1881: Pope John XXIII, who was mentioned in a host segment in episode 417- CRASH OF MOONS.
1899: Ethan Laidlaw, who played a Russian sea captain in the movie in episode 602- INVASION U.S.A.
1901: Ted Mapes, a stuntman for the season four serial UNDERSEA KINGDOM.
1917: Stanley Wilson, who composed the score for the season one serial RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON, was the musical director for the movie in episode 415- THE BEATNIKS and music supervisor for the movie in episode 614- SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL.
1919: Steve Brodie, who played Dr. Charles Vance in the movie in episode 810- THE GIANT SPIDER INVASION and Flanagan in the movie in episode 515- THE WILD WILD WORLD OF BATWOMAN.
1920: Noel Neill, who played the airline desk clerk in the movie in episode 602- INVASION USA.
1920: Ricardo Montalban, who provided the voice for King Claudius in the movie in episode 1009- HAMLET.
1937: Christopher Riordan, who played a dancer in the movie in episode 523- VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS.*
1949: J. Michael Hunter, who played a cameraman in the movie in episode 405- BEING FROM ANOTHER PLANET.
DIED ON THIS DATE
1963: W. Merle Connell (age 58), cinematographer for the movie in episode 320- THE UNEARTHLY.
1971: Hank Mann (age 84), who played Barney in the movie in episode 307- DADDY-O.
1972: William Glasgow (age 66), production designer for the movie in episode 309- THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN.
1978: Irene Morra (age 85), editor of the movie in episode 315- TEENAGE CAVEMAN.
1980: Dick Haynes (age 69), who played Col. Lansfield in the movie in episode 902- THE PHANTOM PLANET.
1987: Milton Gold (age 81), still photographer for the movies in episodes 520- RADAR SECRET SERVICE and 611- LAST OF THE WILD HORSES.
1999: William “Billy” Benedict (age 82), who played a newsboy in the movie in episode 423- BRIDE OF THE MONSTER.
2012: Jean Clarkson (age unknown), production secretary for the movie in episode 909- GORGO.**
2013: Toshiaki Tsushima (age 77), musical composer for the movie THE GREEN SLIME, riffed in MST3K’s pilot and the movie in episode K17- /306- TIME OF THE APES.
2016: Fidel Castro (age 90), who was mentioned in a host segment in episode 205- ROCKET ATTACK U.S.A.
2017: Rance Howard (age 89), who played a deputy in the movie in episode 523- VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS and was the father Ron Howard, who played Genius in that movie.
EPISODE PREMIERES ON THIS DATE
1989: episode 101- THE CRAWLING EYE first shown (we think).
1992: episode 415- THE BEATNIKS (with the short GENERAL HOSPITAL Part 2) first shown. MARY JO PEHL debuted as Magic Voice.
1993: episode 517- BEGINNING OF THE END first shown.
EVENT ON THIS DATE
1964: The movie in episode 106- THE CRAWLING HAND is reviewed in Variety.
2014: Shout! Factory releases The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day Collection (AKA Volume XXXI).
2016: Joel Hodgson announces that episodes K01- INVADERS FROM THE DEEP and K02- REVENGE OF THE MYSTERONS FROM MARS, long thought to be lost, have been found, and releases them to Kickstarter backers.
* = 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.
This Date in MSTory is copyright 2024. © All rights reserved. Do not reproduce This Date in MSTory items in any form without express written permission from the authors.