On August 11, 1973, the nostalgic teenage coming-of-age
movie American Graffiti, directed and co-written by George
Lucas, opened in theaters across the United States. Set in
California in the summer of 1962, the film was nominated 
for five Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best
Picture, and helped launch the big-screen careers of Richard 
Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford, as well as the former child actor
and future Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard.

Wolfman-Jack

Harrison Ford

GINGER ROGERS AND FRED ASTAIRE

Ginger Rogers (Virginia Katherine McMath)
(July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995)

On this day in history, July 16, 1911, American star Ginger
Rogers was born in Independence, Missouri.

Ginger Rogers was an American actress and dancer who
was best known for work with the legendary Fred Astaire
during that time period and much of the 20th century. 

Rogers won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her
starring role in Kitty Foyle (1940).

On July 6, 1994, the movie Forrest Gump opened in U.S.
theaters. A huge box-office success, the film starred Tom
Hanks in the title role of Forrest, a good-hearted man with
a low I.Q. who winds up at the center of key cultural and
historical events of the second half of the 20th century.

Forrest Gump was based on a 1986 novel of the same
name by Winston Groom, who (like his main character)
grew up in Alabama and served in the Army during
Vietnam.

Forrest and Jenny

The landmark film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was released on
this day in history, June 11, 1982.

With Steven Spielberg (below) as its director, the enduring
science-fiction film stars Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore,
Robert McNaughton and Dee Wallace.            

Michael C. Lerner (June 22, 1941 – April 8, 2023)

Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Lerner
died Saturday.

His nephew, Sam Lerner, who starred on "The
Goldbergs," announced his death in an Instagram
post shared Sunday afternoon.

In addition to his acting career, Lerner was a collector
of rare books, an aficionado of Cuban cigars, and—
by his own account—a very good poker player.

Michael Lerner is best known for his Academy Award
Nominated performance as Jack Lipnick in “Barton Fink"
(1991).