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 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 two 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 12, 1976: Rebel Without a Cause co-star Sal Mineo, 37, is found stabbed to death in the parking lot outside his West Hollywood apartment.
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.