Our Top 10 Events This Day in Movie and Television History series is proving to be quite an interesting lineup that showcases a lot of information from the world of movies and television, and at times, even beyond, and here we are with another edition! This time around, it’s January 4 that we’ll be peeking into, and with news from more than a century ago to the latest happenings on the day, we have it all just for you! So, let’s get going on the list that’s got loads of fun and even more information to keep the movie and television enthusiast in you satisfied with all that went down on January 4!
January 4, 1905: Sterling Holloway, the Walt Disney Voice Artist, is Born
More than 100 films and 40 television shows, that we know of! That’s how busy Sterling Price Holloway Jr. had been in his entertainment career as an actor. But it all began on January 4, 1905, when Sterling was born in Cedartown, Georgia. A popular voice artist, Sterling lent his creativity to several popular characters at the Walt Disney Company, and is well known as Mr. Stork in Dumbo, Roquefort the Mouse in Aristocrat, Kaa in The Jungle Book, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Adult Flower in Bambi, and the main protagonist in the ever-popular Winnie the Pooh. A favorite artist at Disney, Sterling was the first person to receive the Disney Legend honor as a voice artist. On television too, Sterling had quite the work lineup to his name, ranging from Uncle Oscar in Adventures of Superman and the hot air balloonist in Circus Boy to roles in The Donald O’Connor Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Brothers Brannagan, Moonlighting, and more. Sterling passed away in 1986.
January 4, 1927: Barbara Rush is Born in Denver
A Hollywood icon who made an impact as soon as she entered the industry, Barbara Rush won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her work in It Came From Outer Space, a science fiction film released in 1953. Born on January 4, 1927, in Denver, Colorado, Barbara’s works throughout her entertainment career were spread across all the three major platforms of movies, television, and theater. In movies, her filmography includes more than 50 titles, in television, her work includes more than 35 different long-running roles and appearances in various programs and television movies, and in theater too, Barbara provided her acting talents to more than 30 titles. Truly a versatile actor blessed with great looks as well as acting prowess, Barbara remains a great icon constantly reminding us of an era gone by.
January 4, 1956: Ann Magnuson is Born
Labeled an “endearing theatrical chameleon” for her unique ability to portray a range of different roles, Ann Magnuson, in popular opinion, clearly deserves a lot more attention and success than she has received in all her years in the world of entertainment. Born on January 4, 1956, in Charleston, West Virginia, Ann attributes her attraction to show business to Alanson Russell “Lance” Loud and even distinctly remembers meeting him when she first found herself pursuing her dream in New York City. Donning different garbs of an actress, a performance artist, the founding member of a band Bongwater, and even a nightclub performer, Ann has to her credit several movies and television shows. Her filmography includes titles such as Clear and Present Danger, Panic Room, The Caveman’s Valentine, Tequila Sunrise, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, and Desperately Seeking Susan, while her television career has roles in From the Earth to the Moon, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Munsters’ Scary Little Christmas, The Young and the Restless, The Griffin and the Minor Canon, and The Man in the High Castle to her name. In addition to her acting accolades, Ann also has three albums to her name — The Luv Show, Pretty Songs and Ugly Stories, and Dream Girl.
January 4, 1957: Blondie Premieres on NBC
Directed by Abby Berlin and Paul Landres and inspired by the comic strip, Blondie was a television series that first aired on NBC on January 4, 1957. Led by a cast that included Pamela Britton as Blondie and Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead, each episode of the series had a running time of 25 minutes and after a successful season on NBC, moved to CBS. Bringing to life the highly-entertaining comic character, the series struck a unique chord with American audiences and remained a favorite for its high-energy comedy routines and equally energetic and interesting character actors.
