November 22, 1944: "Meet Me In St. Louis" Premieres

November 22, 1944: The film Meet Me In St. Louis premieres, in its title city. It includes the title song (which makes it clear that, at least in the film, the city's name is pronounced "Saint LOU-ee," not "Saint LOU-iss"), and introduces "The Trolley Song" (You know: "Clang-clang-clang went the trolley…"), and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Soon, the film's star, Judy Garland, and its director, Vincente Minnelli, would marry. (Their daughter, Liza Minnelli, was born on March 12, 1946.)

The film is set in St. Louis, from Summer 1903 to the Spring of 1904, and the start of a World's Fair, celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Supposedly, the hamburger, the hot dog, the waffle-style ice cream cone, peanut butter, cotton candy and iced tea were all introduced at that Fair. None of that is true, although it did popularize them all, along with the soft drink Dr. Pepper. The 1904 Olympics were also conducted in connection with the Fair.

Among the other stars were Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames, Marjorie Main, June Lockhart and Hugh Marlowe. As of November 22, 2022, only Lockhart is still alive.

CBS remade it for television in 1959, with Jane Powell, Tab Hunter, Jeanne Crain, Patty Duke, Walter Pidgeon, Ed Wynn and Myrna Loy. A non-musical TV version aired in syndication in 1966, with Shelley Fabares, Celeste Holm and Morgan Brittany. And a Broadway musical based on it was staged in 1989.

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November 22, 1944 was a Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, traditionally a day when studios release films in the hope of a big opening long weekend. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. And no games were scheduled in the NHL. So there were no scores on this historic day.

October 6, 1963: Barbra Streisand Appears On "The Judy Garland Show"

October 6, 1963: Barbra Streisand, just 22 years old but coming off her debut album, appears on The Judy Garland Show on CBS. Although Judy was, by no means, ready to pack it in at age 41, even she could see that this was a "passing of the torch" (or, at least, of the torch song) moment for people who loved popular music but hated rock and roll.

CBS had taken a chance on the temperamental, hard-drinking, pill-popping legend, airing her variety show on Sunday nights after The Ed Sullivan Show, starting on September 29, 1963. The episode with Streisand was taped on October 4.

Judy told Barbara, "You're so good that I... I hate you!" Barbara responded, "That's so sweet of you. Thank you. You know, you're so great, I've been hating you for years. In fact, it's my ambition to be great enough to be hated by as many singers as you." They both laughed, and said they really loved each other. But Barbara added, "But don't stop hating me, because I need the confidence!" (She wasn't kidding: Throughout her career, Barbra has struggled with stage fright.)

Together, they sang Barbra's slown-down version of "Happy Days Are Here Again," "Hooray for Love," and "Get Happy," a tune associated with Garland since her 1950 film Summer Stock. Later, Broadway legend Ethel Merman came on, and the 3 of them sang Ethel's song "There's No Business Like Show Business."

Also appearing on that episode were comedian Jerry Van Dyke, brother of Dick Van Dyke; and the Smothers Brothers, who would later get their own variety series on CBS, and have their own battles with the establishment.

Garland's unreliability, and her clashes with both producers and network brass, led to the show's cancellation after just 1 season of 26 episodes, the last airing on March 29, 1964, just 7 weeks after Ed Sullivan hosted The Beatles for the 1st time.

No one knew it yet, but, in 1976, Streisand would remake one of Garland's biggest films, itself a remake: A Star Is Born.

*

October 6, 1963 was a Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers completed a 4-game sweep of the New York Yankees, 2-1 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. As with Game 1, 4 days earlier, Sandy Koufax outpitched Whitey Ford.

These games were played in the NFL:

* The New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins, 24-14 at District of Columbia Stadium (later Robert F. Kennedy Stadium) in Washington.

* The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Dallas Cowboys, 24-21 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

* The Detroit Lions beat the San Francisco 49ers, 26-3 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.

* The Chicago Bears beat the Baltimore Colts, 10-3 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

* The Green Bay Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams, 42-10 at City Stadium (later renamed Lambeau Field) in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

* The football version of the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Minnesota Vikings, 56-14 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota.

* The day before, the Cleveland Browns beat their arch-rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-23 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. (Scheduling it for the Saturday made no sense, since Ohio State was also playing that day, and beat Indiana, 21-0 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.)

And in the American Football League:

* The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Oilers, 28-7 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.

