Saturday, June 16, 2007

 

Spotlight: Psycho premiered on this date in 1960 and changed the way we look at innocent pastimes like taking a shower, stopping off at a small out-of-the-way motel or taxidermy. It remains the movie that stars Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins are best remembered for, despite the fact that Leigh doesn't make it past the famous shower scene, less than halfway into the film. Director Alfred Hitchcock insisted that viewers not be admitted into the theater once the movie had already begun; lines formed outside the movie theaters well before each viewing. Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock's greatest films and is always found on lists of film history's top thrillers.

Quote: "A boy's best friend is his mother." — Norman Bates, Psycho

Today's News:

• Hamas: takes over Gaza, grants amnesty to leaders of rival Fatah (story)
• asthma: tied to use of antibiotics in early childhood (story)
• Oprah: is tops on Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list (story)
• Kelly Clarkson: cancels summer tour over disappointing ticket sales (story)

Today's History:

• Abraham Lincoln: warned of disunion due to slavery: "A house divided against itself cannot stand" (1858)
• New Deal: economic recovery acts were signed by President Roosevelt; he promised 1 million jobs in 4 months (1933)
• Valentina Tereshkova: cosmonaut became the first woman in space (1963)

Today's Birthdays:

• Geronimo (1829-1909): Apache leader and warrior
• Irving Penn (90): prolific fashion photographer
• Erich Segal (70): author, Love Story
• Joyce Carol Oates (69): American author, them
• Tupac Shakur (1971-1996): rapper, 2Pacalypse Now