February 18, 1913: The Edison Film Co. introduces its synchronized film-phonograph Kinetoscope process for showing “sound films” in New York.
February 14, 1927: Director Alfred Hitchcock first tries his hand at suspense with The Lodger, based on the Jack the Ripper murders.
February 15, 1927: Whatever “It” is, starlet Clara Bow has it in abundance, as can be seen in director Clarence Badger‘s film of that name.
February 18, 1929: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces their first annual Award Winners… on the back page of the organization’s Bulletin.
February 14, 1931: In a role he made all his own on Broadway for three years, Bela Lugosi (Bela Lugosi FanFare Archives) is Dracula, in Tod Browning‘s film version of Bram Stoker’s classic novel.
February 18, 1938: Howard Hawks‘ classic screwballer Bringing Up Baby opens, but will only last a disappointing Hawks weeks in theaters.
February 15, 1943: Pin-up queen Betty Grable leaves impressions of her legendary legs in cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.
February 16, 1957: Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman‘s most renowned work, the medieval allegory The Seventh Seal, opens in Stockholm.
February 13, 1959: Two weeks into the shooting of Spartacus, producer/star Kirk Douglas fires director Anthony Mann and replaces him with Stanley Kubrick.
February 18, 1966: The Silencers, the first of a string of successful high-camp actioners starring Dean Martin as superspy Matt Helm, opens.
February 13, 1991: Anthony Hopkins is serial killer Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster an FBI trainee in Jonathan Demme‘s intense thriller The Silence of the Lambs.