* The Denver Broncos beat the San Diego Chargers, 50-34 at Bears Stadium (later renamed Mile High Stadium) in Denver.

* The day before, the New York Jets beat the team that would one day become their arch-rivals, then known as the Boston Patriots, 31-24 at the Polo Grounds. The Jets would play 4 more games at the old Harlem Horseshoe before closing it out, and moved the Shea Stadium in Queens, which they would share with the Mets for 20 seasons.

* Also the day before, the Buffalo Bills beat the Oakland Raiders, 12-0 at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo.

August 25, 1939: "The Wizard of Oz" Premieres

Left to right: Jack Haley, Judy Garland, Ray Bolger and Bert Lahr

August 25, 1939: The Wizard of Oz premieres, a film musical based on the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Victor Fleming directed it.

Judy Garland -- at 16 years old when the movie was filmed, too old for the part -- plays Dorothy Gale, living in rural Kansas during the Great Depression. (This does reflect the novel, for which the depression of 1893-98 was recent). A tornado takes her out of that milieu, and deposits her in Oz, with the film going from black and white to color.

One thing leads to another, and she goes on an adventure with a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley) and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), in search of the titular Wizard (Frank Morgan). But in their way is the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).

The film was a critical success, nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won Best Original Score and Best Original Song, for "Over the Rainbow," written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer boss Louis B. Mayer wanted the song dropped, because it slowed the film down. The producers threatened to quit, and Mayer backed down.

Over the 30 years remaining to Garland's life and career, it became her signature song. In 1999, a poll named it the Number 1 Song of the Century.

But the film didn't make a profit at first. It was re-released in 1949, and that's when it finally got into the black. In 1956, CBS broadcast it for the 1st time, and broadcast it once a year until the 1990s, by which point pretty much anybody who wanted to could buy it on video. It is the most-viewed movie in history.

*

August 25, 1939 was a Friday. The NFL and the NHL were in the off-season, and the NBA hadn't been founded yet. And only 5 Major League Baseball games were played that day, 2 of them as a doubleheader:

* The New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. They won the opener 11-0, as Steve Sundra pitched a 4-hit shutout, Joe Gordon hit 2 home runs and had 5 RBIs. Gordon, Frank Crosetti and Red Rolfe each had 3 hits. They won the nightcap 8-2, supporting Left Gomez with 2 hits each by Crosetti, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey and Charlie Keller.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 6-0 at League Park in Cleveland. Harry Eisenstat pitched a 6-hit shutout.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators, 5-2 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. It would be renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.

* And the Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.

So the entire American League played that day, but the entire National League didn't.

June 22, 1969: Judy Garland Dies

June 22, 1969: Judy Garland dies in London, in a house she was renting for a nightclub run in the city. The cause was an overdose of barbiturates, and she had battled drug problems for years.

Born Frances Ethel Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minnesota (not the one in Michigan) on June 10, 1922, she was a teenage star in Hollywood, starring in The Wizard of Oz in 1939 and 3 Andy Hardy movies with Mickey Rooney from 1938 to 1941. (As with Charo's 10 appearances on The Love Boat, it only seems like she was in more Andy Hardy movies.) But she was treated horribly by her studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, including being told to take diet pills to lose weight, starting a cycle of dependency that would eventually kill her.

She starred in Meet Me In St. Louis in 1944. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli, who soon became the 2nd of her 5 husbands. In 1948, she starred with Fred Astaire in Easter Parade. In 1954, she starred in the 2nd (or, depending on whose definition you follow, the 3rd) version of A Star Is Born. Her concerts at New York's Palace Theatre in 1951 and Carnegie Hall in 1961 are considered legendary. But she could never stay on top for long.

She was 47 years old. To put that in perspective, she was 5 months younger than Betty White.

Due to Judy's status as a gay icon -- she wasn't gay, but gay people have often seen something of their own struggles in hers, and her song "Over the Rainbow" is one of the reasons the Gay Pride flag displays a rainbow -- it has frequently been remarked that her death was one of the sparks of the Stonewall Uprising, 6 days afterward. This is a myth: The Uprising had nothing to do with it.

Judy had 3 children. By the time she died, her daughter Liza Minnelli, then 23, had already become a singing and acting star in her own right. She, too, developed issues with weight and substance abuse, but has overcome them, and reached the age of 75.

Lorna Luft also became a singer and an actress, and has also become an author. She is 68, and has survived cancer. And Joey Luft, 66, tried acting, but turned to directing.

