This Date in MSTory

BORN ON THIS DATE
1893: Chris Beute, production manager for the movie in episode 409- THE INDESTRUCTIBLE MAN.
1897: Julia Heron, set decorator the movies in episodes 801- REVENGE OF THE CREATURE and 805- THE THING THAT COULDN’T DIE, plus THIS ISLAND EARTH riffed in MST3K: THE MOVIE.
1902: Frank Hursley, co-creator of the TV soap opera GENERAL HOSPITAL, episodes of which were seen as shorts in season four.
1912: Ralph Butler, sound man for the movie WORLD WITHOUT END, riffed in MST3K’s first live show.
1917: Dorothy Arnold, who played reporter Jean Drew in season two serial THE PHANTOM CREEPS.
1918: Dick Paxton, who played a soldier in the movie in episode 804- THE DEADLY MANTIS.
1920: Tom McCrory, process photographer of the movie in episode 804- THE DEADLY MANTIS.
1923: Helen Horton, who played Mildred Eldridge in the movie in episode K09- PHASE IV.
1924: Joseph Campanella, who played Frank Lafferty in the movie in episode K19- HANGAR 18.
1932: Kenichi Tani, who played an officer in the movie in episode K05/302- GAMERA and Lee in the movie in episode K04- /304- GAMERA VS. BARUGON.
1933: Louie Elias, who played a soldier in the movie in episode 319- WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST and also had a role in the movie in episode 509- THE GIRL IN LOVERS LANE.
1937: Marlo Thomas, who was mentioned in a host segment in episode 321- SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS.*
1937: Gus Trikonis, who directed the movie in episode 202- THE SIDEHACKERS and directed and played Scorpio in the movie in episode 209- THE HELLCATS.
1939: Jeannot Szwarc, producer and director of the movie in episode 608- CODE NAME: DIAMOND HEAD.*
1939: Gary Mule Deer (aka Gary C. Miller), who was mentioned in a host segment in episode 313- EARTH VS. THE SPIDER.*
1945: Goldie Hawn, who played a spectator in the movie in episode 202- THE SIDEHACKERS.*
1950: Stephen Geyer, who co-wrote the theme song to TV’s “Hardcastle and McCormick,” a snippet of which was sung in a host segment in episode 512- MITCHELL.*
1952: Lorna Luft, who was mentioned in host segments in episode 213- GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER and 311- IT CONQUERED THE WORLD.*

DIED ON THIS DATE
1945: Robert Benchley (age 56; cirrhosis), who was mentioned in a host segment in episode 207- WILD REBELS.
1993: Bill Bixby (age 59; prostate cancer), mentioned in host segments in episodes 204- CATALINA CAPER, Ï305- STRANDED IN SPACE and 205- ROCKET ATTACK USA.
1994: George E. Carey (age 70), a producer for the movie in episode 908- THE TOUCH OF SATAN.
1996: Alessandro (aka Sandro) Continenza (age 76), screenwriter for the movies in episode 412- HERCULES AND THE CAPTIVE WOMEN and episode 1108- THE LOVES OF HERCULES.
2005: Hugh Sidey (age 78), who was mentioned in an host segment in episode 608- CODE NAME: DIAMOND HEAD.
2022: Sally Todd (age 88), who played Natalie Anders in the movie in episode 320- THE UNEARTHLY and Sanda in the movie in episode 317- VIKING WOMEN AND THE SEA SERPENT.

EVENTS ON THIS DATE
1956: The movie in episode 803- THE MOLE PEOPLE has its Los Angeles premiere.
1962: The movie in episode 1009- HAMLET is reviewed in Variety.
1985: The movie MAKING CONTACT, featured in the MST3K Live Time Bubble Tour in 2021-22, was released in its home country of West Germany.
1987: Demi Moore, star of episode 322- MASTER NINJA I, marries actor Bruce Willis.
2017: Shout! Factory releases The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. XXXIX.

* = If this appears next to a birthday, this person is alive, according to the IMDB. If you can supply evidence that he or she has died, and when, please let us know.
** = If this appears next to a birthday, the IMDB indicates that the person has died, but the IMDB does not have a full death date (probably just a month and year or just the year he or she died). If you can give us the exact date (with some sort of proof we can check), please let us know.
** = If this appears next to a death date, the IMDB does not have this person’s full birthday. If you can provide it (with some sort of proof we can check), please let us know.
This Date in MSTory is written and compiled by Christopher Cornell, Brian Henry and Steve Finley with assistance by Tim Brown, Gordon Lawyer and many other Satellite News commenters.