On May 16, 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences handed out its first awards, at a dinner party for
around 250 people held in the Blossom Room of the
Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.

The brainchild of Louis B. Mayer, head of the powerful MGM
film studio, the Academy was organized in May 1927 as a
non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and
improvement of the film industry.

Its first president and the host of the May 1929 ceremony was
the actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Unlike today, the winners
of the first Oscars—as the coveted gold-plated statuettes
later became known—were announced before the awards
ceremony itself.

The first official Best Picture winner was Wings, directed by
William Wellman. The most expensive movie of its time, with
a budget of $2 million.
   

Joe Don Baker, the broad-shouldered Texas tough guy who
portrayed characters on both sides of the law, most notably
Sheriff Buford Pusser in the unexpected box-office hit 
Walking Tall (1973), died Monday May 7. 

                   
CAMILLE BOHANNON       

  
     
     
     
 
Actress Katharine Houghton Hepburn
(May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003)

Hepburn’s career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned
six decades. She worked in a varied range of genres,
from screwball comedy to literary drama, which earned
her various accolades, including four Academy Awards
for Best Actress—a record for any performer.

 
1940

1932

1949

1951

On May 8, 1963, with the American release of Dr. No, North
American moviegoers get their first look down the barrel
of a gun—at the super-spy James Bond (codename: 007),         
the immortal character created by Ian Fleming in his now-
famous series of novels and portrayed onscreen by the
relatively unknown Scottish actor Sean Connery.

Sean Connery and Ursula Andress.

Joseph Wiseman as Dr. No.

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020)

James Foley (December 28, 1953 – May 6, 2025)

Famed Hollywood director James Foley has passed away after
a battle with brain cancer. Many know James’ work but may
not even realize it. In addition to directing films like Glengarry
Glenn Ross and two films in the Fifty Shades franchise.

James worked with Madonna several times for her iconic music
videos. He directed videos for Papa Don’t Preach, Live to Tell,
and True Blue in the 1980s. James also served as the director
for Madonna’s 1987 feature film Who’s That Girl.
(Hollywood Reporter)

1992

Al Pacino and James Foley.