*

June 22, 1969 was a Sunday. This was the off-season for the NFL, the NBA, the ABA and the NHL. But a full slate of Major League Baseball games was played. More than that, as this was still the era of Sunday doubleheaders:

* The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 5-3 at Fenway Park in Boston. No home runs, but Roy White had 3 hits and 2 RBIs, including an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning, making Jack Aker the winning pitcher in relief of Bill Burbach.

* The New York Mets swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cardinals at Shea Stadium. The Metropolitans won the 1st game 5-1, getting 3 hits each from Bud Harrelson, Cleon Jones and Jerry Grote, allowing Gary Gentry to get the win over Steve Carlton. They won the 2nd game 1-0, as Jerry Koosman pitched a 7-hit shutout.

* A doubleheader was split at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1st game 6-0, as Dock Ellis pitched a 6-hit shutout, with 10 strikeouts and only 1 walk. The Philadelphia Phillies won the 2nd game 3-2.

* A doubleheader was split at Atlanta (later Atlanta-Fulton County) Stadium. The San Francisco Giants won the 1st game 5-1, and the Atlanta Braves won the 2nd game 7-5.

* A doubleheader was split at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Cleveland Indians won the 1st game 3-2, and the Baltimore Orioles won the 2nd game 6-0. Dave Leonard pitched a 3-hit shutout.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Bill Singer pitched a 5-hit shutout.

* The Washington Senators swept a doubleheader from the Detroit Tigers at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The Senators won the 1st game 9-4, and the 2nd game 9-5.

* A doubleheader was split at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs won the 1st game 7-6, and the Montreal Expos won the 2nd game 5-4.

* The Houston Astros beat the San Diego Padres, 2-0 at the Astrodome in Houston. Denny Lemaster pitched a 5-hit shutout.

* The Chicago White Sox beat the California Angels, 1-0 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Billy Wynne pitched a 7-hit shutout.

* A doubleheader was split at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Oakland Athletics won the 1st game 7-3. The Minnesota Twins won the 2nd game 4-3, with Jim Perry pitching 12 innings, then helping his own cause by bunting Tony Oliva home in the top of the 13th.

* And the Seattle Pilots beat their American League expansion brethren, the Kansas City Royals, 5-1 at Sick's Stadium in Seattle. Tommy Davis hit a home run, and Marty Pattin was loose, quack, smoking them inside. Pattin was relieved in the 7th. Who was brought in to replace him? Jim "Super Knuck" Bouton, author of Ball Four and supplier of these references? Nah: Bob Locker, the pitcher nicknamed "Snot." The Pilots zitzed 'em, and then went to pound some Budweiser. 

April 23, 1961: Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall

April 23, 1961: Judy Garland, star of such musical films as The Wizard of Oz as a teenager and a remake of A Star Is Born as an adult, gives a concert at Carnegie Hall, New York City's premier venue for classical music. It is the culmination of a world tour that marked a comeback for her.

The star had been battling alcoholism, prescription drugs, health issues, and business difficulties. Now, shortly before her 39th birthday, she had perhaps the greatest triumph of her career. The live double album Judy at Carnegie Hall, released the following May 10, became the biggest-selling album of the year, and made her the 1st woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. (The Grammys were first issued in 1959, so it's not as if this was a long-term injustice.)

With an orchestra conducted by Mort Lindsey, she sang -- perhaps not in this order, but this is how the songs were listed on the record:

* Side One: "The Trolley Song" (from her 1944 film Meet Me In St. Louis), "Over the Rainbow" (from The Wizard of Oz), "The Man That Got Away," "When You're Smiling," "Almost Like Being In Live," "This Can't Be Love," "Do It Again," "You Go to My Head," and "Alone Together."

* Side Two: "Who Cares (As Long as You Care for Me)," "Puttin' On the Riz," "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (not the song of the same title that was a hit for the band Ace in 1975), "Just You, Just Me," a reprise of "The Man That Got Away," "San Francisco," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "That's Entertainment!"

* Side Three: "Come Rain Or Come Shine," "You're Nearer," "A Foggy Day," "If Love Were All," "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" and "Stormy Weather."

* Side Four: "You Made Me Love You," "For Me and My Gal," a reprise of "The Trolley Song," "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody," a reprise of "Over the Rainbow," "Swanee," "After You've Gone" and "Chicago" ("That Toddlin' Town," not, "My Kind of Town, Chicago Is").

