September is always one of my favourite months. It signals the start of Spring down here in Australia and always has so much hope for the rest of the year, which in 2020 is very much needed. There were some big moments this week in Hollywood History. From some of the most famous movies of all time being released to Bing Crosby making his solo radio debut. Here are my top 3 moments.
September 1, 1954: Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is released into the world.
Starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly, the movie follows a recovering photographer who is bound to a wheelchair after an accident. He spends his time watching his neighbours and becomes convinced that he has witnessed a murder. Rear Window received overwhelming praise and has gone on to become one of Hitchcock’s most famous and beloved movies. It received four Academy Award nominations and ranked #42 on AFI’s 100 best movies of the 20th century.
September 2, 1932: Bing Crosby makes his solo radio debut with 15 Minutes with Bing Crosby.
By this stage in his career, 28 year old Crosby had already appeared many times as a member of the Rhythm Boys Trio. A standout, the next logical step was his own solo show. Appearing on air 6 nights a week at 11pm, the show featured 15 minutes of Bing singing a variety of songs. The show was wildly popular and made a major impact on Crosby’s career.
September 4 1936: Swing Time starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers premieres.
Swing Time follows the story of a performer who travels to New York to raise the money he needs to marry his fiancee, only to become involved with a beautiful aspiring dancer. Noted among dance critics as one of Astaire and Roger’s best dance musicals, its four dance routines are considered ‘masterpieces’. One particular dance scene took 47 takes to perfect and by the end of the shooting day, Roger’s feet were bleeding. Swing Time was Astaire and Rogers 6th film appearance together and they would go on to do four more.
Have a great week, everyone!
