January 11 takes up centre stage today in our series, Top 10 Events This Day in Movie and Television History. As goes the world of entertainment, there is no day that can be tagged as a slow one and so it was with the day January 11 over the years. From births to losses, new releases and premieres to wrapping up of projects, there’s a lot that has gone down on this day. As a day that marks the first few days of the year, there were several awards shows that had their glittering evenings of accolades and applause on this day too. In this list, we bring you a lineup of some of the most interesting happenings that marked their place on the calendar on this day. So, without further delay, let’s get cracking on the top 10 events for January 11!
10. January 11, 1886: George Zucco of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Fame is Born
George Zucco was one of the most popular British character actors to play memorable roles in American movies and plays between the 1920s and 1951. Born on January 11, 1886, in Manchester, Lancashire, England, to a dressmaker mother and Greek merchant father, George first came to America in 1910 and soon began making his presence known in acting circles. Some of his first works were on the stage with The Melting Pot and The White Sister. During the First World War, George came back to his native country to serve in the British Army and even suffered a war injury in France when he was shot in the arm and lost the use of two of his fingers. After the war, George stayed in England and took on a course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He also was a teacher there for some time. In the 1920s, he began finding leading roles on stage and in 1935, came back to America to be a part of Victoria Regina and Souls at Sea. Some of the titles that were notable among his works included The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Mummy’s Hand, The Mad Monster, Arrest Bulldog Drummond, My Favorite Blonde, After the Thin Man, Charlie Chan in Honolulu, Fast Company, Tarzan and the Mermaids, and The Cat and the Canary. George passed away on May 27, 1960, in Hollywood, California. He was 74.
9. January 11, 1912: Don “Red” Barry of Red Ryder Fame is Born
Donald Barry de Acosta aka Don “Red” Barry, aka Milton Poimboeuf, or simply, Red Barry, was an American film and television actor who earned the nickname of Red after playing the role of the first Red Ryder. The character was one of the main protagonists of the film Adventures of Red Ryder and was so popular with the audiences that the nickname Don earned in that movie stayed for life. Born on January 11, 1912, in Houston, Texas, Don first got his taste of acting in the play Tobacco Road. And there was no looking back. He first caught the attention of none other than the ever-popular John Wayne who introduced him to some of his contacts in the film industry. And thus began Don’s tryst with the entertainment industry, a journey that didn’t end quite well. Despite a troubled end that saw this renowned actor take his own life, Don did enjoy quite the ride in Hollywood. His filmography includes more than 130 movie titles, and this list shows just how much work Don had done during his time with the industry. Some of his works include The Chicago Kid, Hot Lead and Cold Feet, The Man From the Rio Grande, Days of Old Cheyenne, Johnny Got His Gun, Remember Pearl Harbor, Red Tomahawk, Ghost Valley Riders, Walk Like A Dragon, Only Angels Have Wings, My Outlaw Brothers, Seven Men From Now, The Woman I Love, Madonna of the Desert, and Square Dance Jubilee.
8. January 11, 1921: Kathleen Byron of Saving Private Ryan Fame is Born
Born on January 11, 1921, Kathleen Elizabeth Fell, aka Kathleen Byron, was an English actress who spent most of her life working in the entertainment industry. Her active years in the world of cinema have been noted down as 1938 to 2001, and considering that she passed away only a few years later after her retirement, in 2009 and due to breast cancer, one can imagine how in love she was with what she did. Born in Northwood, London, Kathleen had to her name several films and television series. Some of the titles from her many years of work in the world of films and television include The Portrait of a Lady, One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing, Saving Private Ryan, Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, The Elephant Man, Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood, Night of the Eagle, The Gambler and the Lady, The Reluctant Widow, A Matter of Life and Death, The Young Mr. Pitt, Madness of the Heart, and Hell is Sold Out.