Although some of these songs had been, and others later would be, recorded by performers with a rock and roll arrangement, all of them were played in the "Big Band" style that that Judy was used to.

She moved all around what became known as "The Great American Songbook":

* Harold Arlen wrote the melodies for "Over the Rainbow," "The Man That Got Away," "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "Stormy Weather."

* George Gershwin wrote the melody for "This Can't Be Love" and the words to "Swanee"; his brother  Ira Gerswhin wrote the words to "The Man That Got Away"; and, together, they wrote "Who Cares," "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "A Foggy Day."

* Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe wrote "Almost Like Being In Love."

* Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote "This Can't Be Love" and "You're Nearer."

* Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz wrote "Alone Together" and "That's Entertainment!"

* Irving Berlin wrote "Puttin' On the Ritz."

* Johnny Mercer wrote "Come Rain Or Come Shine."

* And, while he was British, but wrote for some American musicals, Noël Coward wrote "If Love Were All."

In 2001, following Judy Davis' performance, including re-creating the concert, in the TV-movie Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, the album was re-released and, thanks in part to Internet sales, it hit the Top 20 again, 40 years after its initial release -- and 32 years after Judy's death.

*

April 23, 1961 was a Sunday. Comedian George Lopez was born.

Football was out of season. The NBA season had ended 12 days earlier, when the Boston Celtics beat the St. Louis Hawks in Game 5 to win the Finals. The NHL season had ended 7 days earlier, when the Chicago Black Hawks beat the Detroit Red Wings for the Stanley Cup. But these games were played in Major League Baseball that day:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 4-1 at Yankee Stadium. Brooks Robinson went 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Mickey Mantle hit his 5th home run of the season, but the Yankees got only 4 other hits, all singles, by Roger Maris, Bill "Moose" Skowron, Tony Kubek and Hector Lopez.

Shortly thereafter, new manager Ralph Houk changed the lineup around, so that Maris batted 3rd, Mantle 4th, Yogi Berra 5th. The Yankees ended up winning 109 games and the World Series, led by Mantle hitting 54 home runs, and Maris -- who, by this point was still looking for his 1st of the season -- hitting a new record of 61.

* The Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the Chicago Cubs at Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia. The Phils won the opener, 1-0, as Frank Sullivan pitched a 7-hit shutout; and the nightcap, 6-0, as Art Mahaffey pitched a 4-hit shutout, striking out 17 batters and walking only 1. Ernie Banks went 1-for-8 on the day.

* The Milwaukee Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. Hank Aaron went 2-for-4, both singles, 1 with an RBI. Roberto Clemente went 2-for-4. Warren Spahn outpitched Vernon Law, whose Cy Young Award-winning season was a major reason for the Pirates having won the previous year's World Series.

* The Detroit Tigers swept a doubleheader from the Los Angeles Angels at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. The Tigers took the opener, 3-1; and the nightcap, 3-2, when Dick Brown singled home the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Al Kaline went 3-for-4 in the 1st game, but 0-for-4 in the 2nd.

* A doubleheader was split at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Boston Red Sox won the 1st game, 4-3. The Chicago White Sox won the 2nd game, 7-1. Carl Yastrzemski, the rookie intended to replace the newly-retired Ted Williams in left field, didn't play in the 1st game, and went 0-for-3 in the 2nd.

* The Minnesota Twins, known until the previous season as the Washington Senators, beat the new, expansion version of the Senators, 1-0 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Jack Kralick pitched a 4-hit shutout. Harmon Killebrew did not play.

* The Cleveland Indians beat the Kansas City Athletics, 10-8 at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.

* The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-1 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Don Demeter and Wally Moon hit home runs, while Frank Robinson went 0-for-4.

* And a doubleheader was split at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants won the 1st game, 2-1. The St. Louis Cardinals won the 2nd game, 7-4. Stan Musial went 1-for-5, only pinch-hitting (unsuccessfully) in the 2nd game, while Willie Mays went 3-for-7 with an RBI.

April 20, 1937: "A Star Is Born" Premieres

Janet Gaynor and Frederic March

April 20, 1937: A Star Is Born, directed by William Wellman, premieres. Among the people contributing to the script was Dorothy Parker, the writer, poet and critic associated with the Algonquin Round Table.

Janet Gaynor plays Esther Victoria Blodgett, a farm girl who wants to be a film star. She meets film star Norman Maine, played by Frederic March. He's impressed with her, and gets her a screen test. She gets a role, and a stage name: Vicki Lester.