January 4, 1984: Night Court Premieres on NBC
Created by Reinhold Weege and starring a host of brilliant actors, mainly Harry Anderson as the main protagonist Judge Harold “Harry” T. Stone, Night Court was a television sitcom that first debuted on NBC on January 4, 1984. A successful series that reglaed audiences for several years, Night Court enjoyed several nominations at the American Comedy Awards, the Casting Society of America Awards, the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the Golden Globes, the Online Film and Television Association Awards, the Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Critics Association Awards, and the Writers Guild of America Awards. All 9 seasons and 193 episodes of the series were well-received by audiences, thanks to several remarkable and endearing characters delivering one entertaining episode after another.
January 4, 1984: Pinocchio is Re-released
The story of Pinocchio has been a favorite for everyone and even today, many of us hope that the childhood story we came to love so much makes its appearance once more! Well, January 4, 1984, proved to be a day where this dream came true for quite a few! On this day, the animated version of Pinocchio was re-released by Walt Disney. Originally released in February 1940, the animated movie inspired by The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi proved to be only the second feature-length animated movie produced by Walt Disney. Inspired by the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the feature film proved to be just as magical, and also became the first animated movie to win an Academy Award. It was again released in 1945 to make up for losses at the box office triggered by the effects of the World War. And in 1984, Walt Disney again treated audiences to another round of Geppetto’s creation!
January 4, 1996: Emma Mackey is Born
Anyone who has seen even a single episode of Sex Education, the highly popular series on Netflix, knows that the character played by French-British actress Emma Mackey, is one of the most powerful ones in the storyline. Born Emma Margaret Marie Tachard-Mackey in Le Mans in France, this beautiful BAFTA nominee also has other films and television shows to her name. Tic, The Winter Lake, Eiffel, Death on the Nile, and Emily are her works in film, and on the telly, Badger Lane and Summit Fever round up her list of works. Of course, it is her portrayal of Maeve Wiley on Sex Education that has done absolute justice to her talents, even winning her a Best Female Comedy Performance nomination at the British Academy Television Awards in 2021.
January 4, 2002: A Beautiful Mind is Released
When Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, and a host of other brilliant actors come together in a movie directed by Ron Howard, you know it’s got to be a good one! And that’s exactly what A Beautiful Mind was — a movie that wasn’t just a hit at the box office and a favorite at every awards function after its release, but also a movie that was well-loved by audiences and critics alike. Bagging the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress Award at the Academy Awards, as well as nominations for Best Original Score, Best Makeup, Best Film Editing, and of course, Best Actor, the movie made quite an impact worldwide.
January 4, 2003: Jaeden Lieberher is Born
Jaeden Wesley Lieberher aka Jaeden Martell, is a young American actor who, if his track record in the industry is any indication, holds great promise! Born on January 4, 2003, Jaeden took to entertainment at the age of 10 and since then, has been regularly making his mark in some really challenging roles. Beginning his career with St. Vincent, Playing It Cool, Aloha, Midnight Special, and The Confirmation, Jaeden’s acting skills were truly explored and recognized in The Book of Henry and It. Then followed some really good parts in mainstream movies as well as television series. On the awards front too, Jaeden has made quite the mark in the few years he has been in the industry. While Jaeden has registered most of these nominations and wins for two movies, St. Vincent and It, going by what we have seen so far, it is only a matter of time before we see some more awards on this young man’s list of accomplishments!
January 4, 2008: One Missed Call is Released
Well, this one may have been labeled the worst American remake of a Japanese horror film, but One Missed Call did have its share of good moments. Even at the box office, the film did quite well, as opposed to the general opinion that the film soon gathered. Infamously tagged the worst-reviewed film of 2008 on Rotten Tomatoes and recipient of the rather shameful Mouldy Tomato Award, we still think any horror movie does find a tolerant audience somewhere! If not anything else, let us at least acknowledge the attractive presence of Shannyn Sossamon in the movie!
Let’s Pull Down the Curtains on January 4!
It’s only been 4 days into the new year and already, there’s so much going on. Well, now that we’ve brought you up to speed on at least some of the major events that went down on January 4 throughout the years, we can get working on bringing to you many more days and events. So, keep coming back for more, for we have loads more days in store!Night Court
Follow Us