7. January 11, 1927: The Creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is Announced
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, commonly known as The Motion Picture Academy or simply, The Academy. is one of the pioneering institutions related to motion pictures and as an honorary organization, is primarily dedicated to the growth and innovation of the motion picture industry through advancements in arts and sciences related to the platform. The organization welcomes filmmakers irrespective of their nationality or any other tag and has close to 10,000 representatives from different categories of motion picture professionals. One of the most popular events held by the organization, and one that is easily the most awaited event in the film industry each year, is the Annual Academy Awards, or as it is also known in most circles, The Oscars. In addition to this event, the Academy also hosts several other important events such as the Governors Awards, the Scientific and Technical Awards, the Student Academy Awards, and the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. Well, it was on January 11, 1927, that the creation of this highly important organization of the world of motion pictures was first announced. The original 36 founding members of the organization included a mix of different professionals including actors, directors, lawyers, producers, technicians, and writers. The Academy currently operates from three primary locations — the newly inaugurated Academy of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study in Hollywood, again, in LA, and the Margeret Herrick Library in Beverly Hills.
6. January 11, 1971: Mary J. Blige is Born
Mary J. Blige was born on January 11, 1971, in Yonkers, New York City, and first began her career in the entertainment industry in 1991 at the age of 20. Since then, Mary has evolved as an actor, singer, and songwriter, even grabbing the tag of “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”, thanks to her impactful contribution to the genre. Some of the most popular works to her name include Share My World, The Breakthrough, My Life II… The Journey Continues (Act 1), Strength of a Woman, The London Sessions, What’s the 411?, No More Drama, and A Mary Christmas, among others. Her headlining tours where she took to the stage to perform some of her most popular numbers in front of her fans included the Share My World Tour, the No More Drama Tour, the Music Saved My Life Tour, The Breakthrough Experience Tour, and the Growing Pains European Tour, among others. Her last headlining tour was the Strength of a Woman Tour in 2017. Her last co-headlining tour was The Royalty Tour with Nas in 2019. Mary also has to her name several acting performances that started off in 2001 with the movie Prison Song and still continue to add to her works. One of her most notable works, for which she received a long line of accolades, was her role as Florence Jackson in the movie Mudbound. In addition to winning the Gotham Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Performance, the New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Ensemble Cast, the IndieWire Critic’s Poll Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, the Breakout Actress Award, and the Breakout Ensemble Award at the Hollywood Film Awards, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress, Mary also recorded several nominations for her role. These included nominations in two Academy Award categories, two Screen Actors Guild Award categories, two Critics’ Choice Movie Award categories, and two Golden Globe Awards categories, among others. Some of her other titles in movies include Respect, Champs, Welcome to My Life, Trolls World Tour, The Violent Heart, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Black Nativity, and Rock of Ages, as well as others.
5. January 11, 1974: Final Episode of Love, American Style is Aired
Love, American Style was a romantic comedy anthology series produced by Paramount Television and Parker-Margolin Productions and ruled American television for 5 seasons, from September 1969 to January 1974. Between 1971 and 1973, the series was even part of the famed ABC Friday primetime bunch of popular series that included other equally popular shows such as The Odd Couple, The Brady Bunch, Room 222, and The Partridge Family. Each episode in the series was a unique one that had some kind of comedy element to it that gave the entire romantic plot an interesting twist. Often, the same group of headlining actors would don different roles in the series, bringing to life a new character unique to the particular story. Yet another element that kept making an appearance across episodes was the brass bed that seemed to be a fixed prop in several acts. When the show first began, it offered episodes that lasted anywhere between 42 and 44 minutes but later, during the 1970-71 season, the running time was cut down to between 22 and 25 minutes.