They get married, but as her star rises, so does his drinking, and his star falls. He ends up committing suicide. Vicki wants to drop out of show business, but her grandmother, who funded her trip to Hollywood, convinces her to stick with it. Later, interviewed for the newsreels outside her next film premiere, she pays tribute to the man she loved, the man who gave her her big break, telling the crowd, "Hello, everyone: This is Mrs. Norman Maine."

James Mason and Judy Garland

It's been remade 3 times. In the 1954 version, James Mason keeps Norman as an actor, but Judy Garland plays Esther/Vicki as an aspiring singer. In 1976, both halves of the couple are singers: Kris Kristofferson plays John Norman Howard, and Barbra Streisand plays Esther Hoffman, who takes his name upon marriage but doesn't change her given name. A variation is that John doesn't drown himself, but rather drinks, drives, and crashes.

Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand

And in 2018, again, both were singers: Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine, and Lady Gaga as Ally, whose maiden name is not revealed. And Jackson hangs himself. This film led to rumors of Cooper and Gaga becoming a real couple, which both have denied.

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga

So there have been gaps of 17 years, 22 years, and 42 years. That's an average of 27 years. So, look for another remake around 2045 or so.

*

April 20, 1937 was a Tuesday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Washington Senators, 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. Monte Weaver outpitched Lefty Gomez. Former Philadelphia Athletics star Al Simmons went 3-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBIs for the Senators.

* The New York Giants beat their arch-rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4-3 at Ebbets Field. Pitcher Hal Schumacher helped his own cause by driving home George "Kiddo" Davis with the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 9th inning. Mel Ott went 0-for-4.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 11-5 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cincinnati Reds, 2-0 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Johnny Mize doubled home the winning run in the top of the 10th inning. Dizzy Dean allowed 13 hits, but kept the shutout through all 10 innings.

* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-3 at Navin Field in Detroit. (The ballpark was renamed Briggs Stadium in 1938, and Tiger Stadium in 1961.) Elden Auker outpitched Mel Harder. Lyn Lary and Roy Hughes each had 3 hits for the Indians. But Gerald "Gee" Walker went 4-for-4 with a solo home run for the Tigers. Hank Greenberg went 0-for-3 with a walk.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-0 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Cy Blanton pitched a 5-hit shutout. Paul Waner went 2-for-4. His brother, Lloyd Waner, did not play.

* The Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Browns were rained out at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. The game was made up as part of a 4th of July doubleheader. The ChiSox swept, 4-2 and 9-5.

* And the Boston Bees (as the Braves were known from 1936 to 1940) and the Philadelphia Phillies were not scheduled.

April 14, 1937: "Babes In Arms" Premieres On Broadway

Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in the film version

April 14, 1937: Babes In Arms premieres on Broadway, at the Shubert Theatre. Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, its text is not memorable. Most of its actors, led by Mitzi Green, aren't, either. But it did include brothers Harold and Fayard Nicholas, black men known for spectacular dance routines, as you can see if you check out the 1939 film version, with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland.

It was the 1st of 10 movies that Rooney and Garland would make together. Typically, they would be teenagers deciding to put on a show together, while their parents are either absent -- due to death, or being out of town -- or looking on bemusedly.

The songs include "Where Or When," "My Funny Valentine" and "The Lady Is a Tramp." Considering those 3 songs alone, and what they would eventually mean to his repertoire, in retrospect, Frank Sinatra was right when he sang, "When I was 21, it was a very good year."

"Where Or When" would also be a hit in 1960 for Dion & the Belmonts.

*

April 14, 1937 was a Wednesday. The baseball season began 5 days later. Football was out of season. The NBA hadn't been founded yet. The Stanley Cup Finals were in progress, and, the next day, the Detroit Red Wings beat the New York Rangers, 3-0 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, to win the Stanley Cup. So there were no scores on this day.

March 30, 1955: And the Winner Is… Grace Kelly?

Left to right: William Holden, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby

March 30, 1955: The Academy Awards ceremony is held at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles. Bob Hope is the host, and the ceremony is broadcast live on NBC.

On the Waterfront was nominated for 12 "Oscars," and received 8, including Best Picture, Best Director for Elia Kazan, Best Actor for Marlon Brando, and Best Supporting Actress for Eva Marie Saint.

