September 5, 1901: William McKinley, the first U.S. president to be captured on film, is shown at the Pan-American Expo in Buffalo, one day before his assassination.
September 1, 1902: A milestone in the evolution of the cinema is marked with the release of George Melies’ fantastic Voyage to the Moon.
September 4, 1911: The first country to form a national film censorship board? None other than supposedly broad-minded Sweden.
September 5, 1916: In response to the outcry over his The Birth of a Nation, D.W. Griffith releases Intolerance, a cinematic plea for understanding and goodwill.
September 1, 1919: The first United Artists film, His Majesty, the American with Douglas Fairbanks, opens in New York.
September 1, 1920: After co-starring with “Fatty” Arbuckle for three years, Buster Keaton makes his solo starring debut with the short One Week.
September 2, 1923: Under his most remarkable make-up to date, Lon Chaney brings Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo to life in the first filming of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
September 1, 1928: Animator Paul Terry’s Dinner Time, the first all-talking cartoon short, premieres in New York.
August 31, 1939: An all-distaff cast drives the witty goings-on in director George Cukor’s filming of the hit Broadway play The Women.
September 3, 1939: Alfred Hitchcock reshoots the ending of Foreign Correspondent to incorporate the anticipated bombing of London by the Luftwaffe.
August 31, 1946: After studio-suggested re-dos to reflect the chemistry of co-stars Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, the noir classic The Big Sleep opens.
August 31, 1946: Warner Bros.’ cartoon…I say, cartoon rooster Foghorn Leghorn makes his debut in the short Walky Talky Hawky.
August 31, 1948: A police narcotics sting operation leads to actor Robert Mitchum and actress Lila Leeds being arrested for marijuana possession.
September 2, 1949: James Cagney makes a memorable return to the gangster genre, playing psychopathic Cody Jarrett in White Heat.
August 31, 1973: John Ford, the maverick director of Stagecoach and The Quiet Man, dies in Palm Desert, California, at the age of 78.
August 30, 1974: The inaugural Telluride Film Festival opens in the small southwest Colorado town.
September 3, 1991: Screenwriter, director and celebrant of the common man Frank Capra passes away at the age of 94.
September 3, 2001: Noted film critic/author Pauline Kael dies at age 82.
August 30, 2003: Action hero Charles Bronson, star of Death Wish, passes away at 81.
August 30, 2006: Leading man Glenn Ford, star of Gilda and 3:10 to Yuma, dies at 90.