4. January 11, 1998: The 24th People’s Choice Awards
The 24th People’s Choice Awards went down on January 11, 1998, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, and was hosted by Ray Romano and Reba McEntire. The awards show, as it goes with some of the best awards events in Hollywood, had many celebrities lining up to grace the event. And while everything from what they wore to who they came with made headlines, what made the evening even more interesting was the wins that came the way of some of the most talented artists from the entertainment industry. Titles that took home accolades that evening included Veronica’s Closet, Days of Our Lives, Dharma & Greg, Seinfeld, Jerry Maguire, ER, Brooklyn South, and Liar Liar. Some of the stars who well-deservedly found themselves on the list of winners included Whitney Houston, Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Tim Allen, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Tony Danza, Oprah Winfrey, and Kirstie Alley. And of course, since these awards came straight from the votes sent in by fans, it held even more value for celebrities who worked hard the previous year to grab their share of success.
3. January 11, 2009: The 66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards was an especially awaited event in 2009, thanks to the previous year’s event being canceled due to the striking Writers Guild of America. The nominations for the event were announced on December 12 the previous year, and the event was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 11, 2009. Some of the top titles from the television and film industries that took home trophies that evening included Slumdog Millionaire, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, The Reader, The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Waltz with Bashir, Mad Men, 30 Rock, True Blood, In Treatment, John Adams, and Recount. Some of the celebrities who got their hands on Golden Globe trophies during the course of the evening included Laura Dern, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Gabriel Byrne, Anna Paquin, A. R. Rahman, Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Colin Farrell, Sally Hawkins, and Mickey Rourke.
2. January 11, 2012: The 38th People’s Choice Awards
The 38th People’s Choice Awards was held on January 11, 2012, at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California, and awarded works across the film, television, and music industries. The event was hosted by Kaley Cuoco of Big Bang Theory fame. Some of the movie and television titles that took home top honors included Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow – Part 2, Bridesmaids, Water for Elephants, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Help, Crazy, Stupid Love, Real Steel, Green Lantern, Just Go With It, Dolphin Tale, Cars 2, Rango, How I Met Your Mother, Supernatural, Glee, Castle, The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Hot in Cleveland, Castle, Person of Interest, 2 Broke Girls, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, American Idol, and SpongeBob SquarePants. In music, top titles included Born This Way, E.T., and Last Friday Night. Some of the artists from all of pop culture that took home their share of accolades included Eminem, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Big Time Rush, Bruno Mars, Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, Ellen DeGeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Nathan Fillion, Nina Dobrev, Lea Michele, Meil Patrick Harris, Johnny Depp, Chloe Grace Moretz, Morgan Freeman, Adam Sandler, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman.
1. January 11, 2015: The 72nd Golden Globe Awards
January 11 turned out to be a big day for several celebrities as they made their way to the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, in 2015. Several names from the film and television industry took home awards that evening, including Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne, Amy Adams, Michael Keaton, Patricia Arquette, J.K. Simmons, Alejandro G. Inarritu, Richard Linklater, Johann Johannson, John Legend, Common, Ruth Wilson, Kevin Spacey, Jeffrey Tambor, Gina Rodriguez, Billy Bob Thornton, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Matt Bomer, and Joanne Froggatt. Some of the titles that made headlines the next day for their Golden Globe wins included Fargo, Downtown Abbey, The Normal Heart, The Honourable Woman, Jane the Virgin, Transparent, House of Cards, The Affair, Leviathan, How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Theory Of Everything, Selma, Birdman, Boyhood, Whiplash, Big Eyes, and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
That’s How It Went Down on January 11 Through the Years!
While this list we brought you gives you a peek into all that went down on January 11 through the years, there are so many other days on the calendar that we need to run some research on too! Our archives hold every bit of news on entertainment but it doesn’t take some effort to bring to you the most notable news bites! So, as you run down memory lane with all that we’ve mentioned in this list, we’ll get back to work and prepare you a new list for another calendar day, a list that will once again tell you a bit about movie and television history, bring back to you some forgotten memories, and share with you some great insights on how the entertainment industry has evolved over the years. Until then, keep coming back to visit our series Top 10 Events This Day in Movie and Television History.
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