Brando, still only 28 years old, had beaten out some heavyweights: Humphrey Bogart for The Caine Mutiny, Bing Crosby for The Country Girl, James Mason for a remake of A Star Is Born, and Dan O'Herlihy for a new version of Robinson Crusoe.

The nominees for Best Actress were, in alphabetical order: Dorothy Dandridge for Carmen Jones (an all-black musical version of the opera Carmen), Judy Garland for A Star Is Born, Audrey Hepburn for Sabrina, Grace Kelly for The Country Girl, and Jane Wyman for Magnificent Obsession.

Dorothy Dandridge

Dandridge was the 1st black person nominated for a lead role, and, in the wake of the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education ruling, there was a lot of support for her to get Best Actress. Many people thought it should go to Garland, because they were longtime fans of hers, and knew she had gone through a lot to get to that point. Time magazine had labeled her performance as "just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history," and she had already received the Golden Globe Award for the role.

James Mason and Judy Garland,

in the 1954 version of A Star Is Born

Garland could not attend the Oscar ceremony, having recently given birth to her son, Joey Luft, only the day before. Cameramen were present in her home, ready to broadcast her acceptance speech. In spite of the sentiment for Dandridge, Garland was considered that much of a favorite.

And then there was Kelly. She wasn't a "blonde bombshell" like Marilyn Monroe. Rather, the wealth and sophistication to which she was born gave her an onscreen persona that made her seem, well, graceful, and unattainable, but still very much desirable. In 2006, writing The Great Book of Philadelphia Sports Lists, with some lists having nothing to do with sports, the authors, radio talk-show hosts Big Daddy Graham and Glen Macnow, put her on top of their list of the most beautiful women ever to come from Philadelphia and environs.

Oh, she was desired. And some of those desires came true. She had an affair with Gary Cooper while filming High Noon, even though he was 28 years older. She had an affair with Clark Gable while filming Mogambo, even though he was also 28 years older. She had an affair with Milland while filming Dial M for Murder, even though he was 22 years older. She had an affair with Aly Khan, a notorious Pakistani prince who later married another of the era's leading actresses, Rita Hayworth; he was a mere 18 years older.

In 1954, she filmed The Country Girl, playing the wife of a character played by Crosby -- and the mistress of a character played by Holden. Holden, 11 years older, couldn't resist her, and rumors flew that he was going to leave his wife for her.

But she dumped him for Crosby, 26 years older. He was a strict Catholic with his family. With himself, not so much, although it should be pointed out that, at the time, he was widowed, not married. Grace and Der Bingle had an affair, and it was still ongoing on March 30, 1955, the night of the Academy Awards.

Garland was the favorite. Dandridge had her supporters. If either one had gotten the Oscar, it would have been a great story.

Instead, it went to Kelly. The Country Girl was hardly her best work, and she was not better in it than Garland or Dandridge were in their nominated roles. 

The camera crew set up in the Garland house packed up, and were out of her bedroom before Kelly even got to the stage. Groucho Marx sent Judy a telegram, telling her that her loss was "the biggest robbery since Brink's," referring to the famous armored car heist of 1950.

People began to ask questions like, "Who did Grace Kelly have to sleep with to get that Oscar?" It wasn't Bing Crosby: That night, he expected to, um, celebrate with her. But when he walked into her hotel room, she was, um, celebrating with Brando. (He was only 5 years older. As far as I know, this is the only time a holder of Best Actor and a holder of Best Actress have ever been sexually involved.) In a weird twist of events, Kelly had been offered the female lead in On the Waterfront, but turned it down, leading to Saint being cast in her first film, and she won Best Supporting Actress for it.

Crosby dumped Kelly, but the affairs with him and Holden -- two co-stars in one film -- became the worst-kept secret in Hollywood: Nobody would report on it, but everybody seemed to know about it. She was branded a "homewrecker." Finally, she was set up with Prince Rainier III of Monaco. It meant the end of her acting career, but more money and security than she would have had otherwise.

Sidney Poitier won Best Actor in 1964, for Lilies of the Field. It would take until 2002 for a black woman to win Best Actress: Halle Berry, for playing the title role in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. (Both Dandridge and Berry were natives of Cleveland.)

*

March 30, 1955 was a Wednesday. In more recent years, the Oscar ceremony has been held on Sundays.

Baseball was in Spring Training. Football was out of season. No games were scheduled for the NBA. And the Stanley Cup Playoffs were underway, but no games were played on this day. So there were no scores on this historic day.