“The Jazz Singer” premiered on October 6, 1927. The landmark film marked the transition from silent films to sound films. Directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film featured synchronized recorded music and singing, making it a significant milestone in cinema history. The story revolves around Jakie Rabinowitz, a young man from a traditional Jewish family who pursues a career as a jazz singer, causing a conflict with his family’s values. The film received an Academy Honorary Award for producer Darryl F. Zanuck. In 1996, it was preserved in the U.S. National Film Registry and ranked as one of the best American films by the American Film Institute in 1998. The film’s copyright expired in 2023, entering the public domain.
Notable:
God Speed Dick Butkus – The Monster of the Midway passes at age 80.
Coming in 2024: a new World War II drama from Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Apple TV+ is set to premiere “Masters of the Air” on Friday, Jan. 26. This true story features Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan in leading roles, portraying American pilots conducting perilous bombing missions over Nazi Germany. Produced by Hollywood legends Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Gary Goetzman, this project reunites them after their work on HBO’s “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific.” The series is a tribute to the brave men of the 8th Air Force who played a vital role in defeating Nazi Germany during World War II. The ensemble cast includes Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Rafferty Law, Josiah Cross, Branden Cook, and Ncuti Gatwa, with John Orloff as the writer for the nine-episode limited series.(TVLine)
The story behind the iconic Abbey Road album cover – The backstory behind possibly the most famous album cover ever, is remarkably simple. It features all four Beatles strolling across the street in front of the now-renamed EMI Recording Studios where they recorded their final album together. The iconic photo, taken by Iain Macmillan on August 8, 1969, exists in seven or eight different versions, captured in just about 15 minutes with the help of a patient police officer who held up traffic as Macmillan stood on a stepladder. Interestingly, Abbey Road wasn’t the album’s initial title. “Everest” was considered, named after the cigarettes engineer Geoff Emerick smoked during recording. However, the idea of traveling to the Himalayas for a photoshoot was dropped. Notably, this is the only Beatles album cover without the band’s name or album title, a design choice by John Kosh, who believed it unnecessary given the band’s unparalleled fame. And he was right. (More Iconic Album Cover Backstories)
Today in History:
1952 – Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” opens in London. It’s still running 71 years later.
1958 – Billboard Magazine first covers Payola, a scandal involving record companies influencing disc jockeys. It derails DJ Alan Freed’s career, but Dick Clark comes away unscathed.
1960 – “Spartacus”, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier, premieres in NYC. (Trailer)
1963 – Dick Dale performs “Surfin’ And A Swingin'” on The Ed Sullivan Show, alongside The Angels and other acts.
1965 – Gary Lewis And The Playboys record “She’s Just My Style“ and “Sure Gonna Miss Her.”
1965 – The Supremes release “I Hear a Symphony.”
1969 – George Harrison’s song “Something” is released as a Beatles’ single.
1973 – Cher tops the US charts with “Half-Breed.”
1976 – Rick Dees And His Cast of Idiots receive a Gold record for “Disco Duck.”
1977 – Actress Britt Eklund sues Rod Stewart for palimony.
1978 – ABBA’s Benny Anderson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad marry.
1979 – Robert John’s “Sad Eyes“ tops the Billboard Pop chart.
1987 – George Michael releases “Faith.” It will become theBillboard Song of the Year in 1988.
1980 – The Bee Gees file a $200-million lawsuit against their manager, Robert Stigwood.
1991 – Michael Jackson gives away the bride at Elizabeth Taylor’s seventh wedding held at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch. Taylor marries Larry Fortensky.
Today’s Birthdays:
1942 – Britt Ekland (age 81), actress (Wicker Man, Asylum), born in Stockholm, Sweden
1946 – Millie Small (“My Boy Lollipop“) (d. 2020)
1949 – Thomas McClary (age 74) – guitar and vocals for The Commodores (“Night Shift“)
1949 – Bobby Farrell – vocalist for Boney M (“Rivers Of Babylon”) (d. 2010)
1951 – Kevin Cronin (age 74) – keyboards for REO Speedwagon (“Keep On Loving You“)
1963 – Elisabeth Shue (age 60) – Actress (Cocktail, Back to the Future Part II), born in Wilmington, Delaware
1974 – Jeremy Sisto (Age 49) Actor (Six Feet Under), born in Grass Valley, California
