term of literary criticism, purple prose is used to describe passages, or sometimes entire literary works, written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensuously evocative beyond the requirements of its context. It also refers to writing that employs certain rhetorical effects such as exaggerated sentiment or pathos in an attempt to manipulate a reader's response. (© Wikipedia)

Today's History:

A Street Sign in New Orleans

• New Orleans: was founded by French colonists (1718)
• Great Moon Hoax: the first of six articles appeared in The New York Sun, discussing a variety of animal life supposedly discovered on the moon (1835)
• English Channel: was swum for the first time, by Matthew Webb (1875); he died eight years later attempting a swim in the rapids beneath Niagara Falls

Today's Birthdays:

Rachael Ray

• Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990): composer and conductor, West Side Story, Candide; musicians Gene Simmons (59), Rob Halford (57), Elvis Costello (54), Billy Ray Cyrus (47) and Jo Dee Messina (38)
• Althea Gibson (1927-2003): tennis champ; athletes Rollie Fingers (62), Albert Belle (42), Robert Horry (38) and Marvin Harrison (36) share this birth date
• Tom Skerritt (75): star of Picket Fences; also, actors Van Johnson (92), Mel Ferrer (1917-2008), Anthony Heald (64), Anne Archer (61), John Savage (59), Blair Underwood (44), Claudia Schiffer (38), Eric Millegan (34) and Rachel Bilson (27)
• Tim Burton (50): director, Beetlejuice; also, filmmakers Hugh Hudson (72), John Badham (69) and Marshall Brickman (67)
• Rachael Ray (40): TV chef; also, TV hosts Monty Hall (87) and Regis Philbin (77)