| July 2 |
| Wednesday July the 2nd 1916 -- Curtis Wain Gates is born today in Lamar, Colorado. Don't read ahead, but watch how his life unfolded and see if you know who he is. A., he's born into a family of singers, including his father, who's also the county sheriff; B., a one-time son-in-law of John Ford, he has key roles in two John Wayne westerns, 'The Searchers' and 'The Alamo;' C., he also appears in one of the classically bad science-fiction films, 1959's 'Attack of the Killer Shrews;' and D., he's a singer for both the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and The Sons of the Pioneers. No? Then try E., his most famous role was in television's longest-running Western and his character was as likely to be over at the Long Branch coolin' his parched tongue as he was to be saying something along the lines of 'Why Doc, you ol' sun-tarred braggedy-braggedy bag a' bones . . . ' That's right; it's Ken ('Festus') Curtis of 'Gunsmoke' fame, and it's a testament of his under-appreciated ability that he was so able to immerse himself in his character. Ken's last filmed appearance, 'Conagher,' with Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross and Barry Corbin, aired July 1st, 1991, the day before what would have been Ken's 75th birthday, but Ken had died in his sleep two months earlier in Fresno, California. It was a peaceful end for a cowboy'd spent so much ridin' the trail. 1932 -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt makes the first presidential nomination-acceptance speech to be broadcast nationwide on radio. 1941 -- comedy-mystery 'The Adventures of the Thin Man.' Dashiell Hammett's creation were portrayed memorably by William Powell and Myrna Loy on film; Les Damon and Claudia Morgan on radio; and on television from 1957-1960 by Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk. 1955 -- ABC premieres 'The Lawrence Welk Show.' Previously shown only in Los Angeles, Lawrence begins a 27-year-run in network and syndication. 1973 -- Betty Grable, whose television appearances included 'Chrysler Shower of Stars' and 'Ford Star Jubilee,' dies of lung cancer at age 56. 1986 -- talented, cute-as-a-button Lindsay Lohan is born in New York City. Her early movie life includes Disney remakes of 'Freaky Friday' and 'The Parent Trap.' Here's hoping that in 40 years, when someone looks back on her life and career, it will be a testament to talent and perseverance, and not a tragedy of bad choices. 1993 -- Fred Gwynne, known on television for sitcoms 'Car 54, Where are You?' and 'The Munsters' and on film for 'Pet Sematery' (okay, but even including the scalpel, how exactly does a dead toddler bring down a 6'5" man?) and 'My Cousin Vinny,' dies of pancreatic cancer at age 66. |