Film Historian Jim Patterson with October 6 Highlights in Film History

October 6 in Motion Picture history

Jim Patterson, Writer/Speaker.Film Historian  

1889 American inventor Thomas Edison shows his 1st motion picture. A little more than 3 minutes of the film is at Youtube. Film includes photos of Edison, film equipment, a man riding a horse, buffalo running, people dancing  and performing tricks. Film is in pretty good shape for its age.

1921 Century Theater opens at 7th Ave & 59th St NYC (demolished 1962). The theatre underwent several name changes over the years. As the Central Park Theatre, it was operated as a movie house. It then became the Shakespeare Theatre, the Molly Picon Theatre, the Venice Theatre, and twice reverted to Jolson Theatre, honoring Jolson, before finally being refurbished and reopened as the New Century on April 8, 1944.Its place in theatrical history was established in 1937 when Orson Welles and his Federal Theatre Project troupe marched their production of The Cradle Will Rock into what was then called the Venice Theatre and performed the musical from seats in the audience in defiance of Actors Equity. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, NBC used the New Century for live television programs performed before a studio audience. The theatre was shuttered in 1954 and demolished in 1962.

1927 "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, 1st movie with a sound track, premieres in New York City. Cast included May McAvoy, Warner Oland and Yossele Rosenblatt. The “talkies” were in. Songs included “Blue Skies,” “My Mammy,” “Toot, Toot, Tootsie,” and “Mother of Mine, I still Have you.” See the whole film at Youtube.

1974 "Mack & Mabel" opens at Majestic Theater NYC for 66 performances. It was a romance between early film director Mack Sennett (Keystone Kops) and Mable Normand, one of his biggest stars who died of TB in 1930. Robert Preston and Bernadette Peters were the leads. See musical clips on YouTube.

Famous Births:

1906 Janet Gaynor, actress (“Sunrise,” “A Star Is Born”), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Oscar for “Sunrise.”  Nominated for 1938 version of “A Star is Born.”

1908 Carol Lombard [Jane Alice Peters], American actress (My Man Godfrey, In Name Only), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana

1936 Anna Quayle, actress (Mistress Pamela) TV work “The Avengers” and “Brideshead Revisited.”  Films “The Seven Per Cent Solution.”

Famous Death:

1962 Tod Browning, American film director “Freaks” and “Dracula” (b. 1880) Director 1915 to 1939

1980 Ray Walker, actor (Baby Take a Bow), dies co-star of Shirley Temple.

1989 Bette Davis, US actress (All About Eve, White Mama), dies at 81. Starred in “The Whales of August” 1987 with Lillian Gish.  

2000 Richard Farnsworth, American actor (b. 1930)

2014 Marian Seldes, American actress, dies at 86 Film, Theater, Radio, TV, recordings Major talent. 


About Jim Patterson

Jim Patterson is a Washington DC-based writer and speaker on silent and international films. He began a friendship with actress Lillian Gish in the early 1970s and learned from her film history, writing, research, speaking, and how to stay active and productive throughout life. For assignments contact Jim Patterson JEPWriter@gmail.com  Jim's Writing credentials are posted at JEPWriter.blogspot.com